THANOS versus GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY

(Marvel)
Where: Guardians of the Galaxy #25 When: June 2010 Why: Dan Abnett & Andy Lanning How: Brad Walker

The Story So Far...
Back-to-back incursions of Annihilus and his Negative Zone Annihilation Wave, as well as Ultron's Phalanx, has left the fabric of space severely damaged and unstable!

With reality itself hanging precariously in the balance: the hero Star-Lord has taken it upon himself to form a new group of heroes known as The Guardians of the Galaxy! Together, they fight to protect the universe, and monitor the threat of dangerous anomalies!

This time the threat has come from one of their own! Succumbing to his evil half, Adam Warlock has become the dreaded Magus! The Guardians pursue him to the planet Sacrosanct, where his sinister scheme has employed The Universal Church of Truth -- but things are not all as they seem!

An illusion of Magus' defeat has masked his escape, tricking The Guardians into believing some of their most loved members have fallen. Worse still, The Church has been guarding a reanimation cocoon meant to return one of the universe's deadliest threats! With Sacrosanct in ruin, The Guardians arrive to discover a foe they hoped never to face: The Titan Thanos lives again!

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Thanos 6 (Invincible)
Intelligence: Thanos 5 (Professor)
Speed: Gamora 4 (Olympian)
Stamina: Thanos 7 (Unstoppable)
Agility: Groot 6 (Rubber)
Fighting: Drax 7 (Living Weapon)
Energy: Thanos 6 (Mass Destruction)
Total: Thanos 34 (Super)

Here on Secret Wars on Infinite Earths we use our own scientifically developed numerical scale to measure the typical powers & abilities of heroes and villains. Each statistic on The Tape is assigned a moniker to help personify a broad reference for that level (ie; Intelligence 5 - Professor). For the most part, this system has served us well, but occasionally catchall references let us down...

Thanos may fall into our "Super Class" category, but history shows he is a threat on a cosmic scale! So grand are his dark designs against life that his plans are as likely to endanger worlds as they are the entirety of reality itself!

"The Mad Titan" is named for his birthplace on the moon of Saturn, where a colony of super-powered Eternals was known to settle. Deviant mutation gifted Thanos incredible powers at birth, but also a predisposition towards obsession with death. He amassed further power through strenuous augmentation to feed his desires for death and conquest. Eventually, he turned this power against his own people -- obliterating even his own mother with callous disregard!

So total is Thanos' devotion to death that when he met its personification he fell madly in love. Subsequent efforts to court Death as his mistress have led Thanos to genocidal extremes. His most famous exploit: forging The Infinity Gauntlet in order to reshape the universe -- including decimating half of all life!

We've only seen Thanos a few times on The Comic Book Fight Club, but each appearance has placed him in ominous company!

He sought to manipulate the newly bestowed powers of Kyle Rayner in Green Lantern/Silver Surfer, making a patsy out of Terrax in the process. When the Marvel and DC Universes collided in DC versus Marvel #4, he stood beside Darkseid against an all-star assembly of Avengers and The Justice League! When the two universes were briefly merged: Thanoseid created a nightmare vision of evil that vexed Thorion -- the godly fusion of Thor and Orion!

Despite this awesome level of cosmic might, Thanos is not quite inherently immortal. His Titanian origins grant him considerable durability and nigh eternal life, but it was only during a period when Death denied him entry into her dominion that he was truly unkillable. Indeed, for today's battle he has had to be resurrected from death inflicted by one of his opponents!

The Guardians of the Galaxy are: Star-Lord, Mantis, Moondragon, Gamora, Drax, Groot, Rocket Raccoon, Jack Flag and Bug, with Major Victory.

This rag tag group of heroes was brought together by Star-Lord in order to protect against the effects of fissures in space caused by Annihilation, and subsequent cosmic events.

Appropriately enough, it was in Annihilation #4 that Drax The Destroyer succeeded in fulfilling his life's goal to extinguish the life of Thanos! This makes Drax an obvious punch-hitter for The Guardians, whose only other physical power house is the Planet X "Flora Colossus" known as Groot.

Groot's regenerative and adaptive abilities make him a versatile contributor to the team's combat formations. Moondragon packs a hefty punch thanks to her high-level psionic capabilities, too. Thanos is highly resistant to mental attack, but her telekinetic powers offer strong physical opposition.

Barring environmental factors, the rest of the team can really only hope to provide support against a threat as dangerous as Thanos!

The Tape: Guardians of the Galaxy Ranking: Drax (#172)

What Went Down...
On the planet Sacrosanct: The Guardians of the Galaxy discover a world in ruin.

Rocket Raccoon's scanners can find no signs of the planet's once bustling population. Moondragon's telepathic mind probe has no better luck. The absence of life was the only clue they needed. The presence of an old adversary catches in Drax The Destroyer's throat like "ashes on the back of my throat".

An explosion draws the heroes towards danger -- and an unexpected reunion with old friends: Mantis, Gamora, Cosmo, and Major Victory! The pleasure is short lived. Rampaging right behind them is the source of the chaos: Thanos!

Fresh from a reanimation cocoon: The Mad Titan explodes through fire and ruin, blasting deadly beams of energy from his eyes and hands! The heroes can only run as the naked, snarling behemoth shatters the earth beneath their feet!

Mantis fills Star-Lord and Jack Flag in on previous attempts to contain the feral, recently returned Thanos. His resurrection seems to have been a reluctant one, which cost the lives of not only The Universal Church of Truth who reanimated him -- but also the hero Phyla-Vell.

Madness begets madness. In her grief, Moondragon turns to face the monster who killed her lover and has threatened so much of her life. Thanos greets her with mindless rage and more raw energy projections. She erects a telekinetic shield to defend herself, but his power is alarming in its scale!

Moondragon seeks mental reinforcement from Mantis or Cosmo, but is instead defended from giant clubbing fists by the shield of Captain America! Not by the soldier of distant past, but by a displaced future hero known as Major Victory!

A seemingly stunned Thanos pauses for just a moment as his massive hands begin to smolder. It seems hope is lost for the heroes, but Star-Lord, Rocket, Drax, Groot are there with guns blazing to give their friends time to retreat!

