WRECKING CREW versus DEADPOOL, SPIDER-MAN & PUNISHER

(Marvel)
Where: Deadpool: Suicide Kings #5 When: October 2009 Why: Mike Benson & Adam Glass How: Carlo Barberi

The Story So Far...
A standard job for the Merc' with a Mouth becomes a battle for life & death as a hit on Tombstone turns in to a double-or-nothing bet that Deadpool won't survive the next twenty-four hours!

It's the high-stakes gamble of client Conrad O'Shea: who's counting on his mercenary to escape a frame-up for blowing up his apartment building, and the heroes who responded to take him down.

Fortunately for Deadpool; Daredevil helps convince The Punisher and Spider-Man of his innocence -- providing the patsy some much-needed assistance when Tombstone sics his newest bodyguards on him -- The Wrecking Crew!

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: The Wrecker 6 (Invincible)
Intelligence: Thunderball 5 (Professor)
Speed: Spider-Man 4 (Olympian)
Stamina: The Wrecker 6 (Generator)
Agility: Spider-Man 5 (Cat-Like)
Fighting: Punisher 4 (Trained)
Energy: Punisher 4 (Arsenal)
Total: Spider-Man 29 (Metahuman)

My X (nee Twitter) feed recently threw an interesting critique my way that piqued my interest -- so it's about time we expanded the file on The Wrecking Crew!

The Wrecking Crew are: The Wrecker, Piledriver, Thunderball, and Bulldozer.

They aren't just a pack of my favourite goons and yours -- they're a super heavyweight team possessing powerful weapons that were enchanted with Asgardian magic!

This enchantment was first bestowed upon petty burglar Dirk Garthwaite, when Karnilla the Norn Queen mistook him for Loki, during a home invasion and robbery of the Norse god's New York abode. The crook soon decided to share the wealth, recruiting three of his pals into a deadly team of powerhouse thugs!

At first, sharing his power drastically reduced The Wrecker's super-human strength and stamina, but over the years, all of The Crew have found ways to become powered-up opponents for the mighty Thor, as well as other major heroes of the Marvel Universe.

This was the source of Jered McCorkle's assertion that recently losing to Daredevil & Elektra was a career low for The Wrecker -- and despite being a personal favourite, we've only briefly touched upon the misdeeds of The Wrecker and his Crew. Something we aim to correct today!

The Wrecking Crew were the first opponents for The Thunderbolts when the villains-in-disguise went public. Citizen V showed that agility and fighting prowess were sufficient to tangle with The Wrecker, but it took the strength of Atlas to truly deal any damage. A concentrated gas delivered straight to the gullet by Mach-V and Songbird was ultimately responsible for putting most of the team down.

It was a different story when The Wrecking Crew were challenged by a lone Sasquatch, however. The gamma-irradiated hero put up a pretty good fight without his Alpha Flight teammates, but was ultimately out-numbered, out-muscled, and brutally beaten.

So, what do these two cases tell us? That The Wrecking Crew are double-tough, but not untouchable. Citizen V made the best case for surviving a wild mismatch with guile and agility -- something Deadpool and Spider-Man both possess.

We know Spidey can fight above his weight class, having lived to tell the gale after going toe-to-toe with the Hulk. We've even seen him outwit the Juggernaut not once, but twice -- with a little help from Wonder Woman!

Wouldn't you know, but Deadpool has achieved fairly similar feats as well! He defeated Hulk under slightly special circumstances for the jolly green goliath, and likewise survived Juggernaut long enough to get an assist from Siryn for the win!

Mach-V shows us that The Wrecking Crew aren't necessarily impervious to the threat of high-powered inhalants, which is the kind of all-purpose tactical weapon you might find in The Punisher's arsenal. He isn't there at the start of the fight, but will show up soon enough - and you know he isn't afraid to fight dirty!

Punisher isn't afraid to use the weapons of the enemy in his one-man war on crime. He may or may not be able to find a magically charmed option to best The Wrecker, but we know he levelled Rhino with the Satan Claw, and took down a cadre of super-villains, including Mister Hyde, with a stolen Ant-Man helmet and alien guns!

We clearly need more data, and since reviewing & analyzing fights is kinda what we do around here, let's dive in and find out how the street-level heroes fare!

The Tape: The Wrecking Crew Ranking: Spider-Man (#2)

What Went Down...

Deadpool & Spider-Man find themselves facing an unexpected, Asgardian-powered roadblock in their chase of Tombstone -- also known as The Wrecking Crew!

