CAPTAIN AMERICA versus PROFESSOR POWER

Power Struggle (Marvel)
Where: Captain America #338 When: February 1988
Why: Mark Gruenwald How: Kieron Dwyer

The Story So Far...
Confronted with an ultimatum from the United States Government: Steve Rogers chooses to walk away from the shield & stripes of Captain America rather than re-enlist.

Having determined the mantle is intellectual property of the government: The Commission of Superhuman Activities installs former rival John "Super-Patriot" Walker as a new Captain America!

Fighting alongside his own Bucky the new Cap battles right-wing militant group The Watchdogs in his first successful missions. Now he takes on his first super-human threat as The Commission deploys the duo to take down wealthy scientist turned terrorist Professor Power!

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Professor Power 5 (Super-Human)
Intelligence: Professor Power 4 (Tactician)
Speed: Captain America 3 (Athlete)
Stamina: Professor Power 5 (Marathoner)
Agility: Captain America 2 (Average)
Fighting: Captain America 4 (Trained)
Energy: Professor Power 5 (Lasers)
Total: Professor Power 26 (Metahuman)

John Walker is still relatively early in his career as Captain America and today's battle represents his first serious test against a super-villain!

He and partner Lemar "Bucky" Hoskins have already fought through droves of costumed Roman Centurions, Mandroid-style robots, and the giant-size henchman known as Leviathan. All that waits is their primary target: Professor Power!

Anthony Power grew disillusioned with modern America when his son Matthew returned catatonic from the Vietnam war. He used his considerable fortune to establish a scientific think tank, and a Roman inspired private army intent on carrying out terrorist plots to provoke America to strength and greatness.

At his most extreme Anthony Power seized control of The Secret Empire and attempted to start a nuclear war with Russia. He was thwarted by The Defenders and subsequently re-engaged in a private vendetta against his best known adversary: Charles Xavier and his X-Men.

Power's hatred was first inspired when he attempted to force the mutant telepath to restore his son's broken psyche -- inadvertently causing its destruction!

The grieving father eventually had his mind transferred into his son's healthy body, which he outfitted with a powerful battle suit that allows him to fly, fire an energy beam from his hand, and greatly enhances his strength & durability.

John Walker underwent the Power Broker's process to gain super-human strength and durability of his own. We saw him notably out muscle Steve Rogers later in his tenure as the new Cap [Captain America #350], and even compete with Wonder Man in a weight lifting contest in West Coast Avengers Annual #5!

The eventual USAgent is very strong, but would ordinarily struggle to match the might of Professor Power. Lucky for him he's catching Power in a weakened state after being psychically assaulted by Moondragon and having to escape SHIELD.

The Tape: Professor Power Ranking: John Walker (#144)

What Went Down...

Having spotted Professor Power being lowered into an escape rocket: the new Captain America and Bucky scramble to take out his army of Centurion guards and reach the vessel before it takes off!

With no time to spare: Captain America throws his mighty shield -- sending it careening towards the rocket's propulsion engine. It smashes into the rocket, sending it lurching from the launch rail and into a nearby wall!

Unnaturally powerful hands rip through the hot metal of the wreckage, uncovering an unconscious Professor Power.

Just as Captain America goes to check for vital signs -- the Professor stirs and summons enough energy to lift his hand and fire a concussive beam right at Captain America's mid-section!

The point blank blast is strong enough to knock John Walker back and ignite his "guts" with pain, but he quickly blocks the attack with his shield and returns fire with a super-human charging punch!

The devastating blow would've toppled any man, but in his poor condition Professor Power goes down easily. That isn't enough for John Walker, though!

In a rage Captain America mounts his floored opponent and begins raining down unrelenting blows! With every punch another frustration boils over!

When the new Bucky catches up with his partner it's already over.

Captain America stands solemnly over the body of Professor Power -- now in a pool of its own blood. The mission is over.

The Hammer...

On the surface it may seem like a victory, but the cracks are beginning to show, and even John Walker seems to recognize he's gone too far.

Bucky congratulates him on a successful mission, but Walker knows what he's done. Professor Power is dead. By using lethal force he has crossed a line that his predecessor never would've. The result may be good enough for their superiors in The Commission, but it isn't good enough for Captain America.

