BLACK WIDOW & DIAMONDBACK versus CAPTAIN AMERICA

Cross Purposes (Marvel)
Where: Captain America #376 When: Early September 1990 Why: Mark Gruenwald How: Ron Lim

The Story So Far...
When the designer-drug ICE starts flooding the streets of New York City it ignites a wave of violence and addiction. No one is safe from the insidious product -- just ask Boomslang!

The Serpent Society villain was gunned down by a drug-fuelled gang while on the run from Captain America. Even the Avengers' trusted aide Fabian Stankiewicz is hooked -- sending the Sentinel of Liberty on a new mission to bust the drug-runners responsible!

Little does Captain America realise its all the latest criminal enterprise of his arch-nemesis, The Red Skull, and when one of the manufacturing plants he was investigating was blown up by its own user -- HE was exposed to the drug!

Now Cap is on the high from Hell and that spells trouble for anybody who gets in his way. Even his closest friends may not be able to bring him back down before he goes too far!

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Captain America 3 (Athlete)
Intelligence: Black Widow 4 (Tactician)
Speed: Captain America 4 (Olympian)
Stamina: Captain America 5 (Marathoner)
Agility: Diamondback 4 (Gymnast)
Fighting: Captain America 6 (Warrior)
Energy: Black Widow 2 (Projectile)
Total: Captain America 28 (Metahuman)

Black Widow and Diamondback may appear to be statistically outmatched by Captain America in head-to-head comparisons, but to really break this fight down we need to look more closely at our measure of fighting ability.

We rate Captain America at a high level of 6: "Warrior" status, reflecting not just his hand-to-hand combat training, but the intangible quality with which he's able to stare down entire armies and barrel through them by sheer force of will.

We saw a glimpse of that famous fighting spirit when Cap single-handedly bested SHIELD agents in Civil War #1, and Nazi soldiers in Captain America (Vol.5) #5.

Cap has also made a career out of going toe-to-toe with vastly more powerful opponents, such as: Nebula [Avengers #315], John Walker [Captain America #350], Master Man [Reborn #2], Iron Man [Captain America Annual #9], Hulk [Avengers #4], The Destroyer [Thor #1], and Thanos [Infinity Gauntlet #4].

We rate Black Widow at 5 in fighting, but it could be argued she's actually a far more skilled and nuanced fighter than Captain America. She doesn't have his enhanced strength or endurance to rely on, utilizing a more precise style of martial arts. Discipline that could kayo Jigsaw with a single kick [Daredevil #62].

Black Widow is obviously also a cunning tactician, who executes her plans with the speed and agility of a well trained gymnast. Combine that with her wrist-worn gauntlets -- capable of discharging high-powered electrical blasts -- and she can fight beside Iron Man against an adversary as powerful as Titanium Man!

Black Widow's penchant for collaboration is itself another valuable skill, and although she and Diamondback fought in a previous issue, they're on the same page as they chase down a drug-fuelled Captain America. For DB it's personal!

Diamondback, aka; Rachel Leighton, is a former member of the Serpent Society who turned tail when Viper staged a hostile takeover. She teamed with Cap and became a short-lived romantic interest after reapplying her arsenal of trick throwing diamonds and gymnastics as a hero.

Will the addition of Diamondback's emotional connection help Black Widow bring a drug-hazed Captain America in? Let's find out!

The Tape: Black Widow & Diamondback Ranking: Captain America (#7)

What Went Down...

Cap slams a couple of kids up against a wall on West 113th Street with a mind to getting tough on drugs. They were out looking for kicks and he's all too happy to oblige. The only problem is -- Captain America's coming down from a high himself!

Diamondback and Black Widow show up to bring him in for treatment, but the Captain isn't buying it. He's gone a week without sleep and still doesn't even realise he inhaled the designer drug ICE during a warehouse explosion.

The concerned costumed heroines rush their cornered comrade. He informs Black Widow that her Avengers membership will be revoked, but she keeps her mind on the job -- launching into a flying kick while Diamondback tosses knock-out gas!

Even in his addled state Captain America remains the consummate super-soldier and dodges Black Widow's kick at the last possible moment!

Sensing the struggle ahead The Widow brandishes her wrist gauntlets and lets off a full frontal widow's sting!

Cap manages to get his shield up to absorb the brunt of the point blank blast!

He arrogantly counters with a hard right hand that knocks Black Widow off balance!

It's all too clear the knock-out gas isn't having any effect, but Diamondback seizes an opportunity to dive on Cap's back for a standing rear naked choke that chicken wings his shield arm behind his back. She calls for Widow to take the shot!

It's a good plan, but the drugs in Captain America's system haven't sapped any of his strength. He yanks his shield arm free -- knocking Diamondback to the ground -- and once again dodges Black Widow's sting!

He charges toward the threat -- grabbing Black Widow's firing arm to control the weapon and direct it away from him. It allows him to deliver a hard standing sidekick that launches her off her feet!