The Wrecker figures any one of them could handle "these stinkin' pipsqueaks" alone, but that won't stop the Merc' with a Mouth and his web-swinging cohort making the quartet earn it. The Crew are happy to oblige.

Bulldozer gets the fight started by charging at a leaping Spider-Man, while Thunderball swings his deadly ball & chain into an impact right at Deadpool's feet! Only the sole of one red boot is visible, but it's safe to say Carlo Barberi knows what he's doing when it comes to drawing anatomy past the ankle.

Spidey's an old hand at vaulting over charging powerhouses, but his leap takes him right into the path of The Wrecker -- whose enchanted crowbar smacks him high into the air and out of the park! [It's actually a construction site.]

Deadpool admires the shot with katana drawn, grateful that it wasn't him who was launched into the sky. Alas, he has no spider-sense to warn him of Bulldozer coming back around to run right through him with a rear assault!

The helmeted headbutt to the spine adjusts the mercenary across the battlefield, but he manages to make a neat landing -- and narrowly avoids being clobbered by Thunderball's ball, awkwardly dragging himself clear of the impact!

The dodge becomes a full frontal assault as Deadpool twists his body to bring the end of his blade arcing towards Piledriver -- but the overhead strike is caught between his enchanted hands. The Wrecker does the honors from there.

An enchanted crowbar smashes Deadpool in the face -- and for a moment he's knocked so silly he drifts into another plane of existence. A simpler reality, where dinner's getting cold and it's a Wednesday -- time for reading new issues.

As Deadpool groans in a crumpled mess -- Spidey comes plummeting back down to Earth with an unceremonious "wwhhhaamp".

Wrecker hoists Deadpool's mangled body by the collar and dangles him for Bulldozer to run armored head to chest right through him again. "The Wrecking Crew's tangled with Norse gods. You sissies never had a rat's ass chance."

Things look grim as Bulldozer encourages Piledriver to finish him, but a couple of well-placed web balls send the bruiser's left hook off course into The Wrecker's face!

Back on his feet and ready to rumble - Spidey blasts The Wrecker's eyes with web and his ears with an innuendo that would make Aunt May blush.

The quipping heroes go back to back and prepare for the riled-up Wrecking Crew to bring the fight to them. They compare notes on the Lethal Weapon franchise and The Warriors references as they brace for battle when suddenly -- a third player enters the fray with a powerful energy beam and focused sonic blast!

Bulldozer and Piledriver tumble destructively through the construction site as The Punisher arrives on a Goblin Glider with the Unicorn Power Horn still smoldering at his forehead, and one of Klaw's sonic disruptor blasters on his right hand!

He swoops over the two heroes with pumpkin bombs at the ready, tossing a trio of the explosives at The Wrecker and Thunderball. They're quickly engulfed in thick green gas, but remain unimpressed by the "minor league wannabes".

Spider-Man clues them in that Hobgoblin's "jack-o'-lanterns pack enough knockout gas to put down a herd of elephants."

The Wrecker hangs his head and drops to his knees as Thunderball falls face first to the ground. Deadpool sees that Wrecker joins his teammate, turning the enchanted crowbar against him with a smack to the face!

The Hammer...

In this house we love The Wrecking Crew, so when a doubt about a recent battle between The Wrecker and Daredevil & Elektra [in Daredevil (Vol.8) #24] came across my feed -- I was already primed to want to explore the subject more.

Daredevil himself was actually a part of this little 'Deadpool Team-Up' in earlier issues of Deadpool: Suicide Kings, but he manages to skip out on this chapter, remaining elsewhere until the fighting's over. By that time, the battle has moved on to another of my personal favourite bad guys: the man who hired The Wrecking Crew and essentially started this whole mess -- Tombstone!

So, while we couldn't quite source an exact comparison to The Wrecker's most recent indignity; Deadpool, The Punisher, and Spider-Man provide an interesting case study for street-level heroes taking The Wrecking Crew down.

It's interesting to note that Suicide Kings ostensibly repeats the same strategy that took The Wrecker down in Thunderbolts #1 -- one of the few previous entries we've actually recorded for the villain and his teammates.

Off the top of my head, I can't think of any significant earlier examples of knockout gas taking The Wrecker and his crew down. I wonder if writers Mike Benson and/or Adam Glass were influenced by the earlier T-Bolts issue, or just reached a similar conclusion for dispatching them. Perhaps we'll discover a pattern of vulnerability as we explore their various misdeeds in future updates.

