CARNAGE versus NEW AVENGERS

Breakout! Part Two (Marvel)
Where: New Avengers #2 When: February 2005
Why: Brian Michael Bendis How: David Finch

The Story So Far...
A sequence of violence and tragedy leads The Avengers to officially disassemble, but their absence creates a gaping hole in the heroic fabric that demands it be filled!

When Electro is hired to stage a breakout at the high-tech SHIELD prison, The Raft, he plunges the city of Manhattan into darkness, and frees eighty-seven of its most dangerous super-criminals!

Fate conspires to bring together a team of New Avengers to thwart the breakout! Former Spider-Woman Jessica Drew is on the island as an Agent of SHIELD, while Luke Cage was accompanying Daredevil in his civilian identity of blind lawyer Matt Murdock. When the breakout begins - the trio must fight for their lives as the serial killing Carnage stalks the shadowy halls beneath the island, but the deadly symbiote isn't the only one lurking in the dark...

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Luke Cage 5 (Super-Human)
Intelligence: Queen Veranke 4 (Tactician)
Speed: Daredevil 4 (Olympian)
Stamina: Luke Cage 5 (Marathoner)
Agility: Queen Veranke 4 (Gymnast)
Fighting: Daredevil 5 (Martial Artist)
Energy: Queen Veranke 3 (Explosives)
Total: Queen Veranke 26 (Metahuman)

Being trapped at close quarters with a fleet of escaping super-villains is bad enough. When one of those escapees happens to be the symbiote-wearing serial killer Carnage -- you know you're in real trouble!

The heroes are: Matt Murdock, Luke Cage, and Jessica Drew, with The Sentry.

This small group happens to be on hand when the breakout occurs. They aren't technically Avengers yet, but this experience will pull most of them into the orbit of a new team to be assembled by Captain America and Iron Man.

Blind lawyer Matt Murdock is better known as Daredevil, whose keen radar-senses, agility, and skilled martial arts mostly offer evasive tactics that might provide a useful distraction for an opponent like Carnage.

Luke Cage is the power player of the opening trio. Along with his super-human strength and durability, his unbreakable skin has proven resistant to symbiote attack, as was later seen in New Avengers #36. That means he should at least be able to tackle Carnage head-on and offer his teammates some defense.

SHIELD Agent Jessica Drew is better known as Spider-Woman, but little do the heroes realise she is in actual fact the shape-shifting Skrull Queen: Veranke! 

Like the woman she's imitating, Veranke has great strength, agility, and wall-crawling abilities comparable to Spider-Man, but has the added imitated talent of generating bio-electricity into stinging venom blasts.

We saw Iron Man use an electric charge to fend off Venom in Iron Man #302, but the symbiote was relatively undeterred. The aliens' real weakness is fire and high-powered sonics, but as we saw when Silver Surfer confronted Carnage, the intelligent symbiote also knows to fear more broad threats to its survival.

The ace in the hole - or rather, a Raft cell - is The Sentry, whose "power of a  million exploding suns" is still nebulously defined at this point, but will make light work of The Thing and Hulk a few years later.

Sentry, aka; Robert Reynolds, will need to be motivated to leave his cell and risk reviving the dark alter-ego of his powers, The Void, but once free we know he can stare down a symbiote without too much trouble. If you know anything about the character or this fight, there's a pretty good chance you know what's coming...

The Tape: New Avengers Ranking: Daredevil (#8)

What Went Down...

With a full scale riot raging across The Raft; Matthew Murdock leads his partner and protection detail deeper into the facility. He pleads with the silent occupant of a dark & lonely prison cell: "Mr. Reynolds, please, we could really use your help."

His words appear to fall on deaf ears and with danger lurking beyond them at every turn, he asks SHIELD Agent Jessica Drew to show them to the stairs.

A spark of her Spider-Woman "venom blast" helps light the darkened corridor, but not enough to alert Luke Cage or the other bewildered agents of the toothy grin lurking in the shadows behind Foggy Nelson.

Foggy's indignant concern for "insanity" catching up with them is an unfortunate irony as the serial killer Carnage steps into the light. His large extending hand and symbiote strands curl in the air around the hapless lawyer.

Murdock charges to his friend's aid while Jessica Drew fires a venom blast directly at the murderous symbiote!

Whipping tendrils miss all but the strongest of the group. Luke Cage takes a direct hit to the gut, but against his toughened skin all that tears is his shirt!

Cage does his best to grapple with darting pseudo-appendages while Carnage sets his sights on Spider-Woman and any "one" of her internal organs.

Matt Murdock rushes Foggy to the relative safety of a nearby empty cell and orders him not to open the door under any circumstances. The terrified lawyer complies, entrusting his fate to the man without fear like so many times before.

Many wild tendrils fill the dark and narrow corridor with spastic chaos, searching for any unfortunate target they might strike. Murdock is easily knocked off his feet as one of them slaps him violently.

