QUICK FIX: CRIMSON DYNAMO vs IRON MAN
World's Most Wanted Part 7:
The Shape of the World These Days (Marvel)
Where: Invincible Iron Man #14 When: August 2009
Why: Matt Fraction How: Salvador Larroca

THE TAPE...
Strength: Draw 6 (Invincible)
Intelligence: Iron Man 5 (Professor)
Speed: Iron Man 3 (Athlete)
Stamina: Draw 6 (Generator)
Agility: Iron Man 2 (Average)
Fighting: Crimson Dynamo 4 (Trained)
Energy: Draw 5 (Lasers)

Math: Iron Man
Ranking: Iron Man (#3)

THE FIX...
At the beginning of this year's season, I predicted a quiet year for Iron Man, and I suppose in a manner of speaking, that's what it's been. 2006 put the shellhead at the forefront of comics when he led, and technically won, the Marvel Civil War. The event - which pitted Iron Man and Captain America against each other as ideological figureheads of their opinions on superhero consignment - thrust Iron Man into the role of Director of SHIELD, and consequently, positioned him to be at the centre of the Marvel Universe.

Opinions of the character rendered Iron Man as one of reader's most reviled and successful "villains" in comics. Yet, as you might imagine, sympathies were turned in time for a major motion picture that established the Iron Man brand as a force to be reckoned with in the mainstream. The comics house of cards came tumbling down, however, with Secret Invasion, which allowed then-Director of the Commission on Superhuman Activities, Norman Osborn, to steal the throne.

World's Most Wanted positions Tony Stark on the run, as a fugitive from the new regime that has branded him a coward and traitor to America. Contrary to those accusations, Stark's as dedicated to heroism as ever, and he's determined to destroy all the data and technology he accumulated during his time as Director of SHIELD to prevent Norman Osborn getting his evil hands on it. For a man merged with machine, this means even destroying chunks of his own mind -- uh oh!

Yes! The situation does look grim for Tony Stark, but with a sequel to the massively successful 2008 film slated for release next year, you can't shake the feeling that current plotlines all point toward a restoration of Iron Man as beloved member of the good guys in time for the sequel.

Okay. Maybe they didn't hit the reset button for the last film, when it would arguably have been more important to do so, but Civil War had bubbled into the background by 2008, and anyone who looked in on the shellhead could've easily mistaken him for the beloved hero he always was (as opposed to a jezebel). So maybe it's at least plausible that the shifting tectonic plates of influence on the Marvel Universe might be conspiring for a reset in time for the sequel.

Let's be honest -- it isn't just cross-promotion that's pointing in the direction of a new normality in the Marvel Universe. As much fun as Dark Reign has been as a high concept exercise, it almost seems designed specifically to deconstruct the validity of well argued policy initiated by Civil War. Essentially; Dark Reign is an extention of the tale, using the circumstances that allowed Tony Stark to assume the level of control he did in response to disaster, as a stepping stone toward a more explicit tale of evil exploitation. Without Stark, we wouldn't have Osborn.

Trends in superhero comics seem to be retreating from the hard-choice post-9/11 pseudo-politics of police states and government paranoia. For the first time in years, you can almost imagine a reunion of Iron Man, Captain America, and Thor, as the save-the-day butt kickers in a go-for-it-boys moment of fist pumping justice as the classic Avengers unite to take down Osborn and his lackeys!

It's a fun thought, even if it seems like such a shame to interrupt the urban rythmn the Secret Avengers have finally gotten into, in New Avengers. Hey! I guess it's wouldn't be the first time there've been two official Avengers teams in the books! I think I'm getting a little bit distracted by what ifs now, though.

Here in the present; Tony Stark continues his journey across the world in retro armor. I'd be lying if I said I didn't get a kick out of seeing the classic look, but it's starting to look like it'll come at a price...

I realise it's a little ironic, given that I've just spent a lot of time speaking pretty positively about undoing the last few years worth of storylines, but I'm really not fond of the prospect of Iron Man being stripped of his Extremis upgrades from the Warren Ellis story of the same name, from 2006. It's got the same bad taste and lack of creative vision that the undoing of Grant Morrison's New X-Men had, and it feels like it's the kind of ham-fisted direction we've seen Marvel undertake too many times under the current regime.

Iron Man is a technological hero for a technological age.

I got quite excited by the prospect of previews that showed Iron Man travelling to Russia where he would lock horns with the Crimson Dynamo. Yet, as much as I have an affection for those antiquated iconographies, Iron Man has progressed beyond them. The technology available to the hero needs to respond in kind.

Extremis errs on the side of science-fiction, but dances creatively enough to balance the necessity for real-world technological touchstones, with a superhero possessing that which is beyond normal (human) means. I really do hope I'm wrong about the possibility of Iron Man losing that part of the canon as a result of World's Most Wanted's story. It would be a very negative legacy to a tale that otherwise feels a bit like a play right now, reenacting the moments before Dark Reign falls, rather than being the story of the build-up.

To the matter of this week's quick fix fight -- Iron Man finds himself under rocket fire as he flies through the snow-filled skies over Arkhangelsk, Russia.

The retro armor cobbled together over days of hopping through tech-stations does an admirable job of out-flying the missiles, but is simply unable to compete with several-to-one. After out maneuvering a few exploding shells, the golden (and red) Avenger is caught in the blastwave of one explosion, only to catch the near full brunt of another.

