FLASH, MAX MERCURY & JOHNNY QUICK versus REVERSE-FLASH

Suicide Run (DC)
Where: Flash #77 When: June 1993
Why: Mark Waid How: Greg LaRocque

The Story So Far...
When the multiverse was in crisis, The Flash laid it all on the line to defend infinite Earths from The Anti-Monitor's plans for cosmic annihilation. The only evidence of his heroic sacrifice was an empty costume collected by his protégée Kid Flash.

Adopting the mantle in honor of the missing hero; Wally West never imagined he would see his mentor again - but the sudden return of Barry Allen challenges everything he thought he knew about his uncle!

Joy turns to anguish when The Flash lashes out at those who carried on his legacy in Central City. Having left Wally West for dead, the scarlet speedster sets out on a warpath to punish those who embraced the new Flash -- forcing veteran speedsters Jay Garrick, Johnny Quick, and Max Mercury to step in!

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Draw 3 (Athlete)
Intelligence: Professor Zoom 5 (Professor)
Speed: Professor Zoom 7 (Light Speed)
Stamina: Draw 6 (Generator)
Agility: Max Mercury 3 (Acrobat)
Fighting: Draw 3 (Street Wise)
Energy: Max Mercury 3 (Explosives)
Total: Max Mercury 30 (Super)

It's three speedsters against one, but don't think for a minute that means an advantage! The Flash, Max Mercury, and Johnny Quick are acting under the misapprehension that the opponent they're facing is their friend: Barry Allen!

In truth, the trio are pulling their punches against a chronologically confused super-villain of the highest order: Professor Zoom, better known as the yellow clad Reverse-Flash!

Eobard Thawne came from the 25th century to assume the mantle of the Silver Age Flash, who we know sacrificed his life to save the multiverse in Crisis on Infinite Earths #8. The makeover is so convincing, he successfully fooled Barry's best friend Hal Jordan in Green Lantern #40 -- and even himself!

The miraculous return of the fallen Flash may seem too good to be true, but the heroes aren't foolish for believing their lost friend could return. Their knowledge of his demise is uncertain, and as we now know, he will return in Final Crisis and Flash: Rebirth, revealing he'd actually spent years lost in the Speed Force.

Rebirth was where we saw Professor Zoom demonstrate the destructive power of his polarized Speed Force against the living Barry Allen, and Max Mercury, earning a vicious victory in Flash: Rebirth #4!

In today's battle Max is fighting beside the original Flash from the Golden Age: Jay Garrick! We've seen him grapple with the nightmares of Sand in JSA #64, and the horror of Morgauth in JSA Strange Adventures #1. He's a hero of true grit and great experience, but it's Max Mercury who has the distinction of being known as the "Zen Master of Speed" -- a mentor to Garrick and Johnny Quick!

In some ways Max Mercury is Professor Zoom's opposite, with origins dating back to the 1800s. His speed was supplied through Native American mysticism, and although he isn't as fast as Zoom or Jay Garrick, his study of speed, and disciplined approach allows him to be a powerful force for justice!

Professor Zoom has the benefit of hindsight, with the full exploits of Barry Allen and his knowledge made public knowledge in the 25th Century. He's suffering from traumatic amnesia and genuinely believes he's The Flash, but will that in any way diminish his ability to cause mayhem and destruction? Let's find out...

The Tape: Flash, Max Mercury & Johnny Quick Ranking: Reverse-Flash (#149)

What Went Down...
Construction scaffold begins to tremble violently as The Flash sends super-fast vibrations up its supports. It looks like certain death for the construction workers above -- until a blur of red & blue dashes upward to make the save!

Jay Garrick, Johnny Quick, and Max Mercury defy gravity - running so fast along the edge of the structure they can catch the tumbling men, and race back down to safety without falling. A heroic act before they confront the cause!

The original Flash leads the charge as they confront the scarlet speedster they believe to be their wayward comrade. Garrick makes it clear they won't let Barry Allen run the city ragged any longer. He doesn't take it to heart.

Johnny Quick is the first to make a run for battle -- darting at the disguised Reverse-Flash when he's singled out. He isn't quick enough, taking a vicious elbow to the back of the head as the target easily side-steps him!

Though rattled, Quick keeps up chase with his much faster opponent, providing a target for derisive mockery and distraction. Reverse-Flash notices the brick wall he's running toward, and arrogantly laughs it off, relying on the super-fast vibration of his molecules to easily pass through it...

The presumption allows Flash and Max Mercury to spring the real trap, catching their opponent unawares on the other side of the wall with a devastating right cross and double-fisted uppercut!

The blow sends Zoom hurtling across the construction site into a mound of gravel. He recovers and scoops fistfuls of the stones at super-speed, sending a hail of projectiles streaking across the battlefield and into Johnny Quick!

The gravel rips through Quick like buckshot, but his dramatic fall is dampened when the classic Flash zips ahead to make the save. Max Mercury volunteers to take up the fight while Jay tends to their injured ally.

