BLADE versus GAMBIT

Old Wounds, Fresh Blood! (Marvel)
Where: Gambit #4 When: May 1999
Why: Fabian Nicieza How: Steve Skroce

The Story So Far...
In the darkest shadows of New Orleans operates a network of secretive clans and guilds committed to the arts of murder, thievery, occult ritual, and more.

The Antiquary is a rogue operator within the Thieves Guild whose collection of ancient texts & artefacts is rivaled only by his enslaved children. It is a life Gambit escaped as a boy, but now that a vampire from the Assassin Guild is stalking the organization, he must return to protect a child threatened by both!

Gambit and Blade have both been drawn into the hunt for the vampire assassin Francios Chicault, and will stop at nothing to end his bloody trail, but when the sun is setting over a New Orleans cemetery, it's each other that they'll be fighting!

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Blade 3 (Athlete)
Intelligence: Blade 4 (Tactician)
Speed: Draw 3 (Athlete)
Stamina: Blade 5 (Marathoner)
Agility: Draw 3 (Acrobat)
Fighting: Blade 5 (Martial Artist)
Energy: Gambit 4 (Arsenal)
Total: Blade 26 (Champion)

Blade specializes in stalking the creatures of the night, but occasionally he finds himself crossing metaphorical swords with a different breed of opponent. His line of work doesn't afford many friends, and sometimes the need to shoot first leads to old fashioned cases of mistaken identity!

In Fear #24, Blade stalked future "frenemy" Morbius, confusing the science-based "Living Vampire" with the undead bloodsuckers he typically hunts. Many years later they'd team together as part of the supernatural Midnight Sons.

When Blade was possessed by the Demogorge after reading from the Darkhold, he began a "Midnight Massacre" of friend & foe alike, battling Ghost Rider & Frank Drake, before he temporarily killed Ghost Rider!

No such worry when he found himself face to face with Wolverine, though! This later encounter with an X-Man included a casual impaling, but Wolverine's healing factor kept him in the fight, turning Blade against SHIELD in the process.

Gambit, aka; Remy Lebeau, might not survive a skewering, but he knows the darker side of life well, having been well prepared by a career as a master thief in his years before joining the X-Men.

Gambit's mutant ability to charge inorganic objects with explosive kinetic energy compliments well-honed skills of deception, speed, agility, and staff fighting. A combination that could actually make him a good match-up for Blade!

Gambit's hand-to-hand "physical methods" were demonstrated in his first melee with the X-Men, where a simple fly kick put one of Ahab's Hounds on the backfoot.

His preferred technique of throwing kinetically charged playing cards proved instrumental when the X-Men infiltrated Avalon - even if cards thrown in Magneto's face earned harsh reprisal.

Gambit's playing cards demonstrate a preference for fast, numerous projectiles, but in a rare display of his potential power, Gambit helped the team escape Onslaught by charging an entire floor of a room in the mansion!

Blade has an arsenal of weapons to counter Gambit's mutant abilities and might just edge him out in hand-to-hand fighting skills, but with his most lethal weapons reserved for vampires, this one is anybody's guess!

The Tape: Blade Ranking: Blade (#126)

What Went Down...

The search for vampires across a network of New Orleans cemeteries makes for busy work -- and Gambit finds himself lighting a cigarette as the sun begins to set, still hunting for his target: the elusive Francois Chilcault.

Before he can drag the first hit -- the deathstick is cut with a sharpened blade!

There are worse things out tonight than vampires!

A darkly dressed man in sunglasses leaps between the tombstones, brandishing his katana as Gambit yanks his staff away from the sword's tip, and backflips clear!

As he shadow dances just out of reach, Gambit puts hands on a deck of cards and sends them streaming towards his attacker with a blanket charge of explosions!

Blade keeps low, avoiding the kinetically charged playing cards, and moves in close with his sword leading the way.

Gambit manages to block the weapon with his metal staff and uses it to swing his legs around for a dangerous low sweep kick.

Blade flips into the air and lands flat on his stomach on the cemetery ground!

This might be an escalation in an ordinary fight, but the moments pause lets Gambit do the talking. Blade realises the dark, burning eyes of his target are not those of a creature of the night. They're both on the same side.

The Hammer...

I threw a little bit of shade at our boy Gambit in a previous update, speculating that we'd all moved on after 1997, but with Disney's X-Men '97 animated series taking us right back to those halcyon days, I figure now is as good a time as any to see what the ragin' Cajun was actually doing around that time.

'99/2000 was notably a rare down-period for my comic book reading, which meant I wasn't even aware of a Gambit on-going series that lasted twenty-five issues at the turn of the millennium! That's what ya get for having other interests!

To be honest, I guess I lost sight of what happened to Gambit after around Uncanny X-Men #350, when the revelation of his secret past with Mister Sinister contributed to a parting of the ways with the X-Men. So, after stumbling upon them at a seller I frequented a few years back, I picked up Gambit #4, and a few other issues, with a sense of intrigue and enthusiasm.

It turned out it was a pretty good investment! Not just because of whatever speculator shenanigans are driving up prices now that cartoon-fueled X-Mania is gripping the masses -- but because the Gambit series is kind of right up my alley!

A Blade guest-spot is just one of the thrills giving the series an unexpected sense of buoyancy, with gratuitous appearances by favourites like Sabretooth, Daredevil, Bullseye, and a rogue's gallery of ne'er do wells that prowl the seedier side of the Marvel Universe. Some are more surprising than others, given X-ties and the era.

On that subject of timing; it's almost obligatory to note the frustration of a lack of comic book momentum for Blade after the mainstream success of the 1998 film. I probably would've liked to have known more about this issue of Gambit back then! It's limited in page count for the guest hero -- but kicks the teeth in on the few solo Blade books that came out in the months, and year, prior.