The Crimson Dynamo (Dmitri Bukharin) is quick to arrive on the scene, swatting the grounded Iron Man at staggering speeds, before looming over him like a metallic red hulk. Believing this enfeebled Iron Man to be a rogue impostor, the Dynamo clutches his armored opponent and wrenches the helmet free. Beneath he finds an almost unrecognisable man, whose quest has been one of self-destruction, as much about deleting the data he accumulated as Director of SHIELD, as it is about deleting himself.

Convinced, Bukharin embraces the man he had come to count as an ally.
This isn't the first Crimson Dynamo to wear the red, or the first to be befriended by Tony Stark in the modern post-Cold War age [ie; Valentin Shatalov]. Bukharin offers to help the embattled Stark, later even denying Norman Osborn requests to enter Russian quarters in an effort to retrieve his fugitive foe.

As a piece of the Dark Reign puzzle, so far Invincible Iron Man feels reasonably disposable. This is connective tissue to the past, and presumably at some point, the future. For me, the attraction has been the guest characters more than the plot going on around them. I actually quite like that everything about Iron Man feels very insular, right after he spent several years appearing in almost every Marvel title. It's a fun reversal of roles and a great way to capture the Iron Man story with gravitas. At the same time, it's disconnection and indulgence in internal plotlines just doesn't thrill me the way other Dark Reign series have.

Like I said earlier, if there's a return to glory for Iron Man and his resurrected fellows, then this just feels all the more like killing time. I skipped the issue between this and #12. If there was anything of vital importance to miss, I certainly didn't notice it. These days that's the mark of a "friendly" good writer, but in this case, it feels like testimony against a by-the-numbers book.

The Fight: 3 The Issue: 4
Winner: Crimson Dynamo

Invincible Iron Man is currently available monthly from Marvel Comics! You can pre-order the World's Most Wanted trade collection, and many others, from Amazon! By using purchase links provided on the site, you help sponsor future techno-entries on the Infinite Wars! You'll find more stories like this in the Infinite Wars Gift Shoppe, including plenty of Iron Man, and other collections containing issues reviewed in the Secret Archives!

SUB-MARINER versus IRON MAN
World's Most Wanted Part 5: The High-End
Technology of Ultramodern Destruction (Marvel)
Where: Invincible Iron Man #12 When: June 2009
Why: Matt Fraction How: Salvador Larroca

The Story So Far...
When the superhero community was split by a controversial act to force them into official government registration, it was Tony Stark who championed the bill. His dogged pursuit of illegal unsanctioned superheroics allowed him to maneuver into more encompassing roles, including his appointment as Director of SHIELD after Nick Fury's disappearance into the underground.

Just as the fickle nature of emotional politics had allowed Stark's rise, so too did it fascilitate his fall. When a secretive plot hatched by super-powered Skrulls was revealed to be a full scale invasion, both registered and unregistered Avengers were forced to pool their efforts to thwart the alien incursion. With suspicions and fears renewed within the public, Norman Osborn was there to capitalize.

Disgraced as an impotent coward who was unable to anticipate and prevent mass corruption within his agency, Tony Stark becomes that which he had hunted. With SHIELD disbanded in favour of Osborn's own HAMMER intelligence agency, Stark finds himself alone in the world, forced to seek out obselete technologies to use against the overwhelming forces that now oppose him. In an effort to protect the secret informations he gathered, Stark embarks on a one-man mission to erase all of his accumulated data, but in doing so, provokes Osborn's most potent forces. Now, deep beneath the ocean, a former ally hunts the Iron Man...

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Sub-Mariner 6 (Invincible)
Intelligence: Iron Man 5 (Professor)
Speed: Sub-Mariner 4 (Olympian)
Stamina: Iron Man 6 (Generator)
Agility: Sub-Mariner 3 (Acrobat)
Fighting: Sub-Mariner 6 (Warrior)
Energy Power: Iron Man 5 (Lasers)


- The union of an American sea captain and Atlantean Emperor's daughter brought into the world one of the most potent mutants it would ever see. Prince Namor was an oddity in the kingdom of Atlantis, not just for his pale skin, but for his uncanny strength, durability, and ability to breath and fly above the oceans, that made him a worthy heir to the throne.

During the Second World War, Namor's surface adventures led him to prominence as the powerful Sub-Mariner, whose unique talents were lent to the war effort of the Allied Nations. Joining Captain America and Human Torch, he and the heroes of the Invaders and All-Winners Squad supressed the tyrannical efforts of the Nazi Party and their many superhuman agents. Despite this association, Namor's relationship with the surface world remains one of uncertainty, and when common enemies of WWII disappear, so too does the traditional anti-hero.

When a modern age of heroes emerge, the Sub-Mariner returns to induct them, discovered living on the surface as an amnesiac vagrant by Johnny Storm. With the fate of Atlantis more uncertain than ever, Namor resumes his adventures, forming early rivalries with the Fantastic Four, Hulk, and Brotherhood.
Despite baring an antagonistic relationship with the polluting modern world, Namor once again rises as one of the world's greatest champions, forming new associations with the Defenders, Avengers, Illuminati, and several other groups, including less savory elements, such as Dr. Doom and the counter-active Cabal formed by Norman Osborn. As stubborn as he is mighty, Namor always serves a noble end, seeking only a greater good for he and the people of Atlantis.