The phony Flash lunges for Max, but quickly finds the old timer is much faster than Johnny Quick! Mercury slips under the villain's grip and leaps straight at him to deliver a stinging knee to the face!

Zoom resumes chase with confidence he can outpace Max Mercury now that the element of surprise is gone, but he still under estimates the Zen Master of Speed. Max makes a beeline for the towering steel structure where Zoom finds it difficult to maintain top speed along narrow girders. An even playing field!

Mercury proves a far more agile speedster, springing nimbly across the girders to deliver a flying kick, before restoring distance on the other side of a void.

The false Flash looks to mitigate range by snatching a rivet gun and opening fire, but the streaming projectiles are easily avoided by a leaping Mercury!

Max dives into the open air, catching a sagging cable that swings him up and over one of the higher girders -- and back down to once again tag Reverse-Flash with an acrobatic kick!

The blow sends the phony scarlet speedster plummeting to the ground below. He lands near startled construction workers, which inspires a fiendish idea. He races back up the framework, carrying a few innocent bystanders to be hurled from up on the rig! Max Mercury has no choice but to leap to save them!

He succeeds, but the act of heroism gives Zoom the distraction he needs to reclaim the advantage. He barges through the preoccupied hero like a freight train -- but fails to notice Jay Garrick atop the build with a girder in hand!

Reverse-Flash runs straight into the barrier, taking a full impact directly to the body! He drops to his knees for a moment, but quickly recovers to stomp the girder and send a compassionate Garrick launching into the air!

The Golden Ager spins his hands to create enough down thrust to slow his descent, but also allows the evil Flash to run to meet him on the ground!

The phony Flash meets him with brutal, super-fast ground and pound! He spews disdain for Barry Allen's replacement, and forgotten legacy in Central City, while the furious flurry of punches pummels the senior Flash deep into the dirt.

Searching for new headlines for the forgotten Flash; Zoom sets his sights on news helicopters closing in to film. He starts running in a continuous circle, kicking up sand from the construction site and sucking it skyward via vortex.

The false Flash then challenges his bloodied precursor to chase him, knowing full well the legendary hero will put rescuing reporters ahead of stopping his escape.

The elder Flash scrambles to reach them, desperately trying to outrun the threat of their seizing helicopter steering straight toward the construction site. The hero is engulfed in the ensuing explosion as he races the reporters to safety, with only his metal helmet emerging from the smoke.

The Hammer...
A rejuvenated Wally West arrives just in time to dramatically collect the helmet of the Golden Age Flash as it hits the ground smoldering. Professor Zoom wins the battle, but we'll find out in the next issue that everybody made it out okay!

Flash #77 is part of the larger arc that's since been collected as The Return of Barry Allen. The story's reputation has continued to grow in esteem, recently appearing as #1 on Newsarama's 10 Greatest Flash Stories of All Time. Marvel Editor Tom Brevoort also featured its concluding chapter on his blog, calling it the best single issue of The Flash's entire eighty year run. High praise!

I'm not sure I hold the story in quite the same high regard, but it is a highlight from the Wally West years, and there's certainly a lot to like.

On the surface, it's a cruel tale that challenges Wally's post-Crisis tenure as the main Flash. As it unfolds, it becomes a celebration of the legacy of Barry Allen, and a confirmation of Wally West as the scarlet speedster for the modern era.

While the trio of classic heroes challenges the returning Reverse-Flash; Wally is out doing some soul searching after seemingly being betrayed by his beloved uncle, and mentor. The revelation of Eobard Thawne's post-Crisis return to canon is itself a pleasure, as is Wally's redoubling of self-belief and honor.

The arc is effectively a distillation of modern Flash, replete with a shining example of the multi-generational status quo I'd like to take for granted.

I have a real fondness for Golden Age characters, and love seeing Jay Garrick as a supporting player and statesman in the world of The Flash. I don't necessarily need to see the helmeted hero in every issue, but his availability to stories like this really enriches the world of The Flash, and the DC Universe in general. Max Mercury was a nice addition for world building, too.

Now that the Justice Society are being reinstated in the modern DCU, and there's talk of their big screen potential, I'd like to think we can all agree it was a terrible mistake to erase them from DC history in the first place.

The New 52 was generally an unnecessary attack on DC Comics' own brand and strengths, overreaching in its marketing goals, and flawed in concept & construction. Of course, by actually bringing Barry Allen back in 2009 - DC really created its problem before rebooting. If Barry is back, where does Wally fit?

Departing DC Publisher Dan Didio had a well documented belief that the third-generation heroes aged their iconic seniors beyond function. He isn't really wrong. As long as third-generation heroes like Wally West reach adulthood, they require a choice to commit to moving the universe forward -- or halting it.

With stories like the one featured today, DC created an exceptionally compelling case for moving forward. Wally West was very easy to accept as the Flash: one of the greatest legacy heroes on record. They even did a serviceable job with a new Green Lantern, and Green Arrow. That was when they made comic books, though. Now they make movies - and nobody wants to skip the true icons.

