IRON MAN versus MAGNETO

Family Reunion (Marvel)
Where: Avengers West Coast #57 When: April 1990
Why: John Byrne How: John Byrne

The Story So Far...
The emotional strain of learning her children were plied from the fractured energies of Mephisto -- only to lose them to the reincorporated devil -- takes a terrible toll on the Scarlet Witch!

Estranged from an emotionless, reconstructed Vision, she suffers a mental break -- but not alone! Magneto returns under the manipulations of Loki to reclaim his daughter and ease her from her suffering. A family reunion that inevitably pits the Master of Magnetism against Wanda's most trusted allies - The Avengers!

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Iron Man 6 (Invincible)
Intelligence: Iron Man 5 (Professor)
Speed: Draw 3 (Athlete)
Stamina: Draw 6 (Generator)
Agility: Draw 2 (Average)
Fighting: Iron Man 4 (Trained)
Energy: Magneto 6 (Mass Destruction)
Total: Iron Man 31 (Super)

At some point every fan wonders the same thing: What happens if Iron Man fights the Master of Magnetism? It's a done deal, right? Magneto controls metal, Iron Man relies on a metal suit. Case closed. Well, not so fast hotshot...

Tony Stark may have made his first suit of armor out of iron, but times change, and as most of the planet learned through the hugely successful live-action film series -- he's not so much an iron monger as a master of industry and technological advancement (with a flair for weaponry).

This all comes down to your definition of an "Iron Man", and the simple truth is, like a lot of metal products in our modern way of life, his suits probably contain many non-ferrous materials, such as plastics, fiberglass, carbon fibers, and titanium alloy. The net result is a suit that can probably handle magnetic fields without too much trouble -- especially if he has time to prepare.

Let's assume Iron Man has super-durable plastic armor ready to go and any elemental advantage Magneto might have is null & void. What then?

Well, just because Iron Man isn't a walking lump of metal doesn't mean there isn't plenty of iron to go around!

Magneto has made a career out of turning found objects, and his environment, into a weapon. He's hurled broken machines at the Sub-Mariner, skewered Quicksilver with a flagpole, encased his students in X-Mansion wreckage, and flung industrial scrap metal & cranes at a cosmic-powered Spider-Man!

If that's not enough to give Iron Man a good fight, we've also seen Magneto use his metal-bending powers to craft his own makeshift suit of armor in the Age of Apocalypse timeline. A defensive & offensive addition to his trademark helmet.

In a real pinch he can manipulate people through the iron in their blood, or even disrupt the Earth's magnetic axis, but he isn't walking around doing these things, so we'll put the theory aside and get practical on this Marvel main event.

The Tape: Iron Man Ranking: Iron Man (#3)

What Went Down...

A portion of the cottage floor - where Vision and Scarlet Witch had set up home on the Avengers compound - becomes a makeshift platform as Magneto blasts clear of the domestic dwelling, riding it skyward with his daughter & son in tow.

Wonder Man hopes to make pursuit, but The Avengers have just stared defeat in the face. Hank Pym insists they come up with a plan, but nobody told Iron Man that!

The Golden Avenger makes his high-flying arrival -- spotting Magneto and his erstwhile teammates, Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver, making their bombastic escape! He contemplates their complicated history and makes chase!

Sharing the misapprehension of the public that there is a new man inside the Iron Man armor -- Magneto dissuades The Avenger from engaging with them. He feels they have no quarrel, but the armored hero is not about to back down.

'You make me sad, Iron Man. My purpose in life is the preservation of mutantkind, not the destruction of humanity. But if you insist upon placing yourself in the status of an enemy...'

Iron Man strings along the illusion that he's a new opponent, hoping to take tactical advantage of Magneto under estimating him. When the Master of Magnetism inevitably strikes -- he does indeed assume too little of his foe.

Though his aim is true -- Magneto's blast has no effect on Iron Man!

The Avenger flies clear, spiraling overhead to trade condescension with his opponent, safe in the knowledge that his armor's "ferrous polymers" have been treated with a "special demagnetizing agent".

Magneto can do nothing directly to harm the armored hero.

As he glides through the clouds, Iron Man appears to have the upper hand, but Magneto is not the only person on the floating chunk of floor.

With a simple gesture of her hand, Scarlet Witch casts a hex spell that answers the question of what would happen if his automatic systems suddenly suffered a massive failure.

Iron Man begins to plummet!

Quicksilver races to petition for capture, but the speedster is too slow. His sister's hex spell has already sent Iron Man plunging towards the Earth below.

Magneto observes the unfortunate irony. That he might have been able to reach out with his mutant gifts to save the falling Avenger, but the protections against his powers leave him as powerless to rescue as he is to assault.

The Hammer...

Lucky for Iron Man the specifics of Scarlet Witch's hex don't affect his onboard parachute -- which allows him to crash through the glass ceiling of a North Hollywood condominium unharmed. Faux pas!

Although his landing is relatively safe, it's a pretty humbling defeat -- just not from the opponent we were all focused on.

There are better examples of Magneto fighting Iron Man -- including a more compelling rematch a few issues later in Avengers West Coast #60, but this encounter does provide a short, sharp response to the elemental component that makes it a popular point of curiosity.

In the end: Magnetism just isn't a big factor!

As noted in The Tape; time and technological advancement only makes this an easier issue to explain away. These days we encounter strong, durable nonferrous materials in our day-to-day lives all the time. In the pages of 1990, writer-artist John Byrne was content to keep it vague, citing the ol' "demagnetizing agent". A bit dodgy in vernacular, but good enough in principle.