I have a few Wrecker battles that have been burning up my desk over the years, but in those examples we'll establish more of the heavyweight brawling he's best known for. Not a lot of tactical tranquilizer gas in those issues, as I recall.

Obviously to address the claim in the inspiring tweet - I'd have to look at that particular issue, but one of the functions of Secret Wars on Infinite Earths is to provide abundant reference for historical precedent, and tangential examples. These records can support or dispute a result - real or imagined. Something that the current trend of so-called "AI" isn't necessarily so good at...

When I asked Google if The Wrecker had succumbed to gas in any Marvel Comics, its "AI" result claimed he hadn't. We know that's not true. We now have two very clear examples of that. You might like to keep that in mind next time you're looking for answers to comic book questions, or genuine 100% man-made sources to support. There's a Patreon for that, and I'd really appreciate it.

Secret Wars on Infinite Earths has supplied an archive of well over 700 in-depth results & reviews -- ranking more than 1,000 of your favourite characters in the process! You can find them all, and flex your mind muscle, by diving in to the Secret Index for a complete appendix in order of publisher, series, and issue.

I'd also encourage you to live life to the fullest, expanding your horizons and feeding your curiosity, with a rich diet of links to your favourite topics. You can find them throughout most entries on the site. It's a great way to see if I've come back to something interesting, or ventured into new & exciting tangents.

In the spirit of this latest entry -- I'd like to dig in to the other side of the equation. There are a lot of Daredevil and Elektra battles still waiting to be reviewed, but I have a particular example in mind that revisits Daredevil's penchant for tackling much bigger & stronger foes, from an era I've been taking an interest in. It'll be another good comparison for the fight with The Wrecker.

Of course, I presume part of the inciting social media grievance isn't just who defeated The Wrecker - but how.

It's fair to say not all comics are created equal, and I tend to be prone to sharing skepticism about the quality of editorial consistency in more recent issues. It doesn't seem like every writer and editor knows their stuff, or respects the process of building on the past with consistency and restraint, to create enduring iconic characters, and a cohesively developed shared universe.

2009 is a year I look back upon very fondly, but it's also one of the last years that I enjoyed consistent interest and enthusiasm for comics published by Marvel and DC. In my estimation, it's around then that the wheels start getting shaky, the stories are a little hit & miss, and the quality just isn't always there. [Something I'm willing to challenge through actual hands-on reviews, mind you...]

So where does Suicide Kings fit into that? Well, it does feel awfully convenient to dispatch bad guys who regularly throw down with Thor with a little gas, but it's delivered in the spirit of fun, and I don't feel that my intelligence, or the characters themselves, are being insulted by this. Their threat level is well represented, and barring any uncited contradiction, I don't really see any reason their enchantments should protect them from hostile inhalants beyond a general enhanced resistance -- something The Wrecker kinda demonstrated.

We could quibble minor details, like whether or not Spidey should be reduced to a purple stain by The Wrecker's crowbar, but let's just chalk it up to Spidey-senses, fast reaction times, and agile rolling with the "punches". Relax. Sometimes the needs of the story are what actually determines the outcome, and the mountain of overwhelming odds provided by powerhouse villains like The Wrecking Crew exists purely to be overcome. That's just fine and dandy. Get a hold of yourself.

Incidentally, Google's AI did suggest a 2010 episode of the Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes animated series, where The Wrecking Crew endures a gaseous dome of gamma irradiation without any issues. It's a series I'm familiar with and enjoyed very much, but wouldn't look to for precedent, because as we all know, adaptations are secondary sources, and prone to playing things fast and loose. Fans concerned with the degradation of The Wrecking Crew need only look at the barely recognisable group seen in Disney+'s She-Hulk: Attorney at Law. Just don't be deranged about it. Alright? Focus. Don't be strange.

Looking more broadly: I was a fast fan of Deadpool in the nineties and got a real kick out of his first on-going series with Joe Kelly and Ed McGuinness. Their combination of tights and comedy was a real blast, and set the ship off to a cult favourite start. The character got a little obnoxious throughout the 2000s, but I found Suicide Kings a pretty decent levelling out.

Deadpool: Suicide Kings #5 appeals to me very specifically with the four main heroes, and focus on The Wrecking Crew and Tombstone. Made that much more appealing by Carlo Barberi's clean pencils, and slick inks & colour from Sandu Florea and Marte Gracia, whom I'm assured aren't pseudonyms.

