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.

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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

GOTHAM HEROES versus BLOCKBUSTER, METALLO & GORILLA GRODD

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

The Story So Far...
Hell has a new ruler and his name is Neron. This powerful devil comes baring a simple offer to those who will take it: great power in exchange for their immortal soul!

The demon's temptation lures many whose heart is darkened by desire. Roland Desmond receives the power of Blockbuster with the retention of a brilliant criminal mind; John Corben accepts the ability to summon a new Metallo body from nearby metals so he'll never be crippled again; and Gorilla Grodd enhances his powerful mind with the knowledge to take control of Gorilla City.

While the most powerful members of the Justice League enter the underworld on a mission to stop Neron -- his army of villains spread chaos and terror across a troubled Earth. The remaining heroes of Gotham City must scramble to stop the enhanced villains as they attempt to hijack nuclear weapons!

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Metallo 6 (Invincible)
Intelligence: Batman 5 (Professor)
Speed: Gorilla Grodd 4 (Olympian)
Stamina: Metallo 7 (Unstoppable)
Agility: Robin 4 (Gymnast)
Fighting: Batman 5 (Martial Artist)
Energy: Metallo 4 (Arsenal)
Total: Batman 29 (Metahuman)

The Gotham City heroes are: Batman, Robin, Black Canary, and Huntress.

A formidable foursome for the streets of Gotham, but today they face a trio of freshly supercharged super-villains who sold their souls to the demon Neron in exchange for greatly enhanced super-powers!

Blockbuster is Roland Desmond: criminal mastermind and brother of Mark Desmond. Like his brother, Roland possesses greatly enhanced super-human strength, but thanks to his pact with Neron, he no longer suffers the reduction in intelligence associated with the Blockbuster formula!

Metallo is John Corben: mortally injured criminal turned into a cyborg powered by kryptonite. Along with super-human strength and durability, his cyborg body could fire radiation beams from his kryptonite heart. Neron's offer granted Metallo the added ability to adapt and construct a body from any metallic objects in his vicinity -- meaning he could never be stopped!

Gorilla Grodd is an ape of Gorilla City who possesses incredible strength, intellect, and vast telepathic abilities. His deal with Neron restored lost psionic powers and granted him knowledge of the whereabouts of an ancient talisman that would allow him to challenge King Solovar for rule over Gorilla City.

All three villains possess strength levels that put them in a weight class above their mortal opponents. They usually contend with the likes of Superman and The Flash, but their enhanced durability also means the Gotham City heroes can utilize some of the most powerful weapons in their arsenal!

Batman used high explosives to defeat the robotic menace of Amazo in Batman #637, and slow a possessed WayneTech Rescue OGRE in Batman Confidential #2. We saw Metallo inadvertently destroy one of his post-Neron bodies in Steel #21 when he absorbed plastic explosive into his body.

Gorilla Grodd used The Heart of Darkness talisman to bring Supergirl into his ape-tribe in Supergirl #3, and telepathically turned the entire Ultramarine Corps against the Justice League in JLA: Classified #3. The latter issue also showed that Batman was able to overcome Grodd with guile and bat-weaponry!

With their combined strengths and intellect, the bad guys should have the advantage here, but all three have shown a propensity for losing in the end.

All four Gotham heroes have acrobatic abilities that should keep them out of harms way. Black Canary is arguably the ace in the hole, with her sonic canary cry shown to be powerful enough to vex the Marvel Family [Crisis on Infinite Earths #6], and Shadow Thief & Giganta [Justice League of America #13]!

The Tape: Gotham City Heroes Ranking: Batman (#1)

What Went Down...
A Gotham City bridge plays host to nuclear warheads while city-wide gridlock interrupts the government convoy. Their position was expertly predicated and planned by Major Disaster, whose associates are on site to topple the truck!

Blockbuster, Gorilla Grodd, and Metallo appear moments from success when Batman and Robin descend upon the bridge to spoil their plans!

Robin drops onto Blockbuster with a boot to the back of the head, sending him hurtling towards the waiting feet of a grounded dark knight. Batman lets momentum and gravity do the work, launching Blockbuster off the bridge!

While that's happening, Black Canary joins the battle with a swift flying kick to the face of Gorilla Grodd! Its a short-lived advantage, lost as Grodd unleashes a violent telepathic assault that sends her recoiling with a cry of agony!