Going from black & white reprints of Barry Allen stories to early post-Crisis Wally West adventures was never very difficult. As a young reader, I found Wally very easy to accept. But I also don't think DC should be burning its icons for the sake of advancing to a new generation. Even if that would be interesting.

I like the balance of three active generations co-existing. Grandfather, father, and son, for want of a better analogy. Jay Garrick, Barry Allen, and Wally West. I think perceiving them relative to one another, without placing them in time, is the best way to tell comic book stories. It's the same suspension of disbelief that allows us all to continue enjoying Bruce Wayne stories after eight years.

Sliding timescales and other complex rationalizations aren't really all that helpful. Stories just need to live in the present and adapt their backstory to fit, where necessary. That's what Mark Waid and company did in 1993, and that's probably a big part of why it's held up as such a modern classic.

If you want to get the full story, there are two collected editions you can investigate: Flash: The Return of Barry Allen and The Flash by Mark Waid Volume 2. By shopping using the Amazon links provided, you'll get yourself a good deal delivered to your door -- and support the site at no extra cost! That's a Flash Fact!

You can also discover more of the DCU and beyond by following links throughout this post, or by diving into the Secret Archive. That's where you'll find every featured fight indexed by publisher, series, and issue number!

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Winner: The Flash (Professor Zoom)
#87 (+62) Professor Zoom (Eobard Thawne)
#391 (-49) Flash (Jay Garrick)
#907 (new) Johnny Quick
#921 (-54) Max Mercury

RENEE MONTOYA versus RICHARD DRAGON

Miracles & Wonders (DC)
Where: 52 #41 When: April 2007 Why: Geoff Johns, Grant Morrison, Greg Rucka & Mark Waid How: Giuseppe Camuncoli w/ Keith Giffen

The Story So Far...
Pushed to the edge by her investigations into a corrupt cop, and the related murder of Detective Crispus Allen: Renee Montoya quit the Gotham City Police Department only to descend into a drunken downward spiral.

Montoya found new purpose as a hired agent of The Question, travelling the globe to investigate an Intergang conspiracy, all the while unaware she was being groomed to replace the faceless hero once he succumbed to terminal lung cancer.

Montoya's apprenticeship takes her to Nanda Parbat where the master Richard Dragon will prepare her to become The Question. As Vic Sage exits this mortal coil she fights to live up to his legacy, but soon finds she must live up to herself!

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Richard Dragon 3 (Athlete)
Intelligence: Richard Dragon 4 (Tactician)
Speed: Richard Dragon 4 (Olympian)
Stamina: Richard Dragon 4 (Athlete)
Agility: Richard Dragon 4 (Gymnast)
Fighting: Richard Dragon 6 (Warrior)
Energy: Renee Montoya 2 (Projectiles)
Total: Richard Dragon 27 (Metahuman)

Today's battle is all about student and master, but it's also a double debut for The Comic Book Fight Club! We've somehow missed one of Gotham City's finest, and a renowned master of martial arts. Let's get a quick primer for both!

Renee Montoya was a uniform police officer with the GCPD until she was promoted to homicide detective by Commissioner Gordon, and partnered with Harvey Bullock. They served during the No Man's Land saga that left an earthquake ravaged Gotham cut-off from the mainland, and overrun with criminals like Two-Face, who took a unique shine towards the detective.

When Harvey Bullock was promoted, Montoya received a new partner named Crispus Allen, who was eventually murdered by dirty crime scene investigator Jim Corrigan. This triggered a violent slide that eventually led Renee to quit the force and come to the attention of The Question, who initiated her training.

Richard Dragon studied martial arts under the tutelage of legendary Japanese grandmaster: O-Sensei. Mastering multiple disciplines, he eventually joined the Global Organization of Organized Defense, partnered with friend and fellow student, Ben Turner. They travelled the world thwarting international espionage until Turner was brainwashed by the League of Assassins, and Richard retired.

Dragon had previously counseled rival-turned-ally, Lady Shiva, and applied these skills to the training of new fighters. Among his most noteworthy students have been: The Question, Batman, Nightwing, Oracle, and Huntress.

Given Renee Montoya has come to Richard Dragon for training, there's clearly an inherent disparity between their skill levels. Montoya's a street wise cop who can handle herself, but it would undoubtedly be considered an upset if she were able to outfight a master of karate, kung fu, and assorted other styles.

Montoya has travelled to Nanda Parbat to become the new Question, and has already spent some time under the late Vic Sage's guidance. The end goal is a Renee Montoya who is ready to confront criminals with her wits and fists. When she's ready, she should be able to take a sparring session. So... Is she ready?...

The Tape: Renee Montoya Ranking: Draw (Not Ranked)

What Went Down...
Summoned to the cold of an icy cave, Renee Montoya seeks audience with Richard Dragon. She finds her master's visage refracted in the ice, admonishing her for token efforts of dining with monks, and a change of clothes. He strikes!

