BATMAN versus SCORPION

In The Doctor's House (DC/Marvel)
Where: DC/Marvel: All Access #3 When: Late January 1997 Why: Ron Marz How: Jackson Guice

The Story So Far...
Life as a university student can be a balancing act at the best of times, but when Axel Asher discovered his destiny as the inter-dimensional hero Access -- he took balancing to a whole new level!

As a hero of two universes, he now carries the burden and responsibility of maintaining all of reality! The two worlds came to blows once, eventuating in the totality of an unnatural Amalgam Universe! This is the unreality he must fight to prevent by keeping the worlds separate -- easier said than done!

Villains from the Marvel Universe are appearing in the DC Universe and Access doesn't know why! With such high stakes in play; he knew it was risky to grant the X-Man Jubilee a return visit with her one-time opponent and star-crossed lover Robin. When the Scorpion crashes the party the real trouble begins!

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Scorpion 5 (Super-human)
Intelligence: Batman 5 (Professor)
Speed: Scorpion 3 (Athlete)
Stamina: Scorpion 5 (Marathoner)
Agility: Batman 4 (Gymnast)
Fighting: Batman 5 (Martial Artist)
Energy: Batman 4 (Arsenal)


Did you ever think you'd see these two facing off? I know I didn't!

Scorpion was once private investigator Mac Gargan. He was drawn into a web of super-powered intrigue when Daily Bugle Editor-in-Chief J. Jonah Jameson hired him to pursue his vendetta against Spider-man! Humiliation led to genetic experimentation that endowed Gargan with the proportionate speed, strength and agility of a scorpion! It also drove him mad - setting him on the path to a life of super-villainy, and his own vendettas against Jameson & Spidey!

Gargan was also outfitted with a hi-tech suit possessing a powerful mechanical tail. Over the years the suit and tail have been further upgraded to fire acid, electrical charge, and other long range offensive weaponry.

While Scorpion is traditionally thought of as a dangerous physical match for Spider-man, our only classic archived reference comes from Spectacular Spider-man #215, where frustrated Spidey laid a merciless whooping on his lethal foe! Ten years later, Gargan bonded with the Venom Symbiote, increasing his power considerably. That said, as we saw in DC/Marvel: All Access #1, the symbiote is still with classic host Eddie Brock at the time of today's fight.

Batman won't have to worry about pitting his keen intellect against the former investigator. It's the raw power and agility Scorpion favors that makes him more than a match for The Dark Knight Detective.

Batman's history with physically superior opponents is chequered, at best. The results of his famous rivalry with Superman have typically hinged on inherent weaknesses that Scorpion lacks. The mechanics of his suit are susceptible to Batman's arsenal, much like Amazo in Batman #637, but neutralizing the tail doesn't necessarily guarantee a victory against Scorpion.

Mongul had Batman by the throat in Infinite Crisis #1, but he's in a class above. Scorpion's strength is more comparable to Killer Croc, who was enhanced but still outclassed by skill, technique, and agility in Batman #608. He was more himself, but disadvantaged from the outset in Batman #621. In Batman #497, it was The Dark Knight who was at a disadvantage, physically and mentally broken by the long planned machinations of Bane -- one of his most famous defeats.

Scorpion arguably outmanoeuvres all of our comparable opponents, making him a genuine threat under impromptu circumstances. It's Batman's versatility and expertise in hand-to-hand and weapons based combat that always makes him a danger.

The Tape: Batman Ranking: Batman (#1)

What Went Down...

On a Gotham City rooftop, Scorpion menaces star-crossed teen heroes: Robin and Jubilee. His tail hovers menacingly around him. He's so focused on his targets, he doesn't notice the batarang arcing a rope around his tail until its already happened! By the time he spots the costumed hero responsible: he's already first in line to eat a flying kick to the face!

The Batman perches against a night sky, offering Scorpion his only chance to surrender. Batman doesn't know who he's dealing with. If he did, he might not have relied on mystique or reputation to intimidate the villain into submission.

Scorpion chooses his own option - striking violently at The Dark Knight with his tail! Batman leaps out of harms way, leaving the impact of the blow to demolish the brickwork beneath his feet. Not a villain to be trifled with!

Batman's reflexes are to be tested once more when Scorpion swings his tail into offensive position: spraying acid from its tip! Rather than burn as commanded, The Batman thinks fast - using his cape to defend against the attack!

Unharmed by the acid: The Bat counter strikes with his own projectile - a well placed batarang between the eyes! It finds the perfect target, sufficiently stunning powerhouse Scorpion to "soften him up" for the finishing blow.

A well placed uppercut counter-acts the considerable strength differential. Batman's expertise in the martial arts giving him the knowledge to hit Scorpion in just the right way to knock him out cold. Super-strong he may be, but he's still a mortal main with a bell to be rung. KO!

The Hammer...

It's a good old fashioned win via knock-out for Batman!

An all around uncomplicated affair, for the most part. I can imagine a few raised eyebrows from Marvel fans displeased with the way Scorpion was taken out. I'm a fan of the villain, but I'm also more inclined to simply enjoy what seems like such an unlikely meeting.

