SABRETOOTH versus WOLVERINE

The Last Run (Marvel)
Where: Uncanny X-Men #212 When: December 1986
Why: Chris Claremont How: Rick Leonardi

The Story So Far...
Secret tunnels that twist & wind deep beneath the surface of Manhattan run with blood! The Morlocks who live there are hunted and slaughtered by an unforgiving mob of self-proclaimed Marauders! These vile killers are responsible for enacting a terrible event -- the Mutant Massacre!

The X-Men join a desperate bid to save the surviving Morlocks from their unprovoked extermination, but for Wolverine the search will uncover more than injustice. One who stalks these tunnels is familiar to him. An old enemy who may just be better at him at what he does -- Sabretooth!

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Sabretooth 4 (Enhanced)
Intelligence: Draw 4 (Tactician)
Speed: Sabretooth 4 (Olympian)
Stamina: Wolverine 6 (Generator)
Agility: Draw 3 (Acrobat)
Fighting: Sabretooth 7 (Living Weapon)
Energy: Draw 1 (None)
Total: Sabretooth 28 (Metahuman)

It's one of the best known, most vicious and violent rivalries in comic books -- and it's about damn time we gave it a closer look! Where better to dig deeper into the blood feud between Sabretooth and Wolverine than with their very first fight?

Backstory developed in the years following would establish a long and complicated history behind their bitter hatred, but in 1986 they came face to face, claw to claw for the first time right here in Uncanny X-Men #212: part of the Mutant Massacre crossover that unleashed Mister Sinister's Marauders on the Morlocks.

Sabretooth was already established as a bloodthirsty killer, and mercenary, during his brief tenure as an Iron Fist villain. It started with his first appearance and deadly face-off on the snow-covered mountains of Canada, and later expanded to a slasher-like bloodlust that compelled him to kill on the streets of New York City.

We'd see friction between Sabretooth and his employer shortly after the Massacre, but he was more than happy to go on a killing spree beneath the streets, as part of Sinister's grand plan for genetic cleansing of the subterranean mutant Morlocks.

This almost led to the first throwdown with Wolverine in Power Pack #27, but a collapsing roof in the Morlock tunnels blocked Sabretooth from the kid heroes right as they were discovered by Wolverine. That left him to stalk toward a historic face-off in the main X-Men series, which launched many memorable rematches!

Alas, we've been negligent when it comes to this most obvious of match-ups, only featuring the beginning of their purported final battle in Wolverine (Vol.3) #50. That was a lackluster opening round to a generally disappointing showdown, but it did demonstrate the violent and spiteful measures each was willing to take to get one over on the other. After a lot of dragging it out, the conflict ended in Wolverine #55 with Sabretooth's apparent decapitation with the legendary Muramasa Blade. (It was actually a clone).

By that point Wolverine and Sabretooth had both developed pretty rampant healing factors that allowed them to endure and quickly recover from wounds that would be fatal to any ordinary man. Loose stakes that weren't quite as evident in their earlier encounters, where every injury took a more serious toll.

So who has the edge in their Morlock Tunnel showdown?

Wolverine had already been established as "the best there is at what he does" with his evisceration of the Hellfire Club guardsmen, smackdown of The Black Rook, and most compellingly, back-to-back victories over Lady Deathstrike during this same year, in Alpha Flight #34 and the legendary Uncanny X-Men #205.

He'd also been humbled, though. Reduced to a mere plaything when Magneto controlled his metal skeleton, fought to a stalemate by Black Panther, and caught by surprise in a crossover with DC's Deathstroke. Does Sabretooth have the goods to join this elite class? Those last two might just make a case for it! Let's find out.

History: Wolverine (2-0-0)

The Tape: Sabretooth Ranking: Wolverine (#5)

What Went Down...

Stray scents bombard his highly-sensitive nostrils with multiple trails. Morlock survivors and their would-be killers. Familiar signatures of the original X-Men too -- except now they're government manhunters called X-Factor. For all he knows they have blood on their hands too, but there's a lot Wolverine still doesn't know.

Suddenly another scent clues him in -- a woman. Impossible. Jean Grey is dead! A shock to the system that consumes his thoughts so thoroughly he doesn't even notice the Marauder coming for his back!

A rapid flurry of slashes rips through his costume and skin!

"You ought'a be ashamed, bub! I've had more trouble takin' out rank amateurs! From a pro like you, Wolverine, I expect better."

Cutting through the pain is a voice Wolverine knows all too well. A voice whose stock and trade makes him an obvious attendee to a massacre.

Sabretooth looms over Wolverine -- pinning the unconscious body of the Morlock Healer to a tunnel wall with one hand. Healer's hurt, but not bad. Wolverine knows if he can bring him back alive it will be a boon to the mutants who've suffered.

He does his best to disguise the importance of the Morlock and plays along with Sabretooth's sick sense of humor. The cold-blooded killer claims he and Sinister's Marauders are "the very best" at what they do. That he could've killed Wolverine without a second thought. Talk is cheap. The X-Man invites a hands-on approach.

They collide! Wolverine leaping to come in over Sabretooth's head -- or is it the taller Sabretooth hoisting him upward with a hook of his muscular arm? In the tangle of limbs, it could go either way!

Sabretooth grabs Wolverine's wrists, keeping his razor-sharp adamantium claws away from their target. Sabretooth gloats that he's faster, stronger, and more of a killer than Wolverine. As they tumble to the ground -- he might even be right.

Sabretooth's talons rake across Wolverine's chest, ripping through his uniform.

Wolverine rolls through the landing -- putting distance between he and Sabretooth as he reaches his feet, hunched over with claws bared and ready to strike.

Sabretooth aims to make Wolverine's healing factor a non-issue by removing his still beating heart. The feral killer lunges to make good on the threat, but Wolverine effortlessly vaults over his shoulders!

The X-Man continues his path towards the tunnel wall, attacking stone and mortar with his unbreakable claws. They make light work of the crumbling structure!

For a moment Sabretooth is confused -- but it quickly becomes apparent Wolverine isn't fighting for the win.

His attack causes a collapse of the decrepit tunnel. If it doesn't bury Sabretooth alive, it at least creates an impenetrable wall of rubble and debris that blocks the killer off from Wolverine -- and the vulnerable Morlock Healer.

