GORILLA GRODD versus THE FLASH TRIO

Beyond The Super-Speed Barrier! (DC)
Where: DC Special Series #11 When: 1978
Why: Cary Bates How: Alex Saviuk

The Story So Far...
An ordinary night in the lives of three civilians becomes a bizarre mystery as each is summoned to don their identities as The Flash and Kid Flash of two worlds -- and race to meet in a single, solitary location on an Earth-1 hillside.

Compelled to run at blistering speeds against their will, the speedsters discover themselves confronted by a shocking force capable of bending their very impulses. Though believed executed for his crimes in Gorilla City: Super-Gorilla Grodd lives!

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Gorilla Grodd 5 (Super-Human)
Intelligence: Barry Allen 5 (Professor)
Speed: Barry Allen 7 (Lightspeed)
Stamina: Barry Allen 6 (Generator)
Agility: Gorilla Grodd 4 (Gymnast)
Fighting: Draw 3 (Street Wise)
Energy: Gorilla Grodd 2 (Projectile)
Total: Gorilla Grodd 28 (Metahuman)

Gorilla Grodd is the big-brained super-ape with super-primate strength, stamina, and durability, with telepathic powers to take it to the next level, but if he's so smart -- why is he challenging three generations of The Flash?!

Barry Allen is the frontrunner of the trio as the fastest man alive and arch-nemesis to Grodd. Thwarting the Anti-Monitor's attack on reality robbed Allen of decades of print, but his eventual rebirth brought him racing back to the present day to reaffirm his dominance over the Speed Force!

During Allen's lost years it was Kid Flash who assumed the mantle of the "Scarlet Speedster". Wally West established a connection with the speed force like no other Flash before him. This is our first time visiting his junior years, but his later exploits have included outpacing Marvel's Quicksilver, and teaming with Barry to stop the sprint of the Lady Flash.

Jay Garrick is the one and only "golden age" Flash who started it all! He might not hit the top speeds of his younger counterparts, but that never stopped him fighting the good fight against the monstrous Morgauth, villainous Reverse-Flash, or resourceful Rag Doll!

All three can run rings around Gorilla Grodd, so the question is: How can Grodd counter-act a triple threat of super-speed? Well, there are a couple of ways...

Numbers actually might work against the Flash trio if Grodd can use his mental powers to turn one or more against each other. This mind-controlling technique was on full display when he marshalled the Ultramarine Corps against Wally and the Justice League in JLA: Classified #3!

The Flash may be able to think fast on his feet, but we saw Barry Allen succumb to this very type of subterfuge when the Black Lantern Martian Manhunter telepathically tricked him into targeting the Green Lantern!

When mind games fail, Grodd can always use more direct means to turn enemies into allies. His quest for gorilla dominance has seen him use many methods to turn the populace into likeminded primates, as he did in Supergirl #3 with a mystical talisman.

The Tape: Flash Team-Up Ranking: Barry Allen (#20)

What Went Down...

Puzzled by a mysterious, irresistible force that compelled Barry Allen and Kid Flash to run backwards to their destination -- and bring Jay Garrick spinning from Earth-2 -- the trio is equally shocked to learn the source: Super-Gorilla Grodd!

Knowing Grodd by reputation -- Garrick doesn't miss a beat joining Kid Flash in a two-pronged attack that sees the two racing to grab one of the super-gorilla's arms and spin him at super-human speeds!

The attack does the trick, but as Grodd falls flat on his face, Barry Allen informs his friends that he learned from Solovar himself that Gorilla Grodd was executed in Gorilla City by inter-dimensional molecular dispersal!

As Garrick checks on the motionless Gorilla, he makes the grim discovery that the ape before them is indeed dead.

The Flash knows his allies couldn't have inflicted lethal force, and a booming disembodied voice confirms the truth. The ape before them was in fact Jroyy -- an agent killed with "mind-power" for outliving his usefulness.

Suddenly the voice comes from the mouth of Kid Flash as his face twists into a sinister, contorted parody of a grin, and he taunts The Flash with the mystery: "What has become of your detective abilities, Flash? You should have deduced who I am by this time!"

The Scarlet Speedster quickly recognises the voice to be Grodd's -- even as it suddenly springs forth from the mouth of Jay Garrick!

The Golden Age Flash becomes the vessel from which Grodd reveals that the only thing that could penetrate the dimensional barrier that trapped his atoms was precise super-speed! Thus, Jroyy orchestrated events that would take each of the three speedsters unwittingly to the correct vibrational frequency.

Speaking through Barry Allen; Grodd describes the billions of his atoms that clung to each of his foes as they passed through his dark domain. Then in a single terrible instant -- Super-Gorilla Grodd returns!

Freed from Grodd's molecular influence -- the trio of Flashes race away from the reassembled villain to regroup. Quickly gaining ground, they turn back to make a bee-line towards the scheming simian.

Once again its the eldest & youngest speedsters who reach their target first, but neither of them could've imagined that Grodd would've gained his own temporary super-speed as a result of piggybacking on their molecules!

A rapid swatting of his hand allows Grodd to stop the charging Kid Flash in his tracks, before effortlessly side-stepping the Golden Age Flash, turning his momentum against him with a simple super-fast toss into a nearby tree!

Earth-1 Flash closes in at high-speeds, digging his heel into the ground to launch a blanket of rocks at the Super-Gorilla!

Alas, Grodd's temporary super-speed and powerful mind-powers allow him to face the spray of rocks with impunity -- telekinetically hurling them at The Flash!