Huntress swings across the bridge, surprising one of the convoy drivers by snatching his belt of grenades. She glides above the battle and pulls the pin, sending half a dozen explosives plummeting towards the villains!

Metallo spies the heroine swinging overhead, but fails to take her attack seriously enough to avert disaster. The grenades hit their target, blasting Metallo and Grodd -- and catching Black Canary in the shockwave!

Robin has Black Canary's wellbeing covered, calling for her to go limp so he can catch and break her fall. No such luck for the bad guys, who were blown clean off the bridge and disappeared into the waters below!

The Hammer...
It was a risky play on a populated bridge, but Huntress' grenade gambit won the day for the heroes in the end. It was even good enough to get a rare compliment out of Batman!

The battle is an otherwise easily overlooked, quick three-page episode that shows some of what's happening on Earth while the Justice League are descending into the depths of Hell.

Underworld Unleashed #3 more famously contains a battle between the corrupted JLA and Captain Marvel, as well as the ultimate confrontation with the arch-villain Neron. Nice battles from a mid-nineties DC event, but sometimes it's the small, forgotten moments from these big crossover events that can be the most fun to revisit!

Underworld Unleashed was an event with a grand purpose. Neron was essentially the demonic personification of the publisher's intent to revamp and refurbish some of their pantheon for the extreme nineties. Branded crossover issues turned a spotlight on jazzed up foes who'd sold their soul for new and improved powers, setting them loose on unsuspecting opponents.

By keeping the core event title to a tight three issues, and letting concise tie-ins exploit revamped villains in sometimes unexpected match-ups, Underworld Unleashed had some of the charm that made Acts of Vengeance a good time.

Gorilla Grodd didn't change too much, but the featured trio are a nice sampling for what it was all about. Metallo and Blockbuster were a couple of the updates I remember enjoying at the time. Both found their way into unlikely interactions with Steel, who was a character I was pretty enthusiastic about. We've covered Metallo's appearance in Steel #21, and I'd like to get to Blockbuster as well.

This is the first time the Roland Desmond incarnation of Blockbuster has found his way onto Secret Wars on Infinite Earths. Thanks to Neron, he fulfills the question of what it would be like for Blockbuster to retain strength and intellect.

Mark Desmond served a purpose as a super-strong villain who could run into Batman for cheap thrills. He was a serviceable stand-in for Marvel's Hulk, but it was fair to say the character was running its course. Using his brother to change things up gave DC a surprisingly fun twist, unleashing a powerful mastermind who'll be best remembered as the Kingpin to Nightwing's beleaguered vigilante.

Today's fight also marks the ranking debut of Huntress, who herself is a twist on an old idea. Helena Wayne made sense as the daughter of Batman & Catwoman in a pre-Crisis Earth-Two that showed the second generation coming into their own, but once DC rebooted there was cause to retool.

Helena Bertinelli is undoubtedly my preferred Huntress. Daughter of Gotham City mobster Franco Bertinelli, she witnessed her family's murder by hitman as a child, and vowed to dedicate herself to the fight against organized crime as an adult. She's a semi-inversion on the Bruce Wayne story with her own quirks.

Huntress would become a frequent collaborator with Black Canary as part of the Birds of Prey, who you'll probably know are headed to theatres on February 7th.

With any luck we'll be talking more about Huntress and the Birds of Prey in upcoming featured fights. For now, we record a debut win for the purple bird.

If you'd like to find more from the characters featured today you can follow links throughout this post, or dive into the Secret Archive for a complete index of featured fights ordered by publisher, series, and issue number!

You can also subscribe on Twitter and Facebook to get daily links to superhero smackdown inspired by the topics of the day. If you like Secret Wars on Infinite Earths and want to see it prosper you can now support the project via Patreon.

Winners: Huntress, Batman & Robin (w/ Black Canary)
#331 (new) Huntress
#1 (--) Batman
#23 (+10) Robin (Tim Drake)
#38 (--) Black Canary [+1 assist]
#400 (-10) Gorilla Grodd
#896 (new) Blockbuster (Roland Desmond)
#936 (-18) Metallo

HERO OF THE WEEK: GORILLA GRODD (DC)
Real Name: Grodd
First Appearance: The Flash #106 (May, 1959)
Fight Club Ranking: #355

Featured Fights:
- vs SUPERGIRL: Supergirl #3 (Nov 1996)
- vs JUSTICE LEAGUE: JLA: Classified #3 (Mar 2005)
- vs JUSTICE LEAGUE: Justice League of America #15 (Jan 2008)
- vs MARTIAN MANHUNTER: Final Crisis: Requiem #1 (Sep 2008)

This month on Secret Wars on Infinite Earths we've been spotlighting comic book battles featuring heroes and villains found in Injustice 2!