The hi-tech weapons succeed in stopping Thanos for a moment. When the dust settles: his feral rage returns -- expressed in a massive wave of cosmic energy!

The Guardians narrowly avoid certain death by ducking just beneath the power blast! Not all of them intend to shrink away from the deadly Titan, though! With little warning: Groot towers above the battlefield, swinging a piece of a destroyed building like a might club!

The structure smacks into Thanos, but fails to knock him down! The Titan fires back with a shot to Groot's humanoid trunk, but the Flora Colossus endures to bring his massive wooden fist slamming down into Thanos' naked back!

Any other foe would be down for the count, but from his hunched position The Mad Titan locks both hands together to deliver an all mighty, cosmically charged uppercut that knocks Groot off his feet!

While Rocket tends to Groot, who's down for the count; Gamora theorizes that Thanos has actually reclaimed true invincibility! Before The Guardians arrived, her Godslayer sword was broken against his skin! Drax disregards the story.

The Destroyer launches a frontal assault against his arch-nemesis! He absorbs untold energies fired at his back, averting Thanos' gaze with a right hand that closes one of his energy spewing eyes!

With options fast dwindling, Star-Lord assesses the situation with Mantis, and reaches a dire conclusion. While Jack Flag and Bug run distraction to try to save their falling comrades -- Peter Quill strolls casually into the path of danger!

Star-Lord's cavalier attitude makes more sense when he produces the cracked, but still gleaming hope of a Cosmic Cube!

Its light breaks through Thanos' mindless rage, drawing the purple beast toward its familiar power. It was given to Peter Quill by Kang The Conquere. A trump card in the battle against the threat of Magus. It was broken and almost spent, but it still has one last charge for defeating Thanos!

The Cosmic Cube unleashes its final power in an awesome burst of blinding light! When it ceases: The Mad Titan lies smoking in the dirt - alive, but defeated! In a barely conscious state, he finally mutters his first ominous words: "You... Forced Me... To live again... For that... E-Everything... D-Dies..."

The Hammer...
From the clutches of defeat escapes Star-Lord thanks to the awesome might of the Cosmic Cube!

Though none of the other Guardians of the Galaxy could ensure victory themselves, they all played a valid part. For that, they each receive an assist stat. Find out what that means for their positions on the Fight Club Rankings at the bottom of this post!

We have a lot of significant debuting characters in today's featured fight! The Guardians came to peak significance during our dark years, emerging in their current form from the cosmic revival initiated by 2006's Annihilation. There were a few years of overlap, but we just never got around to them. Until now!

This second volume of the series launched in 2008. It redefined Guardians of the Galaxy for a whole new generation, whilst building towards the worldwide licensing phenomenon brought about by their first theatrical outing in 2014!

The majority of these characters existed for many years before assembling as part of the new team. Some were major characters as recently as the nineties, but others had to be plucked from relative obscurity. Star-Lord and Rocket Raccoon might be fan-favourites today, but it wasn't that long ago that few even knew who they were, let alone wanted to hear more about them!

From today's perspective, it's strange to think the cosmic wings of the Marvel Universe had ever fallen out of favour. Yet, even a former headlining hero like Silver Surfer was struggling for sustained relevance in Marvel's publishing line-up of the 2000s!

Peter David's work sustained an unlikely Captain Marvel run with Genis-Vel in the title role for two years. Thanos was a steady presence in a variety of series as well, including solo stories, and Marvel's The End. Though acclaimed and/or beloved, these were exceptions drifting to the margins as Marvel Knights pushed an urban renaissance through series like Daredevil, and the company started bifurcating into the stripped down, movie inspired Ultimate line.

The first character to really get a sniff at a revival was Drax The Destroyer in 2005. A four issue mini-series introduced his transformation from the green & purple Hulk wannabe of Jim Starlin Infinity events -- to a red-tattooed Vin Diesel knock-off, seemingly inspired by Pitch Black.

When it came time to launch the all-out Marvel cosmic revival shortly after Drax; the publisher used the same mini-series format to lend heft to their binding Annihilation event. Tie-in titles starred well known cosmic characters of long time notoriety: Nova, Super-Skrull, Ronan The Accuser, and Silver Surfer.

The likes of Peter Quill, Gamora, and even Drax and Thanos, were reserved for the core six issue Annihilation series. They weren't exactly afterthoughts, but their brief appearances were littered amidst the chaos, sharing limited pages with the tie-in stars, other characters, and big villain Annihilus. Certainly a far cry from the starring line-ups of 2017!

The apparent death of Thanos in Annihilation #4 was a shocking moment. It removed one of Marvel's biggest cosmic players, drawing a line in the sand between the new Annihilation era of Marvel cosmic -- and the colourful excesses of The Infinity Gauntlet, and its subsequent sagas.

The Mad Titan had mellowed over the years, fashioned into a less malicious cosmic philosopher. His return in 2010 began a revivification of the classic villain, now one of Marvel's top bad guys thanks a 2012 post-credits teaser in the film Avengers. With a few seconds of purple sneer, Thanos was elevated to top tier status, forecasting an arrival that won't hit cinemas until May, 2018!

May 5th, 2017 will see the theatrical release of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. We're getting ready for the cosmic adventure a month early, dedicating all featured fights in April to the heroes and villains of space!

We've started the action with an epic of cosmic proportions! If you'd like to read the battle and preceding issues for yourself, use the Amazon purchase link provided to get the collected edition! Doing so helps support the site at no extra cost to you!

If you want to read about more exciting cosmic battles, be sure to follow links throughout this post (or below), or dive into the Secret Archive to reference hundreds of past features by publisher, series & issue! You can also follow on Facebook and Twitter to like & share daily links inspired by the fight of the day! A galaxy of comic book combat to suit all your needs!

