COLOSSUS versus CHAMPION OF THE UNIVERSE

And They Shall Call Him... Champion! (Marvel)
Where: Marvel Two-In-One Annual #7 When: 1982
Why: Tom DeFalco How: Ron Wilson

The Story So Far...
The Fantastic Four's Thing has earned a reputation as one of the universe's greatest fighters, having battled some of the most powerful beings of multiple galaxies! Enter: Proja - Promoter Supreme!

Charged with signing worthy opponents to challenge The Champion of the Universe; Proja sees big box office potential in a main event match between Thing and his client!

Madison Square Garden is the only arena in the world that could stage the once in a lifetime title bout, but you can't have a main event without an undercard! The Champ welcomes the challenge of some of Earth's most powerful defenders, but his pugilistic code swiftly eliminates Thor and Hulk from defending their planet.

Sasquatch did his best to test The Champ's ring awareness with brains and brawn, but with the Alpha Flight strongman knocked out it's now time for Colossus to test the mettle of the alien boxer!

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Champion 7 (Omnipotent)
Intelligence: Draw 2 (Average)
Speed: Draw 3 (Athlete)
Stamina: Champion 7 (Unstoppable)
Agility: Draw 2 (Average)
Fighting: Champion 7 (Living Weapon)
Energy: Draw 1 (None)
Total: Champion of the Universe 29 (Metahuman)

Champion of the Universe seemed evasive in the opening bouts, disqualifying Thor and dodging Hulk with a pair of technicalities, but finally established some much needed credibility when he knocked out Sasquatch!

This time The Champ welcomes the challenge of one of Sasquatch's old sparring partners -- Colossus: the mighty mutant with skin of organic steel!

Like other opponents Colossus poses a simple question of strength, stamina, and tenacity. The spirit is almost certainly willing, but despite his status as an X-Men powerhouse, he has a bit of a patchy record against other heavyweights.

Colossus famously came off second best in the barroom brawl with Juggernaut in Uncanny X-Men #183, got kayoed by a precision blast from Nimrod in Uncanny #194, and met a similar fate fighting a tech-assisted Apocalypse in #295.

He's still considered a relatively young man, finding his way in the world at the time of this battle, which takes place in the same year he was turned against his teammates to unsuccessfully fight Dracula in X-Men Annual #6, and dumped down the side of a butte by DC's Deathstroke during the Teen Titans crossover!

Despite all this, Colossus is not without his triumphs. In X-Men #113 he defied the magnetic influence of Magneto with hard hitting results, and years later will crush Breakworld warrior Ord in Astonishing X-Men #5.

This bout also takes place after his well known stand against Shi'ar Imperial Praetor Gladiator, who also outclassed him in strength and durability. Could that have been the perfect preparation to cause an intergalactic upset? Let's find out!

The Tape: Champion of the Universe Ranking: Champion of the Universe (#118)

What Went Down...

While opportunistic men attempt to capitalize on shrinking odds against the planet Earth -- one of its youngest bright sparks has already stepped into the ring!

The Champion welcomes the gleaming Colossus to the bright lights of Madison Square Garden with a haymaking left that sends him flying across the ring!

The metal mutant is only stopped when he slams into an adjacent turnbuckle!

Trapped in the corner, he has nowhere to go as The Champion closes in to deliver an unrelenting barrage of high-impact body blows!

Spittle escaping his mouth is the only sign of the agony radiating through his body as Colossus stoically absorbs every punch with stubborn determination!

Despite his valiant refusal to succumb to the pain, Colossus has no response for the merciless sequence of blows that rock his body!

The referee has little choice but to call for the bell.

Colossus drops silently to his knees as The Champions' punches cease. His slumped body unable to carry itself from the ring, he awaits a stretcher as the remaining challengers watch-on, impressed with his steely resolve.

The Hammer...

Any doubt about Champion of the Universe's legitimacy melts away as he annihilates Colossus in a single page of pulse pounding action!

It was a particularly brutal bout, leaving little opportunity for Colossus to strike. Was there something in particular about the young mutant that set The Champ off, or did his prior bout with Sasquatch simply remind him not to take Earth's mightiest mortals lightly?

If this were an X-Men Annual, perhaps it would be Colossus who made the final stand, but we're in the pages of Marvel Two-In-One, where The Thing will inevitably be the star to face the final challenge, and make the bravest challenge.

It's a suitable distinction between the two characters and their similar arcs, paid homage by Thing as Colossus is stretchered out after the match, and he remarks to the only other remaining competitor: "The kid did 'imself proud! Lasted almost a full round! Hope he ain't hurt too bad!"

We tend to think of Colossus as the unbreakable X-Man always there to face down the strongest obstacles, but in those early days he was still a young man, mildly unsure of himself, and coming in to his powers.

DeFalco's script makes a note of the "armored youth", emphasizing the distinction, and providing something of a companion piece to the similarly overwhelming odds of his ill fated showdown with the cosmic Gladiator during the Dark Phoenix saga. A legendary battle that's been on my To Do list for too long!

Colossus is an interesting study and I'm eager to look at more of his combat history, but we're also building up our casefile for The Champion, who now enters the Top 100 ranks with today's win!

