DOCTOR STRANGE versus MORBIUS

The Vampire Strikes Back! (Marvel)
Where: Doctor Strange, Sorcerer Supreme #10 When: November 1989 Why: Roy Thomas & Dann Thomas How: Jackson Guice

The Story So Far...
To the world at large Dr. Stephen Strange was for a time dead, but in truth, he remained all along Earth's final defense against threats of magic: The Sorcerer Supreme!

Of the many evils Dr. Strange has thwarted, the feat of erasing vampires from the Earth is one of his greatest triumphs! Imagine, then, the surprise when a desperate call from his younger brother Vic summons him to the scene of a vampire attack!

Indeed, the ghastly figure that stalks Victor Strange is a specimen most rare. Not a creature of the night - but a mistake of science! A living vampire! He is Dr. Michael Morbius: afflicted with a bloodlust similar to that of the undead - and strengths every bit as great! Dr. Strange has chosen a truly worthy foe, unaware that the true vampire menace is not the attacker - but the victim!

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Morbius 3 (Athlete)
Intelligence: Draw 5 (Professor)
Speed: Morbius 3 (Athlete)
Stamina: Dr. Strange 5 (Marathon)
Agility: Draw 3 (Average)
Fighting: Morbius 3 (Street Wise)
Energy: Dr. Strange 6 (Mass Destruction)


A couple of weeks ago we ventured into the alternate reality of What If...? #24, to see mutant vampires rule over New York City! In that universe, Dr. Strange patrolled the night skies - a lone sentinel of sorcery against the undead horde!

One good vampiric turn deserves another, and since there wasn't any time during Halloween, we're going back to horror to see what happens when The Sorcerer Supreme meets one of my favourite cult heroes: The Living Vampire!

Dr. Michael Morbius is an accomplished biochemist whose affliction with a rare blood disease led him to attempt self-experimentation. The strange science he developed cured his ailment, but transformed him into a chalk-skinned, fanged, sun sensitive "living vampire" with a lust to consume the blood of other men!

His struggles with bloodlust led Morbius into a famous feud with Spider-man, and early conflicts with Human Torch, X-Men, and Blade! In time, he would vow to drink only the blood of the wicked, forging alliances with his former enemies, and the likes of The Werewolf, Man-Thing, Son of Satan, Ghost Rider, and even Dr. Strange himself! He has belonged to the ranks of The Legion of Monsters, Midnight Sons, and ARMOR, always fighting to keep his inner darkness at bay.

In the past we've seen Morbius go toe-to-toe with The Werewolf, Jack Russell [Marvel Premiere #28], and lead The Midnight Sons against The Hood's agents of Night Shift [Marvel Zombies 4 #2]. These conflicts demonstrate both his physical strength, intelligence, and familiarity with the world of mysticism! Impressive, but can a living vampire really contend with The Sorcerer Supreme?

A vampire Juggernaut reminded us just how human Dr. Strange really is! Under the right circumstances, any physical threat can cause him considerable harm! Just look at Wolverine running a possessed Strange through with his claws in New Avengers #2! Strange's domain is the mystic, and although Morbius has been possessed by demons - he's a living vampire of no inherent magic quality!

Strange has spells of protection and bondage that can defend him from, or contain physical threats. They depend on his inclination to use them, though. If Morbius can catch Dr. Strange unawares, and use his enhanced speed and strength to press the advantage - this could be over quickly!

Given the apparent unfamiliarity between the two, and the fact Dr. Strange is under the impression there are no vampires left since he spoke the Montesi Formula -- an element of surprise is there! It's Dr. Strange's fight to win or lose!

Only a few rungs separate the two in The Comic Book Fight Club rankings. Morbius trails at #47, with only four recorded results to Dr. Strange's eight featurde fights. All of this data spells an intriguing match-up! Let's check it out!

The Tape: Dr. Strange Ranking: Dr. Strange (#42)

What Went Down...
The cloak of levitation allows Dr. Stephen Strange to fly through the air - just in time to catch his brother Victor, who falls from a top storey fire escape! Strange places his mortal kin unconscious on the ground and turns his attentions to eerie, pursuing figure who glides to the Earth behind them!