The Hammer...

Was their first battle everything you imagined it would be?

If you were following the entire event in sequence, including its Power Pack tie-in issue, you might've been a little disappointed to see them using the same gimmick to keep the bad guy at arms length. Not to worry, though. This may be deep into the Mutant Massacre crossover, but as it says on the cover -- this is just "Round 1" for Wolverine and Sabretooth!

The X-Man chooses the greater good in an outcome that fails to separate the two as combatants, but divides them as individuals, literally and figuratively, by clearly demonstrating that for all his violent and animalistic tendencies -- Wolverine is fighting for more than himself - and his willingness to do whatever it takes to get the job done goes well beyond just casually taking lives.

Rescuing the Morlock Healer is a tactical boon for the heavily besieged mutants and X-Men, but the Mutant Massacre isn't over yet, and Wolverine & Sabretooth will have another chance to establish their bitter hatred before the crossover ends!

1982 and 1985 are often fondly looked back upon as two of the greatest and most important years in American comics, but I can't help but note how significant 1986 was for X-Men, and Wolverine in particular. Even though they factored in to some of the highlights of those aforementioned years!

The December cover date of today's featured issue is just a few months removed from the introduction of another of Wolverine's most famous and fearsome arch-foes: Lady Deathstrike, who ditched DD to begin a blood feud in Alpha Flight #34, followed by the legendary Uncanny X-Men #205.

For a character famed for his fighting rivalries -- these two adversarial acquisitions are a pretty big deal for ensuring his sustained relevance, and elevation to becoming one of the biggest icons in comics in the 80s and 90s!

With today's featured battle from Uncanny #212, Wolverine gains one of the most important pieces of his entire existence. To this point there was a fog of mystery surrounding Wolverine, but through his vendetta with Sabretooth, key connective tissue and backstory will be established, coming to define both characters through the ensuing decade, and to this very day.

Interesting that Sabretooth was already a tenured villain at this point, much more so than Lady Deathstrike. He was entering his tenth year when he finally met Wolverine on the page, transitioning to the X-books under writer Chris Claremont, who had introduced Sabretooth as an Iron Fist villain with artist John Byrne, and set him on a trajectory as a recurring foe for the martial arts hero.

As with Wolverine; Sabretooth's savagery & bloodlust reflected back upon the discipline & honor of Iron Fist, continuing through subsequent encounters, but eventually drifting from the mercenary origins of the character, towards an almost horror movie, slasher villain level of murderousness. Traits that set him adrift through the Marvel Universe until settling nicely in the Mutant Massacre.

It's interesting how well these established tendencies intuitively fed into a collision with Wolverine, and as eager as I am to finally document more of this legendary comic book rivalry, I'm equally as interested in tracking the movements of Sabretooth through his earliest appearances. Something Marvel Comics actually did in 1994 with their Sabretooth Classic reprint series.

I happen to be fortunate enough to have a lot of Sabretooth's early appearances in original issues, but with Deadpool & Wolverine on the fast track to cinemas this month, I'm also hoping to look more closely at some of the other famous fights involving Wolverine and the X-Men. It's really been the year for it!

As we return to Sabretooth, it will be interesting to see if his results challenge his present status as the lowest ranked character on Secret Wars on Infinite Earths. It's fair to say that his win/loss ratio will always skew towards defeat, but it just doesn't feel right that he's ranked quite so low. The price of villainy? We'll see.

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Secret Wars on Infinite Earths has featured well over 700 fights and ranked more than 1,000 characters! You can find them all by diving into the Secret Archive for a complete index of battles in order of publisher, series, and issue -- or by hitting up links to your favourite things found throughout each entry.

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Winner: Inconclusive (Draw)
#5 (--) Wolverine
#1087 (--) Sabretooth

SABRETOOTH versus NEW MUTANTS

King of the Hill! (Marvel)
Where: New Mutants #75 When: May 1989
Why: Louise Simonson How: John Byrne

The Story So Far...
When The Marauders attacked the X-Men on their home turf, the short-lived siege was seemingly thwarted -- but a hidden explosive device within the X-Mansion itself allowed Mister Sinister to make a final strike.

The combined ranks of X-Factor and the X-Men recovered from the blast to defeat Mister Sinister, but there was nothing they could do about the mansion's destruction.

When the New Mutants return home from battling the alien Gosamyr, they're shocked to discover the school in ruins. Unaware of the battle that transpired, they scour the wreckage for survivors. When Mirage senses someone clinging to life, they jump into action to rescue them from the rubble.

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Sunspot 5 (Super-Human)
Intelligence: Sabretooth 4 (Tactician)
Speed: Cannonball 5 (Super-Human)
Stamina: Sabretooth 5 (Marathoner)
Agility: Warlock 6 (Malleable)
Fighting: Sabretooth 7 (Living Weapon)
Energy: Magik 5 (Lasers)
Total: Sabretooth 28 (Metahuman)

Sabretooth is no stranger to stalking young mutants, and today he's got the scent of a fresh batch of students from Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters!

The New Mutants are: Cannonball, Sunspot, Wolfsbane, Mirage, Warlock, and Illyana Rasputin. The team is green, but not so untested that they can't rely on their powers to handle themselves.

There's an obvious parallel between Wolfsbane's werewolf-like, lycanthropic transformation, and the animal savagery of Sabretooth. He was quite lean in these days, but probably still holds a size and weight advantage over her -- something Wolverine had to contend with over the years, as in Wolverine #50.

Sabretooth also has a wealth of experience as a mercenary, but that hasn't always informed his fighting style. He typically relied on brute strength and malice against the speed and finesse of Iron Fist, narrowly coming up short in both Iron Fist #14, and Power Man & Iron Fist #66.

None of the New Mutants has the martial arts skills, or speed & agility of Iron Fist, but that might not be such a problem. in Adventures of the X-Men #7, he returned to the X-Mansion to stalk Jubilee, but was ultimately thwarted when she gave Professor Xavier enough time to recover from being attacked.

Mirage could use her empathic image casting to mentally soothe the savage beast with visions of something calming. Failing that, there's always the kinetic impact of Cannonball, or solar enhanced strength of Sunspot!

