RAZORFIST versus WOLVERINE

Save the Tiger Chapter 4: The Ordeal (Marvel)
Where: Marvel Comics Presents #4 When: Early October 1988 Why: Chris Claremont How: John Buscema

The Story So Far...
Madripoor: A crime-ridden island principality just south of Singapore. They say its a city for the very rich and the very poor, where everything's for sale for the right price.

Lowtown is where you'll find the worst of the worst, but the lawless streets aren't without their charms. That's also where you'll find Wolverine, mixing it up with the local riff-raff in the Princess Bar. The perfect place to get away from the troubles of the X-Men -- and find all new troubles!

The dying words of a man named Dave Chapel brought Wolverine to the bar and its co-owner "O'Donnell". Chapel was tortured and left for dead in the desert, mixed up with a local crime-lord called Roche. Wolverine's come to "save the tiger" and that means he's a direct enemy of Roche, who'll do anything to learn the whereabouts of his competition -- including torturing the out-of-towner!

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Wolverine 3 (Athlete)
Intelligence: Wolverine 4 (Tactician)
Speed: Draw 3 (Athlete)
Stamina: Wolverine 6 (Generator)
Agility: Draw 3 (Acrobat)
Fighting: Wolverine 6 (Warrior)
Energy: Draw 1 (None)
Total: Wolverine 26 (Metahuman)

Logan's in a real bad place, strung up with chains and tortured by the local crime-lord's personal "Inquisitor". His healing factor has held out long enough for  a shot at escape, but that means going through Roche's personal enforcer!

Douglas Scott is one of three men to have answered to variations of the moniker Razor Fist. Like his predecessors: he eventually had both his hands surgically replaced with short swords to match the deadly fists of Shang-Chi.

An assassin of some renown; Douglas has sold his services to various criminal enterprises, including a brief membership with The Hood's Syndicate that sent him into conflict with The Punisher. He's also battled the likes of Hawkeye, Elektra, and Captain America, but when you're talking about a man with knives for hands, there's really only one hero we want to see him go up against -- Wolverine!

Crossing claws with swordsmen has produced mixed results for the X-Man over the years. His mutant healing factor will almost certainly allow him to recover from any impalements or lacerations, but it doesn't guarantee he'll win a fight.

In Wolverine (Vol.3) #20 we saw The Gorgon cut him down with a lethal precision impalement, while the vampire hunter Blade merely slowed him down with a light skewering in Blade #5. He also took a sword through the torso from old nemesis Silver Samurai in Wolverine #37, but endured long enough to claim victory.

To beat Silver Samurai he cut the swordsman's right hand off -- an effective way to neutralize the threat of Razor Fist. He also opted for evisceration against the cybernetic claws of Lady Deathstrike and The Reavers in Uncanny X-Men #205.

It's said Wolverine's adamantium blades can cut through just about anything, but not all metals are sliced so easily. When he raked his claws against the cyborg limb of Donald Pierce in X-Men #132, the arm was damaged but remained in tact.

Could Razor Fist's sword-like appendages be tempered enough to take on the best there is at what he does? We're gonna find out!

The Tape: Wolverine Ranking: Wolverine (#5)

What Went Down...

Keen for freedom from Mr. Roche's prison -- Wolverine puts aside thoughts of being rescued by the X-Men to gather his resolve to help himself.

He unsheathes his razor-sharp adamantium claws to cut loose from the chains that dangle from the ceiling. A twist and flick of his wrist is all it takes, but he drops with a heavy "THWUD" and slips into unconsciousness on the stone floor.

When his mutant healing factor helps him revive there's no way of knowing how long he was out cold. It hardly matters. The building remains unguarded and he takes his opportunity to slip out and escape through the outside garden.

Suspicions that it's all too good to be true prove founded when Razorfist breaks the silence of the night from behind a bush: "I've been expecting you, stranger."

Still bearing the wounds of torture, Wolverine steels himself and stomps toward his opponent with short links of chain still dangling from his wrists.

Razorfist swings wildly with the blade that would be his left hand, slashing at Logan's bare chest with the promise of a warrior's death. He aims to spare the prisoner further torture at the hands of his employer's Inquisitor!

A second downward strike with his right-hand blade cuts through Wolverine's gut and presses the mutant onto the back foot.

Weariness from a day of torture overwhelms Wolverine. His mind is lost in a sea of utter fatigue as he struggles just to think -- let alone fight!

Razorfist delivers a straight shot with his right blade that sends Wolverine's head violently snapping back. The blow takes its terrible toll.

Wolverine's body is heavy with exhaustion and can no longer obey. He's finished and he knows it -- even before Razorfist plunges his blade into his throat!

A primal scream of pain enters the air and Wolverine collapses into the roaring stream behind him. The river carries his body to a nearby waterfall.

Razorfist puts a blade to his forehead and salutes his fallen foe, lamenting the circumstances of their meeting. He would've liked a fairer fight against a worthy adversary. Instead, his report to Mr. Roche will tell of a prisoner slain in escape.

The Hammer...

You can safely assume the conclusion wasn't as fatal as Razor Fist thinks. In a few issues Wolverine will be back on his feet, and ready for a rematch without the burden of having been tortured for a day prior.

Your mileage may vary, but I like a Wolverine that doesn't shake off that kind of abuse in an instant. The Inquisitor clearly did some very unpleasant things, leaving him with wounds to the body & arms, and a bloody nose. Nasty stuff.