As someone who's enjoys it when Punisher is more than a psycho with sidearms -- I love the absurd visual and fitting tone of him cruising in on a stolen Goblin Glider, wearing Unicorn's suit & headgear, with a Klaw hand and lobbing Hobgoblin pumpkin bombs. A superb way to level the playing field and have a whole lot of freakin' fun.

The five issue mini isn't going to be a definitive representation for any of these characters, or one of the must-read tomes from Marvel, but if you're familiar with the characters, or curious to dip your toe in with no strings attached, it's a raucous ride through the borderland between organized crime and super-villainy. Worth your time -- and worth us coming back to in the future.

So what more do you need? I think I've covered all the bases and made this the most boring thing you've read all day! My work here is done!

Get daily links to fights inspired by the topics of the day by subscribing to X (aka; Twitter)! Don't forget to smash that like, fave, and share -- and keep your eyes peeled for the week's top trending battles every Sunday on X & Discord! The lively Discord chat is one of the bonuses of becoming a Patreon subscriber, so give it some thought won't ya?! A guy's gotta eat! You want me to eat, right? Don't you?!

Winners: The Punisher & Deadpool (w/ Spider-Man)
#55 (+33) The Punisher
#21 (+2) Deadpool
#2 (--) Spider-Man [+1 assist]
#439 (-47) The Wrecker
#440 (-47) Piledriver
#443 (-29) Thunderball
#444 (-29) Bulldozer

HUO LI versus SHANG-CHI

Once Upon a Time in Wan Chai (Marvel)
Where: Shang-Chi: Master of Kung Fu One-Shot (B&W) #1 When: November 2009 Why: Mike Benson How: Tomm Coker & CP Smith

The Story So Far...
Shang-Chi is no stranger to the watchful gaze of unseen enemies. Over the course of two days in Hong Kong, he has felt the lingering presence of a cold stare at his back.

As ally to MI-6, Shang-Chi has amassed many nemeses while striking against the global criminal organizations employed by his father - the villainous Dr. Fu Manchu!

This mysterious watcher has come to test Shang-Chi's renowned mastery of kung fu, but his reasons for the challenge run much deeper than mere martial supremacy. Once again the past has come back to prey upon the master of kung fu, but this time the blood ties belong to the man called Huo Li!

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Shang-Chi 2 (Average)
Intelligence: Shang-Chi 3 (Straight A)
Speed: Shang-Chi 3 (Athlete)
Stamina: Shang-Chi 4 (Athlete)
Agility: Shang-Chi 4 (Gymnast)
Fighting: Shang-Chi 7 (Living Weapon)
Energy: Draw 1 (None)
Total: Shang-Chi 24 (Champion)

We've got ourselves a kung fu grudge match as we finally explore an overdue corner of the martial Marvel Universe! We've seen colourful combatants like Iron Fist and Daredevil, but this time it's not about super-powers -- just fighting!

Huo Li made his first appearance in today's story, but through the course of the battle it becomes apparent he has deep familial ties to a mercenary who once worked for Fu Manchu. This is self-evident in the unique three-bladed sword he inherited from his father, Death-Dealer, whose immolation he aims to avenge!

Huo Li has dedicated his life to training as a martial artist and swordsman, making him an incredibly confident and competent assassin. He'll also demonstrate some measure of honor, arming his opponent for a degree of fair combat. Is that enough to overcome a Master of Kung Fu?

We recorded Shang-Chi as part of the zombie horde seen in Marvel Zombies #1, but this is his first featured fight on Secret Wars on Infinite Earths.

As the star of the Master of Kung Fu series: Shang-Chi was introduced as the son of Sax Rohmer's literary creation Fu Manchu, and an American woman chosen for beneficial genetic characteristics.

From birth, Shang-Chi was trained intensively in various techniques and disciplines of martial arts, honing him into a living weapon! When he learned his father was not the hero he claimed to be, Shang-Chi swore to use these skills to destroy his father's evil empire.

He's said to be one of the Marvel Universe's greatest fighters, but could this be the blood feud that brings him unstuck? It's time to put the claim to the test!

The Tape: Shang-Chi Ranking: Draw (Not Ranked)

What Went Down...
His senses already on alert: Shang-Chi is drawn to something lurking in the shadows of a nearby alley. He crosses into its darkness and finds a man whose presence he has felt for the two days he's been walking Hong Kong's streets.

The unfamiliar figure, shirtless with clenched fists, says he has heard of Shang-Chi's prowess as a great "living weapon". He intends to test him. They fight!