If I had to search for a reason behind the choice, I might look to the popularity of both the Batman and Spider-man animated series of the time. In ' 96, Spidey was in the middle of a five season run on FOX Kids, and pleasantly coming out of the Clone Saga that had replaced him with "Ben Reilly" in the comics.

These were much better conditions for the Spidey brand than earlier in the year, when the Spider-Clone had participated in the main DC versus Marvel crossover [see; Spider-man vs Superboy]. The genuine article made an appearance in the first issue of DC/Marvel: All Access, helping Superman in his pursuit of Venom [see; Superman v Venom]. It was a proper callback to the first meeting between DC and Marvel characters.

I daresay Scorpion was just lucky enough to be chosen for the right amount of recognition to go with being low enough on the totem pole for a beating. He was strong enough to be the last page cliffhanger at the end of issue #2 - but weak enough to be trounced by Batman in the span of about four opening pages.

Incidentally, Scorpion had arrived looming over Robin & Jubilee, who don't even participate in this particular skirmish. A little underwhelming if you'd spent two weeks anticipating the fight. I guess you gotta get on with introducing Batman, right? Can't overthink it! (Whoops. Too late!)

As interesting as it is to speculate about the ins and outs of how a crossover is assembled between DC and Marvel; I'm honing in on Scorpion because he's one of those characters I love. The villains who've had long, twisted lives fighting in different times, against different foes. They've appeared infrequently enough to make tracking them a relatively simple task, but they've also been around long enough to have amassed a sense of life. It's the joy of comic books I hope all readers are able to discover. The unique miracle of serialized universes.

This installment marks the seventh appearance by Scorpion (Mac Gargan) on the site. Five of his appearances were as the new Venom and/or Spider-man of the Dark Avengers. The definitive version of the character will always be green suited, with a mad-on for Spidey, but his years in the symbiote were conceived so well, I'm glad they're represented. I hope we'll get to see more of the classic version in future battles, though.

You can count on seeing more inter-company crossover battles in April! It's been a phenomenal ten years since we featured the entire DC versus Marvel crossover on Secret Wars on Infinite Earths - and twenty years since its original publication! That's why we're smack in the middle of new battles!

You can find the latest crop of crossovers by hitting the April link, or scrolling down through the Issue Index Secret Archive! There you'll find links for every issue featured on the site so far! Be here during the week for more recaps and a crossover contest that's sure to leave you green with envy!

Winner: Batman

(--) #1 Batman

(-17) #341 Scorpion

SUPERMAN versus VENOM

The Crossing! (DC/Marvel)
Where: DC/Marvel: All Access #1 When: December 1996 Why: Ron Marz How: Jackson Guice & Josef Rubinstein

The Story So Far...
Dashing from one back alley shortcut to the next - that's the life of Axel Asher. One minute he's on the city street, the next he's rushing to meet his girlfriend Ming Kuo-Fan. There's just one problem: The uncontrollable visions of two worlds once locked in cosmic battle!

 

See, one time when Axel was running through an alley he got stopped by this bum, who showed him a glowing cardboard box. It was an avatar for the fragile reality he maintained between two universe. When these universes became aware of each other through awakening cosmic twins - Axel learned his true fate as a man between worlds: the inter-dimensional guardian Access!

 

Now, just as things are starting to get to normal, it seems the universes are starting to bleed together again -- threatening the whole of existence! A dude called Venom has found himself in the wrong universe and he's getting freaked. If Access can't put Venom back where he belongs before he and Superman tear down Metropolis it could spell The End for reality and his relationship!

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Superman 6 (Invincible)
Intelligence: Superman 4 (Tactician)
Speed: Superman 6 (Mach Speed)
Stamina: Superman 6 (Generator)
Agility: Venom 4 (Gymnast)
Fighting: Draw 3 (Street Wise)
Energy: Superman 5 (Lasers)


Don't be fooled! It may be April 1st, but this is no joke! Throughout the month of April we'll be celebrating the 20th anniversary of DC versus Marvel, and we're diving in on this slightly peculiar match-up, which very much occurred!

I say peculiar... It's not that it's inconceivable these two characters might meet in a crossover scenario. Quite the contrary! Any collision between DC and Marvel owes at least a small debt to the 1976 meeting of Superman and Spider-man!

In that first crossover story, the pop culture icons combined to take down arch-villains: Lex Luthor and Dr. Doom. Twenty years later, it only made sense the heroes would meet again. What better way to put a fresh spin on their seminal encounter than with a face-off between Superman and Spidey's hugely popular dark shadow of the day?

In '96, the alien costume introduced in Secret Wars was permanently bonded to ex-reporter Eddie Brock. Together they made Venom: villain turned "lethal protector" and all around anti-hero hater of Spider-man!

Thanks to the symbiotic relationship the costume once shared with Peter Parker; Venom possessed enhanced spider-like abilities of speed, agility, organically produced webbing, and even  greater super-strength. Not that you'd know any of this from his brief appearance in DC versus Marvel #4, where the oozing costume could be seen menacing speedsters The Flash and Quicksilver like a living tar pit.