I'm also very fond of Razor Fist. We're talking about this battle because a version of the villain has made his live-action debut in Shang-Chi and The Legend of the Ten Rings, but I've had this issue sitting on my desk for what must be years now.

Who doesn't want to see Wolverine and Razor Fist go at it?

Sure, it might be argued that the outcome of a fair fight is a foregone conclusion. Razor Fist isn't really in Wolverine's league, even though he could be in the right story. It's just such an appealingly simple, almost dumb concept. A battle of the bladed fists. It hits different than his fights with Sabretooth or Lady Deathstrike.

Of course there's really no denying that the Razor Fist concept teeters on the absolute brink of absurdity. Most fans tend to skew a tad scatological when pondering the practicalities of replacing your hands with razor sharp blades. In the script for Marvel Comics Presents #4: Chris Claremont settles for working an obligatory joke about how he can dress and feed himself into Wolverine's internal monologue.

Other stories have shown Razor Fist surrounded by dedicated servants, or concubines. I rather liked John Romita Jr's revised mid-nineties design that outfitted him with cyber-prosthetic hands. It was a compromise that didn't take away from the graphic conceit of honking great knives where his hands are, but borrowed somewhat from the overhanded concept of Wolverine's claws.

The classic design reminds me of something you might've seen from the eighties G.I. Joe toy line, but it mustn't be forgotten that Razor Fist comes from the world of Shang-Chi and The Master of Kung Fu series.

He may look a little silly, but he's part of the tradition of Enter the Dragon and the villainous Han, albeit a little lower in station. He's a martial artist with a Bond villain gimmick that probably shouldn't be taken as lightly as he is.

Now that we've opened the door to Razor Fist I hope to come back to further explore some of his later exploits in the Marvel Universe. Even in obscurity he found himself into some pretty interesting situations.

I also hope we'll get a chance to return to the atmospheric realm of Madripoor, which could be a significant location for the newly announced Wolverine video game for PlayStation 5! A lot of interesting things to unpack there!

In the mean time: if you'd like to take a tour of Madripoor on your own time you can find the entire 10-part Save The Tiger story collected in Marvel Comics Presents: Wolverine Vol. 1 and Epic Collection Wolverine: Madripoor Nights. Use the Amazon purchase links provided below and you'll not only get yourself a choice cut delivered to your door -- you'll also help support the site!

If you want to hasten some of the plans mentioned earlier, or just enjoy what the site is all about, you can become a Patreon supporter. As a thank you for your support you'll receive special acknowledgement and access to additional updates, voting polls, and your choice of future sponsored articles!

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

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

Winner: Razorfist
#411 (+461) Razor Fist (Douglas Scott)
#5 (--) Wolverine

THE CAPTAIN versus COLD WAR

Cold War (Marvel)
Where: Marvel Comics Presents #2 When: September 1988 Why: Al Milgrom How: Al Milgrom

The Story So Far...
Having turned in the stars & stripes of Captain America: Steve Rogers now patrols the streets as a crime-busting freedom fighter clad in red, white, and black!

When an accident at the New York Center for Cryogenics draws his attention, The Captain unwittingly becomes the target of an otherworldly creature known as The Fear Eater!

Seeking to stoke The Captain's inner most fears, the creature uses its awesome powers to transform a hapless worker into an icy agent of terror. Cold War commands the ice and he intends to put The Captain in another deep freeze!

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

The Captain in name, but Captain America by reputation: Steve Rogers handed in his famous uniform & shield when the government attempted to recall him to service after discovering he was never officially discharged from the US Army.

A previous plot to cover-up government corruption had withered his faith in modern political officials, but far from done serving his country, Rogers used a small fortune in awarded back pay to establish a new crime-fighting identity.

To compensate for the loss of his shield he received an adamantium replacement from Tony Stark. Otherwise, this is the same indomitable super-soldier who fought in World War II, and was thawed from icy slumber in the modern age!

The threat of freezing is a major factor in today's battle when he faces a brand new villain called Cold War!

Cold War derives his powers, and apparently his malice, from the influence of an invisible demonic alien known as the Fear Eater.

The mysterious entity travelled to Earth after an encounter with Silver Surfer, and has used its powers to transform an accidentally frozen cryogenics facility worker into a super-villain intent on returning The Captain to an icy coma!

For all intents and purposes Cold War appears to be a villainous counterpart to Iceman. His body is iced over, and he can project freezing cold, also using it to create icicle projectiles, or an extending ice slide he can ride upon.

His powers alone pose a serious threat to Cap, but combined with the Fear Eater's ability to exploit and exacerbate The Captain's internal fear -- it could be a deadly combination!

Cap's no stranger to facing overwhelming odds. When the Avengers met Ghost Rider in Avengers #214, he helped defend his teammates from the demon's fearsome hellfire. In Infinite Gauntlet #4 he didn't even flinch while staring down certain death in the final stand against Thanos!

That capacity for selflessness and bravery will serve him well, but this is the first time we've looked at an opponent who can repeat his greatest moment of weakness: being frozen alive.

His shield offers some immediate defense against cold blasts, but to avoid the inevitability of the cold Cap's best strategy is to use his super-soldier fuelled speed and agility to stay clear of direct hits and attack quickly!

The Tape: Captain America Ranking: Captain America (#8)

What Went Down...

A standoff is already under way as The Captain vaults across a police car to confront the danger head-on!

He's soon greeted by a flying onslaught of icicles and frozen shards that force him to retreat to the safety of the vehicular barrier!