First blood goes to the mystery man as he connects with a kick to the face!

The blow sends Shang-Chi flying backwards, but he twists his body and rolls with it to regain an upright stance. He warns his new opponent of the mistake he's made. Now he'll find out just how good The Master of Kung Fu really is!

The mystery man moves forward with a confident right fist, but this time Shang-Chi blocks the blow with an open left palm. In one fluid motion he thrusts his right fist into the attacker's abdomen and strikes with a left-hand claw!

Escalating attacks push the attacker to unleash something truly explosive. His body bends back, distancing his face from the claw strike's path while his left foot rises rapidly to catch Shang-Chi with another launching kick!

Shang-Chi lands hard on nearby steps well aware that his opponent is truly an excellent fighter who has overcome pride of self.

The Master of Kung Fu restores his vertical base but rather than leaping into another attack - he vaults straight over his opponent to make for a fire escape ladder. His opponent makes chase, scrambling behind towards the rooftops.

The two warriors meet on equal footing topside. As they gaze at one another in a stance of readiness, the fighter reveals himself as Huo Li: the man who will end Shang-Chi's life in the name of vengeance! With that, he tosses Shang-Chi a sword and reveals the three blades of his father's weapon. It reveals everything there is to know. He is the son of an old foe: The Death-Dealer!

As Shang-Chi contemplates his old adversary, his newest one drives him back with the triple blade. It pushes him toward a skylight and sends him plummeting into the light soaked dive of the karaoke bar below!

Huo Li drops down behind him, but Shang-Chi scrambles clear of the plunging blades. He bumps into nearby patrons and springs back with a thrusting kick!

Remembering Death-Dealer's demise, The Master of Kung Fu gives his opponent a chance to end it. To walk away without dishonor. The vengeful swordsman declines. This fight is the culmination of his life's training. He will not back down.

Shang-Chi avoids a swing of the three pronged blade and presses toward the attacking arm shoulder first. His next move disarms Huo Li with a backwards thrust of his elbow. The base of his foot meets Huo Li's face next. Then stomps with a hard heel to an exposed calf muscle. Huo Li can do nothing.

With his sword pointed directly at his opponent, Shang-Chi makes a choice. He could not spare Death-Dealer's life, but he can spare the son's. He drops the sword and imparts clarity: "I understand your need for revenge. Just know this is a road that ends in death. And it will not be mine."

Shang-Chi walks away in victory, accepting that they will one day meet again.

The Hammer...
When anybody asks me to explain Shang-Chi, I usually just tell them he's Marvel's answer to Bruce Lee. It feels like an over-simplification, but in the case of today's story - it's never been more apt. Just look at that rendering!

Tomm Coker and CP Smith make no bones about depicting Shang-Chi as Bruce Lee. The aviator sunglasses are a big tip off. It doesn't hurt that Mike Benson's script also starts the fight by paraphrasing Enter the Dragon. When an opponent expands - he contracts, and vice versa. Be like water, young warriors.

A cover story featuring Deadpool probably helped sell a few extra copies of the Shang-Chi Master of Kung Fu black & white one-shot in 2009. If you ask me, there was plenty of bang for buck in this story. It speaks to me more than the tongue-in-cheek lead. It's very simple, but it also looks really great!

I was a fan of CP Smith's unique, stylized digital artwork back in the New Invaders days. I don't know what the exact division of chores are here: Smith receives a "with" credit, implying finishing, or inking, over Coker's base. Whatever their process, the art team got something pretty special down onto the page, if you ask me.

The style is moody and vibrant, etched in hard blacks on white & grey, with digital processing for texture. It sometimes looks like paper cutouts, but the staging of action is never too rigid. I presume there's a lot of heavy photo referencing, but that enhances a filmic quality of the whole piece. This isn't fumetti - so-called "photo comics". It's a unique aesthetic that's of the page.

The sense of cinema doesn't end with the pictures. This is a story lettered in Chinese, with English subtitles placed in black gutters. Usually foreign comics are localized with English dialogue placed straight where the original was [see; Dragon Ball]. Other languages in Marvel Comics are often represented with brackets to indicate reading a translation. For any kung fu movie fan, the unique choice should evoke a fond, familiar film-watching experience.

My Mandarin isn't so hot, so I can't say how authentic the dialogue is, but it scratches a long held itch fellow gamers might be able to relate to: The moment the international cast of Street Fighter and Tekken began speaking, there was a strong desire to hear them use their native tongue. It just seemed like a cool, natural thing to do. I've always liked the idea on the page, as well. Although it's probably a lot more interesting when characters don't speak the same language.