Though he doesn't recognize the man called Morbius, the Sorcerer sees the fangs, unnaturally pale skin, and weird glide that signal something other than human! He invokes Great Oshtur and Satannish the Supreme, but before the sorcerer can complete any incantation -- Morbius is upon him!

The strength of the hand at Dr. Strange's throat choke him into silence. Morbius commands, "No spells!" as his second hand meets his first and throws the mystic against a brick wall!

He rips at the Doctor's cape with talon-like finger nails, separating the magician from the source of his amazing aerial prowess. Escape is no longer an option!

Calling upon martial arts training taught to him by his old friend Wong, Strange throws a chop at Morbius' neck! It stuns him for a moment, but the living vampire's superior strength allows him to clutch Strange shoulder to groin and powerslam him against the wall!

Strange endures the pain and throws his elbow backwards - stunning Morbius once again. He follows it up with a devastating left cross that snaps Morbius' neck one way - and then brings his foot colliding into it with a roundhouse kick!

Doc Strange is on a roll, he would've thought to himself, had Morbius not broken his rhythm with a two-handed shove!

The Sorcerer Supreme tries to resort to magic, but his words still croak in his crushed throat. He cannot defend himself as Morbius thrusts a black boot into The Doctor's face and sends him back to his knees!

Outmuscled and fading fast, Dr. Strange searches for a way to turn the fight and save himself. Though separated from his cloak of levitation - he can still command its movements!

Like the proverbial bat, the cape rises into the air and launches at an unsuspecting Morbius! It wraps him up from behind like a red and gold trimmed straight jacket! Dr. Strange knows taloned fingernails could tear free at any moment. He mutters a finally irony, "You said it -- f-friend -- No spells!"

One all mighty blow sends Morbius sprawling to the ground! Strange re-fixes his cloak of levitation around victorious shoulders as Morbius speaks -- cleared of the bloodlust that overwhelmed him.

The Hammer...
Did you expect to see the Sorcerer Supreme resort to mere street fighting? In uncharacteristic fashion Dr. Strange is victorious!

I chose this atypical showdown mostly because of my undying appreciation for The Living Vampire - Morbius. As noted in The Tape, we didn't find time to feature his exploits in October, so it seemed like a nice time to double back for some cult fandom.

Truth be told, that early fascination with Morbius led me to covet this issue as a young reader. I don't remember the dawning days of 1990 with enough clarity to be sure if I ever actually saw the issue in person. A dramatic printing of the cover in an issue of Marvel Age -- Marvel's comic book sized fan magazine and advertising spread -- was enough to get me on the hook!

As it turned out, this issue was the doorway to an on-going association between Dr. Strange and Morbius. An interesting time in Dr. Strange's over fifty year history, where things feel curiously fresh. Who knew The Sorcerer Supreme's kid brother would turn out to be a vampire? Morbius, apparently!

There'd be a little break for a few fun Acts of Vengeance tie-ins, but eventually Morbius would find his way back to The Sanctum Sanctorum, and into the middle of a plot bringing vampires back to the Marvel Universe in a big way.

Vampires had, of course, been taken completely off the board by Strange's reading of The Montesi Formula. One of those sweeping changes made when an idea seems impractical and played out, but is inevitably missed.As much as I'm never entirely sure if I like the idea of Count Dracula and vampire hordes in the Marvel Universe, I think it's probably a mistake to erase them completely. The shadows are deep and dark enough to let them dwell in the fringes. The conceit of a dark, occult reality existing just below and beside our every day lives is something I absolutely can go with.

The relaunch of the series in '88 seemed to be a conceited effort to make everything new again, whilst getting back to basics. One of my favourite additions of the time is Rintrah as Strange's apprentice in residence -- a demonic looking interdimensional entity with a heart of gold.

This issue is a fine example of the juggling of occult gatherings, super-heroics, and soap opera of Stephen Strange's private life. A balance that allows for the highfalutin esoterica that defines Dr. Strange, with a sense of humanity that grounds it all. I don't mind leaning in to the grandiose magicka, but I can definitely see how this approach makes it all more inviting. A lot of fun, too!