It's a result that's beginning to reflect his status within the cosmic pugilistic ranks of the Marvel Universe -- but I wonder how far he will go. His next opponent is the suddenly topical Avenger standing with Thing [above] - Wonder Man. Then we'll move on to the main event that made this issue famous!

If you'd like to hasten the process, sponsor another character spotlight, or just encourage our ever expanding project -- you can become a supporter on Patreon! As a thank you you'll receive additional updates, materials, customizable article typs, and my eternal gratitude.

Secret Wars on Infinite Earths has always been free and features more than 650 battles and has ranked over 1,000 characters! You can find them all by diving into the Secret Archive for a complete index of featured fights ordered by publisher, series, and issue number.

You can get daily links to superhero smackdown inspired by the topics of the day by subscribing on Twitter and Facebook. Be sure to like, fave, and share posts, and keep your eyes peeled for the week's top trending battles every Sunday!

Winner: Champion of the Universe
#72 (+46) Champion of the Universe
#437 (-2) Colossus

COLOSSUS & X-MEN versus OMEGA RED

Red Death (Marvel)
Where: X-Men Adventures #4 When: May 1994
Why: Ralph Macchio How: John Hebert

The Story So Far...
At a snow-covered base near the Black Sea, somewhere in the Caucasus region between Ukraine and Georgia, a sudden power surge disrupts a signal relay, which in turn causes critical failure of complex computer circuitry designed to contain a living weapon!

With this subtle act of electrical sabotage a sleeper is awoken: Omega Red is unleashed upon a former Soviet Union to be a tool of military hardliners committed to restoring their empire.

Omega Red's violent path of conquest takes him towards a small farming region once home to Russian expatriate and mutant Piotr Rasputin. Having sought the aid of the X-Men - but only found Jubilee - Colossus accepts a desperate flight to his homeland in the hopes of rescuing his beloved family!

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Colossus 6 (Invincible)
Intelligence: Omega Red 4 (Tactician)
Speed: Wolverine 3 (Athlete)
Stamina: Wolverine 6 (Generator)
Agility: Rogue 3 (Acrobat)
Fighting: Wolverine 6 (Warrior)
Energy: Storm 5 (Lasers)
Total: Wolverine 26 (Metahuman)

The X-Men are: Wolverine, Storm, Rogue, and Jubilee, with Colossus.

Fans of the animated series will know Colossus wasn't a full-fledged member, but an acquaintance of the X-Men, who befriended him after a case of mistaken identity in Series 1 episode "The Unstoppable Juggernaut", which was also adapted as X-Men Adventures (Vol.1) #8.

Otherwise he's the hulking hunk of Russian organic-steel you know and love, and although he initially only has Jubilee to rely on, a note left at the mansion quickly gets the attentions of the other X-Men - particularly one who knows what they're up against!

Arkady Rossovich was a murdering scumbag even before he developed a mutant "death factor" that protected him from execution for his crimes.

The disgraced Spetsnaz GRU agent fled to Europe, but was soon reclaimed by the KGB, to be submitted to the Cold War era Soviet Super-Soldier program. Mutant healing abilities would allow Soviet scientists to implant cybernetic enhancements, as well as retractable, prehensile tendrils made of carbonadium: a Soviet alternative to the more costly and difficult adamantium metal.

Carbonadium is radioactive, but Omega Red could resist lethal poisoning with his mutant ability to absorb life force from other humans. He also possesses super-human strength, stamina, durability, and can emit "death factor" pheromone spores capable of weakening, or killing, anyone in his close proximity.

Colossus out muscles Omega Red, having stood toe-to-toe with the likes of the Juggernaut, Apocalypse, and Ord. He'll be a good compliment once Wolverine is on the scene, bringing past knowledge of Omega Red from his days with Team X, and razor-sharp adamantium claws that've cut plenty of cyborgs down to size!

Wolvie's healing factor is also useful when resisting Omega Red's life-draining, but it's unclear if he can inflict enough damage to negate a stale-mate similar to Wolverine (Vol.3) #50. We've also seen both Colossus and Wolverine taken out of the fight by having their energy absorbed in Uncanny X-Men #194.

Who did they willingly turn their essence over to? The power-absorbing Rogue, of course! She too could resist Omega Red's life-draining if she can get her hands on him and take his power. Making it all the easier for her and the rest of the team to put a serious hurt on! Will it happen that way? Let's find out!

The Tape: X-Men Ranking: Wolverine (#5)

What Went Down...

Having learned of the imprisonment of Colossus' parents from his sister Illyana -- the mighty metal mutant, and Jubilee, follow her to a Stalin era gulag reopened under the commission of Omega Red!

Jubilee channels X-Men leader Cyclops to consider a strategic option, but Colossus has no patience for looking at "angles" while his blood boils at the raw sight of injustice.

He quite literally "steels" himself, activating the natural-given skin that allows him to fearlessly charge towards the gulag -- welcoming the oppressors to fire at will!

The soldiers' bullets ricochet harmlessly off Colossus' metallic hide and even an artillery shell fired from a tank cannot stop the righteous Russian!