The cops figure out who the dynamic man in black really is and quickly fill him in on what little they know: An accident has happened at the New York Center for Cryogenics. They can't be sure if the icy projectiles are merely a consequence of malfunctioning technology -- or a malicious party inside the building!

Cap's concern for the employees inside draws the interest of another unseen entity. The extra-terrestrial Fear Eater goes completely unnoticed as he observes all on the street and settles on inhabiting The Captain to exploit his inner fears!

The Captain feels an otherworldly chill of dread, but shrugs it off, completely unaware that the Fear Eater is sifting through the memories of past experiences in search of triggers for unconscious fear it can exacerbate and feed upon.

Cap jumps over the police line and does his best to storm the building -- dodging, weaving, and defending against the shower of icicles with his adamantium shield!

Inside he discovers a shocking sight -- facility employees frozen in ice!

They stand frozen in mid-motion, pointed to the exit with their faces contorted agape in terror. The eerie vision brings up long buried feelings of anxiety in Cap.

His mind remembers World War II and the sensation of falling from Baron Zemo's drone bomber. He remembers plunging into icy arctic waters and the sting of pain before he drifted into a decades long slumber after being frozen alive!

Dread and apprehension seize The Captain's limbs. He bites his lip, all at once realizing his own fear of the terrible cold spewed forth by malfunctioning machines.

Inside The Captain's body: the Fear Eater is nourished by his anxiety, but still wants more. Using its strange alien powers, it reanimates one of the hapless facility employees to become the living embodiment of Cap's fear!

In an instant a new super-villain is born! Cold War rides the crest of a stretching bridge of ice, identified by The Captain as "a cross between Iron Man's old foe, Jack Frost, and The Iceman!"

Cold War reaches out with his hand to project a cold blast he promises is far deadlier than any others!

Cap narrowly avoids the cold snap hitting the floor at his feet, but his shield bears the brunt of the follow-up. Cold War assures: he's delaying the inevitable. Soon enough the growing cold will overwhelm him at the centre of a new icy kingdom.

The villain's prophetic threats prove true as solid ice begins to form around The Captain's feet, rising up to his knees and thighs!

Cold War gloats, but as The Captain is overwhelmed by the possibility of his life being stolen from him again he's inspired by the new friends he's made in the modern age. He fights his fear and uses the edge of his shield to break the ice!

He leaps into the air to dodge another blast from a dumbfounded Cold War. Then glides across the slippery surface to deliver an all mighty kayo with his shield!

With The Captain's fears now mastered, the Fear Eater takes invisible leave of his body to search for another host. Cap carries the unconscious Cold War to the street outside, never knowing of his vanquished alien foe!

The Hammer...

A nice little sideways romp through one of Captain America's off-brand years.

The story is one of four chapters that ran last in the beginning issues of Marvel Comics Presents. Each episode sees the Fear Eater alien inhabit a different hero, starting with Silver Surfer in space, working his way through Thing and Thor.

Fear Eater is kind of a lame stock sci-fi villain. The design is pretty unremarkable, and his motivation of gaining sustenance from fear is perfunctory at best. A meat & potatoes story that didn't leave much of a mark on the Marvel Universe, save for the spieces' brief return a couple of years later in Doctor Strange.

The real appeal of this chapter is the Fear Eater's creation of another antagonist and the way it plays with the history of the hero character.

We all know the story of Captain America's modern day origin. He was thrown from an exploding rocket in the dying days of World War II, and frozen alive in the icy waters of the arctic. The super-soldier serum allowed him to survive the ordeal and be thawed out by the Avengers decades after the war had ended.

The Captain is a paragon of strength and bravery, but you've got to figure an experience as traumatic as that might leave an impression. Which makes an ice wielding villain an interesting foil, especially with the Fear Eater stirring things up.

Alas; Cold War made even less impression -- never appearing again. We don't even know who he really was. Just one of the hapless workers who happened to be in the New York Center for Cryogenics when The Captain came along.

There are other ice villains, but with such a clean slate, it strikes me that it could be interesting to see Cold War expanded upon in any number of ways.

He seems to develop animosity towards The Captain as spontaneously as the ice powers granted by Fear Eater. It might be interesting to learn there's more to Cold War than meets the eye. Perhaps he was a saboteur who deliberately started the violent malfunction of cryogenics equipment. Perhaps he's a hostile foreign agent of some sort. The kind of Russian adversary Marvel heroes thrive on. The super-villain moniker certainly lends itself to that sort of thinking.

The possibilities are endless, and sometimes that's the fun of digging back into these overlooked or forgotten short stories. Marvel Comics Presents is a mixed bag, but I hope we'll be able to get back soon to find more curios and gems!

If you want to discover more stories like this one you could follow the links throughout this post, or dive into the Secret Archive. That's where you'll find an index of every featured fight in order of publisher, series, and issue number!

Secret Wars on Infinite Earths has documented & discussed more than 650 battles and ranked more than 950 characters! If you enjoy this and other features you can help make more possible by joining the fight on Patreon. As a thank you patrons unlock additional updates, polls, and customizable article options.

You can also follow on Twitter and Facebook to get free daily links to superhero smackdown inspired by the topics of the day! Don't forget to like and share!