We're having fun throughout November as the world embraces magic through the Doctor Strange feature film - now in theatres! Last week we watched as Strange battled the baffling black magic of Baron Mordo. Up next: A cross-dimensional struggle of brain and brawn! You won't want to miss it!

For more of the exploits of The Sorcerer Supreme and his allies you should venture into the book of the Issue Index Archive! Therein you will find a guide to all the documented struggles of good, evil and beyond!

To have your own experience in the world of magic, use the Amazon link provided to purchase the collected edition with this issue and many more inside! By doing so, you help support The Comic Book Fight Club at no extra charge! Blessings of the Vishanti!

Winner: Doctor Strange
#32 (+10) Dr. Strange
#57 (-10) Morbius

WONDER MAN versus GRIM REAPER
"Whatsoever a man soweth..." (Marvel comics)
Where: Avengers West Coast #65 When: December 1990 Why: Roy & Dann Thomas How: Paul Ryan

The story so far...
Eric Williams was the black sheep of the industralist dynasty that would eventually see his favoured brother, Simon, inheret their fortune and business, while Eric would pursue a life of crime with the Maggia organization.

Having been turned into the ionically charged Wonder Man by Baron Zemo, Simon would apparently sacrifice his life saving the Avengers he had been sent to destroy.
Distraught over his brother's apparent passing, Eric turns to his Maggia contacts which lead him to the Tinkerer, who helps design his scythe weapon as part of the murderous alter-ego of the Grim Reaper.

Wonder Man would eventually return, having only been in a coma, and the two would have mixed relations in the years to come. Eventually, after a plot to destroy Vision and Wonder Man, Eric comes to realise the error of his ways and dies during his escape, but the Williams seem to have a habit of coming back...

Previous Form:
Wonder Man (#203): Was among the pro-registration Avengers during Civil War.
Scarlet Witch (#162): Has had mixed team results with the Avengers and Brotherhood.
Grim Reaper: Eric Williams makes his Infinite Wars debut.

Tale of the tape...
Strength: Wonder Man 6 (Invincible)
Intelligence: Grim Reaper 2 (Average)
Speed: Wonder Man 3 (Athlete)
Stamina: Grim Reaper 5 (Marathon Man)
Agility: Grim Reaper 2 (Average)
Fighting Ability: Wonder Man 4 (Trained Fighter)
Energy Powers: Grim Reaper 4 (Arsenal)


- As a result of tampering by Baron Zemo, Wonder Man possesses a build up of ionic energies that power his body in strange ways. He possesses superhuman strength, durability, stamina and speed.

Over the years Wonder Man's ionic energy has built-up to allow him means of wingless flight, retiring the limited rocket belt that was a staple of his garb. Likewise, after exposure to a Kree bomb, he was further mutated to allow energy projection, and limited shape shifting capabilities.

- Accompanying Wonder Man is the Scarlet Witch, who during this period was powerless after being apparently stripped of Nexus energies granted by Immortus, that greatly inhanced her inherent hex abilities.

- Grim Reaper began his career with the exclusive employment of technologies, but his association with the super villain community eventually led him to aquire powers mystic in nature. They would be in full force when, after passing, Eric Williams was resurrected by his associate, Nekra. Reanimated, this undead Grim Reaper requires the energies of human life to maintain his existance, and that is where our story begins...

The Math: Wonder Man The Pick: Wonder Man

What went down...
Having been risen from the grave, Eric Williams murders the woman responsible for his return to feed on her life energy. He travels through Californian backroads, coming across a naive Satanic death cult operating in an abandoned bunker.
Taking full advantage of the youths inside, Grim Reaper slaughters the entire lot, absorbing their energies to sustain his "life." A young girl manages to escape.

Running to civilization, the bloody girl manages to reach a diner where Wanda Maximoff and Simon Williams just happen to be enjoying an evening out, before dying on the floor. The pair of Avengers make arrangements to accompany local law enforcement, exercising the broad jurisdiction afforded to them as government sponsored heroes.