I'm sure we'll be citing it when we return to the Iron Man/Magneto match-up in its earlier and later incarnations. I'm particularly interested to look back at their first meeting: A bizarre episode from Magneto's wilder days that may or may not challenge his affirmation that he's not about 'destroying humanity'.

Interestingly enough, in today's fight Tony Stark is maintaining the lie that a new man now inhabits the Iron Man armor. That was actually the case in a prior face-off when Jim Rhodes was wearing the red & gold during Secret Wars. Not that Iron Man, or Magneto, would necessarily know to correct the other. That, and perhaps Byrne isn't really concerned with the "toyetic" 12-issue maxi series. I don't know.

Our featured fight is bookended by two far more compelling battles within the same issue, but since I've got Marvel vs Capcom Fighting Collection on my mind, I was a little more interested in coming down the centre for the marquee fight with two characters who feature prominently in those games. At some point, we'll come back to see how the other Avengers fared in their skirmishes.

As for Scarlet Witch -- it's not a very flashy demonstration of her powers, but still a chilling display of how quickly & effectively she can disarm an opponent given the right mindset.

On approach, Iron Man had considered the possibility that Scarlet Witch may have reverted to her earlier days with The Brotherhood of Evil Mutants, but apparently still wasn't expecting to be magically kayoed by her hex powers. His bad!

This is part of a Dark Phoenix-style heel turn for the heroine, which sees her getting a little more assertive in ways that will make Magneto uncomfortable soon enough. A tangled web that positions her between the machinations of Mephisto, Loki, and Immortus, in addition to her father.

The least complicated elements of this general storyline were inspiration for the WandaVision television series, and have been recurring in storylines such as House of M, but not the Marvel vs Capcom games...

Despite Marvel Super Heroes being loosely adapted from The Infinity Gauntlet - where Scarlet Witch teamed with Cyclops and Iron Man - she still hasn't appeared playable in the long-running Capcom crossover series. That's presumably a reflection of the challenges in translating vague magical powers into unique, visual game mechanics -- especially when those abilities depend on subverting the strict rules that govern day to day life, and well-balanced fighting games.

This speaks to my general theory that superhero fighting doesn't really translate well to the side-to-side arena of standard fighting games. It thrives in chemical interaction, environmental conditions, and is ultimately determined by narrative consideration that has little regard for tournament-ready balancing.

Yet, the bombastic, hyper-kinetic, hyper-visual explosive style of Capcom's Marvel video games certainly do a good enough job at making that type of superhero fighting a very good time!

I'm tremendously pleased I'll be able to play all of those classic fighting games again with the convenience of still-current hardware, and I wonder if we might see a brand new follow-up to 2017's slightly underwhelming Marvel vs Capcom: Infinite sometime in the near future. With a big enough roster, perhaps we might see Scarlet Witch finally make the cut. That could be interesting.

If you'd like see more from Scarlet Witch, the Capcom characters, or some of the other follow-up subjects I mentioned throughout this section -- perhaps you'd like to become a supporter on Patreon. In addition to having a tremendously positive effect on me and my ability to produce these entries -- you'll also get my ear to help inspire future choices even at the lowest tier.

Secret Wars on Infinite Earths has featured well over 700 fights and ranked more than 1,000 characters! You can find them all for free by diving into the Secret Archive for a complete index of battles in order of publisher, series, and issue -- or by hitting links to your favourite topics found throughout each entry.

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Special note for you rankings watchers: Quicksilver is present throughout this battle, but doesn't really have a lot to contribute outside of a too-late reaction that might've helped Iron Man. For that reason, we aren't going to count any result for him. You can find rankings updates at the bottom of all new entries.

Winner: Scarlet Witch (w/ Magneto)
#164 (+293) Scarlet Witch
#90 (--) Magneto [+1 assist]
#4 (--) Iron Man

AVENGERS versus MANDARIN

Thieves Honor (Marvel)
Where: Avengers #313 When: January 1990
Why: John Byrne How: Paul Ryan & Tom Palmer

The Story So Far...
A series of sudden super-villain attacks have stretched the ranks of The Avengers across the country as they respond to the decimation of their coastal island Hydrobase, and underground Manhattan headquarters!

Only Edwin Jarvis is on hand to raise the alarm when The Mandarin begins a frontal assault on an already damaged & unguarded Avengers Park. All thanks to Loki and his Acts of Vengeance designed to organize and consolidate the resources of some of the world's most powerful super-criminals!

Not content to leave their butler to face another siege: Captain America leads the call to assemble on Central Park -- but with The Wizard circling the skies over New York City, the star-spangled super-soldier will have to rely on the few local heroes able to answer the call!

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Captain America 3 (Athlete)
Intelligence: Mandarin 4 (Tactician)
Speed: Captain America 4 (Olympian)
Stamina: Captain America 5 (Marathoner)
Agility: Black Widow 4 (Gymnast)
Fighting: Captain America 6 (Warrior)
Energy: Mandarin 6 (Mass Destruction)
Total: Captain America 28 (Metahuman)

The Avengers are: Captain America, Black Widow, and Hellcat.

Wonder Man and Vision accompanied Captain America on the trip from the West Coast, but had to peel away to take on The Wizard. That means Cap is relying on unpowered first responders Black Widow and Hellcat -- less than ideal against the ten rings of power wielded by The Mandarin!

Although appearing mystical in nature, each of Mandarin's rings is originally part of an alien technology that grants him specific skills. The names and breadth of their power has changed over the years, but the basics remain true:

The Ice Blast, or "Zero" Ring, is worn on the left little finger, and does exactly what it sounds like, generating sufficient cold to freeze anything in ice. That might give Cap some unfortunate flashbacks to his post-war suspended animation, but as we saw when he battled Cold War, he can keep a handle on it.