He runs all the way to the heavy machine, and tackles it head-on, turning the weapon against its masters by tossing the tank straight through the gulag gates!

Jubilee begrudgingly joins the charge, blasting plasma fireworks at any incoming soldiers as she storms the gate. "Okay -- looks like we'll save the subtlety for another day! Thanks for listening, Petey! You dork!"

Colossus does not respond, or join Jubilee in her dash. Instead, he is transfixed by the horrifying presence that has cast its shadow behind him -- Omega Red, with one of his coils of death wrapped around the young Illyana Rasputin.

The second coil snakes around Colossus' body, lifting him off his feet as his strength is slowly drained and he fights against the tendril's crushing squeeze.

It seems Colossus is alone to face his fate, but salvation arrives not a minute too soon. The X-Men are here -- and Wolverine has come to settle an old score!

Omega Red immediately drops Colossus and turns his attention to the voice from his past -- sending his wrist-tendrils looping around the charging Wolverine!

They tighten before the X-Man can reach his target and make good on threats.

Wolverine struggles to resist, but machismo gives way to a fading spirit as the coil begins its deadly draining of life energy. Omega Red taunts.

"Perhaps I shall have your corpse stuffed -- mounted in Red Square... A symbol of my triumph over... Eh? That shadow! What can it be?"

Wolverine is no more alone than Colossus! Rogue arrives overhead with a tank in hand to bring it slamming down on Omega Red's body!

The X-Men regroup under the scornful eye of field leader Storm. She worries for the recklessness of Rogue and Jubilee, while Wolverine clues Colossus and the team into his long history with the "Soviets' Super-man".

At that moment, Omega Red pushes the tank off his body!

Colossus and Wolverine race to meet him, but once again Omega Red's long reach holds the mighty Russian at bay and snatches Wolverine into the air!

The X-Man desperately tries to rake his claws across Omega Red's eyes, but his futile efforts aren't for nothing!

With his tendrils occupied, Omega Red is wide open to the flying figure of Rogue!

She drives her shoulder into his back like a battering ram, and he drops his weakened prey to instead wrap both deadly coils around her!

To the Soviet Super-Soldier's shock -- Rogue is completely unfazed by the life-draining attack! Her own mutant power to absorb life force appears to completely cancel out Omega Red's deadly ability!

Unaffected, Rogue is able to shrug the binding cables off with her super-human strength, but before she can resume the attack -- Darkstar arrives in the sky!

Omega Red orders his flying comrade to take care of Rogue, but Darkstar does not share his violent vision for Russia's future.

Having observed Storm's apparent command of the weather, she implores the X-Woman to summon the deepest cold if she's able and direct it at Red.

Rogue obliges Storm with a full nelson to hold Omega Red in place while the weather goddess directs the arctic winds to blast a bitter cold directly at him!

The villain can only shout broken dreams of glory as his body temperature begins to cool and he's returned to the icy frozen state that held him before saboteurs ended his suspended animation. The terror on the Caucasus is ended.

The Hammer...

The intervention of Darkstar not only handed Storm the means to end Omega Red's rampage, but also ensures his collaborators in the attempted coup will be brought to justice by modern Russia.

You may've noticed a colouring error [above] that makes it seem as if Storm is shouting to herself. The center panel is obviously intended to be a close-up of Darkstar, who I always wished could've had a more active role in the story, but is reserved for a final act twist.

Everyone has a bit more to do in the animated episode, which spreads the action over two separate battles, allowing Darkstar to get involved much sooner and witness everyone's abilities, to more intuitively suggest an outcome to Storm.

If you thought it was a little off that Rogue's powers would cancel out Omega Red's without any contact to her skin -- you won't be surprised to find that she actually does succumb to the life-draining coil in the animated version. Granted, this only raises further questions about how the tendrils actually work.

In this instance I'm not sure the source material is entirely helpful at clearing anything up. The exact details of Omega Red's abilities generally feel a little slippery in the mainline comics, as well.

The Cold War inspired villain had immediate appeal on the strength of a bombastic Jim Lee design, but a hodgepodge of oh-so nineties invulnerabilities and death-dealing powers have arguably made the character unwieldy in a narrative context, leading to inconsistent conclusions throughout the years.

Putting him back on ice was a clean way to wrap up a robust done-in-one story, but the way it comes about feels a little bit dubious. Maybe if Iceman were on the team it would be an easier sell, but even that speaks to the difficulty of leaving Omega Red in play.

There are a lot of interesting differences between the November 1993 broadcast episode and its X-Men Adventures comic book adaptation.

Despite the episode name appearing on the cover, the comic story is titled "Red Death", wielding that most taboo of words as far as Saturday morning cartoons of the era were concerned. An otherwise trivial difference -- especially for a series that dealt with death in its very first plotline! This one's for you, Morph!

More substantial is Omega Red's release from suspended animation: an act of sabotage in the comic, while in the animated series, anonymous hands confidently manipulate the controls. A deliberate escalation contextualized by scenes of tanks and storm troopers invading a city already under siege.