The first few pages of the issue announce Blade's arrival with a cold open worthy of the movies. He jumps his muscle car through a building, with guns blazing at a pistol-packing vampire, who forces him to choose the hunt - or a small child thrown from a window. It plays somewhere between the digital stuntman opener from 2002's Blade II, and the baby chase from Blade: Trinity -- only much cooler!!

A Blade solo series probably could've benefitted from this kind of kineticism and movie-compatible depiction - not to mention a reciprocal guest-spot by somebody as colourful & distinct as Gambit. Steve Skroce as penciller coulda helped, too!

All we actually got in '98 was a flavourless one-shot, and a three-issue snoozefest following Morbius around restaurants & cafes. Blade briefly slipped back into his seventies look in the first scene of the first issue. Baffling choices that showed a reluctance to embrace the slick cool of the Wesley Snipes character, which I argue leveraged the work of the early nineties Midnight Sons period more than its often given credit.

In the past, the insular drama of the Thieves Guild tended to have about as much appeal in Gambit-centric stories as some of the more generic vampire fare found in contemporary Blade efforts -- so it's of benefit to both characters that they're paired up for an otherwise unlikely meeting in New Orleans.

It's mildly surprising they didn't sew New Orleans vampire mythology into the clan rivalry of the Thieves and Assassin Guilds sooner. As I recall, Mutant X made the most of the association, building upon the overlap between Gambit and Storm as former thieves, and Storm's comic book past with Dracula. I suppose there were limited opportunities to do similar in the mainline books.

It's easy to forget Gambit debuted in 1990 and was only approaching his first decade in comics when Gambit (Vol. 3) #4 hit stands. A lot of his past was shrouded in mystery, and this series and issue are still putting pieces into place, including Remy's childhood in slavery as part of The Antiquary's "Collection".

I probably would've enjoyed seeing Blade and Gambit team-up again. The dark corners of "N'orleans" seems a much more natural setting for Blade to branch out into than his subsequent incorporation into the Avengers. It might've even been interesting to see Fabian Nicieza develop a recurring working relationship between the pair, or some kind of agency, but maybe the latter is skewing a little too close to Chief Wiggum PI. A reader poll on the letters page suggests they were looking for more of a people pleaser than high concept push.

I'll happily settle for this curious little encounter. An unlikely showdown that quickly ends in the classic style, as noted, with the realization of mistaken identities & intentions, and a typical superhero team-up that follows.

It could be a lot fun to take a closer look at that battle in a future entry. If you'd like to help make that happen - consider becoming a supporter on Patreon. It's been unfortunately difficult to find time for updates this year, but with your help I can make growing this curious corner of the web a personal priority.

Secret Wars on Infinite Earths has documented & discussed more than 700 featured fights and ranked more than 1,000 characters! You can find them all by diving into the Secret Archive for a complete index of battles in order of publisher, series, and issue.

Follow links throughout each entry to find more content from your favourite characters and subjects. Get free daily links to fights inspired by the topics of the day by subscribing to Twitter! 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 & Discord!

Winner: Inconclusive (Draw)
#125 (+1) Blade
#369 (+4) Gambit

HARDAWAY versus MUTANT LIBERATION FRONT

Liberation Through Subjugation (Marvel)
Where: X-Force #27 When: October 1993
Why: Fabian Nicieza How: Matt Broome

The Story So Far...
Sprung from the Roanoke Maximum Security Federal Penitentiary -- The Mutant Liberation Front has returned to serve the whims of a mysterious new revolutionary called Reignfire!

The first mission under their new leader is a demonstration of power and intent! The United States government has begun development of a new anti-mutant elimination program dubbed Project: Wideawake. The MLF will strike at its heart by kidnapping and assassinating program director Henry Peter Gyrich -- they just need to get to him first!

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Forearm 5 (Super-Human)
Intelligence: Draw 2 (Average)
Speed: Tempo 5 (Super-Human)
Stamina: Forearm 4 (Athlete)
Agility: Hardaway 4 (Gymnast)
Fighting: Moonstar 4 (Trained)
Energy: Locus 5 (Lasers)
Total: Moonstar 20 (Champion)

Basketball fans of the era might remember Golden State's Tim Hardaway for his killer crossover -- but this Hardaway is a golden killer of a very different kind!

He's basically the answer to what if the T-1000 came from the early nineties instead of the future? A prototype cyborg working for Henry Peter Gyrich; he was intended to be the first in a series of mutant-slaying "biosentries" that never eventuated.

Hardaway is fast and agile, despite a bulky torso encumbered by metal housing, and tubes that supply various cybernetic enhancements. He can evade sensory attacks with automated scanners, while shape-shifting liquid metal limbs offer him diverse offensive options including various blades and bludgeoning configurations.

The Mutant Liberation Front are: Wildside, Tempo, Reaper, Forearm, Moonstar, and Locus.

Although he is still human, Hardaway's cybernetics should negate the psychic weapons used primarily by Wildside and Moonstar. Their telepathically induced visions are easily seen through by circuits and electronic sensors.

Forearm might be able to outmuscle Hardaway's enhanced strength, while a well placed swing of Reaper's scythe could potentially cut through very prominent tubing extending from Hardaway's helmet and arms. That could presumably interrupt some of his cybernetic functions.

The real aces in this deck seem to be Tempo and Locus.

Flight and energy blasts give them equal maneuverability and ranged potential, but its their unique mutant powers that are the most compelling.

Tempo's ability to manipulate time in a focused area was usually used for speed and could severely slow Hardaway's processors. If that doesn't work: Locus could simply teleport him somewhere perilous -- or parts of him!