- While on a field tour to observe the effects of weaponry designed by his corporation for the United States military; billionaire industrialist, Tony Stark, soon finds himself face-to-face with the bold consequences of his actions.Caught in a rebel booby trap, Stark suffers a near fatal wound that lodges a piece of shrapnel inches from his heart. The rebels take Stark hostage to demand he apply his genius to the design and construction of weapons built from their limited resources. In doing so, they provide Stark the means to construct a suit of armor that preserves his heart, and turns him into an invincible Iron Man!

Stark's mastery over technology allows him to bring his designs home, where the availability of rapidly upgrading technologies allow him to continue to refine the build to become increasingly mobile and efficient. Stark soon dons the Iron Man armor on a regular basis, not only as insurance against his life threatening injuries, but as an opportunity to atone for the wanton destruction delt by his weapons of death. Stark protects his secrets through the duality of a secret identity, projecting to the world the image of Iron Man as a hi-tech bodyguard.

Advancements in Stark's arsenal have advanced to a point where he has now undergone cybernetic synthesis on a genetic level. The armor now not only provides him with superhuman strength and an array of offensive weapons, but also gives Stark full wireless control over the armor and other peripheral devices, as well as access to information databases, including SHIELD resources under his control as Director of SHIELD. Iron Man remains a staple of the Avengers roster.

Math: Iron Man Ranking: Iron Man (#3)

What Went Down...
Deep beneath the Red Sea, Tony Stark works feverishly within one of his many laboratory stations to upgrade an old suit of armor. Knowing full well that the forces of HAMMER are closing in, Stark scrambles to don the upgraded suit. The lab hull gives way to the pounding might of the Sub-Mariner who tears through the structure with his bare hands.

Stark ignores his former ally's call for a surrender, firing repulsor rays at the deepsea monarch and his Atlantean warriors. The blasts distract as Iron Man makes an attempt to flee, flying just above the flooding waters. The Sub-Mariner borrows one of his warrior's spear weapons and tosses it with superhuman strength, enough so to interrupt Iron Man's flight and open another channel for the ocean depths to invade the once airtight facility.

Namor's guards pursue their target, only to suffer a barrage of micromunitions fired from the suit's rear. Adding insult to injury, Stark blasts away a portion of the floor to leave the unconscious bodies tumbling to the lower depths, a diversionary tactic for the fleeing strategist.

Namor fails to bite the bait, suffering the full onslaught of Iron Man's offensive energy projectiles. The ultra-powerful Sub-Mariner, perhaps fuelled further by his recent dip in the deep, marches through the oncoming blasts to deliver an energy attack of his own -- a single superhuman knock-out blow that sends IM hurtling!

The blow delivers a concussion to the man inside the invincible armor, and creates another breach of integrity for the laboratory exterior. Unafraid by the crushing depths of the sea, Namor gloats over his foe's pending defeat. It is the insult to the injury as the monarch's fists do his talking for him, once more.

With every blow, the Sub-Mariner comes closer to breaking open the metallic shell that seperates Tony Stark from his lethal force. In a desperation move Iron Man raises his gauntlets and releases high impact repulsor rays. Rays effortlessly deflected by the Sub-Mariner's heaving chest. Rays that further threaten the ensured destruction of the external glass his suit had cracked.

Recognising his physical inferiority, Iron Man seeks a strategic solution to his predicament. Noting facility waste pipes, he evades one of Namor's blows, and blasts the sewage. The gunk flows into the surrounding waters which grow ever higher with Namor's stray punch penetrating the glass behind.

Playing upon Prince Namor's aversion to aquatic pollution, Iron Man takes full advantage of the distraction with a mighty leap!

He buries Namor's head beneath the murky waters, forces him to inhale the sickening much through open gills. With the water rising around him, Iron Man holds steady until finally the Atlantean passes out.

Satisfied with a strategic victory, Stark makes use of the fleeting airspace, retrieving the aquatic armor he'd been upgrading, before initiation a self-destruct sequence in the lab. The destruction buys him valuable time for an escape.

The Hammer...
Y'know, there are a few things to consider when you look at the method of victory Mr. Tony Stark employed here. This was a science laboratory. There were a few pipes on hand. Maybe some of them were suitable pollutants, maybe they weren't. Regardless, Iron Man's blasts punctured the sewage of a facility that had been quite probably abandoned for some time. Disturbing, or highly improbable? That's for you to decide, true believers.

Well, it took some time, but finally we've overlapped with some of the pseudo-seventieth anniversary celebrations for Marvel Comics. That, and the omni-present marketting stamped "status quo" shift that is Dark Reign.
Both seem to have fully resurrected the relevance of Marvel's Golden Age icons, namely Sub-Mariner. The surly undersea mutant seems to have found a new zest for anti-hero guest appearances, sponsored largely by his tenure with "The Cabal" (aka; Dark Illuminati), who have dominated the Marvel Universe as the new ruling class via Norman Osborn. Not that Marvel's first mutant has ever truly faded to obscurity since his 1962 return in Fantastic Four #4. Consider it a resurrection of a career in the same way The Wrestler revived Mickey Rourke.