The DC fighting game sequel has been a sporadic influence on this year's Hero of the Week, but one of the more exciting additions we never got around to acknowledging was Gorilla Grodd! With the game officially available for home consoles -- now seems to be the perfect time for a HOTW salute!

Generally speaking, I'm not the biggest fan of superheroes in the fighting game genre.

Fighting games -- especially in 2017's pseudo-sport, streaming world -- are all about mechanical parity and balance. Superheroes simply don't function that way. They leap around environments and clash with unique chemical reactions determined by story! Shuffling side-to-side with attacks that reach approximate equivalency simply isn't how you get the most out of the characters. I prefer hand-to-hand combatants and distinct martial arts in my fighting games [see; Street Fighter, Tekken].

If you're going to put superheroes in the fighting game arena -- you might as well try to get the most interesting functional and visual distinctions. That was why when Mortal Kombat Online was putting together a Top 10 Villains Wishlist for the first game, I was eager to see Grodd included.

Just as Solomon Grundy was a pleasant surprise in the initial line-up of 2012; Gorilla Grodd was a unique stand-out included very early in the sequel's character reveal cycle.

I'm not the biggest fan of a tubby or armored Grodd, but NetherRealm aesthetics can be pretty hit or miss, particularly in the superhero realm. The imposition of an RPG armor-unlock Gear system at least meant Grodd's accoutrement offered a functional purpose. At his core, he's a weird and wonderful villain to oppose the usual suspects of Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman and the gang.

I also really like the way they've created character for Grodd in his animations, expression and dialogue. Too much real-world gorilla reference always make Grodd a dull boy.

What I've seen of the Injustice 2 story mode doesn't exactly bowl me over. These modes have been widely praised since 2011's Mortal Kombat reboot, but the material is usually pretty weak. There isn't a strong sense of character, or the kind of textured storytelling long time comic book readers would be used to. There doesn't seem to be a huge amount of crossover between the dedicated fanbases, but I have to imagine Injustice functions as a decent enough introduction for new readers.

I thought it was fun that The Society found its way into the games. The basic premise of the Injustice universe is that Superman and a band of loyal heroes are themselves the villains. So to inject a faction of classic villainy pleases me -- even if they wind up somewhere in the grey puddle that a lot of the characters ultimately occupy. That Grodd is in charge of this version of The Society - also fun.

I have a tough time wholly embracing the experience of Injustice, in much the same way Injustice has a tough time wholly embracing the characters and comics it's loosely based upon. Unfortunately, that seems to be a consistent tone throughout many contemporary DC products -- including the current comics themselves.

The fundamental premise of bad guy Superman was so poorly realized, and is so thoroughly without flavor in 2017, there's just no joy there. Which, in a strange way, makes the relative simplicity of Gorilla Grodd and his villainous fellows that much more important.

The variety of the Injustice line-up is very much appreciated. The quality of the game experience - tough to argue with. These are generally pretty good games. Just frustrating if you have any existing attachments, or broader frames of reference.

If you're curious about some of the other Injustice characters who grabbed attention, be sure to flash back to Hero of the Week spotlights for: Supergirl, Reverse-Flash, Black Canary, Cheetah, Doctor Fate and Firestorm! You can also find plenty more of the comic book fighting perspective by diving in to the Secret Issue Index for a complete archive of past featured fights, or by subscribing to Twitter and Facebook for daily links!

<< Hero of the Week 06/05: Red Hood       [Home]      Hero of the Week 05/22: Venom >>

SUPERGIRL versus GORILLA GRODD

And No Dawn To Follow The Darkness (DC)
Where: Supergirl #3 When: November 1996
Why: Peter David How: Gary Frank

The Story So Far...
When the life of young girl Linda Danvers was hanging in the balance -- Supergirl was there to save the day!

A failed demonic sacrifice resulted in the unlikely merging of hero and victim! Resettling in Leesburg, Virginia; Supergirl continues to live a dual life as loving daughter Linda - and protoplasmic Girl of Steel!

When a Sun-Eater plunges the world into darkness by consuming the Sun; evil forces conspire to take advantage - even in Leesburg! Supergirl is forced to protect the town's citizens from themselves as they devolve into a violent pack of berserk animals worshipping a beastly master!