Cap's kick rebuffs Black Widow's attacks and her claim he's consumed drugs. The chemical effect and lack of sleep combine to keep him from thinking clearly. He doesn't even consider the possibility he's fighting under the influence!

Diamondback again attempts to get the jump on Cap -- reluctantly firing a couple of her diamonds into the wall over his shoulder.

She knows in her heart she's missed on purpose. A grace a slightly paranoid Captain America doesn't intend to extend when he whips his shield right at her!

Diamondback ducks to narrowly dodge the incoming shield, but can't avoid Cap's crazed tirade.

He perceives his enemy-turned-ally's new uniform as a failed deception, and her presence as an inevitable betrayal. He regrets letting her get emotionally close to him -- not even noticing Black Widow's proximity until she taps his shoulder.

He swings around with a violent left hook that cracks the nearby wall, but Black Widow manages to perch above it and launch herself from the wall's face!

She unleashes a direct blast inches from Captain America's head!

The vicious blow brings an instant end to the conflict! Cap drops unconscious like a bad habit. Hard and heavy -- straight onto his back!

Diamondback worries the sting could've caused permanent brain damage, but The Widow is cool and confident: "I know my opponent. I know my weapon." A successful takedown.

The Hammer...

Lately I've really been enjoying digging back into Mark Gruenwald's run on Captain America. I experienced it around the time mostly as infrequent, disparate issues picked up here and there. A fun, but not always flattering way to read.

In the years since I've had the pleasure of filling in a few more gaps, and coming to appreciate the overall sequential context of more of Gruenwald's work.

It breaks up into fairly easy-to-digest portions, but viewing the many years in totum makes it easier to recognize the ebbing flow of ideas and character-driven plotlines. There's a bigger picture informing everything, and that's good comics.

Captain America #376 functions reasonably well on its own as an action packed chapter in the Streets of Poison storyline. It's Part 5 of a story I was predisposed to enjoy as a raucous crossover between Captain America and Daredevil!

Ostensibly its Gruenwald's high concept take on drug crime on America's streets, but this is also the issue where it escalates into a turf war between The Kingpin, who already rules New York City's criminal underworld, and Red Skull, who is manufacturing and distributing the methamphetamines into his market.

The conflict invariably poises the crime barons' respective bankrolled killers, namely Bullseye and Crossbones, to go against one another in what coalesces into a thrilling pseudo-sequel to Acts of Vengeance.

Everyone will take turns switching partners for some interesting irregular match-ups, but there's even more fun than the opposing foursome. Who better to get in the middle of this collision of Captain America and DD's worlds than Black Widow?

She becomes involved once word of his increasingly uncharacteristic behaviour reaches Avengers HQ. She won't get a chance to link-up with her former flame, Daredevil, or throwdown with one-time adversary Bullseye, but the optics of her entanglement certainly tickle all of those associations.

Black Widow's status as a Soviet-era adversary turned hero also compliments the unfolding redemption of Diamondback, which has been a saga played out over three years of Captain America plotlines.

The heroines met three issues prior for an abrupt case of mistaken intentions -- each unaware of the others' apparent face turn as they battled their way out of the sky and into the Hudson River. Their subsequent team-up subtly infuses Diamondback with some of the same hope for heroics associated with The Widow.

Diamondback's new "undercover" design is a simple, but pleasing alternative to the eye-catching hot pink costume she usually wears. It's essentially an inversion of the costume worn by Nightshade in DC's contemporaneous Suicide Squad -- a series that shares a similarly pleasing episodic nature. I wonder if it was just the style of the time, or if the respective designers knew.

Truth be told, I think artist Ron Lim and inker Danny Bulanadi could've made just about anything work! I particularly love the heft Lim gives to Captain America and Crossbones. Contrasted brilliantly by the lithe acrobatics of Black Widow.

This is such a good looking comic! It's not quite as inky as others I've romanced about from 1990, but there was still clearly something magic in the presses that year, because it's got that look! I only wish my scans did the pages true justice!

This isn't a dark comic by any measure, but when the action goes to the street, there's a wonderful sense of gloom brought about by colorist Steve Buccellato. Lim does great facial expressions, and I love the inked detail of Cap's stubble. It's really a case of everyone doing incredible work!

If you'd like to experience it for yourself you can find this issue in Captain America Epic Collection: Streets of Poison or the now out-of-print Streets of Poison trade paperback. Use Amazon links provided to do any of your shopping and you'll not only get yourself a good deal delivered to you -- but also support the site!

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Winner: Black Widow (w/ Diamondback)
#42 (+15) Black Widow
#612 (new) Diamondback [+1 assist]
#7 (--) Captain America

COSMIC POWERS versus TYRANT

Long Live Tyrant! (Marvel)
Where: Silver Surfer #82 When: July 1993
Why: Ron Marz How: Ron Lim & Tom Christopher

The Story So Far...
Eons ago a biomechanical entity known as Tyrant was created to serve Galactus, Devourer of Worlds. When Tyrant developed an independent taste for interplanetary conquests -- Galactus was compelled to intervene in the name of maintaining balance in the universe.