If for some reason the Sub-Mariner has alluded your reading career, you might like to familiarize yourself with the character through the Infinite Wars, and various other information sources. Why? Because in a strange way Sub-Mariner is the father of not only Marvel Comics superheroes, but also the tradition of "continuity" as it came to be known via examples like Thor's many overhead flights (and various famous guest appearances).

Marvel Top 25 Playlist
(With Year of Debut)
#1 Spider-man (1962)
#2 Iron Man (1963)
#3 Hulk (1962)
#4 Wolverine (1974)
#5 Capt. America (1941)
#6 Mr. Fantastic (1961)
#7 Daredevil (1964)
#8 Thing (1961)
#9 Invisible Woman (1961)
#10 Human Torch (1961)
#11 Luke Cage (1972)
#12 Sub-Mariner (1939)
#13 Venom (1984)
#14 Thor (1962)
#15 Silver Surfer (1966)
#16 Storm (1975)
#17 Beast (1963)
#18 Iron Fist (1974)
#19 Rogue (1981)
#20 Deadpool (1991)
#21 Tara (2004)
#22 Capt. America (1941)
#23 Union Jack (1980)
#24 Spitfire (1976)
#25 Wonder Man (1964)Before the beginning of the Marvel Age, Marvel Comics was a series first published in 1939 by Timely.
The inaugral issue featured the first appearances of Human Torch, the Angel, and Sub-Mariner, who featured in an expanded reprint of an unpublished story. The trio of heroes have all since returned, most notably the former and latter heroes, while Angel joined many other four colour heroes to fade to obscurity come the 60's reboot.

The emergence of Stan Lee as a creative force saw the introduction of a new line of costumed heroes in the early sixties, which resulted in Marvel Comics. The success of lasting icons like; Fantastic Four, Spider-man, Iron Man, Hulk, Thor, and Dr. Strange; the prospect of a universe quickly emerged by a simple logic of business sense.

Despite boasting these unique new creations, Lee's sense of history as a reader, and fan, wasn't lost. In an Editorial role, he influenced the name of the company in homage to the classic superhero series, and also revived Golden Age concepts as part of his new emerging universe.

The Sub-Mariner's stature as an exciting anti-hero from the WWII era was well represented through a succession of appearances in; Fantastic Four, X-Men [#6], Avengers, Daredevil, and in a regular feature, Tales to Astonish.

With his role as an atagonist well established during the early years of the Marvel Age, it's little wonder that today Sub-Mariner has formed an alliance with the sinister powers of The Cabal. The secretive organization and it's precursive counterpart - the short lived Illuminati, to which Namor also held membership - sort of encapsulate this erratic relationship Namor has held with the rest of the Marvel Universe. In fact, the series reunites Sub-Mariner with his Supervillain Team-Up co-star, Dr. Doom, to whom he has been nemesis, and ally.

The reprisal of a slightly modified version of Namor's 70s outfit in Salvador Larroca's pencils presents a subtle adaptation of the character. Traditional superheroics and politicized intrigue collide in Invincible Iron Man; the secondary series starring the title character's run from the current administration, who deposed Stark, and recast him in the public eye as a coward and traitor.

The demotion appears to be part of a process to make amends for the character's antagonistic role in Civil War, which proved unpopular with many fans. One wonders if the abrupt shift isn't borne of a conscious concern for any crossmedia exposure the character might benefit from, namely the immensely popular film franchise initiated by director, Jon Favreau, and star, Robert Downey Jr.
Downey will reprise the role in May of 2010, giving a pretty good picture of when we might expect Tony Stark's nobility to finally have him in good stead with the heroes he alienated during the registration battle. (Just in time for the launch of a brand new Avengers film!)

Iron Man's deviation into fisticuffs is well balanced this issue with B-plots involving an armored Pepper Potts, and former Agent of SHIELD, Maria Hill, struggling with a brand new menace posed by a Matrix-lite revamp for The Controller who now possesses a zombie-like horde of jakked minions.

Larocca's pencils, colored by Frank D'Armata, dance a curious line between Adi Granov's heavily rendered humanoids, and CP Smith's distinctive characters. Consistency is lacking in the details of his work, but the action works, and like Granov's sometimes cold pages, the armor stands out well.

Revisiting previous suits in a time when Norman Osborn is wearing the most recent generation, (as Iron Patriot), is a fun prospect, but a kitschy piece of a puzzle that isn't quite cut to fit. The title, "The High-End Technology of Ultramodern Destruction," which is shockingly actually spoken in dialogue, telegraphs the slightly ambitious wankery that Fraction attempts to undertake.

It's a weird clash between classic superhero deviations (ie; a fist fight), sci-fi high concept, and modernist dramatic indulgence, that clash with average results. It feels like the type of formula a Grant Morrison could implement, but the balance of this particular issue just lacks the enthusiastic finesse of the Scot.
Likewise, characters and dialogue are fairly underwhelming, too unremarkable to offend standard accepted characterizations, but not distinct enough to inspire.