The sticky encumberance faced by fast runners is a natural enough threat, and while it wasn't followed up in any meaningful way, it presents a scenario where the heroes have something to overcome. The peculiarity of Venom v Superman is in the symbiote's natural weaknesses: high sonic frequency and intense heat.

Heat vision being one of Superman's most famous powers, you can just about wrap the fight up on that note alone. He doesn't know Venom very well, though, so assuming heat doesn't come up in the natural course of fighting, there's the issue of raw strength. Venom may be a cut above Spidey in the brawn department, but we rate Superman a full class above Venom's standard.

Granted, we've seen Venom stand up to Iron Man [Iron Man #302], and the story itself will call out Venom's battles with Juggernaut in future feature and dubious '93 mini-series - Venom: The Madness. Superman replies, rightfully, with his own Juggernaut victory in DC versus Marvel #1. Which really ends the speculation phase and brings us to the point of finding out what actually happened...

The Tape: Superman Ranking: Superman (#4)

What Went Down...

Materializing in the wrong universe isn't sitting well with the dual being known as Venom. Lashing out at his unfamiliar surroundings, he destroys a Superman statue and starts asking the terrified locals for directions. Never one to ignore the cries of a woman ensnared in alien tendrils - Superman races to the scene!

Faster than a speeding bullet - Superman swoops in to separate Venom from harassed Caitlin Fitzgerald and introduce him to Metropolis bricks and mortar!

While Venom recovers from being smashed through a wall at high speed, Superman gets a good look at his opponent. The spider insignia reminds him of a hero he once met from another universe: Spider-man!

The invocation is enough to send Venom into a blind rage! He shares his pain by suddenly blasting Superman's face with a spray of symbiote generated organic webbing! The unprepared Man of Steel is momentarily stunned!

Venom is upon Superman in seconds! His fury is channelled into a punch that manages to knock the stunned superhero onto the back foot! It sets him up for a combo finish with extreme environmental impact: Venom catches Superman's cape and uses it to launch him like an Olympic hammer!

The assault sends Superman hurtling out of control - crash landing into a stationary bus parked outside a church! "Superman, huh? Not much of a protector if you ask us." Don't worry: the bus was empty!

By the time The Man of Steel collects himself, Venom has already re-collected unwilling "tour guide" Caitlin and left the scene.

Superman removes the remaining webbing from his face with a burst of heat vision when he's confronted by the cross-dimensional hero Access. Unfamiliar with the friend, Superman brushes him off and prepares for Round 2...

The Hammer...

After careful deliberation, we're filing this one under the Round 1 rule. Superman takes chase for more fighting right after this, but there's a clear break in the action before he hunts his opponent down elsewhere in Metropolis.

With that information in mind, we unexpectedly declare Venom the winner by majority decision!

Superman may live to fight another day, but he clearly got overwhelmed in this initial encounter.

If you've read the recap above, you know the concessions we're giving the action to presume the fight works. I think this characterization adequately represents the material, but there's definitely an eyebrow raising element.

It's somewhat surprising that Venom would physically best Superman as well as he does. The conceit of rage fuelling Venom's strength isn't an unreasonable ask, and it should be noted he doesn't knock Superman off his feet. He does throw him, though. Quite far. The issue of Venom's strength will become a bigger problem in the rematch. For now, it's slightly questionable.

If you've got a problem with this fight, I suspect the nebulous role of webbing will be another nagging issue. Was Superman blinded and disoriented, therefore unable to control his flight path? Was he caught by surprise and breathing the web in, denied valuable oxygen? X-ray vision and super breath have a way of challenging both notions, but acceptance really comes down to interpretation.

If you assume the webbing is easily seen through, and no impediment for a Superman who fights in airless space [eg; Superman/Batman #4], it arguably reads better. If you really like your Superman fallible, you might decide he was blinded, choking, and careening out of control simply because he didn't have time to compose himself. Fair enough. The benefit of this strange period of peace between the big two publishers is that they had time to spend on their stories. For better or worse, this is just Act 1 of Issue #1. There's time to recover.

 

My impulse is to think Superman may've been under written here, but I'm soft on the idea of leaving the door open to "5" strength characters to rough him up a little. I don't want my Man of Tomorrow to be an idiot who forgets his powers, or an impotent punching bag, but leaving the door open for the Killer Crocs of the world to try their luck has always tickled my fancy.

You'll have to make up your own mind about which moment was more hilarious: Venom driving a truck in the nineties cartoon, or trying on a scared bystander's glasses in DC/Marvel: All Access #1 [pictured above]. Those odds are even.

Either way, we have our first DC/Marvel crossover battle of April in the books! Not a hoax! Not a dream! Not an April Fool! If you missed last week's crossover feature from Unlimited Access #1, be sure to check it out! You'll find even more like those in the Issue Index Archive under "Crossovers", and a fresh crop in the coming weeks! So don't miss it!

 

Winner: Venom

(--) #4 Superman

(+3) #16 Venom Symbiote

(+223) #101 Venom (Eddie Brock)