SOLOMON GRUNDY versus MOLLY MAYNE & THE GREEN LANTERN

Took Ill on a Thursday (DC)
Where: Solomon Grundy #4 When: August 2009
Why: Scott Kolins How: Scott Kolins

The Story So Far...
In the 19th century, Gotham City was home to a wicked soul named Cyrus Gold. Responsible for murder and misery, he was cursed upon death to forever rise from his unmarked resting place in Slaughter Swamp as the beast Solomon Grundy!

Caught in an endless cycle of death and rebirth, the shambling monster is forever drawn to new acts of evil as an unstoppable undead creature - until now..?

A mysterious force has given Cyrus Gold seven days to end his curse, but dark forces conspire to prolong the agony of Solomon Grundy! He was bedeviled by The Demon, delayed by Bizarro, and vexed by Poison Ivy. Now a taunting voice draws him into the suburbs to find the source of his greatest enemy's power!

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Solomon Grundy 6 (Invincible)
Intelligence: Green Lantern 4 (Tactician)
Speed: Green Lantern 3 (Athlete)
Stamina: Draw 6 (Generator)
Agility: Draw 2 (Average)
Fighting: Draw 3 (Street Wise)
Energy: Green Lantern 7 (Cosmic Power)
Total: Green Lantern 27 (Metahuman)

Solomon Grundy's on the warpath, but we already know all about that: We've tracked his cursed movements through Killer Croc, The Demon, Bizarro, and Poison Ivy. You're probably a lot more curious to know who Molly Mayne is!

In today's battle she's the suburban second wife of the Green Lantern, but in a former existence she was better known as the original Harlequin!

Her costumed alter-ego was an attempt to get closer to Green Lantern by becoming his criminal target. Romantic aspirations meant Harlequin's crimes were never too severe, and she eventually joined the side of angels, before marrying her super-hero sweetheart in the pages of Infinity Inc.

Harlequin's hypnotic glasses probably could've been an effective tool against Solomon Grundy, but the mature-aged retiree hasn't used her gear in quite some time. Good thing GL's Starheart battery has tipped him off to the trouble at home!

We saw the Golden Age Green Lantern school his younger counterpart, Guy Gardner, in the pages of Justice Society of America #9, and he even briefly slowed Superboy-Prime in the Sinestro Corps War epic of Green Lantern #25!

Unfortunately, this Green Lantern's power ring has a weakness to objects made of wood -- which allows the swamp-borne Solomon Grundy to cause all kinds of trouble. He used a tree to smash right through GL's construct in JSA #65!

Although incredibly strong, Solomon Grundy is often a lumbering and slow-witted opponent who can be out-smarted, or even out fought. The latter was the case for Stargirl & Jakeem Thunder in JSA #29, and the otherwise challenged trio of Hawkman, Hawkgirl & Monolith in Hawkman #33.

Grundy is coming off a win against Poison Ivy in today's story, but Green Lantern and the former Harlequin should be industrious enough to come up with ways of defeating. It all just depends on GL getting there in time!

The Tape: Green Lantern Ranking: Green Lantern (#90)

What Went Down...

The entrance to the Scott residence is reduced to splinters as Solomon Grundy explodes through the front door -- smashing his way inside!

Molly Mayne recoils with understandable panic, but she's no ordinary suburban housewife. Even as a fearful tear trickles down her cheek, the former Harlequin steels herself with unique life experience, and rushes deeper into the house.

Slamming a door behind her buys precious seconds as Molly scrambles to rummage through a very specific drawer.

Grundy's massive fist comes crashing through the door right behind her, but she's already found what she was desperately looking for! She discharges the hidden weapon -- punching a hole clean through Grundy's rotting chest!

For a moment the beast looks down at the smoking cavity in his torso -- then swats Molly aside through nearby architecture with the back side of his hand.

Grundy's true target is quickly uncovered by hulking hands that tear through cupboard woodwork like it was paper.

Inside: the glowing green lantern that is the source of his oldest enemy's power!

As the monster reaches for the lantern shaped battery it begins to radiate with burning green energy. The light speaks to him through a familiar oath: "Beware my power!"

Solomon Grundy fights against the energy, grasping for the awesome artifact as if incensed by its powerful resistance. He shouts defiantly that he isn't afraid -- raising the lantern above his head as it spews blinding light all around him!

The monster brings the lantern violently crashing against the ground.

The impact is so strong it causes parts of the house to collapse over a stunned Molly Mayne!

Grundy barely even notices the collateral damage of his outburst. His determined focus remains solely on the lantern itself, now held in the palm of his right hand as he lets out an angry yell.

The furious behemoth brings both his hands smashing together around the lantern and presses with all his unearthly might! He vows to crush it!

Reaching out across the county to Slaughter Swam: the Starheart battery speaks to Alan Scott through his power ring. Alerted to the attack, Scott's mind immediately flashes to the imminent danger threatening his wife.

With the ring hoisted above his head, Green Lantern blazes a trail through the night sky! He flies as fast as he ever has, willing his wife to hold on. Willing himself to make it there before it's too late!

Molly stirs and speaks her husband's name, all the while Grundy continues to squeeze harder and harder around the Green Lantern's power battery. It begins to illicit a small, harsh clicking. Then in a terrible instant -- the lantern shatters!

The awesome explosion of power reduces the Scott residence to rubble -- but high above the smoldering crater is The Green Lantern himself! He cradles his wife, bruised & battered, but safe in the aura of his glowing energy!