So powerful was Tyrant that the ensuing battle did untold cosmic damage! The conflict was only ended when Galactus stripped his servant of much of his cosmic energy, banishing him to the darkest corners of existence, where he was expected to remain.

Not unlike his master, Tyrant learned to sustain himself by siphoning cosmic energies. After eons of restoring his lost power, Tyrant returns to a path of conquest, now commanding an awesome army of robot soldiers! Even the greatest cosmic heroes fall before him, becoming new sources of power, but the self-sacrifice of a captured Jack of Hearts releases the cosmic assembly from captivity. Now they unite their powers to fight together against Tyrant!

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Tyrant 7 (Omnipotent)
Intelligence: Tyrant 6 (Genius)
Speed: Silver Surfer 7 (Light Speed)
Stamina: Tyrant 7 (Unstoppable)
Agility: Ganymede 4 (Gymnast)
Fighting: Morg 6 (Warrior)
Energy: Tyrant 7 (Cosmic Power)
Total: Tyrant 38 (Cosmic)

The cosmic powered team-up includes: Silver Surfer, Ganymede, Beta Ray Bill, Gladiator, Terrax, and Morg.

It's tough to imagine any force standing up to such an awesome assembly of cosmic powers -- but that's exactly the scale of threat posed by Tyrant!

He's an immortal, nigh invulnerable biomechanical menace, capable of going ten rounds with Galactus and living to tell the tale! Silver Surfer has turned against their former master many times in the past, but could only dream of such success, surviving with his powers only by the good grace of Galactus!

Terrax and Morg are more recent heralds of Galactus, boasting phenomenal strength and durability. This is our first entry for Morg, but we've seen Terrax give DC's Green Lantern serious trouble in the Green Lantern/Silver Surfer crossover! Unfortunately, Terrax and Morg are also highly combustible mortal enemies -- just as likely to kill each other as they are a mutual enemy!

Acts of valor define Beta Ray Bill, whose noble spirit defeated Thor, and proved worthy of lifting his enchanted hammer in Thor #337! These days he has his own mighty mystic hammer called Stormbreaker. He used it to come to blows with Silver Surfer some years later, in Beta Ray Bill: Godhunter #2, but can always be counted upon to fight the good fight!

Gladiator's loyalties lie primarily with the Shi'ar Imperial Guard, but as long as Empress Lilandra rules, that usually means preserving the greater intergalactic good! We've seen his impossible strength dominate the Fantastic Four [Fantastic Four #249] and X-Men [New X-Men #124]. He should be a powerful ally!

The X-factor is Ganymede, who represents one of the last vestige of an ancient order known as The Spinsterhood. These powerful female warriors were sworn to battle Tyrant, and claimed responsibility for his early defeat.

In the prior issue, Ganymede mistook Silver Surfer for one of Tyrant's minions, but with mistaken identities out of the way, she could be the fighter to guide this awesome assembly to victory!

Silver Surfer alone has beaten cosmic opponents like Ronan the Accuser [Silver Surfer #13], Nebula [Secret Defenders #10], Super-Skrull [Fantastic Four #6], and Green Lantern [Marvel versus DC #3]. The group fell as individuals, but fighting together should neutralize Tyrant's robot army and challenge the conqueror himself! Let's see if they managed it!

The Tape: Cosmic Team-Up Ranking: Silver Surfer (#35)

What Went Down...
With a violent act of defiance - Jack of Hearts sacrifices his energies in a single devastating explosion! As the smoke clears, a collective of the most awesome cosmic powers stands assembled - freed from the shackles of Tyrant's matrix!

Silver Surfer leads the charge, vowing to honor Jack's sacrifice and end Tyrant's march of conquest. The techno-villain welcomes their assault -- unflinching as the Surfer's cosmic power blasts at his face! Tyrant has the confidence of an army of robotic soldiers flooding into the chamber.

The robots seize the Silver Surfer on Tyrant's behalf and drag him into the battlefield with the other cosmic powers. Regrouping, Surfer seeks attendance for the depleted Jack of Hearts, but nearest Terrax refuses to risk himself for another. Ganymede volunteers, slipping away to find Jack of Hearts in tact, but suffering grievous injuries. She's soon kicked aside by an attacking soldier!

Silver Surfer continues his obsessive rant against Tyrant. He blasts a path to the villain and attacks with a charging overhanded punch to the face! Tyrant mocks his boast to be the last man standing and unleashes his chilling power!

As Surfer is blown clear, Beta Ray Bill steps up to turn mystic Asgardian Uru against the mechanoid menace. He hurls his hammer Stormbreaker for a direct hit against Tyrant's chest -- but it doesn't even move him!

