AVENGERS versus KANG THE CONQUEROR

First Blood (Marvel)
Where: Avengers #2 When: December 1996 Why: Rob Liefeld, Jim Valentino & Jeph Loeb How: Chap Yaep

The Story So Far...
Facing apparent death in their battle against the psionic entity called Onslaught -- The Avengers and Fantastic Four were whisked to the safety of a pocket dimension created subconsciously by naive mutant Franklin Richards.

Beginning their lives anew with no knowledge of their true history: The Avengers are founded under the direction of Nick Fury and SHIELD, to act as a global peace-keeping force against super-powered threats also newly manifesting on this Counter Earth.

Bolstered by the addition of Captain America and Thor; The Avengers are a powerful assembly whose legend will inevitably continue into the distant future. A future ruled by Kang The Conqueror, who has travelled through time to defeat history's mightiest heroes!

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Thor 6 (Invincible)
Intelligence: Kang 6 (Genius)
Speed: Captain America 4 (Olympian)
Stamina: Thor 6 (Generator)
Agility: Hellcat 4 (Gymnast)
Fighting: Captain America 6 (Warrior)
Energy: Kang 5 (Lasers)
Total: Kang The Conqueror 29 (Metahuman)

The Avengers are: Captain America, Thor, Hawkeye, Vision, Swordsman, Scarlet Witch, and Hellcat.

Starting from scratch in the pocket universe -- these Avengers are still relatively new to working with each other. They just recruited Thor in the previous issue, when he saw through his brother's manipulations, and helped to defeat him.

Scarlet Witch was key to their victory, using hex powers to turn Loki's spell back against him, but it remains to be seen how her awesome magicks will affect the futuristic technology of Kang The Conqueror.

This time Kang hails from the even farther flung future of the 31st century: a variant conjured to this universe by Franklin Richards based upon his distant descendent -- the time travelling Nathaniel Richards, who is typically cited as having conquered the 30th century.

It was that Kang who deployed the Avengers to Limbo to destroy a facsimile of himself in a quest to consolidate power by eliminating all Kang variants diverging from his prime timeline. A feat achieved with advanced technology that allows him to effortlessly traverse time and space.

Kang is also outfitted in advanced armor, which grants him super-human strength and durability, gravity-defiance, defensive force-fields, and an arsenal of weaponry capable of deploying concussive blasts and other attacks.

Captain America's tactical savvy should help the team coordinate, but it's Thor who offers the most obvious counter-attack to Kang's incredibly powers.

We've seen The God of Thunder face similar versatile threats from The Mandarin, Nebula, Super-Skrull, Thanos, Juggernaut, Doctor Doom, and even DC's Superman and Captain Marvel! Will he be the difference maker? Let's find out!

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

What Went Down...

The appearance of a massive spaceship floating over New York City prompts Director of SHIELD, Nick Fury, to activate his Avengers for a full investigation, and if necessary, neutralization of any emerging threat.

Captain America doesn't much like the cut of Fury's jib, but with Scarlet Witch and Hellcat already in the field, the team is quick to mobilize against a mysterious individual already in the process of engaging the women.

A simple gesture directs a blast of energy that engulfs Scarlet Witch and Hellcat!

The remaining Avengers arrive just in time to witness the assault. Cap discreetly makes sure Hawkeye has a clean shot, but Thor is too incensed to give the archer opportunity to strike first. Kang invites it with no clearer motive: "Your move."

The God of Thunder obliges -- tossing his mighty hammer Mjolnir!

Remarkably the weapon stalls beyond Kang's outstretched hand, igniting with sparks of electricity as it collides with a force-field surrounding him!

Captain America recognizes the danger and orders Hawkeye to try to rally Scarlet Witch to make use of her awesome magicks that stopped Loki.

Swordsman sees the need for a distraction to give Hawkeye a clear run, but his attempt to take the initiative is immediately squashed, much to Captain America's chagrin. Swords are simply no match for Kang's advanced technology!

Cap tries to restore order so the team can regroup, but Thor refuses to yield.

"Do what thou must, Captain. But, no being, mortal or god, may take the fabled Mjolnir from my side -- and not rue the day!"

The thunder god brings down the very heavens, dive bombing Kang in blaze of lightning that explodes around the force-field bubble, and rips through the surrounding earth!

The Avengers feel the fallout as Scarlet Witch does her best to shield she and Hellcat from the erupting energies. As she struggles, The Witch compels Hawkeye to help the rest of the team, even as he finds himself lacking any clear shot.

Captain America rallies Vision and Hawkeye to his side for a final stand.

Hawkeye sends the first salvo, much to Kang's amusement.

The arrow sails straight and true, inevitably striking Kang's force-field -- but this "toy" contains a thermite incendiary tip that burns through bubble and deactivates the defensive barrier!

Captain America throws his mighty shield -- knocking Kang off his feet, while Vision takes the order to glide toward the threat and neutralize it by phasing through his body to cause him discomfort -- and submission.

Alas, Kang's futuristic defenses are vast and many. Before the android can shift his density, The Conqueror orders his ship to open fire -- blasting Vision with a massive explosion!

Thor gravely returns to the battlefield, mournfully coming face to face with Kang under the belief that his new comrades have perished. He vows to avenge his fallen allies by spilling Kang's blood.

The ferocity and power of Thor's attack is enough to cause even Kang alarm.

He desperately calls for assistance from his ship as Thor rains down bareknuckle blows against his restored force-field!

A beam of energy blasts Thor from behind and surrounds him in another bubble that is dragged towards the ship. A futuristic assault that allows Kang The Conqueror to claim the thunder god as trophy in victory.

The Hammer...

Remembering that Kang featured prominently in this issue, I figured it might be fun to go back to Heroes Reborn to take a fresh look. After all, he's given pride of place as the first real threat to the pocket universe's fully formed Avengers, after they were deployed to Norway, and recruited Thor from the side of Loki.

Some of Heroes Reborn reads like a prototype version of Ultimate Marvel, and I guess that includes the highs and lows, as Kang The Conqueror is reduced to a far less interesting villain, coming from the distant future of the 31st century for the expressed purpose of impressing Mantis by beating up history's famed Avengers and nothing much more.

It's kind of a weirdly underwhelming take on what could've been a very unique and interesting villain. One whose status outside the present-day Marvel Universe could've allowed Kang full knowledge of the battle with Onslaught, and the false new reality that was created to contain the heroes.

There doesn't appear to be any acknowledgement of the fact that Loki was accidentally sent to Limbo in the prior issue. A domain notably claimed by Kang The Conqueror in past issues of Avengers, and a natural means for alerting him to the existence of the Heroes Reborn universe.