The Mento-Intensifier, or "Liar" Ring, is worn on the left ring finger, and can be used to bring a person under Mandarin's thrall, or generate a world of inescapable illusion penetrating the victim's very mind.

The Electro-Blast, or "Lightning" Ring, is on the left middle finger, and can deliver powerful bolts of electricity through the air! A power not unlike its namesake, but Cap's shield was able to absorb Loki's electric attacks in Avengers (Vol.2) #1.

The Flame Blast, or "Incandescence" Ring, worn on the left index finger, can super-heat the air by emitting radiation to fire potent jets of flame of varying intensities. Another one handily blocked by Cap's shield, as seen when he met Ghost Rider in Avengers #214!

The White Light, or "Daimonic" Ring, is worn on the left thumb, and traditionally emits various electro-magnetic spectrums, which has also been known to effect a susceptible target's mood, or mental state.

The Black Light, or "Nightbringer" Ring, sits on the right little finger, and projects an area of total darkness. Its energies are associated with the inter-dimensional Darkforce used by Darkstar for a variety of offensive & defensive projections, and contained within Cloak, who can trap opponents within its endless darkness.

The Disintegration Beam, or "Spectral" Ring, worn on the right ring finger, is traditionally used to destroy anything it strikes, unmaking it on a molecular level with an estimated 20-minute charge time. Cap's no stranger to avoiding those kinds of attacks, dodging Red Skull's blast cannons since the Second World War!

The Vortex Beam, or "Spin" Ring, is wielded on the right middle finger, and can allow The Mandarin to fly, levitate targets, or generate massive swirling winds as offensive weapons. It has also been associated with moving at super-speeds.

The Impact Beam, or "Influence" Ring, is a standard favourite for The Mandarin, using his right index finger to direct powerful blasts and waves of energy. It's an equivalent to a lot of energy blasters, such as Titanium Man's, which Black Widow was agile and canny enough to avoid, with added shielding from Iron Man!

The Matter Re-Arranger, or "Remaker" Ring, is worn on the right thumb and allows for limited molecular and atomic manipulation of matter. It's commonly used for generating poisonous gases from thin-air, and altering Mandarin's appearance.

Agility and avoidance are the greatest tools Captain America, Black Widow, and Hellcat have at their disposal. The Mandarin's rings are incredibly powerful, but also limited in their scope. His defense is shored with a modern suit of armor, but a coordinated strike could potentially still defeat him!

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

What Went Down...

Black Widow and Hellcat leap across the rooftops as Captain America's modified quinjet soars down beside them on a course towards Avengers Park.

He hails the assembling heroes over the jet's exterior speaker and advises them to hang back while he takes a recon flight over the attack sight. It's a good plan to protect his unpowered teammates, but the Captain never gets to make the flight -- blasted out of the sky by The Mandarin!

The Quinjet makes a dramatic, skidding crash landing into the rubble of Avengers Park as The Mandarin gloats over his successful strike!

Mandarin stalks toward his prey with Cap slumped in the exposed driver's seat -- rattled by the violent impact that tore the jet open like a tin can! 

The villain clutches the barely conscious Captain in the pilot's seat and raises his hand to prepare a killing blow -- but it's suddenly snared by the Black Widow's high tensile line!

Black Widow yanks The Mandarin away from the jet and introduces herself to the stunned villain.

Enraged at her interference he pivots to draw his free hand and blast a stream of fire from the ring of Incandescence. Widow narrowly avoids it, delighting at the unseen arrival of her comrade in arms -- Hellcat!

Hellcat leaps onto The Mandarin's armored shoulders and rakes her steel alloy claws across his frustrated façade!

The villain struggles beneath the grip of Hellcat's entangled arms and legs while Black Widow takes the opportunity to rush in an deliver a flying kick!

The two-on-one advantage doesn't last long. The Mandarin catches Black Widow by the ankle and tosses her across the park -- while also flipping Hellcat off his back and over his shoulder!

They spill across the rocky terrain -- vulnerable to another of his ring attacks!

The Influencer ring sprays concussive energy blasts across the battlefield that shatter the very ground beneath Black Widow & Hellcat's feet!

The heroic pair look severely outgunned when The Mandarin is once again caught by surprise from another attack at the rear!

This time it's Captain America who's able to return the favour to his allies, tossing his mighty shield directly into The Mandarin's armored helmet!

The chauvinistic villain is frustrated by Cap's recovery, but accepts that the battle can now be between men "as it should be". His Ice Blast "Zero" ring makes for an unfortunate irony as he encases Captain America's feet in ice -- a chilly fate all too familiar to the super-soldier once suspended in a frozen tundra.

At that same time -- Mandarin's partner in the Acts of Vengeance, The Wingless Wizard, glides overhead, bringing his battle with Wonder Man & Vision into convergence with the other Avenger's struggle.

Spotting the immobilized Captain America from the sky above -- The Wizard attempts to finish him off with a blast from his gauntlet, but Cap lurches forward into an evasive diving roll!

Wonder Man regains The Wizard's attentions, while The Mandarin plots a strategic retreat, blaming his ally for fouling his attack. He's so distracted by the failure he doesn't notice yet another Avenger arriving until his struck by his hammer!

Mjolnir collides with Mandarin's armored body and knocks him off his feet before flying back to the waiting hand of Thor!

The God of Thunder doesn't take kindly to The Mandarin's abuse of his powers!

He charges the rising villain, striking mightily with with a hammer-held uppercut!