The Tape: Mutant Liberation Front Ranking: Moonstar (#609)

What Went Down...

Wildside mocks the lifeless flesh & bone of the freshly killed security guard he's holding in his hands. Even his own teammates Tempo and Forearm react with scorn, but Reaper would rather his bloodlust be sated by someone other than him.

Forearm is settled by the relief of only finding human security guards standing in their path. He doesn't notice the shadowy figure watching from the treetop above.

Observing from his own vantage point in a surveillance room: Henry Peter Gyrich orders the activation of his prototype killer -- a cyborg called Hardaway!

Hardaway bares his long talon-like claws and leaps into action -- slicing through Forearm's exposed back just as the so-called liberator is remarking on expecting better security.

Reaper is the first to react, but he doesn't even see who hit him!

Hardaway announces himself as the first of an army of biosentries who will end mutant life. His metallic cyborg limbs shift and twist, reshaping themselves into a giant fist and long scythe! Reaper drops, narrowly avoiding the blade's swing!

Tempo activates her temporal flux in an effort to slow the cyborg down, and orders Wildside to attack his senses. Psionic assaults Hardaway can adapt to by switching to machine-controlled cybernetic systems!

His bearings restored: Hardaway extends a liquid-metal arm high into the sky and snares the airborne Tempo with a massive hand! It proves a temporary measure.

The cyborg's metallic skull erupts with energy as a neural arrow suddenly pierces his mind! An attack that signals the arrival of Moonstar and Locus!

The perfect timing saves Tempo from being crushed by the cyborg's discomforting grip.

Hardaway drops face-down on the ground, wracked with the horrifying agony of reliving his wife and son's deaths. The torturous living nightmare of Moonstar's neural weapons!

Locus steps in to end the suffering in the most violent way imaginable.

Hardaway screams a bloodcurdling duet only possible of a being who is both part man and machine, his body and cybernetics sliced in twain as Locus teleports part of him to another location!

The Hammer...
If it seemed like Hardaway might be an exciting new find you'd never heard of -- I'm afraid I have some bad news...

By teleporting the lower half of his body someplace else: Locus ended the "biosentry" program before it ever really started. A textbook one hit wonder who made his first & last appearance in X-Force #27.

I didn't really expect to find myself talking about the Mutant Liberation Front, but Marvel's recently announced X-Men Vote got me enthusiastically rummaging through back issues for something a little bit different.

The fan survey will decide the final member of a new Krakoan Age X-Men team based on the most popular choice from: Banshee, Forge, Polaris, Cannonball, Sunspot, Boom Boom, Marrow, Strong Guy, Armor, and Tempo.

There are a few characters there we haven't featured at the time of this writing, but of all the options on the poll: Tempo ranks as the most unusual.

The image they used is what I presume to be a more recent design. It kinda looks like one of Moonstone's old castoffs - a tight gold helmet with fin. A pale shadow of the joyously absurd buckethead from her original appearances!

My clearest memories of Tempo have always revolved around that helmet. I didn't even fully realise the nature of her powers. It almost seemed to be she could fly and move fast. Like a human bullet. I didn't realise she was manipulating time.

The bullet-like helmet reminds me slightly of the ridiculousness of Juggernaut, but its flat base gives it even more clunky charm.

For a while it seemed like it existed purely to be crumpled. As if every artist was keen to render a human head inside geometrically dented metal. That kind of thing seemed to reoccur in X-Force a lot, but maybe I'm exaggerating.

I wasn't a faithful reader, so it might be coincidence that every time I found an issue accidentally in my possession, it involved one of the MLF -- usually Reaper -- losing a body part. A Liefeldian trope presumably held over from the boyhood trauma of seeing Luke Skywalker's hand severed in The Empire Strikes Back.

By 1993 Rob Liefeld had long since departed for the co-founding of Image Comics, but the first page credits of X-Force #27 promise "AN X-F 911 IYF JAM" that feels very indebted to him.

Even a new creation, like Hardaway, seems like it would be right at home in any Extreme Studios Rob Liefeld series. It kinda smacks of something you might see in Silvestri's CyberForce too, though.

Locus is one of the only other characters in X-Force #27 that hasn't been directly touched by Liefeld. She's another new creation, making her first appearance not only in this issue, but in the fight featured in today's article.

She isn't given any special introductory consideration. She just shows up with Moonstar as if an already established character. That might imply a frivolity to the action and a general indifference to storytelling, but it also speaks to the wild and fast-moving times of the early nineties. It's kind of a nice way to do it. Pair the newbie up with established characters and sort out the detail later.

Locus might not feel particularly Liefeldian as a design or concept, but her abrupt introduction does. The original MLF kinda showed up out of nowhere, too. A late afterthought to an out-of-place Vulture appearance in New Mutants #86.

I kinda like Locus. She's an upgrade from the MLF's previous teleporting transport character - the blank-faced Zero. She also provides a distinguishing flourish for a new era of the MLF: re-formed under the directive of new mastermind Reignfire.

I like the general idea of a "Mutant Liberation Front", but in any of their incarnations they seem to largely function as a stock-standard troupe of sadistic super-villains. The idealism seems lost beneath the carnage and eviscerating, even when their target is a notorious mutant-hater like Gyrich.

At some point in the future we'll return to look more closely at the MLF and their extreme brand of mutant mayhem. With introductions out of the way, we can see how they perform against X-Force themselves!

This unlikely spotlight has brought us racing to the major milestone of ranking our 1000th character! You can see where all of today's players finished a little further down. You can also see more from last year's Countdown to 1000 by becoming a supporter on Patreon!