Gladiator stands with Bill as he receives his returning hammer in utter disbelief. The Praetor of the Shi'ar Imperial Guard has seen many impressive battles and continues undeterred as he turns his unbridled power against Tyrant!

Across the battlefield: Ganymede demonstrates the unique preparation of her Sisterhood. In a whirlwind of speed and agility she cuts robotic soldiers down with her gleaming staff! It seems victory will give her time to tend to Jack of Hearts, but yet more troopers are already descending upon her!

The Silver Surfer flies in to attack the reinforcements with his power cosmic, urging Ganymede to get Jack to safety. She agrees, but solemnly vows to return to the battle she was born to fight. Not all who are present share her dedication!

Brute strength has allowed Terrax to rip and smash through the robotic hordes with relative ease -- until Morg launches a sneak attack from behind! The tackle sends the two Heralds to Galactus bouncing into a grudge match all their own!

As Stormbreaker pierces through a line of soldiers, Beta Ray Bill notes the tide of battle is taking them further from their objective. Gladiator and Silver Surfer agree, recognizing it's up to the three of them to mount an attack on Tyrant!

The villain welcomes the charge led by Silver Surfer's power cosmic. He invites the inevitable end of their deaths: first claiming Beta Ray Bill with an overhand strike that smashes him face-first into the ground.

The concussive impact turns Bill into a projectile - hurled directly at Gladiator!

Tyrant presses his attack against Gladiator, blasting the Shi'ar Guardsman in the face with high-powered eye beams. He recoils, but defiantly refuses to fall!

Clutching his face, staggered, Gladiator is totally unaware Tyrant is looming over him. With a wild swing of his left fist - the conqueror finishes his opponent with an all mighty kayo! As he does -- Silver Surfer blasts him again!

Again the Surfer boldly proclaims his necessary victory, but Tyrant swings his fist backward -- swatting his forearm into the Surfer's flight path! The blow knocks the cosmic rider to the ground, but he does not yield - with good reason!

Ganymede returns to the battle without warning - gaining the element of surprise as she strikes with her spinster's staff! The special weapon bathes Tyrant's skull in raw energy that elicits a shout of pain and shock!

Alas, the upper-hand is short-lived! Tyrant immediately knocks her out with an eyebeam blast. The better to savour the demise of the last of the Sisterhood.

Though unsuccessful; Ganymede's attack gave Silver Surfer the time he needed to recover. He stands, fists pulsing with the power cosmic as he readies his attack. Tyrant smolders with his own energies as Silver Surfer bathes him in raw cosmic power! The unfathomable projection would surely decimate any ordinary being -- but Tyrant is unscathed as he returns fire with precision accuracy!

The deadly beam knocks Silver Surfer from his feet, tossing his chromed body to the surrounding wreckage. The most powerful challenger at last joins his fallen comrades, speckled with smoke and dirt. Tyrant is unchallenged!

The Hammer...
It feels like it's going to be a pretty cosmic year - so I figured we'd kick things off with an epic cosmic battle! The all-star line-up of cosmic powers doesn't get much bigger than this -- which says a lot about the threat level of Tyrant!

Introduced an issue prior, in Silver Surfer #81: Tyrant feels roughly created as the next in a succession of major cosmic threats of the early nineties. This was two years after Thanos dominated all existence in The Infinity Gauntlet, a year after The Magus unleashed evil doppelgangers in Infinity War, and concurrent with the beginning of The Goddess' superhero holy war in Infinity Crusade.

It's always a tough ask to suddenly come up with a convincing new threat of even greater danger. I think Ron Marz and co do a pretty good job of pulling it off. It was risky to sew Tyrant's backstory into ancient, untold corners of the universe, but it's worth it for the return of Galactus right after Tyrant wins!

His impending arrival is gradually teased over the course of the super-sized issue. Readers had seen Galactus face renegade former heralds before, but that wouldn't necessarily know what was coming, or that Tyrant has the distinction of facing his former master as an equal. Their battle is ultimately waged in words: a tense negotiation designed to avoid the catastrophic cosmic destruction their powers have unleashed once before.

Neither is willing to concede defeat, but it also simply doesn't benefit them to emerge into a broken universe. I really enjoy the concept of a villain who knows and respects his opponent enough to choose not to fight. They've effectively played the battle out in their mind and no the consequence. Neither is willing to concede defeat, but it simply doesn't benefit them to emerge into a broken universe. It's almost a sci-fi twist on evenly matched masters of martial arts.

Actually, coming back to the issue today, the shifting allegiances and tangled histories reminded me a little of Dragon Ball. The brutality of Jack of Hearts and his self-sacrifice reminded me of similar scenes. The way each hero falls away slowly and rallies, only to fail, feels familiar to DBZ. There's even something vaguely Frieza about the way Tyrant's power is presented. Just a little bit.