Wonder Man heads into the bunker first, leaving the powerless Scarlet Witch with the local police. Expecting to find the scene of a gang struggle, Wonder Man is shocked to instead discover the desiccated remains of the cult members -- and the resurrected visage of the Grim Reaper -- his deceased brother!

Wonder Man charges at his brother, using a table to pin him against the wall while keeping distance between them. The brothers skip pleasantry, the Reaper revealing the nature of his primal goal to sustain life, whilst smashing through the table with his enhanced undead strength.

Summoning responsibility not always characteristic, Wonder Man sends his brother hurtling into the wall with a super-left straight punch, declaring responsibility for his brother's machinations.

The battle within the bunker sends a rumble to the outside, tipping Scarlet Witch and the armed cops off to events unfolding. They rush to Simon's aid, finding Wonder Man unintentionally airborne as he slams backward into the doorway.

The police open fire on the rampaging Reaper, but their bullets have no slowing affect on the already dead Williams brother. Driven by apparent survival instinct, as much as resentment, the Reaper presses on, tossing the officers aside.

Convinced the murderous creature attacking him could not be his protective brother, Wonder Man decides to allow the Reaper's scythe to penetrate his protective aura, believing his ionic invulnerability will protect him.

To each brother's surprise, when life-draining scythe meets ionically-charged flesh, a reverse effect is seen. The Grim Reaper's face gapes with surprise as his precious energies are drained from him, expelling into the body of Wonder Man, who feels an overwhelming rush of cold evil welling inside him.

Once again in need of life energies to sustain him, Grim Reaper turns his attentions to the powerless Wanda Maximoff and her impotent armed guard.
When and attempt to summong a hex spell fails, the Scarlet Witch opts for a more tactile defense, knocking over the single lantern lighting the bunker.

Rim-lit by the moonlight, the Grim Reaper is distracted sufficiently to allow Wonder Man to return to the fray. He reaches out to his brother with the backing of advanced technology and scientific minds afforded by the Avengers. The Reaper proves uninterested, intent instead on pursuing his base needs for life.

The Reaper flees into the night, leaving Wonder Man, Scarlet Witch and the policemen to only imagine what evils are yet to come.

The hammer...
Ah, we've seen it all before in the Infinite Wars! An inconclusive result that leaves us without a clear winner. Though Wonder Man was clearly shaken by the energy dispersed within him, I think it was clearly he who got the better of the Reaper, so I'm giving it to him on points, with the assist to the powerless Scarlet Witch.

If you're wondering, yes! This is the first of our shakey, vaguely halloween themed posts for the rest of the month! With any luck Satanic cults and a resurrected death themed villain, now walking the earth with the soul intent to feast on the living will prove sufficient for your spooky superhero intake.

I'm not particularly attached to the Wonder Man character, [or Scarlet Witch, for that matter], but this is one of those comcis I always like to come back to.
I think it's becoming clear I have a subconscious affinity for Paul Ryan, and certainly mainstream Marvel superhero comics from the nineties.

Talking about USAgent recently, I couldn't help but think back to this issue which, despite spending most of it's time on the WM/SW couple, manages to slip in a great little friction-filled bout of fisticuffs between fierce rivals, Hawkeye and [USAgent]. It's a fairly classic superhero writing style that peppers the incidental around the story, largely absent from today's comics, (in this form), probably for the better.

What has carried through is the penchant for resurrection in superhero fiction.
In the absence of a solid discussion point, I again turn to the cumulative statistics of the Infinite Wars that show us just how prevelant death and resurrection has been to characters of all levels.

Top 25 Dead-Heads:
#1 Captain America
#2 Superman
#3 Mr. Fantastic
#4 Thor
#5 Ultimate Beast
#6 Green Arrow
#7 Catwoman
#8 Red Hood
#9 Iron Fist
#10 Hawkman
#11 Elektra
#12 Ben Reilly
#13 Winter Soldier
#14 Flash
#15 Jean Grey
#16 Cyclops
#17 Dr. Doom
#18 Hawkeye
#19 Black Bolt
#20 Lyja
#21 Raiden
#22 Black Mask
#23 Death's Head
#24 Noob Saibot
#25 DeathlokMany prominent characters in both the Marvel and DC universes have spent an extended period on the other side.