The hero slings a green containment field over an unconscious Solomon Grundy and makes a beeline for the nearest hospital. The awful truth doesn't begin to set in until the hero starts to feel dizzy with Gotham Metropolitan Hospital in sight...

The Hammer...
Green Lantern has to make a crash landing outside the hospital as his power ring begins to fizzle and fade. The Starheart literally bids him a fond farewell, lamenting the time it enjoyed sharing with him.

Things look about as bad as they can for ol' Alan Scott, but don't worry too much. This isn't the end of the Golden Age Green Lantern.

Next issue he'll need to get a ride from Gotham Metropolitan back to his house in the suburbs, but once he's made that trip, GL will magically reassemble the shattered lantern to restore his powers and status quo.

I've got mixed feelings about this. On the one hand: it's very refreshing, particularly these days, to see a fundamental threat to a hero's existence resolved after only one issue. It's basically a good old fashioned superhero cliffhanger.

On the other hand: this is a cliffhanger based on the lie of a false peril.

You could argue that most perils to a franchise superhero are "false" because they will assuredly prevail in the end. However, what separates the good from the bad is the preservation of that threat, and the agency of the hero to resolve it.

Rather than prevent or see through this crisis with an act of heroic ingenuity -- GL literally resolves it with a simple wave of his hands.

It quickly becomes apparent, next issue, that the threat was never real. The sentimental goodbye from his ring was an illogical, maudlin act of manipulating the reader. An unsatisfying cheat in what feels like a sagging middle issue.

I don't want to judge this issue too harshly. The high-concept thrill of the Solomon Grundy series is a gauntlet of battles through some of DC's other eerie and monstrous characters. It doesn't really need to be much more complicated than that, but even by those basic terms, Solomon Grundy #4 struggles to satisfy.

Alan Scott's power battery just cannot live up to the role of being this issue's title bout. It isn't an entirely inanimate object, but dialogue and colour-tinting can't distract from the fact it's Solomon Grundy wrestling with a novelty lamp. Remember this one?

It might've been fun to see Molly Mayne break out her old Harlequin gear as a lantern-assisted feature opponent. A chase similar to Uncanny X-Men #143, with Grundy taking the role of the N'Garai Demon, could've been fun. Otherwise, the obvious solution is to just bring Green Lantern into the fray right at the start for an obligatory throwdown between classic adversaries.

Fortunately, this issue sets up another exciting opponent for the following issue. A shadowy cameo by Professor Ivo spells the imminent arrival of Amazo, who'll be deployed to take revenge for a failed team-up in a recent Justice League story.

Issue #4 also revisits the torment of Cyrus Gold, whose murder in 1885 set in motion his unending curse to rise from Slaughter Swamp as Solomon Grundy.

Cyrus soon finds himself back in the swamp, where he unexpectedly pulls the knife that killed him from the very same swamp Green Lantern had earlier been sent to search. This in turn triggers memories of the many lives he had claimed.

Mournfully regretting his life of sin, Cyrus is visited by a vision of the Phantom Stranger who guides him to find and forgive his killer if he wants to successfully end the curse. Some will remember we discuss The Stranger's presence way back at the start of the series.

If you want to read it all for yourself you might be lucky enough to find a collected edition via the Amazon link provided. Doing any shopping via these links helps support the site at no extra cost to you! If you don't see it, you may need to add permissions to blocking software.

We're slowly but surely working our way through the macabre saga. If you'd like to revisit previous chapters you should start with Faces of Evil: Solomon Grundy, then work your way through the links listed after Solomon Grundy in the Secret Archive. That's where you'll find every featured fight indexed alphabetically in order of publisher, series, and issue number.

Secret Wars on Infinite Earths has featured well over 650 battles and ranked more than 950 characters! If you appreciate what it's all about and want to see these chronicles continue into the future you can join the fight on Patreon. As a thank you you'll unlock additional updates, polls, and custom articles.

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

It was tough to render a decision in today's battle, but I'm coming down on the side of a draw. Grundy may've swatted Molly Mayne aside and shattered the lantern, but its temporary destruction also knocked him out cold and left him bloodied. A moot result, with Green Lantern showing up in time to assist his wife.

Winner: Draw
#145 (--) Solomon Grundy
#459 (new) Harlequin (Molly Mayne)
#90 (--) Green Lantern (Alan Scott) [+1 assist]

SOLOMON GRUNDY versus POISON IVY

Married On A Wednesday (DC)
Where: Solomon Grundy #3 When: July 2009
Why: Scott Kolins How: Scott Kolins

The Story So Far...
In the 19th century, Gotham City was home to a wicked soul named Cyrus Gold. Responsible for murder and misery, he was cursed upon death to forever rise from his Slaughter Swamp grave as the beast Solomon Grundy!

Caught in an endless cycle of death and rebirth, the shambling monster is forever drawn to new acts of evil as an unstoppable undead creature - until now..?

A mysterious force has given Cyrus Gold seven days to end his curse, but dark forces conspire to prolong the agony of Solomon Grundy! He was bedeviled by The Demon and delayed by Bizarro, but after surviving his most recent battle, Cyrus Gold replaces his monstrous alter-ego in the clutches of Poison Ivy!