Secret Wars on Infinite Earths has featured over 650 fights and ranked 1000 comic book combatants! You can become a patron for $1 a month to support the cause and gain access to extra updates and polls. Higher tiers will unlock your choice of custom articles and generally help keep myself and the site infinite.

If you'd like to see more from today's battle you can check out this issue collected in X-Force: Toy Soldiers via the Amazon link provided. By doing so you'll not only get a good deal delivered to your door -- you'll also be supporting the site at no extra cost to you!

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Winners: Locus & Moonstar
#207 (new) Locus [+1 kill]
#358 (+251) Moonstar
#602 (new) Wildside [+1 assist]
#603 (new) Reaper [+1 assist]
#604 (new) Tempo [+1 assist]
#605 (new) Forearm [+1 assist]
#947 (new) Hardaway

DEADPOOL versus CABLE

The Beginning of The End: Part One (Marvel)
Where: New Mutants #98 When: February 1991
Why: Rob Liefeld & Fabian Nicieza How: Rob Liefeld

The Story So Far...
The time-travelling soldier known as Cable has come to the present to guide the development of a young mutant he believes will play a vital role in future events. As a guest of Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters, Cable assumes the role of mentor for their newest mutants, training them in the hard truths of war.

 After working up a sweat training in the Danger Room with Cannonball; Cable retires to the school library where he soon finds himself under attack! You don't get to be a mysterious man of intrigue like Cable without making a few enemies! The mysterious Mr. Tolliver has a vested interest in Cable and he's willing to pay big money to see him hurt! Enter the mercenary killer Deadpool, who has a contract for Cable's head!

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Cable 4 (Enhanced)
Intelligence: Cable 4 (Tactician)
Speed: Deadpool 3 (Athlete)
Stamina: Deadpool 5 (Marathoner)
Agility: Deadpool 4 (Gymnast)
Fighting: Draw 4 (Trained)
Energy: Draw 4 (Arsenal)
Total: Deadpool 26 (Meta-human)

Deadpool Facts:
As featured on card #178 in Marvel Universe Series IV's Famous Battles!

It's one of the great love-hate relationships in comics and it's finally here on Secret Wars on Infinite Earths! The frenemy rivalry begins here with the first appearance of one of Marvel's biggest icons! Welcome back jerks who just click links when a movie tickles their interest. It's show time!

Deadpool is the Merc' with a Mouth who needs no introduction! His services are available to the highest bidder -- at least until a chance meeting with wealthy businessman Edward Lewis! Edward paid to outfit Deadpool with a new uniform, and after taking the mercenary to see La Traviata at the opera, Deadpool falls madly in love with him. DP breaks his "no kissing rule", but the two soon break up, because Edward is not Deadpool's time travelling knight.

That honor belongs to Nathanial Summers - the cyborg from the future called Cable! As the name might suggest, he's the son of Cyclops and Jean Grey, who was dropped off in the distant future to be raised in a time when every child was left behind! You know him as a pocket wearing, giant gun-toting bad ass with a metal arm, but he's also gifted with mutant telekinetic powers he uses to hold his techno-organic virus at bay, and occasionally levitate stuff and bend spoons!

Cable's from the far flung future, so it kinda makes sense our file on him isn't huge. We know he's got the goods to beat-up a turkey at short notice. We saw him team with Captain America in an accidental dimension jump, taking down MODOK & AIM in Captain America (Vol.2) #6! He also grappled with his nemesis from the future, Ahab, in X-Men Annual #14. Emotions got the better of Cable in that fight and he was outwitted by the powerful cyborg!

Of course, Deadpool's no slouch when it comes to taking down cyborgs! Smarts helped him overcome arch-nemesis Ajax in a raw final showdown [in Deadpool #19]! He also punked out the well kitted Taskmaster not once - but twice [Deadpool #2, Cable & Deadpool #36]! Who looks foolish now?! Well...

We've also seen Punisher use his arsenal of tricks to flash fry Deadpool in the mini-series Deadpool: Suicide Kings #2! His best efforts didn't leave a scratch on Juggernaut back in Deadpool: Sins of the Past #2! And everybody looks just a little stupid beating up Batroc The Leaper in a hotel room [Deadpool #20].

We know fighters with healing factors are always prone to a beat down, but when Deadpool's all-business he's a legitimately deadly mercenary. With guns, swords, speed and agility focused on the objective - can take on the Hulk and live to tell about it [Deadpool #4]! Mr. Lewis Mr. Tolliver doesn't like to be kept waiting. Let's just see who takes the famous first fight!

The Tape: Deadpool Ranking: Deadpool (#20)

What Went Down...
Xavier's School for Gift Youngsters, Westchester, 14:51. Cable retreats to the library for some light reading. He swears he's just interested in the articles, but we dig. Without warning -- the "bwompoom" of unexpected teleportation!

Cable falls flat on his ass as he's confronted with the arrival of Deadpool! The merc's been hired by the elusive Mr. Tolliver. Seems he wants Cable found - and killed! Cable says it's no hard feelings, but y'know. Mr. "Articles" over here.

Deadpool draws his gun and sends regards from his employer. Cable and Tollivar don't see their history the same way, but it hardly matters. Deadpool's ready to shoot -- if only Cannonball didn't swoop in from behind for the save!

Apparently the kid's head of the class when it comes to keep his mutant rocket powers running silent. Too bad for him Deadpool's well prepared, tossing a neural disrupted net that wraps Cannonball up nice, tight, and incapacitated!

Cannonball hits the deck hard -- but not as hard as Cable hits when he takes advantage of the distraction and smacks Deadpool in the face! He throws a second punch with his cyborg arm, scoring a "krak" from the impact!

Seems Deadpool's jaw broke, but he keeps the chatter coming. He throws a fancy free quip and a dagger that buries itself in Cable's leg. Ouchy!

