MIRROR MASTER & KILLER FROST versus GREEN ARROW & BLACK LIGHTNING

Heading into the Light Part Two: Cold Reflections (DC)
Where: Green Arrow #55 When: December 2005
Why: Judd Winick How: Ron Garney

The Story So Far...
Doctor Light has recovered his erased memories and is out to reestablish himself as a villainous force to be reckoned with! After failing to defeat his adversaries in the Teen Titans he's set his sights on ruining the life of Green Arrow and he has the resources of The Society to make it happen!

Green Arrow and Black Lightning are working to resolve the predicament, but when Dr. Kimiyo Hoshi is hospitalized, they find themselves ambushed by the second stage of Light's scheme: Mirror Master and Killer Frost!

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Killer Frost 3 (Athlete)
Intelligence: Killer Frost 5 (Professor)
Speed: Black Lightning 3 (Athlete)
Stamina: Black Lightning 4 (Athlete)
Agility: Green Arrow 3 (Acrobat)
Fighting: Green Arrow 5 (Martial Artist)
Energy: Black Lightning 5 (Lasers)
Total: Draw 24 (Champion)

Mirror Master and Killer Frost might seem like an unusual team-up, but they've been recruited by Doctor Light through his affiliation with The Society. The secret cabal is an organized union of super-villains working together for mutual goals.

This is the Evan McCulloch incarnation of Mirror Master: a mercenary who was given Sam Scudder's old gear by the FBI to work covert operations. He quickly turned on the feds and went mercenary, becoming a regular foe for The Flash.

His predecessor's advanced technology grants access to a mirror dimension he can travel through using any reflective surface. Mirror Master can also trap people in breakable mirrors, and create convincing illusions and duplicates of himself.

Killer Frost is identified in this issue as Dr. Crystal Frost, but all accounts before and since confirm her earlier death. It's much more likely that this is Dr. Louise Lincoln, who recreated the accident that transformed Dr. Frost, as a means of avenging her death as the second Killer Frost.

We saw her employ her heat absorption and ice powers while battling Kyle Rayner in Green Lantern #127. She was taken down by Wonder Woman during a clash with the Injustice League in Justice League of America #13.

We saw Mirror Master combine his powers with Doctor Light to take down The League of Titans in Final Crisis #1. Killer Frost's ice should create interesting potential for collaboration with his mirror powers.

Green Arrow and Black Lightning are more experienced fighting partners and will need to use that to their tactical advantage.

GA's arrows have taken down everyone from the gimmick wielding Penguin in Justice League of America #135, to the supreme fighter Deathstroke in Green Arrow #62. Black Lightning's electrical charge will prove valuable in evening the score against super-powers, but there is a question over whether or not he can za Killer Frost -- or will generate the type of heat she likes to consume.

The Tape: Green Arrow & Black Lightning Ranking: Green Arrow (#20)

What Went Down...

Green Arrow takes a knee and draws an arrow in the direction of the freshly made hole in the side of Kimiyo Hoshi's hospital room. Her bandaged body lies helpless on the ground courtesy of Killer Frost and Mirror Master's explosive entrance!

Crawling on hands and knees, Black Lightning shakes off the impact and answers GA's request to clear the room. He unleashes an electric blast that launches the villains into the night sky -- sending them hurtling across the city!

Killer Frost crash lands hard into the street some six blocks away, but Mirror Master walks away without a scratch. She can hardly believe his luck when an arrow stakes itself into the ground at his feet. Mirror Master knows better.

He runs as fast as he can from the arrow as a red light starts to gleam and it emits a high pitched shriek. A nearby car window provides a parked portal clear from danger as the arrow explodes -- again sending Killer Frost wildly airborne!

Green Arrow reads the play, recognizing Mirror Master is the more savvy of the pair while he shields from the blast behind another parked car.

The illusion of protection is shattered when Mirror Master's hand extends from the car's window and grabs Green Arrow by the throat!

GA deals with the problem at its source -- violently throwing his elbow into the glass to shatter Mirror Master's portal!

He staggers backward into the street, drawing his bow in the direction of the attack. He falls back, but lands close to a puddle with Mirror Master lying in wait!

Hands once again extend impossibly from the two-dimensional plane, locking Green Arrow in an unanticipated choke hold!

It looks as if it's about to get a whole lot worse when Killer Frost recovers from the explosion and prepares to join in -- but Black Lightning calls her attention to an elemental face-off from a building ledge overhead!

Frost gladly answers the challenge -- unleashing a stream of bitter cold that engulfs Black Lightning and lifts him off the ledge!

She leaps into the air to make chase. Lightning cautiously fires off a bolt, but it fails to connect as Frost splits her legs and dodges it. She joins him on a rooftop and sends icy shards extending across. He has no choice but to jump!