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Solomon Grundy 6 (Invincible)
Intelligence: Poison Ivy 5 (Professor)
Speed: Solomon Grundy 3 (Athlete)
Stamina: Solomon Grundy 6 (Generator)
Agility: Poison Ivy 2 (Average)
Fighting: Solomon Grundy 3 (Street Wise)
Energy: Poison Ivy 2 (Projectiles)
Total: Solomon Grundy 23 (Champion)

Solomon Grundy's been having a tough run on Secret Wars on Infinite Earths. Despite his formidable undead strength, he's routinely come up against bruisers who've managed to match or defeat him! Monolith, The Demon, and Bizarro all went the distance! Only Killer Croc succumbed to his brutal rampage!

Today's opponent is a very different breed, but will that mean victory for Solomon Grundy -- or just a new way to die?

Poison Ivy isn't traditionally known for her physical strength or fighting abilities. Her command of rare and exotic plant toxins means she can often avoid combative situations altogether, holding superior combatants in her thrall.

She was able to manipulate Superman into helping her defeat Catwoman in Batman #611. When she set him upon Batman in the following Batman #612, The Dark Knight had to fight dirty to capitalize on Superman's lingering resistance, successfully shaking him out of his trance by endangering Lois Lane!

Good help can be hard to find, so Poison Ivy will often simply grow an army of hostile plant life. Various mutant strains of flytraps and vines are common in her arsenal, though not always effective. Hawkgirl used arrow heads to easily prune back her deadly garden in Justice League of America #15.

Grundy started out as an arch-enemy for the original Green Lantern, whose power ring was ineffective against things made of wood [see; JSA #65]. Grundy himself has been shown to be resistant to GL's energy, apparently due to his undead body being partially composed of wood from Slaughter Swamp!

If Grundy contains wood matter then he could be uniquely susceptible to Poison Ivy's influence! However, it's been suggested that Ivy is connected with the living energies of "The Green", while Grundy is of the deathly "Grey". If he's literally dead wood that may sway the battle back in his favour.

New developments in the Solomon Grundy curse mean he arrives at this battle in the unconscious form of Cyrus Gold. As a man, he may still be vulnerable to Ivy's usual array of mind-altering toxins. It's difficult to say what would happen to Solomon Grundy, given his mystic nature, and dim-witted demeanor.

The Tape: Solomon Grundy Ranking: Poison Ivy (#373)

What Went Down...
Awakening from the nightmare of his restless victims in 1881 Slaughter Swamp; Cyrus Gold finds he is living a whole new horror in the modern day. Limp and bleeding from the nose, he is suspended by thorn & vine before Poison Ivy!

She toys with a torturous death for destroying her green house sanctuary, but instead opts to enslave the anonymous man with a kiss. Her toxins flood his mind with subservience and he receives the order: deliver a package to her enemy and destroy their toxic factory.

With duffel bag in hand, Cyrus Gold heads for the door, but something holds him back. In his mind echoes the fateful curse, "Born on a Monday". He turns, eyes turning red, and although his wiry body remains unchanged, his is once again transformed into the unrelenting monster that is Solomon Grundy!

Ivy is bemused by the raggedy man who defies her influence, insisting: "No one tells Solomon Grundy what to do!"

Gold's appearance belies his true nature, but it never the less manifests as he lunges toward his captor, snatching her by the throat as he pushes her through the broken wooded frame and glass of the shattered greenhouse.

A massive animated tree sprouts from nearby greenery, reaching out with thorny vines and branches to rescue its master. Barbed limbs wrap around Gold's throat and body, but the black evil and decay of Solomon Grundy sends the tree recoiling in horror!

Gold snatches at the wood and leaves, infecting them with a wave of death that carries through the entire garden! His powerful grey reduces the once lush and fertile sanctuary to a barren landscape of dry, rotting wood!

With everything dead -- the man who would be Solomon Grundy turns his attentions to Poison Ivy. She kneels in pained dismay at the centre of her desolate garden, unable to fathom the cause of such destruction.

Grundy returns the kiss to his short-lived enslaver and at last Poison Ivy realizes the terrible truth: the man before her is Solomon Grundy!

She sheds a tear as the leaves covering her body begin to die, and she wilts into unconsciousness in Cyrus Gold's arms. Her limp hand inadvertently falls to rest against the duffel bag at his feet, beginning a quiet ticking that counts down to their apparent doom!

The rooftop area explodes -- but neither is destroyed. Ivy's naked body is deposited prone on a turning staircase, out of reach of the destruction. An open door at the base reveals an unlikely act of rescue by the killer Solomon Grundy!

The Hammer...
Halloween is fast approaching, which can only mean the curse of Solomon Grundy descends once more to terrorize Secret Wars on Infinite Earths!

It's been an annual tradition to revisit the classic villain in October, slowly working our way through the gauntlet of his eponymous mini-series!

It's staggering to think it's now been more than ten years since the terror first began -- and we aren't even halfway!

Solomon Grundy is seven issues unto itself, but was also preceded by a Faces Of Evil Special, and two very fun additional issues that spilled into Superman/Batman. I hope to cover them all!

So far we've seen Grundy take down Killer Croc, go two rounds with The Demon in issues #1 & #2, and butt heads with Bizarro in issue #3.

That particularly savage sewer showdown with Killer Croc was also the last time we saw Grundy secure a victory. He may have an intimidating visage, but the hulking swamp-zombie hasn't fared well against the opening cavalcade of demons and monsters coming his way.

Despite the titular villain's struggles, these slugfests have provided the primary thrills so far. However, the series takes a slight turn with Solomon Grundy #3.

Poison Ivy clearly presents a far less monstrous menace than the rest. She plays to the more obscure thematic intrigue of beauty versus beast, and a plant-commanding villainess against a wood-logged swamp zombie.