Cable goes down and Deadpool once again moves in for the kill - only to be interrupted by one of those meddling kids and their stupid mutant power! This time it's Rictor, who sends a tremor right through the mercenary's path!

DP keeps his feet and identifies three junior targets: Rictor, Sunspot, and Boom Boom. All students at Xavier's school who've fallen under Cable's bad influence.

Knowing his enemies, Deadpool neutralizes Rictor's unpredictable vibration powers first with wires designed to contract the more he tries to shake them off!

Hothead Sunspot is next by request, but Deadpool's counting on the kid's arrogance to leave him wide open. Super-strength isn't always the solution, he says, espousing the virtues of finesse and subtlety as he draws three blades -- only to suddenly succumb to three in his own back!

It seems Cable put a call into an old acquaintance goes by the name of Domino. She's new in these parts, but arrived right on time - just like always. Oh, yeah. Just one catch: She ain't the real Domino. Not so lucky after all, Cable.

The Hammer...
It was a fight that had it all! Guns! Action! Youthful disobedience! Futuristic tactical weaponry! Action movie dialogue! Feet!

One thing it didn't have is Domino! The woman who sure could win the lookalike contest is actually shape-shifting mercenary Copycat! It turns out Mister Tolliver hired her to infiltrate Cable's mutant cadre to spy on him, in what was apparently a needlessly complicated double-bluff that involved knifing Deadpool in the back.

Worse still: Copycat is Vanessa Carlysle -- Deadpool's former girlfriend who he broke up with when he found out he had cancer!

I guess it's a story as old as time: Boy meets girl. Boy gets cancer and loses girl. Boy survives cancer via hideously disfiguring, life-altering experiments. Boy becomes mutant mercenary. Girl becomes mutant mercenary. Girl stabs boy repeatedly in the back. It's young love and we've all been there!

If you're one of those jerks who only reads about comics to pretend to your friends you know all about the characters in movies, you know a version of Copycat portrayed by Morena Baccarin. You're about to know Domino better, too, because Deadpool 2 is bigger, badder, and in theatres May 18th!

She isn't exactly comic book Domino either, but who really is? Well, the real Domino is, obviously... She eventually showed up for realsies a year later in X-Force #8. She became a recurring character in that book, developing into a far more integral part of X-lore than Copycat. That's called living well and finding success, which is really the best form of revenge.

If you really had your heart set on seeing Domino in action, I can offer you Contest of Champions II #1, where she kicked Iron Man in the head. If you stick around, we might have something fun coming up next week, too. I dunno! I don't have magical mutant luck powers! [Note: Domino does].

We've kind of buried the lede here, because if you've heard of New Mutants #98, it's undoubtedly because it's the first appearance of Deadpool!

Not exactly the fourth-wall breaking, madcap mercenary he'll become, but the groundwork of an interesting character is quickly laid. Liefeld leads with a strong visual distinct from some of his other characters. The story goes he wanted to draw a gun-toting, edgy kinda Spider-man. It doesn't sound like a great pitch, but it works! There's a simple cool factor to the design, and introductory fight that sets the table for what we know comes in the years that follow!

It might've been even better if the Copycat/Domino plot wasn't heaped on as well, but he had the better of Cable throughout, and that created intrigue. The layouts get a little sketchy, and story always seems to be vague and chaotic when Liefeld's around.

My previously established childhood bias against kid-heroes kept me pretty well away from New Mutants and X-Force, but Deadpool caught my eye like a lot of others! There was just something there. It was X-Men, iconic super-heroes, with something a little bit different. Once the Weapon X connection was established, that sure couldn't have hurt, either.

Today, I'd equate the added flavor to Larry Hama's GI Joe, or Ostrander's Suicide Squad. Vivid, cool looking characters with key weaponry, skills and objectives, entering into a world that completes them. It can fly off the rails pretty easily, and in the X-books it often did, but when it's good it's great!

As always - you can get a better impression of what I'm talking about by checking out the story for yourself! Shopping via the Amazon link provided will get you a fine collected edition - and support the site at no extra cost to you!

Dive into the Secret Archive to uncover more fights like this one, or follow links scattered throughout this post. You never know what you'll find! You can also follow Secret Wars on Infinite Earths on Twitter and Facebook for daily links to fights inspired by the topics of the day!

Fans of the Fight Club Rankings can look below to feast of fresh controversy! For her obvious role in finishing the battle, Copycat collects the win stat. Cable and the intervening New Mutants will all pick up assists -- even Sunspot and Boom Boom, who did technically provide the distraction that set Deadpool up to get knifed!

Winner(s): Copycat (w/ Cable, Cannonball & Rictor)
#311 (new) Copycat (aka; Domino)
#20 (--) Deadpool
#107 (+4) Cable [+1 assist]
#139 (+2) Boom Boom [+1 assist]
#143 (+19) Sunspot [+1 assist]
#318 (+5) Cannonball [+1 assist]
#533 (new) Rictor [+1 assist]

SECRET AVENGERS versus BARON ZEMO

Swimming With Sharks (Marvel)
Where: Thunderbolts #105 When: October 2006
Why: Fabian Nicieza How: Tom Grummett

The Story So Far...
Concepts of law and justice are challenged when the US Government initiates a program called the Superhuman Registration Act. It comes as a response to the death of hundreds of civilians as a result of reckless heroics outside of a Connecticut school.

In their zeal to control super-humans of all persuasions, the government forms a pact with known super-criminal Baron Helmut Zemo. As leader of the once duplicitous Thunderbolts; Zemo is sanctioned with the task of capturing super-criminals for incarceration in Prison 42: an inescapable Negative Zone facility designed by Reed Richards.