Winner: Star-Lord (w/ Guardians of the Galaxy)
#306 (new) Star-Lord
#352 (-44) Thanos
#140 (+32) Drax [+1 assist]
#518 (new) Groot [+1 assist]
#519 (new) Major Victory (Vance Astro) [+1 assist]
#520 (new) Rocket Raccoon [+1 assist]
#521 (new) Bug [+1 assist]
#522 (new) Mantis [+1 assist]
#523 (new) Gamora [+1 assist]
#539 (+131) Moondragon [+1 assist]
#540 (+46) Jack Flag [+1 assist]

BATMAN versus DR LIGHT
Darklight (DC)
Where: Superman/Batman #43 When: Late January 2008 Why: Dan Abnett, Andy Lanning How: Mike McKone

The Story So Far...
With global concern for the environmental impact of carbon emissions becoming a priority, two of America's greatest superpowers take it upon themselves to investigate a solution. WayneTech, in partnership with STAR Labs, develops a space project designed to utilize alien Kryptonian technology, from Superman's Fortress of Solitude, in an effort to harness the the unknown potentials of dark matter in the universe.

During a tour of the satellite, Gotham investor, Bruce Wayne, finds himself in the middle of catastrophe as the station comes under assault from apparitions of Kid Flash, Speedy, Robin, Wonder Girl, and Aqualad -- the Teen Titans!

Superman arrives just in time to combat the Titans, revealed to be deadly holographic projections designed by the villains, Dr. Light. Light, having disguised himself as one of the scientists on board, seeks to transport himself to the secret Fortress of Solitude, but little does the villain know, another has followed him from the space station, and he is anything but light...

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Batman 3 (Athlete)
Intelligence: Batman 5 (Professor)
Speed: Batman 3 (Athlete)
Stamina: Dr. Light 5 (Marathon)
Agility: Batman 4 (Gymnast)
Fighting Ability: Batman 5 (Martial Artist)
Energy Power: Dr. Light 6 (Mass Destruction)


- After witnessing the street murder of his parents, the young Bruce Wayne's destiny was forever shaped to be one dedicated to an ideal. Having spent his formative years studying the various sciences, martial arts, and crime fighting techniques, Bruce is ultimately inspired to become the one-man war on the criminal element in Gotham City: Batman.

Perhaps Batman's greatest power is the millions inherited from his industrialist parents, and the various facilities that came with that. They prove crucial in the design and construction of his many weapons, which are typically non-lethal, and have a variety of uses.

Complimented by his keenly strategic mind is Batman's expertise in the martial arts. He is extensively trained in multiple fighting styles, and commonly regarded to be one of the greatest hand-to-hand fighters in the world. He is also extremely proficient in general urban warfare.

- For decades Arthur Light plagued the superhero sidekick team, the Teen Titans, but during his many defeats as Dr. Light, he held within him a dark secret about himself, and the superhero community he bitterly fought against.

Light joined the ranks of villainy when a fellow scientist working for STAR Labs created a hi-tech suit capable of harnessing and manipulating light in a number of fantastic ways. When Light accidentally killed the suits inventor, Dr. Jacob Finlay, he took it as his own and began a career in crime. A career that would eventually lead him to the Justice League's satellite, and the identities of each member. Worse still, it would lead him to Sue Dibny, wife of the Elongated Man, whom he would brutally assault in a vile act of vengeance.

After having his mind selectively edited by the magic of Zatanna; Light would become a somewhat pacified threat. His suit allowed him to manipulate light to achieve invisibility, flight, force fields and energy blasts - abilities that all became inherent to his genetic make-up over time. With his memory restored, Light resumes his penchant for sadism, and a great control of his power.

The Math: Batman Ranking: Batman (#2)

What Went Down...
Having distracted the Man of Steel sufficiently with his "soligrams", Dr. Light evades detection when transporting himself to the arctic Fortress of Solitude -- or so he thinks. Lurking in the darkness is an opponent far less forgiving than Superman! He springs forth from the shadows, knocking the ponderous villain with down with a punishing two fisted attack -- the Batman!

Light knows immediately what he's up against, and attacks accordingly without hestitation. His beams of light energy stream past the dark knight, whose cape and insignia stand out in the uncharacteristic light settings of the Fortress.

Light's energy beams bounce around the chromatic surroundings, refracting to nothingness while Batman slips a handful of chaff grenades from his utility belt. One of the devices finds the target, bouncing to land directly at Dr. Light's feet -- the explosion sufficiently rattles the good doctor.

Largely defenseless against Light's superhuman abilities, Batman uses the break to look for an equalizer in the battle. Using the Fortress' Kryptonian computer, he remotely taps into the satellite, in order to activate the onboard technology that can funnel dark matter into the Earthbound headquarters.

With his powers nullified, the recovered Dr. Light grows ever fearful.
Slowly engulfed in darkness, he begins to panic, shouting into the shadows for a sign of the Batman's presence. His fumbling is soon brought to an end when the Batman descends on his prey, making himself known with a whisper soon lost to the cries of a defeated Dr. Light...

The Hammer...
Y'know, lately we've been playing around oddities and obscurities, like The Phantom or the Hulk movie, which is great! That's exactly what the Infinite Wars, ill-defined as they are, are all about! Still, there comes a time when sometimes you've just got to roll your sleeves up and get your hands dirty with a good old fashioned inconsequential superhero battle; ergo, I give you your winner, and next entrant into the soon-to-be on the big screen list: Batman!

Now, don't get me wrong. If you're a Superman/Batman fan, more power to you, but this isn't exactly an issue I would've been running to the store to grab. This was what you'd call a "casual impulse purchase"; something available locally and conveniently enough that such a decision could be made, despite being unhealthily behind on comics I'd much rather be reading. It's complicated. You'll understand how these things make sense, when you're older.

So, anyway, what's the deal with this issue?
Well, I'm probably not giving the issue enough credit. On the surface, sure, it's a stand-alone read that positions itself between a depthy arc dealing with the New Gods, and another arc confronting various elements in the DCU, and the status of Kryptonite on Earth. Neither are headliners on the DC Countdown parade, but as full figured storyarcs, they carry a bit more weight than a random Dr. Light issue.

As has been customary of DC's 2008 line-up, the cover includes a corresponding issue number for the weekly Countdown to Infinite Crisis. And what I'm not doing a great job of is acknowledging the conclusion of the story, which, does tie the issue to greater goings on in the DCU, leaving Dr. Light's fate in the hands of an ominous shadowy figure -- revealed elsewhere to be the Injustice League's reinvigorated leader: Lex Luthor, still fresh off of the Infinite Crisis debacle!