Meanwhile, Vision comes to Captain America's aid, melting the ice from his feet with carefully applied eye beams. The liberation allows all Avengers present to assemble against the tyrannical twosome!

The Mandarin summons the dark forces of the Black Light Nightbringer ring to shroud his enemies -- and The Wizard -- in inescapable darkness!

He condemns his ally to suffer the consequences of their defeat, while the veil of darkness allows The Mandarin a clean getaway. He flies into the air -- gone before the heroes regain their sight.

The Hammer...

The arrival of Thor tips the scales in favour of The Avengers and drives The Mandarin into a hasty retreat. Bad news for The Wizard, who's left to face the music when his co-conspirator in the Acts of Vengeance betrays him upon exit!

Wizard was otherwise engaged in a completely separate aerial skirmish with Wonder Man and Vision, but chose to converge with the fighting in Avengers Park, taking potshots at Captain America. Not his only tactical error it would seem, but we'll take a closer look at his fight another time.

As it happens: the in-fighting is rife amongst the bad guys, who're duking it out while observing from their private meeting chambers, as well.

It seems Doctor Doom has nothing but contempt for The Mandarin and the inefficiencies of his frivolous, showy fighting style, while Red Skull is losing patience with Doom's arrogance. An inevitably violent clash of egos ensues -- another battle for us to return to some time in the future.

As a matter of housekeeping: Aficionados may also be interested to note I've chosen to predominantly refer to The Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe #15 when breaking down The Mandarin's rings in The Tape section.

That particular 1984 issue is the wonderfully informative "Book of Weapons, Hardware, and Paraphernalia" -- a reference tome that answered a lot of common fan questions about the basic practicality of various devices, and locations.

With regards to The Mandarin's rings; The Handbook is obviously a little outdated, but the basics remain true. You'll note that I've also included, and alluded to, the more recent names & abilities outlined in 2010's Invincible Iron Man Annual #1.

If you didn't pay close attention to the information, you might like to scroll back and take a second look. It will allow you to appreciate the exquisite attention to detail of artist Paul Ryan's pencils, which assign each blast from The Mandarin's rings to the exact finger. Scripted or not -- it's the mark of a great comics artist!

Ryan was also saddled with the slightly less intricate design Mandarin was wearing around this time. I've never been all that crazy about this armor. It's serviceable, but never seemed to ring true. I suppose I would've preferred something more ornate, reminiscent of the colourfully stylized Chinese armor popular in wuxia.

A colour scheme of green, gold, and a little red or purple would've recalled other eras of Mandarin's design, but I suspect distancing the character from earlier incarnations was a deliberate conceit. When he wasn't in this blue & silver shell, he could typically be found wearing a tasteful suit consistent with his corporate machinations of the time. A welcome evolution for the modern era.

Modernizing the character has been an on-going concern, with greater emphasis on science-based explanations for his rings redefining them as Makluan machine parts accessing other dimensions. Personally, I think this flirts with a loss of imagination, and prefer a Mandarin whose mysticism clashes with Iron Man's technology -- not that the two ideas necessarily have to be mutually exclusive.

I do enjoy the more pulpy depictions of Mandarin, though. At the risk of being regressive: I think my favourite Mandarin design is the green & gold robes he returned to throughout much of the nineties. Its a style that very vaguely alludes to over-the-top villainy of Fu Manchu, albeit with a slightly more convincing approximation of Chinese imperial robes than Christopher Lee's qipao.

These allusions made the character a bit of a tricky subject when Marvel Studios attempted to adapt the character in Iron Man 3, and again, as a Fu Manchu stand-in in Shang-Chi and The Legend of the Ten Rings.

The substitution was as much a product of Shang-Chi's fictional father not being a Marvel owned property, but so fraught was their efforts to navigate the minefield of cultural sensitivities for the Chinese theatrical market, it seems the studio took a blank cheque approach. They retained so little from the source that the titular ten rings aren't even worn on the fingers! Not that Marvel Studios have ever been overly concerned with their comic book counterparts...

Here in comic book land Avengers #313 is a serviceable chapter in the Acts of Vengeance storyline, delivering one of the heavy hitters from the inner-circle of the villainous alliance. It's a little weird that so many heroes were dispersed after the action of the last issue, but anti-Avengers public protests explains that.

It's a fun time in Marvel Comics and Avengers history, and I particularly get a kick out of the unlikely team-up between Black Widow and Hellcat! They're out of their league taking on Mandarin, but turn out to be a terrifically fun tag team!

If you'd like to see the entirety of the team-up and today's featured fight you can find it all collected in Avengers: Acts of Vengeance and Avengers by John Byrne. Use the Amazon purchase links provided and you'll not only assemble a great deal delivered to your door -- you'll also help support the site at no extra cost!

If you like reliving, reviewing, and ranking superhero smackdown you can go the extra mile to keep us in the fight by becoming a Patreon subscriber! As a thank you you'll unlock access to extra updates, polls, and options to sponsor your very own custom articles! Not to mention earning my undying gratitude.

Secret Wars on Infinite Earths has featured well over 600 battles and ranked more than 1000 characters! You can discover them all by following links throughout this post, or by diving into the Secret Archive for a complete index of featured fights in order of publisher, series, and issue number!

Get free daily links to battles inspired by the hot topics of the day by subscribing on Twitter and Facebook. Don't forget to like, fave, and share posts, and keep your eyes peeled for the week's top trending battles every Sunday!