With no speed advantage and nowhere to run -- Flash has no choice but to spin on the spot, using his incredible momentum to deflect the incoming projectiles.

Kid Flash attempts to take advantage of the distraction, rushing Grodd from behind with a flurry of hammer-fists -- while Jay Garrick recovers to dive straight at the villain with a flying kick!

Seeing it coming -- the Super-Gorilla vibrates himself at fast enough speeds to achieve molecular intangibility and leave the two Flashes colliding into each other!

The Flash takes a page out of his sidekick's book, using the distraction to dive onto Grodd's back and start stomping at high speed!

For a moment it seems the gorilla is capitulating, but he soon sends The Flash flying into the dirt with a speedy back kick!

With the Flash trio on the ropes, and mere seconds of residual super-speed at his command, Grodd hops to his feet and begins racing across the battlefield in preparation for delivering a single finishing blast of mind-power!

Grodd's gloating of superiority unwittingly inspires a new tactic in Barry Allen, who turns his sprint towards his allies -- running at such phenomenal speed as to collect their atoms in a confusing blur of three speedsters!

For an uncanny moment the three Flashes are merged as one -- allowing The Flash of Earth-1 to pilot their combined speed into a single powerful punch! A mighty knock-out blow even Super-Gorilla Grodd cannot withstand!

The Hammer...

A gloriously bizarre end for a mildly unusual episode.

The Flash takes the team-up to its most literal conclusion -- combining powers & bodies to wholly share the victory with Kid Flash and Jay Garrick!

It's not a trick I remember The Flash pulling very often, which might be why I'm not completely disgusted by it.

I get a little crankier about the on-going trend of superheroes switching powers and identities these days. Today we have to endure entire years of this type of distracted nonsense, but in this story, it's a quick little gimmick, using the established trope of The Flash manipulating his molecules at high speeds to perform weird & wild feats. A colourful end to a fun plot.

A more modern take on the story would probably see the speedsters creating a slipstream to slingshot the fastest of the trio towards their target. A less mind-bending version of sharing speed, but hey. Let's just chalk it up to Speed Force.

Back then they didn't have a catchy name for the extra-dimensional super-normal phenomena that informs The Flash's incredible abilities, but its intuitive invention is here on display in 1978. If Gorilla Grodd's dispersed atoms weren't imprisoned in the Speed Force dimension itself, similar concepts aided in freeing him.

The story of Grodd's temporary death runs throughout the issue. Not to be confused with the classic 80-Page Giant series; DC Special Series #11 never the less uses the 80-page format to tell a value-packed one dollar story, comprised of six or so chapters, each an episode in the lives of the three Flashes featured.

Solovar oversees the execution of the criminal super-gorilla in the opening story, setting up the thrilling main event featured today, after each Flash is run through their paces by various opponents, with covert interference from Jroyy.

If you think opening with Grodd in what amounts to an electric chair death scene is grisly, wait until you see Kid Flash chasing his girlfriend Leslie on an out-of-control motorcycle that goes so fast -- her body bursts into flames! Reducing her to a skeleton! It's just an illusion cooked up by Jroyy, but geez! That's a bad date!

Irv Novick, Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez, and Kurt Schaffenberger handle pencils on the other chapters, all written by Cary Bates, but our featured installment boasts a 26 year old Alex Saviuk, with inks by Joe Giella. A nice look into the early work of what would become a favourite Spider-Man artist in later years, both on the mainline books, and the aesthetically memorable Spider-Man Adventures.

Saviuk's action is pretty solid and the Amalgam-style mash-up design of the three merged speedsters is amusing enough. For the time, and circumstances, it's fun to see Grodd grifting some residual super-speed for his latest clash with his arch-nemesis, even if the real enjoyment comes from Flash facing off against opponents who challenge him in ways other than his own powers of speed.

Yes, I'm taking another swipe at contemporary storytelling, where if The Flash isn't being sucked into time travel and multiverse shenanigans, he seems to be stuck in the quagmire of everything being coloured by speed. TV seemed to be particularly guilty of this. I'm glad to look back at one of his other classic foes.

If you enjoyed this article and would like to see more of The Flash's famous rogues gallery -- consider becoming a supporter on Patreon. As a thank you for helping make all of this possible you'll unlock options to sponsor future entries, or join the discussion on the Discord server. A big thank you to new patron Dominic!

Secret Wars on Infinite Earths has recorded over 700 battles and ranked well over 1,000 characters! Find them all by following links throughout each and every post, or by diving into the Secret Archive for a complete index of featured fights in order of publisher, series, and issue number.

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 & Discord!

Winners: The Flash, The Flash & Kid Flash
#16 (+4) The Flash (Barry Allen)
#24 (+14) Kid Flash (Wally West)
#146 (+288) The Flash (Jay Garrick)
#449 (-2) Gorilla Grodd
#1010 (new) Jroyy

JUSTICE LEAGUE versus DARKSEID

Rock of Ages Part Five: Twilight Of The Gods (DC)
Where: JLA #14 When: January 1998
Why: Grant Morrison How: Howard Porter

The Story So Far...
Hard light holograms simulating the seven core members of The Justice League are just the beginning of their problems when a new Injustice Gang is formed by Lex Luthor!

The wealthy businessman has come into possession of a rare and powerful stone that allows him to control an alien prisoner and his Injustice Gang teammates. He thinks it might just be the ultimate weapon -- but in its many guises The Worlogog is the key to initiating cosmic armageddon!