Agent Drew warns her compatriots of the symbiote's ability to feed off the people it makes contact with. The warning appears to inspire Carnage to lunge toward the shooting guards and make "easy snacks" of them.

Carnage continues trying to pierce Luke Cage's unbreakable skin in vain, while Agent Drew blasts his back with venom blasts to no avail.

Recognizing the hopelessness of the situation, Murdock tells the Spider-Woman to grab the guards and make a run for it. He doesn't notice the hulking figure approaching behind him to make matters much worse: Mister Hyde!

Any pretense of the blind lawyer is dropped as Matt Murdock is dragged into a one-on-one battle with his old adversary, calling upon his radar-like senses and years of martial arts as Daredevil to deal with the threat.

Meanwhile, a slightly bewildered Luke Cage continues to wrestle with Carnage. 

Agent Drew, still blasting the symbiote with her bio-electric stings, informs him that the villain usually deals with Spider-Man -- a second course Carnage hopes to sample once he's finished devouring his present company. Drew moves in closer to feed the symbiote a direct venom blast down its gaping maw!

Still completely unaware of how the Raft breakout happened, or the rampage of its 87 inmates raging on the surface above; Agent Drew redirects her focus to finding an escape, and calling for much-needed reinforcements.

Her prayers are answered as Robert Reynolds steps confidently through the corridor. Imprisoned in his tattered yellow uniform, the forgotten Sentry is none the less a vision of a hero as he stands before Carnage and catches a symbiote tendril with the palm of his unflinching hand.

It is the calm before the storm as reality is bombarded with the impossible power of a million exploding suns! A barrage of explosions blast through the lower levels of The Raft and into the night sky where The Sentry soon flies!

Clouds part as The Sentry carries Carnage toward Earth's outer atmosphere and silently ends the killer's rampage!

No scream is heard as Cletus Kasady is ripped in two at the waist, and the red symbiote flitters helplessly against a backdrop of stars and a blue planet. The cold reality of defeat like Carnage has never felt before!

The Hammer...

I'm guessing the majority of people reading this were already aware of The Sentry flying to space to rip Carnage in two, but I'm not so sure everybody knows there was an entire struggle before that.

The Sentry's attack was one of the most talked about moments of 2005. It was an immediate sensation! A "meme-able" lightning rod for the otherwise visually muddy prison riot intended to deliver us to a fresh perspective on a Marvel mainstay: The New Avengers.

All these years later it's almost hard to remember it was a controversial time for what is now one of Marvel's biggest mainstream brands.

Writer Brian Bendis took a wrecking ball to the classical lineup, abruptly launching a series of deadly attacks from within and without as Avengers Disassembled.

The violent affront riled up longtime fans who were dismayed to see Avengers (Vol.1) come to an abrupt end after a forty-two year run with only one year-long interruption. The revamp was an even bigger departure than The Ultimates, which had retooled the slightly stuffy Avengers concept with edgy modern politics, and uniform seams, for the en vogue Ultimate Marvel imprint in 2002.

This was hardly the first time The Avengers had dealt with upheaval in their lineups, but unwritten rules were clearly being violated.

The knock on the New Avengers strategy was that it was "JLA-ing" the group. The addition of iconic Avengers holdouts like Spider-Man and Wolverine -- and the Superman-analogous Sentry -- contributed to the comparison. These were independently popular characters associated with other offices.

In practise the "New" relaunch wasn't quite as all-star focused as Grant Morrison's '97 Justice League, nor was it a refinement of a classic model. It was a major departure from what was broadly understood as "Avengers™".

Spider-Man had flirted with membership many times in the past, but always swung away from most groupings with Reserve status at most. He was the star of Marvel Team-Up and the centre of the Marvel Universe, but a perennial solo act at the end of the day. His change of heart comes after being mobbed by Raft escapees in the opening New Avengers issues -- a fight for another day.

Daredevil did a more convincing job staying solo by flat-out turning down Captain America's recruitment offer after Raft riot clean-up. It turns out this was an accidental bit of consistency as DD's incumbent secret identity as mystery man "Ronin" was widely guessed by fans, publicly spoiled by a news outlet, and clashed with ideas for ending Bendis' acclaimed DD run with Murdock in prison.

Slow starts were a writer trademark, but it turned out a lot of parts would be sold separately during the chaotic assembly of the New Avengers.

Extensive pre-promotion had featured art of the entire group -- including an affectionately referred to "bubble boy" that was replaced with what became the Ronin design. That made it surprising when Wolverine and Ronin didn't appear for five or more issues. Spider-Woman, it would turn out, was actually a Skrull in disguise all along, and Sentry didn't come back down to Earth until the second story arc, which focused on his formal introduction to the Marvel Universe canon.