Winner: The Captain
#7 (+1) The Captain (Steve Rogers)
#935 (new) Fear Eater
#936 (new) Cold War

DOCTOR NEMESIS versus GIANT-MAN

Rest and Sweet Glory Part 2: The Bootstrap Model (Marvel)
Where: Marvel Comics Presents #114 When: October 1992 Why: Dwayne McDuffie How: Ron Wilson

The Story So Far...
Bill Foster's experience working with Hank Pym granted him incredible powers that come with exposure to Pym Particles! The wonders of increasing and reducing his size have made him the newest Giant-Man -- but it's his scientific prowess that Dr. Edwin Hawkins wants!

Recruited at the recommendation of Mister Fantastic: Bill Foster is embarking on a new journey working for Stane International. His knowledge of Pym Particles and biochemistry can help Hawkins build a working quantum mechanical model that could revolutionize physics!

Just one problem! Project Head Dr. Michael Stockton isn't all he appears to be, and Stane International is interested in more profitable markets for their super-science. Recovering from a prototype malfunction - Giant-Man finds the truth!

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Draw 5 (Super-Human)
Intelligence: Draw 5 (Professor)
Speed: Draw 2 (Average)
Stamina: Draw 4 (Athlete)
Agility: Draw 2 (Average)
Fighting: Giant-Man 3 (Street Wise)
Energy: Dr. Nemesis 2 (Arsenal)
Total: Draw 22 (Champion)

A couple of weeks ago we had the long & short of it, but today it's big & tall all the way! We're super-sizin' our fightin' fun with two challengers whom, by any other name, would smell as sweet! Info's in the introductions...

Doctor Nemesis is scientist Dr. Michael Stockton, whose field of research is the subatomic. He was recruited by Advanced Idea Mechanics, becoming a self-styled nemesis to Hank Pym and the Wasp! By stealing Pym's unique particle technology, Stockton acquired similar skills of shrinking and enlarging.

This Doctor Nemesis is not to be confused with James Bradley: A World War II-era vigilante, and Nazi collaborator turned hunter, whose unique biochemistry saw him associate with Beast and the X-Men into the modern age. The potential for confusion doesn't end there, though...

Stockton had multiple run-ins with Hank Pym as Ant-Man, but today's battle with Giant-Man is not a rematch in his oversized alter-ego!

At this time: Dr. Bill Foster had assumed the mantle of Giant-Man. He adopted the moniker at the suggestion of his good friend and Project Pegasus colleague - Thing! He had previously adventured as the costumed Black Goliath.

Foster worked alongside Hank Pym as a biochemist at Stark International. He was later responsible for duplicating the Pym Particles formula and removing it of harmful side effects. This was how he acquired his powers, which most typically involve increasing his size to goliath proportions.

Goliath grappled with Pym (as Yellow Jacket) during the Avengers Civil War between registered and anti-registration heroes [Civil War #3]. Goliath and the Secret Avengers were ultimately undone by Iron Man, and a bio-mechanical clone of Thor dubbed Ragnarok. Ragnarok killed Goliath in Civil War #4.

Dying is neither here, nor there. Bill Foster's alive and ready to take on Doctor Nemesis in today's story! As an experienced adventurer - he's got a compelling case for beating him, too! Giant-Man's gone toe-to-toe with the Hulk! The only snag could be Nemesis' ability to warp the science of size-manipulation for devious ends -- combined with the element of surprise!

These two are incredibly evenly matched! Let's see who takes the win!

The Tape: Draw Ranking: Giant-Man (#586)

What Went Down...
Growing to gigantic proportions: "Giant-Man" Bill Foster intimidates his way through his employer's restricted access doors. Inside awaits a hi-tech device -- quickly identified by his colleague, Dr. Edwin Hawkins, as a warhead!

The shock that Hawkins' research has been utilized for military application is quickly interrupted by the arrival of Stane International security, led by project head Dr. Stockton. The revelation of international arms dealing provokes action!

The super-sized super-hero rips a sheet of metal from the lab floor and wraps it around a scrambling, armed security team!

Giant-Man challenges other security forces to join the fight, but instead finds another opponent revealing himself! Dr. Stockton removes his lab coat and dons the guise of the notorious Doctor Nemesis!

Foster knows his enemy thanks to Hank Pym, but not the new developments he's made thanks to the search of Dr. Hawkins! Nemesis plucks a button from his lab coat and demonstrates the manipulation of weight but not size!

The tiny button strikes Giant-Man in the stomach with unexpected force! He doubles over, dropping to his knees as Nemesis postulates the button must've weighed a focused forty pounds by the time it hit its target!

Embarrassed by the simplicity of the attack, Giant-Man recovers to his feet - getting even bigger to tower ominously over the bad Doctor! A body-sized fist collides with Nemesis for an equalizer!

Giant-Man follows instantly with a crushing hammer fist to finish the job!

The battle may be won, but the war with Stane International is just beginning! A shadow casts over Giant-Man as he contemplates calling the Avengers, signaling the arrival of another foe -- the gargantuan Goliath!

The Hammer...
A short story delivers a big winner: Giant-Man claims victory!

We're back in Marvel Comics Presents territory, exploring Part 2 of a six-part adventure starring Bill Foster! As covered in The Tape section [above], you may know Bill Foster better as "Goliath".

Foster debuted as the in-fashion "Black Goliath" in 1975, back referencing a character first seen in Avengers #32 (in 1966). He's part of a tangled web of monikers: one of three heroes to have gone by Giant-Man -- and a small handful of heroes and villains who've answered to Goliath.

If I had to pick one Goliath to rule them all - it would be Bill Foster - but to make matters a little more complicated, he's under attack from another well known Goliath at the end of today's featured chapter.