The rapid rise of inductees into Marvel's boysclub might inspire some degree of suspicion when it comes to the uniformity of approach. As names like Fraction or Aaron are thrown at prominent titles through association with Brubakers and Bendis', there's a feeling that the product ultimately defies the role.
Is this a fair criticism of an issue? Ultimately, the material speaks for itself, and while this issue doesn't sparkle in isolation, it's non-commital trivialities through the fight probably aren't as disappointing when viewed in the context of the arc.

Also worthy of praise is the logic of the fight.
Despite the nature of our reviews, so often we fail to elaborate any further than the cumbersome text summaries you read in the What Went Down section. Here, Fraction commands the fight in a way we always appreciate - with an awareness for circumstances and settings. Though obviously contrived, the use of the locale as a factor in the battle is a nice effort to utilize the tools presented by the tale. If the story is going to stay close to a checklist of objectives, this is a good effort to make some justifiable use of it.

As one of the many anniversary appearances of Namor, the issue also deserves credit for a well motivated appearance.
Like many of the stories featured previously on the Infinite Wars, it's an immensly interesting instalment to be included in the more significant canon of a character. The kind of story that the Infinite Wars are founded upon, regardless of any larger critiques. Part of a winding seventy year history!

The Fight: 4.5 The Issue: 4
Winner: Iron Man

If you want to get ahead of the curve on World's Most Wanted and find out the context of the issue, you can preorder the trade from Amazon! By using links provided on the site, you benefit from Amazon's service and price, while also helping sponsor future entries in the Infinite Wars! Other stories from the Secret Archives, including those featuring the invincible Iron Man, are also available in the Gift Shoppe.

TIGER'S BEAUTIFUL DAUGHTER
versus STEEL PHOENIX
The Seven Capital Cities of Heaven: Part 4 (Marvel)
Where: Immortal Iron Fist #11 When: January 2008 Why: Matt Fraction & Ed Brubaker How: David Aja

The Story so far...
In the ancient hidden city of K'un-Lun, it's denizens prepare themselves for the undying tradition of the Tournament of the seven Heavenly Cities, held every eighty-eight years when their planes align; thus sucking Daniel Rand into a plot of intrigue and mystery centuries in the making!

At the source of Iron Fist's plight is Davos, the villain once known as the Steel Serpent. An exile of K'un-Lun, Davos is resurrected by one of the enemy cities, K'un-Zi, in an effort to destroy the long thought dead sixty-fifth inheritent to the Iron Fist mantle; a drug-addled vagabond and survivor of the First World War, Orson Randall.

Randall teams with his successor, Danny Rand, in an effort to prepare him properly for the ancient tournament. In battle, Orson Randall falls, but not before passing on the power of his chi to Danny Rand, who uses it to successfully oppose Davos who himself has consumed the spiritual energies of his benefactor's daughters, the girls of Crane Mother. Davos has also forged an alliance with Hydra, and with plans to destroy the legacy of the Iron Fist and K'un-Lun, the Steel Serpent redeclares himself the Steel Phoenix; champion of K'un-Zi!

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Steel Phoenix 4 (Steroid Abuser)
Intelligence: Draw 3 (Straight A)
Speed: Tiger's Beautiful Daughter 4 (Olympian)
Stamina: Steel Phoenix 5 (Marathon)
Agility: Tiger's Beautiful Daughter 4 (Gymnast)
Fighting Ability: Steel Phoenix 6 (Warrior)
Energy Power: Tiger's Beautiful Daughter 2 (Projectile)

- Born in the mystic hidden city of K'un-Lun; Davos is the destined son of proud warrior, Lei Kung the Thunderer. As his father was before him, Davos is trained in the martial arts disciplines kept secret by the citizens of the Heavenly City for millenia, making him one of the deadliest hand-to-hand fighters in the world.
Ultimately Davos' arsenal is undermined by his jealousy for outsider rival, Daniel Rand, who becomes the preferred student of his father. This leads the warrior down a path of darkness, earning him the name of Steel Serpent, when he fails to prove himself worthy of the legendary Iron Fist.

Davos is able to escape death by the mystic intervention of the Anomoly Gem.
Resurrected in the service of Crane Mother, of K'un-Zi, Davos becomes more powerful than ever when he consumes the fighting spirit of Crane Mother's daughters. His chi mastery not only drastically increases his physical strength, but also enables him to unlock many new fighting techniques, part of his arsenal as a warrior of K'un-Zi and the rechristened, Steel Phoenix.

- Tiger's Beautiful Daughter is one of the immortal warriors chosen to represent one of the Seven Heavenly Cities in the ancient tournament held to determine the rotation of each secret city's presence on Earth. She is anything but modest, content to fight with her face guarded, while much of her body remains exposed.
Her weapons of choice are tiě shān, or, steel fighting fans.

The Math: Steel Phoenix Ranking: Draw (NR)

What Went Down...
The two fighters enter the arena with adjudicating elder, Son of Oprhans, who grants Davos opportunity to reveal his newest tattoo markings, unveiling himself as Steel Phoenix of his newly adopted city, K'un-Zi.

The bad blood inspired by Davos' treachery is immediately evident as Tiger's Beautiful Daughter shows no intimidation, mocking the consumption of the Crane Mother's harlot daughters. Though redubbed phoenix, Davos responds with a wicked tongue befitting of a serpent.