I wouldn't call Tyrant a villain for the ages, but I like the way he takes from the existing Galactus, but also gives to another new creation. Ganymede had an issue head-start, and builds the myth of Tyrant, while also existing because of it. Her design is pretty damn early nineties, but I kinda dig it. She's got a cool, new age witch meets gymnast thing going on. In this setting, it stands out.

Today's battle is also the Secret Wars on Infinite Earths debut for Morg: the then-current Herald of Galactus who Tyrant requests to retain as a power source in his negotiation with The Devourer. Galactus refuses at first, but it's a chance Tyrant doesn't miss to stick it to his old boss (and creator).

The side battle between Morg and Terrax follows up on hostilities between those two Heralds, and is hopefully something we'll get a chance to look at in more detail in a future battle. For now, it's time to update the Fight Club rankings for the first time this year!

Such a shame to start with a big drop for a couple of our cosmic all-stars, but hopefully Beta Ray Bill and Gladiator will bounce back! Both were teased for this month's all-new relaunch of the Guardians of the Galaxy, and I'm hoping they'll be in there with the Silver Surfer and some other top characters.

If you want to explore more from these characters and the Marvel Universe, be sure to explore links throughout this post, or dive in to the Secret Archive of featured fights! You can also discover more by following on Twitter and Facebook. Be sure to throw in a like or share! Happy new year!

Winner: Tyrant
#317 (new) Tyrant
#35 (--) Silver Surfer
#321 (-181) Beta Ray Bill
#329 (-159) Gladiator
#868 (new) Ganymede
#869 (new) Morg
#883 (-186) Terrax

CAPTAIN AMERICA versus THANOS

Cosmic Battle on the Edge of The Universe! (Marvel)
Where: Infinity Gauntlet #4 When: October 1991
Why: Jim Starlin How: Ron Lim & George Perez

The Story So Far...
When the Silver Surfer crash lands to Earth through the roof of Doctor Strange's Sanctum Sanctorum -- he brings ominous warning of the greatest threat the universe has ever known! Thanos lives and has taken possession of the Infinity Gems of Soul, Mind, Power, Time, Reality, and Space to form the omnipotent Infinity Gauntlet!

The Mad Titan's mission is to eradicate half of all sentient life in existence! A feat he achieves in an instant with but a mere thought! His quest to court the mistress Death does not end there, though. His dominion is now all that exists in the known universe -- a reality, his to dominate and reshape!

Ripples of Thanos' power echo throughout the universe, causing mayhem and destruction on Earth, where the mightiest heroes assemble in conference to discuss the unknown threat. The unexpected arrival of Adam Warlock provides limited answers as he takes command, selecting a special task force to confront Thanos in a desperate ploy to save the universe from The Infinity Gauntlet!

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Thanos 6 (Invincible)
Intelligence: Thanos 5 (Professor)
Speed: Captain America 4 (Olympian)
Stamina: Thanos 7 (Unstoppable)
Agility: Captain America 4 (Gymnast)
Fighting: Captain America 6 (Warrior)
Energy: Thanos 6 (Cosmic Power)
Total: Thanos 34 (Super)

This is it! It's the final showdown between Thanos and the gauntlet of heroes!

If you're landing here, make sure you go back through the previous rounds to find out what brought us here! In order, the gauntlet was: Wave 1, Hulk & Drax, Wave 3, Thor & Doctor Doom, Wolverine, Wave 6, Cloak, Firelord & Drax, Iron Man, Spider-man & Thor, Nova, and Quasar!

The dozen battles make a compelling case for the unstoppable nature of Thanos as wielder of The Infinity Gauntlet! By assembling the Infinity Stones he has achieved governance over the Soul, Mind, Power, Time, Reality, and Space!

Captain America isn't the guy who'd usually take on a cosmic scale threat like Thanos, but with all other options exhausted, you can bet your bottom dollar he'll make his last stand count!

Dr. Erskine's Super-Soldier Serum means Cap is at the absolute peak of human physical ability. He may not be the Hulk or Drax, but if it comes to a fistfight Thanos will at least know he's there! Fortunately, he isn't going into battle completely unarmed. His shield is a rare alloy of steel and vibranium capable of absorbing massive impacts -- and delivering them, when thrown!

We've seen Cap test his shield against some pretty formidable opponents!

The classic shield withstood The Destroyer armor in Thor (Vol. 2) #1 after The Avengers returned from the Heroes Reborn pocket dimension. While there, Cap's shield saw him through battles with a Counter-Earth Thor [Avengers #1], and Hulk [Avengers #4]!

Even more compelling: Major Victory used a time displaced version of the shield to successfully defend against the blows of a rampaging Thanos in Guardians of the Galaxy #25! Of course, that was Thanos fresh from resurrection and without the cosmic omnipotence that comes from wielding the Infinity Gauntlet!

Everything about this fight says one-sided, but Captain America has been known to overcome some pretty incredible odds! He won't back down against The Mad Titan, and he's also privy to the grand plan of Adam Warlock. Will that spell an unlikely defeat? Let us venture into the final stage of the hero's gauntlet!