The comic version also flirts more specifically with the geo-politics of the story, establishing a slightly more deliberate locale than the ambiguous Russia of the cartoon. We still don't quite know which "sovereign nation" Colossus and the Rasputin family come from, but the comic-given geography of a "small city in the Caucasus" of the former USSR seems to imply it's probably Georgia, or Armenia.

Despite the narrative-driven change to Colossus' Siberian comic book upbringing; trifling with the specifics of Communist politics probably wasn't high on anyone's agenda. The Cold War had ended a few years prior, and Rocky IV was almost a full decade behind us. American comic books will always love a good Russian villain, but most people were probably hoping to just move on from the looming threat of mutually assured atomic destruction.

That might be the reason Omega Red is ultimately depicted as hostile to almost everybody -- including the Soviet Generals he's supposed to be serving!

This version of Arkady Rossovich is harder than hardline. He intends to install himself as the iron ruler of a new empire. An expressed delusion of grandeur that seems to be a catalyst for the reserved Darkstar to finally reveal her true allegiance, and act against her military superiors. Russians aren't all evil, buddy!

All in all, both the comic and cartoon do a good job of cramming a whole lot of stuff into a pretty succinct story. There are things I like about both versions. The Series 2 episode was always a memorable favourite, but I think the twenty-two page comic does a good job of amending some of its pacing issues.

Marvel's Ralph Macchio [not THAT one] always did a good job on the various Adventures titles, and the intensity of John Hebert's pencils really helped push back against the innate second-class status of a book adapting a cartoon. His work, with its straining tendons and broad muscle, feels right at home with the look of the show, and contemporary X-artists like Lee, Andy Kubert, and maybe even Leinil Yu, while also being very identifiable.

Macchio later took the series into original stories in Adventures of the X-Men, and bridged the animated shared universe with Marvel Adventures. Continuations well worth your time, especially while you're eagerly anticipating the upcoming revival of X-Men '97 on Disney Plus -- which recently added definitive Wolverine voice actor Cal Dodd!

Dive deeper into your favourite characters by following links throughout this post, and discover more from the multiverse by exploring the Secret Archive for a complete index in order of publisher, series, and issue. You can also catch up on the 2021 Rankings Recap and Top 20 Fights of Season 2021!

Secret Wars on Infinite Earths has featured more than 650 battles and ranked well over 1,000 characters! If you like what it's all about you can help keep us in the fight by becoming a patron on Patreon. The fight club has always been free, but as a thank you you'll receive bonus updates, customizable articles, and more.

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Winners: Storm & Rogue (w/ X-Men & Darkstar)
#34 (+4) Storm
#46 (+26) Rogue
#446 (+5) Darkstar [+1 assist]
#5 (--) Wolverine [+1 assist]
#435 (--) Colosssus [+1 assist]
#369 (+23) Jubilee [+1 assist]
#361 (+9) Magik (Illyana Rasputin) [+1 assist]
#967 (new) Omega Red

AVENGERS & X-MEN versus RONAN

Whatever The Cost! (Marvel)
Where: Maximum Security #3 When: January 2001
Why: Kurt Busiek How: Jerry Ordway

The Story So Far...
A sudden global surge in extraterrestrial conflict reveals a master plan by the Intergalactic Council of empires to declare Earth a prison planet!

Encounters with the Kree, Skrull, Shi'ar, and more have earned humans a meddlesome reputation. To further delay them from reaching beyond the stars, the untamable scum of the universe are now interned to keep Earth busy. Energy lattice surrounds the solar system in an effort to contain humanity and the prisoners from further interference.

With the Kree seemingly conquered by the Shi'ar Empire, Ronan The Accuser was appointed overseer of the new prison planet, but in truth he has conspired to launch a new Kree uprising. With the mutated Ruul army at his command, and an infestation of the Earth by Ego feeding him unlimited power, Ronan stands poised to lead the Supreme Intelligence to ultimate victory!

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Ronan 6 (Invincible)
Intelligence: Goliath 6 (Genius)
Speed: Nova 7 (Light Speed)
Stamina: Thor 6 (Generator)
Agility: Spider-Man 5 (Cat-Like)
Fighting: Wolverine 6 (Warrior)
Energy: Ronan 6 (Mass Destruction)
Total: Ronan The Accuser 34 (Super)

Earth's heroes are: Thor, Warbird, Sub-Mariner, Wonder Man, She-Hulk, Goliath, Hercules, Thing, Beta Ray Bill, Rogue, Colossus, Sunfire, with USAgent, Quasar, Captain America, Spider-Man, Wolverine, Nova, Namorita, Speedball, Triathlon, and Mister Fantastic, Iron Man, Bruce Banner, Silver Surfer.

Several other heroes can be seen teleporting into action with Quasar, but for the sake of clarity, we're only focusing on those identifiably involved in the battle. This includes support troops led by USAgent fighting on the ground.

Ronan The Accuser has been dramatically augmented by Ego, who has begun to infest the Earth. The flow of power Ego supplies adds to Ronan's already impressive Kree might, and results in a massive increase in his physical size.