As reviews of recent issues of Justice League flood in from the online critics, the curtain gets drawn back on the state of DC editorial. Dwayne McDuffie, besieged writer of the top level supergroup, has defended his work as not entirely his own, revealing the stiff intervention of editorial mandates that require only dressings from the man tasked with juggling the major properties in situations deemed secondary to their solo endeavours.

With that in mind, one looks at this fairly mediocre issue of Superman/Batman, and wonders exactly how much the influence of [Nova] writers on the rise; Andy Lanning and Dan Abnett; had to do with the overall quality.

Coming out of 2007 DC seem to have learned that the heavy handed approach of Countdown has not been the recipe for success that 52 might have been. In contrast to the first weekly series; (which showcased unlikely stars like; Black Adam, Steel, Elongated Man, and The Question); Countdown provided a far more specific spine of events for the DCU, constricting everything around it, whilst depicting contents within the core book, sometimes with limited involvement.

For 2008 this already promises a fresh approach to the editorial landscape of the DC Universe, and I'm quietly looking forward to it. Personally, as anything but a timid new reader, I've greatly enjoyed DC's 52-post net of continuity and reality! With limited experience with Countdown tie-ins, I'm probably less offended by the strategy than others, but still conceptually anticipating the promise of 08's movement forward: Trinity. A series that boasts DC's biggest icons in adventures that touch-upon, but in no way dictate, the rest of the company line-up.

Box Office Top 25#1 Spider-man (Marvel)
#2 Batman (DC)
#3 Hulk (Marvel)
#4 Wolverine (Marvel)
#5 Mr. Fantastic (Marvel)
#6 Superman (DC)
#7 Daredevil (Marvel)
#8 Thing (Marvel)
#9 Human Torch (Marvel)
#10 Invisible Woman (Marvel)
#11 Venom (Marvel)
#12 Ryu (Capcom)
#13 Steel (DC)
#14 Catwoman (DC)
#15 Storm (Marvel)
#16 Beast (Marvel)
#17 Silver Surfer (Marvel)
#18 Rogue (Marvel)
#19 Dhalsim (Capcom)
#20 Phantom (King Features)
#21 Ken (Capcom)
#22 Dr. Doom (Marvel)
#23 Elektra (Marvel)
#24 Kitty Pryde (Marvel)
#25 Ghost Rider (Marvel)

With so many heroes making
it to the big screen, who do
the Infinite Wars rankings
show to be the top fighters?
Opinions? Drop a comment!I would admit to being a little disappointed in not seeing second-tier properties return to the spotlight like 52, but also remain hopeful that a renewed spotlight on the top three franchise brands will allow for greater perspective in other books. Not that that hasn't been the case with many of 52's allumnists enjoying tours in books like; Infinity Inc (Steel), Crime Bible: Five Lessons of Blood (The Question; Batwoman), Countdown to Adventure (Adam Strange; Animal Man; Starfire); although, even the brightest of supporters would question the noteriety of many of these titles, if not the quality. As a chartered Steel fan, I confess my own dismay of the disinterest inspired by his new title, but I digress...

... At least, I digress as much as one can in a post touching upon a disjointed and expansive number of subjects that amount to a convoluted explanation of Superman/Batman #43's associated importance in the fabric of the current DC publishing schedule. Which, without the degrees of Kevin Bacon, amounts to very little.

Fortunatley for us we've got ourselves a movie star line-up this week as part of our tour of the upcoming trio of feature film stars, which reminds me... Because it's Easter and because I've been so busy I had to push this entry back to Friday, we're going to break format and bring you another entry tomorrow, no extra charge!
With Hulk, and now Batman, already down, that leaves only the next character who'll star in a feature being headed up director Jon Favreau, and Robert Downey Jr. I am of course referring to Iron Man, and like this entry, I think we're going to dive into the classic bag for an even more inconsequential fight than this!

Despite the many desperate, late-night attempts to pad out the discussion section of this entry, there is one undeniable purpose to this post, and that's the characters. So often on the Infinite Wars it all comes back to the characters that have made the fiction of these comics so memorable, and just as Steel Serpent provided some buzz around a recent review [Immortal Iron Fist #11], Dr. Light provides a different kind of thrill in this entry.

As someone who spent very little time reading the Teen Titans, I have few experiences with Dr. Light prior to Identity Crisis, but that doesn't make me appreciate the history of the character any less.
I mentioned earlier that I'm anything but a "new reader", and in that respect, I draw a bitter distinction between readers of my generation who came in late and dived straight into the world and history of back issues, and the contemporary equivalent; lazily and illogically intimidated by the fiction they should be enjoying and joyously soaking up!

Maybe that can be today's challenge. You've got your Johns', Millars, Bendis' and Brubakers, but where are your heroes? Next time you're at the racks grabbing your usual haul, think about investing in a comic for the character contained within. It might just lead to not only a relationship with a new favourite character, but also a greater understanding of this enduring genre of superhero comics!

You know who else is an enduring dominator of his medium? Bahlactus!
While we've been running behind schedule each week, Bahlactus has been bringing the fights to the entire blogosphere! With the purse on the line, it's do or die! Think you've got what it takes to step-up to the devourer of blogs? Check out Friday Night Fights, but before you do, make sure you get your fill of two years of the other side of Friday Fight Night, and every other entry since, in the Infinite Earths Secret Archives! Fullfilling all your violent needs this Easter!

The Fight: 3 The Issue: 3.5

Lanning and Abnett turn in a relatively unremarkable script, even with assumed edicts from DC editorial management. Perhaps the only specific negative reaching out is a scene unremarkably reminiscent of a similar moment in Batman Begins, where common dialogue "where are you?!" is silenced by the sudden emergence of Batman from the dark. Otherwise, just an unremarkable installment, filler between the gaps of more cohesive stories. McKone is competent, but equally unremarkable, with an occasionally bendy, but fairly non-descript approach to the characters, which occasionally look very static.
This issue is yet to be collected, but if you're looking for similar purchases, don't forget to head over to the Infinite Wars Amazonian Gift Shoppe. Not only can you find yourself a bargain, but by using purchase links, you sponsor future entries in the Infinite Wars. Men are also free to buy as they please.