Erik Josten towers as Doctor Nemesis' extra muscle, but looms largest in Marvel Comics lore as the altruistic "Atlas". That was an identity he grew into, having adopted it as one of Baron Zemo's insidious Thunderbolts: villains pretending to be heroes while capitalizing on the Heroes Reborn disappearance of the Avengers and Fantastic Four. [A long story that started in Incredible Hulk #449 if you're really interested!]

I'm sure at some point we'll get around to checking out Foster v Josten, if only for its curiosity factor!

A little bit like Wasp's adventure in Marvel Super-Heroes #3, these Bill Foster asides are some of the fun curiosities you got from Marvel's anthology offerings in the early nineties. Hidden gems buried beneath usual MCP cover star Wolverine, and at this time, Ghost Rider and Iron Fist.

If you feel like you've seen a different cover for Marvel Comics Presents #114 - you aren't mistaken. The series was running with a flip-book gimmick around this time, so there's another cover on the other side. I guess it was somebody's idea for pushing dual lead stories, and it's kind of fun as an artefact, but it's also a needless complication on the racks, and when reading.

"Rest and Sweet Glory" (the title of the Giant-Man serial) doesn't seem like it was ever intended for elsewhere, as is sometimes the case with these anthology series. It doesn't have the heft of a new series pilot, or ambitions of Dwayne McDuffie's introduction to Damage Control in Marvel Comics Presents #19.

It's actually kind of the perfect secondary story for a series like Marvel Comics Presents. A fun episode with a super-hero who might not otherwise be in the spotlight, but is part of the wide, wonderful Marvel Universe.

In this case, the story serves a purpose of helping establish the new identity of Giant-Man. A security guard even gets a helpful correction when he refers to him as Black Goliath -- a nice acknowledgment of his established history, and meta-reference for readers who might be making a similar adjustment.

The shift to Giant-Man wasn't the right fit given its iconic association with Hank Pym, but it probably seemed like a good idea, at the time. It's a classic Marvel moniker that somebody might as well have been using. Pym had been doing his own thing in West Coast Avengers and didn't seem likely to go back. Thirty years into the Marvel saga, it was easy to be naïve about a thing like that.

The Tarantino fueled retro-appeal of haphazardly throwing "Black" in front of an African-American character's name wasn't there yet. I don't know the origins of the practice, but it's always seemed weird. "Black Goliath" probably needed a nineties update and just Goliath had those villain ties. In the end, it turned out to be a much better choice. "Black" or not, Goliath was a well earned name.

Goliath is also a name you'll now have heard if you saw Ant-Man and The Wasp in theatres! Laurence Fishburne brings a maturing Bill Foster to the screen. Sadly, he doesn't perform any feats as Goliath -- which is exactly why we had to go rummage in the comics for that kind of real shared universe fun!

If you'd like to find more curios and classics, you can find every featured fight index by publisher, series, and issue in the Secret Archive! Follow along on Twitter and Facebook for daily links to fights inspired by the topics of the day -- or do it the old fashioned way, and steer your own destiny by following links to characters and series throughout this post! You never know when there'll be a follow-up! Tell your friends while you're at it, too!

Winner: Giant-Man
#357 (+229) Giant-Man (Bill Foster)
#853 (new) Doctor Nemesis (Michael Stockton)

QUICK FIX: WOLVERINE vs THE PROFESSOR
Weapon-X: Chapter Eleven (Marvel)
Where: Marvel Comics Presents #83 When: 1991
Why: Barry Windsor-Smith How: Barry Windsor-Smith

THE TAPE...
Strength: Wolverine 3 (Athlete)
Intelligence: Professor 5 (Professor)
Speed: Wolverine 3 (Athlete)
Stamina: Wolverine 6 (Generator)
Agility: Wolverine 3 (Acrobat)
Fighting: Wolverine 6 (Warrior)
Energy: Draw 1 (None)

Math: Wolverine
Ranking: Wolverine (#6)

THE FIX...
Whoa! Keep your hat on, true believer! Not that Professor!
Following on from our previous entry [X-Men (2000)] we're bouncing off of the cinematic release of X-Men Origins: Wolverine to induct the best there is at what he does into Season 2009 on the Infinite Wars! That means delving deeper into the mysterious past of one of comics' most popular and enduring heroes!

Previews of the Wolverine solo movie left me pretty cold, but all the X-citement at least spurred me to go back to issues of the early nineties Chris Claremont/Jim Lee comics, and the cartoon that they inspired, to relive some of the character's defining adventures. On reflection I could really appreciate just how much the Wolverine character has changed over the past decade. He's a little taller, a little prettier, and a lot more personable (at least to his friends).

Change in superheroes is a peculiar and lumbering beast.

Corporate dedication to characters who've endured decades of publishing has forced a shift in the perception of originality in this medium. Reactionary to even subtle and nuanced shifts of perspective; superheroes have found longevity and excitement in spite of their many cycles of variation and repetition.
Sometimes, as with Watchmen, this momentum comes from the manipulation of familiar ideas that prescribe to originality as an application of concept and method, rather than the invention of wholely unfamiliar material. When added to characters designed to occupy a shared fictional universe, this derivative practise can create a greater understanding of the versimilitude of storytelling, and contribute vast contexts to any and all small additions.