Winner: Thor (w/ Captain America, Black Widow & Hellcat)
#20 (+1) Thor
#7 (--) Captain America [+1 assist]
#41 (+1) Black Widow [+1 assist]
#101 (+6) Hellcat [+1 assist]
#144 (--) Vision [+1 assist]
#418 (+3) The Wizard [+1 assist]
#972 (-257) The Mandarin

SUPERMAN versus BLOODSPORT

Bloodsport! (DC)
Where: Superman #4 When: April 1987
Why: John Byrne How: John Byrne

The Story So Far...
December 23rd: A day for merry-making and last minute shopping in the bustling city of Metropolis -- but what do you get the man who has everything? For billionaire businessman Lex Luthor the answer is simple: the death of Superman!

To make Luthor's dream come true a man named Robert DuBois is anonymously outfitted with state of the art technology to grant him instant access to an arsenal of any weapon he can imagine. He's more than happy to spit in the eye of Superman, but Lexcorp got more than they bargained for -- a violent and troubled loose cannon!

DuBois is putting the people of Metropolis on notice for squandering their hard-earned freedoms. Embittered by the struggles of American soldiers during the Vietnam War, he's bringing the frontline to the unappreciative masses -- guns blazing! In a burger joint full of massacred patrons, Jimmy Olsen activates his watch in a desperate call to bring Superman to the rescue!

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Superman 6 (Invincible)
Intelligence: Superman 4 (Tactician)
Speed: Superman 6 (Mach Speed)
Stamina: Superman 6 (Generator)
Agility: Superman 3 (Acrobat)
Fighting: Draw 3 (Street Wise)
Energy: Superman 5 (Lasers)
Total: Superman 33 (Super)

It looks like the deck is heavily stacked in favour of Superman, but the stats only tell part of the story. Bloodsport may be completely outmatched in a physical confrontation, but his ability to conjure weapons makes him a deadly adversary!

Robert DuBois received his firepower from Lex Luthor, who hoped to direct his technology against Superman under a veil of plausible deniability. Exactly how the tech works isn't specified, but subtext suggests that a teleportation device delivers weapons from an unspecified Lexcorp arsenal -- rather than inventing the them out of pure imagination.

A gun cabinet might not sound so impressive against a man whose body is famously bulletproof, but these aren't ordinary popguns. Lex Luthor has applied his brilliant mind & fortune to build destructive weapons specifically designed to hurt Superman -- and although he's tasted defeat -- Lex is still pretty good at it!

Luthor was able to effortlessly defeat Superman's cousin when they clashed in Supergirl (Vol.5) #3. Key to his victory was his famous powersuit, but also the means to access and synthesize kryptonite: the radioactive space mineral that inflicts a variety of illnesses and weakness on exposed Kryptonians.

Batman used a kryptonite bullet against Superman to devastating effect in Justice League: The New Frontier Special #1, and deployed man-made explosives, via The Flash, with effective results in The Dark Knight Strikes Again #1.

Saviour showed similarities to Bloodsport in Action Comics #713, conjuring a gun from thin air that was capable of blasting Superman deep into concrete. In other words: just because Superman can take a bullet -- doesn't mean it won't hurt!

Like Saviour; Bloodsport also has a disturbed psychological profile, exhibiting tendencies of a violent psychopath. He's already shot into a heavily populated burger restaurant, and that means Superman will have to be mindful to keep casualties to a minimum when he catches up with him elsewhere in the city.

This seems like it should be a slam dunk for Superman, just like when he and Batman shut down a shootout between Bloodsport and Deadshot, but there's no denying there are complicating factors. Let's take a look...

The Tape: Superman Ranking: Superman (#4)

What Went Down...

Chunks of ceiling fall across the alleys of Kenmoore bowling as Bloodsport grips his hand over a woman's mouth and fires his futuristic hand-cannon towards the sky.

He pulls his hostage close to his chest and berates the terrified patrons lying face down on the floor. "You creeps! You stupid, crawling creeps! Look at you! Soft and wet and useless! All of you!! Me an' Mickey bought your liberty with our lives!"

His vague tirade is interrupted when a bowling ball clinks onto the ball return and draws his attention. He looks up to find Superman standing in the alley, tossing a heavy black ball in one hand like a baseball. After the day's earlier mass shooting, Superman isn't in a very good mood.

"Okay, big mouth, you can let the lady go now, and drop that pea-shooter. Then I'll give you about three seconds to come up with a good reason why I shouldn't bowl a few frames with your head."

Bloodsport presses the barrel of his gun to his hostage's head and warns his true target not to come any closer.

Stone-faced, Superman glares sternly through Bloodsport who scowls right back at him. The massive gun hovers by the hostage's head, her eyes looking wide toward the danger, he mouth still covered. A stand-off.

Superman begins to take a step and Bloodsport's finger tightens against the trigger -- but the Man of Steel moves so fast he's able to pull the hostage clear while pushing the firing gun harmlessly towards the ceiling!

A short punch with his free left hand knocks Bloodsport off his feet and away from the hi-tech gun.

Presuming the gunman is safely disarmed, Superman makes plans to take him downtown to a prison cell and psychiatric evaluation -- but Bloodsport keeps grandstanding and talking war hypotheticals like Superman owes him something.

To Superman's shock -- another weapon materializes in Bloodsport's grip!

He presumes there's no handgun on Earth that can harm him, but he's drastically under estimated Bloodsport's resources once more. This gun, though small, was designed with Superman in mind, and carries Kryptonite ammunition!

Bloodsport's aim isn't as impressive as his weaponry, but a Kryptonite needle buried in Superman's shoulder is enough to start his powers failing! He drops to one knee and clutches the wound, holding a chair for support.

The would-be war veteran gloats over his wounded opponent: "Ha ha ha ha! Not so smug now, eh, Supes-baby? Not so high and mighty after all!"