The demonic cultist responsible for Linda Danvers' sacrifice has found a new ally in his corruption of Leesburg! Intent on remaking the town in his own image, Gorilla Grodd accepts a dark magic that threatens to destroy everyone - including Supergirl!

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Supergirl 6 (Invincible)
Intelligence: Gorilla Grodd 5 (Professor)
Speed: Supergirl 5 (Super-Human)
Stamina: Supergirl 5 (Marathoner)
Agility: Gorilla Grodd 4 (Gymnast)
Fighting: Draw 3 (Street Wise)
Energy: Supergirl 5 (Lasers)
Total: Supergirl 30 (Super)

You know the drill. It's the might of The Girl of Steel against the articulate aggressions of a super-intelligent ape. Two characters we've seen before and know well - right? Not so fast, hotshot! All is not quite as it seems!

Supergirl may look similar to the last daughter of Krypton, but in actual fact she is a shape-shifting creature from a parallel universe known as Matrix!

Coming from a reality where Superman died in his youth; Matrix was created by a benevolent Lex Luthor in the image of his deceased love. He gave her natural super-human abilities of telekinesis, invisibility, shape shifting, and much the same strength, speed, stamina and endurance of the Kryptonian he admired.

When Lex accidentally freed Kryptonian criminals General Zod, Zaora and Quex-Ul from The Phantom Zone, he sent Matrix to retrieve the Superman of the main universe to aid in their struggle. Life on the parallel Earth was decimated by the villainous trio before Superman made the difficult decision to execute them. With Luthor dead and nothing tying her to her universe, Supergirl accompanied Superman home to the main universe.

Kara Zor-El didn't arrive in the post-Crisis DC Universe until years later, leaving Matrix to serve uninterrupted as Supergirl for a decade or so. During that time, she encountered, and fused with, a dying young girl named Linda Danvers. She absorbed aspects of her memory and personality, becoming trapped in a dual identity of Linda and Supergirl. This greatly limited her more adaptable powers, too. A status that brings us to today's fight!

Gorilla Grodd is a super-intelligent ape hailing from Gorilla City. He possesses great strength, stamina, durability, and telepathic abilities!

He's best known as an arch-nemesis of The Flash, but has been involved in a variety of schemes that have brought him into conflict with the Justice League, and its individual members.

We saw Grodd manipulate the Ultramarine Corps as pawns against The League in JLA: Classified #3. He briefly held Batman on a spit before The Dark Knight managed to turn the tables.

Grodd himself has been a member of various contentious collectives, including The Society and Injustice League. We saw him present for the organized execution of Martian Manhunter in Final Crisis: Requiem #1, and a massive team melee in Justice League of America #15.

The latter example demonstrated Grodd can both endure the strength of Wonder Woman, and overpower a young Firestorm. Compelling evidence that he's a physical match for Supergirl - and a psychological threat!

Grodd's telepathic abilities could be the key to victory, able to discover and exploit the uncertain mental state of the Danvers-merged protoplasmic being. Her best bet might be a frontal assault at super-speed, but she's running in without knowing her opponent -- someone who is used to tangling with multiple speedsters. Let's see how it went...

The Tape: Supergirl Ranking: Gorilla Grodd (#844)

What Went Down...
Supergirl enters the town church just in time to rescue Sylvia Danvers from a mob of bestial parishioners! Danvers, mother to the girl Matrix merged with, sought refuge with the local United Methodist priest, but found only madness!

Reverend Varvel's mind is as clouded by The Heart of Darkness talisman that transformed his flock. Danvers preaches against their pagan worship of "The Beast", but a voice from above interrupts her pleas. It is no divine intervention.

Gorilla Grodd swings from his perch upon a cross, wielding the talisman that's turning the people of Leesburg into animals. He addresses a confused Supergirl with contempt, mocking her "Superman suit" in response. She attacks!

Supergirl tackles Grodd head-on as he notes the exception of her resistance to the talisman's effects. He intends to remake the town in his own image. A party, he calls it, before issuing her "invitation" personally.

Locked at close quarters; Grodd presses the magic talisman to Supergirl's head!

The mental impact of her absorption of human girl Linda Danvers cost Matrix control over her physical form. If these powers could've been of any use, they fail when she needs them most.

