AVENGERS versus INFINITY WATCH

Warlock Must Die! (Marvel)
Where: Warlock and The Infinity Watch #27 When: April 1994 Why: Jim Starlin How: Tom Grindberg

The Story So Far...
While Adam Warlock attempts to use the combined Infinity Gems of Soul, Mind, and Power to unlock the lost memories of teammate Maxam -- he has no idea forces are conspiring to destroy he and The Infinity Watch!

US Senator Kyle Munson has used his mind-altering powers of hate to turn The Avengers into a bloodthirsty hit squad headed to Monster Island with a mission to kill Warlock!

The hate-mongering Senator is in truth the malicious Man-Beast who is out for revenge against Adam and The Infinity Watch for thwarting his attempts to conquer Counter-Earth and wield the powers of The Infinity Gauntlet!

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Drax 6 (Invincible)
Intelligence: Giant-Man 6 (Genius)
Speed: Captain America 4 (Olympian)
Stamina: Drax 6 (Generator)
Agility: Black Widow 4 (Gymnast)
Fighting: Drax 7 (Living Weapon)
Energy: Adam Warlock 6 (Mass Destruction)
Total: Adam Warlock 30 (Super)

The Avengers are: Captain America, Giant-Man, Thunderstrike, Black Widow, Hercules, and Vision.

Operating under brainwashing from the former Hate-Monger; The Avengers have already taken out Gamora in the previous issue, but apparently suffered the temporary loss of Vision as a consequence of the beach-side melee.

The Infinity Watch are: Adam Warlock, Moondragon, Drax The Destroyer, Maxam, and Pip The Troll.

The Watch are missing one of their best fighters, but they've still got a whole lot of cosmic might on their side! By nature of their assembly, they wield four of the Infinity Stones: Gems possessed of primordial energies of fundamental cosmic elements that once combined to make the Infinity Gauntlet.

Drax The Destroyer wields the Power Gem, adding it to his already impressive physical strength. In this incarnation we saw him team with Hulk to temporarily topple Thanos during The Infinity Gauntlet, and go toe-to-toe with Thor in the Infinity Crusade! He's a natural to neutralize Thunderstrike or Hercules.

Maxam lacks the boost of a gem, but his ability to increase his size & strength compliments Drax, taking care of either of the loose Avengers powerhouses, or maybe directly countering the super-sized might of Giant-Man!

With the Mind Gem enhancing her mental powers: Moondragon has the potential to neutralize any of their opponents, and maybe even finish the whole fight by breaking the brainwashing that's turned them against The Watch. Failing that, her hand-to-hand skills are good enough to test Black Widow or Captain America!

Warlock could similarly use his natural super-human gifts to fight The Avengers, or wield the Soul Gem to pull everyone into its pocket reality for a dose of soul-searching. if that fails and an exit strategy's needed: Pip the Troll might just be able to help the team escape with the Space Gem's teleporting potential.

We've seen The Avengers take on all kinds of challenges, but we've never seen them take this one. Let's find out what happened!

The Tape: Avengers Ranking: Captain America (#7)

What Went Down...

Through gritted teeth Captain America makes his mad declaration: "WARLOCK MUST DIE!"

The sentiment is echoed by Giant-Man as The Avengers square-up against The Infinity Watch. Adam Warlock asks for reason, while Drax mistakes Thunderstrike for Thor, and Pip The Troll leeringly confronts the Black Widow.

Pip disappears as quickly as The Widow's temper flares, while Warlock gives up on diplomacy and knocks Giant-Man to the ground with a flying right hook!

Moondragon takes the opportunity to launch a jumping martial arts kick, deflected by Captain America's shield. She takes on the hand-to-hand challenge, matching his bitter madness with her own critique of the "pompous" Avenger.

Maxam struggles to land a hit on Hercules, who remains bitter over their meeting during the Infinity Crusade. Herc aims to pay him back, using his own surprise attack to grab Drax by the cape and toss him into the ocean many miles away!

While Drax tries to figure out where he is -- Maxam finds himself caught between a rock lifted by Hercules, and the hard place of Thunderstrike's hammer!

Knowing when he's outmatched: Maxam calls for help, receiving a polite acknowledgment from Warlock, who evades a giant fist swung by Hank Pym -- and unleashes a direct karmic blast from the Soul Gem!

Warlock hops away from the kayoed Giant-Man, but before he can come to his teammate's aid is struck by the massive boulder hurled by Hercules!

A dark shadow watches from nearby island flora, and Pip The Troll materializes at Warlock's unconscious side, tossing his spiked mace "skull-cracker" in favour of brewing a "neat trick" he's been wanting to try out.

Meanwhile Maxam finds a forearm block wanting as Hercules follows it up immediately with a second, more devastating left that catches him across the chin!

Maxam's tired of being a punching bag for two demi-gods, and manages to narrowly avoid the raging descent of Thunderstrike's uru mace!

It crashes into the ground behind him, but Hercules continues his verbal and close-quarters assault, moving in to grab the "varlet" by the collar and punch him straight in the face!

Elsewhere Captain America blocks a kick with his shield, transitioning seamlessly into a shield swipe that Moondragon nimbly leaps over.

She resists Maxam's desperate plea to use a mind-blast: "Don't rush me! I'll be with you as soon as I attend to the good Captain in my own manner!"

A precision chop to the shoulder finds its mark, allowing Moondragon to kick Captain America's famous shield out of his hands! She follows with a stiff right palm strike to his jaw, dodging his right-hand counter punch with a twirl, to strike back with her own uppercut knock out!

Satisfied with her victory over Captain America -- Moondragon is happy to use the Mind Gem's powers to mind-blast Thunderstrike into submission!

The knock-out beam evens the odds for Maxam, but he fails to notice the massive ocean rock suddenly teleported overhead by Pip The Troll, which sends Hercules running clear of the impact zone!

The long thin rock crushes Maxam & Thunderstrike and kicks up a cloud of sand!

Moondragon doesn't even see Hercules coming as he runs right through her like a raging bull with a charging shoulder!