Kang might've used his unique awareness to attempt to conquer this world and use it for his own ends -- or perhaps escape it, having been accidentally caught by Franklin Richards while travelling from the future, rather than simply being a facsimile created within the world to occupy the heroes before their return.

In that situation Kang could've been key to unravelling the mystery of this new reality, investigating the lost history of The Avengers and Fantastic Four. He could've been a pivotal figure in the whole affair! Granted, that was a role reserved for Doctor Doom, and Kang probably didn't quite have the cachet to demand that level of attention at the time. That wouldn't come until a few years later when Kurt Busiek devises the epic Kang Dynasty -- a year-long story that put Kang back on top with his conquest of the present day.

Exactly how much clarity or planning was going into the pages of Heroes Reborn's Avengers Volume 2 is not evident, and difficult to gauge.

Three hands in writing might not have helped artist Chap Yaep, whose pencils are frustratingly unfocused throughout the battle of Avengers #2. His staging too often centers around unimportant aspects of subject matter, passing up opportunities for dynamic narrative shots of characters in action, in favour of messy layouts filled with dead space, awkward zooming, literal voids, and splashes of relative inaction.

Layouts are unmistakably Liefeldian, but storytelling particularly dips here, held together by script and/or dialogue credited to Jim Valentino (script), and Jeph Loeb (dialogue), respectively. Without their words scenes become less clear.

As I recall, things settle down in the next issue, and continue to improve when Ian Churchill joins the team in Avengers #4. Even so, it isn't wildly surprising that Marvel chose to sever ties mid-series with the Rob Liefeld portion of their Image-produced Heroes Reborn titles. There is an unmistakable air of chaos and waste. A sense of carelessness, and things just barely being held together by a ballooning creative team.

The editorial shakeup reportedly happened at issue #6, and will become evident in credits for Avengers #8, when Walt Simonson formally takes over writing duties, introducing a second contrary Thor to the equation, and generally restoring more normalcy to the Avengers and their portrayals ahead of their imminent repatriation to the main universe in Heroes Reborn: The Return.

The second Thor highlights the potential complication the Heroes Reborn universe adds to our rankings, but per the rules of alternate realities, we consider these to be off-shoots connected to the main character, unless otherwise stated.

No doubt we'll return to explore more from Heroes Reborn some time in the future, as well as more from Kang The Conqueror. If you'd like to see those things and more you should follow links to topics throughout this post -- or check out the Secret Archive for a complete index of featured fights in order of publisher, series, and issue number.

Secret Wars on Infinite Earths has featured well over 700 battles and ranked more than 1,000 iconic characters! You can make sure there are many more to come by becoming a supporter on Patreon. As a thank you for your patronage you'll find additional updates and multiple tiers to sponsor more feature content.

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Winner: Kang The Conqueror
#420 (+564) Kang The Conqueror
#7 (--) Captain America
#17 (--) Thor
#90 (--) Hawkeye
#125 (-20) Hellcat
#155 (-7) Vision
#441 (-1) Scarlet Witch
#991 (-336) Swordsman

QUICK FIX: CAPTAIN AMERICA vs NAZI GOONS
Courage (Marvel)
Where: Captain America #1 When: November 1996
Why: Rob Liefeld & Jeph Loeb [w/ Chuck Dixon]
How: Rob Liefeld

THE TAPE...
Strength: Capt. America 3 (Athlete)
Intelligence: Capt. America 4 (Tactician)
Speed: Capt. America 4 (Olympian)
Stamina: Capt. America 5 (Marathon)
Agility: Capt. America 4 (Gymnast)
Fighting: Capt. America 6 (Warrior)
Energy: Capt. America 2 (Projectile)

Math: Captain America
Ranking: Captain America (#7)

THE FIX...
'It's the content we produce.' 'We don't have to go around shitting on other people's content...'

This just happened to be the quote uttered as I was writing this paragraph -- one of over two hours worth of irony completely lost on the hosts of The Mighty Sabo And Son podcast as they lured and lambasted a blog prankster, this week. Unfortunately, they do not have a website that I can find and link, but if they did, I'm not entirely sure I would want to.

This is a pretty unusual way to open an entry on what is usually a comics review and discussion site centred around the conflicts of superheroes and villains. This year in particular we've been more about the comics than the subjects surrounding them, but I was so stunned by the Sabo podcast, I felt it worth discussing.

The controversy started with a prank pulled on Rob Liefeld, but let's go further back -- to the comics.

Superheroes and the medium of comics is arguably more in the public eye than ever. Films like The Dark Knight, Spider-man, Watchmen, and Iron Man, have all exposed a mainstream audience to the best things the medium and genres have to offer. Despite this prominent exposure, sales in the direct comics market are less than impressive, particularly when you compare them to the heady glory of the late eighties and early nineties. During that period, books were canceled for bottoming out with sales figures upwards of three times their current numbers.

During this period, visuals were king, and it was the images of Todd McFarlane, Erik Larsen, Jim Lee, Marc Silvestri, and Rob Liefeld that produced these unrivaled sales figures. Together, along with Jim Valentino and Whilce Portacio, they broke away from their success at Marvel to create their own publishing entity, Image Comics, founded on a principle of creative ownership and rights for artists.

Keen to get a slice of the action, the Marvel administration of 1996 were able to lure back some of their prodigal sons, namely Liefeld, Lee, and Portacio, all to be part of a complete reinvention of their lagging icons. Heroes Reborn was the result, created out of an X-Men storyline that pitted them against uber-villain, Onslaught, whose destruction coincided with the creation of a pocket universe where the Fantastic Four and Avengers were to be reinvented with a modern interpretation -- a precursor to the Ultimate line, which did much the same.

The legacy of Image Comics remains a vital component of the creative landscape for the medium, providing a marketing support network and creative platform for writers and artists establishing themselves in the industry. This is in contrast to the legacy of the first comics produced by Image, which remain infamous points of contention for comics art enthusiasts and online jokesters.

Liefeld in particular has been the subject of much ridicule, his bombastic art style lampooned and commentated upon consistently since the era. Despite his many successes at the time, which included massive sales and mainstream attention (he even appeared in Levi adverts), he remains widely known for idiosyncracies of his art, and accusations of plagiarism and misconduct.

This twenty-year history was the premise for a prank pulled by Ryan Coons, aka; The Yellow Hat Guy, at a recent WizardWorld convention.
Coons approached Liefeld while he was sketching at a floor table, dispensed nervous pleasantries, and then requested an apology for the 1997 Heroes Reborn: Captain America series (featured in this article).

It was a fairly tactless and unremarkable act, but according to all accounts, was brief, and well ignored by the drawing artist. Coons returned some time later to deliver a bagged and personzlied copy of the iconic reference manual, How to Draw Comics the Marvel Way.