I wonder how Shang-Chi purists feel about this episode. The short makes for a satisfying, quick kung fu read, but doesn't seem entirely in step with the red-suited modern Shang-Chi of the last decade or so, nor the kung fu classic of the seventies and early eighties. I could see some diehards taking issue with the specific reference to movies and Bruce Lee. Not that Once Upon a Time in Wan Chai isn't a story deeply rooted in classic comics!

The vengeful Huo Li debuted in this short story and directly references Li Ching-Lin: A mercenary called Death-Dealer who lasted four issues while working for Fu Manchu in 1982. His gruesome fate is pretty much as depicted in vague flashbacks, tying the story directly to Master of Kung Fu #118.

I wouldn't have particularly expected a short like this, in an experimental and already obscure black & white special, to have drawn so specifically on past reference. I like that it does! It goes down easy if you don't know the reference, but if you trace the line back to its source, you get a little bit more out of the kick ass action. That's what good comics should be about!

To the best of my knowledge Huo Li hasn't appeared again since the B&W special. I know Shang-Chi found his way into orbit of the Avengers in the years since, but there probably hasn't been a whole lot of opportunity for follow-up. With any luck that might change now that Marvel Studios has announced Shang-Chi and The Legend of the Ten Rings - a 2021 movie.

I'll certainly look forward to returning to Shang-Chi in a more classic context at some point in the future, as well as The Mandarin, who will apparently make his true big screen debut, presumably standing in for the notoriously complicated film rights of Sax Rohmer's Fu Manchu.

I wasn't able to find this story in collected format at the time of this writing, so you may have to seek out the Master of Kung Fu One-Shot Special if you want to explore today's featured fight further. It was one of at least a couple of experimental seventies style black & white specials released around 2009.

If you want to find more from Shang-Chi, or other relevant characters, be sure to follow links found throughout this post, or dive into the Secret Archive for a complete index of all featured fights! Check out Cover to Cover: Martial Arts Mayhem for a special selection of themed fights featuring furious fists and deadly hands of kung fu!

You can also follow Secret Wars on Infinite Earths on Twitter and Facebook for daily links to fights inspired by the topics of the day! Be sure to like & share your favourite battles!

Winner: Shang-Chi
#328 (new) Shang-Chi
#884 (new) Huo Li

PUNISHER versus DEADPOOL
(Marvel)
Where: Deadpool: Suicide Kings #2 When: July 2009
Why: Mike Benson How: Carlo Barberi

The Story So Far...
Deadpool: Superpowered former test subject of the Weapon X project turned rogue mercenary. Armed with an arsenal of hi-tech weaponry, standard munitions, and a sense of humor, he fights for truth, justice, and the American Express way. Cash is preferable.

By accepting a million dollar contract from a gambler wanting his bookie killed to avoid paying his debts, Deadpool walks blindly in to a trap. Instead of killing his intended target, the DP accidentally triggered an explosion that destroyed an apartment building, and killed several innocents.

With his presence caught on tape and broadcast across news networks, Deadpool becomes the unwitting player in a double-or-nothing bet between his client, and local New York mobster, Tombstone. The wager: Can Deadpool survive in the heat for twenty-four hours? With the Punisher entering the picture after seeing the news, the odds just got a lot steeper for the 'Poolman.

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Deadpool 3 (Athlete)
Intelligence: Punisher 4 (Tactician)
Speed: Deadpool 3 (Athlete)
Stamina: Deadpool 5 (Marathon)
Agility: Deadpool 4 (Gymnast)
Fighting: Draw 4 (Trained)
Energy: Draw 4 (Arsenal)


- When his family was murdered by the mob for witnessing a gangland execution, Frank Castle dedicated himself to a one-man war against all organized crime as The Punisher.

Drawing upon his extensive training as a soldier during the Vietnam War; Castle adopts the death's head skull as his symbol, dealing death to gangsters, drug dealers, kidnappers, and any other criminal who crosses his path.
During his career as the Punisher he continues to hone his abilities while also amassing a wealth of standard and unusual munitions, including supernatural and super-science weapons stolen from super-villains he has defeated. Combined with a rare tactical mind for warfare, and his skills in hand-to-hand combat, Frank Castle's arsenal makes hima a formidable opponent even for superhuman targets.