DC's Superboy combined both flight and strength to put Sabretooth down hard during a crossover battle with the Teen Titans in Unlimited Access #3! He won't have the tricks Deadpool used to ground Cannonball in New Mutants #98, or solar absorption that helped Iron Man win in Contest of Champions II #1.

Can the New Mutants stare down the intimidating sadism of Sabretooth? He's got the element of surprise, but also the bruises of recent battle. How will it all play out? Let's take a look...

The Tape: New Mutants Ranking: Sunspot (#155)

What Went Down...
Standing in horror amidst the wreckage of Xavier's decimated School for Gifted Youngsters, the New Mutants are alone and shell shocked.

As they consider the possibilities of who could've been responsible for such destruction, and who may've been present: Mirage detects the rising death glow of someone clinging precariously to life. Sunspot powers-up to investigate...

Sabretooth springs from beneath the massive piece of rubble lifted by Sunspot. He thanks his rescuer with the sharp side of his claws, raking them across his solar-powered face!

Seeing his friend in peril, Cannonball launches into action -- flying across the battlefield on a beeline towards the attacker!

The mutant missile collides with Sabretooth with unforgiving speed!

The force of the blow snaps Sabretooth backward, sending him tumbling head over heels back into the rubble. Face down and already exhausted, the fight leaves him as the New Mutants attempt to find out who Sabretooth is.

He introduces himself, gloating over the fruits of the Marauder's labour. It was their siege on the X-Men and X-Factor that led Sinister to destroy the mansion!

The taunts trail off -- seemingly Sabretooth's final words when Warlock detects his vital signs ceasing. Mirage senses no such passing, intuiting his inevitable survival through her "Valkyrie Gift" to see death coming, while the group resumes contemplating their present situation.

The Hammer...

Cannonball claims a pretty major scalp early in his career, even if Sabretooth was already pretty banged up by the X-mansion explosion.

Could it have gone any other way? It's hard to say. Despite his well earned and fearsome reputation; Sabretooth has a knack for being a bit of a punching bag -- especially during this period in the late eighties.

Even before the mansion was brought down, he'd been defeated with a psychic strike from Psylocke, in one of their first encounters. We also saw Mister Sinister brush him off pretty swiftly barely two years prior, in Uncanny X-Men #221.

Sabretooth is currently the lowest ranked character in the Fight Club Rankings at #961. The string of unanswered defeats doesn't seem adequately reflective of his stature, but it's difficult to deny a higher than average rate of losing.

Bad guys generally trend toward more losses than wins, and Sabretooth is one of the worst! He also has the added pressure of a healing factor, which means he can take a kicking and come back ticking. That gives writers license to knock him around. In fictional terms, it can also make him over confident and a bit sloppy. Similar can be said of Wolverine, who currently has a 52.5% win rate.

Appropriately enough: Wolverine is the only opponent on record that Sabretooth has managed to fight without losing. Even then, the Wolverine #50 tied result ended with both characters mortally wounded. He's decapitated and written off for several years by the end of the multi-issue struggle. Not a high point.

He seemingly died at the end of this battle, but as Mirage notes for the reader, death isn't coming for him. A pretty clear message that fans can look forward to more trouble from Sabretooth.

He will return in the pages of New Mutants, and I seem to remember something about Mister Sinister experimenting with Sabretooth clones, but that's a messy concept I'd rather not think about right now.

We shall simply commit this one to the books. It's a pretty obscure fight, easily overlooked in favour of two others, most notably the cover featured main event between Magneto and Sebastian Shaw. You can bet we'll be revisiting the issue to look more closely at both of the other battles at some time in the future.

If you want to read ahead to see the whole shebang for yourself you can find this issue collected in Epic Collection New Mutants: Curse of the Valkyrie. Use the Amazon purchase link provided and you'll get yourself a good deal and make sure Amazon supports the site at no extra cost to you!

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Winner: Cannonball (w/ Sunspot)
#114 (+229) Cannonball
#153 (+2) Sunspot [+1 assist]
#961 (--) Sabretooth

SABRETOOTH versus MISTER SINISTER

Death by Drowning! (Marvel)
Where: Uncanny X-Men #221 When: September 1987 Why: Chris Claremont How: Marc Silvestri

The Story So Far...
The whirlwind romance between Scott Summers and Madelyne Pryor harbors a dark secret. From the shadows, a mysterious figure has been secretly influencing and exploiting their lives for a grand design only he knows!

Mister Sinister is intent on erasing all trace of Madelyne Pryor-Summer's existence, but when his mercenary team The Marauders attempt to carry out the execution, they were thwarted by their frequent arch-nemeses -- The X-Men!

While the uncanny redhead recuperates in hospital; Mister Sinister must receive his Marauders in defeat. Toying with the removal of one of their hearts as motivation to avoid future failure, Sinister instead inspires the ire of the feral Sabretooth! Now he aims to bite the hand that feeds him!

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Draw 4 (Enhanced)
Intelligence: Mr Sinister 6 (Genius)
Speed: Sabretooth 4 (Olympian)
Stamina: Mr Sinister 6 (Generator)
Agility: Mr Sinister 7 (Unlimited)
Fighting: Sabretooth 7 (Living Weapon)
Energy: Mr Sinister 4 (Arsenal)
Total: Mister Sinister 32 (Super)

When it comes to the super-villain game there are kingpins and there are pawns. The hierarchy may vary villain to villain, but it's fair to say in this instance Sabretooth falls among the latter. So is he outclassed?

Our stats favour the mutant mercenary with high scores in speed, agility, and fighting proficiency. His single-minded savagery elevates him to the highest order of fighting prowess, challenging even more finessed and skilled fighters, as we saw when he tangled with Iron Fist in his Iron Fist #14 debut!

Sometimes that savagery comes at the price of tactical intelligence and that's something Mister Sinister has in spades!

A genius geneticist; Nathaniel Essex has lived since the 19th century, thanks in large part to genetic tampering by Apocalypse. Since that time he's pursued an agenda of engineered mutant perfection, amassing a vast knowledge while tampering with his own genetics, and experimenting with those of others.