Wolverine entered the Marvel Universe as a fairly typical costumed character, albeit, as an opponent for the Hulk in late 1974. Once recruited by creator Len Wein for his 1975 "all-new" X-Men special, the character began a path toward a mythology that would redefine him as one of comics' great superheroes, but this was far from instantaneous success. The diminutive Canadian was selected for the revamped on-going series (written by Claremont), but was initially an effective supporting character to the many extravagant mutants featured.
It wasn't until John Byrne replaced Dave Cockrum and championed his cause as a Canadian (and creator of Alpha Flight), that the complexity of Wolverine's backstory and rebellious nature as an anti-hero, really began to shine.

During the eighties; Wolverine developed extensively as a character through Claremont's collaborations with Byrne as well as writer/artist, Frank Miller. By going back into the loveable loner's private past, new layers were built upon a gruff exterior that drew heavy inspiration from the honor-bound traditions of samurai. Though Wolverine became a creature of increasing complexity, he remained a fleshed out character with a history that was not completely his own.

The coming of the nineties would bring a new proliferation of anti-heroes born of the success of the grim 'n' gritty movement of the eighties. Wolverine was ready to be a headlining feature in a growing series of titles, including Marvel's mixed bag anthology, Marvel Comics Presents.
As the main feature to short stories and serials starring second-stringers and unlikely lead protagonists; the long awaited exploration of Wolvie's origins answered as many questions as it posed, building upon his original connections with shady government operations to create comics legend: Weapon X!

By now, the Weapon X project has become a household name through the mass media consumption of the concept through television and cinema.
Weapon X featured prominently in segments from the seminal X-Men cartoon series (produced by Saban Entertainment), and has since become a key piece of the film mythology, providing a throughline of mystery from Wolverine's first appearance in X-Men, to the adaptation of the story in X-Men Origins.

The cultivation of the Weapon X mythology spanned much of the 1990s, culminating in the 2000 reveal that the "X" was indicative of it's role as tenth incarnation of the Weapon Plus projects. As if the the vast conceptual adaptation of the idea hadn't already contributed enough, the convoluted secret government experimentation was granted one final connection, folding modern incarnations into an Ultimate-esque relation back to Weapon 1, Captain America. A reveal quite expertly crafted by Grant Morrison, who managed to avoid bogging himself down in the decades of confusion that had come before, opting instead to drop a single atomic bombshell in the course of his New X-Men run, which changed the way the last sixty years of Marvel Comics could be observed, if you were so inclined. Otherwise, it was just another chapter in the saga of mutants as guinea pigs and the war mongering contradictory madness of humanity.

For Wolverine; the legacy of Weapon X was one of violent context.
The details of his transformation from "Logan" to "Wolverine" were always known to have been shady, but the brutality of the project that bonded unbreakable adamantium to his skeleton and tampered with his mental state went far deeper than mere Canadian government superheroics. A precedent of understanding was retroactively achieved for a character whose very nature seems vicious and animalistic, but is in part forever reflective of the torture he endured.

Few scenes remind us that Wolverine isn't the fun loving Hugh Jackman we've all come to know than those in Marvel Comics Presents #83. Naked and bloody with tubes and machines sticking out of his body, Wolverine stands beneath the burning lights of a creator who intends to destroy him. The Professor, as he was then simply known, watches over the monster he created with utter contempt, intent on destroying it for all it's triumphs and discretions as something far greater than he had ever intended. Alongside his Weapon X, one of the staff whose misfortune will come as an incidental accompaniment to Wolverine's.

Wolverine - Weapon X - escapes a nuclear deconstruction beneath the Professor's purging fission-gate, resisting what seemed to be inevitable. While his own demented body heals the smouldering of his flesh and burning of his hair, Weapon X presses on through sheer force of purpose. A veritable human torch, he climbs from the pit that was to be his deathplace, and looms over his creator who describes him as a walking dead man. A fitting irony of symmetry.

Weapon X lunges through the glass of The Professor's observation chamber with the claws of his right hand already unsheathed. He pins the feeble Professor to the ground and struggles to break through the physical and psychological torture that has robbed him of his identity. Is he alive or dead? Man or animal? The Professor, with utter disregard for the man who is now "Weapon X," claims the latter, and deservedly seals his fate.

Logan plunges his claws into the Professor's gut furiously and tosses him across the control panel of his machines. Even as death stares him in the face, the Professor's disregard for the potential of Wolverine eludes him. He reaches desperately for a button to summon help, security, but they are already dead. As is he. With a wave of his claws, Weapon X brings an end to the futility, severing the hand that damned him and now desperately seeks salvation [pictured above].

Weapon X, becoming more human by the minute, returns his claws to their hiding place within his forearm and elaborates on his actions, "Now we both... got our paddles... bollixed. D'ythink... that makes... us... even?"

Unsatisfied, Weapon X gives in to the very human temptation of revenge, but he takes no discernable pleasure in the moment. In it's way, the act is as much a gesture of kindness, self-preservation, and condemnation, as it is vengeance.

Naked and alone, Weapon X looks forward to a future of pain and uncertainty as Wolverine. The time that follows leads Wolverine to discover, and rediscover, old and new enemies. Some come from within, others the symptom of an act of inhumanity that continued to create new creatures designed to be part of an inglorious whole assembled high above the Earth. That, however, is a story for another time, in a place of greater certainty than this version of a dark past.

To those who've embarked on the journey to cinemas (and put up with the lateness of this slightly rushed entry), I strongly recommend delving deeper into the character with some of these classic tales. The Miller/Claremont series, Weapon X, and maybe even Origin, all develop the character in ways the film mimicks but fails to live up to. Of particular disappointment, in my eyes, is the completely lack of style the Jackman vehicle shows, failing to differentiate itself from the core X-film franchise in any distinct way.