It's an interesting moment of introspection that forecasts, and perhaps allows for, John Walker's future redemption as USAgent. He isn't a completely irredeemable character operating as a self-appointed executioner. He is, however, a man with obvious character flaws, and a serious issue with losing control.

Walker goes even further off the rails by the time he faces off with Steve Rogers, already driven to lethal extremes after watching the murder of his parents by The Watchdogs, and being set upon by armed enemies. Its all part of an orchestrated campaign by the Red Skull to discredit Captain America by pushing the easily exploited John Walker over the edge. It's a pretty short trip.

The subject of lethal force in superhero comics is an interesting one, especially when the hero in question is a sanctioned soldier.

Usually we accept that soldiers may be required to kill through the course of their duties, but it's also true that there are rules of engagement, and soldiers cannot indiscriminately murder whomever they please. Principles of justice and humane treatment dictate international law, and superheroes take that restraint further.

Opinions vary as to whether or not it should be assumed Steve Rogers killed Nazi soldiers during the Second World War, but it's generally accepted that he stands for higher ideals. The ability to achieve his objectives without killing is what elevates the super-hero and super-soldier. The goal is preservation of life.

I'm reminded of What If...? (Vol.2) #51, which explored the ideals of Captain America through the prism of a reality where Frank Castle became the new Cap.

The veil of fiction often allows us to enjoy The Punisher with the presumption of some degree of moral impunity, but as many stories show, his judgement is not infallible. He's ultimately a violent psychotic whose methods inevitably lead to unjustified killing. His approach is an appealing power fantasy on the page, but in practise its a simplistic and deeply flawed way to view the world. Far below the aspirations that inform the super-hero archetype, and Captain America.

When John Walker killed Professor Power he violated basic principles of justice by giving in to base aggression, and using excessive force on an already subdued opponent who was little to no threat. Tantamount to an act of cowardice and the beginning of a proverbial slippery slope.

Comics being what they are: Walker was responsible for the death of Matthew Power's body -- but Professor Power lived on when his psyche returned to its original body. This allowed Professor Power to continue to appear in later stories such as the Spider-Man and X-Men crossover in Spectacular Spider-Man that I most associate the character with.

As noted in The Tape section: Anthony Power had his mind transferred into his son's strong, youthful body when Matthew's psyche was accidentally destroyed in a telepathic battle between Mentallo and Professor X. Xavier had been unable to help the shell-shocked soldier recover from his time in Vietnam. War is hell.

We've looked at some heavy themes in today's featured fight and we'll continue to explore John Walker's ill fated time as Captain America at a later date. If you'd like to get the drop on the story you can read the whole issue collected in Captain America: The Captain. By using Amazon links provided you'll get yourself a  good deal and ensure Amazon supports the site at no extra cost to you!

If you'd like to find more on any of the characters covered in today's battle be sure to follow links throughout this post. You can discover even more fun and games by diving into 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 in excess of 600 battles and ranked well over 1000 combatants! If you like superhero smackdown and want to keep this resources strong you can support the project by signing up to Patreon. As a thank you patrons receive access to extra updates, polls, and custom articles.

You can also subscribe on Twitter and Facebook to get daily links to fights inspired by the topics of the day! Be sure to wave the flag by hitting that like and share!

Winner: Captain America (w/ Bucky)
#80 (+64) USAgent (John Walker) [+1 kill]
#610 (new) Battlestar (Lemar Hoskins) [+1 assist]
#953 (new) Professor Power

CAPTAIN AMERICA versus THE CAPTAIN

Seeing Red (Marvel)
Where: Captain America #350 When: February 1989
Why: Mark Gruenwald How: Kieron Dwyer

The Story So Far...
When the government asserts that Captain America and his shield are intellectual property, and that Steve Rogers was never officially discharged from the military, he's presented with an ultimatum to return to service.

Rogers instead chooses to resign, taking up the fight as a free agent known simply as "The Captain". This leaves the Commission of Superhuman Activities to appoint a new Captain America: former adversary John "Super-Patriot" Walker.