Montoya defends against his simple fist and retaliates with a craning palm strike. She insists her intentions are to carry on as The Question intended, but Richard Dragon is not convinced.

He blocks a swinging punch as swiftly as her token indulgence, and accuses her of trading the bottle for a gi to deal with feelings of loss and guilt. Martial arts are just another one night stand to lose herself in in the absence of a woman.

The mournful student throws a kick, insisting she isn't denying her grief, but the master catches her ankle and sees beyond the surface. Feeling and accepting the loss are two very different things. Montoya is exposed, allowing Dragon to easily take her off her feet with a sweeping kick. He challenges his student to face herself!

The takedown puts Montoya on the ground and the master literally forces her to confront her own vision in the reflection of the cave's ice, lifting her head!

The student sees herself reflected many times in the ice. She recoils -- pushing away from the reflections and past the released grip of Richard Dragon.

The master watches sternly as Montoya turns to run from the cave, unready for the challenge of confronting all that is inside her.

The Hammer...
Nothing like a little sparring to shatter your confidence! Richard Dragon remains the unsurpassed master as Renee Montoya meets the obstacle of self - and fails.

It might seem a little bit cliché, but you really can't go wrong with a moment of self-doubt on the path of the hero's journey. It's nothing a little time and quiet contemplation won't solve. In fact, it only took a few issues. Such were the needs of 52: a year-long, weekly series that challenged and excited the market with its anthology of long form, weekly episodes.

It was interesting to see the experiment used to depict the post-modern making of a superhero. The world has seen its fair share of origin stories, but rarely are they told so deliberately, showing selection through to apprenticeship.

Renee Montoya was as good a choice as any, having been a hardened Gotham cop who'd seen adventures in print and animation for a good fifteen years. The only obvious drawback was that it essentially meant losing two great characters to gain one that didn't serve either role quite as well.

The Question is just one of those characters who's undeniably cool.

The visual of a faceless man in hat and trench coat is all you really need. Throw in a swirl of smoke, and the gritty atmosphere of a dark, conspiring modern metropolis, and you've got yourself a recipe for intrigue.

Its a little galling that a character inspired by The Question has challenged his place in mainstream pop awareness. Anything Rorschach can do, The Question could arguably do better.

Talk of a Rorschach revival is always a bit silly when The Question is right there, ready and waiting. He's an icon unburdened by the legacy and vision of Watchmen, or the bitter ugliness that lies inherent in Rorschach.

The strength of the visual is such that re-envisioning The Question as Renee Montoya wasn't the worst idea in the world. Contrary to their current status: DC has been home to some of the best examples of legacy hand-overs in superhero comics! Renee Montoya was a better successor to The Question than Walter Kovacs ever was [that's Rorschach's real name, kids]. For whatever reason, it just didn't seem to capture the same mystique that followed the elusive original, or its Denny O'Neil defined adaptation.

Montoya was her own character. It was equally disappointing to lose an identifiable face on the streets of Gotham.

Given enough time, average everyday mortals tend to fall by the wayside in superhero comics. Renee Montoya was a cop you could identity, with a history and character all her own. She was a mortal presence who hadn't quite suffered an irrevocably hideous indignity, or foul end. A rarity for the times!

Honing Renee Montoya's skills so she can survive and thrive in the crime-ridden streets isn't such a bad idea. It's just nice to have a regular human we care about, too. Somebody to fill out the immortal ranks of the GCPD beside the likes of Commissioner Gordon and Harvey Bullock. With hindsight, we can see there was already a Question. Maybe what the world needs is a Renee Montoya, too.

Renee Montoya is currently appearing on screens everywhere in Birds of Prey.

If you'd like to witness her comic book journey to becoming The Question, you can find today's featured sparring (and much more) in 52 Volume 2. Do your shopping via the Amazon link provided and you'll help support the site at no extra cost!

Discover more from the characters mentioned throughout this article by following links throughout this post, or by diving into the ever-expanding Secret Archive! There you'll find an index of links to every featured fight in order of publisher, series, and issue.

If you like Secret Wars on Infinite Earths and wish to contribute more directly you can help support the project via Patreon. You can also get free daily links to topical battles by subscribing via Twitter and Facebook! Be sure to hit like and subscribe on your favourites!

Winner: Richard Dragon
#333 (new) Richard Dragon
#904 (new) Renee Montoya

GOTHAM HEROES versus BLOCKBUSTER, METALLO & GORILLA GRODD

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

JUSTICE LEAGUE versus CAPTAIN MARVEL

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

The Story So Far...
What is the price of the heart's desire? The devil Neron has waged a campaign of temptation and corruption in an effort to amass immortal souls. With his growing power he seeks the ultimate prize: the corruption of a pure soul!

Having empowered an army of villains who accepted his offer, it seems Neron has achieved his goal when Superman disappears, and evil sweeps the Earth. Thus, a team of heroes volunteers to descend into the depths of Hell itself!