Bloodsport cocks the dart-gun and presses the reloaded barrel against the base of Superman's skull, but before he deliver a killing blow -- Jimmy Olsen announces himself with Bloodsport's other high-powered gun in hand!

The photog' plays the part of the tough guy just fine, ordering Bloodsport to drop his gun and Superman to stay low, in case he's forced to open fire.

Bloodsport isn't quite sold, claiming he used to "eat twerps like you for breakfast" in Vietnam. He doubts Olsen even knows how to fire the gun, but Jimmy\s counting on the destructive power and close range to make-up for any deficiencies in the particulars of his gun etiquette.

The tête-à-tête is enough to convince Bloodsport to "drop it", but what he drops is summoned to his hand behind his back -- a gas bomb to cover his escape!

Bloodsport high-tails it out of the bowling alley, leaving Superman's pal Jimmy Olsen to see to it that Superman is taken to the emergency room.

The Hammer...

It might sound sensational to say Bloodsport sent Superman to the hospital in their very first encounter -- but that's exactly how it ended!

It's not quite the claim being circulated by the 2021 Suicide Squad movie. They put it that Idris Elba's Bloodsport sent Superman to the ICU (Intensive Care Unit). That would imply a more severe, longer lasting injury, but hey. It's still a rare occurance!

A Dr. Sanchez is attending when Superman is brought in to the emergency room, and successfully removes the fragments of Kryptonite from the wound -- instantly restoring Superman's invulnerability and recuperative powers. That swiftly negates any need for a longer stay in the ICU.

In fact, the doctor was forced to re-expose Superman to some of the Kryptonite fragments just to finish suturing the wound. Such are the impressive recovering powers of Kryptonian physiology drenched in the Earth's nourishing yellow sun!

As for Bloodsport: he was free to continue his campaign of terror across Metropolis in the name of waking up America's gluttonous consumers.

He accuses the people of being indifferent to the sacrifices he and his brother Mickey made while fighting in Vietnam, but there's one small problem: Bloodsport never went to Vietnam.

Robert DuBois was actually a draft dodger who fled to Canada to avoid being called into service. That left his younger brother Michael to be drafted and shipped off to Vietnam in his place, where the soldier lost both arms and legs in the line of duty. Or at least what passed for duty in such a controversial conflict, which Michael DuBois calls a war people just want to forget.

It's a pretty prickly subject, but it certainly gives Bloodsport a bit more edge than your average Metropolis gunman. I shouldn't call criticism of the Vietnam War in popular culture a non-controversial exercise, but it was certainly not uncommon.

"Bloodsport" and DuBois might have you thinking of Jean-Claude Van Damme, but his star-making Bloodsport film was still almost a year away, and his character in The Quest, Chris DuBois, closer to a full decade. Superman #4 is, however, five years behind the release of another major action movie: First Blood -- Sylvester Stallone's most nuanced portrayal of troubled veteran John Rambo.

The influence seems pretty clear, right down to the red bandana, Rambo II style wardrobe, and French sounding surname. Rather than carrying the trauma of having fought in war, Bloodsport subverts expectations with a sort of survivor's guilt for what became of his brother by his absence from war.

It might seem a little frivolous for a Superman  comic, but it isn't a story without merit or sympathy, touching on the far reaching effects of war, and even gun violence in modern America. It speaks truth, couched in the tropes of superheroes, and sometimes that makes for some of the best concepts.

If there's ever been a better metaphor for the type of gun control laws that exist in the majority of other countries -- I don't know what it is. Bloodsport is clearly not someone who should have unlimited access to high-powered weapons. Sadly, a concept that has only become more apparent decades later. Rambo as bad guy.

The real revelations about Bloodsport come when Superman catches up with him for a better-informed rematch. You can bet your bottom dollar we'll document that one sometime in the future.

If you'd like to expedite the rematch process, you can let me know in the comments, or become a Patreon subscriber at the Tier 4 level to request your choice of featured fight. The lower levels begin at $1 and help support our ever-growing archive of superhero smackdown and comic book reviews.

Secret Wars on Infinite Earths has featured more than 600 battles and ranked well over 1000 characters! You can find all your Suicide Squad favourites and more by diving into the Secret Archive for a complete index of battles by publisher, series, and issue number. Or just follow links throughout this post and others to discover more from your favourite subjects!

You can get the jump on Bloodsport's first appearance by checking out today's featured issue collected in the Superman: The Man of Steel Vol.1 hardcover, or the earlier softcover edition of Superman: The Man of Steel Vol.3. Use the Amazon purchase links provided and you'll not only find yourself a good deal, but you'll also be supporting the site at no extra cost to you! Take that, Bezos!

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Winner: Bloodsport
#407 (+541) Bloodsport
#4 (--) Superman
#190 (+118) Jimmy Olsen [+1 assist]

FREEDOM FORCE versus AVENGERS

Has The World Gone Mad?!? (Marvel)
Where: Avengers #312 When: December 1989
Why: John Byrne How: Paul Ryan & Tom Palmer

The Story So Far...
Frustrated with routine defeat at the hands of their heroic enemies: Loki gathers a cabal of powerful masterminds to orchestrate an unexpected and new paradigm!

With the combined resources of Doctor Doom, Red Skull, Magneto, The Mandarin, Wingless Wizard, and The Kingpin -- Loki redistributes villainous forces in successive acts of vengeance to disorient and defeat their adversaries!

The Avengers are still divided and reeling from the destruction of their Hydrobase when Avengers Park receives an unexpected visit from Freedom Force! The crooks turned feds have come to evict The Avengers from their subbasement HQ by any means necessary!