Prior to this The Sentry had effectively existed unto himself. His secret history was told with isolated one-shots and mini-series in 2000. It was writer Paul Jenkins' millennium hoax, which supposed that the character was a forgotten creation from Marvel's classic pantheon. A sort of 'Superman with headaches', as Marvel likes to describe of its heroes, with an elaborate backstory.

Without the burden of consequence, Sentry's secret history had been able to rewrite the status quo for several heroes. He was Mister Fantastic's best friend, mentored Angel, made Hulk a beloved public figure, and got Peter Parker a Pulitzer prize for photography. All undone when knowledge of his existence was erased to avoid unleashing his dark nemesis and alter-ego: The Void.

Officially bringing the character into the on-going Marvel Universe seemed like a risky proposition to many, but also an interesting challenge. The bombastic defeat of Carnage gave him a major scalp upon entry, but the glib dismissal of a nineties hangover wasn't enough to convince everyone the idea could work.

After Civil War Sentry passed through the ranks of the registered "Mighty" Avengers, before a direction leaning into fans' disdain placed him among the villainous Dark Avengers. An epic battle in World War Hulk proved to be a rare highlight during the short run, but after just five years, his death in Siege was a widely expected foregone conclusion. A fail state brought about by a long awaited return of Thor, and short-lived shift towards a somewhat traditional Avengers.

If you'd like to experience The Sentry's re-entry into the Marvel canon, and the dawn of the New Avengers, you can check out today's featured fight in its entirety collected in New Avengers: Breakout or New Avengers by Brian Michael Bendis: The Complete Collection Volume 1.

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Secret Wars on Infinite Earths has featured well over 600 battles and ranked more than 1000 characters! You can discover them all by following links throughout this post, or by diving into the Secret Archive for a complete index of featured fights in order of publisher, series, and issue number!

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Winner: The Sentry (w/ Luke Cage, Jessica Drew & Matt Murdock)
#71 (+51) The Sentry
#8 (--) Daredevil [+1 assist]
#9 (--) Luke Cage [+1 assist]
#194 (+101) Queen Veranke [+1 assist]
#133 (-12) Carnage (Symbiote)
#145 (-10) Carnage (Cletus Kasady)

PURPLE MAN versus LUKE CAGE

Breakout! Part Three (Marvel)
Where: New Avengers #3 When: March 2005
Why: Brian Michael Bendis How: David Finch

The Story So Far...
When the mental state of Scarlet Witch began to deteriorate, the ensuing chaos ripped the Avengers apart from the inside out! In the wake of their worst defeat ever, Earth's mightiest heroes disassembled - leaving a hole in the heroic fabric that keeps villainy at bay.

When Electro is hired to stage a breakout at the high-tech SHIELD prison, The Raft, he plunges the city of Manhattan into darkness and frees eighty-seven of the most dangerous super-criminals held under lock and key on the island!

Fate conspires to bring together a new team of Avengers to thwart the breakout! Former Spider-Woman Jessica Drew is on the island as an Agent of SHIELD, while Luke Cage was accompanying Daredevil in his civilian identity of blind lawyer Matt Murdock.

When the breakout begins, the trio leaps into a fight for their lives! Joined by Captain America, Iron Man and Spider-man - the heroes begin to turn the tide against the escaping horde! One villain stands calmly among the rest, though, and he's about to use his powers of manipulation to turn Luke Cage against them all! Beware The Purple Man!

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Luke Cage 5 (Super-Human)
Intelligence: Purple Man 5 (Professor)
Speed: Luke Cage 2 (Average)
Stamina: Luke Cage 5 (Marathon)
Agility: Draw 2 (Average)
Fighting: Luke Cage 3 (Street Wise)
Energy: Draw 1 (None)


It's not often Luke Cage is an underdog in a battle of wills, but when his enemy is attacking his very senses -- bulletproof skin can't help him!

Zebediah Killgrave is the villain known as the Purple Man: A Croatian spy accidentally exposed to a compound that turned his skin purple, and granted him the ability to emit a strange pheromone.

The Purple Man's intangible chemical secretion gives him total influence over a human subject - forcing them to obey his every command! So potent is the pheromone, and Killgrave's control over it, that he can target an individual in a crowd -- or marshal complete control over the entire mob!

Among Killgrave's grandest stunts: Subtly influencing most of the population of Manhattan in a plot involving X-Man. Uniquely strong-willed individuals have been shown to resist his influence, such as Dr. Doom and arch-nemesis Daredevil. The ion-powered Wonder Man was also immune to his pheromones.

Purple Man's most infamous and heinous deed was maintaining domination over the young heroine Jewel. He forced to live a degrading nightmare as his personal slave, until she was sent to destroy Daredevil and mistakenly attacked Scarlet Witch and The Avengers. The ensuing battle left her in a coma.