Guided by Blue Devil, the heroes face increasing challenges as they descend through each layer. Only their mightiest make it to the underworld throne of Neron himself, but in doing so, they face the greatest challenge of all: the darkness that dwells deep within them!

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Captain Marvel 6 (Invincible)
Intelligence: Captain Marvel 5 (Professor)
Speed: Flash 7 (Light Speed)
Stamina: Captain Marvel 6 (Generator)
Agility: Martian Manhunter 7 (Unlimited)
Fighting: Wonder Woman 6 (Warrior)
Energy: Green Lantern 7 (Cosmic Power)
Total: Martian Manhunter 36 (Cosmic)

The Justice League are: Wonder Woman, Warrior, The Flash, Green Lantern, and Martian Manhunter.

We know that Captain Marvel's no stranger to fending off the challenge of a wayward hero, or two. The classic meta-rivalry with Superman has played out in battles from Action Comics Annual #4, Kingdom Come #4, Superman #216, and Superman/Batman #4. They've always been fairly equally matched.

That last one was a tag team tussle that also featured Hawkman and Batman, but even that's just a taste of what the big red cheese is up against today! We're talking Captain Marvel alone against five of the Justice League's heaviest hitters -- all driven to extremes by the corrupting influence of Neron, and the naturally corrupting environment of the lower depths of Hell!

Fortunately, Captain Marvel's innate good proved uniquely resilient during the group's trek through the many layers of Hell. He's passed the darkest trials with flying colors, despite having his left arm in a sling. The stamina of Atlas will be stretched to its limit, but he has a natural edge against the evil of this realm.

Wonder Woman poses a physical challenge approximate to Superman, but the strength of Hercules & power of Zeus have always proved up to the challenge. Marvel has nothing to fear from the lasso of truth, but it might be useful against the corrupted heroes. Wonder Woman won't give up the lasso without a fight, but we saw Storm defeat her with a lightning strike in Marvel versus DC #3.

As long as the wizard's magic lightning can reach him in Hell, Marvel has the option to dodge it, frying nearby targets with the "lightning ambush". Against this group it might only work once, but once is all he'll need.

That trick probably won't work on The Flash. His phenomenal momentum will require Captain Marvel to push the speed of Mercury to its limit if he's going to keep up. If he can anticipate the speedster's attacks, he should be able to shut him down easily without needing to sacrifice the lasso, should he have it.

Warrior and Green Lantern have the biggest firepower of the five corrupted heroes. As Warrior: Guy Gardner could possibly go hand-to-hand with Captain Marvel, but his Vuldarian powers mean he can just manifest energy weapons from his body. Couple that with Kyle Rayner's Green Lantern ring -- and Cap's probably going to take at least a few hits. Hopefully the courage of Achilles will help him face it down with the savvy to turn their fire against one another.

That just leaves Martian Manhunter, whose presence at the lower levels probably means Hellfire hasn't slowed him down too much. As we saw in Green Lantern #44, the combat potential for a corrupted Martian Manhunter is chilling! However, that weakness to fire means Cap may be able to stall him relatively easily by directing Warrior's plasma blasts, or resorting to the lightning ambush.

Temporarily neutralizing Martian Manhunter prevents him avoiding the lasso of truth. If Marvel can use that, he might be able to lift the haze of darkness and set Martian Manhunter the task of telepathically helping the others.

Identity Crisis #3 remains one of the great examples of how a lone fighter can use clarity and tactics to turn the numbers advantage of the Justice League against them. Captain Marvel has the necessary skills to make it happen, but he's fighting hurt against overwhelming odds. Let's see what happened...

The Tape: Justice League Ranking: Wonder Woman (#15)

What Went Down...
In the depths of Hell itself, at the foot of Neron's throne, the Justice League's souls lie bare. The darkness draws their very worst selves to the surface, leaving only Captain Marvel unaltered -- besieged by his corrupted allies!

The group rushes the stunned hero before he can act. Warrior pours on the power, blasting at Captain Marvel's mighty mid-section, while Wonder Woman throws an uncompromising left across his exposed jaw!

The Captain desperately tries to put some distance between himself and his friends, narrowly flying above the path of a rampaging Flash! He appeals to the heroes' better nature and the greater good they're there to serve -- but it's for naught. Neron laughs, feasting on Captain Marvel's despair as he tempts a fight.

The demon Blaze watches the fight unfold, shackled at the side of Neron's throne. Her presence there is meant to weaken Captain Marvel, but she quietly launches an act of defiance, restoring his full powers!

Without warning: Captain Marvel feels his broken arm mend -- a miracle in the pit of Hell! He doesn't stop to question the unexplained stroke of luck. With Wonder Woman on the ropes, he curls her lasso of truth around a stalagmite and pulls it taut -- clotheslining The Flash and Martian Manhunter in mid-flight!

Suddenly a spiked mace clobbers Captain Marvel from behind -- a weapon manifested by Warrior!