THUNDERBOLTS versus NOVA
Home Truths (Marvel comics)
Where: Nova #3 When: August 2007
Why: Dan Abnett & Andy Lanning How: Sean Chen

The story so far...
Now the last of the legendary intergalactic corps of Xandarian Nova Centurions; an exhausted Richard Rider embarks on a journey to return to Earth, acting on the advice of the artificial intelligence, the Worldmind.

Seasoned by his adventures in space, Rider returns a more mature hero than he once was as member of the New Warriors. Having led thousands to their deaths in the war against the Annihilation Wave, Nova finds the self-interested squabbles that have transpired in his absence easily dwarfed by the intergalactic threats to reality he has faced.

Confronted upon his return by Director of SHIELD, Iron Man; Nova is asked to join the Registration Initiative to turn his newly acquired cosmic powers and leadership to the training of a new generation of heroes. Given time to ponder the offer, Nova may find himself ultimately swayed by the intervention of his former teammate Speedball, and his new colleagues, the Thunderbolts!

Previous Form:
Thunderbolts [#6]: This incarnation holds a narrow victory over Jack Flag.
Nova (#73): A single victory over the villain Diamondhead.

Tale of the tape...
Strength: Moonstone 6 (Invincible)
Intelligence: Radioactive Man 5 (Professor)
Speed: Nova 7 (Light Speed)
Stamina: Moonstone 6 (Generator)
Agility: Penance 4 (Gymnast)
Fighting Ability: Nova 4 (Trained Fighter)
Energy Powers: Radioactive Man 6 (Mass Destruction)


- The Thunderbolts are: Moonstone, Penance, Radioactive Man, and Venom.

Assembled under the leadership of an exonerated Norman Osborn; this version of the Thunderbolts are part of a US government division operating seperate, but in conjunction with, SHIELD's superhero registration agenda.

The team is exclusively comprised of reformed super-villains, with the exception of Penance, who, as Speedball, was a member of the New Warriors; the team responsible for the Stamford tragedy that killed hundreds of school children.

Moonstone and Songbird are the only two remaining members from Baron Zemo's original assemblage of diguised Masters of Evil. Their status as senior members, coupled with a divergence of acceptance for Osborn's direction, has led to friction between the two. Despite their familiarities, the frictions have been shown to interfere in their field competence, particularly in dealing with unfamiliar factors like Venom and the brooding, but massively powerful, Penance.

Lurking in the shadows is a contingency for the Thunderbolts in the form of the mass murdering assassin, Bullseye. Though effectively the team's trump card, Bullseye is kept from public eye, allowing for the delicately balanced charade of heroism to be maintained.

- As a teen; Long Island native, Richard Rider, was selected by the dying alien, Rhomann Dey, to assume the mantle of the Nova-Prime.
Swept into a world of intergalactic war and peace keeping, Rider eventually leaves behind his superheroing deeds to join other members of the Nova Corps on the reconstructed home world of Dey - Xandar.

Homesick, Rider relinquished his powers in exchange for the right to return home, but an encounter with the armored hero Night Thrasher would reveal that his powers merely lay dormant within him. Together the two would be prominent members of the teen superteam, the New Warriors.

Rider would revisit his role as a space cop in the battle against the Annihilation Wave. It is here that the Nova Corps of Xandar are once again exterminated, thus leaving Nova to inheret the entirety of their power matrix, the Worldmind.
With infinitely increased powers, Nova becomes the leader of the intergalactic resistence against Annihilus and his armies, and matures into a universal force for justice capable of generating energy blasts, tapping into a reality spanning encyclopaedia of knowledge, and travelling through time and space at fantastic speeds.

The Math: Nova (Average) Thunderbolts (Total) The Pick: Nova

What went down...
Having utilized his massive powers in the defense and arrest of his waiting arch-nemesis, Diamondhead [Nova #2]; Rider finds himself in the unfamiliar scenario of being attacked by the Thunderbolts under the jurisdiction of the Superhuman Registration Act.

Venom is the first to attack, triggering a distanced analysis by the Worldmind. Despite having learnt much from the AI system, it is Nova who this time informs his on-board advisory of the nature of the beast. The Nova Corpsman makes a late leap into the air, avoiding Venom's diving attack to leave him to eat pavement.

Nova chastises the team for attacking in a populated urban street; foibles that don't tend to bother the likes of Moonstone and Radioactive Man, who each launch an energy based attack on Nova. Combining their abilities, they incapacitate his control over self-gravity, resulting in a harsh descent.

Moonstone summons Penance, apparently unaware of his history with Nova as the light-hearted New Warrior, Speedball. She also notes Nova's status as a cosmically powered hero who is not to be underestimated.

Nova emerges from the hole his body made in the street, now having donned his helmet. He summons an energy blast to incapacitate the salivating Venom, while using more specific means for Moonstone, a "phased pulse" doing the trick.

Penance simmers with kinetic energy, but remains flat footed, while Radioactive Man picks up the slack. The radiation of the electromagnetic blast proves inconsequential thanks to the defensive capabilities of the Nova Centurion armor, but the blast is sufficient enough to send the hero hurtling through a stationary truck, into a building.

In a pile of rubble and reeling from the attack, Nova is unable to defend himself as Venom leaps in for a second lick. The burly symbiote pins Nova on his stomach, wrapping his taloned fingers around the floored hero's neck.

Radioactive Man summons Penance from his pause, hoping to utilize his awesome power to put an end to Nova's resistence.
Though reluctant, Robbie Baldwin turns his guilt inward to summon a massive burst of his other-dimensional kinetic energies, reminiscent of his first outing with the Thunderbolts [Thunderbolts #111].

The massively destructive power of Penance's kinetic energy quite literally brings an entire building down atop his former ally. Robbie's current leader, Moonstone, descends on the wreckage with the Radioactive Man with an order to summon their mobile imprisonment "T-Wagon".

To the shock of all, Nova saves them the trouble of finding a body, emerging from the wreckage with a blast of firey, rocketeering energy. The frustrated hero turns the tables on the Thunderbolts by reading them their rights on the basis of the Nova Corps "Pan-Worlds Jurisdiction Treaty."

