BRONZE TIGER versus BATMAN

The Vengeance Vow! (DC)
Where: Detective Comics #485 When: September 1979 Why: Denny O'Neil How: Don Newton & Dan Adkins

The Story So Far...
The path of The League of Assassins has drawn Batman to the circus for a night of murder!

Under the big top the Dark Knight joins owner Kathy Kane for a battle with League thugs, but the main attraction is still yet to come!

For unknown reasons the former Batwoman has been targeted and The League has sent one of their deadliest assassins to complete the mission! Brainwashed into following their every order: The Bronze Tiger intends to see that The Batman doesn't get in the way of seizing their prey!

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Draw 3 (Athlete)
Intelligence: Batman 5 (Professor)
Speed: Bronze Tiger 4 (Olympian)
Stamina: Draw 5 (Marathoner)
Agility: Batman 4 (Gymnast)
Fighting: Draw 5 (Martial Artist)
Energy: Batman 4 (Arsenal)
Total: Batman 29 (Metahuman)

For a long time we've talked about Bronze Tiger and his famous victory over Batman. It was once one of the character's greatest claims to fame -- instantly affording him credibility as one of the DCU's best hand-to-hand combatants.

In context it was a source of great shame for Benjamin Turner: a skilled martial artist whose fighting prowess was twisted to serve The League of Assassins.

Penance for his actions whilst brainwashed led Bronze Tiger to join the Suicide Squad. His knowledge of nerve holds employed to control the Enchantress during the first mission when she threatened to go rogue in Legends #3.

So skilled is Bronze Tiger that he was even able to hold his own against the super-powered Stalnoivolk just by using speed and technique. He memorably teamed with Vixen to take the Russian down. Of course, no clash better represents his fighting spirit and skill than his first battle with rival Ravan in Suicide Squad #2.

Batman is broadly presumed to be one of DC's standard-bearers for high-level martial arts. He isn't the best practitioner, but he is one of them. Despite this fact -- or perhaps because of it -- most of the challengers we've observed have been super-human mountains to climb, rather than hand-to-hand equals.

Bronze Tiger's Suicide Squad teammate, Rick Flag, is a soldier trained in unarmed combat techniques, but found himself inevitably outmatched whilst brawling with Batman in Suicide Squad #10. Marvel's resident super-soldier Captain America fared a little better until fate upended him in Marvel versus DC #3.

Bane holds one of the most famous victories over The Dark Knight, but despite his fighting prowess, the back-breaking win in Batman #497 relied on performance-enhancing drugs and pre-emptively exhausting Batman, rather than skill.

Batman is a stalwart of the top of the Comic Book Fight Club rankings, but the only way we can really find out whose martial arts is supreme is to take a look!

The Tape: Batman Ranking: Batman (#1)

What Went Down...

A warm reunion between old acquaintances is cut short when The Bronze Tiger steps into the big top of Kathy Kane's circus!

Flanked by knife-wielding assassins: Bronze Tiger announces himself and the trio's intention to take the woman.

Batman stands defiant. Bronze Tiger will have to get past the Dark Knight if he wants to claim Kathy Kane. A challenge he's all too happy to take.

In the blink of a tiger's eye the cat-masked fighter moves at Batman with lightning speed and precision!

He feints a punch at Batman's head, but finds The Dark Knight's reflexes just as fast as his own! Batman blocks the blow with an instinctive sweep of his forearm and elbow. A strong defense -- but not enough against a master martial artist!

Bronze Tiger responds to the block in an instant, whirling his body to bury a stiff straight kick deep into Batman's gut!

The devastating blow forces even the steely composure of Batman to break. He has no choice but to sink to his knees as oxygen leaves him and his vision begins to blur. His mind a thumping drum as he fights to maintain consciousness.

Before the darkness overwhelms him he is witness to the glint of a knife as it darts upward and suddenly down. Kathy Kane's cry is the last thing he hears, distant as he slips into unconsciousness.