Although Baron Zemo and his Thunderbolts comply, the one-time villain draws his own plans to deal with the onset of superhero civil war - and a coming contest with The Grandmaster! Seemingly on the path to being a better man, he reaches out to Captain America's renegade Secret Avengers with an offer of allegiance. An olive branch they aren't as ready to accept as the government.

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Hercules 6 (Invincible)
Intelligence: Baron Zemo 4 (Tactician)
Speed: Captain America 4 (Olympian)
Stamina: Hercules 5 (Marathoner)
Agility: Iron Fist 4 (Gymnast)
Fighting: Iron Fist 6 (Warrior)
Energy: Iron Fist 3 (Explosives)


The Secret Avengers are: Captain America, Falcon, Hercules and Daredevil, with Redwing.

An interesting time in Marvel Comics history. 2006 was all about Civil War, but there were a lot of intertwining and far reaching effects you could be forgiven for forgetting, or missing completely. We'll touch on a couple of them today.

The Secret Avengers began as heroes operating in defiance of the government's Superhuman Registration Act. They're led by principled hero Captain America, who stands opposed to the cataloguing of peoples, and federal intrusions upon civil liberty. Siding with Cap's rebel stance is an eclectic early line-up that includes: Luke Cage, Cable, Vision, Cloak & Dagger, The Young Avengers, and the membership featured today! We saw them all in action together during the first big stand-off with Iron Man's pro-registration team in Civil War #3.

One of the interesting quirks of the period is Daredevil: a Secret Avenger in name and costume only! Matt Murdock (Daredevil) wasn't far removed from declaring himself Kingpin of Hell's Kitchen and grappling with issues of exposure and opposition. He was incarcerated in prison at the time - leading "Iron Fist" Danny Rand to assume the mantle in his absence. He joined the superhero civil war in his borrowed identity - even though he'd taken up the devil horns without Murdock's foreknowing [see; Daredevil #87]!

Baron Zemo represents a legacy of evil as the son of Baron Heinrich Zemo: a German scientist working for the Nazi Party during World War II. In the modern era, Helmut Zemo inherited his father's fortune, intellect, and hatred for Captain America. He adopted the purple masked mantle after his face was hideously scarred in battle with the returned hero, but it isn't the only mask he's worn.

When Earth's mightiest heroes were trapped in the Heroes Reborn pocket universe, Zemo became Citizen V - leader of a cadre of villains masquerading as a new generation of heroes called The Thunderbolts! It's in this capacity he's been most featured here on The Comic Book Fight Club, leading his T-bolts to victories over heavy duty opponents: Hulk [Incredible Hulk #449] and The Wrecking Crew [Thunderbolts #1]!

Against the Secret Avengers, Zemo doesn't have a team to do his fighting for him. He has had plenty of time to prepare and strategize, however. As an accomplished swordsman he can handle himself in combat, but his greatest weapons are his former teammate's Moonstones. The alien artefacts grant Zemo mastery over a range of physics principles, including gravity, time and space, as well as more standard energy projection.

Zemo directed Hercules into a coma during The Masters of Evil's infamous siege of Avengers Mansion. His history with Cap and Falcon is extensive and well documented. Iron Fist is the only hero present without serious baggage, but he's more than capable of handing a whooping to the mastermind villain if the other heroes are on board. Everything about the scenario says an Avengers win, but you can never completely count out a villain like Zemo.

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

What Went Down...

The Avengers are none too pleased when confronted with the visage of one of their deadliest enemies. Iron Fist is the first to leap into action, nimbly avoiding the thrust of Baron Zemo's sword. Hercules closes in behind the villain, bellowing a warrior's insults for his hated foe. It does him no good!

Zemo uses the power of the Moonstones to suspend the attacking demi-god and replacement hero helplessly in mid-air! While they're there, he pleads his case to Falcon and Captain America -- submitting their vulnerability as an example of the purity of his intentions. His example of hypothetical quantum dissections does little to persuade the sentinels of liberty.

Falcon beckons for his avian ally: Redwing! "The bird" the Baron had almost forgot swoops down to snatch the levitating Moonstones -- leaving him vulnerable to a two-prong attack from the legendary duo!

Falcon leaps into the air - while Cap tosses his shield in the direction of Baron Zemo's sword. The expertly targeted trajectory leaves Zemo forcibly disarmed and open to an aerial assault!

Falcon delivers a torpedo-like right hand that would knock any ordinary man into next week! Apparently the Baron has been working on his glass jaw -- as well as controlling the Moonstones without being physically linked to them!

Energy crackles around Redwing before the soaring falcon disappears -- leaving only the glowing stones! Emotionally and telepathically linked with his bird - the man Sam Wilson is incensed!

Cap holds his friend back from doing anything rash, while the benevolent Baron restores the bird at Falcon's side -- before sending them both through a "gravimetric phase shift" along with Iron Fist and Hercules!

Captain America quizzes his old nemesis on whether or not his methods are fatal. "A fate worse than that. I sent them to Bayonne, New Jersey."

Using the power of the Moonstones once more, Zemo manipulates the mass of Captain America's greatest tool - his red, white and blue shield! The force of its gravity drags Cap down to one knee.

The Captain untethers himself from the shield's straps and leverages his position into swinging his right leg around for a devastating kick! It finds nothing but air as the target once again uses the Moonstones, this time to render himself completely intangible - a mere ghost: "I am quite done being hit, thank you."

The stones' energy surrounds Captain America and the arrogant Baron tosses his old foe against a nearby brick wall. The twelfth generation Barons' idea of parental discipline, apparently.

Holding his foe in cosmic bondage without hope of recourse - Baron Zemo speaks his mind. He repeats his goal to forge a truce with the hunted hero. He declares a change in character for the notorious Zemo lineage. A desire to do right - even as the definition of the word changes around a civil war of heroes.