Prominent enemies include; Jigsaw, Kingpin, Bullseye, Barracuda, Ma Gnucci. Violent activity in New York has made Punisher a regular sparring partner (and sometimes ally) for heroes such as Spider-man and Daredevil, as well.

- The exact details of Wade Wilson's early life remain a mystery, perhaps even to him. During his adult life he became a mercenary who, upon learning he had developed cancer, gave up on his life to submit himself to experimentation with the top secret remnants of the Weapon X program. The project experimented with altering Wilson on a genetic level, attempting to treat him with a healing factor developed from the genome of former subject, Wolverine. However, Wilson's cancer interacted with the process in unforseen ways, reducing the effectiveness of his healing powers, and rendering him hideously disfigured.

Deemed a failure after several missions, Wilson was discarded by Weapon X to the care of The Workshop -- a facility for rejected subjects who could be tested upon until their death. Wilson's healing factor, however, kept him alive, allowing him to eventually escape and resume his career as a mercenary, adopting the ironic codename of Deadpool. Wilson's fantastic healing abilities, expertise with conventional weaponry and munitions, and hand-to-hand fighting skills help him earn a reputation as a gun-for-hire despite being mentally unstable.

Math: Deadpool Ranking: Deadpool (#44)

What Went Down...
With Deadpool lying low to avoid attention, the Punisher is forced to masquerade as a pizza delivery man to get close to his target. Initially, Deadpool appears fooled by the coat and hat disguise, but when the Punisher reaches for his gun, Deadpool sees it coming in the reflection of his penny jar!
The jar becomes a weapon in the hands of the merc' with a mouth, but it's he who takes the damage as Punisher fires through it with a hi-tech energy weapon.

At point blank, the Punisher fires again, blasting a hole directly into the eye socket of the beleaguered mercenary. With his healing factor working overtime, Deadpool plays a little bit of a distraction game, taking the time to draw his katana blade to slice the barrel of the Punisher's hi-tech weapon [which was taken during a previous encounter with the Torpedo, as noted via earpiece by Punny's current tech-support, Henry. - Mike Rochip].

Never one to advance without a series of contingency strategies, Punisher reaches in to his pizza delivery coat to produce the unlikely weapon of a giant mechanical squid tentacle! The "smart-arm" regains the Punisher instant control of the battle, allowing him to pluck Deadpool into the air by the throat, before tossing him head-first through the cieling into the apartment above [Home of Mrs. Jenson, the landlord, as it were. - Mitigatory Mike].

Punisher brings DP back to his own level -- headfirst -- before offering him an opportunity to cool off and get a little fresh air -- by slamming him through the external wall of the apartment building!

Dangling high above the street, Deadpool devises a cunning escape plan involving severing the only metallic smart-arm keeping him from becoming a red and black stain. Fortunately for him, Punisher's got a much slower penance in mind, sending a lifeline in the form of one of Whiplash's whips that curls around his ankle. Unfortunately, Whiplash was not a villain particularly interested in the potential appilcation of the whip as a rescue device.

The jolt of a few thousand volts ensures Deadpool smoulders with all the crispy spices of down South fried chicken, but with one distinct difference. Keeping his wits about him, Deadpool is able to turn the tables, showing tremendous resilience to yank Punisher from the window above via the electric whip.

This, of course, sends both men plumetting to a hard day's night, but when you're a super-mercenary with healing powers borrowed from Wolverine, that's probably a better alternative than running up a large electric bill.

A shadowy figure watches from the rooftops above while Deadpool limps away into the night, leaving Punisher to dream of new schemes and items to source from the the ACME weapons catalogue.
The specifics of the rematch, and who's watching, are a subject for another day.

The Hammer...
Colour it controversial sports fans, because after much deliberation, the defensive double knock-out is going to The Punisher by way of decision! Despite escaping the situation, Deadpool never mounted an offensive, and suffered a definite beating because of it.

Fret not, Deadpool fans! The Merc' With a Mouth will return to the Infinite Wars sometime in the future to avenge his defeat!

What did not result in a loss was the purchase of this particular comic!
I've got to admit, this is one of those humble pie situations. Initially, I was looking at Suicide Kings with healthy scepticism, assuming there might have been a little bit of cash cowing on the part of Marvel in response to Deadpool's mainstream coming out in X-Men Origins: Wolverine. While I don't doubt that the film might have been a motivating factor, the mini-series pitting Deadpool against the clock in a twenty-four battle to stay alive speaks very specifically to the Infinite Wars.