Aquaman, Green Lantern, and The Flash find themselves thrust through time & space by the New God Metron in an effort to destroy "The Philosopher's Stone", but when they arrive fifteen years into the future they discover its destruction has brought humanity to the brink of annihilation!

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Darkseid 7 (Omnipotent)
Intelligence: Metron 7 (Infinite Wisdom)
Speed: Flash 7 (Lightspeed)
Stamina: Darkseid 7 (Unstoppable)
Agility: Batman 4 (Gymnast)
Fighting: Wonder Woman 6 (Warrior)
Energy: Green Lantern 7 (Cosmic Power)
Total: Darkseid 36 (Cosmic)

What happens if evil finally wins? It's a question every comic book reader has pondered, and a few too many contemporary storytellers are willing to answer.

In 1998 JLA struck the right balance with a dark future dominated by evil New Gods in Rock of Ages. This Justice League are: Batman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, Swarmtrooper 000830, and Wally West.

The tattered future League aren't entirely the heroes you remember. Huddled in the underground Detroit JLA Bunker, they represent the last remnants of the JLA gathered by a time displaced Aquaman, who now inhabits his future-self.

Joining him from fifteen years in the past is Kyle Rayner, whose body has been converted into a techno zombie-like Swarmtrooper sans Green Lantern ring, and Wally West: a pale shadow of his former self, now disconnected from the Speed Force, and reduced to a sickly, overweight firepit builder in the Keystone Ghetto.

Their first ally from the future is Wonder Woman: a battle-hardened, armor-clad survivor who'll die before the Zombie Factory takes her. They're also joined by Green Arrow, Atom, Argent, Azteka, and a reprogrammed Amazo, all of whom have roles to play in coordinated strikes away from the rest of the team.

Batman was believed taken some eight years prior, but it turns out he endured years of physical and psychological torture, overthrowing Desaad to remain embedded under deep cover for two months disguised as his captor. He's perfectly positioned to formulate a plan to strike at the heart of Darkseid!

Darkseid is a New God of unspeakable evil whose pursuit of domination is as likely to be directed as his own subjects as it is his enemies! Born Uxas, he reinvented himself with the murder of his mother and conquest of the planet Apokolips!

He seeks ultimate power through the Anti-Life Equation, believing fragments of its solution to lie within the recesses of the human mind. This has drawn him toward the Earth many times before, making playthings of its mightiest champions!

His powers dwarf the godly pantheons, but he has never the less known defeat. We saw Superman and Batman overcome him in Superman/Batman #42, and his son Orion fulfilled destiny by ripping Darkseid's burning heart from his chest in the explosive battle of Countdown #2! He died of his wounds, but Darkseid and the New Gods always find a way to return to life...

The Tape: Justice League Rankings: Batman (#1)

What Went Down...

In a ship hovering over the ruined city of Metropolis: Darkseid awaits the arrival of his vile inquisitor Desaad. The New God of evil doesn't yet know his agent was replaced months ago by The Batman -- and he's bringing a new Justice League!

Batman leads the heroes through the Boom Tube, tossing scattered grenades ahead. The Apokolips-based technology fills the room with a dense "theotropically engineered" fog that baffles even the perceptions of Metron!

Darkseid erupts with furious bemusement while the League rushes purposefully through the smoke to their carefully planned destinations.

Wonder Woman elects to hold Darkseid, and the massive cube now called Granny Godness, at bay. She only promises an undisturbed minute or two. It takes mere seconds for Batman to reach The Mobius Chair and startle Metron.

The Dark Knight tempts Metron with the promise of undiscovered knowledge. He dares the New God to use his limitless power to become human for but a moment. Just long enough to record data most elusive to gods: mortal feelings.

While Metron considers the ease with which he could convert himself to a human approximation -- Wonder Woman harnesses defiant rage to fight for humanity!

"I'LL DIE BEFORE I BOW TO YOU!"

The Amazon's vow is dismissed with cold agreement. Darkseid swats her away with the back of his hand, quite certain that she will die. Not by him, though. He has trusted followers to carry out such menial tasks.

Metron was never one to get his hands so dirty. Now flesh and blood, he discovers the sensations of weight and "ceaseless particle movement". He seeks the value of recording feeling. Batman gives him a crash course in pain.

A stiff right hand stuns Metron and allows Batman to fill the gods' vulnerable mortal form with powerful hypnotic drugs. Metron will now be completely pliant and ready to obey their every instruction.

Batman leaves Metron and his Mobius Chair to the time-displaced Aquaman, Green Lantern, and Flash. He trusts that a new fate will be made in the past, so that this doomed existence could be unwritten. The chair takes them back.

Still in the damned future: Darkseid summons his Grandmother Box to destroy Wonder Woman.

With all the heinous cruelty of the living Granny Goodness, the machine opens a Boom Tube to the molten core of Apokolips -- and teleports a direct stream of firepit energy directly at the Wonder Woman!

The Amazon ricochets through the halls of the dark aerial fortress.

Granny Goodness turns her red lens towards Batman, but before she can enact any cruel disciplines -- Wonder Woman smashes through the Grandmother Box's shell in a final furious blaze of glory!

Batman hurls his batarang through the gaping chasm of what's left of the murderous machine. His aim is true -- cutting a perfect line -- but the weapon explodes with indifference against the impenetrable shield surrounding Darkseid.