Walker proves to be a volatile replacement, stained with the blood of his enemies in an orchestrated plot to discredit Captain America's legacy. When The Captain is reluctantly called in to rescue his replacement, The Red Skull pulls the strings to set up the ultimate clash between his old adversary, and the jealous stand-in!

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: USAgent 4 (Enhanced)
Intelligence: Draw 4 (Tactician)
Speed: Captain America 4 (Olympian)
Stamina: Captain America 5 (Marathoner)
Agility: Captain America 4 (Gymnast)
Fighting: Captain America 6 (Warrior)
Energy: Draw 2 (Projectile)
Total: Captain America 28 (Metahuman)

At this point in history John Walker wears the red, white, and blue of Captain America. He was previously known as The Super-Patriot, and will eventually be best recognized as USAgent.

After a brief stint in the US Army; Walker underwent the augmentation process of The Power Broker, gaining greatly enhanced super-human strength, durability, speed, and reflexes. He used his powers to join the Universal Class Wrestling Federation, but soon left the ring to begin a feud with Captain America.

The Super-Patriot believed he embodied America's ideals better than Steve Rogers, and when the US government's Commission on Superhuman Activities pushed Rogers to resign his post: John Walker was chosen to take up the shield as a new Captain America working directly for the Commission.

During this time Steve Rogers continued to operate as a freelance super-hero under the alias The Captain. Wearing a red, white, and black costume he continued to fight the good fight against villains like the alien-powered Cold War in Marvel Comics Presents #2.

By contrast John Walker had a tumultuous and violent tenure as Captain America. He battled UCWF allies turned enemies, Left and Right-Winger, and resorted to lethal force against The Watchdogs after his parents were murdered. He even lost his shield when he was badly beaten by The Flag-Smasher, requiring rescue by Rogers, Demolition Man, and his partner Battlestar.

John Walker has far superior strength to Steve Rogers, even once competing with Wonder Man in a weight-lifting contest, but a simple lack of heart and discipline means he always comes off second best.

This is the first time we've recorded a one-on-one battle between the two Captains, but they were on opposite sides when The Invaders and Avengers came to blows in New Invaders #0. Walker was again claiming to be Captain America while using a new spiked shield, but suffered a beat down at the hands of his former West Coast Avengers and Force Works teammate, Iron Man.

The Tape: Steve Rogers Ranking: Steve Rogers (#7)

What Went Down...

The new Captain America is still breathing heavily from battle when Steve Rogers enters the room to discover him surrounded by dead bodies.

Until moments ago the deceased were heavily armed agents of the Red Skull, but thanks to the villain's new face -- John Walker is operating under the belief they were working for Steve Rogers himself. He launches himself at The Captain!

Instantly recognizing the voice of John "Super-Patriot" Walker - Rogers knows he's no match for the replacement Captain America's enhanced strength!

Fortunately, he's still in possession of his relinquished shield, having recovered it after it was stolen by Flag Smasher. He uses the shield to bat the attacking Captain America out of the air -- but it buys only a precious few seconds before Walker is back again like a charging bull!

Rogers backflips out of his replacement's path and tries to tell him about the Red Skull's deception. The "battle frenzied" Captain America won't listen, throwing a super-human punch that's blocked by The Captain's shield!

Rogers drops low to take Walker's legs out with a kick to the back of the knee.

He knows he won't win with reason, and after the things he's heard John Walker has done in Captain America's name -- he doesn't mind taking this fight head-on.

Walker lunges forward with another powerful punch, but The Captain somersaults  clear. The blow smashes into the floor behind, and Walker uses his strength to rip a chunk out of the surface and hurl it at The Captain!

Rogers back flips over the improvised projectile, but this time his landing leaves him wide open to a charging attack from Walker! He hears the brute coming from behind, but still doesn't have time to regain footing. He can only throw his shield up and hope to cushion the impact as he's tackled into a wall!

The pair smashes through the wall like a freight train!

The Captain manages to use their tumbling to his advantage, escaping Walker's powerful grip and maneuvering himself to land on top of his doppelganger. Rogers takes the opportunity to drive his elbow back and hard into the new Captain America's face!