I pondered the possibility of Poison Ivy being uniquely suited to manipulating Solomon Grundy earlier in the Tape section, but it's fair to say we didn't really get a conclusive answer from this battle.

Grundy remained in the mortal form of Cyrus Gold throughout the fight, which means the tradition of his body possessing wood-matter from Slaughter Swamp didn't really present itself.

Poison Ivy also didn't really appreciate who she was dealing with until it was much too late. By then, her garden gazebo was already reduced to a cursed crop of death. It could be argued Grundy himself is literal dead wood and she wouldn't have governance over him, anyhow. That's probably the case, but their loose elemental affiliation is a nice idea to think about.

It mustn't be forgotten that there are mysterious forces working behind the events of the series. The ticking clock is counting down to Blackest Night, with each issue representing another lost day. Grundy's presence as a figure of death and "The Grey" does well to allude to this fact, even though it isn't yet explicit.

I appreciate the vague relationship the series, and its week-long quest, has with the Solomon Grundy nursery rhyme, as well.

Poison Ivy's penchant for planting a kiss on her victims is probably about as convincing an allusion to our monstrous Grundy being wed on Wednesday as you're going to get. I presume that was a Scott Kolins flourish, providing a smooth transition from the previous issue's impact zone and plant pot joke.

I continue to be a real admirer of Kolins' work on this series. There's a rough and raw quality to the pencils that really compliments the action. Michael Atiyeh on colors does some great work, too. This issue in particular pops with day time yellow as backdrop to deep blacks. Very nice!

If you'd like to check the entirety of the series out for yourself, you might have to do some work to find a collected edition. If you shop via the Amazon link supplied, you'll help support Secret Wars on Infinite Earths for another year!

Follow links throughout this article for discover more from these and other characters. You can find and discover even more battles by diving in to the Secret Archive for a complete index of featured fights in order publisher, series, and issue number!

Follow on Twitter and Facebook to get links to daily fights inspired by the topics of the day! Be sure to like and share your favourite superhero smackdown!

Winner: Solomon Grundy
#135 (+238) Solomon Grundy
#386 (-13) Poison Ivy

SOLOMON GRUNDY versus BIZARRO

Christened On A Tuesday (DC)
Where: Solomon Grundy #2 When: June 2009
Why: Scott Kolins How: Scott Kolins

The Story So Far...
19th century Gotham City was home to an evil soul called Cyrus Gold. With blood on his hands, he was cursed upon death to forever rise again from his unmarked grave in Slaughter Swamp! Now he terrorizes the modern world as Solomon Grundy!

Caught in an endless cycle of death and resurrection, the shambling monster is forever drawn to new acts of evil as an unstoppable undead creature - until now?...

A mysterious force has given Cyrus Gold seven days to end his curse, but dark forces conspire to prolong the agony of Solomon Grundy! Waylaid by The Demon Etrigan, a murderous Cyrus Gold was restored only to meet another grim end in a scrapyard. Now Solomon Grundy is loose in Gotham and fate would have it that a LexCorp transport carrying Bizarro now lies in his path!

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Bizarro 6 (Invincible)
Intelligence: Solomon Grundy 2 (Average)
Speed: Bizarro 5 (Super-Human)
Stamina: Bizarro 6 (Generator)
Agility: Solomon Grundy 2 (Average)
Fighting: Solomon Grundy 3 (Street Wise)
Energy: Bizarro 3 (Explosives)
Total: Bizarro 24 (Champion)

Last time we looked at Solomon Grundy #2: it was a second round bout with The Demon! Now we're back for the main event! They're big, weird, and ugly -- but who'll come out on top when super-villains meet in a cover clash?

Solomon Grundy is exceptionally strong, but the supernatural slugger from Slaughter Swamp hasn't had a good run on The Comic Book Fight Club! He's become a bit of a punching bag in the modern age, shambling through quick done-in-one fights that put the hero over before they move on to bigger fish.

2004 was a bad year when Sand and the Justice Society toppled Grundy in JSA #65, followed by Hawkman, Hawkgirl, & Monolith in a team takedown a month later, in Hawkman #33! Thing's weren't much better a few years later: Grundy was cooked in the first round with The Demon, before he was sent back to the grave by a lethal underwater loss in the aforementioned finish!

A one-on-one bout of sewer smackdown against Killer Croc delivered Grundy's only recorded win - a vicious victory in Faces of Evil: Solomon Grundy #1! It's a far cry to the days of troubling Superman and Green Lantern, but it was a fine demonstration of Grundy's strength and ferocity, never the less!

Superman usually got the better of Grundy in the end, which could be an indicator for his chances with Bizarro! The chalk-faced doppelganger is only a step off from The Man of Steel when it comes to raw strength and endurance!

Bizarro's powers can be a little inconsistent, but popular inversions include fire breath and freeze vision. Both could cause problems for Grundy, whose body is a supernaturally durable compound derived from swamp bog and wood!

Fortunately for his opponents - strategy isn't Bizarro's forte! His backwards logic goes beyond bizarro-speak, sometimes reducing him to a stumbling idiot. That doesn't mean he's any less deadly, though. The "pretty lights" of the Human Bomb's explosions only fuelled Bizarro's brutal beatdown in Infinite Crisis #1!

Solomon Grundy is known to be tactically challenged, but his best chance for victory may be catching Bizarro wrong-footed! Otherwise, the bruiser from Bizarro World may just be too naturally powerful for the overgrown zombie!