Pip tries to make the save, snapping the wooden handle of his spiked mace as he clobbers Hercules over the back of the head. The demigod shrugs it off, tossing Pip aside as he makes a path toward a recovered Adam Warlock!

Warlock ducks beneath a wild haymaker and returns fire with a jumping kick!

Hercules is unfazed, launching Warlock across the beach with an overhand punch!

He charges after Warlock, who unleashes the awesome mystic power of his Karmic staff, but the demigod "Prince of Power" resists its awesome energy, snatching it by the neck to push it away.

Warlock takes flight, unleashing a blast from the Soul Gem -- but it misses the target, allowing Hercules to grab him by the ankle and smash his face into the sand!

Warlock throws his free foot at Hercules' face, but the Prince of Power absorbs the kick and slams his left fist to the ground -- narrowly missing Warlock, who jumps clear and delivers another kick directly to the face.

Still Hercules shakes the physical assault off, rallying to deliver a devastatingly explosive backfist strike that knocks Warlock off his feet!

Warlock's body stays limp as Hercules walks the distance to pick him up by the collar, but the Avenger doesn't deliver his intended finishing blow.

Instead it's Hercules who is knocked unconscious when the eerie Vision emerges from the beach sand to deliver a surprise attack to his teammate's back!

The synthezoid's artificial brain appears unaffected by the telepathic brainwashing that enthralled his teammates. He reveals the plot to The Infinity Watch, recruiting Moondragon to use the Mind Gem to free them from their hypnosis.

The Hammer...

The last minute save from Vision helps The Infinity Watch secure their victory over The Avengers!

His timing might seem overly dramatic, but his actions are justified with cold synthezoid logic.

Knowing he couldn't possibly curb the hypnotized Avengers alone -- Vision used a skirmish with Gamora in the previous issue to feign damage, waiting for an opportunity to render assistance once The Infinity Watch had the upper hand! Or something along those lines... Something that conveniently gives us a "surprise" twist. Why not?

Vision shares the victory with Moondragon and Adam Warlock, who secured noteworthy individual triumphs over multiple members of the Avengers, including Captain America, Thunderstrike, and Giant-Man.

You already know who scored the double kayo because you just read the scintillating recap above, but it feels especially noteworthy that Moondragon managed to best Captain America in hand-to-hand martial combat!

Cap actually has one of the worst defeat tallies recorded on the site, [second only to Superman at the time of writing], but he balances significant losses with a high number of wins.

Both stats are attributable to Cap's never-say-die attitude and warrior-like vigor for combat. He boldly risks taking the L by standing ground against obvious mismatches, like Thanos, but to other heroes he remains a mythic benchmark for fighting prowess. He holds top fighters like Black Panther and Wolverine to account, while occasionally becoming the scalp himself to prove another hero's worth, like his epic crossover showdown with Batman.

Moondragon's script notes the interest of comparing their fighting skills, but this one lacks the weight of importance other big time showdowns might aspire to, especially in more recent times where that kind of thing is given a lot of pages.

I'm not sure if Moondragon had the cachet for a bigger marquee spotlight against Cap, and the entire battle comes pregnant with modifiers, noting a compromised Avengers in a guest role.

It's all a little rough in composition, reflected somewhat in art that shows plenty of intent, but is a little sketchy compared to Tom Grindberg's usual work, which I have become a growing fan of in recent years.

Bob Almond is no stranger to inking Grindberg with a more characteristic finish, which leads me to wonder if there were deadline pressures, or late editorial interference that impacted the issue. Perhaps negotiations with the Avengers office?..

As much as The Avengers are here to be beaten by the title heroes in their fleeting guest role, it surprises me how impressive a showing Hercules has!

I like the callback to Herc's brief face-off with Maxam in the still-recent Infinity Crusade, but I'm not sure that justifies such a strong outing. He isn't just the last man standing, but also handily intimidates Maxam, and beats the heck out of Warlock! He's practically served a visual win, if not for the interference of Vision!

Perhaps this all speaks to Hercules' mythic inclination towards violent madness, or perhaps there was a particular vested interest in presenting the Avenger as a legitimate, uncompromised threat.

Although most of the presented group could be found in contemporary issues of Avengers, Hercules is the character I would most closely associate with this era of monthly issues, sharing a spotlight with the likes of Black Knight, Sersi, and Crystal -- all conspicuous by absence.

Thunderstrike won't even be back in the fold until next month's issue, May cover-dated Avengers #374, which means he technically showed up two months early as an active Avenger in Warlock and The Infinity Watch #26!

They were crazy times, and how ever this issue managed to come together, it's a nice artifact from both catalogues. A nice chance for us to dip into Adam Warlock and The Infinity Watch, as well!

If you'd like to find more from the characters and topics covered, make sure you hit up links throughout this post, or dive into the Secret Archive for a complete index of featured fights in order of publisher, series, and issue number!

Secret Wars on Infinite Earths has featured more than 700 battles and ranked well over 1,000 characters! If you want to see more why not show your appreciation and help a brother out by becoming a supporter on Patreon? As a thank you you'll unlock additional updates, Discord chat, and tiers to sponsor featured content including the Rank & File Top 10 and more!

Get free daily links to fights inspired by the topics of the day by subscribing to Twitter and Facebook, or by becoming a freebie follower on Patreon. Don't forget to smash that like, fave, and share -- and keep your eyes peeled for the week's top trending battles every Sunday on Twitter & Patreon!

Winners: Vision, Moondragon & Warlock (w/ Infinity Watch)
#86 (+5) Vision
#200 (+402) Adam Warlock
#382 (+285) Moondragon
#645 (new) Maxam [+1 assist]
#646 (new) Pip The Troll [+1 assist]
#140 (-1) Drax The Destroyer [+1 assist]
#7 (--) Captain America
#48 (-3) Black Widow
#87 (-6) Giant-Man (Hank Pym)
#161 (-4) Hercules
#1040 (-39) Thunderstrike

FIRELORD & DRAX versus THANOS

Cosmic Battle on the Edge of The Universe! (Marvel)
Where: Infinity Gauntlet #4 When: October 1991
Why: Jim Starlin How: Ron Lim & George Perez

The Story So Far...
When the Silver Surfer crash lands to Earth through the roof of Doctor Strange's Sanctum Sanctorum -- he brings ominous warning of the greatest threat the universe has ever known! Thanos lives and has taken possession of the Infinity Gems of Soul, Mind, Power, Time, Reality, and Space to form the omnipotent Infinity Gauntlet!