Personally, I had hoped for something steeped in the Japanese mythology that once stood at the core of the character, with a stylized visual simplicity to compliment it.

The Fight: 4 The Story: 4.5
Winner: Wolverine

Don't know who you are? Suffering from false memories implanted by evil government scientists? The Infinite Wars Secret Archives contain a host of stories to help catch you up on the past, with conviently located purchase points for collected editions of most stories, much like those embedded above. For a wider selection, the Gift Shoppe offers a wide catalogue of titles, including "Weapon X" and other Wolverine stories. By using purchase links, you help sponsor future entries on the Infinite Wars, and also claim back a shred of your humanity.
Stay tuned for more belated Infinite Wars!

DAREDEVIL versus TURK
"Overture"
Where: Marvel Comics Presents #19 When: May 1989
Writer: Dwayne McDuffie Artist: Ernie Colón

The story so far...
Introducing Damage Control, the superhero insurance company of the Marvel universe!

Like the previously featured Daredevil vs Scope; this Marvel Comics Presents feature is an eight-page stand alone short story. This time around, the story serves as a preview for the first of the Damage Control mini-series, marking the first appearance of the characters.

John Porter, rival to Damage Control, arrives at Josie's bar hoping to sell superhero insurance to the Daredevil hotspot. Meanwhile, outside, Daredevil seeks information from the ever present, Turk.

Tale of the tape...
I really enjoyed the apparent obscurity of featuring Marvel's long forgotten anthology title earlier in the year, so I thought I'd havbe another shot.
Of course, in hindsight, these shorts are a lot tougher to elaborate on, and I'm not sure how interesting even the full issues have been.

Never the less, this is a really interesting story!
Even with my lack of familiarity with Daredevil's nemesis is troubling. Hopefully you'll still respect me in the morning when you learn that, despite reading comics for almost twenty years, Frank Miller's work on Daredevil is one of the larger gaps.
As I understand it, Turk was a recurring character during Miller's run, probably best known for this period.

As far as I know, and from what little information is available, he's pretty much a street thug. As far as Daredevil goes, this isn't exaclty arch-nemesis material. In fact, in the context of this story, (and perhaps others), Turk is pretty much played for laughs.

Energy powers: 3 (Explosives)

Weapons seem to be Turk's primary attack point, assuming he's alone. Not really as inspiring as villains who can crush bricks on their head, or layer you in flames, or pierce your pupil with a sewing needle.

What went down...
Casually resting against a lamppost, Daredevil clearly doesn't take Turk seriously as he hurls himself in his general direction with a leather clubbing weapon.
Daredevil swiftly avoids the attack, and leaves Turk to crash through the window of Josie's Joint as Damage Control insurance man, John Porter, peddles his wares.

Daredevil continues his interrogation, coyly tugging Turk toward him with a finger grip to his t-shirt, and then grabs him in a headlock.

Turk continues to resist, looking to use the ol' bar room chair trick, but Daredevil effortlessly faps it away, before tossing the thug across the bar into a wall.

John Porter casually enjoys his drink, while Daredevil further presses for a name to, one would assume, a pressing case.
Turk refuses to give up the information, and boasts that this time around he was ready for the crimson champion, brandishing a grenade.

"Thish ish for you, Daredevil!"

Turk pulls the pin with his teeth, but Daredevil gracefully knocks the explosive right back to sender with his billy club.

"You look busy. We'll chat later."

Porter walks Josie out of her joint, assuring her of improved cash flow by refinancing her mortgage with his group, as Turk warns of live grenade.

Daredevil manages to get to Porter and Josie before the explosion goes off, diving on them like any self-sacrificing hero would. What a guy!

As Josie absorbs the enormity of her life crumbled before her, Damage Control representitive Mrs. Hoag shows up to offer reassurance.
Daredevil gets his man, Josie gets a new bar (dropped in by crane), and John Porter joins the Damage Control team.

As for Turk? He lives to be harrassed another day!

The hammer...
So, there you have it. Apologies to any regular visitors, this was a late post. Other commitments led to this brief entry being a little behind schedule, but I don't expect that to be a regular thing.
For formaly's sake, I'm sure we all can tell, Daredevil got the win.

As mentioned ad nauseum, this was a choice of particular interest, not only as the first appearance of Damage Control, but also just as a neat little story.
Working on my own short stories for self-publication, I've come to chat with collaborators about the similarly formatted Marvel Comics Presents, which came to and end in 1995. The title really did have a way of producing some incredibly interesting, and under exposed stories.

With the Damage Control short, McDuffie does an interesting job of introducing the McGiffen/DeMatteisesque comedy of a less than efficient group operating in a superhero world. At the same time, it's layered behind the Daredevil fight that provides keen comedic beats, while also playing conveniently to the psyche of the time. No doubt Frank Miller and Daredevil were still quite in the minds of readers in early 1989.

This also highlights the interesting point of exposing both up and coming talents, with characters maybe a little more obscure than are usually provided. I would say today at Marvel the rough equivalent of MCP would be the Unlimited books sporting the X-Men and Spider-man brands respectively.

Though fantastic opportunities and comics, they perhaps lack the variety of some of the characters and themes MCP promoted.
Number ninetten, the issue featured here, the title characters of each story are; Cyclops/Mastermold, Black Panther, Dr. Strange, and Daredevil/Damage Control.