The humorous stunt was documented by a nervous Coons and his pals, made public later, with photographs and video, on his blog; Avengers Avenged.

The stunt has since seemingly attracted the attentions of a who's who of the comics industry, earning denouncements and harsh criticism from the likes of; Skottie Young, Cameron Stewart, Cully Hamner, Pia Guerra, Jamal Igle, Ron Marz, and Ethan Van Sciver. Their opinions, along with many others, have been scathing, with many choosing to interpret it as a personal attack on Liefeld and the fan-friendly institution of comics conventions.

Personally, I think this response is absurd.

To the rights and morals of the issue, this was a fairly harmless prank.
According to all reports; Coons took very little of Liefeld's time, and while the artist might not have been especially pleased with the inference, he handled it quickly and well. As a public figure, he's ripe for lampooning, and Coons wasn't particularly out of line in making statements dependent solely on Liefeld's art.

There may be an argument that criticism and jokes are taken personally, and that this wasn't the best use of the accessibility afforded to fans at a convention, but at the end of the day, the common good was not violated, nor was Liefeld.

As a humorous blog post, the stunt was not only amusing (if unoriginal), but also far more harmless than many mainstream parody outlets. This didn't really go any further than anything I'm sure many of the harsh critics have themselves laughed at until hoarse. Those offended by the "cowardice" of leaving after the stunt, might consider that this was an efficient and unintrusive method of making the gag and leaving Mr. Liefeld to his day. Likewise, without this unfounded outrage, the controversy would not have been terribly intrusive to Liefeld's online movements -- and is still far from the worst the artist will ever get from geeks.

These opinions leveled at Ryan Coons may have been harsh and ill conceived, but the situation escalated to a completely unacceptable level on the podcast mentioned in the opening lines of this post.

Mark Brooks, Mark Walters, Lee Duhig, Scott Kurtz, Tim Fischer, and Freddie Avalos, were the line-up that appeared on the episode of The Mighty Sabo and Son, which at best, could be described as a juvenile and unsophisticated discussion forum for topical events.

Through the course of their six hour marathon, the chatting personalities arrived at the topic of Ryan Coons' stunt, beginning with similar sentiments to some of the comments made on the original blog. Thier purile bravado escalated far beyond disapproving conversation, however, after first recruiting Rob Liefeld for a more subdued portion of the case, before Coons himself called in for a grilling.

What ensued I can only describe as absolutely disgusting.

I personally fail to see how an intelligent individual could legitimately be morally outraged by the stunt pulled by Coons and his pals. Intelligence and morals were clearly never an issue on the podcast, however, as the group subjected Coons to what I would not at all lightly refer to as -- abuse.

For well over an hour, if not two, this young man was subjected to a completely misproportionate level of disdain. Throughout the course of the conversation he was viciously and personally attacked by the group, who took on an adolescent mob-like aggression. Any information volunteered by the blogger was quickly wielded for cutting personal insults by a group mystifyingly ignorant to irony of their merciless abuse in defense of a man they claim had been "dehumanized" (sic) by the convention gag.

Few of the vile isms levelled by the group could escape this irony, most, if not all, just as easily turned around back on the group for their own disgusting real-time behaviour. As they incited violence against the prankster, made references to hopes for his death, and unleashed a disgusting quantity and quality of abuse upon the young man, they undermined the few ultimately insincere references to repentence or perspective, let alone legitimacy to any argument against the prank.

I really cannot adequately describe my disgust for what has unfolded.
I consder myself a strong advocate of freedom to speech and strong opinion, but this was far beyond anything subscribing to those ideals. This was a young man -- who has copped a lot of dubious criticism for an ultimately silly joke -- fronting up to the opportunity to answer and accept his critics, only to be abused by men who had intimidation in numbers, and perceived authority. Unfortunately, they were too disorganized to make specific identification easy, but Scott Kurtz and Mark Brooks, artists who've been published by Image and Marvel respectively, completely abused any position of perceived authority their status brings with it.

Ryan Coons was inarticulate in his defense, either by nature, or by the opposition of numbers and volume that surely intimidated him. One call-in who attempted to offer support for the prankster was promptly muted by the controlling group, obliterating any chance of perspective interfering in this verbal lynching.
As flawed and immature as some of Coons arguments might have been, they were not nearly the embarrassment this self-righteous collective of ignorant fools positioned themselves to be.

Coons did not do well to defend himself as a blogger (or humorist) while the pack questioned his right to be so critical of Liefeld's work. He was unable to reflect upon the hours of verbal abuse directed at him when they accused him of having an agenda to dehumanize Liefeld. He did not reiterate that he himself is as open to criticism in the public domain as Liefeld. He never attacked their motivations for sensational gratifaction, while they accused him of pulling the stunt for hits.

For whatever reason, Coons sat and took every bit of unreasonable abuse leveled at him by these posturing imbeciles currently working in the industry.

I'm writing this as a person who has been on all sides of this argument.
I've experienced how fickle fans and creators can be. I've produced creative work as a critic, commentator, and writer, and would like to attain a higher role in any of these fields. I do these things very aware of the scrutiny I'm putting myself under. As much as I've dealt with my fair share of unpleasant opinions from both fans and creators, I've been fortunate enough to not incite such a response. I shudder to think how Mr. Kurtz and his gang might receive this blog, should it come to their attentions. I wonder what methods of torture or death they might wish upon me, or if I might be exempt for the many undertakings I've ventured in ten years of very public, if obscure, online projects.

Unfortunately, as many of us have found, and as was vividly displayed in this situation, the comics industry isn't terribly accountable. For whatever reason, there are a lot of undesirable personality types involved, with a lot of fickle and unreasonable attitudes condemning many individuals who attempt to enter the ranks. Coons has apparently been blacklisted by the union of individuals that even included a representative of Wizard Magazine, Mark Allen Haverty.

In this case, Ryan Coons has been unlucky enough to suffer the collective ire of people who have not apparently paused to consider the broad perspective of the issue. He has been made accountable, where these disgusting podcasters will likely not be. In fact, bizarrely, the cult of these men might actually grow thanks to the same anonymity and online bravado that created this situation.

EDIT: Personal attacks have gone far beyond Ryan Coon's website, further emphasising how inappropriate the current course of action has been. I don't see how anyone could honestly describe his prank as unreasonably malicious, but the same simply cannot be said of the reaction of those outraged.

I don't know what punishment I would claim fitting for these podcasters.
Other industries show a precedent of canceling their endorsements for these types of outrageous incidents, but I just can't see Image or Marvel becoming involved. I honestly cannot describe how disgusted I am by the three hours of listening they have prepared for download, and am not even sure if effectively blacklisting them is a suitable answer, either. I just hope, with cooler heads prevailing, readers and the men themselves can reflect upon "The Mighty Sabo" without the tolerance afforded by pubescent online bravado, and recognise that it is now them who owe a very public and very sincere apology.