Meanwhile on the street, Green Arrow does his best to dive clear of a volley of shots fired by Mirror Master's gun. He dives behind a car and pulls another arrow, but finds himself surrounded by an army of mirror clones!

Green Arrow slings arrows at record speed, shattering the duplicates while deducing that Mirror Master is more than likely playing with him.

The villain expresses his admiration for his opponent's feats while emerging from the reflection on a shattered piece of glass on the hood of GA's cover. Arrow grabs his pop-up attacker by the wrists and slams his forehead into a waiting nose!

The vicious blow prompts Mirror Master to drop to his knees and clutch his busted nose. Green Arrow uses the opportunity to run from a foe he can't beat, hoping to change the playing field by jacking a nearby jeep and making an exit.

A short drive away: Killer Frost blasts unrelenting cold in an effort to see if there's a temperature that will freeze electricity. It's all Black Lightning can do just to keep the cold at bay with his gleaming bolts.

The cavalry arrives in a stolen chariot, leaning out of the driver's side window to fire off an arrow that hits Killer Frost in the shoulder!

GA drives right through the battle zone, calling for a partner switch that Black Lightning is all too happy to take! He rockets towards Mirror Master on bolts of electricity -- finding himself suddenly surrounded by reflections on all sides!

Black Lightning flips through the air, avoiding a spray of Mirror Master's mirrored gunfire. He lands on one knee and returns fire -- unleashing a deadly charge that fills the empty street with a leaping field of electricity!

Knowing Mirror Master could slip through any tiny shard of reflective glass, he pushes himself to the maximum to cut off any angle of entry. Smoke fills the street as he finally relents, but just like GA, he overlooked the puddle between his feet with a grinning face and a hi-tech pistol slowly emerging.

Mirror Master's jibes give him away, allowing Black Lightning to unleash one final mighty charge that evaporates the puddle and leaves his opponent unconscious!

A few streets away its a scene of absolute winter as snow blasts through cold winds. The gale makes it impossible to fire arrows toward the source, so GA tries a different tact, aiming for a street light.

Killer Frost gleefully deflects the heavy metal pole with a focused blast of ice, but the distraction serves well enough to ease the cold front and allow Green Arrow one shot with a very special arrow.

It ignites as it strikes Killer Frost in the thigh. At first, she laughs at the feeble attempt to fire ice with fire, but this arrow is different. It was cooked up by Roy Harper. It's called "Greek Fire" -- a chemical batch that burns hotter in water!

The emerald archer has an arrow capable of neutralizing the flame, but he holds it back -- interrogating Killer Frost for the identity of who sent her. She writhes in agony in the flame, screaming the man's name: Dr. Light!

The Hammer...

Pretty brutal tactics on Green Arrow's part, but it gets a result.

Killer Frost gives up that she and Mirror Master were sent by Doctor Light with intent to keep the hero busy, and away from home, while Light is stalking his adopted daughter Mia Dearden.

Green Arrow is specifically targeted for his role in unraveling a plot against Light's old enemies: the Teen Titans, but it's all in the name of revenge for the indignity Light suffered when the Justice League erased part of his mind.

Green Arrow was actually one of the heroes who stood opposed to using magic to rewire Doctor Light's personality in flashback portions of Identity Crisis. The decision was determined by the majority votes of Hawkman, Zatanna, Atom, and The Flash. They were opposed by Green Arrow, Black Canary, and Green Lantern.

Black Lightning had nothing to do with the League at that time, or their dark dirty secret history. It probably would've occurred just before he established a friendship with Green Arrow, and received nomination for membership in Justice League of America #173. Readers of the recent and excellent Other History of the DC Universe will know he turned their offer down in the 1979 issue.

It wasn't until 2007 that Black Lightning finally relented and officially joined the ranks of the Justice League. We got to see him in action against Cheetah and the Injustice League shortly after. Fun, but it feels like all the classic hold-outs have been swept up in a tidal wave of everybody young 'n' old joining the big teams.

I kinda like Black Lightning doing his own thing, and having a more special kinship with Green Arrow. It certainly added to an already stacked period for GA!

This arc in particular packs a punch with significant post-Identity Crisis follow-ups with Doctor Light, a couple of appearances by Kimiyo Hoshi in a super-charged grudge match, as well as the usual Arrow family, and The Society's guest villains!

The battle against Mirror Master & Killer Frost essentially occupies the entirety of the issue and it's a pretty good, uncomplicated time.

It's always fun to see what happens when villains cross brands to test themselves against other iconic heroes. Mirror Master might cook up new ways to cause trouble for The Flash, but it's a whole new ball game when he goes after Green Arrow or Black Lightning.