When he recovers mere minutes later a trail of bloodstained sand leads him to a grim discovery: Kathy Kane has been murdered! Dead, still clutching the costume she once wore as Batwoman. Another soul lost at the circus.

The Hammer...

As fights go it was awfully brief. It hardly seems fair! A split-second decision costs Batman victory and Kathy Kane her life. Such is the grim reality that life should be so fragile. A single lapse is all it takes to end a very precious thing indeed.

Bronze Tiger secured his victory with the abrupt execution of only two definitive offensive strikes: a punch and a kick.

This isn't the main event of Detective Comics #485. More of a primer for their inevitable rematch come issue's end. Yet in some ways its the encounter that feels most applicable to later claims to fame. A necessary piece of a larger puzzle.

It may feel short of a legendary comic book showdown, but the brief exchange has all the technical hallmarks of an adrenalizing prize fight finish.

Occurring within the confines of a single page: this skirmish is a study in martial arts precision. A simulation of the real-time combination of chess-like tactics and physical intuition that resides deep within the best of modern mixed martial arts.

Batman shows strength and skill in blocking Bronze Tiger's aggressive opening strike. The sweeping elbow shows instinct and training. He's ill prepared for the follow-up, but I'd be reluctant to characterize that as a lack of foresight.

Bronze Tiger allows the sweeping block to deflect his fist and continues through the punching arc, turning the momentum of the twist into a penetrating sideways thrust kick. The shift from right hand to left foot happens in less than a second, requiring only a 180 degree pivot. Batman is good, but Bronze Tiger is better!

By 1979 the world had already loved and lost Bruce Lee. The phenomenon of his movies in the United States, particularly the Warner Brothers co-production, Enter the Dragon, had directly inspired a wave of martial arts enthusiasm, and comic book creations like Shang-Chi, Richard Dragon, and Bronze Tiger himself.

"Sensei" Richard Hill is credited for providing martial arts advice to this story. It would be a few years before Batman would become the infallible fighting machine of modern interpretation, but the seeds of Frank Miller's Dark Knight can be seen forming under Denny O'Neil's attention to researched combat, and gritty detail.

Of course, artists Don Newton & Dan Adkins were charged with putting the action onto the page, and they do a good job communicating the kinetic information so it's clear to understand, and reasonably pleasing to look at.

You may have noticed I've scanned and included panels from the 1991 Tales of The Demon trade reprint, where Adrienne Roy's colours, if unaltered, really pop against the thick black inks of the era. I particularly enjoy the oranges used for Bronze Tiger, and although I prefer a black Bat, the blue works nicely, as well.

At some point we will reconvene to take a closer look at the Batman/Bronze Tiger rematch. I'd also like to revisit the preceding battle with Kathy Kane, which would be her last. The erstwhile red & yellow Batwoman isn't a character I have a great deal of affection for, but her ignoble end warrants another look.

This entry is inspired by the release of the animated DC feature Batman: Soul of the Dragon -- a seventies-infused kung fu thriller that unites a young Batman with DC's martial arts icons. If you enjoy the basic premise, I strongly recommend the "Return of the Fearsome Fangs" episode of Batman: Brave and the Bold.

If you'd like to see today's featured fight in its full context - you're in luck! The collected Batman: Tales of The Demon received a new printing in 2020! Shop with the Amazon link provided and you'll not only get a good read delivered to your door -- you'll also help the site at no extra cost!

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Secret Wars on Infinite Earths has featured over 650 battles and is counting down to ranking our 1000th character! You can check out some of the ranked fighters in the 2020 Rankings Recap, or just revisit the Top 20 Fights of 2020 and Featured Fight Recap. Or explore the Secret Archive for a complete index of every featured fight organized by publisher, series, and issue number!

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Winner: Bronze Tiger
#41 (+15) Bronze Tiger
#1 (--) Batman
#941 (new) Kathy Kane

SUPERGIRL versus MARTIAN MANHUNTER

Return To Destiny (DC)
Where: Adventure Comics #450 When: March-April 1977 Why: Denny O'Neil How: Mike Nasser & Terry Austin

The Story So Far...
Mars lives again and welcomes the leadership of J'onn J'onzz, but celebrations on Mars II are cut short when his dear friend Re's Eda is murdered by sniper fire!