The blow appears to stun John Walker for a moment, but its nothing compared to the shock Steve Rogers experiences with the sudden illumination of monitors around the room.

They show images of the new Captain America's bloody exploits. Opponents beaten, maimed, and killed -- just like the dead men a room away. A legacy in ruin. Captain America was never meant to be a killer.

Rogers barely has time to process it all when his replacement suddenly spring to life, pushing off the ground with a two-legged kick The Captain manages to block with his mighty shield.

John Walker reminds his opponent that it's his shield and dares him to fight without hiding behind it. Remembering his failure to beat Walker in the past, Steve Rogers ignores his better judgement and tosses the shield aside!

The Captain throws a body blow deep into John Walker's stomach.

It is a blow driven with renewed fighting spirit. In that instant he reflects upon surrendering his uniform and shield, swallowing his pain and anger, and fighting to forge a new identity as The Captain.

With a left hook he topples his replacement. Here he will test if going back to basics has restored his edge. Here he will see if it was all worth while.

The new Captain America rises with blood trickling from his mouth and a crazed grin. He's far from finished.

Walker launches himself like a Super-Patriot missile -- leaping through the air outstretched to drive both his fists into The Captain's face!

An acrobatic twist brings Walker into a landing, but Rogers throws his leg out to meet his successor with a kick to the chest!

Walker responds with another vicious downward punch that The Captain narrowly rolls clear of. The new Captain America follows, stalking his opponent with a wild swinging back-fist. Rogers steps clear and bounces back with a stiff right hand!

Again John Walker furious charges at his opponent, but again Steve Rogers keeps one step ahead -- back flipping clear.

He lands gracefully, but with his back up against a large machine he can only duck to avoid John Walker's relentless rage-fueled punch. The enhanced strength of the new Captain America plunges through the steel outer casing into live electronics!

Untold volts channel through John Walker's body and he lets out a sickening shriek as The Captain dives clear.

Incredibly, Walker shakes off the blow in mere seconds, escaping the electrical charge with a fist full of wires and a mind full of bad intentions!

He rushes Steve Rogers and uses the electrical cable as an improvised garrote!

The wires tighten around The Captain's throat as John Walker issues a battle crazed vow: "You're dead, Rogers! You've tormented me for the last time!"

With dire stakes Steve Rogers summons his every ounce of strength and channels it into a do or die blow. His fists fly wildly above his head in a single desperate bid for victory -- and survival!

The Captain's aim is true and both fists collide with the sides of John Walker's head! The double-barreled blow delivers inescapable impact with enough strength and precision to at last knock the new Captain America out cold!

The Hammer...

After a little over eighteen months of John Walker as the new Captain America -- he finally meets defeat at the hands of the original!

A brief skirmish with the Red Skull follows, exposing his role in setting the pair against one another, before both Captains appear before the Commission of Superhuman Activities.

Without the influence of the Skull's corrupting agent, Douglas Rockwell, it's the Commission's ruling that the name, shield, and uniform may be property of the United States Government -- but it's always been Steve Rogers who imbued it with meaning. Remarkable, then, that he doesn't immediately accept its return.

Rogers asserts that his experiences as The Captain proved he can still effectively serve his ideals, and those of the country, without the shield and uniform of Captain America. It's only when John Walker himself chases Rogers down in the hall outside that he accepts the mantle's return. A little extra dramatic flourish for the readers who'd been waiting a year and a half for it!

Walker clearly intends to continue serving his country, but even he can see there's no point finding another "poor slob" to be an ineffective stand-in unfavourably compared with the original.

Four issues later John Walker returns wearing the red, white, and black of The Captain, now answering to the name "U.S.Agent". The Commission also places him with the West Coast Avengers as a condition of their government charter.

It might seem a little redundant to keep a second-rate Captain America running around the Marvel Universe, but it would've been a shame to retire the striking Tom Morgan design, which so perfectly suits the dark edge of John Walker.

It also opened up a storytelling palette with a different flavour, benefitting from the years of hard work spent constructing the John Walker character. [USAgent] continued to be a contentious figure, butting heads with his West Coast teammates, even as he fought with a better sense of restraint.