The Batman instructs an unseen Atom to do what he can about it. Maybe the guerilla scientist hears him, maybe he doesn't. It hardly matters with Swarmptroopers flooding into the chamber to surround him.

Darkseid condescendingly wonders if this dark individual is known to him, and what he could think his "pathetic display" would achieve. The New God still doesn't fully grasp the scale of Batman's deception and his planned "display".

The Dark Knight kneels over Wonder Woman's motionless body and whispers, "We did it." Then he tells Darkseid that they've shared a few laughs, but now he's taking everything. The dark god need only look up to see the beginning...

Somewhere within Darkseid's Zombie Factory: the young hero who answers to Azteka flips a switch on her belt. It unleashes the destructive power of her four-dimensional battery's energy! The explosion rips through The Moon base!

As masses of humanity begin to awaken from the nightmare of Anti-Life, Darkseid confesses his respect for such a small being's ability to hurt him.

Darkseid's mercy is expressed through the red beams that dart jaggedly through the room until they reach their intended target.

Batman will suffer The Omega Effect, but not before he hurls a final insult at Darkseid. A bitter truth: that Darkseid finds himself surrounded by "maggots" because he did what he said he would: "You recreated the whole world in your image ... and what you see is your own ugly faaaaa--"

The last word trails off as Batman ceases to exist -- lost in a cloud of sizzling red particles. To where or when, even Darkseid does not know. It simply is.

The Hammer...
The fight does not begin or end with the death of Wonder Woman, and defeat of Batman.

The Justice League's last stand is part of a three-pronged attack fought over multiple arenas, including a second front over the skies of Metropolis.

Batman's attempt to relay intelligence to Atom will play out minutes after he suffers The Omega Effect: an ambiguous fate that sent him through ancient history, and multiple lives, when it happened again in Final Crisis.

It could be argued that the arrival of Atom & Green Arrow minutes later is part of a single coordinated strike, but it functions as part of a very separate sequence, which we'll examine as Round 2 when we reconvene in the future.

I suppose efforts to send Aquaman, Green Lantern, and The Flash back to then-present 1998 could be considered an additional front -- if we take Doc Brown's advice and think of it fourth dimensionally. Otherwise, it's a pre-emptive strike that will render this entire future moot once the Philosopher's Stone (or Worlogog) is protected.

That just leaves Argent & Azteka's attack on the "Zombie Factory" Moon base unaccounted for. We caught an indirect glimpse of it during the fight recap. If you'd like to see more of that one, you can contact me through the various available channels, including Patreon. It's interesting, but incredibly brief.

Here in the grim future (or past) of 2021: it seemed appropriate to finally touch upon Rock of Ages for the imminent release of Zack Snyder's Justice League.

It's not so much a celebration as a comparison. Both stories have superficial similarities, but play out with significantly different quality, priority, and context.

Snyder restores his original vision with a four hour runtime that shares some of the dark palette seen in the now-classic JLA comic arc, but apparently benefits from little of its levity, brisk optimism, or inventive comic book genius.

Grant Morrison takes cues from the high concept mastery of Jack Kirby and bakes it with the dizzying excess of late 90s comics. Nothing is held back, allowing JLA Rock of Ages to be many things to many people, if a little cluttered and hurried.

The story is bookended with Lex Luthor and his Injustice Gang, whose plan sets the possible dark-future into motion. It is told in two dedicated issues after an excursion through Wonder World, and a multiverse of strange and chilling realms. The beginning and end, rooted in an exciting and turbulent contemporary DC Universe, anchor the darkness with colour and the joy of good superheroes.

I would argue Morrison perfected his New Gods epic with Final Crisis. It revisited similar concepts with slightly more clarity and breadth despite a "channel changing" style that incorporates many more players and series than Rock of Ages. It also can't be understated how Morrison's work benefits from interplay with itself, and how both stories benefit each other. The guy really knows what he's doing!

The depiction of Wonder Woman in this grim future is interesting. I didn't find myself able to include some of Howard Porter's most dynamic depictions of the Amazon. In truth, she is frustratingly out of focus, even when she leads the fight against Darkseid, and rips through his sinister servants.

The helmet and armor design reminds me a little of Big Barda, but behind its gold and silver plating is a story of battle-hardened survival and withdrawal into violent warrior culture. It should read as a contrast to the superhero, but here in 2021, I can't help but notice how much this seems like the contemporary depiction of Wonder Woman. A bit like Kingdom Come, it feels like its dark example has been ignored, serving as precedent & inspiration, instead of warning.

I've written about the struggle for a definitive Wonder Woman, and the intuitive emphasis of her Amazon warrior's heritage, but today's battle, with all its sound and fury, gives me a moment's pause to consider the finer points of her status as an ambassador for peace. There may still be much work to be done.

In-fiction, the grim future of Rock of Ages ultimately doesn't matter. It's obliterated from within by Orion and the Genesis Box before our time travelling heroes even set things right. Which is good. Because as tempting as it is to wonder about the darkest outcome -- the inherent beauty of superheroes is their ability to always prevent it. Wanting anything else is just madness. Anti-Life.

The phenomenon of Zack Snyder's Justice League has been a little off-putting in total. The zealous fervor of its most die hard cultists un-ironically recalls the edicts of Darkseid himself. A ravenous pack dedicated to nothing but the darkness of Snyder's vision and the inevitability of consuming more of it. Dark Snyder is.

I've pretty much had my fill of middling to disappointing adaptations and their expanding circumference of influence. As a consumer I want more from my purchases, and as a fan I crave better days of inventive, colourful superheroes.