Working on the Ego problem are Mister Fantastic, Iron Man, and Bruce Banner. They've built a machine to repel the infestation, and drain Ronan's power by funneling it into a captive host. Silver Surfer has volunteered for the potentially lethal absorption, but it means he's taken out of the battle.

Silver Surfer's absence from the fight will be felt. We saw him beat Ronan back in Silver Surfer #13, but there are still plenty of other heavy hitters on the field who have credentials beating some prominent cosmic opponents!

Thor can match his hammer against Ronan's Universal Weapon, having used it to best Super-Skrull in Thor #465. Warbird (Carol Danvers) gained her powers from the Kree and has a late win over Thanos [FCBD Civil War II #1]. She-Hulk performed the rare feat of defeating Champion of the Universe in She-Hulk #8. Sub-Mariner was one of the first heroes to valiantly face Thanos in Infinity Gauntlet #4, joining She-Hulk in a noteworthy grim stand. Even Colossus has memorable cosmic face-offs, including a win over Ord in Astonishing X-Men #5!

Thing has made a career of taking on the universe's deadliest fighters. His renown across galaxies was built on battles against Ronan himself, The Champion, and villains like Ego, The Living Planet [Fantastic Four #235], Gladiator [Fantastic Four #249], Paibok The Power Skrull [Fantastic Four #358], and even his own Magus created Doppelganger [Fantastic Four #367]!

The heroes can also count on the aide of Beta Ray Bill, who was interned on Earth as part of the intergalactic council's designation as a prison planet. Beta Ray Bill famously defeated Thor in Thor #337, proving worthy to wield Mjolnir before Odin granted him his own hammer: Stormbreaker. He once fought Silver Surfer to a standstill in Beta Ray Bill: Godhunter #2, and fought valiantly by his side against the unstoppable Tyrant in Silver Surfer #82!

This all spells one phenomenal fighting force, but will it be enough to mitigate the incredible power boost received by Ronan The Accuser? They're literally fighting a man with the power of an entire planet -- and a Kree army!

The Tape: Earth's Allied Heroes Ranking: Spider-Man (#2)

What Went Down...
A sudden flash of light signals the arrival of Ronan The Accuser. He hovers menacingly in the air, a towering titan gazing down at the aggravating heroes who have begun to threaten his power source.

With a gesture of his Universal Weapon, he summons an army of Kree imperial soldiers, and warns Earth's heroic brains trust that they will be destroyed if they reactivate their machine. Then -- another flash of light: the cavalry!

Quasar teleports a troop of heroes over thirty-strong and when Ronan  threatens to kill them all -- USAgent steps forward to order the heroes against him. They swarm the giant-sized Accuser!

Thor, Wonder Man, and Warbird come in high with blows to the head and face, while Sub-Mariner contends with the giant's right arm, and Beta Ray Bill and Goliath lock up the left! Working the body is Hercules and Colossus, while She-Hulk and Thing come in hot from below as the giant threatens to lose footing!

Around Ronan's feet, Kree soldiers scurry as they contend with the heroes' support forces. USAgent bats at a small group, while Spider-Man, Wolverine, Nova, Triathlon, Namorita, Speedball, and Captain America do the same!

Overhead: Ronan delivers his first decisive blow as he targets Thor with his own hammer-like weapon and unleashes the planetary force of Ego!

With a wild backhanded chop, The Accuser dispatches with Beta Ray Bill, Hercules, and Sub-Mariner! He then turns his attentions to the ionic Wonder Man and brings his massive Universal Weapon slamming down upon him!

USAgent bats a Kree soldier with his photonic shield and contemplates the fragility of humanity's hopes against the invaders, while across the battlefield Mister Fantastic rallies the Thing and Human Torch to defend their ace.

Bruce Banner and Iron Man finish loading the Silver Surfer into their device and in an agonizing instant Ego's incredible power begins flooding into his body! His back arches, while on the horizon the infested landscape that is Ego begins to contort violently -- and Ronan The Accuser begins to shrink!

Ronan is caught completely off guard as his unfathomable power weakens ever so slightly and his mass begins to reduce. The sudden change signals the opportunity for the heroes to strike!

Rogue calls out his sudden weakening, with Thor, Warbird, Wonder Man, Sub-Mariner, Beta Ray Bill and Colossus rushing in to capitalize!

The Silver Surfer betrays his struggle as he begins to moan and his chrome skin burns ever brighter with blistering energy. Iron Man can see the strain is too great, but before any of the genius heroes can act -- Silver Surfer is torn free!

His smoldering and cracked body falls limply to the ground even as he attempts to volunteer for another try. The words catch in his throat as he passes out. There will be no reprieve for The Surfer.

From the air above, Quasar spots the brains trust of Banner, Richards, and Iron Man gathering over the exhausted cosmic rider. He scans the horizon, taking in the vista of his home planet Earth, then leaves Nova battling the Kree warriors.

It seems Silver Surfer's power cosmic could not contain the energies absorbed from Ego, but Quasar assures Reed Richards that his quantum power is more adaptive. Knowing the risks, he volunteers to be strapped into the machine and the draining process begins anew!

Sensing the sudden pull of his energy once more -- Ronan lashes out wildly by swatting Thor, Rogue, and Sunfire out of the air! The Kree Accuser can tell that the drain is more smooth than before, hastening his desire to find the cause.