It would seem like an unfortunate parody to press this very serious discussion up against a review of a Captain America comic. Given the strong ideals that Captain America represents, it might not be entirely inappropriate, but I'm just not in the mood right now.

As you've seen from the usual panels littered throughout this post, the first issue of the Heroes Reborn Captain America series features an exciting and idealistically driven battle between Steve Rogers and the Nazi henchman of Master Man and Red Skull.

The villains want Captain America and his shield, but Steve Rogers has no memory of his heroic past, having lived multiple lives under the watchful eye of SHIELD and their mind-wiping technology. Like scenes from Total Recall, the unassuming laboror is confronted with his secret past by Abe Wilson -- Heroes Reborn father to the hero of our universe known as Falcon. When Abe finally convinces Rogers of his past, the Nazi bad guys destroy his house, and kill him.

Cap escapes the rubble to battle the bad guys to a successful triumph.
To read more about the Heroes Reborn universe, I'm sure you'll find information by following links in this post, or checking out other great websites. Some of the Heroes Reborn material has been collected, but I feel it would be inappropriate to include specific purchase links in this post, as we normally would.

The Fight: 5 The Issue: 4.5
Winner: Captain America

If you have opinions on the subject discussed today and wish to comment, I would suggest you refer to the original blog of the matter. I'm sure any support or disagreements you have with the situation would be better channelled there. I would also request that you try to remain civil, regardless of your position. This has become a very ugly storm in a tea cup, and while I feel I'm commentating on important details, I do not wish to escalate the situation unduly. That might be an ironic statement given the strength of my assessments, but it is sincere.

This blog was written August 15, but inserted into the usual Infinite Wars review schedule, which is currently two months behind.

You can also find Yellow Hat Guy's response to the furor on his blog and distribute comments there. In his podcast appearance, he apologised for potentially making Rob Liefeld feel unsafe, and takes his foot of the gas somewhat with the post. I believe he was quite probably brow beaten into doing this, and hope he can remain safe and healthy after this.

I'd also direct any undecided readers to an exceptionally well and calmly written blog on Destroy the Cyb.org, offering additional perspective for the posse that's formed around the event, and the thoroughly mild circumstances of the prank. It's a great overview of the point, much less specific in reference than mine.

MOLEMAN versus FANTASTIC FOUR
Repercussions (Marvel)
Where: Fantastic Four #2 When: December 1996
Why: Jim Lee & Brandon Choi How: Jim Lee

The story so far...
When battle with the psionic villain Onslaught leaves Earth's mightiest heroes trapped in a pocket dimension; the Fantastic Four and Avengers become destined to relive their past, oblivious to their former lives as heroes.

When a team of phony SHIELD agents commandeer control of the space operation "Excelsior", led by Dr. Reed Richards, he and his team escape imprisonment to launch their space shuttle, designed for interstellar investigation. Their target is a bizarre space anomaly which has garnered the attentions of hidden rival and sponsor of Dr. Richards' plight - Victor Von Doom!

Ill prepared, the team of Richards, Ben Grimm, Susan Storm, and Johnny Storm find themselves overwhelmed by the cosmic energies emitted by the space phenomena, which appears to be a wormhole in space. With insufficient shielding in their prototype ship, the team are bombarded, and crash land on a remote island, where they climb from the wreckage to discover their ship's powersource - the quantum core - about to go nuclear.

Not only that, but as each space explorer discovers the effects of the cosmic radiation, they quickly come to rely upon they find themselves at the mercy of a madman calling himself master of the subterranean realm -- Mole Man!

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Thing 6 (Invincible)
Intelligence: Mr. Fantastic 6 (Genius)
Speed: Human Torch 3 (Athlete)
Stamina: Thing 5 (Marathon Man)
Agility: Mr. Fantastic 6 (Rubber)
Fighting Ability: Invisible Woman 4 (Trained Fighter)
Energy Powers: Human Torch 7 (Cosmic Power)


- Ridiculed for his scientific theory that the Earth was hollow; eccentric and homely scientist-cum-explorer, Harvey Rupert Elder, would embark on his own expiditions to prove the validity of his claims to his dismissive peers.
One such outing would lead him to discover the fabled Monster Island, where he would be partially blinded by an underground deposit of diamonds in a subterranean maze that confirmed his theories.

Rejecting life on the surface, Elder renames himself Moleman, and takes leadership over hordes of creatures dubbed Moloids. Utilizing strange alien technologies, Mole Man uses his armies and machines to lorde over the subterranean realm, and terrorize the surface world. His influence beneath the Earth comes to extend to a great many other underground lifeforms, including the many monstrous creatures that earned Monster Island it's name.

- The Fantastic Four are: Mr. Fantastic, Invisible Woman, Human Torch, and The Thing.

The original Fantastic Four were exposed to cosmic rays when Reed Richards led the team in a race to beat the Russians to space. Without sufficient preperation time, the shuttle lacked the shielding needed to filter the cosmic radiation, resulting in unique transformations in each member.

Reed Richards, already a potent force given his genius for invention, exploration and theory, gained the ability to stretch and contort his body with limited restriction.

Sue Storm is able to manipulate invisible forcefields to create a variety of objects, typically bubbles, platforms and shields. She is also able to cast a veil of invisibility over herself, others, or objects, and do so in a variety of creative ways.

Johnny Storm is the Human Torch, literally capable of englufing his body in flame. This fire can be projected, reach extreme temperatures, result in blinding light, and produce a wave of heat sufficient to propel his body through the air.

Ben Grimm, better known to the world as the ever lovin' blue-eyed Thing is a rocky bruiser of incredible size, strength and durability. The power of his fists is dwarfed only by the power of his heart, which refuses to quit, even in the face of the greatest adversary.

The Math: Fantastic Four Ranking: Mr. Fantastic (#8)

What Went Down...
Having regrouped after being seperated, the Fantastic Four find themselves face-to-face with the Moleman! Despite the threat it poses to them all, the Mole Man lordes the ruptured Quantum Core as a trinket, mentioned in babblings as a potential offering to "the great one."

The hot headed Johnny Storm is the first to reinitiate conflict, leaping into the air to use his new powers of ignition as the Human Torch. He charges the Moleman, but finds himself victim of a blast from the underground monarch's staff!


Moleman exhibits surprising agility for one of his runtish stature, combining i with well with guile and technology. He laments on the foursome's powers, recognising them not as children of the great one, prompting the consideration of their potential as offerings to the hypothetical pseudo-deity with which he hopes to gain favour.