DC Films President Walter Hamada referred to the Snyder Cut as a "storytelling cul-de-sac". I don't think that was a comment on its creative vision, but I wouldn't be opposed if it was, and hope in the face of dangling plot threads it can live up to that designation. The new cut may restore an acceptable degree of coherence to the plot, but I find it very hard to believe it is the best the Justice League can be.

Of course, the dark future of Rock of Ages isn't the best they can be, either.

If you find yourself feeling similarly, and want to experience the entirety of today's featured battle, you might like to check out JLA: Rock of Ages collected in JLA: The Deluxe Edition Vol. 2 or JLA Rock of Ages. Using Amazon purchase links provided will not only net you a good deal, but also help support the site.

If you enjoy Secret Wars on Infinite Earths and want to get involved in supporting the cause you can sign-up to Patreon! As a thank you patrons receive access to additional updates, stats, and customizable articles including the recently returned Hero of the Week! Do it because you like the site and want it to succeed!

Secret Wars on Infinite Earths has eatured well over 600 battles and ranked more than 1000 characters! You can discover them all by diving into the Secret Archive for an index of battles by publisher, series, and issue number -- or discover the joy of following links throughout this post to other stories.

Subscribe to Twitter and Facebook to get daily links to battles inspired by the topics of the day! Don't forget to hit that like and share! Anti-Life justifies it!

Winner: Darkseid
#119 (+287) Darkseid [+1 kill]
#466 (+6) Granny Goodness [+1 assist] [+1 kill]
#609 (new) Metron [+1 assist]
#1 (--) Batman
#10 (--) Wonder Woman [+1 kill]
#25 (--) Aquaman [+1 assist]
#34 (--) Flash (Wally West) [+1 assist]
#75 (--) Green Lantern (Kyle Rayner) [+1 assist]

JUSTICE LEAGUE versus CAPTAIN MARVEL

Seduction of the Innocent (DC)
Where: Underworld Unleashed #3 When: Late December 1995 Why: Mark Waid How: Howard Porter

The Story So Far...
What is the price of the heart's desire? The devil Neron has waged a campaign of temptation and corruption in an effort to amass immortal souls. With his growing power he seeks the ultimate prize: the corruption of a pure soul!

Having empowered an army of villains who accepted his offer, it seems Neron has achieved his goal when Superman disappears, and evil sweeps the Earth. Thus, a team of heroes volunteers to descend into the depths of Hell itself!

Guided by Blue Devil, the heroes face increasing challenges as they descend through each layer. Only their mightiest make it to the underworld throne of Neron himself, but in doing so, they face the greatest challenge of all: the darkness that dwells deep within them!

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Captain Marvel 6 (Invincible)
Intelligence: Captain Marvel 5 (Professor)
Speed: Flash 7 (Light Speed)
Stamina: Captain Marvel 6 (Generator)
Agility: Martian Manhunter 7 (Unlimited)
Fighting: Wonder Woman 6 (Warrior)
Energy: Green Lantern 7 (Cosmic Power)
Total: Martian Manhunter 36 (Cosmic)

The Justice League are: Wonder Woman, Warrior, The Flash, Green Lantern, and Martian Manhunter.

We know that Captain Marvel's no stranger to fending off the challenge of a wayward hero, or two. The classic meta-rivalry with Superman has played out in battles from Action Comics Annual #4, Kingdom Come #4, Superman #216, and Superman/Batman #4. They've always been fairly equally matched.

That last one was a tag team tussle that also featured Hawkman and Batman, but even that's just a taste of what the big red cheese is up against today! We're talking Captain Marvel alone against five of the Justice League's heaviest hitters -- all driven to extremes by the corrupting influence of Neron, and the naturally corrupting environment of the lower depths of Hell!

Fortunately, Captain Marvel's innate good proved uniquely resilient during the group's trek through the many layers of Hell. He's passed the darkest trials with flying colors, despite having his left arm in a sling. The stamina of Atlas will be stretched to its limit, but he has a natural edge against the evil of this realm.

Wonder Woman poses a physical challenge approximate to Superman, but the strength of Hercules & power of Zeus have always proved up to the challenge. Marvel has nothing to fear from the lasso of truth, but it might be useful against the corrupted heroes. Wonder Woman won't give up the lasso without a fight, but we saw Storm defeat her with a lightning strike in Marvel versus DC #3.

As long as the wizard's magic lightning can reach him in Hell, Marvel has the option to dodge it, frying nearby targets with the "lightning ambush". Against this group it might only work once, but once is all he'll need.

That trick probably won't work on The Flash. His phenomenal momentum will require Captain Marvel to push the speed of Mercury to its limit if he's going to keep up. If he can anticipate the speedster's attacks, he should be able to shut him down easily without needing to sacrifice the lasso, should he have it.

Warrior and Green Lantern have the biggest firepower of the five corrupted heroes. As Warrior: Guy Gardner could possibly go hand-to-hand with Captain Marvel, but his Vuldarian powers mean he can just manifest energy weapons from his body. Couple that with Kyle Rayner's Green Lantern ring -- and Cap's probably going to take at least a few hits. Hopefully the courage of Achilles will help him face it down with the savvy to turn their fire against one another.

That just leaves Martian Manhunter, whose presence at the lower levels probably means Hellfire hasn't slowed him down too much. As we saw in Green Lantern #44, the combat potential for a corrupted Martian Manhunter is chilling! However, that weakness to fire means Cap may be able to stall him relatively easily by directing Warrior's plasma blasts, or resorting to the lightning ambush.