Still gigantic; Ronan stomps across a smoking battlefield littered with the beaten bodies of Thor, Hercules, and more. He sets his sights on the machine attacking Ego's infestation of Earth, and prepares to battle Earth's last line of defense!

The Hammer...

Ronan does a very convincing job of cleaning house before setting his sights on the next challenge. The battle is won, but the war is certainly not over!

War is very much the tone here. I think the more superhero universes became proliferated with identifiable characters - the greater the desire to see a war-like scenario. Several series tried it. There are obvious echoes of Operation: Galactic Storm and Infinity Gauntlet in this one. I can't help but think of Annihilation as well, which took the hell of cosmic warfare even deeper into the trenches.

1984's Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars may be the most recognized example of conflict between warring Marvel factions, but that was much more about isolating defined sides and smashing them together like (tie-in) toys. Speaking of which: Isn't it about damn time we featured the site's namesake? I digress...

In a continuum of those memorable Marvel events, Maximum Security makes a lot of sense. Through the prism of published releases in 2001, however, it reads almost anachronistic.

The event feels like the last gasp of a movement begun with the soft Heroes Return reset of 1998. There's a colourful, fluffy house style in the artwork, and a confluence of references to Marvel's favoured past, and the character designs of the misguided mid-90s and probing millennium. All would soon go away.

Indeed, the concluding issue of Maximum Security may be cover dated 2001, but it very much belongs to the final throes of 2000, when it actually hit racks.

The release of the first X-Men movie that same year is arguably what changed comics forever. It was a foundation stone for the next two decades of superhero domination in cinema, but it would also influence two of the defining releases of 2001: Ultimate X-Men, and Grant Morrison & Frank Quitely's New X-Men.

Both were incredibly intriguing in their own way, participating in a movement towards more sedate art direction, and denser character work. Everything was being deliberately rethought. Designs got blacker, and bombastic super-heroics were taking a slight step back as written concepts took greater focus.

I was vaguely aware of the Maximum Security crossover unfolding when it came out, but it didn't connect with me. It seems like every ardent comic book fan has a lull in their reading, and for me, it was very much 99-2000. They were generally exciting times, and other interests just started to eclipse a lifetime of reading comics.

In hindsight, Maximum Security was a little old fashioned, but I think if I'd taken the time to look closer, I would've enjoyed it. It was certainly an interesting piece of history to revisit when I picked up back issues many years later.

Three issues doesn't give the core mini-series a lot of room to expand upon a fast moving plot, but there are, of course, many tie-in issues that focus closer on relevant characters and spillover. There may be no better marker of time than Gambit #23: a series I frequently forget even existed.

Ronan The Accuser stands out as a main villain, which feels like a culmination of sorts. Growing up I'd always thought of Ronan as a big deal (and a classic Fantastic Four villain), but under scrutiny it becomes apparent his appearances were steady, but infrequent. He's really more of a Captain Marvel character, and for many years he hung his accuser's hat on the legendary Kree-Skrull War.

At the start of Maximum Security he poses as another banished alien forced to warden the Earth prison. A dirty tactic, but a nice set up for his coming out as a literal big bad. It's fun to see him swatting around some of the heaviest hitters in the Marvel Universe, even if the interactions are a tad impersonal.

I'll look forward to returning to the next phase of the battle in the future, when the other, more surprising featured character comes back to the fore: USAgent!

In the mean time, Blogger restrictions means this entry will only appear tagged for the fighters featured tackling Ronan. For most of the others, we have an assist stat that acknowledges their support role. You can check out the updated character rankings and results at the bottom of this post.

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Secret Wars on Infinite Earths has featured well over 600 battles and ranked more than 950 characters! You can find them all indexed in the Secret Archive by publisher, series, and issue number. Or simply discover more wonders by following links throughout this and other feature articles.

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Winner: Ronan The Accuser
#398 (+286) Ronan The Accuser
#613 (+279) Ego The Living Planet [+1 assist]
#31 (-1) Sub-Mariner
#32 (--) Thor
#35 (--) Silver Surfer
#49 (-2) Warbird (Carol Danvers)
#70 (-12) Rogue
#74 (-3) Wonder Man
#80 (-6) Goliath (Hank Pym)
#145 (-1) She-Hulk
#400 (-56) Beta Ray Bill
#419 (-7) Hercules
#423 (-3) Colossus
#591 (-137) Sunfire
#2 (--) Spider-Man [+1 assist]
#3 (--) Iron Man [+1 assist]
#4 (--) Wolverine [+1 assist]
#6 (--) Hulk (Bruce Banner) [+1 assist]
#10 (--) Mister Fantastic [+1 assist]
#12 (--) Thing [+1 assist]
#115 (+1) Nova (Richard Rider) [+1 assist]
#130 (+2) USAgent [+1 assist]
#428 (--) Speedball [+1 assist]
#614 (+282) Quasar [+1 assist]
#922 (new) Namorita [+1 assist]
#923 (new) Triathlon [+1 assist]

X-MEN versus MAGNETO

Showdown! (Marvel)
Where: X-Men #113 When: September 1978
Why: Chris Claremont How: John Byrne

The Story So Far...
With his nemeses The X-Men held captive deep within his volcanic subterranean base in the Arctic; Magneto is free to stage an unopposed attack on the Royal Australian Aerospace Research Facility in Woomera, South Australia!