The result of biological modification has gifted Mister Sinister with a wide array of powers, ranging from super-human strength and durability, to specialized abilities of accelerated healing, telepathy, energy projection, and cellular shape-shifting. To that end, he's not only capable of altering his appearance, but also the dimensions and molecular density of his body.

That power arguably takes away Sabretooth's greatest offensive capability. As we've seen in battles with the Heroes For Hire [Power Man & Iron Fist #66], Wolverine [Wolverine #50], and Jubilee [Adventures of the X-Men #7]: Sabretooth's primary method of attack relies heavily on the threat of evisceration by his talon-like claws. A threat that means very little to Sinister, whose body can quickly warp and heal around any wounds!

Sinister isn't undefeatable, but the conditions would have to be very right for Sabretooth to claim victory. With the right tactics and resources he might win a fight, but more often than not he wouldn't need to.

Sinister rarely seeks to dirty his hands with combat, which is exactly why Sabretooth is one of his Marauders! So what happens when they come to blows? It's about time we went ahead and found out!...

The Tape: Mister Sinister Ranking: Mister Sinister (#678)

What Went Down...
Displeased with the collective failure of his assembled Marauders: Mister Sinister berates their meagre efforts. Frustrated by their inability to kill one target, let alone groups like the X-Men, Avengers, or Fantastic Four, he contemplates removing one of their hearts as a demonstration of his disappointment.

The threat provokes Sabretooth, who wildly offers to perform the same cardiac assault on his employer. Unwilling to accept threats from any man, the savage mercenary rushes with claws at the ready!

Mister Sinister is cool, calm, and collected as he immediately halts Sabretooth's charge with a single out-stretched arm.

Clutching Sabretooth by the throat, he dangles the struggling mutant off the ground while continuing to chide the other Marauders.

Sinister coldly analyses the compounding nature of his team's failure to kill Madelyne Pryor: an experiment whose existence was supposed to be erased. As he does, the grip on Sabretooth's throat slowly but surely chokes the flow of oxygen to his body.

Sabretooth does his best to break Sinister's hold, clawing at his fingers with both hands -- but to no avail!

His point adequately delivered - Sinister finally drops Sabretooth to the ground.

He gasps for air as his limp body hits the ground with a thump. Polaris collects her teammate, dragging him to his knees while callously framing the experience as a lesson: "Mess with Sinister... and you're history!"

The Hammer...
A pretty open and shut case! Mister Sinister makes his first full appearance in comics, demonstrating power and status over a hapless Sabretooth!

It's a fairly standard function: Take an established character with some degree of notoriety, then leverage that to the benefit of a new, or rising, threat.

It's a play Chris Claremont used effectively for some of the most memorable villains of his various runs. A similar strategy was employed over a longer stretch when the Sentinel of the future, Nimrod, fought Juggernaut & the X-Men in Uncanny X-Men #194, and The Hellfire Club in Uncanny #209.

The existence of Mister Sinister had already been established and teased several months prior his first full appearance. Sabretooth and The Marauders had been acting as his advocates for quite some time, crossing swords with the X-Men most notably during the landmark Mutant Massacre event.

The iconic close-up featured above occupies the entirety of Page 1, allowing the reader to stare into the fanged maw of Mister Sinister for the first time. It's a very arresting way to unveil a villain already responsible for significant suffering!

His confrontation with Sabretooth only lasts Pages 2 & 3, but the ease with which Sinister handles the feral mutant's aggressions quickly confirms his power. He may rely on The Marauders to do his dirty work, but Sinister is clearly a very capable villain unto himself, even if his abilities are yet to be defined.

Abilities aren't the only thing that wasn't fully sketched out at this early stage. He's a typical Claremont X-villain whose complexity would unfurl over several years, and in different series. Even his colour palette would take some working out, replacing the sickly green seen here with the iconic red that evokes blood and an almost vampiric quality.

As the legend goes: Mister Sinister was conceived as the imagined evil of a child's mind -- the creation of an 11 year old who was a slow-aging mutant frustrated by his stunted body.

The design borrows liberally from popular imagery of Dracula and The Devil. His red eyes, pale skin, sharp teeth, and exaggerated attire were supposed to reflect the extremes of an unsophisticated idea of evil. There was really just one small problem with that: the design actually looks awesome!

The original concept acknowledges the inherently corny nature of his name, but as a creation of the late eighties, "Mister Sinister" also plays more like a post-modern, tongue-in-cheek punk irony. Played totally straight - you really don't question it, and over time its come to inform his characterization with dry wit.

Sinister continues to be a player in the world of mutant affairs, and that seemed as good a reason as any to finally delve into this early appearance! I'm enjoying paying greater homage to the X-Men and the various periods. It's overdue.

It's also nice to document some of these innocuous little side battles that get lost and forgotten over time. Although, this one has come with a significant price for Sabretooth, who is now the lowest ranked fighter on Secret Wars on Infinite Earths! He falls behind the losing streak of Quicksilver to be #943!

This could reflect the downside of using a durable character like Sabretooth to put over other heroes and villains. It's certainly a role he's had many times over the years, sometimes with diminishing returns. In the recent House of X era he was comically humbled by Emma Frost, sparking minor debate about his status as a villain to be feared. We may need to examine more data to get a better measure of his worth as a combatant and character!

You can track more of Sabretooth's battles by following links in The Tape, and other sections of this post, or by exploring the index of the Secret Archive! With every featured fight available in order of publisher, series, and issue you can discover all kinds of interesting corners and combinations!

You can also follow Secret Wars on Infinite Earths via Twitter and Facebook to get daily links to battles inspired by the topics of the day. Don't forget to like and share to show your support and impress your friends! Wee!

Winner: Mister Sinister
#382 (+296) Mister Sinister
#943 (-1) Sabretooth

HERO OF THE WEEK: SABRETOOTH (Marvel)
Real Name: Victor Creed
First Appearance: Iron Fist #14 (August, 1977)
Fight Club Ranking: #885

Featured Fights:
- vs IRON FIST: Iron Fist #14 (Aug 1977)
- vs HEROES FOR HIRE: Power Man & Iron Fist #66 (Dec 1980)
- vs JUBILEE: Adventures of the X-Men #7 (Oct 1996)
- vs TEEN TITANS: Unlimited Access #3 (Feb 1998)
- vs WOLVERINE: X-Men (Jul 2000)
- vs WOLVERINE: Wolverine #50 (Mar 2007)

The hits keep on coming! Marvel Legacy is gearing up to get seriously classic on some of your favourite Marvel Comics heroes and series. As Newsarama reports, that means Iron Fist #73 is going to rekindle one of Marvel's forgotten classic rivalries: Iron Fist versus Sabretooth!