Temporarily neutralizing Martian Manhunter prevents him avoiding the lasso of truth. If Marvel can use that, he might be able to lift the haze of darkness and set Martian Manhunter the task of telepathically helping the others.

Identity Crisis #3 remains one of the great examples of how a lone fighter can use clarity and tactics to turn the numbers advantage of the Justice League against them. Captain Marvel has the necessary skills to make it happen, but he's fighting hurt against overwhelming odds. Let's see what happened...

The Tape: Justice League Ranking: Wonder Woman (#15)

What Went Down...
In the depths of Hell itself, at the foot of Neron's throne, the Justice League's souls lie bare. The darkness draws their very worst selves to the surface, leaving only Captain Marvel unaltered -- besieged by his corrupted allies!

The group rushes the stunned hero before he can act. Warrior pours on the power, blasting at Captain Marvel's mighty mid-section, while Wonder Woman throws an uncompromising left across his exposed jaw!

The Captain desperately tries to put some distance between himself and his friends, narrowly flying above the path of a rampaging Flash! He appeals to the heroes' better nature and the greater good they're there to serve -- but it's for naught. Neron laughs, feasting on Captain Marvel's despair as he tempts a fight.

The demon Blaze watches the fight unfold, shackled at the side of Neron's throne. Her presence there is meant to weaken Captain Marvel, but she quietly launches an act of defiance, restoring his full powers!

Without warning: Captain Marvel feels his broken arm mend -- a miracle in the pit of Hell! He doesn't stop to question the unexplained stroke of luck. With Wonder Woman on the ropes, he curls her lasso of truth around a stalagmite and pulls it taut -- clotheslining The Flash and Martian Manhunter in mid-flight!

Suddenly a spiked mace clobbers Captain Marvel from behind -- a weapon manifested by Warrior!

The frustrated hero doesn't want to fight his friends, but their aggressive attacks are leaving him little choice. Warrior fires a double barrel blast from twin arm cannons, but Captain Marvel manages to duck it, leaving the friendly fire to take out Green Lantern!

Neron plays with the besieged Captain Marvel's mind, needling him to fight back -- to kill! Marvel throws his arms out at the surrounding Leaguers and takes down the Martian Manhunter with his hands around his throat!

Earth's mightiest mortal pins the Martian to the floor while Neron eggs him on to get mad - to end it - to kill! For a moment, it seems as if Captain Marvel may actually succumb to rage. Yet, even in the depths of Hell there is still hope!

Blue Devil explodes from the ground seeking vengeance against Neron! The distraction inspires the demon's guest, James Jesse - The Trickster, to take action! He sees an opportunity to end Neron's tyrannical rise and rushes to Captain Marvel's side. There, he relays something overheard, that Satanus knew of a single word that could bedevil the devil that is Neron.

With Martian Manhunter still in his clutches - Captain Marvel stops to think, and then he smiles. With The Trickster urging him for an answer, the big red cheese whispers the wizard's name and summons his lightning!

The mystic bolt rips through the infernal domain with an all mighty BOOM!

When the dust and electricity settles - the veil has been lifted from the Justice League! Wonder Woman just barely remembers Captain Marvel fighting to save them, as if it were a distant nightmare. With Billy Batson hiding in the dark, the Justice League regroup and ready to take on Neron!

The Hammer...
Under scrutiny this isn't necessarily a straight forward result! Captain Marvel didn't really want to fight his friends, and spent most of the battle in evasive maneuvers. He ultimately did use muscle to put them on the ropes, ending it relatively peacefully by calling down Shazam's lightning. A tactical victory!

It might've gone a much darker way if The Trickster hadn't provided a moment of clarity for Captain Marvel. Blaze also supplied the assist via a power boost that healed Cap's busted arm, and helped turn the tables. Head to the bottom of this entry for a complete update to the Fight Club Rankings.

In last week's feature I mentioned I've been getting a little tired of hero-on-hero violence. Kind of amusing that we'd rush straight into Captain Marvel vs The Justice League. I actually meant the problem more so from the perspective of current publishing trends, but I admit it seems like a bit of an about face

Underworld Unleashed #3 partakes in its fair share of clichés, including the temporary possession of heroes for a good guy melee. It also just so happens to support another of last week's points, though. Namely, the depiction of Captain Marvel as a staunchly good-natured individual in a world of modern moral greys.

It's important to remember the nineties were a pretty grungy time in comics. Look no further than the fact that DC were publishing a major line-wide event that sent its greatest heroes into the pit of Hell as proof-positive of that!

Underworld Unleashed was a crossover created in the years following the Death of Superman, breaking of Batman, and fall of Hal Jordan. It provided a stylistic response to the explosion of a new wave of anti-heroes coming from Image Comics and Spawn, while also continuing the trajectory begun by its hero-killing headlines. In a world that had already seen Superman pummeled to death, it only made sense a banner event would focus on the empowerment of villains.

This wasn't quite the type of role reversal we're seeing regularly in current issues from DC and Marvel. Issues like Steel #21 showed how villains were being powered-up by Neron, but most of the tie-ins kept to the standard dynamic of hero defeating villain. It was all about Metallo getting a modern update -- not Lex Luthor becoming a celebrated member of the Justice League.