The X-Men are reduced to the physical capacity of infants in the nightmarish care of the android called Nanny! That is, until Storm manages to use the lock-picking skills she learned as a thief to free herself and the team from their elaborate shackles!

Awaiting their greatest foe's return, the X-Men scramble to devise a plan to ambush the Master of Magnetism and defeat him once and for all!

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Colossus 6 (Invincible)
Intelligence: Beast 6 (Genius)
Speed: Beast 4 (Olympian)
Stamina: Wolverine 6 (Generator)
Agility: Nightcrawler 5 (Cat-Like)
Fighting: Wolverine 6 (Warrior)
Energy: Magneto 6 (Mass Destruction)
Total: Magneto 28 (Metahuman)

The X-Men are: Cyclops, Phoenix, Storm, Banshee, Nightcrawler, Colossus, Wolverine, with Beast.

Despite occasionally working alongside the team; Magneto arguably represents the X-Men's ultimate arch-nemesis! His mastery of magnetism challenges Charles Xavier's dream on both a physical and philosophical plane, shaking the Earth to its very core with the influence of magnetic fields, and dangerous ideas!

There are obvious issues for some of the X-Men who're facing Magneto at a time when he's firmly positioned as a ruthless villain. Wolverine's adamantium laced skeleton is famously susceptible to magnetic influence, most devastatingly demonstrated when the metal was ripped from his body in X-Men #25!

There are also concerns surrounding the organic steel of Colossus. He can choose to remain in his unaltered human form, but this also negates the asset of his super-human strength, rendering him a vulnerable target for Magneto.

Nightcrawler always offers interesting tactical possibilities with his agility and ability to teleport. We saw him strike a decisive blow against Dracula in X-Men Annual #6. He might be able to get the drop on Magneto, but penetrating his magnetic force field seems unlikely. Coordinating with teammates is best.

Cyclops and Storm are strong tactical leaders who can call shots on a team strategy. Cyclops' optic blasts also offer a strong ranged attack that can help pin Magneto down. Storm's control of weather is less suited to their confined arena deep within a volcano, but a well timed gust could help and hinder tactically.

As unlikely as it seems, Banshee could be an ace in the hole. His sonic scream was potent enough to stun Invisible Woman in X-Men Annual #14, and might be able to penetrate Magneto's defenses! The confined space of the arena may just enhance his offensive potential, but there is the risk of hurting his teammates.

The obvious powerhouse here is Jean Grey, who at this time is entwined with the Phoenix force. Cosmically enhanced telekinesis and telepathy are just the tip of the iceberg. In theory, Phoenix would have no trouble defeating Magneto on her own, but the use of her powers at this time appears in flux.

An uncharacteristic act of psychic violence by Charles Xavier famously reduced Magneto to a mindless state in X-Men #25. He was also matched by a cosmically enhanced Spider-Man in Amazing Spider-Man #327.

Magneto has the benefit of confronting the X-Men within his subterranean Arctic lair, and even though they have some element of surprise, they're also recovering from prior hardships. This is a classic - let's see how it went!

History: X-Men (1-0-1)
The Tape: X-Men Ranking: Wolverine (#4)

What Went Down...
Descending into his darkened lair: Magneto tends to his malfunctioning Nanny robot, fully aware the X-Men have likely escaped their shackles. He plays the fool, inviting a sudden assault from Cyclops, Banshee, and the other X-Men!

The Master of Magnetism is forced to fall humbled to the floor as the concussive force of their ranged attacks overwhelms him! Even braced for impact, the combined power was nearly more than he could handle!

Wolverine is the first to emerge from the dark, with claws at the ready, but Cyclops psychically calls him off. The X-Men have a game plan and Wolverine must wait his turn -- or have none at all!

Wolverine obeys -- while Storm struggles to initiate the next phase of their plan: extract the humidity from the air around Magneto.

Though fatigued from the effort of orchestrating their earlier escape, Storm works at her invisible offensive. Not that he knows it! Magneto rises, gloating that he's had time to recover. He doesn't hear Banshee coming up behind!

Gliding through the darkness, Banshee delivers an intensely focused sonic scream directly to Magneto's back! As soon as the blast hits, Cyclops gives Wolverine the telepathic signal to go for broke!

Striking mercilessly from behind - Wolverine rips through Magneto's cape and rakes unbreakable adamantium claws against his back!

Magneto yells in agony, lashing out with a sudden wave of his hand that sends Wolverine hurtling across the pitch black arena! Even as he dispatches one X-Man - another steps forward, igniting the lair with the light of the Phoenix!

Magnetic shields offer a defensive buffer as Jean Grey blasts Magneto with the Phoenix's flame, but the force of her power pushes him into a nearby console!