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Blob 6 (Invincible)
Intelligence: Hank Pym 6 (Genius)
Speed: Wasp 4 (Olympian)
Stamina: Blob 7 (Unstoppable)
Agility: Wasp 3 (Acrobat)
Fighting: Falcon 4 (Trained)
Energy: Scarlet Witch 7 (Cosmic Power)
Total: Vision 26 (Metahuman)

Freedom Force are: The Blob, Pyro, and Avalanche.

All three were members of Mystique's Brotherhood of Mutants before receiving pardons for their crimes in exchange for enlisting as government agents.

Both incarnations of the trio are best known for their run-ins with the X-Men and X-Factor -- which hasn't left them with a particularly spectacular reputation.

In fight card terms you might think of them as the upper mid-card. Reliable opponents with enough cache to match-up against some of the big names, but unlikely to advance. Or are they...? We're about to put that theory to the test!

The Avengers are: Henry Pym, Wasp, Vision, Scarlet Witch, and Falcon.

So far the immovable Blob is the only member of Freedom Force we have on record. He was with The Brotherhood when they clashed with DC's Teen Titans in Unlimited Access #3. Blob was more than a match for Robin's martial arts.

Fred Dukes is an unfeeling mass of human flesh who is incredibly strong, durable, and able to manipulate his density. Unlike Vision, Blob doesn't exhibit powers of intangibility, but he can similarly increase his mass to become almost impossible to move, and physically powerful.

His teammates are St. John Allerdyce aka; Pyro and Dominikos Petrakis, aka; Avalanche. The frequent pairing are expert range fighters, utilizing Pyro's ability to manipulate fire with animated results, and Avalanche's seismic waves.

Scarlet Witch wields hex magic with relative impunity, but the results aren't always predictable. Early in her career, in X-Men #4, she caused the earth to move under Cyclops' feet. Energy-based hex bolts stalled Magneto in Vision and the Scarlet Witch #4, but couldn't topple Thanos in Infinity Gauntlet #4.

Pyro cannot generate fire himself, but is immune to burns, so relies on wrist-fed flame throwers to supply him with ammunition. Avalanche can generate powerful vibrational impulses, but is incapable of directing them through organic matter.

Falcon and Wasp can fly over any earthquakes to deliver smackdown and stinger blasts. Hank Pym isn't changing size so much in these days, but should be able to shrink down any problems that arise -- or find a miniaturized tool to handle the job. Let's see how they handle it...

The Tape: Avengers Ranking: Wasp (#53)

What Went Down...

Touching down in Central Park -- Freedom Force depart their government issued helicopter and start pushing their way through the public. Their search for The Avengers takes them to the team's statue and trips their security monitors.

Vision flies on ahead, passing intangibly through the levels of The Avengers' underground sub-basement headquarters, gliding towards the park above.

He greets Freedom Force with a cordial offer of assistance, but is left perplexed by Blob's colourful and bullish request to evict The Avengers from their base. The synthezoid's confusion leads Blob to an inevitable act of violence!

The powerful punch sends an unprepared Vision hurtling into the stone of Captain America's statue. It shatters at the legs, but Vision quickly recovers and torpedoes towards The Blob -- only to bounce off his ample torso!

The Vision lands at the base of the Avengers statue momentarily stunned.

Blob closes in to grab the front of Vision's cape, but before he can deliver a knock-out blow -- the statue shifts to reveal The Avengers assembling in the park!

Falcon leads the charge to rescue Vision with the miniaturized Wasp flying right behind him, but even the airborne Avengers aren't safe from a counter-strike from Avalanche!

The focused vibrations rip through the ground and kick up a wave of concrete that knocks Falcon out of the air and topples the rest of the Avengers!

The knockdown leaves the team vulnerable to a follow-up assault by Pyro, who sends dancing flame circling around them in the air.

Hank Pym orders the team to spread out, and Wasp takes advantage of the chaos to sneak up on Pyro unnoticed and strike with her stinger blasts!

Pyro quickly whips around, spraying fire from his wrist-mounted flame throwers in an effort to exterminate The Wasp. The diminutive Avenger proves too agile and tiny a target for the hotheaded mutant!

Falcon flies in for the assist -- smacking Pyro across the face with his winged fist!

Falcon is over confident when Pyro calls upon the assistance of Avalanche. He assumes the mutant's shockwaves won't harm him, but Avalanche is more than capable of generating devastating tremors in the inorganic matter of his wings!

Another statue is toppled by the blast as Hank Pym sneaks up behind Avalanche and fires a gas pellet from a previously shrunken gun.

Gas wafts into Avalanche's helmet and he starts choking, but things get even worse for the Freedom Force fighter when Scarlet Witch turns the ground against him -- collapsing it beneath his feet with a hex!

Vision congratulates his wife on neutralizing the threat while grappling with the powerful arms of The Blob! He attempts to break the stalemate by plunging his intangible arm into Blob's chest -- but Blob's shifting mutant density neutralizes the limb and forces it to become trapped!

Another Avengers statue bites the dust as Blob pivots his body -- violently swinging Vision's body like a rag doll through the stone tribute!

Scarlet Witch is overwhelmed by the carnage, unable to direct her hex magic to defend against the toppling of the main Avengers statue. Fortunately, Falcon sees the danger coming -- and flies in to make the save by flying her clear!

Another winged Avenger comes to their teammate's rescue when Hank Pym finds himself struggling to keep ahead of Pyro's flame. Wasp refocuses her attack on Pyro's flame throwers -- severing the fuel line to cut-off half his ammunition!