Supergirl doubles over on hands & knees as the magic takes hold! The Heart of Darkness only works at night, but with the Earth's sun consumed by an alien Sun-Eater, there is no hope of relief.

Sylvia Danvers cries out to Supergirl, but the moniker has lost its meaning. When "The Maid of Steel" rises, she sneers through the fanged-teeth of an animal. A bestial roar confirms her transformation: Supergirl belongs to Grodd!

The Hammer...
Shock! Horror! Gorilla Grodd claims quick victory with a single deft manoeuvre! A stunning and cunning tactic that brings Supergirl over to his side: to be continued in the pages of Supergirl (Vol. 4) #4 -- and perhaps another featured fight in the future!

Gorilla Grodd is one of the exciting new additions playable in DC fighting game sequel: Injustice 2! Officially out for home consoles May 16th; Injustice 2 is the inspiration behind this month's featured fights!

Real-deal Kryptonian Supergirl is another of the characters I've been excited to see join the game. She looks to have a fairly major role, thanks in part to her connection to cousin Superman, who infamously turned tyrant in the first game.

You generally won't get me to say much positive about Injustice as a whole. The core concept and plot of the first game is thoroughly lacking. As part of what I'm calling a Supergirl renaissance, however, I think the sequel is peachy keen!

I gushed a whole lot late last year, describing my personal about-face on The Girl of Steel. After watching that first season of the live-action television series, I'm still very much in a mood of enthusiasm.

I would've liked this week's entry to be another contribution to our mounting Supergirl file, but as you've hopefully picked up from previous sections, this is the Matrix creature who served as Supergirl after Crisis on Infinite Earths.

Crisis rebooted the DC Universe without Superman's cousin. She'd sacrificed herself in the fight against the Anti-Monitor, famously mourned in Superman's arms on the cover of Crisis on Infinite Earths #7. She was ultimately the other big death of the series, overshadowed by the themes of legacy carried on after Barry Allen's sacrifice in Crisis #8.

Flash could be succeeded by his second, Wally West, but Supergirl herself was the derivative taken from Superman. Even if the newly streamlined DC Universe would acknowledge her, there was a valid question as to whether it should.

The mythology of Superman as the last son of Krypton has always been a great tag line - but it didn't ring true. In a new, savvy, cohesive DCU, there was an opportunity to restore Superman to his unique roots, erasing the fumbling excuses that introduced a cavalcade of other Kryptonians. There was a chance to make Kal-El special again -- and they did... Sort of...

The oddball compromise of Matrix, soon to be Supergirl, was first introduced in 1988. Just a couple of years after the streamlining of Crisis and Superman: Man of Steel; John Byrne was responsible for creating a very strange cake-and-eat-it compromise. This Supergirl wouldn't undermine Kal-El's unique story of survival, but would allow DC Comics a marketable facsimile.

I've got to think Byrne created his Supergirl under direction from DC editors. His reinvention was suitably steeped in mythology of the past, but any Supergirl seems slightly incongruous with the rest of his work. He outlined a no Supergirl, no Superboy philosophy focused on keeping Superman special in an interesting UseNet post archived by DC in the 80s.

For a long time, I probably would've supported the notion Supergirl should be omitted all together, too.

Secondary derivative characters are rarely satisfying, and Supergirl as a concept can only diminish qualities in Superman. It's a cold logic I still think holds up, but ignores the enjoyable twists a character like Supergirl can offer. Especially when the narrow focus of a reboot dissipates and decades of story are the measure once more.

Kara Zor-El crash landed in the post-Crisis DCU in 2004. Her arrival quickly nudged the Matrix Supergirl toward irrelevance, leading to several years of confusion over whether or not she was completely erased. Despite conflicting accounts of editors, the character endured in relative obscurity, at least until the mess was made even bigger with the line-wide re-launch of The New 52.

With the benefit of hindsight, you might call the creation of Matrix completely extraneous. If you're going to do Supergirl stories, you should probably just do Supergirl stories. As we can see, the awkward compromise only ended in a tangle of confusing and frustrating inconsistencies. Exactly the kind of problems they set out to solve with the 1985 Crisis.

It would be wonderful if examples like these could inform a smarter approach to the big company's comics. Alas, events like Crisis on Infinite Earths only seem to grant more license to perpetual do-overs as solution to poor decision making.

I'm glad the real-deal Supergirl is back in circulation, but it seems a shame to discard so much else.