Moleman again utilizes his staff, tapping it to the ground to excite a mutated lichen fungus capable of both grappling with the youngster, and dousing his flames. With the Torch incapacitated, Moleman leaves his rampaging monsters to continue the fight with the other three.

Two hulking dinosaur-like creatures descend, one of them able to snatch the Thing up in it's jaws before he is able to fight back. Reed Richards comes to his aid, leaping into action with his elastine capabilities, using it to wrap himself multiple times around the legs of each creature.

Sufficiently bound by the bands of Richards' stretch body, the two monsters are meagre victims for the super strength of the rocky Ben Grimm!

With the monsters levelled, Richards begins to hatch a plan of escape for his he and his fellows. He orders Thing to wrench free one of the giant diamonds, used by the underground civilization to perpetuate the ambient glow of filtered light from above.

Richards directs his financer (and fiance) Susan toward the underground cieling, where she is called upon to use her powers of invisibility to project a field that will allow a clear shaft of light from above. Richards is able to deduce this capability from her first encounter with the power, which included projecting transparency to her clothes, as well as her person.

As Susan struggles to maintain focus, the light beams into the cavernous underground, allowing the soon-to-be Mr. Fantastic to reflect it into the diamond held by Thing. the orchestration of teamwork is capped off by the bound Torch, who is at close enough proximity to snatch away the Moleman's protective visor, exposing his sensitive eyes to the explosion of luminosity!

With Moleman and his minions sufficiently distracted, the foursome are able to make their escape thanks to the thing's earth-moving muscles! Their escape tunnel allows even more light into the underground, assuring their getaway.
That is, until another obstacle reveals itself to be waiting outside with a synaptic-scrambler, and a helicarrier to take them into custody...

The Hammer...
Ladies and gentlemen, your Friday night winners, successful as a result of teamwork: the Fantastic Four!

If you're just joining us, you might like to know that we're kicking off a new year of Infinite Wars by giving the 2007 year end top ten characters first bite at the rankings cherry. Since all four of the FF factored into the 2007 top ten, we're going to sum them up with this single entry, allowing us to move onward.

Meanwhile, elsewhere on the internet, Bahlactus made his triumphant return to Fridays with the first of a brand new round of FNF's. We spaced last week, but we're well ready to represent, throwing out the FF for cosmic representation!

Speaking of the FF, I finally got to see Rise of the Silver Surfer last weekend, and I've got to be honest: I was pretty darn disappointed. It should be noted that I was not at all impressed with the first film, but felt some of the backlash and the benefit of experience and budget might have allowed for a better outing. Trailers which used the Silver Surfer/Human Torch chase from the film only helped build promise of what had every opportunity to be a fantastic do-over.

Alas, in it's own ways, Rise manages to disappoint all over again.
I actually contemplated the notion of using the film as the basis for this entry, but time and circumstances conspired to reserve my ire for another day, or as is the case, a less direct post. A post that shouldn't afford me opportunity to go into great specifics, but honestly, I find it hard not to.

If for some reason Barbershop and the Taxi remake fooled you into thinking Tim Story was going to be the perfect man for the job, you might have gotten a rude awakening. Then again, somehow I think if you had arrived by that assumption, there's every chance you loved Fantastic Four and it's sequel... Yeeeah...

Not surprisingly the simmering undertones of an agenda to incorporate African-American characters into the WASP world of the FF persists, but I am actually pleased to report that it seems to inadvertently benefit the film. Part of me still isn't entirely convinced by Fishburne's casting as the Silver Surfer, but really, the Matrix star's stoic delivery of lines in that velvety voice are key-perfect for the warm, but distanced portrayal familiar to the Silver Surfer.
Likewise, Andre Braugher seems under developed as the military hardman who plays antagonist to Gruffudd's Reed Richards, but brings a suitable stature to a role that could've easily turned into a clash of brawn versus brain.

Ironically, the criticisms start to rear their head around the more important facets of the movie, like the core cast and plot.

Defying all belief, Dr. Doom is bungled further still, narrowly avoiding what could've been a turn around reminiscent of the Ultimate fixing of the character, instead opting to disregard the negatives of the first film to continue to distance Doom from much of what made him the greatest villain in comics. Any good will earned by solid performances like Evans and Chiklis as the comedically feuding Human Torch and Thing, is completely nullified by the sheer miss of Doom.

Julian McMahon remains thoroughly unlikable, without the balance of intrigue, again leaving that cinematic performance to Darth Vader, who was inspired by the 1960's FF villain. The negatives spiral outward from this point, facilitating the familiar power-stealing plot by downgrading the Silver Surfer's vulnerabilities to be little more than a well placed shove.

Confused fans googling for answers managed to find their way to an Infinite Wars feature [Silver Surfer #107] that sees the Silver Surfer explicitly set the record straight in his own words. The issue reviewed there is ultimately quite insigifnicant in the scheme of comics, only highlighting the many sources available to inspire a device superior to placing all of the Surfer's powers in the board which he controls and manipulates freely.

From there you can get into further minutia, like Susan Storm's arc, which reduces the already hard-to-take-serious Jessica Alba to little more than a whining, selfish, tabloid wife. This is, to my recollection, contrary to the performance that was strong and reflective of the comics character; if a little slanted toward promoting the banner actress over traditional team leader, and far less bankable UK counterpart, Ioan Gruffudd.

If I had one final complaint I simply had to squeeze into a post that isn't even about the film, it would be a double red X for the visual effects.
One of the long recognised constraints on feature versions of the FF and Iron Man was the speculated special effects budget, due mostly to the nature of the characters, and CG-heavy filmmaking, pre-intergration reneissances seen over the past few years.

Given the money presumably saved on practical effects like the Thing suit (which remains less than convincing), and the one hundred and thirty million dollar budget, basic effects shots like Reed Richards stretching, or various green screen backgrounds, should've been far better than they were.

Attacking the CG department is also a convenient way to round out criticisms of design and concept of Galactus. Story defends the decision as considerate to plans for a Silver Surfer spin-off feature that he would not be directly involved with. [Story] explains the vague depiction of Galactus as opportunity for another director to put his stamp on what's required. Ultimately, the intrusion of weakening the Silver Surfer, and defining Galactus as much as they do, places enough intrusion on any following creative team that, I think the point is moot.

Frankly, the more I hear anything from Tim Story, the less impressed I am.
For a comic that has been such a success in the past, and remains a gem in the Marvel crown, it's so disappointing to see these films under perform the way they do. Sure, they make a lot of cash, but then, so does Britney Spears...

Bringing it back to the comics, we take a look at Heroes Reborn, which reinvents the heroes in a way the Ultimate versions would repeat a few years later.
This version of the FF manages to outdo it's Ultimate counterpart with an inter-connected series of associations that services the outlandish qualities of the superhero sci-fi, but lends a grounding by domino effect.