The lair's control centre explodes at his back as Magneto begins to feel the dehydrating effects of Storm's efforts -- and perhaps the encroaching heat of the volcanic magma surrounding the underground facility.

There's little time to contemplate temperature as Colossus barrels down upon Magneto! The steel-skinned mutant wasn't part of the plan, but his efforts prove none the less effective as he silences Magneto with a devastating right hand!

Colossus buries his fist in Magneto's mid-section, desperately fighting to keep the Master of Magnetism off-balance enough to avoid becoming a metallic pawn under his powers!

The affront works, but his teammates conspire to lend a helping hand -- much to Nightcrawler's chagrin! Beast swings him by the tail like a human wrecking ball and lets him loose -- to teleport with momentum straight at Magneto's head! The acrobat collects his helmet while Colossus winds up for a kayo!

The punch Colossus delivers would've destroyed any normal man -- but Magneto defiantly clings to consciousness like iron to a magnet!

At that moment Nightcrawler notices lava seeping through the ceiling. The damaged control console has triggered an irreversible sequence that will open the roof and flood the chamber with the volcano above!

Precious seconds tick away as Cyclops searches for a way out. Magneto mocks the X-Men, blaming their dire predicament on the reckless actions of Phoenix. He is fast becoming their only hope for survival -- and with that he seizes his opportunity, throwing Colossus and the others away with a magnetic wave!

The X-Men scramble to avoid the searing touch of pouring lava! Banshee glides along sonic waves to snatch Wolverine clear of harm. Jean Grey narrowly avoids a dice with danger when Beast tackles her clear.

Magneto summons his helmet back to him and takes leave, using magnetic fields to repel the magma and safely forge his way toward the surface! He leaves the X-Men desperately fighting to survive as the facility collapses.

The Hammer...

Things looked pretty dire for a while there, but Magneto's ability to take a licking and keep on ticking gave him the chance to make full use of his home ground advantage. If they hadn't been encased in volcanic lava, the X-Men might not have snatched defeat from the hands of victory! Whoops!

As this issue comes to an end we see Phoenix explode from the ground, carrying Beast to the snowy surface above. The rest of the X-Men are presumed dead, but the next issue will reveal they tunneled their way into the Savage Land.

Magneto escaped, but he lost a valuable base of operations housing a wealth of data collected over many months. Anyone who's lost a hard drive without backups knows how that stings! I presume whatever information was gained by attacking Australia was for, and stored safely, on board Asteroid M.

I've been eager to feature more Magneto and the X-Men on Secret Wars on Infinite Earths, so this one's been on the docket for quite some time. It's the earliest in the Chris Claremont/John Byrne run we've looked at so far, but not the earliest meeting between arch-foes. X-Men #6 still holds that distinction.

The creative team doesn't feel quite as sharp as they eventually will, but there's still so much to like about this issue! I was particularly drawn to its depiction of Colossus -- another mutant I've been hoping to spend more time with.

I'm a little leery on Magneto's ability to withstand heavy blows dealt by the Russian hero, but I suppose you can presume he's dampening the hits with his magnetic powers. It's worth it for some great Byrne drawn action!

Their head-on collision is a great moment that obviously looks cool, but also adds dramatic tension as Colossus runs the risk of submitting his metallic body to exploitation by Magneto. He was supposed to hang back, but as in a lot of early Colossus appearances, there's a determination to prove himself as the powerhouse every fan wants him to be. His relentless fighting does the trick!

Of course, it's really a classic case of an X-Men team effort. Their ability to work together is a key element that nearly wins them the fight. Each member gets a moment to shine, including Beast, who only recently reunited with the team after leaving the Avengers to answer a distress call from Polaris, and help his old teammates out of a jam. His team-up with Nightcrawler is a real treat! Two agile, furry blue heroes I love, but don't remember seeing together a whole lot.

The lineup of X-Men featured in the issue is right up there with the best. Magneto is also in fine form as a formidable villain, too. The white knuckle nature of the fighting means there's little time for any of the hokey villainy he sometimes dips into. Byrne's rendering of the classic design, especially when the helmet casts solid shadow over his face, is really thrilling!

I noticed in the time while I was working on this entry Rob Liefeld kicked X-Men #113 back into discussion. He used the opening page as an example of Magneto's days as a definitive Marevl villain. Regardless of how you might feel about contemporary examples, it's definitely a period worth investigating, if you haven't.

You can find this issue and many more collected in the first Uncanny X-Men Omnibus. Use the Amazon links provided to get yourself a good price and help support Secret Wars on Infinite Earths in the process!

You can find more from the characters featured in today's battle by following links throughout this post, or dive into the Secret Index for a complete archive of featured fights in order of publisher, series, and issue number!

Subscribe to Secret Wars on Infinite Earths via Twitter and Facebook to get daily links to superhero smackdown inspired by the topics of the day! Be sure to like and share your faves!

Winner: Magneto
#138 (+270) Magneto
#4 (--) Wolverine
#49 (-1) Beast
#51 (-1) Storm
#81 (-1) Cyclops
#131 (-9) Phoenix (Jean Grey)
#354 (-77) Banshee
#405 (-7) Colossus
#929 (-33) Nightcrawler