The Mad Titan's mission is to eradicate half of all sentient life in existence! A feat he achieves in an instant with but a mere thought! His quest to court the mistress Death does not end there, though. His dominion is now all that exists in the known universe -- a reality, his to dominate and reshape!

Ripples of Thanos' power echo throughout the universe, causing mayhem and destruction on Earth, where the mightiest heroes assemble in conference to discuss the unknown threat. The unexpected arrival of Adam Warlock provides limited answers as he takes command, selecting a special task force to confront Thanos in a desperate ploy to save the universe from The Infinity Gauntlet!

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Thanos 6 (Invincible)
Intelligence: Thanos 5 (Professor)
Speed: Firelord 5 (Super-Speed)
Stamina: Thanos 7 (Unstoppable)
Agility: Firelord 3 (Acrobat)
Fighting: Drax 7 (Living Weapon)
Energy: Thanos 6 (Mass Destruction)
Total: Thanos 34 (Super)

The failed ambush attempt by Cloak has Thanos all riled up, but the eighth wave of attack sees two repeat customers rushing bravely into the line of fire!

Firelord was part of the opening salvo that had no real effect, but got back into the action during the fourth wave as Thor was flung into space. He got put down pretty hard with a backhand from Thanos, but the ill fated intervention of Wolverine likely kept him from a finishing blow. It's tough to say for sure.

The flaming former herald to Galactus is imbued with the Power Cosmic, which makes a guy pretty tough to put down! Cosmic flames probably won't cause Thanos too much concern, but Firelord is fighting with tremendous will, and can provide support to a tag team partner with a real shot at ending this!

Drax The Destroyer was essentially created for the purpose of destroying Thanos! He teamed with Hulk as a second wave able to capitalize on Thanos' adjusting to his altered powers. They were able to knock the Mad Titan on his back and do some real damage, before he sent Drax flying with energy blasts, and Hulk running with a bizarre shrinking offense!

Round 2 for Drax is a chance at redemption! We know from future encounters [Annihilation #4] that Drax can put Thanos down, even if death has a way of being a temporary predicament [see; Guardians of the Galaxy #25].

It shouldn't be forgotten that this era of Drax is hugely bulked up, but incredibly dim witted. We saw the power of this version on display in Warlock and The Infinity Watch #21 when he went the distance with a mad Thor. We also saw his susceptibility to distraction.

Drax should be nice and focused after his earlier skirmish with Thanos. Teamed with Firelord, they should be another formidable duo! Let's see how it went...

The Tape: Firelord & Drax Ranking: Thanos (#18)

What Went Down...
No sooner than Thanos returns from Cloak's dark dimension -- Firelord and Drax are upon him! Declarations of divinity are quickly forgotten as the fiery former herald pulls his burning staff to Thanos' throat, exposing him to The Destroyer!

Drax takes full advantage of the vulnerable positioning - blasting pure energy at the heart of the Mad Titan! It crackles spectacularly against his powerful chest!

As he has many times before - Thanos laughs gleefully in the face of opposition!

Perhaps The Destroyer would live up to his mantle in a physical confrontation, but Thanos feels no need to indulge such a chance. With a mere thought, he opens a portal through time that irresistibly pulls his foes through!

Space-faring Firelord never has a chance to resist as the portal hurls he and Drax back through time! In an instant they're dumped somewhere in Earth's prehistoric past! Out of mind, out of sight -- out of time!

The Hammer...
Their lives may have been spared, but the indomitable cosmic wills of Drax and Firelord are now lost to the heroes! Some may debate the particulars, but the unconventional method still constitutes another victory for the all-powerful Thanos, whose control of time and space knows no bounds!

Things are clearly looking dire for Warlock and his heroes, but there's a grand plan waiting to be enacted, and several high-powered players waiting to play their part! Before we get to them; we're going to take a brief detour in tomorrow's featured fight to take a closer look at the fate of Iron Man!

We last saw Iron Man participating in the sixth round of offense, where he was caught by surprise by a tackling from Terraxia. We'll talk more about who she is, and what her ties to Thanos are, in tomorrow's feature fight.

Today was the third time we've seen Firelord in action during Infinity Gauntlet. The first was the opening salvo - his first entry into the Secret Wars on Infinite Earths record, as well.

He's one of those second-tier favourites I've been hoping to get around to for quite a while, but never found the time. That's one of the great things about a big superhero event like this one. It's a chance to revisit old favourites, and meet new characters if you're new to the corner.

Much like Cloak; Firelord'll be one of those Infinity Gauntlet characters I'll miss in whatever live-action approximation is assembled for the big screen.

It's clear Avengers: Infinity War won't be a direct adaptation of The Infinity Gauntlet, but its apocalyptic ensemble owes enough inspiration to regret the Hollywood tendency to simplify, and play it safe.

The simple things have been enough to make Marvel's Avengers films beloved by the masses, and massively successful at the global box office. Some still consider the first Avengers film one of Marvel's best -- possibly because it was the first time they saw the marquee heroes fighting side by side. Under scrutiny, it's a middling effort with weak villains, and not much more than the team-up going for it. Fifty years of seeing the characters together in print probably took the novelty out of it for me, and other seasoned comics readers.

Most multimedia adaptations of comics will strip out the nuances and the excesses. What you're inevitably left with is a straight forward, conventional piece of storytelling. Nothing too complicated, but not so simplistic that there isn't at least something new and shiny to attract the masses.