The anomaly explored in the Heroes Reborn universe is ultimately the Silver Surfer arriving in our galaxy through a wormhole. The entire line builds to a conclusion revolving around the arrival of Galactus, but before that, Fantastic Four manages to explore many of the classic heroes and villains with quite logical connection to "the great one", or, world devourer.

Personally I've always regarded connecting the FF's creation to Galactus as a reasonably logical one. Not only does it preemptively lend credence to their opposition of the space deity, but also lends a credibility to the sequence of events of the cosmic rays (which have never, to my knowledge, been elaborated upon in the central canon), and the arrival of Silver Surfer/Galactus some forty-plus issues later.

My perspective as a writer has always been to look at Galactus' need for planets that sustain sentient life, and his ability to embue sentient life with cosmic energy, as a potential means to an end. If an unexplained wave of cosmic radiation is what gives birth to the FF, why not connect the dots to assume Galactus sends out a wave of his energy with the intention of it travelling through space until it reaches a populated planet and dissipates over an entire populous, granting them all minute traces of the power cosmic.

The theory there would be that the power cosmic provides a signature beacon easily traced, making the search for planets a little more sophisticated than the groping orienteering heralds supposedly go on. The FF's intervention of the wave would provide a comparison to other worlds where denizens are not powered, and maybe even start to contribute explanations to the mutant population, and other unlikely super powers in the Marvel universe.

I consider myself a reasonably competent writer [and future Marvel hopeful], but I tend to imagine any well versed FF fan could probably come up with any number of two-hour alternatives that would surpass what was ultimately a very dull and boring sequel to an equally average summer blockbuster.

The Fight: 3.5 The Issue: 4.5

Agree, disagree? Though our discussions have been fairly critical over the past week or so, we hope to remind fans that there's no shame in having confident opinions, or critical analysis. Secret Wars on Infinite Earths is not a website built to "bash" certain products, but discuss them with familiarity, reference, and recognition of materials, good or bad. It just so happens the bad is often where more discussion can be found.

We encourage all who support either of the products discussed to head over to Amazon to pick them up at the most affordable price, where we will gladly collect Amazon kick-backs. Hooah!

MONTHLY PUNCH-UP #22 (October 2007)
THOR versus DR. DOOM
"Fourth & Goal" (Marvel)
Where: Heroes Reborn: The Return #4 When: December 1997 Why: Peter David How: Salvador Larroca

Quick Fix...
In August we spent a lot of time talking about the mid-nineties crossover spectacular, Heroes Reborn, and here we bridge the gap from the end of that closed-off reboot project, to Heroes Return, which is exactly what it suggests.

After spending a full year under the watch of guys like Jim Lee, Whilce Portacio, and an ever ill-fated Rob Liefeld; the characters leave behind their Ultimate styled reinventions to come back to a clean restart in the Marvel Universe proper. Good news for all concerned.
Especially Iron Man, who was relieved of some silly business revolving around a literal regression into his teenage years, as opposed to the childish bitch-fit he's throwing across the current Marvel Universe. Morning, Vicar!

If you want to know more of the backstory involved, you can probably follow the Heroes Reborn tag and read through some of the hammer conclusions of those posts. The quick summary is that the heroes battled Onslaught, it all hit the fan, Franklin Richards used his super-duper cosmic powers [see; X-Men Annual #14 for more Franklin power] to instinctively whisk the heroes into safety by creating a pocket universe, represented by a blue ball he fiercely guards.

Somewhere along the line the Celestials catch wind of the whole affair, and decide one of the two universes needs to go. Franklin and the gang win over the sympathis of one of the Celestials, who takes human form on Earth, and eventually the two universes collide in an effort to return the heroes to their home before the new universe is collapsed.

In order to successfully crossover to their universe, the heroes and villains that were sucked into the Heroes Reborn world must gather to cross into reality simultaneously, or risk damning everyone. Not such a problem when everyone gathers to utilize one of Dr. Doom's advanced ships to ferry through a break, but things go awry when the good Doctor decides to risk everyone when he kidnaps Franklin Richards with the intent to harness his imeasurable power.

With the boy in hand, Doom teleports out of the ship, into the gulf of space.
Despite the futility of his efforts, Reed Richards stretches out of the ship to reach desperately for his son. The rocket propelled Doom looks set to out maneuver any would-be attackers, but before he can fire a deadly blast from his gauntlet, Thor comes to the aid of Mr. Fantastic!

Iron Man and Thing desperately hold on to Mr. Fantastic, while Doom and Thor drift further from the vessel intended to be their salvation.

Spiteful, Doom risks much for an opportunity to rule his native world without opposition, opting to gamble his own life by drawing Thor into the outer space of the pocket universe, potentially damning all to eradication by the terms laid out by the Celestials.

Thor valiantly beckons his fellows to return inside to the safety of their ship, asking them to abandon him to ensure Doom have no further influence on their fate.

To the Latverian monarch's dismay, Thor manhandles him with godly strength, using his mystic hammer Mjolnir to summon a dimensional rift in the fabric of the pocket universe space-time, where he would intend to remove both he and Doom to the in-between of non-space.

The pair disappear into a vortex, leaving the heroes no choice but to press on. Confronted by a mirror of memories from the lives they forgot during their year in exile, the heroes blast their way toward home, shattering the pocket universe.

Though the heroes would not know it, the Celestial Ashema sacrifices her own consciousness to preserve the reality of Franklin's pocket world, and the lives that were inadvertantly created within it.

For the Avengers and the Fantastic Four, an overdue return to a world that has mourned them. Their return is an unceremonious one, seeing the heroes scattered as their travel disintergrates, and they are dispersed across reality.

Not a lot left to say, except that as we close our Marvel Ultimate Alliance Mondays features, we're going to have a complete month of DOOM!
Let this be the first of five fingers of Doom, delivered in a similar fashion to our evil doppelgangers in September. Next month's Punch-Up will feature a full rundown of the many posts connected to the villains from the video game.

The Fix: 3 The Issue: 4
Winner: Thor

The Top 5...
#1 Spider-man (-) (14) (Marvel)
Class: [Meta] Last Opponent: [Galactus]
Win Percentage: [71.43%] Features: [28]
Season 2006: [#2] Current Ranking: [#1]

We're officially entering the final quarter, and this is where the dash to beat Spidey is going to happen. As the league leader both for the year and in cumulative rankings, Spider-man seems an indomitable cultural icon, but with very little happening post-Spider-man 3, now may be the time for the inevitable decline.

Batman has a lot on the horizon, but whether or not three months are enough remains to be speculated. Despite his death, Captain America is now presenting a serious threat to the top spot, and with increased activity, it really is anyone's game at this point.