Zemo releases his would-be ally from his hold, and Captain America listens...

The Hammer...

The last two masked men standing may have reached a peaceful resolution, but for the purposes of combative notation we declare Baron Zemo the victor! He not only dealt with the attacks of the other heroes, but also worked to pacify Captain America.

As you may know, Baron Zemo appears as one of the mastermind villains lurking behind Captain America: Civil War. If you're just joining us after seeing the movie in theatres, I hope you've enjoyed getting a taste of the comic book version. Baron Zemo likes to talk about being superior, and I tend to think it's the comics version(s) that fit that description.

The movie is notably getting rave reviews, but many elements arrive without the teeth of their source material. The "Civil War" high-concept proves far more mild in the movie. Methods leave the heroes untarnished enough to continue to lead uncomplicated, mainstream movie franchises that are presently too small to really pull off an all-out war. Iron Man and Captain America are alive and able to reconcile. Instead, Baron Zemo ascends as the villain of the piece to clarify exactly why this is a Captain America sequel.

Civil War had its detractors when it was published in 2006, and I suspect there are even more who resent its legacy as the top selling event that Marvel Comics has been trying to emulate ever since.

I tend to remember Civil War fondly, not only for its effective central concept, but for the many tendrils that extended in other series. Fans have been complaining about inter-connected crossovers for the better part of the last twenty years, but Civil War seemed to thrive on its central premise, inspiring a plethora of off-shoots for readers to pick 'n' mix. Thunderbolts was a series ready and waiting to capitalize on the premise.

If you tried to wrangle the monster of every conceivable Civil War tie-in - more power to you! I think most were best served by finding the branches that interested them the most, and pursuing them outward from the central event, which, admittedly, ran a bit lean at times.

Secret Invasion was as a pretty tedious follow-up, but the Dark Reign of Norman Osborn that followed re-connected the pieces of instability put in place by Civil War well. It was key to a great year in Marvel Comics! A lot of fun with screen potential!

Of course, the fun of Dark Reign depended on your tolerance for indulging the temporary success of super-villains. I rather enjoyed today's feature fight for that very reason. I don't harbor dark designs of tyranny or sympathy for any devils. It's just an interesting break in the formulaic expectation of heroes winning. A necessary exercise in credibility when your villains have to keep coming back month over month, year over year. Marvel have some of my favourite villains in that respect, but the movies leave a lot to be desired.

Marvel's cinematic dominance highlights some of the unique cultural differences between pulp savvy comics and blockbuster movies. A glaring omission from the film universe has been Nazi Germany. It was at its most absurd in 2011's period introduction - Captain America: The First Avenger. In that episode, World War II managed to lose the looming menace of its major villains. They even stripped the Red Skull of his explicit Nazi persuasions in favor of creating the oblique evils of Hydra that continue in Marvel film and TV.

For the uninitiated, it can seem a little strange to lament the absence of Nazis - arguably modern history's worst villains. It all boils down to the significance of the 1940s and World War II to the timeline of American comic book publication.

Mandrake the Magician and The Phantom began the evolution of pulp and radio mystery men into comic book superheroes in the mid-thirties. Superman and Batman kick off the Golden Age of superheroes by the time war is breaking out in Europe. Major superhero identities flourish from there, joining the war effort in many cases, and establishing the idea for future generations to mine the time further. By the seventies and eighties, Nazis were perennial whipping boys. Villains for all time to be racked, stacked, and whacked by every hero fighting for truth and justice - no questions asked!

Given Baron Zemo's flirtations with redemption in the comic books, it's probably not such a bad idea to disconnect the son from his WWII Nazi father. I'd think a film version of The Masters of Evil is probably more likely than a Thunderbolts movie appearance, but with General Ross taking a bigger role, you never know.

I do know I'm very disappointed to see another classic Marvel character arrive on screen without their iconic visual. Marvel in general have been pretty guilty of continuing Hollywood's long, confused tradition of fearing superhero design. The Captain America films, in particular, have struggled to come to terms with visually striking characters. Red Skull awkwardly hid his true face behind a Hugo Weaving mask for much of the first film, while Batroc could only wear his shirt in the second, and Crossbones got a dorky home-made paintball version of his straight-forward comics look. Zemo was out of luck. No purple mask for you!

There'll be a whole lot more masks and costumes in our future as we continue to wage Secret Wars on Infinite Earths!

Soak up more Civil War influences with Old Comics Wednesday spotlights on Captain America and Spidey Team-Ups! Or find even more famous fights and curious callbacks via the Secret Archive!

Support the site and get the full story by using Amazon purchase links provided [right]!

Winner: Baron Zemo

#7 (--) Captain America

#40 (--) Iron Fist

#101 (+224) Baron Zemo

#340 (-14) Hercules

#777 (new) Redwing

#803 (-23) Falcon

X-MEN versus THE EXECUTIONER
For Better and For Worse! (Marvel comics)
Where: Marvel: Heroes & Legends #1 When: October 1996
Why: Stan Lee & Fabian Nicieza How: Marie Severin

The story so far...
Reed Richards and Susan Storm have finally decided to tie the knot, but damned if the dreaded Dr. Doom will allow a peaceful day for the wedding of his mortal nemesis!

Better known to the world as Mr. Fanatstic and Invisible Woman, they find themselves beseiged by the greatest villains of their past on what should have been the happiest day of their lives!

Lucky for them, friends of both bride and groom are there to help protect the innocent from the menace of Dr. Doom's orchestrated mass attacks!
One such force providing aid is the magnificent mutants of Professor Charles Xavier's school for gifted youngsters! Good thing too, because the citizens of Manhattan need their help!