The Tape: Thanos Ranking: Captain America (#7)

What Went Down...

A smoldering stain is all that marks the short-lived challenge of the once proclaimed "protector of the universe" - Quasar. Surrounded by the broken bodies of his enemies -- Thanos surveys the battlefield in silent triumph.

At a glance, it would seem as if Thanos has conquered all who entered his domain. He clearly under estimates the iron will of Captain America, who stands alone against an unbeatable opponent, as he has so many times before.

Thanos dismisses the Captain's challenge as a joke, but the glib Avenger isn't backing down. He knows his role in Adam Warlock's grand plan and will fight to the death to see it through! Cap marches towards his unmoving, unimpressed opponent and stares him down defiantly!

High above the battlefield, the Silver Surfer has witnessed enough death. He readies to intervene, but Adam Warlock demands his patience. The Surfer must remain at the edge of readiness until the perfect moment!

On the platform: Thanos raises his massive fist and prepares to strike the militant mortal down -- but Cap's reflexes are too fast!

The Captain ducks the devastating blow -- only to find the very ground beneath him joining in the fray! Stone hands grow from the platform, clutching his ankles with an unbreakable grip! The super-soldier's agility has been taken!

Captain America's mighty shield provides protection from a cosmically charged hammer fist that explodes with energy! The defensive move pays off, but the price of survival is the shattering of the unbreakable shield!

Rooted to the ground and robbed of his defensive weapon -- Captain America stares defiantly at his unstoppable opponent! Again, Thanos raises his gauntlet, not to summon its limitless cosmic potential, but to render a killing blow. This is the moment of anger and hubris Adam Warlock has been waiting for!

There is absolutely no hesitation in the Silver Surfer! No sooner than the command is given than he is a silver streak blazing through space!

Time stands still as the Silver Surfer rides the space-ways at impossible speeds! The driving punch of Thanos' fist crawls in stretching inches. Captain America's expression never flinches. Adam Warlock shares his steely resolve.

Everything has been leading to this final gambit! The Surfer swoops in to snatch the Infinity Gauntlet from Thanos' raised fist! It is a simple maneuver, but one that can end a suffering felt across the universe! His gleaming out-stretched fingers reach for the glove -- but finds only air!

The Silver Surfer misses his mark by the smallest of margins, but it is enough to cost the heroes their victory! Thanos flinches as the Surfer passes overhead, and blurs into distant space as he trajectory continues. The Mad God remains!

Captain America seizes upon Thanos' distraction with a left cross chin-check! His defiance is hopeless, but the warrior soldier fights on. Hope finds its last refuge in the heart of Steve Rogers. Thanos doesn't even look when he snuffs it out.

As an understanding of what has occurred sets in, Thanos realizes the smallest fraction of a chance is all it could take to cost him his omnipotence. He wills himself back to the fullest power of the gauntlet.

If his swatting hand did not kill Captain America, his wish to erase all remnants of his battle with the heroes likely did. His platform is returned to pristine condition, but Thanos senses a greater struggle on the horizon.

Adam Warlock gazes from a distance, saddened by the heroes' failure. He now realizes there is only one option remaining. Reality itself will tremble when the cosmic deities embodying the universe are forced to fight!

The Hammer... A gauntlet of the greatest heroes of Earth (and beyond) challenged Thanos, but in the end, Captain America and his allies never really stood a chance.

Even more shocking: This result means Thanos has broken into the Top 10 of the Fight Club Rankings! He displaces Thing, who falls to #11 after Thanos leapt +2 places, now ranked #9!

Two weeks ago we embarked on a journey to document the battles of Infinity Gauntlet #4. With Captain America's defeat, and the Silver Surfer's failure, we have now completed that task. As we now see, Warlock's grand plan was always to sacrifice soldiers so that Thanos would grow careless and arrogant. Had the Surfer succeeded in taking the gauntlet, they could've restored all of the dead.

As noted: The gauntlet of battle doesn't actually end here! In Infinity Gauntlet #5, the struggle continues as the cosmic deities of the Marvel Universe confront the lone being capable of upsetting their delicate balance!

These beings of vast cosmic influence are led by Eternity, and include the likes of Galactus, The Celestials, Eon, Master Order, Lord Chaos, and more! We may explore the cosmic gauntlet at a later date, but for now, Secret Wars on Infinite Earths will return to a regular schedule, with more of your favourite heroes!

The last fortnight has, of course, been in celebration of the theatrical release of Avengers: Infinity War. The third movie in the Avengers series has already set unfathomed records at the international box office, and is now in wide theatrical release in the United States, and across the globe!

As exciting as the movie version might be, I hope everyone will have found the joy in the now-classic comic book event.

Both the comic, and the film, struggle with the isolated nature of their consequences. The movie more closely mirrors an earlier scene in the comic, when heroes disappear as Thanos purges half of all life. Never the less, both deal with the seemingly inconsequential nature of the deaths.