He unavoidably remained the 'asshole Captain America': a bona fide jerk far less idealistic than Rogers, but a well intentioned jerk, who managed to do some real good in the years that followed. It would take Mark Millar over a decade to present a more fundamentally ugly American super-soldier in The Ultimates.

At the time of this writing The Falcon and The Winter Soldier has begun airing on the Disney+ streaming service, and it's been amusing to see some viewers unsure if they should dislike John Walker. Especially so after the expectation of comic book reference seemed to weigh so heavily on WandVision.

As we've seen: John Walker has always been there to be disliked! The show even adapts the plot of Cap's unpopular replacement with an extra delicious twist by deliberately passing up more logical successors to the legacy -- namely the hand-picked Sam Wilson, and tenured Bucky Barnes.

So just how bad is John Walker? Today's featured fight should reflect poorly, but in future entries we'll track back through some of the real lowlights of his time as Captain America. We're also overdue to get back to more Falcon.

If you'd like to find battles with other characters you can follow links throughout this post to discover more. Or dive into the Secret Archive for a complete legacy of featured fights indexed in order of publisher, series, and issue number.

Secret Wars on Infinite Earths has featured in excess of 600 battles and ranked well over 1000 combatants! If you like diving into superhero smackdown and want to help the record grow you can support the project by signing up to Patreon. As a thank you patrons receive access to extra updates, polls, and custom articles.

You can also subscribe to Twitter and Facebook to get free daily links to fights inspired by the topics of the day! Don't forget to hit the like and share while you're there!

You can witness today's featured fight in its entirety for yourself by checking out the Captain America: The Captain collection. By using the Amazon links provided above you'll not only get yourself a good deal, but also make sure Amazon supports the site at no extra cost to you!

Winner: The Captain
#7 (--) Captain America (Steve Rogers)
#144 (-11) USAgent (John Walker)

SAVIOUR versus SUPERMAN
Scarlet Salvation (DC comics)
Where: Action Comics #713 When: September 1995
Why: David Michelinie How: Kieron Dwyer & Denis Rodier

The story so far...
Three years prior, the world watched in horror as the alien creature Doomsday fought Superman to a stand-still, the two dying in the street by each other's hands.

Having returned after the destruction of Coast City, Superman returns to resume his battle for truth, justice and the American way -- but not everyone is convinced!

After a sinister plot orchestrated by the Kryptonian cybernetic fiend, Braniac; a doubt is cast in the minds of all when an illusion is cast to reveal Superman still dead in his coffin. Though the truth was eventually revealed, deranged serial killer, Ramsey Murdoch, remains unconvinced.
Believing himself to be a self-proclaimed saviour, Murdoch prepares himself to destroy the one who poses as Superman.

Previous Form:
Superman (#8): Victories over Hulk, Wonder Woman, Green Arrow, & Mongul.
Saviour: Making his debut in the Infinite Wars.

Tale of the tape...
Strength: Draw 6 (Invincible)
Intelligence: Superman 4 (Tactician)
Speed: Superman 6 (Sound Speed)
Stamina: Superman 6 (Generator)
Agility: Superman 3 (Acrobat)
Fighting Ability: Draw 3 (Street Wise)
Energy Powers: Saviour 6 (Mass Destruction)


- Saviour's abilities are psycho-kinetic in nature, allowing him to convert thought into physical reality. Applications of this ability commonly include an increase in size and strength, potentially to gargantuan proportions; and the creation of physical artifacts like weapons, and creatures.

- Saviour is driven by his own righteous perception of truth, making him physically susceptible to a good argument. Mentally imbalanced, this argument need not even be true, just acceptable to Murdoch's logic processes.

- Superman has endured through the decades as one of the most prominent heroes of the DC Universe. A spiritual leader, Superman has a wide array of physical capabilities to back it up, the stalwarts being; super strength, flight, heat-vision, super breath & super speed.

- Though not typically depicted as such, Superman also has a keen intellect, his Kryptonian brain enhanced in much the way his body is. A keen strategist, Superman also has a broad understanding of sciences and battle tactics, but is often hindered by his own sense of caution and responsibility.