Previous Form:
Beast (#31): Crucial in X-Men victories over Xorn and Lizard.
Cyclops (#87): Mixed results as team leader of the X-Men.
Angel (#88): Helped talk Ghost Rider down, after getting badly defeated.
The X-Men [#1]: Victories over Wolverine, Nimrod, Magneto, Xorn & The Lizard.
The Executioner: Skurge has not yet been featured on the site.

Tale of the tape...
Strength: Executioner 6 (Invincible)
Intelligence: Beast 6 (Genius)
Speed: Beast 4 (Olympian)
Stamina: Executioner 6 (Generator)
Agility: Iceman 7 (Unlimited)
Fighting Ability: Executioner 7 (Born Fighter)
Energy Powers: Cyclops 5 (Lasers)


It wasn't long ago that we established the standard for these wacky inter-character match-ups with the X-Men fighting the Lizard [X-Men: First Class #2]. I think it's safe to say this entire book resets that standard, and here's a great example of a villain and heroes you never expected to see together!

Actually, the X-Men aren't complete strangers to Asgard, but we'll at least assume at this point in their careers, (the story being set in the sixties), they haven't had a great deal of experience with much of anything.

As far as big bads go, Skurge; aka The Executioner, isn't someone you want to bump into in a poorly lit alley! Asgard is well known for it's warrior bruisers, but Executioner has always been just a little stronger, and a bit more durable than your average Asgardian. Not to mention how he puts that brawn to use, possessing a powerful axe with various unique abilities, including projecting fire and ice!

Ice? Well, the X-Men's Iceman can handle that, no problem.
The rest? Well, even with a big brain like Beast or a steady leader like Cyclops, that's a tall order! Sure, Sentinels pack a punch, but they aren't gods!

Like so many brain-V-brawn battles we've seen before, this one will probably come down to smarts. The X-Men need to maneuver themselves into finding some way of incapacitating Executioner, and for my money you'd have to be consider some sort of multi-pronged physical assault, that would provide sufficient diversion for the ol' telepathic attack.

Executioner hasn't come this far to go down like a punk, though.
There's every chance he's going to be able to resist the plucking of mental chords by Marvel Girl, Jean Grey, but next to all the other options...? Go with it!

The Math: X-Men (Total) The Executioner (Average)
The Pick: The Executioner

What went down...
Already on the streets tending to the overflow of villainy, the X-Men are in prime position when The Executioner shows up on the scene!

Apparently well versed in human-mutant relations, the Executioner is well aware that victory could very well provide the guise of a hero, being that mutants are so feared and despised!

The Beast, doing the most to engage the menace, narrowly avoids a swipe from the double-edged battleaxe, and a timely wall of ice provided by Iceman stems further assault from the Asgardian goliath.

While the Executioner extracts his powerful axe from the ice, the Angel swings around in the sky to make himself useful (for a change)!

The surprise of the lift knocks Skurge's helmet from his head, and leaves his axe lodged in the street below, having dropped it as his arms were hoisted from underneath him.

Airborne, the Executioner struggles with his fate, while the Angel playfully mocks him.

Continuing to struggle against the far weaker Angel, Executioner's requests for an early release become all too feasible.

With a cunning smile Warren Worthington III lets loose his grip, and leaves the Executioner to plummet several stories Earthward.

Though the Asgardian rightly touts his ability to survive such a fall with ease, he doesn't anticipate the sure teamwork behind the X-Men's maneuvers.

Executioner's landing atop a parked car reduces it to scrap metal, making it the perfect fodder for Marvel Girl! Using her powerful telekinesis, she contorts a lamp post around the car, wrapping Executioner up like a gift for super-authorities.

Celebrations are short-lived as another looming threat interrupts the glow of victory. Though few are there to witness their deeds, one boy walks away a convert -- X-Men fan forevermore! Yeah, go team!

The hammer...
Despite the overwhelming odds (and potential short term nature of their job), the X-Men emerge victorious! Full stats to the whole team, even though Cyclops appears completely uninvolved!

The ranking stats are one of the fun little features of this particularly website, but it strikes me that as much as we talk about the dominance of Spider-man and Batman, the team stats get completely overlooked! If I wasn't thinking about it now, I'm not sure I ever would've imagined the X-Men were such an indomitable force. Which is silly, when I realy think about it... Huh, wacky!

So, with the relaxed schedule for July, I'm now one update away from being officially caught up on updates! Yay! If you missed the lo down in the Punch-Up, you won't know that I could potentially still fall behind as I continue the constant of Ultimate Alliance Mondays, but for the most part, it should be smooth sailing for a little while!

So, I'm generally not a big fan of revised versions of stories, or even reprints on the whole. I'm by no means an obsessive collector, but I just struggle to appreciate things that aren't in their original form. Still, with a site like this, you start to look at the material more than the nature of the beast.

This is the second time we've reviewed this issue, the first being the Grey Gargoyle entry for MUA Mondays. It's a comic positively made for this site, featuring villains from Batroc the Leaper, down to the Unicorn. It really is a smorgasboard of mini-fights, all leading up to one big mega-splash page.

I don't know about this month, but at some stage I'd like to sit down and do a DC vs Marvel style recap for the rest of the action. It just seems wrong not to appreciate things like the Batroc/Cyclops result just prior to the battle featured here, along with all the other fixes of varying lengths.

In the nearest future, I'm simmering gently with a range of prospects for July entries. I couldn't narrow it down, but I'd like to bring it back to some solid one-on-one fights. I really couldn't say, but it'll be fun finding out. Stay tuned!

The Fight: 3.5 The Issue: 6
NEXT WEEK: Who can put a stop to the menace of Ultron?!