You either buy into the cosmic consequence of the story - or you don't. In the case of the comic, fights like Captain America's go a long way to making it all feel worthwhile. After the cruel and malicious deaths of Nova and Quasar, we know the odds are against Cap. Yet his determination to face his foe proves one of the most inspiring fights of the entire issue, and one of the most memorable moments from the entire mini-series!

I've heard one or two people describe their initial difficulty in grappling with the array of characters featured, but I think that's ultimately part of the joy once you get to grips with it. We've only touched on one of the six issues over the last two weeks, but I'm sure you'll find it was fairly manageable.

Events like these can often serve as nice little introductions to characters you might not know, but may want to seek out. Heroes like Sub-Mariner, Nova, Quasar, She-Hulk, and even Firelord, could very likely be tomorrow's movie icons. The only problem is finding the movies bland by comparison!

As always, Amazon links provided mean you can get ahead of the game by joining the wonderful world of comics! Shopping for Infinity Gauntlet via the portal provided will also help support the site at no extra charge!

For more Infinity Gauntlet goodness you can dive into the Secret Archive where all featured fights are index by publisher, series, and issue number! You can also keep your eyes peeled to current Hero of the Week entries, where we're touching on the hot topics spawned from the feature film!

Subscribe to Secret Wars on Infinite Earths on Twitter and Facebook for daily links to fights inspired by the topics of the day! A like, share, or retweet is another excellence way to join the fight!

Winner: Thanos

#9 (+2) Thanos [+1 kill]
#7 (--) Captain America
#34 (--) Silver Surfer [+1 assist]
#531 (new) Adam Warlock [+1 assist]

Infinity Gauntlet #4
Thanos runs the gauntlet of heroes in a special series spotlighting the classic cosmic showdown!
Versus Wave 1, Hulk & Drax, Wave 3, Thor & Dr. Doom, Wolverine, Wave 6, Cloak, Firelord & Drax, Iron Man, Spider-man & Thor, Nova, Quasar, Captain America

QUASAR versus THANOS

Cosmic Battle on the Edge of The Universe! (Marvel)
Where: Infinity Gauntlet #4 When: October 1991
Why: Jim Starlin How: Ron Lim & George Perez

The Story So Far...
When the Silver Surfer crash lands to Earth through the roof of Doctor Strange's Sanctum Sanctorum -- he brings ominous warning of the greatest threat the universe has ever known! Thanos lives and has taken possession of the Infinity Gems of Soul, Mind, Power, Time, Reality, and Space to form the omnipotent Infinity Gauntlet!

The Mad Titan's mission is to eradicate half of all sentient life in existence! A feat he achieves in an instant with but a mere thought! His quest to court the mistress Death does not end there, though. His dominion is now all that exists in the known universe -- a reality, his to dominate and reshape!

Ripples of Thanos' power echo throughout the universe, causing mayhem and destruction on Earth, where the mightiest heroes assemble in conference to discuss the unknown threat. The unexpected arrival of Adam Warlock provides limited answers as he takes command, selecting a special task force to confront Thanos in a desperate ploy to save the universe from The Infinity Gauntlet!

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Thanos 6 (Invincible)
Intelligence: Thanos 5 (Professor)
Speed: Quasar 5 (Super-Speed)
Stamina: Thanos 7 (Unstoppable)
Agility: Quasar 3 (Acrobat)
Fighting: Thanos 6 (Warrior)
Energy: Thanos 6 (Cosmic Power)
Total: Thanos 34 (Super)

The heroes have suffered severe casualties, losing Thor in the ninth wave, and Nova immediately after! Their cosmically powered reserves are running low, but a new player is finally ready to enter the game and take Thanos on!

Quasar is Wendell Vaughn, wielder of the mighty cosmic Quantum Bands! They were created by Eon, and intended to be worn by Captain Marvel, but fate instead brought them to Earth. As an agent of SHIELD, Vaughn was forced to don them during an attack on a research facility by Advanced Idea Mechanics!

Vaughn quickly learned to master the Quantum Bands with a flexible will, harnessing the near limitless energies of the Quantum Zone. He can construct hard objects from light, create personal forcefields, fly and teleport through space, and manipulate and absorb energies in compliment to his own.

This is the first time we're seeing Quasar on Secret Wars on Infinite Earths, so there's no record to draw upon. We've seen Captain Marvel using the derivative Nega-Bands created by Kree science [Captain Marvel #26], but their power spectrums are ultimately quite different.

Quasar's battled the likes of: Galactus, Terminus, Annihilus, The Magus, Ego the Living Planet, and many more villains -- not necessarily ending in -us! He's no stranger to fighting Thanos and surely has the power to stand against him.

There's some general similarity between Quasar and Cloak, in that both has access to the energies of a pocket dimension. The Darkforce Dimension was no match for Thanos and the Infinity Gauntlet in Round 7's sneak attack, but perhaps the vast possibility of the Quantum Zone can produce different results.