The Math: Superman The Pick: Superman

What went down...
Having escaped prison, the ominpotently powered madman, Ramsey Murdoch, finds his way to Planet reporter Ron Troupe. Having covered Murdoch's trial for a string of murders connected to Murdoch's mission to destroy "deceivers", Troupe makes himself a dangerous enemy in Saviour, but finds himself saved by a bigger concern pertinent to his agenda.

In a public show, Murdoch takes Troupe hostage in a Metropolis street, garnering the attentions of the man calling himself Superman. Referring to the hero as the great deceiver, Murdoch waves the proof of a newspaper photograph of Superman's coffin in the air, insistant that Superman appears in the picture.

Unable to talk the killer down, Superman resorts to heat vision to melt Murdoch's knife. Ron Troupe is able to flee to the sidelines as Murdoch turns his attentions to Superman, revealing from beneath a headban the Superman shield he has carved in his own forehead -- a mark for the truth he believes he stands for.

Murdoch dedicates himself to Superman's cause, growing in proportions and using his ability to turn regular streetwear to the red and blue of Superman. The red S begins to bleed as his transformation turns the costume to black.

Recognising the undeniable escalation of the situation, Superman leaps into action, flying directly to his enlarged opponent. Unfortunately for him, Murdoch's strength is proportionately adjusted, matching that of the Hulk's!

Saviour pounds Superman into the street, repeatedly pummeling with power that baffles even the travelled Superman.

The fight, taking place in the middle of a crowded Metropolis city street, sees a child innocently playing a part in the battle. Pointing a toy gun, the small boy terrifies his mother by making an effort to save Superman.

The toy gives the otherwise uninspired Saviour a model upon which to shape his reality altering powers. Manifesting a weapon in his own hand, he demonstrates far more lethal capabilities than whirring sound makers and flashing lights.

Believing Superman's defeat, Saviour lords over the crater created by his imaginary gun's blast. Like a lazarus, Superman rises from the hole, bursting out to connect with a flying uppercut that sends Saviour flying!

Landing outside a bar, Saviour lies slumped against a wall as a baffled drunk passes. Inspired once again by the seemingly insignificant, he takes the drinker's exclamation, creating a literal stampede of giant, tusked pink elephants!

With the watching public scattered in a panic, Superman goes to work on the giant pink elephants, utilizing his impressive strength to use fist and brawn to take them out. Pink skulls collide as he hoists one elephant over his head by the trunk, colliding it with another.

Saviour takes full advantage of the distraction, wrapping his hulking arms around Superman in a sneak attack from behind. Taking the battle close quarters gives Superman a sure fire shot with his heat-vision, which connects with enhanced bicep at point blank range.

Pained but ultimately unaffected by the blast, Saviour retaliates with his own literal translation of heat-vision. The burst scatters the last son of Krypton, and engulfs the entire street in uncontrolled flames!

Though the street was cleared by the rampaging elephants, Superman still finds himself with an obligation to protect and serve the people inside the engulfed buildings. He has no choice but to ignore Saviour, turning his super powered lungs to the matter of the blaze.

Showing no honor, Saviour charges the occupied Superman to pound and taunt him. "Liar, liar -- brain on fire!"

Watching from the shadows, Ron Troupe struggles with the scene he's witnessing, but as he ponders his lack of super powers he considers another way to influence the course of events: the information gained from research he conducted for the Ramsey Murdoch article he wrote!

Troupe courageously steps into the battlefield to challenge Saviour and his self-proclaimed truth. He recounts Murdoch's unimportance in the world, and tendencies to blame everyone but himself for his predicaments.
Terrified but commited, Troupe continues to psychologically attack Saviour, buying Superman time to put out the fires that threaten citizens of Metropolis.

Troupe's attack manifests itself physically as Murdoch is confronted with his shortcomings, reflected by Saviour's psycho-kinetic powers.

Reduced to a worthless whep on the ground, Saviour is quickly revived by Troupe's call to Superman. Big blue swoops in to clean the deck before Saviour can again reconceive his invulnerability, allowing the polish hammer to do the job of knocking the villainous Murdoch out.