The Tape: Bizarro Ranking: Bizarro (#178)

What Went Down...
Rising from the squashed carcass of Cyrus Gold -- the monster Solomon Grundy is in a rage! He crushes the heads of two LexCorps truck drivers and assaults their radio. The disruption awakens the living cargo inside!

Unharmed by the explosion he ignited: Bizarro emerges from the smoldering wrecked carriage! "Bizarro no am free! Me no like free!"

Grundy was made to pause by the explosion, mildly perplexed at the strange being emerging from the fire. Bizarro grabs the shambling monster by the arm and examines him, perceiving a "tree-man" with his unique vision. This triggers memories of an "ugly ugly tree" and love in Bizarro, who hugs his friend!

Solomon Grundy doesn't take kindly to the unexpected act of affection! The monster articulates his aggression, before sending Bizarro hurtling away with an all mighty punch! The friendship has apparently ended!

Bizarro rockets out of the wreckage of the overpass he crash-landed in, flying a beeline for Solomon Grundy! He hits his target perfectly, driving Grundy's body through a nearby building - leaving another explosion in their wake!

Grundy attempts to free himself, smashing his massive fists against either side of Bizarro's head! The blow briefly stuns the aerial villain, leaving both to plummet uncontrollably towards an electric power station below!

The hulking bodies crash through wires and power coils erupting in a blinding flash of electricity! The durable pairing survives lethal voltage, rising on hands and knee with a sizzle and crackle of lingering charge.

Bizarro laughs at the tickle and renews his appreciation for Grundy, "Me hate you -- what your name?" Maddened by Bizarro's inverted reference, Grundy dives at the well-meaning menace! Bizarro awkwardly floats clear.

Missing the target only seems to fuel Solomon Grundy's rage. Moments later, the pair are airborne once more - on a collision course with an extravagant Gotham City penthouse! They crash through the glass of a greenhouse!

Bizarro comments on the "ugly plant room" as a flower pot smashes over his head. The sight of Bizarro with a yellow flower on his noggin finally brings Solomon Grundy around. The grounded pair share a hearty laugh.

The villains cease fighting and Bizarro retrieves a hotdog cart for an early breakfast. The pair chow down and watch the sun rise over Gotham City. Alas, the dawning of a new day triggers Grundy's cursed transformation back to Cyrus Gold. Confused by the unconscious mortal, Bizarro shakes him and leaves.

The Hammer...
Once again the curse of Solomon Grundy has descended upon the Secret Wars on Infinite Earths! It's a bonus round of monster mayhem to satisfy the dark spirits of Halloween!

It's becoming a fun tradition to return to Scott Kolins' now-underrated 2009 mini-series! The gauntlet of superhero & monster mash was always a natural fit for The Comic Book Fight Club, making it a series I've wanted to document in its entirety, since release.

For those coming in late: The path of destruction began with a sewer showdown in the one-shot special Faces of Evil: Solomon Grundy! From Killer Croc, he moved on to two rounds with The Demon in Solomon Grundy #1 and #2. Which brings us, at long last, to the second-issue cover battle against Bizarro!

It kinda comes about by happenstance, but the ominous vibe of Cyrus Gold's curse, and disembodied warnings of grim future consequence, creates a foreboding ripe for grim twists. It's cosmic bad luck Cyrus got crushed in a scrapyard by a falling crane magnet. Worse luck that it happened opposite a LexCorp transport lorry carrying one of Superman's weirdest enemies!

Bizarro has an innate monstrous quality that bridges superhero colour with the macabre tone of the Solomon Grundy series. It's almost a funhouse reflection of Grundy's battles with Superman in the 70s. The mini won't exclusively pit the title villain against dark or monstrous creatures, but its at its best when it does.

This Halloween I've found myself lurching to the tune of Universal Monsters and Hammer Horror. There's more than a little of that spirit in these pages! It's hard not to think of Frankenstein when the two battling behemoths crash through gothic stone and electrically charged coils. Really fun!

The DC version of Frankenstein's Monster is actually one of the characters who shows up in a future issue! Something to look forward to! The next opponent is Poison Ivy: teased when Bizarro leaves Cyrus Gold's unconscious body in the Gotham greenhouse, to be overwhelmed by encroaching flora.

The comedic finish to Grundy v Bizarro may disappoint fans of the beat 'em up aspect, but I thought oscillating between violent rage and comedy was a nice way to play up the unique quirkiness of the characters - Bizarro, in particular. It was a nice come down after the viciousness of the Etrigan finale. There'll be plenty of smash 'em, bash 'em action to satisfy later in the series.

If you can't wait for next Halloween to find out what happens next - why not pick yourself up a collected edition of Solomon Grundy? By using the Amazon purchase link provided, you keep the curse of death at bay by ensuring Amazon support the site at no cost to you!

You can seek out more spooky smackdown by exploring links throughout this article, by taking from the treat of Cover to Cover: Hard Hitting Halloween Horrors, or by summoning the Secret Archive for a complete index of ancient battles arranged by publisher, series, and issue number!

Winner: Inconclusive (Draw)
#135 (+43) Bizarro
#381 (+2) Solomon Grundy

THE DEMON versus SOLOMON GRUNDY

Christened On A Tuesday (DC)
Where: Solomon Grundy #2 When: June 2009
Why: Scott Kolins How: Scott Kolins

The Story So Far...
In the 19th century, Gotham City was home to a wicked soul named Cyrus Gold. With much blood on his hands, he was cursed in death to forever rise from his unmarked grave in Slaughter Swamp as the beast Solomon Grundy!