The clash of law enforcement powers is interrupted by a third party: SHIELD!
Descending with a support team of field agents, the director himself, Iron Man, makes his presence known. Chastising Moonstone for her team's tactics in a densly populated public area, Iron Man does his best to pull rank and calm the situation, as the Thunderbolts leader tries to use Stark's own Registrated Act as justification against him.

Having previously offered Nova a senior position with his Initiative; Tony Stark accompanies him to a more private meeting place to discuss Nova's decision. Though tempted by the support network, the cosmic hero bows to his own responsibilities, and returns to the stars to rekindle the flame of the Nova Corps.

The hammer...
Well, as we close November with a crawl, I give you a draw!
Though both sides got their licks in, I think we can all agree IM pacified the situation before it could really reach any kind of definitive sway.

Adi Granov's covers have a way of demanding the attention of a reader with their futuristic render, typically dwarfing pencils any less than superb. This was entirely true of the fairly mediocre sequentials of Nova, but their plain presentation masks an exercise in super-mundanity that is, at the very least, worthy of acknowledging applause.

Baring the bittersweet branding of Civil War: Initiative after only one issue; the new series, written by Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning in unknown portions, spins out of the cosmic sleeper crossover, Annihilation.
The book connects with Annihilation's sequel, Conquest, as of issue four, and yet somehow it manages to earn that marketting without the negative conotations washing over your brain as you read this. This is truly a marvellous feat, but once you get past the obvious, it's even more amazing!

In a post-Civil War world where most pro-registrants are predictably concerned with anything but unregistered heroes; the Thunderbolts represent the most proactive element remaining, essentially dedicated to nothing but tracking that element. While Warren Ellis has meandered his way through a combination of light politics and thick character interactions, he's largely failed to deliver on the action in this monster-filled revamp of the Thunderbolts. My point?

It's titles like Nova that have picked up the slack on the street level, illustrating the expected prevelance of the Thunderbolts team. So not only are Abnett and Lanning graciously bowing to editorial mash-ups in their own job, but they're also picking up the slack of other jobs. All that: plus they manage to interweave tonnes of reference to days of Nova past by revisiting vague references with the same fluid flow that facilitated all this other content.

This isn't a great book. To be honest, having bagged all of the first four issues in one-hit, I haven't even the desire to read on, but that simply doesn't change the fact that the craft here is some of the finest Marvel superhero writing to be published in 2007 -- or maybe even years prior!
This book really does it all, without any of the advantageous pretentions or disillusions of being closed off to the rest of the Marvel world. These issues cram in as much character, story, and reality as any issue of Daredevil, but does so without ever feeling like a lazy conceptual hiding behind "style."

So, why aren't I reading on? I guess in a world of hiking prices and shrinking budgets, the reader becomes increasingly selective. As strong a read as this is, it does ultimately lead into a crossover I'm not sure I'm willing to indulge in, and shifts away from the settings that make the first three issues so enjoyable.

And before we wrap up, just to go back to Thunderbolts, I couldn't help but think to the recent issue featuring sessions with Doc Samson, while reading promotional interviews for Jeph Loeb's upcoming work on the "Red Hulk".

Apparently Samson is set to join the investigation surrounding the identity of this new Hulk, with Loeb adopting a deliberate conceit of an FBI profiler, that is interesting, but described in a way that leaves one ever so slightly disappointed.
Of the new Samson, Loeb says, "Leonard Samson, eager to prove himself beyond being just a psychiatrist with green hair, takes the lead."
Pursuing the Hulk in the field is hardly new for Doc Samson, but one can't help but feel that the character's portrayal in the pages of Ellis' Thunderbolts remains a glaringly unexplored facet of the Marvel Universe. It might not quite be necessary to go Dr. Katz with it, but with many heroes tied up in government funded operations, it would've been nice to see Samson employing his psychiatric expertise in more conventional manners.

Oh well, punch on, Doc!
In the meantime, I should probably admit that this one was a standby issue. We've been running a little slow lately, but hopefully December plans will serve up some satisfactory seasons readings for your Infinite Wars needs. Stay tuned for the Punch-Up for more of those Earth-spanning shennanigans!

The Fight: 4 The Issue: 5

Fans of solid superhero writing may just find this book a great way to explore a character they may otherwise be unfamiliar with. As described in the bulk of the review, these early issues of Nova manage to touch upon much of the Initiative, while also providing entry points for the cosmic reneissance occuring with the various Annihilation events. A great stocking-stuffer if you're doing some last minute Christmas shopping on Amazon!

MONTHLY PUNCH-UP #20 (August 2007)
DIAMONDHEAD versus NOVA
Alienation (Marvel)
Where: Nova #2 When: July 2007
Why: Dan Abnett & Andy Lanning How: Sean Chen

Quick Fix...
After an ill-fated attempt to get comics on my birthday, I had to settle with a small stack of very low priority books.
On the higher end of the scale was Nova, which has been a series getting some fairly positive reviews, despite the relative obscurity the character has endured over the past decade.

It seems it's not just canonically that Nova has outgrown his New Warriors past. In the wake of the Annihilation Wave, it actually seems surprisingly reasonable to see Nova in a title role. In fact, if the character were able to consolidate his appearances into a secured position as a Marvel A-lister, it might turn out to be a refreshing step forward.

That said, it's hard to know exactly what made these reads so disappointing.
It might have been the fact that they were about the best of the bunch, which omitted many higher interests, like World War Hulk. It might be that the art is put to shame by Adi Granov's simple, but effective cover art. It might be that the interior colour palette is a darkened array of colours, with a motley dark inking job that lacks conviction where shadows are present.

Issue two details Richard Ryder's overdue return to Earth, where he is confronted by his unchanging domestic difficulties with his parents, and the dramatically changing world view of superheroes and their registration act.

Having been confroned by a Tony Stark surprised by Nova's drastic increase in power, Richard Ryder is left to contemplate the depth of his potential involvement in the registration act, and the subsequent Initiative.

Trapsing through the old neighbourhood incognito, Ryder assumes the man tailing him is a SHIELD operative, but as the Nova Corp Worldmind tries to tell him, that is far from the case.

Diamondhead, a villain from Nova's past, has tracked him down via the information leaked regarding the New Warrior's identities sometime after the tragedy of Stamford. Having staked out his parents' home, Diamondhead relishes the opportunity to have his revenge for a previous imprisonment.