Jewel is better known as private investigator Jessica Jones - future wife to Luke Cage! A personal connection that gives The Purple Man an added psychological weapon to use against the super-strong Power Man!

If it comes down to a battle of brawn, Purple Man doesn't stand a chance against Cage! Unfortunately, Killgrave's weapon can strike from a distance - ending the fight before it even begins!

As much as Cage is made of tough stuff, meditative mental training and finesse have never been his thing [eg; Power Man & Iron Fist #66]. He may be able to shake Purple Man's influence off, but at close range he could be vulnerable! The emotional raw nerve of Purple Man's past with Jessica Jones could work for him, but for a master manipulator like Killgrave, it's still a risky proposition!

Worse still - this fight takes place during a mass breakout at The Raft! Which means Killgrave has a small army of super-villains to call upon, many of whom are likely willing and able to do the dirty work for him without manipulation!

Captain America, Iron Man, Spider-man, Jessica Drew and Matt Murdock are also on The Raft island, but with several villains for every hero, Cage probably won't be able to rely on his fellow heroes! Does that spell doom for Cage? Let's cut the jibber jabber and get the hell on with it!

The Math: Luke Cage Ranking: Luke Cage (#9)

What Went Down...
A flood of inmates spills across Ryker's Island, fleeing The Vault for the salvation of freedom! A small group of heroes does their best to stem the tide. Amidst the chaos - a lone figure calmly surveys the darkened field: The Purple Man!

Fate would have it that the nearest hero is Luke Cage. With torn shirt and unconscious criminal in hand, he spots his violet observer. He's too close. It's too late. The Purple Man has him!

Cold and calm, Killgrave asks Luke Cage to kill the other heroes on the island, and then himself. It's the kind of confident request a man with the power to control others can make with impunity.

The heathen villain cites a high power's love as the source of his unlikely circumstance. A path from the Hell of imprisonment and Cage to greet him - contradictions to his lack of belief. The taunting logic of a sick man.

Cage turns in the direction of the ragtag group of heroes trying to stop the madness. His eyes go blank, but focus returns when Purple Man threatens his wife Jessica Jones, and their unborn baby. Killgrave has overplayed his hand!

The tables turn as Cage informs his would-be puppet master of the drugs The Raft employs to retard his dangerous powers. Drugs still limiting the effect of the pheromones that could otherwise control him. Purple Man's eyes go wide as the reality of the situation sinks in. Then it comes.

Cage unloads with a violent left cross that sends blood, teeth and Killgrave's apple flying through the air!

The rage of a loving husband and doting father surges through a fist as strong as steel! A vengeful right fired like a missile that hits Killgrave before he can even drop from the last one!

Incensed by vile acts of the past and the promise of future threats, Cage is unforgiving! He hits The Purple Man again and again and again!

Blood spatters, and Purple Man's face begins to swell and deform around the damage. Cage clutches the collar of his prison uniform to keep him close enough to take the beating.

A red glove catches Cage's flexing bicep before it rains down another punishing blow -- Captain America! "Enough", he says, calling the hero back through the fog of his rage. Cage relents with a thanks, leaving Killgrave to collapse.

The Hammer...
An emotionally charged episode occurring within the anarchy of The Raft breakout. With no uncertainty: Luke Cage emerges victorious!

The Purple Man and his threats obviously refer back to landmark 2003 issues of Alias, which revealed the secret history behind Jessica Jones' final days as super-heroine Jewel. That story is the basis for much of the recent live-action Netflix series Aka; Jessica Jones, which adapts the exploration of psychic violation as one of its principle plot lines.

It's heavy subject matter for an otherwise frivolous Avengers reboot, but the specifics are left unsaid in New Avengers, consistent with the darker Alias story only through the inference of those who would know it. For me, that's a tasteful balance between creating a consistent reality between the characters, and depicting the type of evil that defines a hero.

History will probably see these comics as products of a post-9/11 attitude. Darker than today. More calloused to the harsh realities of villainy, and intent on staring them down without flinching. I don't have a problem with the content or the style, but boy am I glad we did get back to being able to have fun - eventually!

It's interesting to look back on the New Avengers with ten years distance.

Bendis and Marvel editorial denied they were "JLA-ing" the Avengers with their revamp line-up. The all-star additions of traditional hold-out Spider-man and Wolverine made that denial seem particularly absurd, but to be fair, it was never a "Big Seven" mentality.

The Sentry may've been a suitable Superman stand-in, but he never escaped his status as an interloper in the Marvel Universe. Spider-Woman was an oddball choice pulled from the mothballs of Bendis' dreams, later revealed to be Skrull  long con: Queen Veranke. The less said about late arriving, fumbled gimmick Ronin (originally depicted as exo-skeletoned "Bubble Boy") - the better!