Firelord strikes me as a character who could've scratched the nagging itch of obscurity, whilst fitting in to a bigger puzzle. After all, he's a native of Xandar, which was under assault from Ronan The Accuser -- a minion of Thanos in the movies, for no expressed reason -- in the first Guardians of the Galaxy film.

He also has ties with the Nova Corps, who were also present in the Guardians movie(s), albeit in a less than iconic incarnation. Recent rumblings from Marvel allude to plans for a Richard Rider movie, which Firelord could play a neat role in, either as a fellow trainee or mentor, with or without an arc that turns him into a herald to Galactus. If Novas are inevitably compared to Green Lanterns, then it's easy to see Firelord playing a role similar to Sinestro.

Space certainly seems to be becoming the hot new ticket. There's also a Captain Marvel movie already in the works, building up towards the threat of hostilities between the Kree and the Skrulls. That could build to the next big threat to the Marvel cinematic universe, but I have to think a sub-plot involving the coming of Galactus could function similarly - if not better - to the arrival of Thanos.

All of this is to say -- Firelord probably won't be in Avengers: Infinity War, but it'd be a tremendous joy if the films found it within themselves to venture wider, for broader gains. Formulaic safety has meant Marvel movies can tend to feel a lot like the same thing repeated with different paint. Building up a third stringer like Firelord, off the back of inexplicably arriving to help humanity fight the threat of Thanos, would finally be approaching the joys of cosmic comic books!

I've clearly gotten completely distracted by fantasy booking third tier characters into Marvel films, though. We've got an Infinity Gauntlet to run!

Be here for our tangent into the combat of Terraxia! Or, get familiar with Firelord and the other heroes involved in The Infinity Gauntlet by picking up the collected edition via Amazon! Using the link provided helps support the site!

You can find all the Infinity Gauntlet updates, as well as past featured fights with entire universes of characters, but diving into the Secret Index! Every battle is indexed via publisher, series, and issue number!

Winner: Thanos
#15 (+3) Thanos
#118 (-17) Drax
#849 (-316) Firelord

Infinity Gauntlet #4
Thanos runs the gauntlet of heroes in a special series spotlighting the classic cosmic showdown!
Versus Wave 1, Hulk & Drax, Wave 3, Thor & Dr. Doom, Wolverine, Wave 6, Cloak, Firelord & Drax, Iron Man, Spider-man & Thor, Nova, Quasar, Captain America

HULK & DRAX versus THANOS

Cosmic Battle on the Edge of The Universe! (Marvel)
Where: Infinity Gauntlet #4 When: October 1991
Why: Jim Starlin How: Ron Lim & George Perez

The Story So Far...
When the Silver Surfer crash lands to Earth through the roof of Doctor Strange's Sanctum Sanctorum -- he brings ominous warning of the greatest threat the universe has ever known! Thanos lives and has taken possession of the Infinity Gems of Soul, Mind, Power, Time, Reality, and Space to form the omnipotent Infinity Gauntlet!

The Mad Titan's mission is to eradicate half of all sentient life in existence! A feat he achieves in an instant with but a mere thought! His quest to court the mistress Death does not end there, though. His dominion is now all that exists in the known universe -- a reality, his to dominate and reshape!

Ripples of Thanos' power echo throughout the universe, causing mayhem and destruction on Earth, where the mightiest heroes assemble in conference to discuss the unknown threat. The unexpected arrival of Adam Warlock provides limited answers as he takes command, selecting a special task force to confront Thanos in a desperate ploy to save the universe from The Infinity Gauntlet!

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Thanos 6 (Invincible)
Intelligence: Thanos 5 (Professor)
Speed: Hulk 4 (Olympian)
Stamina: Thanos 7 (Unstoppable)
Agility: Draw 2 (Average)
Fighting: Drax 7 (Living Weapon)
Energy: Thanos 6 (Mass Destruction)
Total: Thanos 34 (Super)

The first strike ended with a bit of a dead rubber, but now that Thanos has decided to take the heroes on - the fight can really get under way!

His choice to indulge a physical fracas helps all of the heroes of Earth, but it could be argued it especially suits the pure brute strength of the second wave coming at Thanos in today's spotlight!

Hulk is Bruce Banner in spirit, if not mind and body. At this point in time, Hulk doesn't quite command the scientific acumen of Banner, but he possesses a degree of intelligence greater than his best known days of rampaging. That bodes well for both the collective of heroes he's joining - and their careful plan!

Unfortunately, Drax The Destroyer does not possess a very notable IQ. These were the days when his physical might was at its peak, but his mental state was akin to that of a child. This means he's susceptible to distraction, confusion, and temper tantrums that could endanger his allies as quickly as his enemy!

We saw the dim-witted Drax exercise his strength against a mad Thor in Warlock and The Infinity Watch #21. He also brings the appealing quality of existing for the very purpose of destroying Thanos. Something he achieved temporarily, many years after Infinity Gauntlet, in Annihilation #4!

Hulk has no shortage of big time battles with major league opponents. We've seen him take down the likes of: demi-god Hercules [Tales to Astonish #79], Silver Surfer [Incredible Hulk #95], The Sentry [World War Hulk #5], and Thor [Avengers #5]. He's also gone toe-to-toe with Superman [Marvel versus DC #3] and Green Lantern [Unlimited Access #1] in crossover dream battles!

In the last battle, Thanos kinda ducked out of dealing with Iron Man, Sub-Mariner, Firelord, and "Thor". That said, we have seen him punk out Terrax in the Green Lantern/Silver Surfer crossover, and beat up the Guardians of the Galaxy who literally found him with his pants down [GOTG #25]!

Given the added omnipotence of The Infinity Gauntlet as a greater sum of the Infinity Stones of Soul, Mind, Power, Time, Reality, and Space -- Thanos is one of the most formidable forces imaginable! He is vulnerable only by choice, which leaves very little chance for the heroes.

Drax has an individual victory to his name, and shared in the team gambit of Star-Lord and The Guardians of the Galaxy. Our Fight Club history favours he and the Hulk, but will their combined strength put a dent in Thanos' plan? Let's go ahead and find out...!