The verbal exchange is quickly replaced by the confrontation of these two martial arts warriors. Their opening blows, though impressive, fail to meet in a stalemate of acrobatics. Tiger's Beautiful Daughter fares the best, her evasive technique allowing for an agile recovery that embarasses the self-declared Phoenix.

TBD's blows punish Davos with brutal efficiency. The fighting fans slice through the exposed mid-section of the K'un-Zi fighter, before spraying his blood from an equally unprepared bicep, which could've been far better served with an offense!

Davos takes his lumps, retaliating against his opponent's physicality with an unforgiving shot to the brow. The punch fails to do any specific damage to impair the sight of the boastful warrior woman, who makes Davos pay for his missed opportunity with a toss her fan: which slices his hand off at the wrist!

Tiger's Beautiful Daughter berates Steel Phoenix for his disgraces, boiling him down to little more than a bullying child. Clutching his bloody stump, Davos swears bitter revenge, promising to make TBD pay for her transgressions.
It does not take long for the bill to arrive...

Having summoned his powerful chi, the Steel Phoenix rises from the ashes of combat, manifesting for himself a glowing replacement hand! With the energies swirling, he unleashes the devestating attack of the steel phoenix blow!

The strength of the Steel Phoenix' blow sends Tiger's Beautiful Daughter airborne across the arena grounds. Davos, burning with energy, lets out a roar of gloating as TBD struggles to yield in a pool of her own blood. Still seething with rage, the Steel Phoenix denies mercy, driving his fist into the base of his opponent's skull in an ordinarily lethal blow! Davos wins.

The Hammer...
Fullfilling the requisites of a martial arts movie villain, Steel Phoenix wins with what probably should've been a "fatality!"
As morbid as it sounds, I'm almost disappointed to report that, unless I'm mistaken, Tiger's Beautiful Daughter actually survived to appear, albeit heavily bandaged, in the following issue.

Now, if I were to attempt to incite some sort of controversy with a single turn of phrase, I'd say that yes, the Infinite Wars absolutely advocates violence against women, but that's just because we advocate violence in superhero comics in general [Discussed; Superman/Batman #15].
It just doesn't feel honest to have this character - who is already the instrument of communication for the depths of threat present - to walk away from that, even with the vagaries of "immortal" being thrown around. Speaking of immortal...

Top 25 Martial Artists
#1 Batman (DC)
#2 Wolverine (Marvel)
#3 Daredevil (Marvel)
#4 Ryu (Capcom)
#5 Catwoman (DC)
#6 Green Arrow (DC)
#7 Iron Fist (Marvel)
#8 Deadpool (Marvel)
#9 Dhalsim (Capcom)
#10 Red Robin (DC)
#11 Robin (DC)
#12 Elektra (Marvel)
#13 Kitty Pryde (Marvel)
#14 Nightwing (DC)
#15 Hellcat (Marvel)
#16 Batroc (Marvel)
#17 Guile (Capcom)
#18 R. Mika (Capcom)
#19 Ken Masters (Capcom)
#20 Sagat (Capcom)
#21 Bullseye (Marvel)
#22 Ronin (Marvel)
#23 Deathstroke (DC)
#24 Black Canary (DC)
#25 Fei Long (Capcom)As with most things that reference history, there's bound to be some common ground - some overlap. Still, it's hard to flick through the pages of The Seven Capital Cities of Heaven, and not think of Mortal Kombat. Now, before you get the wrong idea, I don't actually think of that as an insult! I mean, sure, you need only look at mine, or anyone else's reviews of MK comics to know how dreadful their efforts have been, but that's just the point: this is a Mortal Kombat comic done very well!

This is anything but outright plagiarism, with a very thick Marvel B-story running behind the shennanigans of the martial arts tournament epic. In the background, the culmination of economic espionage has seen Hydra come closer to entering K'un-Lun for destructive means. Tied up in the mission of rescue and protection are Luke Cage, and the gals from Nightwing Restoratons!

Still, for all the unmistakable trimmings of a Marvel superhero story, there's no two ways about it: When I read this comic, I'm thinking about Mortal Kombat, and everything it could be with the right creative team!

Tiger's Beautiful Daughter screams Kitana to any fan of the beat 'em up video game franchise, recalling the purple garbed ninja's trademark veiled face and steel fighting fans. The same steely determination one would expect from the Edenian princess of the video game lore also remains.
Of course, really, what Matt Fraction [and Ed Brubaker] have successfully done is return Iron Fist to his martial arts genre roots, layering in various tropes commonly associated with: classic Hong Kong cinema; flamboyant history, myth and legend; and, of course, maybe even some of the genre mish-mash that's come out of Western sources, like, Mortal Kombat.

Also lying just beyond these pages are more of those inescapable pulp keynotes, this time branching from Iron Fist's true world origins as a character sharing historical inspiration with Amazing Man; a Bill Everett character thirty years Iron Fist's senior. Those ties quickly inspire further incorpoation, with the Orson Randall character bringing in many of the cues associated with characters like The Phantom and The Shadow, who were each part of a time when the Orient was regularly glamorized for it's mystery and mythological intrigue.

All of these things help to build something exciting and expected of a contemporary take on the character, who got his start in the 1970s as part of the phenomenon of a martial arts boom, in part sponsored by the likes of Bruce Lee.