Everybody knows there's bad blood between Sabretooth and Wolverine, but not everyone remembers the early days, when mercenary Sabretooth tangled with Iron Fist and Power Man!

It's a good thing the first appearance of Sabretooth in Iron Fist #14 was a featured fight earlier this year! That original cover will be paid homage with an updated variant version, and it's the perfect primer for this newest face-off -- and team-up?!

What ever the case, I'm really enjoying the injection of classic comics into both Marvel and DC's line-ups. It looks like Sabretooth's return to Iron Fist will be a natural, fresh meeting between two characters who have history. By no means regression of forty years, but an encounter that moves forward while getting the most out of their backstory. At least, that's my hope...

If you're a fan of The Comic Book Fight Club rankings, you'll no doubt be glad Sabretooth's keeping relevant while Wolverine remains dead. Secret Wars on Infinite Earths is a constant work-in-progress, and despite several featured fights in the past, Sabretooth is still only ranked #885! A low rung that demands correction at some point in our fighting future! For now, Sabretooth will have to settle for being out Hero of the Week!

<< Hero of the Week 07/24: Mr. Terrific  [Home]  Hero of the Week 07/10: Cyborg Superman >>

SABRETOOTH versus IRON FIST

Snowfire (Marvel)
Where: Iron Fist #14 When: August 1977
Why: Chris Claremont How: John Byrne

The Story So Far...
A message from Colleen Wing sends Danny Rand trekking across the border to Canada in a dash to help his friend!

She's been employed as a bodyguard while Rand-Meachum lawyer Jeryn Hogarth investigates a plot to rip the company off. Good thing, too! Hogarth's getting dangerously close to the answers he seeks -- and someone isn't happy about it!

A thirty-minute helicopter ride over Banff takes Colleen and Danny to their destination: a remote chalet where the mercenary Sabretooth awaits their arrival! They escape the killer and his henchmen, but are forced to endure the cold of a night on the Rockies before they can make their return to save Hogarth! Death awaits as Iron Fist faces Sabretooth mano-a-mano!

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Sabretooth 4 (Enhanced)
Intelligence: Sabretooth 4 (Tactician)
Speed: Draw 4 (Olympian)
Stamina: Sabretooth 5 (Marathoner)
Agility: Iron Fist 4 (Gymnast)
Fighting: Sabretooth 7 (Living Weapon)
Energy: Iron Fist 3 (Explosives)
Total: Draw 28 (Metahuman)

Everybody knows Sabretooth is one of Wolverine's deadliest enemies! A little less well known: that he started out mixing it up with a completely different hero! We're in for another classic Marvel milestone in today's feature fight!

There's a good chance you know the basics about the mutant called Victor Creed. He possesses an accelerated mutant healing factor, claw-like finger nails, phenomenal strength, heightened senses, and generally impressive physical constitution. He also has an uncanny acumen for violence and animal savagery.

Creed's true history is muddled. That's thanks in part to time spent with the Weapon X project - notorious for implanting false memories. It's believed he exhibited mutant traits at a very young age. He killed his brother, remaining chained in the family basement where his father would rip the canine teeth from his mouth. A repeated ritual thanks to his uncanny healing abilities.

This generally lousy childhood started Sabretooth on a blood stained path to a life of pain and misery. Some time after leaving Weapon X, he began applying his lethal skills to life as a mercenary. It was a job in the Canadian rockies that first brought him into conflict with his frequent foe: Iron Fist!

Danny Rand had his own troubling childhood experiences, but emerged a very different man! Born to a wealthy entrepreneur; Danny was the heir apparent to a fortune -- and a secret martial arts legacy!

His father Wendell was once adopted by Lord Tuan of the mystical city of K'un-Lun! During a pilgrimage back, Wendell's business partner sent him plummeting to his death. His wife Heather soon died protecting their son from starving wolves. Alone in the mountains, the boy was discovered and taken in by the denizens of K'un-Lun. There, he began training under Lei Kung the Thunderer.

Rand's rigorous martial arts training turned him into an immortal weapon! At the appropriate age, he was put through the rites of the Iron Fist, defeating the  great dragon Shou-Lou to be imbued with incredible mystic power!

We've seen Iron Fist use his super-charged punch to: Send tough guy Unus the Untouchable flying through the air [Power Man & Iron Fist #90], rip through a few Hand ninja [New Avengers #27], and kayo a giant Agamotto possessed Luke Cage [New Avengers #2]! We've also seen his martial arts take care of Sabretooth before - in Power Man & Iron Fist #66!

Sabretooth's hand-to-hand game definitely lacks the finesse of Iron Fist's kung-fu, but that doesn't mean he's outmatched. We may've seen him lose fights in Wolverine #50 and the X-Men movie, but he could generally be characterized as a more calculating combatant than the sometimes reckless Wolverine!

He doesn't have the healing factor Wolverine does to rely too heavily on it. Instead, Sabretooth favors his considerable strength and ferociousness to overwhelm opponents when he can. That was the plan when he stalked Jubilee through the X-Mansion [Adventures of X-Men #7] and went after Wonder Girl while fighting the Teen Titans [Unlimited Access #3]. This also demonstrates his tendency toward preying upon weaker attachments, which means Iron Fist's wounded travelling partner Colleen Wing could become a tactical target.

When all is said and done, it's more than likely to be a battle of skill and strength, fist and claw. Whoever finds the means to strike first with their special move will likely be the winner. Let's see how they managed...

History: Iron Fist (1-0-0) Ranking: Iron Fist (#32)

What Went Down...
With costumed minions preparing a massive chopper for extraction, Sabretooth toys with his target inside his chalet. The mission is almost over, but his hyper-keen senses detect something amiss with the body-suited soldier who should be Garrett. Gunshots outside confirm Sabretooth's suspicions.