The frustrated hero doesn't want to fight his friends, but their aggressive attacks are leaving him little choice. Warrior fires a double barrel blast from twin arm cannons, but Captain Marvel manages to duck it, leaving the friendly fire to take out Green Lantern!

Neron plays with the besieged Captain Marvel's mind, needling him to fight back -- to kill! Marvel throws his arms out at the surrounding Leaguers and takes down the Martian Manhunter with his hands around his throat!

Earth's mightiest mortal pins the Martian to the floor while Neron eggs him on to get mad - to end it - to kill! For a moment, it seems as if Captain Marvel may actually succumb to rage. Yet, even in the depths of Hell there is still hope!

Blue Devil explodes from the ground seeking vengeance against Neron! The distraction inspires the demon's guest, James Jesse - The Trickster, to take action! He sees an opportunity to end Neron's tyrannical rise and rushes to Captain Marvel's side. There, he relays something overheard, that Satanus knew of a single word that could bedevil the devil that is Neron.

With Martian Manhunter still in his clutches - Captain Marvel stops to think, and then he smiles. With The Trickster urging him for an answer, the big red cheese whispers the wizard's name and summons his lightning!

The mystic bolt rips through the infernal domain with an all mighty BOOM!

When the dust and electricity settles - the veil has been lifted from the Justice League! Wonder Woman just barely remembers Captain Marvel fighting to save them, as if it were a distant nightmare. With Billy Batson hiding in the dark, the Justice League regroup and ready to take on Neron!

The Hammer...
Under scrutiny this isn't necessarily a straight forward result! Captain Marvel didn't really want to fight his friends, and spent most of the battle in evasive maneuvers. He ultimately did use muscle to put them on the ropes, ending it relatively peacefully by calling down Shazam's lightning. A tactical victory!

It might've gone a much darker way if The Trickster hadn't provided a moment of clarity for Captain Marvel. Blaze also supplied the assist via a power boost that healed Cap's busted arm, and helped turn the tables. Head to the bottom of this entry for a complete update to the Fight Club Rankings.

In last week's feature I mentioned I've been getting a little tired of hero-on-hero violence. Kind of amusing that we'd rush straight into Captain Marvel vs The Justice League. I actually meant the problem more so from the perspective of current publishing trends, but I admit it seems like a bit of an about face

Underworld Unleashed #3 partakes in its fair share of clichés, including the temporary possession of heroes for a good guy melee. It also just so happens to support another of last week's points, though. Namely, the depiction of Captain Marvel as a staunchly good-natured individual in a world of modern moral greys.

It's important to remember the nineties were a pretty grungy time in comics. Look no further than the fact that DC were publishing a major line-wide event that sent its greatest heroes into the pit of Hell as proof-positive of that!

Underworld Unleashed was a crossover created in the years following the Death of Superman, breaking of Batman, and fall of Hal Jordan. It provided a stylistic response to the explosion of a new wave of anti-heroes coming from Image Comics and Spawn, while also continuing the trajectory begun by its hero-killing headlines. In a world that had already seen Superman pummeled to death, it only made sense a banner event would focus on the empowerment of villains.

This wasn't quite the type of role reversal we're seeing regularly in current issues from DC and Marvel. Issues like Steel #21 showed how villains were being powered-up by Neron, but most of the tie-ins kept to the standard dynamic of hero defeating villain. It was all about Metallo getting a modern update -- not Lex Luthor becoming a celebrated member of the Justice League.

Golden & Silver Age morality was pretty well out of fashion, but against all odds, DC had a pocket of pure retro nostalgia in The Power of Shazam!

After a few aborted attempts, it was Jerry Ordway who set about re-defining the post-Crisis realities of Captain Marvel and the Shazam Family, spawning a series in 1995 out of the success of a Power of Shazam one-shot, from the year prior.

Ordway and artist Pete Krause took Captain Marvel forward with a modern sensibility, but it was all infused with a defiant sense of retro charm. By the end of the first year, the series established the Marvel Family, Tawky Tawny, and a Fawcett City encased in a literal magic bubble that gilded it with a 1940s sheen.

For all the foibles of the nineties, it was a decade that allowed for occasionally drastic deviations of individuality. So while the other DC heroes were delving into various shades of darkness, Captain Marvel's squinty eyed view of the world was able to take center stage in the main Underworld Unleashed mini-series.

Captain Marvel's aw shucks, 1950s innocence was positioned as the exception it really was, making it the ultimate prize for a devil like Neron, as well as the perfect weapon against him. When the other heroes succumb to corruption, Captain Marvel remains a reminder of heroes who were (and are) pure of heart.

It's a wonderful, almost subversive idea piloted by writer Mark Waid, who I have to imagine was a major supporter for this type of Captain Marvel, if not the actual source for it. He flipped the script with Cap's portrayal in Kingdom Come, but that functioned both as a deliberate in-story betrayal of the character's ideals, and a larger warning against the pitfalls of violent anti-heroes.