That said, it doesn't quite feel like the unique chemistry is fully exploited in this one. It's kind of taken for granted that the good guys are winning on their way to bigger fish. The focus seems to be on the end result of their fight, rather than the scrimmage, which leaves some of the middle action a little hazy.

Black Lightning's method for flash-frying Mirror Master while he's coming out of a puddle is pretty ingenious. Taking Killer Frost down with a chemical fire is a little less inspired, given her penchant for absorbing heat. Credit to Judd Winick for pulling "Greek fire" out of real historic Middle Ages reference, and acknowledging that its property for burning in water makes it a unique weapon.

I'm not sure who's responsible for misidentifying Killer Frost by the alias of the deceased Crystal Frost. That one seems like it could be an editorial oversight compounded by DC's gradual restoration of pre-Crisis elements in the mid-2000s.

All references before and after, including Crystal Frost's brief return as a pseudo-zombie during Blackest Night, seem to confirm this should be taken as Louise Lincoln. You'd think DC would learn from this kind of confusion, but alas, we seem doomed to repeat these inconsistencies as they instate reboot after reboot.

The artwork is a little inconsistent on this one, but when Ron Garney gets a clean hit, it's a thing of beauty. He particularly seems to excel at drawing Green Arrow and Black Lightning. Inker Bill Reinhold compliments the detail in their faces with strong, black lines that seem to retain a soft, bendiness from the pencils.

I like the sharp detailing in that panel of Killer Frost pouring on the cold against Black Lightning, too. At other times the actions and rendering gets much less sharp, and reminds me of some of the incomplete looking treatment of Scott McDaniel when he isn't at his best. I don't know if there's an uncredited assist here, or if it's just coincidence he's a regular GA penciller around this time.

If you'd like to find more from Green Arrow or any of the subjects covered in this post you should check out the links throughout. Or dive into the Secret Archive for a complete index of every featured fight in order of publisher, series, and issue!

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Winners: Black Lightning & Green Arrow
#17 (+3) Green Arrow
#66 (+41) Black Lightning
#363 (-114) Mirror Master (Evan McCulloch)
#978 (-19) Killer Frost (Louise Lincoln)

THE CONTEST: KILLER FROST versus CAPTAIN AMERICA

It had to happen! The Grandmaster has watched the Secret Wars on Infinite Earths for many years and now he comes with a challenge: I must select 12 heroes & villains from the DC Universe to do battle against his Champions of the Marvel Universe! Grandmaster's team competed in the first Contest of Champions and set an allowance of 5000pts based on fixed Fight Club Rankings. Each battle will be decided by you in fantasy fight polls held on Twitter, Facebook and Patreon!

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Captain America 3 (Athlete)
Intelligence: Killer Frost 5 (Professor)
Speed: Captain America 4 (Olympian)
Stamina: Captain America 5 (Marathoner)
Agility: Captain America 4 (Gymnast)
Fighting: Captain America 6 (Warrior)
Energy: Killer Frost 4 (Arsenal)
Total: Captain America 28 (Metahuman)

We've reached the final three and things are heating up! The last round tipped the balance in my favour, but The Grandmaster has been conserving points to deliver some of his biggest hitters at this late stage of The Contest!

Captain America is a Top 10 combatant who'll cost a whopping 938pts, but for that premium price The Grandmaster gets an A-list Avenger famous for his never-say-die fighting spirit!

Cap came into being when he received Dr. Erskine's experimental super-soldier serum to fight the Axis powers of World War II. He's defeated Red Skull's deadliest weapons of death and even punched Hitler in the face, but once thawed into the modern age of Marvels, he became as well known for standing his ground against unwinnable odds, as he did winning wars.

The net result of this is a 45.2% win rate recorded on Secret Wars on Infinite Earths. His total victories are higher than most, but for every ideological triumph against Master Man, MODOK & AIM, Neo-Nazis, or SHIELD -- he's been deadlocked against the likes of Black Panther, Nebula, Batman, -- or outright beaten, as against Thanos, The Destroyer, Mister Hyde, Iron Man, and Hulk!

What does this all mean? Cap's unwillingness to back down can be both a strength and a weakness. Its what allowed him to reacclimatize to the modern world after being frozen in ice for decades. You might be seeing where I'm going with this...

Killer Frost is another cheap recruit for the home team at only 31pts. Just like her nemesis Firestorm in the last round: Dr. Louise Lincoln has the potential to create a unique chemical reaction with her opponent. After all, who better to stop Captain America than someone who can freeze him in ice?

An irony if Killer Frost is that she actually consumes heat, as we saw in Green Lantern #127. That means she won't be easily melted, but also won't have a font to draw from against the otherwise powerless Captain America.

To beat Cap at his own game I think I'd have to spend up big, so this is a purely tactical choice. Just like the last round I genuinely think there's potential for my bargain pick to claim a win, but I'm also content just to conserve points for the final two battles that lie ahead!