History: Drax (2-0-0)
The Tape: Hulk & Drax Ranking: Hulk (#6)

What Went Down...
Even with the choice to strip his knowledge and awareness of all things in the universe; Thanos loses himself in gloating laughter as the first wave of heroes crashes harmlessly into his platform. He is undeniably their better, yet, in his rush to appeal to the mistress Death, he has allowed himself to be vulnerable!

Thanos fails to notice two green behemoths drifting directly behind him! Fails to remember their trajectory on a board he just walked, unencumbered by the whims of time! In his arrogance, Thanos did not notice The Hulk & Destroyer!

The two power houses punish Thanos for his neglect! Their devastating punches hit in unison - sending the omnipotent villain flying across his own platform!

The twin titans immediately seize upon their advantage - raining down a barrage of blows with massive fists! Any ordinary foe would crumble under such punishment, but not one who wields the Infinity Gem of Power!

A blast of energy sends Drax flying away from the Mad Titan! His patience for a fair fight is clearly being tested, but the Hulk remains, still pummeling with power far greater than any ordinary man!

In spite of his present intelligence, The Hulk loses himself in a flurry of punches. For a moment, he truly believes his opponent isn't even defending himself! The awful truth of the matter soon becomes too apparent to ignore: the Hulk is the smallest one there is!

Thanos' command of reality has reduced the once towering Hulk to a man of mere inches! He stands barely as tall as the fist that wears the omnipotent Infinity Gauntlet responsible for his predicament!

That same hand reaches out to squash the tiny hero! With the proportionate strength still housed in his muscular legs - the Hulk leaps clear! Forced to suffer the indignity of running from the fight! Even as he fleas, his purpose is still served. Behind them rises the next attack to catch Thanos by surprise...!

The Hammer...
In the first wave - neither party delivered any kind of decisive attack. This time the battle was more clear. Although Hulk and Drax live to fight on - it was the hand of Thanos that toppled The Destroyer, and forced Hulk to run for his life!

The net result of the defeat is still minimal for the heroes, but Hulk and Drax at least succeeded in knocking Thanos off his feet! They confirmed that Thanos is playing by a code of rules -- inspiring some degree of hope!

They've also inspired a recklessness in Thanos that once again renders him sufficiently distracted to fail to notice the next attack coming!

Everyone understands the titular "Infinity Gauntlet" is a gem studded glove, but Thanos is now running the gauntlet of heroes assembled by Adam Warlock! This combat gauntlet depends on carefully planned waves of attack, which we've determined are distinguished enough to be recorded as individual fights!

Thanos has registered his first Infinity Gauntlet win, but it's only a temporary victory. Warlock's army of heroes still has a full regiment, and there's a long way to go before this gauntlet is done!

If Hulk and Drax come back around to combine with some of their fellow heroes, who knows what they might achieve? The next wave is not without its promise, too. Be here for the next installment to see who's on offense - and how it goes!

If you're looking for more links from the Infinity Gauntlet you should check out the Marvel section of the Secret Archive Index. You'll find each wave linked as issue #4, with plenty of other featured fights to discover via publisher & series!

Get ahead of the fight by reading the Infinity Gauntlet in collected edition for yourself! Shopping via the Amazon link provided helps support the site at no extra cost to you!

Discover more battles by following Secret Wars on Infinite Earths on Twitter and Facebook! A like, share, or retweet is another great way to join the fight!

Winner: Thanos
#117 (+236) Thanos
#6 (--) Hulk
#100 (-24) Drax

Infinity Gauntlet #4
Thanos runs the gauntlet of heroes in a special series spotlighting the classic cosmic showdown!
Versus Wave 1, Hulk & Drax, Wave 3, Thor & Dr. Doom, Wolverine, Wave 6, Cloak, Firelord & Drax, Iron Man, Spider-man & Thor, Nova, Quasar, Captain America

NOVA & DRAX versus ANNIHILATION WAVE

Blood And Thunder (Marvel)
Where: Annihilation #1 When: October 2006
Why: Keith Giffen How: Andrea Divito

The Story So Far...
They came from beyond the edge of the universe: The Annihilation Wave! An invasion force so devastating it eradicated the Nova Corps within its first week of attack!

Lord Annihilus advances his plague of insectoid denizens against the universe, retaliating against expansion into the anti-matter domain of The Negative Zone. By their own savage logic, their assault across galaxies is taking back what's theirs!

Within months: the Skrull Empire is decimated -- sending a bold message to the rest of a besieged universe! Old enemies are irrelevant! In the ruins of old civilizations, new alliances are forged, appointing Nova Prime as Commander-in-Chief of a surviving United Front!

Tartus Minor fell as they came to grips with the nature of their enemy, but on the Kree-System Periphery of Daedalus 5, the Annihilation Wave has been held! It is a fleeting relief against an enemy of overwhelming number, whose forces are unrelenting! With Command Center soon to be lost, Nova enters the fray!

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Drax 6 (Invincible)
Intelligence: Nova 4 (Tactician)
Speed: Nova 7 (Lightspeed)
Stamina: Drax 6 (Generator)
Agility: Nova 3 (Acrobat)
Fighting: Drax 7 (Living Weapon)
Energy: Nova 5 (Lasers)
Total: Nova 33 (Super)

The universe is under threat from an incursion of Arthrosian insectoid aliens known collectively as the Annihilation Wave! They are a living plague that threatens all existence, invading from the Negative Zone under the command of its most notorious denizen: Annihilus!

Fortunately, some of the universe's most powerful beings have come together to form a single United Front led by Richard Rider: the last surviving Nova! The United Front includes such luminaries as: Star-Lord, Ronan The Accuser, Firelord, Gamora, and Drax The Destroyer.

Drax serves as a powerful soldier in the fight against the Annihilation Wave, but has also been a trusted voice to Nova, who credits him with 'destroying Richard Rider, the boy, to make room for Nova, the man'. His blunt mentorship helps Nova direct his forces in the face of devastating losses, and overwhelming odds.