The merc' sees Colleen Wing burst from their alpine compound, leading an escape of prisoners work for his target! A sudden slash of Sabretooth's claws exposes the chest of the suspect soldier -- exposing a winged dragon brand!

Recognizing his opponent for a super-hero, Sabretooth asks for a name. Iron Fist complies, introducing himself with a thrusting palm strike!

Sabretooth absorbs the blow and is on his feet in seconds! Iron Fist notes the villain's staggering speed as Sabretooth demonstrates his strength. He swats aside solid furniture like it was nothing!

The mercenary dashes forward and Iron Fist barely reacts in time to stay out of reach! Injuries from recent battles have taken their toll. Fortunately for him, action on the helipad outside has unforeseen results! The women working for target Hogarth destroy the massive hulk -- causing an explosion that shatters the windows of the chalet some fifty meters away!

Iron Fist dives across the room to shield Hogarth from falling shards of skylight, while Sabretooth makes a break for the rear exit!

There's nothing but glacier beyond the chalet, but the hero rushes to make pursuit any way. His hubris is his undoing as he leaves the cover of the interior for the glaring white of snow and sunrise! Iron Fist is snow blind!

Talons slash across Iron Fist's back as he struggles to get to grips with the white void now engulfing him! The escape was all a ploy -- Sabretooth's plan to use the familiar environment to trick his foe. A tactic that worked!

Another swing of those deadly claws take a swatch of fabric from Iron Fist's abdomen. He can block out the pain, but without knowing where Sabretooth is there's no way to make superior technique his advantage against the speedy power house! He swings wildly, missing his mocking target by a mile!

Over confident Sabretooth taunts Iron Fist to try again. The pause gives him time to charge the living weapon that is his right fist -- but harnessing his chi for a single knock-out blow is risky. Still exhausted from past battles and a night on the mountain, he can't afford to gamble that much energy!

Iron Fist snaps out of his thoughts as Sabretooth moves in for another attack. A wild swinging blow clips the hero's hip! He's woozy and needs to act!

Remembering the training he received as a boy under Lei Kung, Danny reaches out with his other senses. He hears heavy feet cross snow and at the speed of thought he acts -- thrusting his leg into Sabretooth's unsuspecting body!

The blow forces Sabretooth lurching forward. Iron Fist keeps close, using their contact to send the villain flipping to the ground with a hip toss!

The sudden turn in the fight gets Sabretooth mad and that makes it all the easier to hear, smell and feel him coming! A charging attack becomes an effortless side step and throw for the master martial artist!

Sabretooth's own momentum sends him flipping onto his head and neck! He staggers to his feet with threats of evisceration - providing Iron Fist the audio guide he needs to pinpoint his target for an all mighty knock-out blow!

The right-cross chin checks Sabretooth into next week! For all his ferocity and strength, the mutant mercenary is out cold on the snowy mountain!

The Hammer...
Still blind: Iron Fist reacts to the sound of someone approaching behind him. He has no idea he's swinging wildly at Colleen Wing! She ducks the attack and finds out the reason for it. Hey, no sweat! The snow blindness is temporary! All's well that ends well! Mostly...

Iron Fist #14 may be memorable as the first appearance of Sabretooth, but the series only had one more issue before it faced permanent cancellation. An on-going sub-plot involving Steel Serpent would have to be picked up in Marvel Team-Up, before the flagging Power Man series was rechristened Power Man & Iron Fist with issue #50.

Power Man & Iron Fist gave us many great years of one of comics' greatest buddy teams, but its a bittersweet example of the harsh trials of publishing. Iron Fist actually ended after a pretty strong handful of issues that boasted The Wrecking Crew, Captain America, Boomerang, and the X-Men in guest roles!

It would've been interesting to see where the series might've progressed with this level of promotional integration into other Marvel properties. I'm particularly jazzed by Boomerang and Sabretooth appearances. Yes, I do have a particular taste for a certain brand of second string villain. It also sets a tone for Iron Fist as a developing character that just strikes me as interesting. I suppose that's what we saw brought out more when he teamed permanently with Power Man.

Sabretooth, of course, goes through significant development after starting out here. A year or two ago, Erik Larsen was soliciting suggestions for examples of villains who started with one arch foe, and made a lasting transition to another.

Sabretooth comes immediately to mind as one of the best examples of a villain exchange. He would be irrevocably become associated with Wolverine and the X-Men, but not before Sabretooth's rivalry with Iron Fist escalated into the tag team arena! If you were paying attention to The Tape section, you'll have already found the link to Power Man & Iron Fist #66 -- Sabretooth's next grudge match with the Fist, alongside new partner Constrictor!

That partnership would last a few more appearances, before Sabretooth began meandering his way toward the Mutant Massacre, and an enduring arch-rivalry with Wolverine. It won't surprise regular readers to hear me romance those early chronological appearances, spread across multiple series.

The ultimate elevation of Sabretooth is arguably a testament to the beneficial staying power of co-creator Chris Claremont. Admittedly, we've been romancing his considered approach to comics a lot over the last couple of years. Characters like Juggernaut and The Reavers have also benefitted from developmental through lines created by Claremont.

If you were here last month, you would've been enjoying four classic contests from the canon of Wolverine with heavy influence from Claremont! Which made today's spotlight the perfect way to advance to a March of martial arts mayhem!

With Logan in global theatrical release today; we're moving on to the immortal weapon in honor of his live-action debut on Netflix! The new series Iron Fist goes live March 17th, introducing the final piece of the Netflix Defenders puzzle!

In the coming weeks we'll be looking at a few more memorable moments from Iron Fist's past and present! If you can't wait until then - be sure to follow any of the various links provided throughout this post. Or dive in to the Immortal Issue Index to find past featured fights organized by publisher, series and issue!

You can get daily links to classic battles inspired by the topics of the day by liking and sharing The Comic Book Fight Club on Facebook and Twitter! If you want to read the featured issue for yourself, use the Amazon link conveniently supplied to help support the site at no additional cost!