As both a superhero and martial arts fanatic, I loved this comic.
After the initial issues I had become fairly complacent with my interest in this series. As much as I love and want to see the Iron Fist character remain bouyant within the Marvel Universe, on a strapped budget, it was hard to find enthusiasm for what was shaping up to be another greytoned, stoicly competent read with Brubaker on the cover. Ironically, Brubaker himself cites his involvement on the title as gradually dwindling, perhaps explaining the joy of more recent shifts, not necessarily evident in Brubaker's other, more urban works.

Regardless of the means to the ends, I'm really pleased to see something like this coming from Marvel. Not just that, but to be hearing it's praises sung, because as much as it is a superhero comic, this is something very different for mainstream readers. It's long been my dream to produce martial arts comics, and a result like this, so legitimate, almost makes it feel like a possibility!

As already alluded, Matt Hollingsworth's presence is felt, and it's with mixed feelings. The colourist who famously contributed to the gritty tone of Daredevil during both Alex Maleev and Michael Lark's stays on the book, becomes a little familiar for my tastes. I'm frustrated because as familiar as it's all getting, much like the stagnance of some Brubaker scripts, it's undeniably suitable.

Tipping the work over the scales is an exciting flashback sequence detailing the trevails of Davos' attempts to overcome the shadow of Daniel Rand, eventual sixty-sixth successor to the Iron Fist mantle. Pencilled by the ultra smooth Kano [not to be confused with the Mortal Kombat baddy!], the pages almost taken on the quality of a whole other comic, good for those who, like me, really felt like that was a bonus to the book, but not so much for those happily dwelling in the issue's grainy stoicism.

I want to come back to Iron Fist!
After dragging my heels through recent entries on the Infinite Wars, I'm reinvigorated, excited all over again largely by, of all characters, Steel Serpent!
Somewhere between the fascinations of characters like Black Adam and Batroc the Leaper; Steel Serpent is an otherwise forgettable villain from Iron Fist's past, revamped for the modern age with a wonderful surrender to the material.
I don't doubt if you haven't already, you might be finding yourself intrigued by the presence of this villain, and I hope very much to be able to bring you more of this martial arts menace's escapades, both new and old!

For now, we wrap things up, getting a good start to the week!
I can't help but notice our already humble traffic has slipped over the past few weeks, and while I do what I can to ensure more of the same great comics discussion and insight, take up this challenge: Find someone online or in person that you chat to about comics, and throw http://secretearths.blogspot.com/ down in front of them as a challenge to wax superheroes, and superhero smackdown!

EDIT: I neglected to mention that the top twenty-five martial artists included earlier in the update is representative of characters cumulative status in the Infinite Wars rankings. Though deductions can be derived, this is not a full proof information method of characters and their abilities. Links provided offer greater insight into source materials, and character histories.

The Fight: 5.5 The Issue: 6.5

"The Seven Capital Cities of Heaven" is still wrapping up, so if you don't think you can wait for the Trade Paperback, then head out to a good comics retailer where you'll find the latest back issues on the shelf! Want to know when more's coming? Keep an eye on the Infinite Wars on Wednesdays when we run down what's hot on stands from the Shipping List! Not quite convinced? What to jump into Iron Fist in a more mature format? Hey, by preordering with Amazon using the purchase links provided, you help support the Infinite Wars and future entries! Links are provided here, and in the brand new Secret Wars on Infinite Earths: Amazonian Gift Shop! Mmm, balmy!

THE PUNISHER versus RHINO
How I Won the War Part 3: Mutually Assured Destruction (Marvel comics)
Where: Punisher War Journal #3 When: March 2007
Why: Matt Fraction How: Ariel Olivetti

The story so far...
The Punisher is back in the thick of things, and he's ready to bust some face of super villain scum once more.

Under the care of Stuart Clarke, Punisher recovers from the severe beating Punisher received at the hands of Captain America, after he shot two unarmed villains sympathetic to the anti-hero registration act.

Conscious after four days of recovery, Frank Castle finds himself held up in a SHIELD armory with a slew of weapons an intelligence at his disposal. Intelligence that points directly toward the hideouts and movements of criminals throughout the city. First top -- Rhino's place...

Previous Form:
The Punisher: Punisher has not yet been featured.
Rhino: Rhino has not yet been featured.

Tale of the tape...
Strength: Rhino 6 (Invincible)
Intelligence: Punisher 4 (Tactician)
Speed: Rhino 3 (Trained Athlete)
Stamina: Rhino 5 (Marathon Runner)
Agility: Punisher 2 (Average Human)
Fighting Ability: Punisher 4 (Trained Fighter)
Energy Powers: Punisher 4 (Arsenal)

Punisher is a half-crazed Vietnam vet with an uncanny knack for getting hold of copious amounts of weaponry and corresponding ammunition.

Rhino is a really big guy trapped in a super hi-tech suit that gives him strength and stamina enough to go toe-to-toe with the Hulk or even the Juggernaut.

This really is about as open and shut as it gets, folks.

Of course, we all know that these sorts of scenarios have their flipsides no matter how much they defy logic. The key to victory for The Punisher is that innate ability to come up with some big-time weaponry.
An elephant gun might not quite get the job done against the super-hide of the Rhino, but you can bet your bottom dollar that SHIELD has something cooked up especially for Rhino. Not to mention the high grade super-weaponry other organizations in the Marvel Universe probably have. It's not like Rhino's the only level 6 going around.