This incarnation of Drax hadn't been around a long time at this point. He differs when compared to the prior form we saw battling Thor [in Warlock and The Infinity Watch #21] in reduced mass, and increased tactical intelligence. He's a more ferocious combatant, relying on mobility and twin daggers, rather than brute strength. This reduction in pure power has its drawbacks, as seen in Guardians of the Galaxy #25, when he struggled with a rampaging Thanos.

Thanos serves as an ally to Annihilus during the Annihilation event, as well as having outstanding personal grievances with Drax. From past entries we know this comes to a head in Annihilation #4 -- another showcase for the destructive hand-to-hand potential of Drax!

Our Nova file also comes exclusively from the time after Annihilation. When he returns to Earth with the full power of the Nova Force and Xandarian Worldmind, he effortlessly defeats former nemesis Diamondhead [Nova #2], and fights the Thunderbolts to a standstill [Nova #3]!

There's a lot of evidence here to argue Drax and Nova should make a serious dent in the nameless hordes of the Annihilation Wave. The catch is the simple overwhelming numbers of the Wave.

The Tape: Drax & Nova Ranking: Drax (#127)

What Went Down...

With perimeter force-fields breached, the Annihilation Wave advances on United Front HQ. Commander-in-Chief Richard Rider orders second-in-command Peter Quill to get their people clear. The former Starlord complies, while Rider dons his Nova Corps helmet and prepares to lead from the front.

In the field; a Kree soldier collects Earth girl Cammi Benally while her charge continues to fight. Drax sprays Arthrosian innards as he fights them one at a time with nothing but a sturdy pair of daggers!

As the Wave pushes forward, the ground gives way beneath Drax's feet. He falls to the lower levels, where Kree soldiers do their best to fire before they're inevitably consumed. Drax joins them in their hopeless fight.

Drax never stops fighting as the insect horde begins to overwhelm him. All that can be seen is a blood-soaked blade -- still stabbing and slashing at alien hide!

A reprieve comes in streaking golden light. Nova descends into the pit at speed -- a living missile targeting the amassing threat! The collision crushes one of the insects and scatters the rest! Drax is knocked clear with the rest of them.

The last Nova briefly joins Drax in fighting the aliens hand-to-hand while they assess the dire situation. He soon clutches The Destroyer by the wrist and takes them both airborne as they consider a response to their defensive breach.

Human Richard Rider struggles with the consequences of his next decision. Drax is coldly pragmatic with his assessment of the situation. The Annihilation Wave is catching up to the wounded. Nova can lose hundreds - or risk thousands.

Nova tosses Drax to the safety of a Kree fortress, then returns to the battlefield to carry out his solemn duty. Hovering above the war zone, he makes contact with Barrage Command. His order: full-scope heavy ordnance barrage.

The assault from above rains death and destruction upon Daedalus 5!

The zone is cleared at the cost of The United Front's own forces. A necessary toll to defend thousands more. The creed of the Kree warriors would likely have it no other way, but the burden of victory will weigh heavily on Richard Rider.

The Hammer...
His order cost The United Front untold casualties, but Nova's tactical decision ensured they won the battle -- and remain in the war. A result more bitter than sweet.

Nova's intervention also meant Drax safely shared in the win from behind their second perimeter. Things looked a little hairy, but Drax did plenty of damage against the seemingly endless hordes of the Annihilation Wave. The cold, warrior's rationale of his council also proved valuable to reaching the difficult decision to end it.

Something that really strikes me about the 2006 cosmic reboot is just how effectively it evokes the feeling of a super-hero space war. A lot of comics profess to be set in war time, but the sense of scale, chaos, and grim reality is particularly effective in Annihilation!

It worked to the event's favour that Marvel's cosmic line had gradually fallen out of grace in the new millennium. It meant even the most popular heroes (or villains) involved had been easy to lose sight of. Whether you were reading the tie-in mini-series, or not, Annihilation #1 provided a jarring jump-start to the chaos.

Those tie-ins were an attractive lure to lapsed, or longing fans. Even casual readers coming of age in the mid-2000s could recognize Silver Surfer, Super-Skrull, Ronan The Accuser, and Nova. Each gave a little extra mystique and star-power to the seemingly risky proposition of an all-out cosmic relaunch.

Cue the obligatory reference to a 2005 Drax mini-series that served as a precursor to Annihilation, while also revamping Drax as the streamlined fighter we saw today. Oft referenced material we'll take a look at one of these days!

The elevation of Nova from staple of the teen New Warriors, to battle-hardened space commander, made him an obvious break-out of Annihilation itself. The on-going series that followed was a no brainer, capitalizing on a fresh new look and feel that made Nova one of the most exciting heroes of the year.

Aspects of the revamp leaned heavily into what DC tried in the nineties with Kyle Rayner, but what it unraveled was far less beloved. It's tough to imagine anyone demanding a H.E.A.T. style rebirth for the spandex and bucket-head days. The new-look Nova paid homage to what came before, but embellished it in ways that made the character a bona fide star character.

It was a lot less obvious that Nova's grizzled right-hand man, the dusted off Starlord, would surpass him as Marvel's premiere cosmic hero! Of course, in Annihilation, it's a very different Peter Quill than the space-bum slacker of the Guardians of the Galaxy movies, comics, and animated series!

Speaking of movies: it looks as if Annihilation might be a small influence on next month's Avengers: Infinity War film! Still no signs of Richard Rider in the cinematic Nova Corps, but it looks like Thanos might be bringing something resembling the Annihilation Wave to Earth! Exactly what Nova fought to avoid!

It wouldn't be too surprising if Annihilation has something to do with the closely guarded Avengers 4, but who knows? The influence of The Infinity Gauntlet is still on the ambiguous side, despite presumptions it would factor heavily into the long awaited arrival of Thanos.

Want to get ahead of the game by reading today's featured fight for yourself? You can check it out in collected edition via the Amazon link provided right! Not only will you get a cosmic deal, but also help support the site at no extra cost!