Pym digs into his miniaturized arsenal to produce a shrunken flame thrower and takes the opportunity to clog Pyro's remaining flame thrower with fire retardant foam! A volley of stinger bolts sends him running!

Vision resorts to energy projectiles as well -- firing laser-like eyebeams -- but still finds himself too evenly matched with the immovable might of The Blob.

Hank Pym calls an audible, ordering Vision clear while he rushes in to try to solve the problem with a liberal dosage of Pym Particles.

They suddenly start to reduce the bulging Blob to a fraction of his ample size -- but such incredible density focused on a small area has the unforeseen consequence of sending him plummeting through the ground to the subway!

Things get more out of hand when Avalanche successfully directs a quaking blast at Falcon -- shattering his wings!

Falcon careens into a nearby vehicle, while Scarlet Witch tumbles onto the road!

Vision glides towards the trouble, summoning Avalanche's attention with a blast of eyebeams over his shoulder. The Freedom Force fighter acts on his curiosity, unleashing a devastating vibrational wave at the synthezoid in an effort to find out how much of his body is resonantly inorganic.

The force rips through Vision's body -- shunting and distorting the mechanical parts at sickening odds with his biological matter!

Vision drops from the ground suffering self-diagonized massive internal damage. For a horrifying instant Scarlet Witch believes her synthezoid husband has once again been destroyed. She brushes Avalanche off and rushes to Vision's side!

It seems as if Scarlet Witch is about to unleash the unshackled power of her hex magic, but before she can -- Falcon rushes in to shove Avalanche and sock him with a hard right hand.

Hank Pym keeps up the pressure by charging Pyro with a large shield -- while Wasp continues zapping him. The double team sends Pyro seeking the unlikely assistance of New York City Police!

Pyro cites his status as a United States Government enlisted agent to order the Avengers' arrest -- but at that moment Captain America drops out of the sky from a helicopter to call Freedom Force's credentials into question!

The revelation sparks a brawl amongst angry New York bystanders who debate the merits of The Avengers and their recent relocation to Central Park!

The ruckus provides enough distraction for Avalanche to unleash another quake that knocks everyone over and covers he and Pyro's escape to their helicopter.

The Hammer...

Did that seem like an abrupt and chaotic finish to anyone else?

Just when it seemed like Scarlet Witch was about to go hogwild with hex magic -- the situation turns into a donnybrook, and Captain America literally falls out of the sky just in time to strip Freedom Force of their government-issued bona fides!

It's hard to tell if this is just the chaos of Acts of Vengeance and the frenetic storytelling of the time -- or if it hints at the chaos magic of Scarlet Witch subtly manipulating events around her.

Vision certainly seems to recover awfully quick, stepping in to discourage Scarlet Witch from bringing Freedom Force's escaping helicopter down in proximity to the populated city. Good quality synthezoid self-repair systems, or something else?

Avengers #312 is loosely sandwiched between Avengers West Coast issues that have been telling the story of Wanda Maximoff's gradual unravelling. In fact, she was virtually comatose in the concurrently released Avengers West Coast #53, but rallied to action when Hank Pym told her Vision was in danger (again).

The synthezoid had to be reconstructed after government agents dismantled him in Avengers West Coast #43, introducing the cold, white Vision seen in today's featured fight after he was rebuilt. This was just one in a series of orchestrated life-altering events straining the Scarlet Witch's mental state.

When Master Pandemonium returned to kidnap the couple's children in Avengers West Coast #51: Scarlet Witch was soon confronted with the revelation that the twin boys were never actually real -- and their essence was returned to Mephisto by the swift magical intervention of Agatha Harkness.

The move curtailed the forces of demonic evil, but pushed Scarlet Witch into the waiting arms of Magneto, who was plotting a reunion with his daughter from the nearby shadows. Magneto himself was a pawn in Loki's grand scheme, which brought the Master of Magnetism into a a cabal of masterminds as part of Acts of Vengeance, and ushered Wanda towards a period of dangerous darkness. This too played into over-arching manipulations by the time monitoring Immortus.

It all plays out a bit like a version of John Byrne's Avengers branded Dark Phoenix Saga with the complication of external crossovers. At its core: it is another case of a fiery redhead driven mad by her absolute power. It might sound rote described that way, but it is actually a period I very much enjoy. There's a lot to like.

I get a kick out of the not-quite-ragtag lineup of Avengers who're on call in this issue. It's a West Coast vibe and some of them will be flying back between issues. The logistics are sloppy, but it's too good not to go with it.

As much as I like Giant-Man or Ant-Man, there's a strange appeal to Hank Pym when he's in pulp adventurer mode,  his utility belt filled with shrunken gadgets. Falcon is good value, too. It's slightly amusing that he's the only one uncoupled until Captain America shows up. Paul Ryan makes everyone look good.

Acts of Vengeance was always one of my favourite Marvel events and we'll have to make a point of coming back to it. It was an exciting time for villains crossing branded lines at a time when that really meant something. We'll take a closer look at the felonious Freedom Force, too. Maybe in their traditional context.

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

If you'd like to check out today's featured fight in its full context you can find it collected as part of Avengers: Acts of Vengeance or Avengers by John Byrne. Use Amazon purchase links provided to do any of your online shopping and you'll not only get a great deal -- you'll also help support the site!

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Winners: Inconclusive (Draw)
#53 (--) Wasp
#76 (+4) Hank Pym
#141 (--) Vision
#425 (+1) Scarlet Witch
#464 (new) Avalanche
#465 (new) Pyro
#618 (+270) Blob
#984 (-1) Falcon
#7 (--) Captain America [+1 assist]