The Verdict...
This is where you come in! The fate of The Contest must be decided by an impartial third party and that means you have to choose who wins each battle! Vote for the winner on Twitter or Patreon, and share your thoughts about how the fight goes and who wins in the comments below, or in a reply to any of those services.

Polls will last for one week. Once they've finished: results will be tallied and I'll include the best comments right here as the battle is decided. Did I manage to beat The Grandmaster's champion? Get voting right now!

GREEN LANTERN versus KILLER FROST & EFFIGY

Burning Desire (DC)
Where: Green Lantern #127 When: August 2000
Why: Jay Faerber How: Ron Lim

The Story So Far...
Ever since she recreated the accident of science that turned her late friend into a super-villain -- Dr. Louise Lincoln has been known to the world as the second coming of Killer Frost!

Captured by the Department of Extranormal Operations, Killer Frost was put on ice for transport, but when the truck overturns on a dirt road, she's free to suck the warmth from the guards' bodies!

Aided in her rescue by passing hothead Effigy, Killer Frost finds the perfect source of heat to fuel her newest cold front of crime! So perfect is the dastardly duo, they strike up an instant romantic chemistry. Bad news for Green Lantern - who also happens to be passing by, and wants to bring them both in!

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Killer Frost 3 (Athlete)
Intelligence: Killer Frost 5 (Professor)
Speed: Killer Frost 3 (Athlete)
Stamina: Green Lantern 6 (Generator)
Agility: Draw 2 (Average)
Fighting: Draw 3 (Street Wise)
Energy: Green Lantern 7 (Cosmic)


It's a greenlight on a new year and the free for all is taking us wherever whim blows! What better way to shake off the Holiday frost than with a warm light?

When the Green Lantern Corps was slaughtered by a Parallax possessed Hal Jordan -- surviving Guardian, Ganthet, sought Kyle Rayner to be the bearer of a power ring as the last Green Lantern!

The young hero was thrust into a universe of Earthbound super-heroics and intergalactic responsibility! The learning curve of this cosmic legacy was a steep one. Rayner was quickly confronted by powerful forces from far-off galaxies -- even thrust into confrontations with the Marvel Universe in his early adventures!

We saw Green Lantern rescued by Thanos in a staged battle with Terrax during the Green Lantern/Silver Surfer crossover. GL later suffered defeat at the hands of Silver Surfer when friends were forced to fight for the survival of their respective universes in Marvel versus DC #3!

Surviving these encounters, and many more, Rayner would go on to gain valuable experience fighting alongside Golden Age mentor Alan Scott, Wonder Woman, Superman and the new Justice Leage of America, as well as his friend and studied generational peer Wally West - third generation hero: The Flash!

Of course, heroes aren't the only ones to inherit a legacy from predecessors...

In the case of Killer Frost: Dr. Louise Lincoln was confronted with the chilling transformation of her friend and colleague Crystal Frost. Held hostage; Lincoln was recruited to aid in curing the ailing super-villain, who was dying as a result of her unique physiology. In a spectacular final showdown with Firestorm, the original Killer Frost perished!

Lincoln recreated the experiment that altered her colleague, becoming the new Killer Frost in the process! She gained the same ability to project freezing cold and ice, whilst suffering the same insatiable desire to consume heat.

The only record of Killer Frost we have so far comes from Justice League of America #15, when she battled the new Firestorm as a part of the Injustice League. With help from Doctor Light, Frost had her nemesis pinned down, but the arrival of the JLA led to her being knocked out cold by Wonder Woman!

Similar circumstances to the Society team-up that introduced Effigy to the fighting ranks via Final Crisis: Requiem! In that battle, Effigy's fire powers were utilized by Libra to eliminate the Martian Manhunter!

Effigy is Martyn Van Wyck: A troubled youth whose miserable existence was turned upside down when he experienced an alien abduction. Taken by The Controllers, he was the subject of wanton experimentation that ultimately granted him the ability to project and control fire! Lashing out with his powers, Effigy would have frequent run-ins with Kyle Rayner and The Controllers.

Rayner hasn't had a whole lot of experience fighting Killer Frost, which puts him at more than a numbers disadvantage. Effigy's flame can power up Killer Frost in a snap -- bad news for Green Lantern! Worse - if the hard light constructs of his ring also give off enough heat for Killer Frost to suck them in!

We know Kyle's a tough customer. When he and Hal Jordan ran out of charge during the Sinestro Corps War, they resorted to fighting Sinestro in a down and dirty fist fight [Green Lantern #25]! So if things go south fighting Killer Frost, at least we know he isn't gonna quit!