He is taken into custody by STAR Labs, where their advanced facilities are used to keep Ramsey Murdoch in a suspended state of sleep, at least until he would next awake to terrorize Metropolis.

The hammer...
With the crucial assist of Ron Troupe, Superman prevails in the name of just truth, on this particular occasion. Although, justice and the American way may be called upon to testify, so they should be well forewarned. Hussah!

Having just filled in some of the previously featured Superman battles, it occurs to me that we really need to step it up with the villain battles. Good grief. For a site that rarely strays before the nineties, let alone the fifties, you'd think we'd have Superman painted in a better light!

Anyway, moving on... I'm going to be one hundred percent honest here: I may not be at the top of my game. No, I know, you'd never notice! Alas, there has been a pressure in my head that continues to rob me of clarity, let alone any kind of half-arsed pseudo-intellectual musings on superhero books.

We're here because damned if I'm going to let allergies stop me delivering unto you some of the least important fights in comic book history, and because I'm enjoying pouring as many stats into our sporting-styled database.

Why this less than memorable issue of Action Comics, I hear you ask?
A jaded portion of our community might say I made a very wise decision, but way back in the mid-nineties I passed up the event that was The Death of Superman.
At the time the event was somehow so very real, despite an already rich history of superhero deaths and resurrections. Maybe it was the fact that DC had effectively wiped their slate clean ten years prior, or maybe it was the mass media coverage, but for some reason, Superman's death seemed certain.

Even in the face of what was potentially one of the most historically significant events since the creation of Superman, I felt it wasn't warranting of purchase. I was still a youngster at the time, far less interested in Watchmen and the so-called comics 'mus-haves' of the time, instead seeking out things like Spider-man joining the Fantastic Four, or the Phantom taking up boxing for charity.

Some may say I dodged many a bullet (including early Image Comics), but ten-fifteen years later, I kinda wish I'd fleshed out my collection just a little more. So when Superman: Doomsday hits DVD, I can flick back over some of those stories and reminisce about different times. Heck, I'd even settle for some electric Superman issues, gar!

Anyway, things happen over the years, and next to owning an unusually large amount of Steel comics [for a middle-class white guy who listens to techno]; Action Comics #713 is about as close as I get to Superman's death.

I have not seen Superman: Doomsday, and given my current financial situation, probably will not see it for quite some time. Honestly, I don't consider that any great loss, although I would gladly see it if for no other reason than the purpose of review, which has probably been thoroughly accounted for by other websites and blogs. Maybe one of these days we'll get a sponsor, or something...

As for this issue; look, I like David Michelinie, mostly for his work on Amazing, but I couldn't in good conscience call this a great issue. Honestly, it's the kind of thing you really read in one sitting, and throw over your shoulder like a used pink elephant. Everything from the characters to the inks and colours are pretty uninspiring, to the point where I think maybe even with the blinders of zeitgeist, you would readily have identified this as insignificant at the time.

[If monsieurs Dwyer or Rodier have amounted to major things in the comics industry, and I just can't think of them, then colour me red-faced. Yessir.]

Even so, Saviour manages to be one of those interesting concept-characters who is the writer's equivalent of the DJ's Rob Dougan before the Matrix movies.
He's the kind of forgotten character you can lay down in a new way and just totally blow a crowd's mind.
Of course, Saviour did resurface some years after this issue, I'm led to believe presumably to the same ineffectual ends. So while he isn't the secret weapon of a writer in waiting, you'd still have to wonder what could be done with a nutter who can create anything from his imagination.

And wonder we shall, as I disappear into the gloom, a little less congested than when we began. Which is hopefully good news for when we come back to do it all again tomorrow at our usual Friday timeslot. (I'm looking at you, Bahlactus!)
Oohhhhhh, you see what I did there? No? I'll tell you tomorrow! Get off my back for crying out loud, I've got allergies! Geez!...

The Fight: 6 The Issue: 3
[A thoroughly mediocre issue that really does little to enhance the reputation of the much maligned mid-nineties. Saviour is definitely a character of interest for the Secret Earth, but barring an unforseen investment, don't expect to see him any time soon. Seriously, how great would a sponsor be?...]