Golden & Silver Age morality was pretty well out of fashion, but against all odds, DC had a pocket of pure retro nostalgia in The Power of Shazam!

After a few aborted attempts, it was Jerry Ordway who set about re-defining the post-Crisis realities of Captain Marvel and the Shazam Family, spawning a series in 1995 out of the success of a Power of Shazam one-shot, from the year prior.

Ordway and artist Pete Krause took Captain Marvel forward with a modern sensibility, but it was all infused with a defiant sense of retro charm. By the end of the first year, the series established the Marvel Family, Tawky Tawny, and a Fawcett City encased in a literal magic bubble that gilded it with a 1940s sheen.

For all the foibles of the nineties, it was a decade that allowed for occasionally drastic deviations of individuality. So while the other DC heroes were delving into various shades of darkness, Captain Marvel's squinty eyed view of the world was able to take center stage in the main Underworld Unleashed mini-series.

Captain Marvel's aw shucks, 1950s innocence was positioned as the exception it really was, making it the ultimate prize for a devil like Neron, as well as the perfect weapon against him. When the other heroes succumb to corruption, Captain Marvel remains a reminder of heroes who were (and are) pure of heart.

It's a wonderful, almost subversive idea piloted by writer Mark Waid, who I have to imagine was a major supporter for this type of Captain Marvel, if not the actual source for it. He flipped the script with Cap's portrayal in Kingdom Come, but that functioned both as a deliberate in-story betrayal of the character's ideals, and a larger warning against the pitfalls of violent anti-heroes.

A fake out that the "pure soul" Neron seeks is actually Superman's is a little less successful when you recall a similar dynamic already played out a couple of years prior, during The Darkness Within story. I wouldn't fault them for being consistent with the two heroes' point of difference, though.

Ultimately, in the modern age, perhaps a corporate-owned icon as big as Superman can't afford to live up to the reputation of being comics' ultimate boy scout. However, Underworld Unleashed and The Darkness Within both show us how satisfying it is when Captain Marvel does, as narrative and characterization.

Furthermore, when a guy like Zack Snyder, clearly scarred by the darkness prevalent in our times, insists its a fantasy to believe superheroes can exist without lying, embezzling, or killing, the example of Captain Marvel becomes all the more important. This is a fantasy, and after 80 years of reinforcing a stand against cruelty and injustice, I can't think of anything more "grown up" than accepting that. To presume there is no alternative to corruption - even in a fantasy - may be the very reason so much of this world has succumbed to it.

For all the talk of Shazam! bringing levity to the DC Extended Universe (now in theatres), I can't help but be disappointed that it lacks the unique, singular vision of Ordway & Krause's Power of Shazam, and the incorruptible innocence that sets Billy Batson & Captain Marvel apart from the rest.

Underworld Unleashed seems to be currently out of print, but you can navigate to Amazon via the purchase link provided to seek out current alternatives. If you do find something you like, you'll help support Secret Wars on Infinite Earths!

Seek and discover more interesting corners of the comic book multiverse by diving into the Secret Archive! There you'll find every featured fight indexed by publisher, series, and issue number! You can also subscribe on Twitter and Facebook to get daily links inspired by the topics of the day. Be sure to like, share, or retweet your faves!

Winner: Captain Marvel
#45 (+30) Captain Marvel
#555 (new) Trickster
#556 (new) Lady Blaze
#16 (-1) Wonder Woman
#28 (-2) Martian Manhunter
#30 (--) Flash (Wally West)
#75 (-6) Green Lantern (Kyle Rayner)
#128 (-7) Warrior (Guy Gardner)

HERO OF THE WEEK: FLASH (DC)
Real Name: Wally West
First Appearance: Flash #110 (January, 1959)
Fight Club Ranking: #22

Featured Fights:
- vs DEADSHOT: Legends #1 (Nov 1986)
- vs QUICKSILVER: Marvel versus DC #2 (Mar 1996)
- vs VENOM: DC versus Marvel #4 (Apr 1996)
- vs SUPERMAN: Flash #209 (Jun 2004)
- vs PENGUIN, GIRDER & DOUBLE DOWN: Flash #210 (Jul 2004)
- vs DEATHSTROKE: Identity Crisis #3 (Oct 2004)
- vs ULTRAMARINE CORPS: JLA: Classified #3 (Mar 2005)
- vs LADY FLASH: Flash: Rebirth #2 (Jul 2009)

After more than half a decade in reboot oblivion: Wally West is making a comeback!

Modern readers may remember Wally West best as The Flash -- heir apparent to the speedster's mantle after the iconic sacrifice made by Barry Allen in Crisis on Infinite Earths #8!

For the twenty-three (or so) years that followed, Wally West served successfully as a pioneering force for the DC Universe's third generation heroes. He fulfilled a great majority of Barry Allen's roles, all the while establishing wrinkles unique to a hero who matured alongside the legends of the superhero Silver Age! He was welcomed into the ranks of the Justice League as Flash, but maintained ties with the young heroes of The Titans, with whom he'd served as Kid Flash.

It was all going remarkably well until 2009, when Barry Allen made a surprise return from death in Final Crisis and Flash: Rebirth (the first one)! From there, things became a red and gold blur - the result of two Scarlet Speedsters running at full speed. Something had to give, and with full support behind resurrecting the senior icon - Wally West began his unfortunate descent into obscurity. A short-lived, unconvincing costume change later, and it was bye-bye Wally for 2010's New 52 reboot.