One of the distinguishing traits of Kyle Rayner's use of the Green Lantern ring is his imagination. He's an artist by trade and can get pretty inventive with his use of, what was called at the time, the most powerful weapon in the universe!

Even if the ring itself can't be used offensively, Rayner should be able to protect himself from the extremes of cold and heat, and find some way to work with what he has to put the bad guys down! Let's see how he did...

The Tape: Green Lantern Ranking: Green Lantern (#108)

What Went Down...
Green light bathes would-be lovebirds Effigy and Killer Frost, signaling the unwanted arrival of the Green Lantern!

He projects a spotlight construct from his cosmic ring, descending to address the nearby devastation of an overturned DEO truck, and burning forest. Effigy tries to talk his nemesis into leaving him alone, but Killer Frost isn't interested in words!

A sudden blast of ice encases the young Green Lantern, sending him plunging like a stone into the roaring waters of the Niagara! Frost keeps up the cold, turning the entire river into a giant frozen grave!

Effigy celebrates the swift actions of his new squeeze, and the pair take flight. Meanwhile, the frozen river they left behind begins to crack -- breached by a glowing green buzzsaw!

A tender, airborne moment between villains is rudely interrupted when a chain and anchor materializes around Effigy's ankle!

The sudden stop sends Killer Frost flinging from Effigy's arms -- but she's able to slow her fall to a stop, forming a massive ice column in the night air beneath her! At the same time, Effigy burns the anchor from his leg.

Looking to even the numbers, Lantern Rayner creates a gigantic hairdryer to melt his icy new foe -- surprised to find the beam of heat to Killer Frost's liking.

GL has no time to act on his observation -- spontaneously ensnared in a vice made of fire!

Rayner summons his willpower to prise himself loose and leaves a green streak across the night sky as he flies away from the fight!

Effigy collects Killer Frost and marvels at the hero's apparent cowardice. Having dealt with more than her fair share of superheroes, Killer knows Green Lantern won't be gone for long. Admonished -- Effigy flaunts his earlier rescue of the villainess. Their bickering distracts them from the looming shadow overhead!

Green Lantern returns with a massive deposit of ice collected from the thawing, frozen Niagara! His snow plow construct dumps the mass of snowy ice on top of the two villains -- but Effigy is able to melt his way through!

He charges the hero with a burning rage, but flies straight into a grand slam from a green baseball bat!

The blow sends Effigy hurtling back to the river bank! The trajectory gives him time to take Killer Frost's words into account. Knowing Green Lantern won't stop pursuing him, he abandons concern for his love interest and devises a new plot!

Reaching out to the nearby highway -- Effigy sends a focused inferno toward an unlucky motorist. The blaze threatens to reduce the car to slag, forcing Green Lantern to abandon chase and focus on rescuing the driver!

The distraction gives Effigy the opportunity he needs to escape!

The Hammer...
As ever we come to a conclusion in need of definition. Effigy may've made his escape, but he did so in defeat. Killer Frost never emerges from beneath the snow and ice. Green Lantern is victorious!

It seems I find myself spontaneously enjoying some unexpected corner of comics every Holiday/New Year. Last year, I was jiving on X-Men during X-Mas. This year it seems to be Green Lantern that's stoking the flickering flame of my love for American superheroes.

When I say Green Lantern -- I specifically mean the Kyle Rayner years. A time in GL history I mostly observed from a distance -- mildly interested, but not actively reading. My mid-nineties tended toward Marvel standards (Spider-man, Fantastic Four, X-Men, Iron Man), a helping of The Phantom, and more Steel than you could ever reasonably expect.

I'd grown up a fan of Hal Jordan, but wasn't compelled to start any forest fires over the prospect of his replacement. The now largely forgotten phenomenon of H.E.A.T. -- "Hal's Emerald Attack Team" -- seemed more than a little weird. Even if I understood where the petitioning fan club was coming from.

I certainly didn't particularly like or admire the idea of Hal Jordan going bad. I was just nonplussed. By this point, Superman had already died and returned, Batman had been broken, and it was all getting pretty passé.

The nineties weren't short of preoccupations. We weren't that far removed from the proliferation of Guy Gardner, not to mention the sprawling concurrent tales of The Corps. A lot of Green Lanterns had pulled focus over the decades since Hal and his peers replaced golden ager Alan Scott. The times seemed ripe for somebody new. Even if Jordan's continued appearances as Parallax made it seem the door was always open for an eventual return. (Even after he died).

Ironically, this actually was the one that stuck for a while. Sure, Green Lantern: Rebirth reset the status quo in 2005, but that was a good eleven years after Jordan went homicidal! Many of those in the non-stop nineties - no less!

Jordan had his flirtations with moral redemption, and a handful of years as The Spectre, but that only impacted the era of Kyle Rayner if you wanted it to. For all the sound and fury surrounding the handover - the new GL was a success.