Caught in an endless cycle of death and rebirth, the shambling monster is forever drawn to new acts of evil as an unstoppable undead creature - until now?

A mysterious force has intervened to give Cyrus Gold seven days to end his curse and finally put his soul to rest! His former nemesis The Green Lantern is charged with aiding him in his quest, but as they soon find out, not everyone wants Solomon Grundy gone before The Blackest Night!

Infernal forces intend to keep Cyrus Gold's soul in turmoil - sending an agent to keep him from his mission. While Green Lantern struggles in the cursed marsh of Slaughter Swamp - The Demon, Etrigan attacks! Now Solomon Grundy must fight for his death - or be dragged to new depths by his newest nemesis!

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Solomon Grundy 6 (Invincible)
Intelligence: The Demon 2 (Average)
Speed: The Demon 3 (Athlete)
Stamina: Solomon Grundy 6 (Generator)
Agility: The Demon 3 (Acrobat)
Fighting: Draw 3 (Street Wise)
Energy: The Demon 3 (Explosive)


Can you say Round 2? It was almost a year ago when last we saw The Demon versus Solomon Grundy! It was a battle right out of Hell - waged on Devil's Night, to signal the impending return of Secret Wars on Infinite Earths!

In that particular showdown: The Demon was decreed the victor - even though the circumstances of the win were left open to continuation. For twelve months the ultimate fate of that fight has thus been left undecided - until now!

The beginning of their battle was a showcase of distinct advantages. Solomon Grundy demonstrated an obvious physical strength, allowing him to manhandle The Demon and turn chunks of the surrounding scenery into deadly weapons!

Etrigan took everything the powerhouse zombie was able to throw at him - practically relishing the pain! The Demon's resilience is an obvious asset in this case, but he's also able to give as good as he gets with little concern for himself or others! The fight ended when he sent Solomon Grundy (and himself) plummeting from a demolished bridge into the waters below!

The change in arena isn't an insignificant detail!

Solomon Grundy may be carrying the wear and tear of Round 1 into today's feature fight, but he does so into water - an environment more closely resembling the swamp from which he rose! He certainly looked at home splashing around in sewer water when he dealt an all mighty defeat to Killer Croc in Faces of Evil: Solomon Grundy #1!

Water probably shouldn't douse the deadly demonic flames spewed forth by Etrigan, but in traditional lore, water can at least be considered an unfriendly element to any spawn of Hell. That might be enough to slow The Demon down!

Grundy's no stranger to being water logged, but will a late night dip spell a comeback for the shambling monster once called Cyrus Gold?l Let's find out!

The Tape: The Demon Ranking: The Demon (#45)

What Went Down...

The carnage happening around them hardly matters as they plummet towards the water below! Solomon Grundy and The Demon: locked in battle - engulfed in flames!

Etrigan, in that way he does, asks prophetically if Grundy has ever died on a Tuesday. He has seven days to put the soul of Cyrus Gold to rest. A fools quest when The Demon is charged with waylaying it with a fresh death!

The fire is extinguished as the warring monsters smash into the water!

Solomon Grundy clutches at The Demon's cape as the hellspawn rides his foe into the darkness of the water. Bubbles toil as they thrash in trouble.

Etrigan plunges his clawed fist into the marshy bog of Solomon Grundy's chest. He expects to find a beating heart, but instead pulls away a fist of the muck that constitutes Grundy's endless form!

The zombie's eyes burn with intensity - something resembling a wry smile across his toothy grin. Undeterred, he returns the favour by ramming his own hulking fist through The Demon's trunk!

The impalement draws a lone, wailing shriek in a chorus of hellfire from the usually rhyming Demon! Perhaps it was agony - or something else?

Aggression turns to uncertainty as Solomon Grundy recognizes something changing at the end of his fist. Still attached to The Demon by the hole he made with his fist - Grundy is at ground zero as hellfire explodes from Etrigan's chest!

Bathed in the inferno, Solomon Grundy is reduced to a weighty charred corpse!

The zombie drifts silently into the dark abyss, his body bubbling as the hellfire engulfing it dissipates. Etrigan watches with demonic glee as his cargo slowly sinks. He swims to meet it, pulling the lifeless head from its burnt body.

The Hammer...

Last time we needed careful deliberation to determine the winner of the fight via decision. This time the result is as plain as the look on Grundy's decapitated face: The Demon, Etrigan wins!

I've been eager to get back to this one, if only for completion's sake. The seven issues of Solomon Grundy pit him against a different foe for each day of the week, and if you paid attention to the cover at the start of this entry - you know Bizarro is the real marquee opponent of the second issue!

As much as I would've liked a decisive Etrigan win in the first issue (for purely selfish reasons), I do appreciate the way this eases the series into what is ultimately a seven issue gauntlet. I imagine in collected or digital formats, the pause goes mostly unnoticed. We aim to deal in original format here.

The more I come back to it, I find myself appreciating a lot about this series. By not rushing to contain The Demon to that first issue, Scott Kolins gets a chance to play his action big and rough at all the right times. It suits the monster comic tone of the story, and really gives him room to create atmospheric panels and some signature art. I'm not sure if it's the best work of his career, but it was a period where he seemed to be coming into his own (again).