The erstwhile Martian Manhunter must apply his trade as detective and superhero to catch the killer -- but Eda's final words implicate a gunman from his former home of Sol! Since the only beings who know of Mars II's existence are the Justice League -- The Manhunter makes a grim vow to return to Earth!

He steals a spaceship from the resistant Martian Army and blazes to the stars, but the Earth-bound fury is pursued by one of his own! Commander N'or Cott uses torpedoes to shoot down the unarmed ship, sending it crashing towards the city of Metropolis! This looks like a job for Supergirl!

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Draw 6 (Invincible)
Intelligence: Martian Manhunter 4 (Tactician)
Speed: Supergirl 5 (Super-Human)
Stamina: Supergirl 5 (Marathoner)
Agility: Martian Manhunter 7 (Unlimited)
Fighting: Martian Manhunter 4 (Trained)
Energy: Draw 5 (Lasers)
Total: Martian Manhunter 36 (Cosmic)

Today's battle pits two great heroes in an unlikely dream match! It's The Girl of Steel testing her mettle against the mighty Manhunter from Mars!

Drenched by Earth's yellow sun: Supergirl shares all the solar-charged gifts made famous by her Kryptonian cousin! She's super-humanly strong, durable, fast, has enhanced senses, can fly, use X-ray and laser heat vision, blow massive quantities of air with high intensity -- as well as a few other tricks!

In some incarnations its been suggested Supergirl's powers can rival, or even exceed, those of Superman's, but the one thing she undoubtedly lacks is his experience! Experience being something Martian Manhunter has to spare!

J'onn J'onzz was a policeman on his native Mars long before he was accidentally brought to Earth! He possesses a range of powers similar to Supergirl's, with the addition of telepathy, advanced shape-shifting, and intangibility!

We saw the Black Lantern Martian Manhunter exploit those extra abilities to vicious effect against Green Lantern and Flash [Green Lantern #44], while muscle was the main mode of victory against the Appellaxian Stone God [Secret Origins #32], and Professor Ivo's robot army [Justice League of America #261].

He's generally strong enough to go toe-to-toe with Supergirl, and need only to do a little light mental rewiring to prey upon her inexperience. The drawback to all those incredible powers is a Martian's physical and mental weakness to fire!

Supergirl need only glare intently to light a spark with her Kryptonian heat vision! She did it against Mary Marvel in Final Crisis #6, and used it to melt lead around Reactron back in Daring New Adventures of Supergirl #9! The glow of the flame was enough to stop J'onn J'onzz in his tracks in Secret Origins #35 and DC: The New Frontier #2, but he showed some greater resilience when rushing into battle with the towering Brimstone [Legends #2].

Both hero's power sets have been inconsistent in demonstration, but for the most part they're very evenly matched! Supergirl has the obvious trump card with her intense heat vision, but experience and mental powers makes Martian Manhunter the more compelling case. Let's see if those factors come to play...

The Tape: Martian Manhunter Ranking: Martian Manhunter (#23)

What Went Down...
An explosion and hail of spaceship debris signals the unannounced return of the Martian Manhunter to Earth! He ejects from the vessel just in time to avoid its destruction, but is still stunned and disoriented by the blast!

Spying the dazzling sky show while she soars above the city -- Supergirl rushes to intercept the deadly debris! Mistaking it for an attack by aliens, she flings the door in the direction of the tiny silhouette that was the pilot!

Struggling to see straight - the Martian Manhunter is tagged by the unexpected hunk of metal!

Instinctively perceiving threat, he swoops to return firing, forcing Supergirl to take evasive action while destroying the projectile with another of her own!

The young heroine recognizes her error, but the Martian's violent response leaves her uncertain of his motives. Given his strength rivals hers, she hopes a pulled strike will bring him back to his senses and delivers a stiff left!