As I revisit back issues now, I see first-hand how Ron Marz and his collaborators reinvigorated the whole concept. Pretty early on there were comparisons to Spider-man, but that shorthand only speaks to aspects of a broad template.

Yes, the new Green Lantern was a young hero living in a big city. He was dealing with rent, relationships, and the innate responsibilities of his newfound power. That responsibility, in and of itself, was a product of a continuum that wasn't abandoned in the way some felt, at that time.

The wholesale slaughter of The Green Lantern Corps was a shortsighted move, but stripping the mythos down to the important parts made some sense.

Viewed through the eyes of today's constant reboots and origin stories, it's actually a pretty straight forward, back to basics soft reboot. Rayner refurbished the character with a contemporary outlook & aesthetic, created an entry point for new readers, and made the journey of reinvention a part of the story.

Making one Green Lantern special again helped focus a series that spent the post-Crisis early nineties ballooning exponentially, instead of pruning. There was nothing wrong with The Corps, but being able to identify the Green Lantern as a single iconic hero had its upside. It'd been a while, and it paid off when Grant Morrison spearheaded an all-star, back-to-basics relaunch of the JLA.

Kyle Rayner standing on his own in early stories helped establish the character in a similar mold to Wally West as The Flash, but when JLA put him next to Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, and the gang, in '96 -- it took the next step to sewing the new Green Lantern into the fabric of an iconic DC Universe.

I don't regret DC's shift in the 2000s toward reinstating and refining their most iconic versions of characters. The way things ended with Hal Jordan never sat well, and there's a status to classic characters that can never be recreated.

I do wonder what it would've been like had the third generation continued uninterrupted, though. Flash and Green Lantern showed it was still possible for corporate superheroes to advance successfully into a new age. An age that didn't require hard reboots like Crisis on Infinite Earths, or The New 52.

The choice to turn away from that advancement wasn't necessarily the wrong one, but it arguably demands that they focus all efforts on sustaining the icons. A deadlock that can never truly allow them to commit to advancing beyond a certain point. Which tends to result in awkward reboots and rejectable jumping off points like The New 52, and even the current second Rebirth era.

Of course, grousing about the current state of comics isn't what brought us to this entry. I'm pleased to be adding new data into our Comic Book Fight Club record for Rayner rogue Effigy, and Killer Frost. Don't ask me why, (I don't know the answer), but I've been on a little bit of a Killer Frost kick, as well!

Looking for more from any of the characters or series featured today? Follow links throughout this post, or dive in to the Secret Issue Index of past fights to search via publisher, series and issue number! If you like what you see, be sure to hit the G+1 button, or share the link via social media!

Winner: Green Lantern
#62 (+46) Green Lantern (Kyle Rayner)
#318 (-40) Effigy
#826 (-79) Killer Frost

JUSTICE LEAGUE versus
INJUSTICE LEAGUE
Unlimited Chapter 4: Unleashed (DC)
Where: Justice League of America #15 When: January 2008 Why: Dwayne McDuffie How: Ed Benes

The Story So Far...
The matrimonial union of Dinah Lance and Oliver Queen -- better known to the world as Black Canary and Green Arrow -- should have been one of the happiest occasions on the Justice League calendar. Instead, it was to initiate a new incarnation of the Injustice League into being, marking another in a long line of personal attacks suffered by the heroes in recent years.

Organized as an "unlimited" version of the team by Lex Luthor, Joker, and Cheetah; the League of criminals forms as a response to the dissolving Society of Supervillains. With motives of widespread corruption and protection of crooks, the Injustice League strikes with startling success.

Having captured the JLA, the Injustice League holds their nemesis in captivity with the intent of executing them, but despite their consumate planning they failed to take into account the legacy of an atomic hero called Firestorm!

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Superman 6 (Invincible)
Intelligence: Lex Luthor 6 (Genius)
Speed: Superman 6 (Mach Speeds)
Stamina: Shaggy Man 7 (Unstoppable)
Agility: Shadow Thief 7 (Unlimited)
Fighting Ability: Deathstroke 7 (Living Weapon)
Energy Power: Green Lantern 7 (Cosmic)


- The Justice League of America are: Black Canary, Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Red Arrow, Hawkgirl, John Stewart, Geo-Force, Vixen, Hal Jordan, and Firestorm.

Born of necessity; the Justice League represent a coordinated effort by the world's finest heroes to protect and serve in the many iterations of their regional representation, and on a global scale. Boasting some of the planet's most powerful humans and extra-terrestrials, the League is equipped to combat any threat that should overwhelm the individual efforts of their member, or conventional defenses of the world's nations.