Winner: Iron Fist
#21 (+11) Iron Fist
#867 (-4) Sabretooth

TEEN TITANS versus BROTHERHOOD OF EVIL MUTANTS

The Greatest Heroes Of All Time (Marvel/DC)
Where: Unlimited Access #3 When: February 1998
Why: Karl Kesel How: Pat Olliffe

The Story So Far...
Axel Asher was just an ordinary New York University student until a trip down an alleyway turned into a life changing meeting with destiny!

Confronted by a man with a glowing cardboard box - Axel learned the responsibility was his to maintain the balance between two universes as the hero Access! When the two worlds went to war he learnt on the job: first merging the worlds together to stop the warring cosmic brothers that fuelled their fight, then fighting to stop reality as it should be from ceasing to exist!

Access is still trying to keep the worlds apart, but dark forces have begun to tamper with time and space! Thrown between the universes in their different periods, Axel has no choice but to recruit the aid of more crossover heroes! When the Justice League and Avengers go to war, he can only pluck the next generation to come to his aid when The Brotherhood of Evil Mutants strikes!

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Juggernaut 6 (Invincible)
Intelligence: Robin 4 (Tactician)
Speed: Impulse 7 (Lightspeed)
Stamina: Juggernaut 7 (Unstoppable)
Agility: Toad 5 (Cat-Like)
Fighting: Sabretooth 7 (Born Fighter)
Energy: Scarlet Witch 7 (Cosmic)


The Teen Titans are: Robin, Superboy, Captain Marvel Jr, Impulse & Wonder Girl. They come to the aid of inter-dimensional summoner: Access.

As hard as it is to believe, we've got a couple of debuts coming our way on both side of the fight! For the heroes, this is the first time The Comic Book Fight Club has played host to Impulse and "Wonder Girl" Donna Troy!

They're fighting alongside the Tim Drake and Kon-El versions of Robin and Superboy. Important to note because they'd easily be confused amidst the time travel shenanigans that have brought the Teen Titans into conflict with today's villains...

The Brotherhood of Evil Mutants are: Mastermind, Scarlet Witch, Quicksilver, Toad, Mystique, Blob, Sabretooth & Juggernaut.

The time displaced bad guys begin as the original sixties Brotherhood [see; X-Men #6], but get a serious injection of talent from other eras in the form of Mystique, Blob, Sabretooth, and the decidedly non-mutant, but still quite bad: Juggernaut!

For those keeping score at home, this marks the site debut for both Mystique and Blob! This all spells bad news for the kid heroes who are outnumbered, and arguably overmatched when it comes to experience and firepower, as well!

There isn't a lot of crossover experience between the two teams as they exist here, but what there is, is noteworthy. Three of these characters featured in the DC versus Marvel cosmic event: Robin defeated Jubilee [Marvel versus DC #3], Superboy lost to Spider-man [Marvel versus DC #3], and Quicksilver was defeated by former Titan: The Flash [Marvel versus DC #2]! Juggernaut also found himself flung into the path of Superman in an unofficial bout [DC versus Marvel #1], and later fought Wonder Woman in Unlimited Access #1, plucked from a time period after this fight. Donna Troy was the only Titan to participate in the pre-Crisis 1982 Uncanny X-Men/New Teen Titans crossover.

Juggernaut and Blob are arguably menace enough to occupy an entire team on their own. The unstoppable force and immovable object, respectively. They may be able to call upon the physical strengths of Captain Marvel Jr or Superboy to pin either down, but for the Teen Titans to stand any chance, they're going to want to pull some classic team tactics. Impulse's speed, and/or Robin's agility could be the answer to redirecting Juggernaut's unstoppable charge in the direction of Blob. That's a best case scenario that leaves their powerhouses free to occupy the rest of the villains.

Quicksilver's speed could prove problematic, but Superboy might slow him down with some well timed tactile telekinesis and brute strength. Scarlet Witch poses a serious threat with her hex powers, but in the old days, her timid personality will likely take her out of the fight when her brother's hurt. Toad and Mystique are lightweights matched by Wonder Girl and the team. Sabretooth is cunning, brutal and strong, but even if he gets the drop of the team and takes a hostage, the likes of Impulse or Captain Marvel Jr have it covered.

Mastermind may be the most likely danger working for the Brotherhood. His ability to cloud the young heroes' perception with illusions could very quickly render them vulnerable, or even turn them against each other. All the villains could pose serious threats given the right circumstances, but Mastermind's unassuming appearance and tendency to hang back makes him a big one!

We could come at this a lot of ways, but that's the quick version. It's the Teen Titans who need to fight uphill. Let's just find out how they actually did...

The Tape: Sabretooth Ranking: Robin (#32)

What Went Down...

Having been lured in by an illusion of his girlfriend in peril -- Access has found himself in the super-fast clutches of Quicksilver! Magneto's Brotherhood of Evil Mutants is working for Darkseid and Access knows he needs help if he's to stop their evil plan. With the Avengers and Justice League busy, he uses his power to open a portal between worlds and summon a selection of Teen Titans!

The young heroes recognize peril where they see it - Impulse the first to act to rescue Access from The Brotherhood! Quicksilver takes exception to the brash, "big-footed" speedster, who opts to skip his lesson in humility!

Meanwhile, Toad gets a lesson in the value of theatrics from Robin. The mutant leaps and kicks circles around his foe, boasting the advantage of being homo superior, but is quickly dispatched with a skill toss of a roped batarang. "Listen, if your name doesn't make your enemies fear you, your actions better!"

Superboy tries a more affectionate approach to subdue the Scarlet Witch, but his charm offensive falls on deaf ears. Her hex power on the other hand, falls on a nearby fire hydrant - which blasts the young hero with a well deserved and intense "cold shower"!

Lucky for Superboy, fresh faced Wonder Girl is more than thrilled to be fighting in his presence! She comes to his rescue with a swift uppercut that dispatches the Scarlet Witch before she knows what hit her!

Captain Marvel Jr isn't sure what's happening to him, either, when his arms begin to turn against him in the form of giant serpents! It's all part of the plan of the illusion projecting Mastermind! Unlucky for him, Junior's mastery of the wisdom of Solomon helps him see through the mentalists trick. The strength of Hercules is more than a match for meek Mastermind, who takes a stiff left!