You can ride the wave to more featured fights like this one by checking out the Secret Archive Index! Every past battle is indexed by publisher, series, and issue number.

For even more recommendations, follow and subscribe via Twitter and Facebook for daily fight links inspired by the topics of the day! A like, share, or retweet is a great way to help support the Secret Wars on Infinite Earths! Or just tell a friend!

Winners: Nova & Drax
#76 (+51) Drax [+2 confirmed kills]
#77 (+51) Nova (Richard Rider) [+2 confirmed kills]

DRAX versus THOR

The God and The Brute (Marvel)
Where: Warlock and The Infinity Watch #21 When: October 1993 Why: Jim Starlin How: Tom Grindberg

The Story So Far...
Across the Earth and beyond; heroes have begun to fall under the spell of a being called The Goddess! She is the expelled good from Adam Warlock manifesting in sentient form, and she's on a crusade to eliminate evil from the universe - by any means necessary!

Among the ranks of The Goddess' religious zombies is the mighty Thor of Asgard! The thunder god's mind is already clouded with madness. He sees enemies where once there were friends, making him one of the most dangerous pieces in the cosmic game!

High above the Earth; the incredible Hulk and Drax the Destroyer confront the mad thunderer. Under other circumstances they could've easily overwhelmed the god, but with Hulk sent hurtling earthbound, it's up to The Destroyer to stand alone against the power of a god gone wild!

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Drax 6 (Invincible)
Intelligence: Thor 4 (Tactician)
Speed: Drax 4 (Olympian)
Stamina: Draw 6 (Generator)
Agility: Draw 2 (Average)
Fighting: Drax 7 (Living Weapon)
Energy: Thor 5 (Lasers)
Total: Thor 32 (Super)

A showdown of super-heavyweights finishes a massive month of cosmic action!

Drax The Destroyer appeared in the Secret Wars on Infinite Earths just a few weeks ago, battling his resurrected arch-nemesis: Thanos!

As human Arthur Douglas, he was killed by The Mad Titan while driving in the desert. His daughter Heather survived, while Arthur's spirit was captured by the Titans Kronos and Mentor, who placed it in a body designed specifically to destroy Thanos! Thus, Drax begins his life's goal to destroy his nemesis!

Drax was gifted phenomenal strength, durability, and endurance in his artificial body, which at the time of today's fight reached hulking proportions. Similar to the classic Hulk, Drax also possessed greatly diminished intelligence. That was partially resolved in the mid-2000s when he was reborn as a leaner, meaner fighting machine with now iconic red markings.

This sleek version of Drax succeeded in fulfilling his life's mission at the worst possible time, killing Thanos in Annihilation #4! It was a kindler, gentler period for The Mad Titan, but none the less an impressive feat!

Thor wasn't exactly himself at the time of today's battle, either.

The god of thunder is fighting in the grip of madness! Upheaval in Asgard has driven him berserk, worsened by the manifestation of The Goddess: An entity created from Adam Warlock's expelled "good", whose holy war against evil has made crazed zealots of an army of the universe's greatest heroes!

Thor's a power player at the best of times, but in his mad state he's a warrior of scant mercy! This is the same Thor we saw destroy Super-Skrull in Thor #465, and similar to the Heroes Reborn version who fought The Avengers with Loki [Avengers #1], and went toe-to-toe with Hulk [Avengers #4]!

The might of Mjolnir and command of lightning gives Thor a unique edge in the fight, but Drax is in possession of the Power Infinity Gem! That means nigh limitless strength, similar to that once supplied to Champion of the Universe!

Drax was made to destroy a "Mad Titan", does that mean he can beat a mad god? Thor's comparable to Drax in so many ways, but feels like he has the edge. Let's drop the speculation and get ourselves some answers!

The Tape: Thor Ranking: Thor (#25)

What Went Down...
A wave of kinetic force ripples through space as titans clash! Even the incredible Hulk watches in awe, drifting helplessly away from a fight that could decide the fate of Earth's stand against The Goddess and her religious zealots!

Drax The Destroyer is a simple being, but he takes his fellow green goliath's words to heart. He must stop "hammer man" Thor! A goal he attacks with unwavering certainty - even as the hammer Mjolnir crashes across his face!

In a state of madness, Thor takes umbrage with the presumed arrogance that fuels Drax's efforts. The dim-witted warrior's confusion only provokes Thor's ire further as he buries his fist in Drax's stomach and sends him hurtling in space!

As his opponent drifts from sight, Thor's troubled mind turns to thoughts of other friends he would now call enemy. His dedication to The Goddess has blinded him in many ways. He hardly notices the shadow looming over him...

Drax returns from the void with a massive purple-gloved fist leading the way!

The Destroyer smashes Thor flat against the space rock that has become their ground. The thunder god marvels at his opponent's phenomenal strength and tenacity - even as Drax rains down against the back of his head with two fists!

Physically powerful in his own right; Thor shrugs Drax off his back and leaps to his feet! He now plans to punish The Destroyer for returning to continue their battle. His old world tongue inspires Drax to attempt to shut him up with a devastating right cross! He follows with a left - but Thor ducks it!

Displaying superior combative finesse, Thor looks to his enchanted hammer to demonstrate another key to victory -- what he calls "mystic guile and strategy"!

When the lightning clears Drax is somehow still standing! He returns "guile" in kind with blasts of energy from his extended fist!

Once again Thor recognizes he faces a uniquely worthy opponent! Undeterred he launches at his new nemesis, who responds in kind in a spectacular collision!

As the two behemoths brawl through space - Thor is visited mentally by Drax's daughter: the telepath Moondragon! Working under the spell of The Goddess she warns Thor he cannot defeat Drax so long as he possesses the Infinity Power Gem. She orders him to abandon the fight, summoning his impressive godly power to The Goddess' cause on distant Earth.