Wonder Man numbers among the characters so intimately associated with death, it's become the point of comedy.
Much like a Jean Grey or Magneto, any threat to the character and their mythology is completely nullified by the on-again, off-again nature of death in superhero comics.

Likewise, the dead pool is currently speculating how long the upcoming Captain America's tenure can be, with the expectation that the return of Steve Rogers as the Captain is all but inevitable. Yes, that's even with guarantees from editorial and writer that the character will not make a return any time soon.

Which, I suppose, highlights the nature of the medium, and the way the relationship between concept, creator, and reader has blurred the lines of what does and doesn't work.

Death as a plot device has been a tittilating detail of popular fiction for as long as it's existed. The mythological qualities of the resurrection resonate with all walks of life, and it's difficult to deny the power of such a return under the right circumstances. Captain America, a character built upon iconic ideology, stands to expand his legend in ways never before explore by returning from the dead.

Imagine the creative possibilities presented by exploring the messiah qualities of a hero who sacrificed himself for freedom in the face of Tony Stark's oppression. Captain America was seen to be forgiven by the people who'd come to fear him, to a degree, but could his return sway them totally? Food for thought, and some interesting stories should Marvel as a company be inclined to approach that side of it.

Does any of this make it right, though? Does one story prospect make-up for the countless unnecessary deaths that have stripped superhero comics of the air of legitimate threat?

I suppose we can bring our discussion full-circle, coming back to the style of superhero story telling that favours awkward inclusions of characters in no direct relation to the story being told. Sure, it's fun to look back on a heavy handed two-page tiff that awkwardly jutts before the story, but perhaps that kind of story telling is best left in the past.

Likewise, death as a story 'middle', a problem to be solved, is perhaps best left in the decades behind us, where such a thrill might have even carried a question mark. The disenfranchised have contributed to an adult conceit in comic books, and as part of 'growing up', it might be time to put forward finite consequences on the actions portrayed within these books.

If these characters are destined to live forever, it might be time we stopped kidding ourselves. Have an opinion on death in comics? Drop a comment!

The Fight: 4 The Issue: 4.5
[Imagine if on Halloween, every comic superhero and villain that has returned from the dead suddenly turned into a mindless, blood-thirsty zombie! What would we have then? Anarchy? Bloodshed? Mass casualty? Perhaps just thirty-six variant zombie covers for the month of October... Oy!]

IRON MAN versus CAPTAIN AMERICA
The Terminus Factor Part One of Five: You are what you eat (Marvel comics)
Where: Captain America Annual #9 When: 1990
Why: Roy Thomas & Dann Thomas How: Jim Valentino

The story so far...
When Sherlock Holmes isn't cracking cases, he shoots heroin. Which is, frankly, why Holmes is nothing but a skinny elbowed English nancy.

Scoffing the most lethal of dangers, Captain America decides to volunteer for an experimental mission to pilot a Stark funded vessel to the center of a newly formed volcano. Why? Well, formerlyto protect Persephone-1 from sabotage, but really, just because he's that good. Human, too.

Things get ugly when a cybernetic egg planted by Terminus begins to crack, and a glowing lot of weird stuff starts to wreak havoc on the mission.
Only by the intervention of Iron Man (who just happens to turn up as Mr. Stark disappears...) do Cap and the pilot escape with their lives -- but so too does the Terminus goo!
Hitting a local waterstream has a strange effect on the fish that swim through it, and subsequently the bear who eats the fish, and so, Terminus enters the circle of life... and the water supply.

Previous form:
Iron Man #2: Iron Man battles Hulk to a standstill.
Captain America #6: Captain America and Cable do battle with AIM.