Barry Allen isn't going anywhere, but one of Rebirth's most admirable qualities will be the restoration of the first and third generation heroes! This return, perhaps inevitably, means another shot at trying to resolve Wally West's costume woes -- made all the more complicated by the New 52 introduction of a new, racially divergent Wally West. Never the less, Newsarama have showed off the original's new red and silver digs drawn dramatically by artist Brett Booth [above].

Like much of Rebirth itself, the new costume is serviceable, but not entirely convincing. It borrows the open cowl of his Kid Flash days, with the abbreviated bolt logo, and silver lightning we've seen many times before, notably in the new design he received after Barry Allen's return. It certainly solves the problem of easy identification. Will it solve all the other problems? We shall see...

I'm pleased to have a classic character restored and decades of fiction back in play. The "big two", DC in particular, are in dire need of stability to go with their variety. Here's hoping the cycle of arbitrary upheaval and starting over ends here.

<< Hero of the Week 27/06: Cable        [Home]       Hero of the Week 06/13: Dr. Manhattan >>

Hero of the Week #20: Flash

FLASH (DC)
Real Name: Wally West
First Appearance: The Flash #110 (December, 1959)
Group Affiliation: Justice League, Titans
Gaming Credentials: Justice League Task Force (1995); Justice League Heroes (2006); Justice League Heroes: The Flash (2006); DC Universe Online (TBR)
Infinite Wars Cumulative Ranking: #21


It was only a few years ago now that Flash was one of the most prestigious characters and series being published within the DC pantheon. Alas, even superheroes can fall on hard times, and after intervening in the events of DC's Infinite Crisis, the Wally West version of the character slipped into obscurity.
After being briefly (and unsuccessfully) succeeded by his junior [Bart Allen], the West version of the character is now to be upstaged by his predecessor, the Silver Age's Barry Allen, who is part of a revamp designed to restore DC's iconic vision of the hero via Flash: Rebirth.

The hard-luck story of Wally West continued this week when it was revealed that recently defunct developer, BottleRocket, were six months into working on a solo game starring the scarlet speedster!

If DC's nominations for the 2008 fighting crossover Mortal Kombat vs DC Universe are anything to go by, then there's a good chance the game was set to further establish Barry Allen as the most significant character to be dubbed the fastest man alive, but there's a modern flair about early screenshots of the game that speak to the Wally West version.

A rare moment for the Flash, appearing idle in development screenshots leaked by BottleRocket.

Rightly or not, video game adaptations haven't got the greatest reputation these days.
Comments on 1up's feature detailing the aborted Flash game come with mixed opinions in the comments section, many expressing lethargy, despite the recent triumphs of Batman: Arkham Asylum. To their credit, one game hardly assures quality investment from all studios handling comic book properties, but gamers should take something positive away from a long awaited live demonstration of possibilities.

Licensed properties like comic book superheroes might be a way for studios to bet on installed fanbases, but they aren't without their greater purpose. Characters with vivid expectations provide an end goal that may require various lengths of technical and conceptual innovation. I talked a little about this in a previous blog about the potential of the upcoming Green Lantern game, and think the same potential applies to Flash, to a less elaborate extent.

Once upon a time the mere existence of Sonic the Hedgehog was enough to consider the possibility of a Flash video game (which roughly equates to the Sega platformers inspired by the TV series, in the early nineties).
These days however, we expect a little bit more than running quickly from one side of the screen to the other. As the games move into more realistic territory, the balance between creating the illusion of superhuman speed and keeping the player in control becomes key. The development of motor racing in video games has created one of the most prominent new perspectives for what is expected of speed in a game, and is probably the logical reference point for any modern engine attempting a game about a character who runs fast.

Taking a character like this off of the racing track can clearly be a tricky thing.
The balance between high speeds and directional gameplay have been something the Sonic franchise has struggled with in it's various 3D modern equivalents, where controlled high speed running has been captured through the use of race tracks. For a superhero, who has become a regular fixture of sandbox cityscape environments, these kinds of options become less flattering.

It's a tricky situation for any character, but a superhero like the Flash has an entire universe of fiction to draw upon, making his transition to video games potentially about much more than just moving quickly. Batman: Arkham Asylum reminded us how valuable a world of fiction can be when filling in the gaps of design and motivation that make gameplay function.

You might not know it to look at them, but the Flash has one of the greatest lists of villains you'll find in superhero comics. Don't let the hokey costumes and gimmicks fool you! Under the watchful eye of writers like Mark Waid and Geoff Johns, the beloved Flash rogues (who actually call themselves The Rogues) have developed into characters as fleshed out and elaborate as any comparable hero. Their potential to exist in an interactive world and even become playable options is as exponential as imagination. It doesn't hurt that Flash is also associated with some of the best known superheroes in comics, also, who have just as much claim to cameos and guest spots as Captain Cold or Zoom!

It's been a busy weekend, so I'll leave it to you to ponder what might've been had BottleRocket finally brought the Flash back to the spotlight. The various incarnations of super speedsters will be present when DC unleash their MMO, DC Universe Online. Team Flash are also readily available in the DC Comics mini-series, Flash: Rebirth, telling the tale of the return of former HOTW Barry Allen, his arch-nemesis Professor Zoom, and the adjusting purpose of Wally West! West will also star in co-features when a new Flash series launches in the future.

<< Hero of the Week 10/23: Carnage       [Home]       Hero of the Week 10/04: Green Arrow >>

Originally posted: http://www.1up.com/do/blogEntry?bId=9007311