Tombstone's an old favourite of the site, but in particular it is his status as one of Marvel's pantheon of fantastic street level crooks that connects Suicide Kings with the ideas we used to discuss quite often. "Chess" was the reference used to describe a keen desire to see Marvel (or DC) fully capitalize on their urban sprawls with a book that could document the on-going involvement of heroic and villainous entities moving about the landscape of the New York underworld.

'Hood Heroes Playlist
[Urban Marvel Heroes &
Villains By Site Ranking]
#1 Spider-man
#2 Daredevil
#3 Luke Cage
#4 Iron Fist
#5 Morbius
#6 Deadpool
#7 Capt. America
#8 Union Jack
#9 Elektra
#10 Black Widow
#11 Ghost Rider
#12 Scarlet Spider
#13 Hellcat
#14 Batroc
#15 Blade
#16 Black Cat
#17 Dr. Strange
#18 Hawkeye
#19 Ronin
#20 Werewolf
#21 Menace
#22 Gambit
#23 Moon Knight
#24 Mr. Hyde
#25 UnusSuicide Kings might not unite the players in incidental interactions as part of their daily activities as costumed heroes and villains, but the very basic premise isn't too far removed from that idea. Deadpool has to survive the elements of New York City for twenty-four hours. As this issue shows, that quickly pertains to characters like Punisher and Daredevil who are existing incidentally.

As you can see, I've spoiled the big surprise.
The lurking presence who shows up as the vigilante at the end of this book is Daredevil - promising another exciting match-up between the rival "heroes" in the tradition of Daredevil #65. Actually, that particular scuffle isn't entirely irrelevant as a reference for what's to come.

Carlo Barberi defies what we know of him [Justice League Unlimited #14] to tap into a style very reminiscent of the artistic collaboration of Phil Hester and Ande Parks.
Sandu Florea plays a part in that with strong inks that turn to solid blacks for the arrival of DD, with popping primary colours by Marte Gracia that gives the artwork depth, and energy during the action. If I didn't know any better, I'd swear it was the same colourist as the Hester/Parks segment, but I don't have the issue handy.

Mike Benson has a great premise to work with, but tackles what is fast becoming one of the less enviable jobs in comics.
Deadpool's fanbase has grown over the the past two decades from cult following to full blown mainstream hero. Key to the character's success has been the viral exchange of meme-like gags from the comics more recent years. That's defined the character with a very particular type of humor that isn't necessarily always successful, teetering between the fine balance of comedic and obnoxious.

I haven't really read a lot of Deadpool in the more recent years, so I'm pretty new to the 'Deadpool fantasy vision' thing, which is one of the first thing that rubs me up the wrong way a bit. To me, Deadpool should exhibit certain comedic irreverence and cultural references, but really doesn't want to become the kind of lazy, uninspired, and creatively insulting kind of comedy that actually seems pretty common these days. I'm particularly thinking of Family Guy, where even passable gags are quickly trampled by inanity, repetition, or the scripted equivalent of laughing loudly immediately after the joke.
For the most part, I think Benson does a pretty good job, but it's not perfect.

For me, the strength of the series really seems to lie in the simple concept and the opportunity it provides to play with a lot of characters in a common space, but not necessarily a common brand. It's a great opportunity to dance with a hero like Daredevil, whose monthly adventures are generally cordoned off to maintain aesthetic and satisfy the poseurs. [Hey! I'm one of them!]

As far as movie cash-ins go, it's disappointing that the series is one of the many clocking in at $3.99 an issue, but it's a great way for Deadpool fanatics to find a backdoor into the Marvel Universe. It's a less pandering method of introducing you, the uninformed, to characters that have some commonality, but can lead you on to different paths that you might enjoy. Take advantage of it, as you please.

I'd love to know how the story finishes but with July ramping up with major storylines, my finances looking as shoddy as one-eyed Deadpool, and Marvel slapping the $3.99 tag on this one, it'll probably lose-out by priority. Otherwise, it comes with glowing recommendations for those who know what they're buying.

The Fight: 5 The Issue: 5

Deadpool: Suicide Kings is an action packed romp currently appearing monthly on shelves from Marvel Comics. No collected edition is available as yet, but you can track information about each issue in the (belated) Infinite Wars Shipping Updates. For more Deadpool, Punisher, and Daredevil, you'll find plenty of other stories on offer in our Amazon Gift Shoppe! By using purchase links provided on the site, including those in previous reviews, you help sponsor future entries!