Of course, it is quite an honor and vocationally beneficial to be able to say you've worked on Spider-man or Wolverine, so, there's certainly a good counter balance to the argument for a book like MCP versus Unlimited. It's just more food for thought!

The Fight: 3 The Issue: 4

NEXT: Namor versus Aquaman. Marvel versus DC!
NEXT WEEK: The Invincible Ironman versus the Diabolical Diablo!

DAREDEVIL versus SCOPE
"White Messiah"
Where: Marvel Comics Presents #49 When: 1990
Writer: John Fligueroa Artist: Ron Wilson

The story so far...
This is probably a particularly obscure choice, considering it's only an eight page short story from an issue of Marvel Comics Presents. That's probably largely the appeal of it, because I've been focusing on fairly recent stories.

It's a hot time in the old town, as Daredevil pursues a tip from his good friend, Tony.

Very little about this case is any different than others. Men who deal in drugs and money, meeting at a remote dock location, where they believe themselves to be unseen. This time, however, it's Daredevil who is mistaken, as his stealth is challenged by the man called Scope, nicknamed so for his escape from everyone from the NYPD, to Interpol.

Tale of the tape...
I don't pretend to be any kind of Daredevil afficianado, but I've always liked the character, and with Brian Bendis and Alex Maleev on the title, I've grown to be a fan. That being the case, and Daredevil being one of the better fighters in the Marvel universe, this is the first chance to list a character who will probably show up on Secret Earths more than once.

Daredevil's prowess as a fighter is, of course, quite well documented, which directly contrasts his opponent on this particular occasion. As far as I know Scope had never appeared prior to this short, and has never appeared since, which is probably part of the appeal of discussing this story.

Stamina: 5 (Marathon Runner)
Agility: 4 (Gymnast)
Fighting Ability: 5 (Martial Artist)

DD's greatest skill as a super hero is his martial arts training, and condiitioning that allows him to execute his attack to the fullest extent. That, coupled with his keen radar senses, make for a stealthy and effective fighter, greater than perhaps even the Batman.


Being a somewhat mysterious threat, Scope can be assessed only superficially as a large, presumably powerful man, with a lotta henchmen, who have a lotta guns. Nothing DD hasn't tackled before, so you'd have to think Daredevil, lurking in the shadows, would have overwhelming odds in his favour...

What went down...
"Gentlemen, before we proceed, there's someone behind those boxes..."

The mysterious criminal called Scope tips his boys off to Daredevil's presence, as he lurks behind some crates, surveying the situation with his radar senses.
As the villains turn their machine guns toward his hiding place, Daredevil is forced to spring into action.

Daredevil is swift and confident, knocking at least six nameless goons down with various strikes, and pressure point attacks. The high-caliber weaponry forces him to be precise, and efficient.
With the pawns flattened, Daredevil gives Scope a chance to make his move.

The gangster opens his trenchcoat, revealing two metallic baseball bats - his weapons of choice.

Daredevil senses the metal by the heat they emit in the summer's night, as Scope twirls them in anticipation. DD tosses his billy club, striking one of the bats dead centre in mid-twirl. Scope mocks the statement.

As DD retrieves his club, Scope makes his attack, nailing him with both bats.
The Daredevil recognises the threat, "This guy is too big -- too powerful!" and acts on it accordingly. He throws his legs out from his grounded position, and turns it around, his boots finding jaw.


He holds nothing back, taking Scope out with old fashioned fists. Nothing fancy.
Then Scope fights back with another weapon. His words cut deep, as he draws parallels between he and Daredevil. He calls them brothers, and reveals himself to possess a radar sense similar to DD's own, even though Scope is sighted.

Though the battle is over, the war rages on as the police arrive to take Scope away. Daredevil's justice is served, but Scope's words stay with him.

"You, The Punisher, all of you white messiahs can think about something... the harder you push, the harder the streets push back. The image of the future isa child of the streets, rising and spitting in your masked face."

The hammer...
This might not be as obscure an issue as I think it is, but it's got a dear place in my heart. This is actually one of the few comics to survive my childhood through poor treatment (despite many good intentions), moving, and just unfortunate accidents. The latest chapter in the life of this comic has seen the tattered cover slip away from the staples that bind the book's pages together.

Even though I enjoyed this rendition, I've never been a huge Wolverine fan, although I was a very big fan of Erik Larsen's Spider-man through the late eighties, and early nineties. As a younger reader I actually remember being attracted to this comic purely because of the cover, which is very similar to another old favourite, with Punisher in-tow (an issue of Amazing).

As far as the fight goes, I think we can forego the moral victories and safely award the win to Daredevil. Though Scope put up a good fight, and could potentially do it again, this was a short story, and Daredevil put him down quick.

I don't really know if Scope ever appeared again, even though he threatened as much. A quick glance at ManWithoutFear.com turns up no mention of the character, and I can't say I ever remember hearing from him again. Of course, as I said previously, I'm no Daredevil afficianado.
If anyone knows more about Scope, drop a comment and fill me in!

Assuming he didn't ever show up again, and no one resurrects him any time soon, he's definitely a character I'll keep in my back pocket as I climb towards the goal of writing. I think he's a superb character, and really sticks in my mind, as part of this obscure, but memorable story.

The Fight: 3.5
The Issue: 4

NEXT WEEK: Magneto faces perhaps the greatest threat to mutant supremacy, ever! Be here Friday!