Thor clobbers Drax with a Mjolnir-wielding uppercut - freeing himself to refuse Moondragon's telepathic demand! Torn between his vow to The Goddess and the pledge of righteous combat -- the mad god becomes lost in his own thoughts of Odin and rotating Asgardian rule. Driven deeper to madness he renounces The Goddess -- a choice her representative swears he will come to regret!

Moondragon's threat is soon forgotten as Thor launches himself back toward his stunned opponent! He hurls his enchanted hammer like a missile - momentarily launching Drax through space again!

Thor follows as his foe plummets to the rocky surface below. Identifying the hammer as a deciding factor: Drax instantly recovers and pounds his hulking fists to the ground! The disruption staggers Thor, and Drax catches him with another blow with inter-locked fists! His tactic: to take control of Mjolnir!

Like so many before, Drax tries in vein to lift the hammer. Its enchantment ensures only they who is worthy will succeed, and although Drax fights for the side of good, he is not so fated. Thor allows him his futile chance, before beckoning the hammer to return to its rightful wielder.

Slightly confused and none the wiser, Drax decides he'll just beat Thor with or without the hammer. Their battle resumes, the two charging to one another once again!

Thor breaks the deadlock, toppling Drax with another Mjolnir uppercut! Drax clutches at the space rock as he lands, wrenching a massive boulder he catapults across the battlefield! Thor endures the shattering rock and swings his hammer in a circle above his head to clear the debris!

Drax charges toward the thunderer, but Thor knocks him back with a right hand. Drax returns fire with a right of his own, slamming it into Thor's trunk! He follows it up by driving his knee into the hunched god's vulnerable stomach!

Thor reverses the chain, nailing Drax on the side of the head with his hammer! He pounds Drax again like a smith working steel! They tumble together and Drax turns the tables with a kick. Thor retaliates - burying Mjolnir in Drax's stomach! Even then - The Destroyer doesn't back down!

Seemingly inseparable, the two gladiators break and stare intensely at the other. They have fought hard, but neither seems willing to yield. It may be one of the most intense battles the galaxy has ever played host to, but it will not be decided by weapons or brute strength.

Thor sees something amiss with "Midgard's star". Drax senses the temperate starting to rise. In the distance, Earth's Sun suddenly begins to flare and swell!

Mortal enemies become idle equals as they gaze into the cosmic magnificence of The Sun going nova. Each warrior is helpless as its fire expands to completely engulf them! They disappear in the blinding light!

The Hammer...
If you've ever found yourself wondering who would win in a fight between Drax and Thor - there's good news and bad news. The good news is: you now have an entire issue's worth of empirical evidence to satisfy your curiosity!

The bad news is: Warlock and The Infinity Watch #21 ends with an inconclusive draw brought about by the impending apocalypse. Bummer!

Fortunately, there are twenty pages of all-out super-heavyweight smackdown before the fight ends. An epic showdown worthy of two powerhouses from the Marvel pantheon! There's an ebb and flow, but even in the character moments, the unique style of artist Tom Grindberg gives every panel critical mass!

We featured Grindberg's work from Secret Defenders #10 last week, but didn't really get a chance to dwell on the visuals all that much.

He's a very interesting artist. Divisive, I imagine. Even in the early nineties, I never quite knew how to feel about his unique style. It's so consistently exaggerated - I can't imagine criticizing his anatomy - yet there are times when proportions warp beyond credibility, details fade into insignificance, and bulk blurs into the indistinct and implausible.

Rob Liefeld sometimes cites the influence of Jack Kirby on his work, and it's easy to imagine similar inspiration filtering into Grindberg's pencils. In fact, if I could compare Grindberg to any other artist, it would probably be Mike Mignola -- another self-confessed Kirby acolyte, with slightly more obvious references.

Grindberg is much less inclined toward the square features and gnashing mouths of Kirby characters. When his figures project out of the page, often they're jumping legs first -- unlike Kirby's forward lunging heroes.

In fact, legs may be the most exaggerated part of Grindberg's anatomy, more consistently over-sized than the arms or trunk. When it gets away from him, sometimes you're left humming Fat Bottomed Girls, but it's a rare exception. A single panel from this issue, featuring Moondragon, comes to mind. You'll know it if you see it. Physically large characters typically fare better.

In 1993, they didn't come much bigger than Drax The Destroyer. This is Drax a decade before the 2005 revamp that cut back on bulk, and streamlined his mind. This was a time when Bruce Banner kept his smarts in any shade of green and Drax was more Hulk than Hulk!

In fact, the very first pages of Warlock and The Infinity Watch #21 show the intelligent Hulk drifting away in space, as if seceding to Drax. He had the wherewithal to impress upon Drax the importance of beating Thor, but couldn't find a way to change his trajectory. I guess even Hulk claps need atmosphere.

Hulk was present because of the events of Infinity Crusade, which saw half of the Marvel Universe fall under the spell of The Goddess. That meant a whole lot of oddball pairings of brainwashed heroes fighting heroes. It was a sequel event to The Infinity War, but in the bigger picture, it fits somewhere between the high-concept pitches for 1984's Secret Wars, and 2006's Civil War.

I'm sure we'll endeavor to take a closer look at some of those interesting battles sometime in the future. For now, we commit this entry to the records and look forward to what's ahead!

Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 2 officially hits screens next week (May 5th) and is the inspiration behind this month's crammed card of cosmic collisions! If you see the movie in theatres, you may also catch a preview of Thor: Ragnarok - a sequel that promises to pit Thor against Hulk in a battle not unlike today's!

Want to see the full fight for yourself? Check out the Amazon link provided to pick yourself up a copy. Amazon will support Secret Wars on Infinite Earths at no extra charge if you do -- and you'll be able to bask in that amazing last page!

Still craving more action? Check out links scattered throughout this post (or labels below) to find more featured fights and articles about your favourite heroes!

Dive deeper into the Secret Archive to scan past battles organized by publisher, series, and issue number. Or subscribe on Twitter and Facebook to get daily links to fights inspired by the topics of the day! A like and share also helps a lot!

Winner: Draw (Inconclusive)
#25 (--) Thor
#125 (+15) Drax The Destroyer