A stiff headbutt sends Nova hurtling into traffic, but as Diamondhead soon learns, Nova has changed considerably since their previous confrontation.

Diamondhead charges toward his foe once more, but before the situation can escalate any further, Nova puts an end to the quick fix with a deadly bolt of energy that slices through Diamondhead's wrist, and cauterizes his wound.

The issue does well to contrast the stakes of Marvel's two events of the time: Civil War and Annihilation.
In his discussion with Tony Stark, Nova highlights the pig-headed political insignificance over the Civil War's debate of semantics. Having saved the universe, the battle hardened Nova justly scoffs Iron Man's petty concerns.

Continuing the on-going discussion of first issues, Nova does put together a solid start for a new series. While the first issue clarifies Nova's emotional placement in the world and the role he is fulfilling, the second issue does well to deliver a follow-up punch of how that perspective slots into the Marvel universe at large. Continued through these first issues are themes of outside analysis of the Civil War event, and as many of the 'positive' books during the event did, it casts the pro-registration Initiative in a decidedly negative light. Quite suitable, given the nature of the character and the experiences he has lived through.

There is a hovering sense of frivolity to the way some pieces of the puzzle are inserted, no matter their relevance. A rendezvous with Justice, aka Marvel Boy, seems thoroughly appropriate, yet somehow cardboard in it's delivery.
The issue then concludes itself with the fairly wooden appearance of the Thunderbolts, who have almost absorbed the brunt of the negativity surrounding the actions of the pro-registration heroes as a parody of the conceit.

No doubt we'll be talking at further length about the Thunderbolts and Nova #3, but as a conclusion it perhaps lacked the oomph that it seems to assume. Then again, it seemed a fair consolation given the misleading notion that Iron Man was to be fighting Nova. Easy come, easy go.

I want to be much harder on the book than I fairly can be, but on the basis of the fourth issue, it may be about to provide the appropriate fodder as it trades it's Initiative market branding for an Annihilation: Conquest heading. Conquest being the capitalist limp-wristed cousin of the first Annihilation event, which took everyone pleasantly by surprise.

The Fix: 4 The Issue: 5
Winner: Nova

The Top Five...
#1 Spider-man (-) (12) (Marvel)
Class: [Meta] Last Opponent: [The Lizard]
Win Percentage: [70.37%] Features: [27]
Season 2006: [#2] Current Ranking: [#1]

Despite having the entire month off, Spider-man remains an indomitable force at the top of the rankings. His early barrage of features throughout the 2007, thus far completely unparalleled, the large contributor to his status.

News of creative teams for the three-times-a-month Amazing Spider-man have been released at the San Diego International. While there are some very interesting and competent names attached to the character, it entices this particularly commentator naught. It's really going to come down to what these guys actually do, rather than their name-value alone.

Spidey will likely go into August with a return to features, Spider-man Family the driving force behind his continued relevence to this particular reader.
Previews of the new Spectacular Spider-man cartoon series, with an emphasis on villains from the comics, also an encouraging sign for Spider-man's future.

#2 Batman (-) (18) (DC)
Class: [Meta] Last Opponent: [Killer Croc]
Win Percentage: [82.35%] Features: [17]
Season 2006: [#1] Current Ranking: [#2]

Batman plays for percentage this month, picking up a couple of handy wins over Killer Croc to slip above eighty-percent. It's going to take a strong second-half of the year, but Batman could still challenge Spidey for the crown that he definitively scored in season 2006.

The viral marketing for 2008's The Dark Knight, sequel to Batman Begins, was in full force during the recent Comicon. Orienteering games and website antics (whysoserious.com) have made The Dark Knight without a doubt the most anticipated superhero flick coming next year. The early push has even taken the challenge to the impressive Jon Favreau led Iron Man, which screens two months ahead of the Batman sequel.

As far as comics go, it's actually a pretty quiet time for Batman.
Retroactive interests remain the driving force for Batman's campaign, while the current crop of comics garner little interest for our tastes. Grant Morrison's experiments with future tales in Batman #666, and an overall push for a vintage approach to the character effectively go in the opposite direction to what I would like to see.

#3 Black Adam (-) (3) (DC)
Class: [Super] Last Opponent: [Freedom Fighters]
Win Percentage: [100%] Features: [4]
Season 2006: [#n/a] Current Ranking: [#11]

A quiet month in the Infinite Wars for Black Adam, difficulties obtaining issues of interest not helping the MVP's stock.

World War III remains a title of interest, while this month marks the first issue release of the Dark Ages mini-series, starring Black Adam. Among the many points of interest are the issue three promise of a tooth and nail showdown between Adam and his aquaintance of a former life, Hawkman.

It seems unlikely that Black Adam will control his position as Number Two for DC in the rankings, but stranger things have and will happen. While Countdown has done few favours for his character, DC have at least managed to keep the character of contemporary interest. Let's hope it lasts.

#4 Venom (Symbiote) (+1) (2) (Marvel)
Class: [Meta] Last Opponent: [Shocker]
Win Percentage: [54.55%] Features: [11]
Season 2006: [#9] Current Ranking: [#6]

The Venom Symbiote moves up the ranks by sheer virtue of other events. Iron Man's slide from the top opens it up for others to capitalize in a month of many new introductions to the site.

The promise of a symbiote-centric story coming in New Avengers, along with the final hurrah of Eddie Brock, promises some measure of hope for the Symbiote.
Current host, Mac Gargan, is doing plenty to keep the character afloat, not only as a feature character in Thunderbolts, but also as an upcoming unlikely guest in the Sub-Mariner mini-series.

#5 Wolverine (RE) (12) (Marvel)
Class: [Meta] Last Opponent: [Skrull-Elektra & The Hand]
Win Percentage: [50%] Features: [18]
Season 2006: [#4] Current Ranking: [#4]

Despite clocking no appearances in the past two months, Wolverine slides up the ranks on the merits of his previous appearances, to return to the top five, this month.

A lot of rumors are swirling off the back of the questionable efforts Jeph Loeb on the solo series. After apparently killing Sabretooth with a sword capable of negating their shared healing capabilities, many are picking it as the beginning of the end for the character. Somehow, I think that might be wishful thinking, and while Sabretooth may have been on the dying end of a decapatation, I don't think that's any measure of the destiny of the wolf-man, Wolverine.