The attack has the opposite effect, only serving to further provoke the confused Martian hero! He lashes out with a devastating left hook of his own -- launching Supergirl sideways with the brunt of his impressive strength!

The young heroine is unshaken by the physical assault, but scrambles for the wisdom she presumes her cousin would have. Unsure, she steels herself and hopes to hold the Manhunter off until he regains his senses!

A flying torpedo dive gives pause for thought, while Supergirl's desperate cries for peace cut through the fog of the Martian's disorientation. He remembers!

No sooner than he recognizes Supergirl does the Martian Manhunter lock eyes with N'or Cott's spacecraft! Sensing danger, he warns Supergirl to watch out as two missiles fire in their direction and she prepares to save them both!

The Hammer...
It was a superhero fight in the classic style! A touch of brashness, with a hint of mistaken identity! Martian Manhunter was kept at a disadvantage thanks to his shuttle explosion, while Supergirl resisted going too far once she identified the JLA stalwart. The net result is an aerial slugfest destined to end in a tie!

If this were a face-off from the last couple of decades you'd probably find both characters intent on hitting much harder, with more efforts to demonstrate their unique abilities. The fact that today's fight isn't so bloodthirsty is actually quite refreshing! It's a little cheesy, but it's nice to think heroes can walk away from their scuffles without devolving into brutal blood feuds.

While we won't draw too many definitive conclusions from today's clash, it makes a case for the strength of both characters. Qualities that've been inconsistently depicted at various stages in their publication history.

It's always kind of amazing to think about Martian Manhunter's vast powers being so overlooked! The late Len Wein once joked about the propensity of a bygone era for reducing him to super-breath. The scourge of birthday cakes, he mocked. I'm glad 1977 was treating the character a little better!

In internal monologue, Supergirl surmises that the Martian's strength is nearly equal to hers. I've always preferred a modern scale that puts Martian Manhunter in the upper echelons of super-human strength, but the so-called "Swiss Army Knife of Superheroes" has often been minimized in that regard. I tend to think a mild manner and the simplicity of his fire weakness is the better balance.

My notorious bias against kid heroes means I usually think of Supergirl as a step behind her cousin, but when strength is derived from exposure to Earth's yellow sun, without a single iron pumped, it kinda stands to reason there's relative parity. Inexperience is the point of difference that makes Supergirl interesting.

As noted last month; I've been revisiting seventies issues of Adventure Comics to enjoy the heyday of another (sometimes) underrated hero: Aquaman!

The action-packed Adventure Comics #444 was the first to feature a full issue of Aquaman action, but the back-up stories quickly returned with issue #449. There, Martian Manhunter made his home on Mars II, before a murder plot sets him on a series of run-ins with heroes, beginning with Supergirl in #450.

I'm sure writer Denny O'Neil wouldn't consider this a narrative high point of his distinguished career, but you've gotta love these kinds of back-up stories! The easily overlooked and forgotten ones! With characters who matter, doing things just a little bit interesting. The less common the combination - the better!

Granted, these days Supergirl & Martian Manhunter go together like milk & cookies! It's one of the rare examples when film (or rather television) actually refines and exploits a character to their best elements! In Supergirl's case, one of the best improvements the show has made was the costume!

I can't say I have a lot of love for the seventies shorts/bloomers seen in today's featured fight, nor the small shield logo off to one side. Its leagues ahead of the micro skirt atrocities yet to come from the new millennium, but there's a lot to be said for keeping it simple and classic. Not just simple, as it is here.

Classic sure worked for J'onn J'onzz, who'll be back in a stylized version of the old look in a new DC Comics series announced by The Hollywood Reporter! It's a little weird visually, but shows promise as Martian Manhunter continues a comeback from the dark days of the New 52 reboot!

I'm sure we'll be talking more MM and Supergirl in the future! If you'd like to find more be sure to follow links throughout this post, or dive into the Secret Archive for featured fights indexed by publisher, series, and issue number.

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Winner: Inconclusive (Draw)
#23 (--) Martian Manhunter
#108 (+5) Supergirl