The stage is set for a cosmic showdown! Let's forge ahead to see how it went!

The Tape: Thanos Ranking: Thanos (#11)

What Went Down...
Shards of glass scatter across the battlefield as Thanos brings an end to the life of the man once called Thor. With solemn and grim determination, Quasar steps onto the battlefield and demands Thanos turn to face him.

The Mad Titan immediately recognizes Quasar as the spiritual successor to his deceased former nemesis, the late Captain Mar-Vell.

Quasar identifies himself as the wielder of the Quantum Bands, and assures Thanos they will be his downfall. The omnipotent villain is unconvinced.

In a sudden, unexpected explosion of light & power Quasar's hands are taken from him -- and with them, the power of the Quantum Bands!

Thanos sneers, observing the suffering of his opponent with callous disregard. As Quasar grapples with the harrowing anguish of losing his hands for a second time, it's the suffering of delusions of grandeur that Thanos notes aloud.

Looming over his foe, Thanos fires beams of energy from his eyes as if to exterminate the insect after watching it squirm wingless for a moment.

With Quasar's bravado extinguished in an instant; Thanos is left to contemplate victory, arms folded amidst the broken and beaten bodies of his enemies. Only his perfect woman Terraxia is left standing -- and one mortal hero whose resolve far outweighs his human frailty. The last hero standing!...

The Hammer...
Another vicious irony delivers Thanos to victory. The cosmic omnipotence of the Infinity Gauntlet is now his foremost weapon. The heroes clearly have little to no chance as bitter ironies deliver swift death.

Over the course of the hero's gauntlet, we've seen Thanos deal some truly cruel and spiteful fates. Encasing Cyclops' head in a suffocating cube was a nasty way to end the sixth wave. Reducing Wolverine to quivering rubber in Round 5 - a fate possibly worse than death. The growth that took She-Hulk and Sub-Mariner was the earliest sign this wouldn't be the fair fight it was made out to be.

Quasar's end might contend for cruelest death of them all, though.

It was earlier the same year, in Quasar #21, that he first had to deal with the horror of having his hands removed. That's what he's referring to when he laments the loss of his appendages again, in a state of shock. That was the handiwork of Maelstrom: A villain of lesser means than Thanos, without the same proclivity towards senseless death.

Perhaps there was a ruthless efficiency to using his cosmic powers to remove Quasar's hands, and the source of his power with them. I'm more inclined to think Thanos could've gone straight to killing him, though. This was tantamount to a mean-spirited child tearing the wings off an insect before killing it.

Your mileage on sympathy for Quasar may vary. I daresay he was never the coolest second tier hero around. Some of his cosmic exploits were comparable, but he never reached the high-octane madcap thrills of Captain Marvel. When Quasar wasn't hanging with name heroes, or fighting name villains, it could get a little stale. I wouldn't want to offend any blonde kids named Wendell, but y'know... Stardom will probably be an uphill battle.

Of course, the benefit of characters like Quasar falling out of favour at the turn of the millennium was that they did fall into some pretty wacky scenarios. I'm reluctant to heap too much praise on Star Masters, but any team-up with Beta Ray Bill and Silver Surfer is instantly gonna increase the appeal of a character.

It doesn't say much for Quasar that he got wrapped up in New Universe shenanigans, but the re-think of Annihilation did a whole lot for making up for it. The Quantum Bands may've gone to a new character, but Quasar got to help whoop Annihilus, and turn into some kinda quantum being. Nice one, Wendell!

If you want quantum insights and to harness the powers of The Infinity Gauntlet for yourself, all you need to do is pick up the collected trade paperback! Shopping via the Amazon link provided should deliver you to a good deal and you'll help support the site at no extra cost! All thanks to the fine folks at Amazon!

If you want to put it all into the context of The Comic Book Fight Club then all you need to do is dive into the Secret Archive! There you'll find every featured fight indexed via publisher, series, and issue number! Every Infinity Gauntlet battle is there to be run through in sequential order!

Get daily links to fights inspired by the topics of the day by following Secret Wars on Infinite Earths via Twitter and Facebook! A like, share, retweet, or comment is another excellent way to join the fight and support the site!

This is the penultimate battle from Infinity Gauntlet #4! If you're reading along at home you can jump backwards to the previous battle by clicking here, or advance to the final struggle by clicking right here!

Winner: Thanos
#11 (--) Thanos [+1 kill]
#847 (new) Quasar (Wendell Vaughn)

Infinity Gauntlet #4
Thanos runs the gauntlet of heroes in a special series spotlighting the classic cosmic showdown!
Versus Wave 1, Hulk & Drax, Wave 3, Thor & Dr. Doom, Wolverine, Wave 6, Cloak, Firelord & Drax, Iron Man, Spider-man & Thor, Nova, Quasar, Captain America