There's clearly a place for considered alternatives to Superman's Kryptonian story. Supergirl imbues the powers and responsibility with a uniquely youthful, socially connected perspective. A more fun, grounded take than Superman's high ideals. That's evident even in the work of writers like Peter David, who made the most of telling contemporary stories with the Matrix knock-off, but should've been canonized by a character that withstood the ages.

I'm sure we'll be revisiting this corner of the DCU some time in the future. In the mean time, if you'd like to experience the Matrix Supergirl in her entirety yourself - take advantage of the Amazon link provided! Doing so will help support the site at no extra cost to you!

If the classics are more your speed, be sure to check out the Supergirl tag, or links littered throughout this post. Be here throughout the month as we dive deeper into DC Comics!

You can also dive into the Secret Archive to find every feature fight listed in order of publisher, series, and issue number! For daily battles inspired by the topics of the day, follow on Twitter and Facebook. A like and share is always much appreciated!

Winner: Gorilla Grodd
#355 (+489) Gorilla Grodd
#841 (new) Supergirl (Matrix)

THE SOCIETY versus
MARTIAN MANHUNTER
Caretakers of Mars (DC)
Where: Final Crisis: Requiem #1 When: September 2008 Why: Peter J. Tomasi How: Doug Mahnke

The Story So Far...
When an abusive childhood ended with his father's accidental death, Justin Ballantine accepted the value of balance in all things across the universe.
His cosmic philosophy, and aspirations of godhood, would lead him to accept employment as an adult to form a group called the Injustice Gang, and attempt to construct a weapon based upon the cosmic rod of Ted Knight.

His resulting "Transmortifier" proved capable of stealing a portion of energy from it's target, making a valuable weapon when turned against the superhuman might of the Justice League. As Libra, Ballantine received the powers of the combined JLA, before turning his weapon on the cosmos itself. The resulting influx of power seemingly destroyed his physical form, but Libra was reconceived on the planet Apokolips by his mystery benefactor, Glorious Godfrey.

As a prophet of Darkseid; Libra returned to Earth after the Death of the New Gods, promising to lead evil to salvation if The Society would entrust in him their leadership. Requiring the organized hordes for his own malicious ends, Libra set about bringing doom to the Earth as part of Darkseid's plot to create the Fifth World upon his resurrection as man. To distract the Society from the detail of his goals, he offers an act of good faith to one of their lowliest number. Thus, at the request of the Human Flame, Libra promises the death of Martian Manhunter...

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: M. Manhunter 6 (Invincible)
Intelligence: Lex Luthor 6 (Genius)
Speed: M. Manhunter 4 (Olympian)
Stamina: Vandal Savage 5 (Marathon)
Agility: Gorilla Grodd 4 (Gymnast)
Fighting: Talia al Ghul 5 (Martial Arts)
Energy: Libra 6 (Mass Destruction)


- The Society are: Libra, Lex Luthor, Dr. Light, Effigy, Dr. Sivana, Vandal Savage, Gorilla Grodd, Talia al Ghul, Ocean Master, & Human Flame.

The first incarnation of self-confessed "Super Villains" was gathered by the evil New God, Darkseid, in an effort to pool the group's efforts against their mutual heroic enemies. Typically rife with internal conflict, the collective rarely achieved any success in their battles with their counterparts in the Justice League.

When the revelation of a history of mind-altering intrusions perpetrated by by the JLA was uncovered, the strength of the criminal community was galvanized under the leadership of Crisis on Infinite Earths survivor Alexander Luthor Jr, who was disguised as the version of this universe's version of his father, Lex. Luthor Jr succeeded in unionizing all but a select few criminals, organizing their efforts to further his own reality-altering goals. Upon his death, members of the Society operated in smaller groups, such as the Injustice League, before the mysterious villain Libra sought leadership during the return of the New Gods on Earth and Darkseid's attempt to created the Fifth World [Final Crisis].

- Experiments with teleportation technology developed by one Dr. Erdel were, by accident, responsible for plucking J'onn J'onnz from his home on Mars. Traversing the gulf of space by unknown means, the unannounced arrival of a lurching Martian figure was enough to startle the aging scientist to his death. Alone in a strange world, the accident forced the Martian to at first adopt the scientist's identity by means of shapeshifting, before he absorbed enough understanding through the observation of television programming to assume his own identity.

Finding aspirational figures in the gumshoe detectives popular on television, the Martian adopts the fictitious identity of Detective John Jones. For a time he was to do as he had on Mars, delivering justice with unwavering moral and character, but eventually circumstances would force a reveal upon the Martian Manhunter.