Green Lantern shows up just as the fight is ending -- too late to serve in his role as guiding light to the soul of Cyrus Gold. I'm always happy to see the Golden Age heroes in contemporary action, GL especially. The fact that their existence has been so precarious in the last five to six years of DC Comics makes it all the sweeter to go back and read these issues. It isn't deep, but it's fun.

The classic, heroic Grundy nemesis will play a continuous role throughout the 2009 mini-series, which ties indirectly into the conspiracy of events that is and was Blackest Night.

I'm hoping over time we can work our way through each battle leading up to Blackest Night, when the action spills over into bannered issues of Superman/Batman. It was an interesting extension you might miss if you didn't know to look for it. We've got a long way to go before then, though!

I was hoping October might be the month to get a couple of Solomon Grundy feature fights on the books, but it looks like Secret Wars on Infinite Earths will be going to Hell for the next few weeks. Literally!

If you're really hungry for more Grundy, be sure to share this link and leave a comment below. In the mean time, you can get yourself the full story by using the Amazon purchase link provided! Doing so helps keep the secret wars infinite!

You can also find plenty more review and retrospective by following links throughout, or diving into the Secret Issue Index!

Winner: The Demon
#33 (+12) The Demon (Etrigan) [+1 kill]
#361 (-2) Solomon Grundy

THE DEMON versus SOLOMON GRUNDY
Born On A Monday (DC)
Where: Solomon Grundy #1 When: May 2009
Why: Scott Kolins How: Scott Kolins

The Story So Far...
Cyrus Gold lived a wicked life as a citizen of late 19th Century Gotham City. Cursed in death to forever rise from his unmarked grave within Slaughter Swamp - he becomes the mindless, shambling behemoth known as Solomon Grundy!

Born on a Monday some fifty years after his demise the undead Grundy emerged from the muck composed of its rotting contents for the very first time. The zombie-like Grundy was drawn to a new life of evil time and again, possessing super-human strength in his many deaths and rebirths. He is inevitably drawn into conflict with emerging heroes like The Green Lantern, whose magic might could not grapple with Grundy's grim, wood infused corpse!

It was fitting that the ring-wielding hero should be there to bare witness to the return not of Solomon Grundy - but Cyrus Gold - decades later! Something has intervened in the endless cycle, granting Gold a final 7 days to put his soul to rest! Summoned by The Phantom Stranger, Alan Scott must aid Cyrus in his quest to end the vicious curse of Solomon Grundy before The Darkest Night - but the Stranger isn't the only force taking an interest in this weird twist of fate...

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Solomon Grundy 6 (Invincible)
Intelligence: The Demon 2 (Average)
Speed: The Demon 3 (Athlete)
Stamina: Solomon Grundy 6 (Generator)
Agility: The Demon 3 (Average)
Fighting: Draw 3 (Street Wise)
Energy: The Demon 3 (Explosive)

What an interesting match-up! Perfectly themed for Halloween, and a preview for the coming resurrection of Secret Wars on Infinite Earths: The Comic Book Fight Club! It's the first of many curious confrontations to come from Scott Kolins' now forgotten 2009 mini-series - a book I hoped to re-visit on the site since it was originally released!

It actually began with Faces of Evil: Solomon Grundy #1 - a gimmicky prelude issue that I did feature, which gives us a great example of Solomon Grundy's overwhelming strength! In that issue he does a number on Killer Croc like you wouldn't believe! It's the perfect example of what Grundy's fighting style is all about - raw power! Croc may be his only recorded win in the "Infinite Wars", but Grundy's relied on brute strength to hold his own against The Justice Society, as well as the combined might of Hawkman, Hawkgirl & Monolith! Not too shabby!

"The Demon" Etrigan brings a certain amount of muscle to the table, but I'm reluctant to consider his encounters with the likes of Wonder Woman [eg; The Demon #17] or Superman the standard. Perhaps that's my limited exposure talking, but I tend to think of him as scaling down. While he'll certainly be able to withstand the physical assault, I see his speed and agility as a means to out manoeuvre and counter strike against the raw power of Grundy. Throw in a little hellfire, sadomasochism, and those demonic claws - and you've got a recipe for one helluva fight! (Literally!)

For a more impartial measure, we always end this section with a comparison of Tape Measure stats and cumulative rankings. To my own surprise, The Demon far and away outranks Solomon Grundy - who only registers a paltry #333. When you consider there are 796 characters ranked, that's not so bad, but Grundy's such a personal favourite, I thought he'd rate better! Will he improve his standing? We find out next in What Went Down!

The Tape: The Demon Ranking: The Demon (#70)

What Went Down...
Left alone while The Green Lantern searches for the knife that killed him: Cyrus Gold is again the victim of Slaughter Swamp! Helpless, he's torn apart by alligators - only to reassemble himself as the mindless beast Solomon Grundy!

Who was it that taunted poor Cyrus with rhymes of fancy while he died an ignominious death? The Demon - Etrigan! Working in the commission of an infernal master, he slashes at Grundy from side to side with burning claws, issuing a painful reminder! "... I'm here to remind thee... the deal you struck -- was for -- ETERNITY!"
 

Regrouping, Grundy literally and figuratively smoulders as he sets eyes on his flaming foe. The mindless brute establishes his dislike for "fire face" and his intent to kill. A hulking right hand backs it up - sending The Demon hurtling through no less than three swamp trees!

Inspired, or simply opportunistic? Grundy rips another of the mighty woods from its nearby root, and brings it crushing down upon the charging Demon!