There's every possibility it'll be three months gone for Wolverine, with very little current to drag him back into the Infinite Wars spotlight. Perhaps when the New Avengers find their way into battle with the Skrulls, but in the meantime, it looks like it's lengthy discussions on planeflights for Wolverine.

Super Stock...
1. Spider-man (-) (M)
2. Batman (-) (DC)
3. Iron Man (-) (M)
4. Wolverine (-) (M)
5. Captain America (+4) (M)
8. Superman (-) (DC)
9. Hulk (-2) (M)
11. Black Adam (-) (DC)
13. Thor (+6) (M)
17. Beast (+14) (M)
20. Thing (-5) (M)
30. Hellcat (new) (M)
32. Cyclops (+55) (M)
33. Angel (+55) (M)
34. Black Cat (-10) (M)
36. Dr. Strange (+54) (M)
37. Iceman (+64) (M)
43. Hawkman (-5) (DC)
50. Moon Knight (-4) (M)
59. The Destroyer (new) (M)
88. Ultron (new) (M)
89. Mr. Hyde (new) (M)
90. Batroc (new) (M)
91. Captain Atom (new) (DC)
94. Hawkeye (-51) (M)
97. Jean Grey (+69) (M)
98. Scarlet Witch (+34) (M)
100. Mach-V (-8) (M)
104. Ryu (-8) (Capcom)
114. Super-Skrull (+107) (M)
115. Machine Man (-53) (M)
116. Vision (+95) (M)
150. Dark Claw (-8) (DC/M)
200. Abnegazar (-7) (DC)
250. Wildfire (-5) (DC)
295. Executioner (new) (M)
296. Jocasta (new) (M)
297. Baron Mordo (new) (M)
298. Mr. Majestic (new) (DC/Wildstorm)
299. Loki (new) (M)
300. Quicksilver (-10) (M)
302. Killer Croc (-183) (DC)
311. Azraeuz (-11) (DC)
312. Rhino (-11) (M)
313. Brick (-11) (DC)
314. Lizard (-11) (M)
315. Magneto (-11) (M)


#6 Iron Man (Marvel)
Class: [Super] Last Opponent: [Destroyer]
Win Percentage: [60%] Features: [15]
Season 2006: [#3] Current Ranking: [#7]

Iron Man finally finds himself ousted from the top five, just when we finally got to see the inspiring trailer for the upcoming movie. All indications suggest Iron Man is going to be one of the more satisfying superhero movie romps, with Robert Downey positively shining as Tony Stark. Glimpses of his performance as Stark remind us of exactly how delightful this inherent prick of a character used to be!

On top of that, director Jon Favreau will have a mini-series from Marvel Comics soon, I believe set within the logic of the movie, featuring a classic villain he felt would not be viable for the big screen: Fin Fang Foom.

Also on the horizon for Iron Man, the massive battle between the Hulkbuster and the Hulk himself, as he makes his rampaging return to Earth. There's plenty of margain to question whether World War Hulk has fulfilled it's promise that Hulk is madder than ever before, but at the very least, it has delivered an opening battle worthy of awe.

#191 Joker (DC)
Class: [Champion] Last Opponent: [Batman]
Win Percentage: [0%] Features: [2]
Season 2006: [#n/a] Current Ranking: [#308]

Just like Iron Man, Brother Eye is pointed square in the direction of Hollywood. As mentioned in the top five, San Diego was all about the movies of 2008, and Jokermania is certainly at the center.

The first clear pictures of Heath Ledger were released during the inventive marketing campaign that featured Joker dollars (reminiscent of the first Burton movie's card series), men with balloons in parks, creepy websites, sky writing, and a whole lot of other hooplah that has me laughing in hysterics, involuntarily.

It's nearly a year away still, but no one can deny the joy of the Joker.
No one.

The hammer...
Y'know, the worst thing about the punch-up is the tendency to think of a lot of brilliant things here and there, but forget them by the time it comes to actually writing the mammoth of a thing.

One thing no one can be allowed to forget is the release of The Kirby Martin Inquest, a comic book written by yours truly. [Pause for fanfare.]

If you haven't already, you should find your way to nitelitetheatre.com where you can follow the links to buy the first issue online. Fair warning; the issue does not revolve around the face beating antics popularly discussed on this website. However contained within is a dramatic grit-tooth ending that will feed into action and mayhem in issue two.

Mmm, toothy action!

You might remember last month I mentioned I had the intentions of resetting the balance between Marvel and DC features on Secret Earths, and unfortunately that turned out to be a load of hot air. Not only were there not extra updates, but I managed to steer my interests back toward Marvel entries starring characters like Batroc the Leaper. Sorry!

August is no-schedule month again, where updates could come at any time and on any day. So, with any luck we'll at least find our way back to some more DC action, and the world as you know it will be able to continue to spin.

Speaking of worlds, it would be remiss of me to overlook shoutouts to some of the many infinte wars allies who throw hits our way: Rokk's Comic Book Revolution, Fortress of Fortitude and Any Eventuality have been delightful linkers and will be receiving an invisible abstact prize in another life. You can also find lots of other wonderful linkers at the bottom of the menu at any time of the month, as well as specific articles under the new(ish) Related Articles title.

In the next month we'll be punching through suns as we move ever closer to finally wrapping up Ultimate Alliance Mondays, and hopefully on some of those other days of the week we'll manage to get some gems of varying degrees there. There are already a few fights glaring out at me, compelling me to start small fires, and donate my money to non-specific charities.

If you're desperate to see more regular updates, or have me on call 24/7 you should begin making regular donations via PayPal, so that I may finance the purchase of things such as the apparently difficult to find, World War Hulk.
Or, if you want a more immediate return on your buck, check out Nite Lite Theatre and find your way to purchasing information for the previously mentioned The Kirby Martin Inquest. Because if you don't, I'm only going to pine about it at length, and reduce this blog to photos of me with liberally applied eyeliner, cradling my pet cat in the corner of a poorly lit room while I thumb through the complete works of Neil Gaiman.

Don't think I won't do it...

July Hit Count: [4218/26457] (-93)