Though resistant at first to expose himself to humanity's judgment, his unique Martian abilities quickly earned him status with the Justice League of America.
Along with the ability to transform his appearance and form, J'onn J'onnz also possesses fantastic super-human strength, speed, durability, energy vision, vast telepathic skill, and the ability to become invisible and intangible. While these many abilities quickly rank him among the most powerful figures in the DCU, the sole survivor of catastrophe on Mars has a single mundane weakness -- fire!

Math: The Society (Ttl) Martian Manhunter (Avg)
Ranking: Martian Manhunter (#32)

What Went Down...
The Martian Manhunter's initial defeat comes at the hands of Dr. Light and Effigy, who are deployed by Libra to retrieve their target. Specially designed "pyro-tranq darts" conceived by the mad Dr. Sivana pump the Martian's body full of paralyzing agent, while Effigy's mastery of flame ensures he remains subdued.

The dastardly duo drag the Martian's body to an elevator that takes them upstairs to their waiting master. The gathered inner-circle of the Society watch as their pledging leader, Libra, lords over the weakened hero. Noting no desire to battle the Martian in a fair fight, Libra plunges his spiked staff through the alien's chest, bathing the hero in flames once more.

The pain of the blow shocks the Martian out of his stunned state, resulting in a squirm and bending flailing of transforming limbs. He tosses Libra across the room into an abandoned bar, contorting to pull the impalement from his chest!

The Martian Manhunter's explosive atomic vision blasts the opposing villains, before he lunges at them with the strength of a madman!

He clutches Light by the throat while Gorrilla Grodd takes the brunt of his Martian vision blasts, and Sivana inconsequentially swings off of his free arm. Talia al Ghul lurks with a blade drawn while the two fire wielding villains attempt to quash the Martian's rage, but their numerical superiority inspires a challenge.

The Justice League appears to crash through the ceiling to come to their teammate's aid, a member for every villainous counterpart!

Superman drives his fist into Lex Luthor's heart; the Green Lantern encases Effigy in a liquid filled energy construct; Flash vibrates his way through Gorilla Grodd's skull; Captain Marvel crams worms into Dr. Sivana's mouth; Batman silences Talia al Ghul with a kiss and embrace; Aquaman drives Ocean Master's own trident into his chest; and Elongated Man wraps around Dr. Light's body, promising revenge for the crimes he committed against his deceased wife.

Just as the tide appears to be taking a nightmarish turn for the villains, Libra's word clears the confused minds of his Society fellows. With his staff again driven through the Martian Manhunter's gut, he pins the hero to the ground, forcing his telepathic crusade into remission.

Clinging to the staff as desperately as he does to life, the Martian Manhunter defiantly pulls himself toward Libra. Through grit teeth he maintains a brave face, even as Effigy and Dr. Light descend upon him in a swirl of flame.

His body smouldering, the defeated Martian makes a final prophecy of doom for the forces of evil. As the Society gathers in a circle around him, J'onn J'onnz sends out a final telepathic cry to the real League, giving each an opportunity to glimpse the sprawling story. It is not enough to protect them from the crisis to come, but when the heroes of Earth return J'onn J'onnz to the barren soil of Mars, they remember him fondly.

The Hammer...
Led by Libra, The Society emerge with one of the defining victories that led to the day that "evil won." Effigy and Dr. Light should be included in the win stats, for anybody playing at home.

One of the few drawbacks of focusing on the releases of the week is the many stories that are overlooked, or forgotten. Final Crisis; a story that thrilled in the early parts of the year; is a prime example of this loss. Fortunately, a slow week and impending significance grants us reprieve to go back to the event that changed the way we look at the DCU.

Martian Manhunter was a character dangling over the comics dead pool for quite some time. Though beloved as a stalwart of the JLA, the character had struggled to sustain any viability as a solo or headlining property, making him the perfect balancing act of significance and expendability in a corporate structure. Or at least, that's one interpretation of a story that managed to have much more soul than many of the recent deaths that have plagued superhero comics.

First confirmation of the death came from a brief sequence in the now classic first issue of Final Crisis. There; JG Jones (and Grant Morrison) merely confirmed the kill, alluded to with a single shot of the impaled and burning figure. Requiem, as you might have gathered, elaborates on the final plot against Martian Manhunter and the way in which the heroes mourn and remember him.