Unfortunately, it's no trick when Juggernaut comes up behind Marvel Jr and pounds him into the ground with two clubbing, unstoppable fists!

It also isn't an illusion when two Superboys confront Wonder Girl! She has no way of knowing the truth as they both plead their case to being the genuine article. At least, not until Sabretooth lurks up behind her with claws drawn and the real Superboy springs into action to stop him!

Superboy succeeds at torpedo driving Sabretooth into a stationary car, but can't be of any assistance as the second Superboy gets the drop on Wonder Girl - delivering a stiff chop to the neck as he transforms into Mystique!

Robin is busy doing his best to slow down the Blob. His martial arts fail to make an impact, serving only to annoy the hulking mountain of mutant mass! Having collected the bundled up Toad, Blob turns him into a living projectile - hurling his unconscious body at a Robin shaped bullseye!

Still stomping around the fight - the Juggernaut sets his sights on Access and Impulse and starts a-rampaging! Access is relying on Impulse to dash them both to safety at the last second -- when suddenly a beam of energy slams the Juggernaut! And a blast of ice sends him unstoppably slipping and stumbling!

Watching from elsewhere: the master of magnetism Magneto curses the arrival of Xavier's merry mutants: The X-Men! Evil Darkseid assures him all is going to plan. The Brotherhood seem to think so as well, Mystique ordering a strategic retreat as a thundering boom tube opens to whisk them from the battlefield.

Professor Xavier telepathically warns the gathering of young heroes of the New Gods' evil he sensed, leaving them to await further instruction in victory.

The Hammer...

An unexpected end to an unexpected crossover! The momentum may have been shifting to the bad guys, but plan or no plan - we're going to call this one a forfeit victory! That means the Teen Titans are the winners with the assist from the X-Men!

Admittedly - this wasn't an easy call to make. There was no decisive finishing blow. Cyclops & Iceman got the last offensive, but they arguably only stalled their target. The Titans were able to take several villains out of the fight during the melee, even if they had their own visual losses as well. The X-Men's arrival ultimately prompted The Brotherhood's retreat, but the X-Men didn't participate enough share in victory.

For those who might be wondering - the X-Men who arrive on the scene are the earliest first class: Cyclops, Iceman, Angel, Beast & Marvel Girl. So new - they don't even recognize Juggernaut: who the team first faced way back in 1965's X-Men #12! Those're some bona fide near mint mutants!

As noted in The Tape; the meeting of Titans and X-Men isn't without precedent. The original 1982 crossover was the last collaboration between DC and Marvel for over a decade. It played up the similarities of teen superhero drama that permeated the pages of both popular books. I'm not sure how many people were clamoring for the 90s Teen Titans to meet the 60s X-Men, but I suppose it has a certain charm. It certainly plays to the sixties retro fad that was going on at the time of publication. Not that comics ever need a reason to be nostalgic!

As in a lot of the crossovers of this period, they get away with some fun nods. Wonder Girl quizzes Marvel Girl about the X-Men being "misfit heroes like the old Doom Patrol". A fun jab at an old comparison. Of course, they also kinda did it a couple of years earlier, when the Amalgam mash-ups delivered X-Patrol. I'm not sure X-Force fit the bill quite as well, but it's close enough.

If you've been keeping up with our regular Hero of the Week entries, you know Doom Patrol is a series I've had on my mind [04/11/2016]. I'm hoping we'll get a chance to talk more about them some time soon. Today's feature was a nice chance to delve into another neglected corner of the DCU - the Teen Titans!

Admittedly, I've never been a big fan. Reading the adventures of Robin, Wonder Girl and Kid Flash had its thrills as a small boy, but the melodrama and sidekick angst of iconic Titans never geld with me. Not even as a teen. Kid heroes struck me as disappointingly second-rate as a kid. My peers ain't no Justice League! I'm slowly coming around, though. The idea of bundling existing young heroes together is certainly a good one.

The deviation of Doom Patrol's Changeling to iconic Teen Titan is the kind of living evolution that makes comics great. At least until line-wide reboots erase the chronology. DC's Rebirth is fixing to reinject first and third generation heroes into the New 52 line-up. It's something, I suppose.

The Titans line-up featured here may not be traditional - but it's much easier to appreciate. I've particularly enjoyed watching Captain Marvel Jr climb the site ranks. Glad to have Impulse on the record, as well. I wasn't sure on first look, but he's often struck me as a better junior alternate to the Flash than latter day versions of Kid Flash. Giving the Teens their own identity and mythology always helps. Especially when it isn't soaked in self-serious sobbing and lame rejects.

If you noticed me ducking references to Wonder Girl, it's largely because I'm a little sketchy on what was going on with Donna Troy during the short 'n' nerdy years. Undoing that predicament in the years that followed - a good idea. With any luck we'll get a chance to explore all of these characters at a later point.

Sadly, we won't be adventuring further into the realm of big league comics crossovers! This feature concludes our April celebration of the 20th Anniversary of Marvel versus DC and the 10th of our original feature(s). Fear not, though! There are still plenty of weird and wonderful combinations I'm sure we'll dig up in the future! You can also dig through the back issues via our Secret Archive Index, character tags and links, or by hitting up our recent retrospective in Old Comics Wednesday: DC versus Marvel!

Coming soon: We turn our attentions to heroic battles of another kind! Be here next week when we witness one of the first ever showdowns between two of Marvel's greatest hand-to-hand combatants of all time! See you then!

Winners: Teen Titans (w/ X-Men)

#25 (+7) Robin

#59 (+40) Captain Marvel Jr

#100 (+195) Superboy

#280 (new) Wonder Girl (Donna Troy)

#281 (new) Impulse

#38 (+1) Beast [+1 Assist]

#61 (-1) Angel [+1 Assist]

#64 (-1) Cyclops [+1 Assist]

#103 (-1) Marvel Girl (Jean Grey) [+1 Assist]

#109 (-1) Ice Man [+1 Assist]

#343 (-15) Scarlet Witch

#349 (-9) Juggernaut

#774 (new) Blob

#775 (new) Mystique

#786 (-243) Mastermind

#805 (-21) Toad

#808 (-11) Sabretooth

#813 (-8) Quicksilver