The League is classically defined by the core membership of it's founding members, affectionately referred to as the big seven. Overseen by stalwarts, Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman, they are; Flash, Green Lantern, Aquaman and Martian Manhunter. Several of these members would come to be succeeded by others baring their name, Wally West and Kyle Rayner, while many other heroes would come to be prominently listed with the group; Hawkman, Atom, Green Arrow, Black Canary, Zatanna, Elongated Man, Firestorm, Captain Marvel, Red Tornado, Blue Beetle, Booster Gold, Fire, Ice, and others.

- The Injustice League are: Lex Luthor, Dr. Light, Giganta, Shadow Thief, Mr. Freeze, Fatality, Killer Frost, Gorilla Grodd, Poison Ivy, Deathstroke, Cheetah, Joker, Chesire, Shaggy Man, and Volcano Man.

Formed originally by a bored alien despot, Agamemno; the Injustice League exists as a none-too-subtle counter response to the premiere superhero collective of the DC Universe, the Justice League. Their original membership consisted of Kanjar Ro, Lex Luthor, Catwoman, Sinestro, Penguin, Dr. Light, Chronos, Black Manta, Felix Faust, and Mr. Element.

Sometime after his interdimensional doppelganger galvanized the criminal community as The Society, Lex Luthor reformed the League with a large group of villains, intending to utilize their powers as a protection unit. His true motives behind the formation of the team remain secret, but when the Earth's villains are banished to the planet Salvation, Luthor is prepared to lead them to safety.

Math: Injustice League (Ttl) Justice League (Avg) Ranking: Batman (#2)

What Went Down...
Lex Luthor, armed with powersuit and kryptonite knife, looms over a battered Superman with victory seemingly imminent. That is, until Firestorm arrives to transmute the life-sapping alien shiv into a harmless carbon-based toy!

Unaware of the young hero's efforts to free an imprisoned Justice League, Luthor gloats over the numerical superiority of his collective. Killer Frost is the first to strike, firing ice that easily countered with Firestorm's nuclear heat.

Dr. Light joins the femme fatale to lend a little extra power, but Firestorm is not without his own impending back-up... Having freed himself and the team with a ballpoint pen supplied by Firestorm - Batman marches the JLA into a rematch with their sinister counterparts!

Acting team leader, Black Canary, immediately makes her presence felt, dissipating Shadow Thief with the blasting echo of her canary-cry.
She promptly turns her attentions to grappling with Cheshire, while some members of the Injustice League opt to make an escape, left to run free in favour of strategic grouping by the JLA.

Canary tosses her opponent into Cheetah, leaving Chesire to attempt an escape into the surrounding swampland of her own. Hawkgirl borrows some of Red Arrow's hollowpoints to account for the absence of her mace, suggesting the archer might be going soft on his former flame.

Told not to pursue Mr. Freeze or Deathstroke; Wonder Woman takes the initiative to swing back around to aid Firestorm with a knock-out blow to Killer Frost!

Still unconscious, Black Lightning finds himself with the talon-like fingernails of Cheetah at his throat. Seemingly out of the game, the hero awakens, responding to Cheetah's threats with an unforgiving electrical charge!

Green Lantern joins the fray, forming a green force bubble to fend off the combined attack of Fatality's yellow Qwardian powerring, and Dr. Light's light manipulations.

Red Arrow lends the assist, firing a warning arrow into Fatality's hand with the promise of a second to the forehead. Undeterred by the hero's threats, it's Firestorm who puts the Xanshian warrior down by using his matrix powers to turn the Qwardian ring's energy against her!

Wonder Woman turns her Amazonian super-strength to Gorilla Grodd, swatting him into submission with a devestating three-fist combo! Alas; the attention required by the Gorilla leaves her wide open to a sneak attack by the Shaggy Man! Meanwhile, Wonder Woman's arch-nemesis, Giganta, challenges Black Canary to a one-on-one tussle.

The Canary narrowly vaults over Giganta's giant piledriving fist, using her bodyweight to snap back on the fifty-foot woman's oversized thumb! Having the proportionate dimensions of a skyscraper turns out to be a horrible disadvantage when Black Canary unleashes her sonic scream on the giant-woman's eardrums. As she passes out, Lex Luthor narrowly avoids being crushed by his ally.

Vixen, having absorbed the powers of Superman, launches into battle with Volcano Man, withstanding the burning sear of his rocky body to deliver a two-fisted polish hammer! The Volcano Man gets a taste of the Earth as the mimicking hero uses Kryptonian power to grind his head into the ground with a super-fast boot, before returning the powers to their original vessel.

Armed with the razortips of two red arrows, she easily slices through the animated fauna at the command of Poison Ivy. Not so easy, however, is the renewed assault launched by Fatality on Red Arrow and John Stewart!