As a tie-in with an obvious purpose, Requiem excells not just for elaborating on details from the core-series, but also telling a startlingly powerful tale. Despite the bravado of the Martian Manhunter character, his death lingers as a pathetic final moment for such a powerful character. The famous fire weakness has always lent itself to this, most recently recognised for it's recent reference as a threat in DC: The New Frontier, delivered by Batman to MM's alias, Det. John Jones.

A less romantic examination of the Martian Manhunter death reveals a beloved character desperately attempting to overcome the inevitable in an effort to cling to life a little longer. His telepathic resistance is a feeble attempt against the overwhelming odds posed by The Society's powerful number -- Human Flame and Effigy qualified to rival the hero solo, let alone in the company of powerhouses like Gorilla Grodd, Lex Luthor, and Vandal Savage. Even in his final moments, Martian Manhunter tries to turn Libra's condemnation against him, "It is you... that will no longer pose a viable threat." (I know you are, but what am I?)

Granted, the latter example could be interpreted several ways, more positively as in our previous summary section as a foreboding moment of satisfaction for a character telepathically reaching out to his fellows. Ultimately, no substantial warning appears to be delivered, certainly nothing sufficient enough to inform the heroes of the coming destruction wrought by the Society and Darkseid's New Gods reborn on Earth.

This mixed interpretation shouldn't be mistaken for weakness in the writing, as Peter Tomasi delivers a respectful eulogy for the character often described as the soul of the Justice League. It might not have been the moment fans wanted to be the character's last, but that is the nature of the lives delt to men and women who choose to put themselves in the line of danger in the name of justice.

Doug Mahnke handles the action superbly, but it's his treatment of the emotional second half of the story that emphasises why he's one of the Infinite Wars' favourite artists in superhero comics. A scene featuring a mourning Hal Jordan, and Oliver Queen, maskless, is of particular sentimentality, expertly exuding the gammut of emotions, positive and negative, expressed by the pair.

The story does particularly well to deliver a brief tour through the most recent incarnations of Martian Manhunter's complicated backstory. Longtime fans might notice the glaring absence of their own favourite moments, but as a moment of sentimentality and functionality, it's a great way to induct the uninformed into some of the details that defined the otherwise undeveloped supporting character.

In a moment typically overlooked in comics, J'onn J'onnz is privvy to a funeral tailored to his unique character. Ferried by all four human Green Lanterns, almost the entire recnognisable superhero community join the core Justice League for a ceremony on Mars, complete with relocated artifacts from Martian society that had been rematerialized on Earth by the Spectre (in a previous story).

It would be hard to imagine the moxxy of the story being lost, even on the most uninitiated fan. After fifty years of publication, it's sad to say that this might just about be the most definitive publication in the character's long history.
Maybe a little sadder is that such a poignant tale will be essentially undone when the Martian Manhunter returns from the grave as one of the first confirmed Black Lanterns in Geoff Johns' upcoming space epic, Blackest Night. For critics, however, it is important to remember the machinery of the superhero universe, not just for it's creative and corporate cogs, but the in-fiction plausibility of it's constant flux. Like the ominous reference in Final Crisis to the heroes praying for a resurrection for their friend, we should appreciate the grander picture of the Black Lanterns, rather than dwelling on the moments perceived as being undone.

Confirmed thus far for the Black Lantern Corps are also deceased heroes; Earth-2 Superman, Aquaman, and former-Firestorm, Ronnie Raymond. Possible allusions also include Superboy, Mirror Master, Blue Beetle, Sue Dibny, Elongated Man, and Dr. Light, but these would only be guesses based on recently release promotional art [via DC: The Source]. For some of our early predictions (some right), check out our predictions entry from October 2008!

For more on the Martian Manhunter and his wonderful history, also consider checking out our previous Double Feature entry, Men are from Mars!

The Fight: 4.5 The Issue: 6.5

If somehow you missed out on the Final Crisis epic, you'll be able to catch-up in one fowl swoop with the complete collected edition. For more of the story, including Final Crisis: Requiem, you'll also want to pick-up the Final Crisis Companion, which features various connected tie-ins. Some of the best examples of tie-in issues by any company in recent years! PLUS -- by using purchase links provided on the Infinite Wars, you help sponsor future entries! You'll find plenty more on offer in the Amazon Gift Shoppe, including collections featuring most single issues reviewed in the Secret Archives!