Upcoming creative changes to the Spider-franchise are worth lamenting, notably the streamlining of titles to three issues a month of Amazing. Nothing sounds particularly exciting, but it remains to be seen exactly how the big names involved will stamp their mark on the revamped series.

#2 Batman (-) (20) (DC)
Class: [Meta] Last Opponent: [Catwoman]
Win Percentage: [71.43%] Features: [21]
Season 2006: [#1] Current Ranking: [#2]

DC got a long overdue showing across September, giving Batman an inevitable boost as their leading icon. A defeat at the hands has damaged what was one of the most impressive win percentages on the site, bringing Batman now on a percentage par with Spider-man.

Making a late charge is Captain America to seriously threaten Batman's year long security in the top two. It was a late charge that positioned Spider-man for a strong year in 2007, and teased at stealing top spot in '06. If Cap mirrors, he'll almost certainly take number two before '08.

Nothing special comes to mind for Batman, but it's interesting to note a new series right up our alley! Gotham Underground debuts this month from DC comics, and looks set to initiate some of the concepts we've discussed in the past concerning the criminal underworld of the urban sprawl. Should be interesting for those with the money to purchase such luxury items.

#3 Captain America (RE) (4) (Marvel)
Class: [Meta] Last Opponent: [Galactus]
Win Percentage: [42.31%] Features: [26]
Season 2006: [#8] Current Ranking: [#3]

Like a dead artist, Captain America's stock continues to rise exponentially as his death is mourned by the Marvel Universe.
Success in the Infinite Wars has mirrored the critical acclaim of the series title he left behind, which has been carried on successfully despite the fact he no longer appears in it.

It sounds like a new Captain America may finally be named soon, which might just carry on the Steve Rogers nostalgia train. Rogers himself is also fixing for a return to the Marvel Universe with the Invaders/Avengers time travelling caper coming sometime in the near future from Kreuger and Ross.

In the 2006 September Top 5 count, it was Spider-man who made the shock entrance at the number-two spot as the beginning of a late charge. He didn't quite manage to usurp the top spot until early '07, but if history is anything to go by, it might be Cap's turn to threaten the leader as we head into the final quarter.

#4 Black Adam (-1) (5) (DC)
Class: [Super] Last Opponent: [Kobra]
Win Percentage: [100%] Features: [6]
Season 2006: [#n/a] Current Ranking: [#9]

He holds on for another month, enjoying success in another appearance courtesy of the new quick fix double features. Longevity in the Top 5 was always going to be Adam's problem, and with few entries in my meagre collection to go, it seems it may actually finally be the end of the dream run for 2007's MVP.

There's still a slew of recent entries out there including the final issues of 52, the World War III four-parter, the current Dark Ages mini-series, Countdown, and an apparent appearance in Dwayne McDuffie's new Injustice League. The only problem will actually be seeing that stuff. Sponsors, if you're listening...

It may be Superman who rises to claim Adam's spot as the second DC hope, after a recent string of entries in September. Likewise, characters like Catwoman and Green Arrow lurk as potential threats to a top five stay for Teth-Adam.

#5 Mr. Fantastic (RE) (3) (Marvel)
Class: [Champion] Last Opponent: [Ahab]
Win Percentage: [58.33%] Features: [12]
Season 2006: [#14] Current Ranking: [#8]

Perhaps the most unlikely entrant into the top five, despite being here before, way back at the very beginning. The success of the Fantastic Four has arguably been a long time coming, and with Mark Millar and Bryan Hitch coming up on the title, they'll remain in mind.

If things continue for the quartet, it's quite possible Reed Richards may be but a sign of things to come. Thing lurks close by at sixth spot, while Johnny Storm and Invisible Woman are no more than a couple of wins away themselves.

There's an argument that claims Reed Richards could be one of the greatest fighters in the Marvel Unvierse, if he were free of his inhibitions. We saw shades of that when he battled his doppelganger [Fantastic Four #366], and it may just be reinforced by his show here in the top 5.

Super Stock...
1. Spider-man (-) (M)
2. Batman (-) (DC)
3. Captain America (+3) (M)
4. Iron Man (-1) (M)
5. Wolverine (-1) (M)
6. Superman (+4) (DC)
7. Hulk (-2) (M)
8. Mr. Fantastic (-1) (M)
9. Black Adam (+2) (DC)
11. Thing (+4) (M)
13. Human Torch (-) (M)
14. Invisible Woman (-2) (M)
15. Beast (+3) (M)
17. Silver Surfer (+5) (M)
20. Catwoman (+79) (DC)
21. Storm (+16) (M)
24. Wasp (-4) (M)
26. Flash [Wally West] (+22) (DC)
27. Robin [Tim Drake] (+1) (DC)
28. Hawkman (+22) (DC)
31. Etrigan (+37) (DC)
42. Jean Grey (+56) (M)
45. Yellowjacket [Hank Pym] (-18) (M)
50. Iceman (-5) (M)
51. Cable (+58) (M)
52. Wonder Woman (+288) (DC)
53. Cyclops (-13) (M)
54. Ronin [Clint Barton] (+70) (M)
62. Gambit (+87) (M)
63. Dark Claw (+97) (DC/M)
68. Tabitha Stevens (+88) (M)
76. Atom Smasher (new) (DC)
89. Rainbow Mika (-7) (Capcom)
90. Sakura Kusanago (-7) (Capcom)
100. Cheetah (-7) (DC)
105. Vega (new) (Capcom)
106. Dhalsim (new) (Capcom)
108. Guile (new) (Capcom)
109. Despero (new) (DC)
110. Warlock (Tech) (new) (M)
111. Cannonball (new) (M)
112. Forge (new) (M)
113. Sunspot (new) (M)
114. Banshee (new) (M)
115. Ms. Marvel [Sharon Ventura] (new) (M)
116. Franklin Richards (new) (M)
117. Thunderhawk (new) (Capcom)
118. Fei Long (new) (Capcom)
119. Ryu (-13) (Capcom)
124. Galactus (+208) (M)
126. Deadshot (-60) (DC)
143. Sagat (-69) (Capcom)
144. Captain Cold (+180) (DC)
145. Aquaman (-78)
146. Captain Marvel (+188) (DC)
148. Scarlet Witch (-48) (M)
150. She-Hulk (-23) (M)
158. Ken Masters (new) (Capcom)
159. Darkseid (-19) (DC)
160. Black Canary (-25) (DC)
168. Phoenix [Rachel Summers] (-23) (M)
175. Brainwave (+26) (DC)
200. Arachne (-22) (M)
223. Dr. Druid (new) (M)
224. Chun-Li (new) (Capcom)
225. Puppet Master (new) (M)
226. Alfred Pennyworth (new) (DC)
227. Ron Troupe (new) (DC)
228. Green Lantern
[Kyle Rayner] (-26) (DC)
237. Martian Manhunter (new) (DC)
250. Hyena (-27) (DC)
252. Balrog (-27) (Capcom)
300. Echo (-27) (M)
301. Zangief (-26) (Capcom)
350. Sasquatch (-25) (M)
358. Macro-Man (new) (DC)
359. Ra's-A-Pocalypse (new) (DC/M)
362. Mongul (new) (DC)
364. Hammer (new) (DC)
368. Birdie (new) (Capcom)
370. Matter Master (new) (DC)
371. Kobra (new) (DC)
372. Ahab (new) (M)
373. Saviour (new) (DC)
374. Preus (new) (DC)
388. Dan Hibiki (-113) (Capcom)
389. Quicksilver (-52) (M)
390. Brick (-40) (DC)
391. Lizard (-40) (M)
392. Magneto (-40) (M)