Tale of the tape...
Strength: Iron Man 6 (Invincible)
Intelligence: Iron Man 5 (Professor)
Speed: Captain America 3 (Trained Athlete)
Stamina: Iron Man 6 (Generator)
Agility: Captain America 4 (Gymnast)
Fighting Ability: Captain America 6 (Warrior)
Energy Powers: Iron Man 5 (Lasers)

It seems like it's been a while since we've had a straight one-on-one.
I guess it seems appropriate that the Civil War theme provide the first in a while. These two guys are arguably among the top tier of Marvel characters, stalwarts of the Avengers, and most recently, leaders of two different camps of thought.

Captain America isn't necessarily the most free-thinking sunnuva gun in town, but he represents the broadest sense of right, and the ideals of what all men aspire to. In many respects he's what America wants to be in the world, as opposed to what it is. He's a guiding symbol of good, who never backs down.

Stark, both in Civil War, and in general, probably represents more of what America really is. He's a character who made his early life producing technological advancements in weapons, and has essentially built a fortune by neglecting extrapolation beyond what serves his immediate goals -- which means ignoring the potential consequences around him.

Both characters exhibit an All-American iron will, but as the stamina readings show, Iron Man just has a little extra technology to back it up.

Wolverine might have a better PR agent, but Cap is truly the best there is at what he does, and he's about as close to human as you can get, without relying upon gadgets, or iron suits of armor. This guy has all the experience and grit to fight overwhelming odds, and plenty of times he'll even come out on top.

Iron Man's equipped to go toe-to-toe with pretty hefty opponents too, mind you.
The red and gold has regularly diced with the likes of Fin Fang Foom, the Mandarin, Titanium Man, and The Hulk.

So, what does all of that mean? Well, Cap may have taken down Japanese kamikaze pilots, and dropped a few Nazi tanks in his time, but neither of those had the maneuverability or firing power of Iron Man. Nor did they have the ability to out grapple him with hydraulic muscle.

He'll always be a sentimental favourite, but against Iron Man? We salute you anyway, Cap.

What went down...
Washington state has more resaons than a newly formed volcano for a couple o' Avengers to visit. You guessed it! It's time for the annual Georgeville trout feast!
Cue ominous music. Oh yes, that trout*.

Cap's a bit more manly than the silver spoon, so he doesn't bother with any food, but IM goes and sits by himself to chow down on some fresh, local trout.

As Cap is putting the moves on Dr. Napier (the Persephone-1 captain), some schmuck in a suit turns into "... a snarling animal -- leaping at us --!"
Napier makes her alliances known by calling Iron Man for help, claiming Captain America needs help, which promps Cap to machismo the guy head-first into the pavement.

As an angry mob starts to form, crazy eyes Iron Man shows up on the scene.
Snarling ponytail suit guy got the jump on Cap, but Iron Man is a drunk, so he's well prepared to backflip, snatch up the damsel in distress, and forward flip his way through a double barrage of repulsor rays.

In the commotion some powerlines become severed, and some of the raving mob start to head toward them with no sense of repercussion. Cap is there to save a zombified kid, as some guy in lime green pants gets fried.
Cap dumps the kid in a barrel of ice, as Iron Man descends into the mob.

Cap, recognising Iron Man as a threat, tries to take him out quick with a swift toss of his mighty shield. IM goes down, and much to the surprise of the Captain, the mob descends on the Golden Avenger!
Meanwhile -- to his further surprise, the kid he dumped in the ice has returned to his senses. This prompts an idea, and also an impromptu opportunity to cop a feel of Napier's arse, as he ushers her into their helecopter with the rather conspicuous line, "Don't wory about us getting lonely..."

Back in the street, Iron Man blasts his way free of the ravenous mob, and cuts the chopper off as he flies over the snowy mountains.
A direct hit overhead to the main propellor ensures the craft head straight for terra not-so firma.

Emerging from the crashed vehicle relatively unscathed, Cap leaves Dr. Napier and challenges Iron Man to, "-- COME AND GET ME!"

Iron Man does just that, but Cap is able to backflip clear.
After getting nothing but net, shellhead decides to drive it to the hoop, and nails Cap square on the kisser with a swooping left hook.
Showing no fear, Cap eggs Iron Man on, taking a backhand that sends him flying again.