Etrigan is unphased by the blunt trauma! Cackling, he propels himself through the tree with a stream of hellfire - directly at his dumb-founded opponent! Rather than colliding, the pair become airborne, where The Demon is in total control. Clutching his prey, Etrigan steers them toward their destiny - a nearby bridge. "Your redemption will be denied! It matters not how Cyrus died!"

The pair make ground in the middle of traffic with a flaming explosion! Grundy recovers, tossing the wreckage aside and promising again to kill. Etrigan laughs wildly at the threat, blasting the twisted metal that flies toward him. Then, opening his fangs wide, he vomits the fury of the inferno directly at Solomon!

The monster lets loose a primal roar as he's engulfed in flame. Somewhere deep within, the spirit of Cyrus Gold grimly anticipates the inevitable end. The fuel soaked bridge explodes! Etrigan laughs all the way as he rides the flames down with all the rest - into the murky waters below...

 

The Hammer...
It was a battle straight out of Hell - but who won it?!

This is the section traditionally reserved for calling the winner, but there's no obvious victor in this one! The two combatants disappear somewhat ambiguously after Etrigan causes the bridge to collapse. It was a combative gambit, but it showed no clear advantage before issue's end. The Demon's laughing - but he laughs at agony!

Prior knowledge lets me know the fight resumes in the next issue -- but "Infinite Wars" bylaws demand a decision based on this issue's content alone!

There's a strong conservative argument for an "inconclusive" finish, but I think there's enough here to call a winner based on "Round 1" philosophy. As he douses Grundy with scorching hellfire - Etrigan is clearly ahead on points, and looking like the sure winner. Cyrus Gold's "No! No! No!" internal monologue even suggests another Solomon Grundy death - a premature call - but a resignation of defeat, none the less!

With formalities out of the way, we can use this section for its other purpose: general conversation, review and tangential thought! What am I thinking about right now? This time of year's always been fun for horror themed battles between demons and zombies, but this resurrection is actually a taste of what's to come in December! If you're a returning visitor - you might know the end of the year marks the 10th Anniversary of Secret Wars on Infinite Earths!

It's been a long time between drinks, but I'm ready to gulp down a big serve of superhero smackdown! I've already begun preparing some classic selections to celebrate the milestone -- pulling from a couple of the most requested fights of the past 10 years to make it extra special!

Beyond December, I have no plans - but I foresee more fun with big fights, back issues, and some of my favourite characters. Case in point: Solomon Grundy!

The entirety of the 2009 Solomon Grundy mini-series is told through fights like this one. In "The Tape", I already mentioned his Faces of Evil prelude clash with Killer Croc. It's a fairly simplistic romp throughout, but fans of unusual character combinations and conflicts have a lot to enjoy. It was also another interesting facet of the Blackest Night mega crossover: approaching it from a long trajectory, with a character whose ties with death created uncertainty, and anticipation. Once you know Black Lanterns are the reanimated dead - you can't help but wonder where an undead swamp-zombie will fall!

Scott Kolins is sole credit as writer-artist. Given its proximity to the Blackest Night event, and his involvement in the Faces of Evil issue, it's hard to shake a sense that Geoff Johns may've been a guiding light. That said, it's a very visual series, thrust forward by Kolins' big action, and a classic horror comic aesthetic. Kolins inks himself, which is always something I'm interested to see change, but he far exceeds some of the work that's led me to be very critical in the past!

In very recent years it's become en vogue to add colorists to the list of headline credits. Michael Atiyeh contributes a lot in Grundy - a book rich with mood and atmosphere. His colors may be a tad simple, but they never compete with the art's abundant blacks, and pop when they need to - such as Green Lantern's glowing ring energy, or Etrigan's hellfire!

The presence of true-blue Alan Scott (the golden age Green Lantern) is always a pleasure -- one we no longer have in today's DC Comics. Newer readers know Grundy for his battles with Batman, Superman, or various teams - but he's a Green Lantern original and it's fitting (and thrilling) for Scott to be here!

Etrigan is a fun choice for the first monster mash opponent, as well -- a suggestion by editor Alan Schlagman, according to a March 2009 Comics Bulletin interview. I'd love to know who Kolins' originally scripted "villain" was, but I haven't yet found out. Etrigan's here in service of infernal masters, so one assumes another demonic character was on the cards. The series frames Cyrus Gold's curse as a Faustian pact, tying it to the primordial battle between avatars of good and evil - heaven and earth. That also explains The Phantom Stranger's presence as an observer and quest master. They're the tips of big, broad strokes, but when you layer it over monster fights, the foreboding of Blackest Night, and the confusion of Cyrus Gold's murder - it's a series with layers!

Update: I thought I'd ask Mr. Kolins about his original plans for the issue, and he was kind enough to tell me the first opponent was going to be: Plasmus! An old 'voodoo lady' also had a part to play. That could've been a lot of fun, but I think Etrigan made for a great first issue marquee - especially on Halloween!

At the end of the day, the most joyous thing about the series is its existence! Whole could ever conceive of a 7 issue Solomon Grundy series, let alone a ten issue run (with tie-ins)?! Like the character itself, the book defies belief with its sheer will to endure! And endure - it will! Given the opportunity, I'm quite sure we'll return to the series sometime in the a future feature! Not in December, though!

December is the 10th Anniversary of Secret Wars on Infinite Earths and I'll be coming back for more blockbuster, main event super hero super fight action! I hope you'll be back to join me to celebrate the occasion! Happy Halloween, everybody!

Winner: The Demon