While Black Lightning and Firestorm tend to a damaged Red Tornado, Gorilla Grodd launches a charging assault spotted by the legless android. Firestorm creates a brickwall to slow the charge, but Grodd easily pounds through it. Just as the rampaging beast reaches his prey the ground suddenly opens up by the will of Geo-Force, who entraps Grodd by closing the chasm!

With the tide definitively turning, Cheetah seems to come to the aid of an unconscious Dr. Light, but as soon as he gets to his feet, it is Cheetah who rakes her claws through the doctor's back!

Light's past comes back to haunt him at the least likely of moments, but before Cheetah can deliver the killing stroke to the sex offender, Wonder Woman intervenes to deflect the slash. The Amazon talks her arch-villain down, only to have Firestorm swat her unconscious with an energy blast.

Meanwhile, with his powers restored, Superman interrupts an aerial skirmish between John Stewart and Lex Luthor, to challenge his arch-nemesis.
Hal Jordan arrives to join his fellow GL Corpsman in gripping the kryptonite gauntlets on Luthor's suit with the energy of the power rings, giving Superman the chance to deliver a knock-out blow.

The defeat of founding members, Luthor and Cheetah, puts an end to the Injustice League's antics. Batman, who had been conspicuously absent from the fight, arrives with the final member of the founders, the Joker, having ignored a direct order from the team's newest leader, Black Canary.

With the unconscious collection of the villains at their feet, the question of what to do with them becomes the JLA's most pressing concern. It's then that Amanda Waller leads her ragtag team of reformed villains into the room, waving an official warrant in the generation direction of the heroes!

The Hammer...
Okay, you probably figure it's a pretty clear case of the Justice League taking the victory here, but the end of the issue includes an additional twist. For the villains who appeared to escape, a seven-issue maxi-series earns them an off-page defeat at the hands of Amanda Waller's Suicide Squad for the assist!

Unbenknownst to Bane, Deadshot, Blockbuster, Plastique, Count Vertigo, Bronze Tiger, Multiplex, and Captain Boomerang, a good number of them are slated to join the captured villains on a prison planet called Salvation. All part of the Salvation Run event that defined much of the DC villains' 2008.

For November on the belated Infinite Wars, this issue made for a great opportunity to stop in with a good many playable characters from Mortal Kombat vs DC Universe. While we can't help but offer a somewhat damning assessment of the final product, we are still quite enthusiastic about the properties surrounding the game. Of the heroes and villains appearing in this issue, you can so far play as: Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, Deathstroke, Joker, and Lex Luthor. Downloadable characters may emerge before the end of the year.

With the Infinite Wars a horrid two weeks behind schedule once more, our unforgiving agenda quite naturally lands us with an epic battle between two mammoth teams. I'm sure there was a lot of commentary that could've made for some interesting and ponderous discussion, but as has been a bit characteristic of our second-half of 2008, you might have to make do without the best of us.

I wouldn't be quite as harsh on the heavily editorialized nature of the series, but would have to agree with some other reviewers' sentiments that the Meltzer-reboot of JLA as a series has failed to really present the A-list title you would expect. Marvel's New Avengers has suffered a similar deterioration, but holds on stronger to the focus of it's characters and an independent story.

In the end the biggest negative is the burden that seems to filter through to McDuffie's script. I'd like to think it isn't his public acknowledgment of frustration that's colouring this interpretation of the issue which feels much less inspired than other superhero skirmishes we've seen from McDuffie, or other writers. The team and adventure feels like a restrictive checklist of required beats.

At the end of the day, a sizable portion of the mainstream audience has been reacting negatively to this editorial vision. While it might not be benefitting JLA as much as one would like, Dan Didio's corporate ship feels cohesive and logical. I simply couldn't fault the issue for being connected to events that contribute to the saga of the DCU and the League as a vital component of that Universe.

Cheetah's sudden betrayal of Dr. Light reads like an awful pro wrestling plot twist, but as described in our Final Crisis #1 review, is an appreciated acknowledgment of a major event that's felt like the elephant in the room every time Dr. Light makes casual appearances in titles like Teen Titans, Green Arrow, or Superman/Batman. Light, of course, suffered a more torturous penance for his sexual assaults under the vengeful gaze of The Spectre -- a fate befitting of one of the most vile criminals DC has seen, depending on when you've read him (post-Identity Crisis). Wonder Woman's speech feels as ham fisted as Cheetah's attack, but with that vital acknowledgment of his crimes, it feels much easier to respect and enjoy Light's tumultuous career over the past few years.

The Infinite Wars will be back again with more Mortal Kombat and DC Universe features in the coming days, including the follow-up to our MK spotlight, this time with the characters from the DCU portion fo the recent game. Stay tuned!

The Fight: 4.5 The Issue: 4

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