#35 Green Arrow (DC)
Class: [Champion] Last Opponent: [Superman/Batman]
Win Percentage: [57.14%] Features: [7]
Season 2006: [#11] Current Ranking: [#16]

Once upon a time Green Arrow was a top five contender in the Infinite Wars, but with new additions slipping by the wayside in favour of nineties nostalgia, he just seemed to have lost relevance for us.

Nothing like a wedding to save a relationship!
Green Arrow and Black Canary have tied the knot, and it's the cliffhanger that everyone's been talking about! After attacking his new wife with a blade, Ollie finds himself with one of his own arrows buried in his throat. Way to spaz in the face of commitment, guy!

It might be a while before we see the turn around in the Infinite Wars, but the marriage of the Justice League sweethearts is without a doubt the most exciting new event over the past month. Brother Eye watches keenly!

The Hammer...
So, can you tell I'm phoning it in a bit? Things started great, but it's late and I could really use the rest, so I've kinda been whipping through the writing on this Punch-Up. Not really the best way to lead into a proposal of sponsorship, but hey, I like to think it shows a relatable side of humanity.

It's been another huge month of Infinite Wars, finally delivering that long ago promised slant toward some DC titles. Hopefully we'll be able to continue that as we cruise our way through back issues of varying importance.

That's probably a great segue to highlight the fact that, yes, we have put out the call for a sponsor. I figure it's a great opportunity for the Infinite Wars to get more involved in the new comics scene, while also offering a promotional canvas for an online retailer to promote prompt mailing, and sparkling service.
And before you look at me like that, just consider for a moment the fact that I haven't pulled a Dave Campbell to sell out to google ads and cookies.

Uh huh, that's right. You like that? Yeah?
Don't let the humorless, droning discussion about characterization and faux-feminism fool you. The Infinite Wars have got edge. Yessir.

Speaking of which, we should give a shout out to When Fangirls Attack, who continue to be the most responsive referrer of our reviews and discussions.
Likewise, Bahlactus has and will be involved in propagating the Infinite Wars, despite some apparent disgruntled responses to our format. To those who feel discontent with our distinct lack of isms, idioms and singular pictures of people putting boot-to-cheek -- waah waah waah. Mmm, hi-brow!

If you're inclined to link to one of our many trailing entries, I've been scouring the blogosphere for inspiration for our on-going musings. I'd very much like to be quoted, so jurors will never doubt my testimoy should I be called at an old age.
I've been endeavouring to do much the same, without being gratuitous about who and where I'm linking. Which leads us to our final topic:

It was The Fortress Keeper who turned my attentions to a top fifty list being compiled by Facedown in the Gutters featuring the internet's favourite twenty-five Marvel and DC characters. Rather than labour over my picks, I thought it would be fun to take advantage of nearly two years worth of stats, to highlight the Infinite Wars' cumulative top fifty, as divided by company representation.

Marvel Comics [tab]
#1 Spider-man
#2 Captain America
#3 Iron Man
#4 Wolverine
#5 Hulk
#6 Mr. Fantastic
#7 Venom (Symbiote)
#8 Thing
#9 Daredevil
#10 Human Torch
#11 Invisible Woman
#12 Beast
#13 Silver Surfer
#14 Thor
#15 Storm
#16 Luke Cage
#17 Wasp
#18 Sub-Mariner
#19 Elektra
#20 Kitty Pryde
#21 Ghost Rider (Johnny Blaze)
#22 Rogue
#23 Scarlet Spider
#24 Winter Soldier
#25 HellcatDC Comics [tab]
#1 Batman
#2 Superman
#3 Black Adam
#4 Green Arrow
#5 Steel
#6 Catwoman
#7 Red Hood
#8 Flash (Wally West)
#9 Robin
#10 Hawkman
#11 Zatanna
#12 The Demon
#13 Nightwing
#14 Flash (Barry Allen)
#15 Wonder Woman
#16 Deathstroke
#17 Atom (Ray Palmer)
#18 Dr. Light
#19 Black Mask
#20 Soldier
#21 Sinestro
#22 Bizarro
#23 Atom Smasher
#24 Phantom Stranger
#25 Dr. Fate

Some interesting results coming from the cumulative rankings.
If anything I think this list just highlights the distinct slant toward Marvel the Infinite Wars has shown. This is something we hope to continue to rectify over the coming month, although, again, a fairly meager, and unimportant collection will hamper that. Hopefully some magic sponsor out there will lend a hand, at least in the new comics stakes. Mmm, comics for nothing.

We've got a whole lot of Dr. Doom coming up, including Fantastic Four #350 which was recently mentioned in one of the best Bahlactus links of the year: Time waits for no man, and it won't wait for Reed...
If you haven't read that lengthy post yet, I suggest you hop to it, or see that you deliver message to a previous-self from the past few days, so they can.

In a serendipitous alignment of events, I considered what it would be like to have a guest entry in the Infinite Wars. Lord knows my collection brings with it the baggage of my interests, and is distinctly lacking in certain prominent subjects. Suffering from allergies and heading into the Spring of the future, it might be fun to think about who might be able to rise to the challenge of our format gruelling, to read and write, alike.

Dem's Good Reading might be a good candidate, serving up an Infinite Wars worthy photographic recap of a super-fight from Invicible! If you think you might like to contribute, or know of someone you'd like to see tackle the format, drop a comment and let us know.

For now, I'm going to put an end to this while I'm only a little behind.
We've got Dr. Doom and Street Fighting aplenty in October. Don't forget you should still go and find your way to picking up The Kirby Martin Inquest #1, which will feature in more reviews, if people stop being slack. That's not just one reviewer in particular, but actually a platoon of people who've read it for free, and aren't paying their dues. Tut-tut.

I'm tired, still a little stuffed-up, and going nowhere fast with this. Cheers!

September Hit Count: [6036/36951] (+1578)