The overwhelming advantage is in the fact that Rhino can withstand most punishment long enough to potentially make a knock-out charge. Not that that really happens all that often... Certainly not these days. Actually, the guy's become something of a joke, really... Hmmm... I blame poachers.

Poachers and Ralph Macchio.
Not the karate kid, the editor.

The Math: The Punisher (Champion Class)
The Pick: Rhino

What went down...
Having used the SHIELD intelligence to track the Rhino to a warehouse hideout, Punisher makes the tactical decision to burn the place down before announcing his arrival.

When the rampaging Rhino heads out for answers, Punisher is well prepared with a super lightweight SHIELD cannon designed to be as light as plastic.

Rhino takes the heat point blank, sustaining damage to the suit as he's hurled backward through a solid concrete wall.

Lying amidst the rubble and carnage, he has the misfortune of knowing his fate before it happens. The Punisher dons a read glove dubbed the "Satan CLaw," which grants him power of the punch enough to physically send Rhino hurtling through yet another wall, out into the street at large.

With the road turn up beneath him, rolled like a carpet, Rhino remains dumbfounded by the attack. Punisher tells him to stay down, and given the beat down Rhino doesn't have much choice in the matter.

On his ass, Rhino asks his attacker his identity, and with the smoking rubble behind him, Frank Castle invites the Rhino to take a close look himself.
The giant death's head emblem dawns on Rhino, and although he thought him dead, he realises he has been felled by The Punisher.

Castle gets up nice and close all up in Rhino's grille and makes clear and sure that he'll tell all the other super-criminals on the streets to reset their clocks -- because The Punisher is alive and well, and back to destroy the super villains of the Marvel Universe.

I like to try to keep this a family website, but... Fuck yeah~!

The hammer...
The Punisher debuts on Secret Earths with an unlikely victory over the mountain of muscle that regularly gives Spider-man trouble! And if you don't like it, you can probably kiss his cannon, I imagine...

Interesting to note, and it seems to be an occasional trend, that Rhino seems to have popped up in various titles. He's here, in a new issue of Sensational Spider-man, in the next issue of Cable & Deadpool, and I'm pretty sure I spotted him on the cover of Marvel Adventures Spidey! Interesting!

So, you may have noticed my reluctance to refer to this as The Punisher's return to the Marvel Universe. The powers-that-be, much like many fans, seem to have resigned to the fact that books published under the MAX imprint are all but isolated to their own canon, irregardless of connections to other characters.

Personally, being fond of the MAX Punisher, I like to think it can still work on a level that simply removes Punisher from the super criminal element.
Consider it, after twenty years of dealing with super-crime, a vacation into something that matters. MAX Punisher being the journey of The Punisher into making a real difference to real people, in a way only he can do.

With the Civil War, sure, he felt it necessary to come back to kick the butts of the criminals who were going unchecked because of the hero's in-fighting, but that doesn't mean we need to completely disregard the fantastic stuff going on elsewhere.

Actually, while I can understand the joy of the 'purists,' I'm even kinda disappointed they went back to the more costumed version with the white boots and gloves. I kinda like the evolution to a more subdued, hyper-realistic look to The Punisher. A guy in a trenchcoat and sweatshirt. Why not?

Either way it is pretty sweet having the big P back in the action.
Especially when it involves hardcore action with guys like Stilt-Man and Rhino. That's just really cool. In fact, the only thing that could possibly make this cooler is if the P-man starts dealing with these guys on a more regular basis in strategic combat.

Yes, this brings us back to Winick's Batman, Brubaker's Daredevil, and even my fabled Namor pitch. But tell me it wouldn't be totally bad ass to check The Punisher strategizing in urban warfare against the organized elements of guys like Tombstone, Hammerhead, Sabretooth, Shocker, Deadpool, Bullseye... All these so-called guns for hire, who never seem to actually live up to that role in the world outside of the story listing their appearance in that context.

Of course, if this advice is taken... My Sub-Mariner pitch is totally sunk, so... Y'know... Maybe don't listen to me. At least where The Punisher's concerned.
If you wanna drop the Sub-mariner in that world, then sure. Call me...

Who is Matt Fraction? Well, honestly, I haven't had a lot to do with him prior to this (and I haven't been able to get a hold of Immortal Iron Fist), but it would appear he's the latest talent Marvel have invested in. His previous work must have been decent, because the grooming process has been thrown out the window as he heads up two high-profile projects. And you'd think even friendship could get you only so far where sales are concerned!...

Olivetti? Also someone I've had nothing to do with, but wow!
This presumably CG painted style is something I think we're going to continue to see more and more of in comics, and really, it's not too bad. Olivetti probably holds on to organic motion a little better than an Adi Granov, but there's still room for growth.

A little disappointed that the tussle with Rhino was so brief, and really felt very much tacked on behind flashbacks relating to scenes from the core Civil War book. If it wasn't so dramatic, this would've been relegated to being a quick fix for the Punch-Up. Still, it is forgivable given that the title is War Journal...
I mean, who documents every detail of their day in a journal? You go to the good bits, and the action. Fair enough, guys.

The Fight: 3 The Issue: 5.5