As the Captain continues to provoke the supreme assault from his ally, Dr. Napier could be forgiven for wondering if Cap was going crazy too, but alas, no
For Captain America is not without a plan!

Iron Man throws all the energy blasts he has, and then follows it up with a torpedo dive, knocking Cap a little sillier, as he plants himself deep in the snow. [Ding! Ding! Ding!]

Cap tosses his shield, and knocks Iron Man back momentarily, but the armored Avenger strikes back with a vengeance!

Cap spills over the edge of a mountainous cliff, and hanging on for dear life as the zombified villagers below watch, Iron Man blasts at the very piece of Earth Cap is clinging to!

As the sentinel of liberty begins to fall, fall, fall to his demise, something happens! The icey effects of the snow finally snap Tony Stark out of his maddened haze, and with no time to lose, he swoops down and catches the tiny patch of Earth and scoops Captain America up to safety!

The villagers gradually return to normal, and the day appears saved, but Cap and Iron Man are forced to ponder whether or not the menace of the glowing Terminus goo was indeed through.

The hammer...
Even though things ended peacefully, I've got to give this one to Iron Man based purely on points. Though Cap was ultimately able to pacify his sinister urges, Iron Man thoroughly had his number, and it was only by his will that Cap survived the fall from a cliff.

I had an interesting discussion recently about Captain America, and whether or not he has credibility as a military figure, and that ultimately led to a discussion about Civil War, which leads me here.

The conversation actually began when I said I felt Ultimate Captain America had a militant credibility that I felt the regular "616" Cap had long since lost.
I guess, honestly, there are two contributing reasons for that opinion. One is the stereotype of the fighting soldier as either a hardass drill sergeant, or a mindless jarhead. The other, perhaps the more legitimate half of the argument, is the fact that since his revival in the sixties, Captain America has spent his time devided between his roles as superhero, and ideal.

On this, my friend and I were able to agree - Captain America is an ideal - but our opinions largely diverged on whether or not his role as an ideal had superceded his credibility as a militant figure.

Personally, I err on the side of there being a distinct necessity for them to be exclusive. While a soldier may be inclined to go AWOL given the right motivation, and perhaps do so justfully, I still think there is an inherent responsibility to rank, order, and thought processes that might not necessarily reveal outcomes potentially disasterous.

For example; I feel Captain America's ideals in the Civil War scenario representative of his role as the ideal that all mean, of all colour and creed, should/would like to live up to. They are not, however, the actions of a man considering his responsibility to queen, country and greater good.

I would like to think many of us, when distancing ourselves from the material, would ultimately acknowledge that registration is a good idea. That, in the real world, it's exactly the kind of law we would each wish to see enforced and monitored to the greatest degree. This is particularly relevent, as discussed in a previous 'Hammer,' in a post-tragedy scenario.

What I think, logically, we would disagree with, is the way in which anti-registration heroes are being hounded, imprisoned and attacked with extreme prejudice.
Likewise, allowing Captain America a shred of his all-American dignity, I believe he would object to the methods used, but assuming a military role, as opposed to the role of an uber-idealistic superhero, would oppose via due process.

I doubt the thought process of a man who is almost as viciously opposing the registrants, as they are his camp. This is a man who has almost gone to the lengths to lead children (Young Avengers) into a war with his own country. This is a man putting the needs of certain individuals above the needs of the public, which has just recently lost thousands, many of whom were children.
This, in my estimation, is not the approach of a character with military credibility. This is a character who has filtered through the superhero mould, and abandoned process in favour of ideal.

And maybe that's not such a bad thing.

Also not a bad thing: Jim Valentino's pencils!
Maybe not as realistically tight as some of the contemporary best, but this is not the line I imagine when I think of a man who joined the co-founders of Image comics, and created the oh-so nineties character - Shadowhawk.

The Fight: 4 The Issue: 5

NEXT: We round the month out with the one we've been waiting for - Cap and his supporters versus Iron Man and his supporters. Do not miss it!