All in all, it was a far cry from the JLA! Which only became more true when Avengers pillars Captain America and Iron Man were used to split the team a year later in Civil War! Which actually went a long way to establishing a real identity for the New Avengers, who flitted between modern flavour, and aimless mish-mash before rebranding as urban rebels.

In all of this rejiggering, Luke Cage emerged from the New Avengers as a stand-out find! Where the revamp of '92 had failed to instill iconic qualities in the character and his adventures, opting for a non-descript solo action hero [eg; Cage #3]; New Avengers thrust Cage into the heart of the Marvel Universe as a means of further building an identity. With Jessica Jones, the self-serving Hero for Hire developed into a hero juggling lofty aspirations and domestic priorities.

Cage had been an odd fit in the original New Avengers line-up - another seventies spawned Bendis project, begun in the pages of Daredevil and Alias. He was much less left of field than Spider-Woman, having at least maintained relevance in books like the late nineties Heroes for Hire reboot, and the Marvel Knights team-up book. Nobody could've guessed he would organically grow into a viable leader of the team, though.

After the death of Captain America; Luke Cage did indeed become the leader of the Secret Avengers - a team that included Spider-man, Wolverine, Dr. Strange, Iron Fist and Hawkeye. A stand-out player in the Marvel Universe that we're now able to celebrate throughout the month of September!

Luke Cage is the latest live-action Netflix series, starring Mike Colter as the man with the unbreakable skin! If you haven't seen trailers yet, I strongly suggest you seek them out! The series goes live September 30th.

We've got one more stop on the Luke Cage express before September ends! We've seen him fighting alone and fighting with a team, in the next Friday Night Fights battle we see him fighting like we've never seen before!

If you'd like to see the entire Purple Man fight and the formation of the original New Avengers, be encouraged to take use the Amazon purchase link provided! Doing so helps keep the wars infinite!

You can also find many more battles featuring Power Man and friends by following links throughout this entry, or by checking out the Issue Index Archive! There you'll find hundreds of past battles!

Winner: Luke Cage
#9 (--) Luke Cage
#806 (new) Purple Man

MONTHLY PUNCH-UP #13 (January 2007)
TASKMASTER versus MOONKNIGHT
The Bottom Chapter Six: Glories Such As These (Marvel)
Where: Moon Knight #6 When: November 2006
Why: Charlie Huston How: David Finch

Quick Fix...
Moon Knight is shaping up to be a character to watch in 2007, and it all starts here with the on-going series that's got a lot of the right people talking. In fact, so exciting was the return of Moon Knight, that the series was resolicited as an on-going before it was even released!

Moon Knight is one of those many second-tier characters that fell off the map during the post-nineties decline in comics, and a self-loathing depression for all we had achieved as an industry.
Unfortunately, along with other 'flash in the pan' characters, Moon Knight was washed into the corner as events and brands were manipulated back to more stable areas.

Finally Moon Knight is back in a big way, and who can't be pleased about that?
Only a dirty werewolf, that's who! A werewolf who's going to have to suck it up, as even a Moon Knight TV series has been announced off the heels of a name-reference in the ill fated Blade television programme.
Fingers crossed that comes to fruition!

Here we join Charlie Huston's Moon Knight at the tail end of a battle with the Taskmaster! Having crashed into a building, Moon Knight scrambles with Taskmaster amidst the rubble.

Taskmaster invites his foe to die, firing off arrow after arrow from a crossbow. Which, as Hawkeye would gladly tell you, is the pansy weapon of the nancy archer. Pssshyeah!

Moon Knight takes each arrow gladly and as Taskmaster draws his sword, invites him to kill him again. With no fear the Moon Knight looms over his opponent. Death is a fate Marc Spector has endured many times before.

Taskmaster cowers before the determined menace of Moon Knight, as he draws one of his razor crescent blades.

Despite being a six-issue storyarc essentially about ripping people's faces off, MK is satisfied with merely cutting Taskmaster's skull-like mask off.
Taskmaster has a meltdown, as Moon Knight leaps away -- victorious.

Certainly this is a book that has meandered it's way through it's first six issues, and in future novelist Charlie Huston might like to consider picking up the pace to better take advantage the visual advantages allowed by comic books.
Not to say Huston has made a poor transition to the medium, quite the contrary, but his formula is frustrating in how drastically it drags it's feet before racing into action, and then screeching to another halt.

Finch's lines reach a new leve here, and honestly, the excess of pencil work is a little frustrating. Some detail becomes blurred, unable to see the forest for the trees, ie; Moon Knight's cowl.
Visually it has an air of McFarlane about it, with it's unnecessary lines, and with the subject matter and overall presentation, there's a very Spawn vibe here.

Never the less, it will be very interesting to watch Moon Knight in the coming months.

The Fix: 2.5 The Issue: 5.5

An End to 23:59?...
Somewhere around the middle of 2006 I found myself lagging behind in posts, and since I'm typing this as the clock turns over to the 22nd, you probably know this already.