A fake out that the "pure soul" Neron seeks is actually Superman's is a little less successful when you recall a similar dynamic already played out a couple of years prior, during The Darkness Within story. I wouldn't fault them for being consistent with the two heroes' point of difference, though.

Ultimately, in the modern age, perhaps a corporate-owned icon as big as Superman can't afford to live up to the reputation of being comics' ultimate boy scout. However, Underworld Unleashed and The Darkness Within both show us how satisfying it is when Captain Marvel does, as narrative and characterization.

Furthermore, when a guy like Zack Snyder, clearly scarred by the darkness prevalent in our times, insists its a fantasy to believe superheroes can exist without lying, embezzling, or killing, the example of Captain Marvel becomes all the more important. This is a fantasy, and after 80 years of reinforcing a stand against cruelty and injustice, I can't think of anything more "grown up" than accepting that. To presume there is no alternative to corruption - even in a fantasy - may be the very reason so much of this world has succumbed to it.

For all the talk of Shazam! bringing levity to the DC Extended Universe (now in theatres), I can't help but be disappointed that it lacks the unique, singular vision of Ordway & Krause's Power of Shazam, and the incorruptible innocence that sets Billy Batson & Captain Marvel apart from the rest.

Underworld Unleashed seems to be currently out of print, but you can navigate to Amazon via the purchase link provided to seek out current alternatives. If you do find something you like, you'll help support Secret Wars on Infinite Earths!

Seek and discover more interesting corners of the comic book multiverse by diving into the Secret Archive! There you'll find every featured fight indexed by publisher, series, and issue number! You can also subscribe on Twitter and Facebook to get daily links inspired by the topics of the day. Be sure to like, share, or retweet your faves!

Winner: Captain Marvel
#45 (+30) Captain Marvel
#555 (new) Trickster
#556 (new) Lady Blaze
#16 (-1) Wonder Woman
#28 (-2) Martian Manhunter
#30 (--) Flash (Wally West)
#75 (-6) Green Lantern (Kyle Rayner)
#128 (-7) Warrior (Guy Gardner)

FLASH versus KID FLASH

Meet Kid Flash (DC)
Where: The Flash TV Special #1 When: 1991 Why: Mark Waid How: David Williams & Darick Robertson

The Story So Far...
When a freak lightning bolt struck police forensic scientist Barry Allen and threw him into a shelf of laboratory chemicals - his life was changed forever!

With the help of STAR Labs scientist Tina McGee; Barry discovered his body chemistry and metabolism was radically altered, granting him the gift of moving at super-human speeds!

Wearing a high-tech, heat-resistant suit designed by STAR Labs, Barry uses his powers to fight crime in Central City as The Flash! Tina continues to aide him in his mission, but when she attempts to understand his transformation further by recreating his origins in the lab -- a criminal on the run accidentally receives the same powers! Now The Flash must race to stop a super-fast crime-spree!

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: The Flash 3 (Athlete)
Intelligence: The Flash 5 (Professor)
Speed: The Flash 7 (Light Speed)
Stamina: The Flash 6 (Generator)
Agility: The Flash 2 (Average)
Fighting: The Flash 3 (Street Wise)
Energy: The Flash 1 (None)
Total: The Flash 27 (Metahuman)

When the nineties dawned on DC Comics - Barry Allen had already sacrificed himself to save all existence in Crisis on Infinite Earths #8. Five years had made him the stuff of legend -- that is, until television brought the Silver Age Scarlet Speedster back to life for a twenty-two episode, live-action series on CBS!

The Flash on television was a pretty respectable adaptation, enjoying the same basic origin of a lightning bolt striking the police scientist onto shelves of chemicals. There were a few key differences our Tape stats (based on an iconic definition of the character) don't reflect, though.

His speed, though impressive, was not quite what you'd find in the comics. He vibrated his molecules through solid matter once or twice, but usually relied on fast-paced antics, such as tying people up, or throwing things. The reality of it was made-for-TV special effects, but you can also put some of this down to this being pretty early in the character's superhero career.

This Flash was also susceptible to bouts of fatigue and weakness, essentially suffering from acute hypoglycemia due to his altered metabolism. He managed his blood sugar through eating, and it became less of a concern as the series progressed.

Kid Flash did not appear during the lone season. As we're about to learn, Vince Everett is a notorious juvenile delinquent skirting justice because of his young age. He's about to be charged as an adult when he runs afoul an experiment to recreate The Flash's origins at STAR Labs. The result is a second speedster!

The Flash is no stranger to going up against equals in the comics. We've seen Barry Allen race against Savitar [Flash: Rebirth #1], Lady Flash [Flash: Rebirth #2], Superman [Flash: Rebirth #3], and Professor Zoom [Flash: Rebirth #4]! On the show, he met his own genetically-engineered duplicate, Pollux, in Episode 18: the Lenny Van Dohlen starring Twin Streaks.

You'd expect inexperience to trip up any new would-be speedsters in the TV universe. Even with youthful exuberance, Everett should eventually succumb to the same metabolic weaknesses experienced in Barry Allen's early adventures.

The Tape: The Flash Ranking: The Flash (#17)

What Went Down...
Speeding criminal, Vince Everett, blazes by a patrol car with his newfound super-human swiftness. The cops manage to call ahead for a roadblock...

... but nearby road repairs provide a pile of gravel -- deadly high-speed shrapnel in the hands of a super-humanly fast pitcher! Cops dive for cover as the tearing fragments ignite gasoline tanks and cause their cars to explode!

The Flash arrives on the scene to stop Everett before he kills somebody, but finds it hard to lay hands on the junior speedster. Everett keeps on step ahead of his fast-running foe, carelessly tearing through a kid's lemonade stand!

Flash stops to catch the airborne kids and rescue their produce all in the blink of an eye! It provides the self-proclaimed "Kid Flash" the distraction he needs to come up with a name and snatch the emblem from The Flash's chest!

Exhausted by his heroics, The Flash can only watch as Central City's newest runner makes a high-speed getaway!

The Hammer...

Not exactly a triumphant foray into The Flash's television past, but I'm a little short for time this week, and I'm hoping we'll get a chance to talk more about the show in the future. Round 1 goes to Kid Flash, but Round 2 waits!

Like a lot of fans, I was pretty excited to see John Wesley Shipp back in the red suit for CW's Elseworlds crossover. We talked about that a couple of months ago in Hero of the Week. Today, I'm going all in on nostalgia!

As a big fan of the show - I actually picked up The Flash TV Special, on the cheap, a few years ago. I don't remember it on shelves in '91, so I was curious to see if it picked up the slack with a more comic-style story the TV show couldn't pull off. Kid Flash gets close, but still feels very in-keeping with the show's stripped back style of superhero action. Which is to say, what worked on the screen reads a little passé on the page.

I'm not sure I can adequately convey how excited I was when commercials started airing for The Flash. I'm not sure I'm even capable of those levels of excitement any more! I was already a Flash fan from comics, and the mostly faithful red & gold costume had me off the chain from the start!

Local airings and bed time got in the way of total immersion. I saw most of the much-hyped debut, but anything after that gets a little hazy. For memory, the series was soon bumped to a later broadcast time, and I'm not entirely certain they ran every episode. That kinda thing used to happen, but it also might just be that it was out of sight, out of mind. Fortunately, a local video store, and three pseudo-movies compiled from edited episodes filled the intervening years!

A lot of us have fond memories of renting a videotape over and over again. Since these never seemed to be widely available in retail release (where I was) - The Flash was one of mine!

As I still remember it, the movie-length pilot was always a pretty dry and laborious watch, but I was especially fond of the pulp-infused final video release: The Flash III: Deadly Nightshade.

It was tucked away with the others on a shelf near the Guyver movies, a "movie" made from two of the more superhero-centric episodes: "Ghost in the Machine" and "The Deadly Nightshade". They both featured a retired 1950s masked vigilante, Nightshade, who becomes a mentor to the TV Barry Allen.

Nightshade was a little bit like The Sandman, which probably explains some of why I always liked him, but never had any literal comic book equivalent. There's perhaps a touch of Watchmen in the way he's outed in his second appearance, cementing his retirement from costumed heroics.

The Flash's world is otherwise devoid of super-heroes. Superman and Batman only seem to exist as a double-feature at the local movie theatre -- literally.

I imagine the show might've introduced lesser DC heroes if it'd continued for a few seasons, but Nightshade was the sole heroic balance to a handful of mostly toned down super-villains: Captain Cold, Mirror Master, The Trickster, and a cavalcade of technologically powered one-offs created for the show. The existence of other heroes, past or present, is left pretty much unaddressed.

Kid Flash probably would've made sense as the first expansion to the mythology of the show. A chance for Barry Allen to play mentor to a recurring guest old enough to not quite tie the sometimes-swinging bachelor down.

The Mark Waid TV Special story almost reads like a dry run for Kid Flash, but also recalls one of the episodes that revolves around another, more redeemable juvenile delinquent. That one, featuring Jonathan Brandis (Never Ending Story II, SeaQuest DSV) always seemed like it could've led to a junior speedster further down the line. Something to think about next time we reconvene!

The Flash is available in its entirety streaming on the new DC Universe platform, but if you're like me, and want to watch & own your media unedited whenever you like, you should definitely think about tracking down the DVD set released in 2006. It's been a regular in my player the past decade and well worth it! If you do it via the convenient purchase link provided - you'll ensure Amazon support the site at no extra cost!

You can find more of The Flash and friends by diving into the Secret Archive of featured fights, or by exploring links throughout this article, and others! You can also get daily links to fights by following Secret Wars on Infinite Earths on Twitter and Facebook! A follow, like, share, or retweet is another great way to help support our combative corner of the web! Happy holidays!

Winner: Kid Flash
#318 (new) Kid Flash (Vince Everett)
#17 (--) The Flash (Barry Allen)