These posts are identified by the posting time of 23:59, and in 2007 I'm hoping to endeavour to keep the ship afloat and running on time, to again cultivate a regular viewing audience. That means posts on Fridays again, with no immediate thoughts toward Monday additions. That might change if things run smoothly.

Also, 2007 will see some slight formatting changes, including a brand spanking clean new banner that isn't as busy, but still adds colour and verve to the site.

The resetting of the top five is something I mentioned last month.
"Previous Form" will continue to feature the cumulative ranking of a character in regular posts, but the monthly punch-up will now feature an all new top five based on this month's posts. That top five will debut in February.

For those interested in the on-going developments, the super-stock will continue in punch-ups, also featuring the 'true' rankings. Thus keeping everything running smoothly, whilst allowing a fresh new wave of characters to hit the spotlight. Or Batman again.

As you'll soon see, the top five will change slightly to include more information for your viewing and stastistical pleasure. We aim to please!

The Top Five...
And now what many have been waiting for, the top five characters of 2006.
With the entries made over December, it shouldn't be too difficult to figure out where things stand at the end, but it still deserves to be canonized.

#1 Batman (-) (13) (DC)
Class: [Meta] Last Opponent: [Atomic Skull]
Win Percentage: [77.78%] Features: [9]

Batman had to finish the year in the top spot. I don't think there could have been any other just result, and it's worth it.
Spending an uninterrupted reign at the top of the table, the Batman's features highlighted what makes him such a beloved character, and such a well regarded fighting character.

After such a dominant year it might come as a surprise that I would predict a slump for Batman in 2007. Certainly the more recent creative direction of the character does not have my interest as devoted as it was, and maybe I'm just feelin a little burnt out on the character.

Certainly he'll always be a lurking presence on the site, but it might be better to start putting your money on some of the other heavy hitters this time.
Then again, as news filters out regarding the big screen Dark Knight feature, things might turn around all over again.
Best Fight in 2006: Batman & Nightwing vs Amazo

#2 Spider-man (-) (5) (Marvel)
Class: [Meta] Last Opponent: [Shriek & Doppelganger]
Win Percentage: [75%] Features: [8]

Spidey was a late and surprise entrant, but as one of the most recognisable characters in comics, he's certainly made his presence known here on Secret Earths.

As one of the more compelling characters in Civil War, Spidey has been ever present, and certainly I found myself in a phase of spider-mania.
As the only guy to truly challenge Batman, Spidey gets credit where it's due, and honestly... From this vantage point he's a far more likely candidate for top five in 2007.
The return of the black costume and a third feature film really promises a whole mess of accessiblity to the Spider-man. Accessibility that will no doubt again spark my interest in the character who, in many ways, represents comics for my mind.
Best Fight in 2006: The Avengers [inc. Spider-man] vs The Secret Avengers

#3 Iron Man (-) (5) (Marvel)
Class: [Super] Last Opponent: [She-Hulk]
Win Percentage: [71.43%] Features: [7]

With Civil War enveloping the entire Marvel universe, Iron Man has once again been thrust straight back into the A-list. It's no small wonder that he finishes one of the top characters of 2006.

Post-Civil War will surely be an interesting time for the Iron Man character.
An upcoming feature film almost guarantees his longevity, but as the chief instigator in the 'war on heroes,' you have to wonder how the character can recover from the 'damage' done. It should certainly be an interesting 2007 for Iron Man!
Best Fight in 2006: The Avengers [inc. Iron Man] vs The Secret Avengers

#4 Wolverine (-) (8) (Marvel)
Class: [Meta] Last Opponent: [Xorn]
Win Percentage: [50%] Features: [10]

On a site like this, the predictability of Wolverine being in the top five is kinda disappointing. Never the less, you can't say it isn't fitting on a blog entirely dedicated to superhero comic book fights.

Hah, like the previous three characters that have rounded the year out in the top five, Wolverine has a feature film in the wings. I guess that kind of interest will probably filter down to allow continued exposure in 2007.
Certainly the exercised restraint in the Civil War crossover has been a refreshing change of pace, with Wolverine canonically staying 'neutral' to the debate.

Though I sceptically imagine it is not, it would be nice to imagine this is a sign of changing winds in the way the crossover is written. Certainly Millar has a history of astute simplicity, and sidelining a promotional tool like Wolverine is very much along the lines of the 'fan' writing the story.
That is to say, it's what many have been able to see for two decades, but has not been organically allowed to occur.

Apparently you can't keep a good Canadian down (unless they're a throwaway member of Alpha Flight... Ouch!), and we'll probably see more of Wolvie in 2007. Sorry.
Best Fight in 2006: The X-Men [inc. Wolverine] vs Magneto

#5 Daredevil (RE) (11) (Marvel)
Class: [Meta] Last Opponent: [Iron Fist]
Win Percentage: [50%] Features: [8]

Well, okay. Sentimental favourite from the beginning scrapes in at the end of the year by blatant favourtism. Really Hulk should've been the first feature in December, but c'mon... It's Daredevil!

To be fair, with the exception of being featured, the issue was chosen as indifferently as possible, and hey! He didn't even win!
I guess that's the general beat of DD's drum, too. The best received Daredevil stories almost all feature some kind of overwhelming loss, and the payback isn't always worth it.

Certainly Daredevil will remain a stalwart on the blog through 2007, with the last few years worth of issues being the major fodder. Ed Brubaker and Michael Lark continue to do amazing things post-Bendis/Maleev, and DD remains a sentimental favourite.
Lord knows there are a couple of issues from the very beginning of the blog that never got featured, too. So watch out for that!
Best Fight in 2006: Daredevil & Elektra vs Bullseye

Super Stock...
1. Batman (-) (DC)
5. Daredevil (+1) (M)
6. Hulk (-1) (M)
7. Superman (-) (DC)
8. Captain America (-) (M)
12. Zatanna (-) (DC)
33. Soldier (new) (DC)
51. Doppelganger (new) (M)
53. Thing (-2) (M)
54. Cyclops (+57) (M)
55. Beast (+55) (M)
56. Professor X (+5) (M)
65. She-Hulk (-13) (M)
66. Bullseye (-4) (M)
82. Hawkeye (-1) (M)
107. Beak (new) (M)
108. Fantomex (new) (M)
109. Emma Frost (new) (M)
111. Lionheart (new) (M)
112. Shriek (new) (M)
113. Ion (Kyle Rayner) (-10) (DC)
116. Iron Fist (+47) (M)
117. Jean Grey (-5) (M)
123. Xorn (new) (M)
190. Atomic Skull (new) (DC)
195. Toad (-14) (M)
196. Magneto (-10) (M)

The Hammer...
Traditionally the Quick Fix has contribued to the immediate results of the super stock, but in the interest of keeping 2007 all in one place, Moon Knight and Taskmaster are the first to be ranked for the year.

Completing the year seems like a coming of age for the blog, and hopefully through the new year your readership will continue to support the ticking over of that little hit counter at the bottom of the menu.
Certainly a big thank you has to go out to all who have been visiting the site, and even more thanks to those coming back, and/or linking to it.

The higher that hit counter goes, the longer my hair gets, and the longer my hair gets, the more powerful I become. Please, don't make me hunt you down like dogs, because without those hits I will be forced to seek out fresh souls for consumption.

I'd love to finish up by telling you what to expect in 2007, but honestly - I don't know! I wouldn't have caught up if I'd maintained some kind of structure, so I don't intend to change that anytime soon.
The guy I've been going to for fifteen years to get my comics has sold the store and will be moving out soon, so the very future of my comics reading has completely changed. I might actually have to start investigting this thing called "online purchase" and put my new PayPal account to good use.

In the mean time, I guess you'll just have to put up with my collection of 90s Marvel comics... Goooooooooo Morbius!

December Hit Count: 3380* (+603)

* Hit count was recorded January 1. Hits for December posts may be reflected in the January count.

SHE-HULK versus THE AVENGERS
"Chaos" Part Two of Four (Marvel comics)
Where: Avengers #501 When: October 2004
Why: Brian Michael Bendis How: David Finch

The story so far...
The Avengers have faced many opponents, but after decades it may be one of their own who proves to be their ultimate undoing.

One bad day takes a new meaning as the team becomes the unwitting outlet of the out of control hex powers of a resentful and slightly crazed Scarlet Witch.

Killer robots, alien invaders, personality shifts, and now an uncharacteristcally rampaging She-Hulk. Chaos continues, and only a small handful of Avengers are even able to stand to protect their friend from herself.

Previous Form:
She-Hulk (#52): She-Hulk had a win and a loss against Champion of the Universe.
Captain America (#8): Has led victories against Wolverine and AIM.
Iron Man (#4): Has victories over Captain America and The Hulk.
Lionheart: The most recent Captain Britain has not been previously featured.
The Avengers: Have been featured mostly in-fighting via Civil War.

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 (Arsenal)

I had a discussion recently about She-Hulk, and it dawned on me that newer readers would be somewhat in the dark about She-Hulk's nature as a character.
Of course, traditionally her strength has been consistently around a 5 or a 6 by our statistics, depending very little on her temprement or emotions, unlike her cousin.

In the last couple of years anxiety and a particular type of radiation has been seen to provoke Hulk style mindless rampages in Jennifer Walters, and during this Scarlet Witch prompted scenario of chaos, that's again what we're dealing with.

Hawkeye and Captain America certainly have only a measurable degree of effectiveness in this situation. Despite their prowess with arms and as tactical fighters, against the brute strength of She-Hulk they are rendered relatively ineffective.

Captain Britain represents a more likely physical opponent, but even she hovers somewhere at the lower cusp of a 5 strength.
Of course, that becomes much less an issue when you add the Iron Man armor into the equation. Stark has previously been seen handling the Hulk [Iron Man #2] in the red and gold, and with the added support of Cap Britain, coupled with the maneuverability of tactical distractions like Hawkeye and Captain America, victory is in hand.

Certainly She-Hulk is a formidable foe at the best of times, and with the team already decimated there's an added advantage, but overall I would certainly lean toward Iron Man and the other Avengers.

Average: The Avengers 25 (+2)
Overall: The Avengers 100 (+77)
The Pick: The Avengers

What went down...
Iron Man has to deal with the repercussions of his initial arc in this story, racially motivated attacks on foreign countries as American secretary of defense. Talking about flattening countries with bombs before turning them into amusement parks is generally considered something of a faux pas, even if it is Latveria.

Meanwhile, Captain Britain is doing her best to hack the waist with her sword as She-Hulk menaces her American counterpart with a jeep.

Cap whips his shield defensively over his body as She-Hulk dumps the jump straight on top of him.
Super Soldier serum or not, that's going to leave a pretty serious mark, no matter how close to the human peak you are.

Meanwhile Captain Britain gets flung across the battle field, She-Hulk palming her skull before whipping her like a ragdoll.

As the rampage continues in the streets surrounding Avengers Mansion, Hawkeye does his best to make an emotional plee to the woman inside the beast, but it has little effect.

Iron Man arrives on the scene as more automobiles feel the crushing blow of a truly savage She-Hulk.
He swoops in quickly delivering a knock-out punch around the chops of the hulked-out She-Hulk.

IM remarks, "Well, I took no pride in that...", landing meters away from the broken body of another teammate felled earlier in the day -- Vision.

Tony joins Hawkeye in lifting the jeep, to reveal a bruised and battered Captain America, but a still living legend, none the less.

The hammer...
Well, a relatively simple victory, but Iron Man effective in the end against She-Hulk. The assist no doubt coming from the other Avengers present. Even Cap, who essentially spent the entire issue on his back beneath a jeep.

Cap's back up and ready to fight after that. Hard to tell whether or not this is an over estimation of his strength, or just a poorly communicated set of circumstances involving the shield and rubble below.

There's some sort of irony when I say I wasn't generally as venomous about the Disassembled crossover as much other fans. Ironic because, while I didn't bitterly disagree with the story, I do regard it as the definite turning point in Brian Bendis' career.

Disassembled begins the path that eventually unfolds to New Avengers, which is a book still struggling to warm up. Granted, Civil War has provided an editorial break at a premature period, but certainly twelve issues of New Avengers were not well used, with a lot of time spent dwelling on character minutia perfect for Daredevil, but cumbersome in a team book.

The next step in the process of Bendis spreading his fingers was the more literal crossover saga as we know, House of M, which saw ideals of Age of Apocalypse and Heroes Reborn coming together in a fairly uninspired storyline that fascilitated various company movements. One of those being the further dismissal of Morrison's X-implementations, which was the broadening acceptance and existance of mutants. House of M ending on the infamous, "No More Mutants" phrase, which led into the underwhelming 198 and subsequently connected X-events.

Unfortunately even as the New Avengers book appears to steer itself toward Bendis' strengths, it remains inherently disappointing as an Avengers book.
That is not to measure it by the standards of characters or even characteristics, but merely as a book that should ideally feature a team dynamic.

Whether or not the upcoming and more traditional Mighty Avengers will provide Brian Michael with the presumed opportinuty for redemption is uncertain.
Typically it seems Bendis is far better utilized in his own corner, dealing chiefly with his own history and events. Even a very positive turn on Ultimate X-Men further typified his confidence with smaller scope, using Daredevil, Spider-man and Wolverine incredibly well, but obtusely in a team book.

Finch remains what he is in Chaos, and if you like that sort of thing, you're probably quite impressed by the pages in Avengers. As dynamic and emphatic as they are, Finch's grasp on human faces remains ever bothersome. Particularly so in a book that features the talking heads that have made Bendis so well known.

Finch's interpretation of the script also has to be questioned.
His translation came under polite fire even from the writer himself, when defending the absurd scene in a later issue that depicts Hawkeye sacrificing his life, rather than removing his arrow holster.
Hawkeye gets a raw deal even in #501, pictured drawing an arrow to fire, but never seen shooting it. Which is a little silly. Even an arrow hitting Shulkie's back from off panel would've done.

Also disappointing is the colour palette, which does effectively convey the grim disaster area and tone, but obscures the time of day and the characters a little bit too much. I'm never a fan of these draining dark colour palettes, particularly when they have very dry highlights.

The Fight: 3 The Issue: 4.5