BLACK HAND versus GREEN ARROW/SPEEDY
Blackest Night (DC comics)
Where: Green Lantern: Rebirth #1 When: December 2004 Why: Geoff Johns How: Ethan Van Sciver

The story so far...
When the space-villain Mongul would attempt to capitalize on the apparent death of Earth's Superman by joining forces with the villainous Cyborg-Superman; the ever-courageous Green Lantern, Hal Jordan, would be there to confront them.

Though Jordan would win the battle and save Earth from a fate of decimation, his home of Coast City and all it's citizens would be obliterated. Thus would begin the legendary fall from grace of one of the greatest Green Lantern's in the Corps history. It would begin with an attempt to resurrect the city with his ring, and end with the destruction of Oa and the entire Corps as he becomes -- Parallax!

Jordan would eventually die in a final act of nobility, using the power he amassed as Parallax to reignite the Earth's depleted sun. This act of redemption would be recognised in the after-life, seeing Jordan become the new human-host of the spirit of vengeance, the Spectre. As the Spectre Jordan would attempt to use his powers for redemption, but he deals with forces beyond his control...

Previous Form:
Green Arrow (#17): Multiple victories over crime boss; Danny Brickwell, & Red Hood.
Speedy (#335): A defeat at the hands of Red Hood, the resurrected Robin!
Black Hand: Making his debut in the Infinite Wars.

Tale of the tape...
Strength: Green Arrow 2 (Average)
Intelligence: Black Hand 5 (Professor)
Speed: Speedy 3 (Athlete)
Stamina: Green Arrow 4 (Athlete)
Agility: Speedy 3 (Acrobat)
Fighting Ability: Green Arrow 4 (Trained Fighter)
Energy Powers: Black Hand 5 (Lasers)


- William Hand was a naturally gifted inventor from birth, but despite these gifts of intelligence, he would eventually turn to a life of crime in a ploy for attention. Inventing a wand that could absorb residual energies left by interactions with the power of a Green Lantern ring.

Channeling the power through this wand, he turns the Green Lantern's power against them as Black Hand. His many defeats in this guise would eventually leave him emotionally unhinged, but not completely deter him from a life of crime.

- Having survived a cruiseship wreckage, and been washed ashore on a deserted island; wealthy playboy, Oliver Queen, is forced to hone his skills of archery as a means of survival.
When the island is beset by drug-runners, Queen turns his archery against them, and captures the lot, using their boats to return to civilization.

Upon his return a new sense of perspective remained with the billionaire, who would use his fortune to fund a life of crime-fighting as the costumed vigilante: Green Arrow!

Along with skills in archery, Green Arrow has also trained extensively in martial arts and hand-to-hand combat, including expanding his arsenal to include skills as a swordsman. His repetoire as an archer often features trick arrows to avoid killing his opponents, instead using concussive objects, nets, and other.

- Green Arrow would adopt and trained a ward in Roy Harper, who would grow-up to become a crime fighting archer in his own right. Following in this tradition, Queen would rescue an underage prostitute who, upon following his advice to meet with his alter-ego, would see through the duplicity and earn her place as his new sidekick; Speedy.

Like GA, Mia Dearden has had extensive martial arts and archery training, enjoying the mentorship of other heroes such as Black Canary and Connor Hawke; another Green Arrow sidekick, and replacement.

The Math: Green Arrow/Speedy The Pick: Green Arrow/Speedy

What went down...
Preparing for a night on patrol, Green Arrow and Mia Dearden are rocked by an explosion from the lower levels of Queen's Star City mansion! Responsible for the destruction, the Black Hand, who uses his energy manipulating wand to follow mass traces of the Green Lantern energies it runs on.

Blasting his way into the Queen sub-basement, Black Hand discovers a spare Green Lantern ring created long ago by Hal Jordan as an emergency contingency for his friend and ally, the Green Arrow.

His rummaging is brought to a halt as an arrow tears through the air to impale his hand against the brick wall. The shot knocks the ring and box from his hand.

Green Arrow quickly identifies the villain, familiar with him as one of Hal Jordan's old foes, which prompts a surprise appearance by the deceased hero. Jordan reveals he had hoped to speak with his friend, but actually has alterior motives for appearing in the mansion basement, as the energies of The Spectre swirl.

As his trademark cloak and washed out skin envelop Jordan, The Spectre's flaming energy glows in the emblem of the Green Lantern, evidence of the man beneath the spirit that so keenly seeks vengeance against evil.

For Black Hand's continued crimes against the Green Lanterns and those close to them, The Spectre condemns him to an ironic but relatively small taste of his justice: A non-lethal transliteration of his name into reality, seeing his hand turned to coal, which crumbles around the arrow that pinned it.

The wound cauterizes itself as Hal Jordan struggles from within the Spectre.
He disappears into a cloud of green smoke, leaving Black Hand in the care of his concerned friend, while the villain goes into shock.

The hammer...
It's difficult to be certain in any assessment of how incapacitated Black Hand was after being shot by GA/Mia, but for the sake of our overarcing exercise, I'll downscale them to assist: Making The Spectre/Hal Jordan the victor(s) on this occassion!

If you've taken any interest in the Green Lantern over the past couple of years, it's almost inevitable that you've either been recommended Rebirth, or the currently running Sinestro Corps War crossover event occurring in the GL books right now.

It's probably fair to say that the Green Lantern has struggled to find relevance since the controversial decision to twist Hal Jordan into a murdering villain.
Some might say that's due to an antiquated take on the superhero/science fiction genre, but others would say it's just been a matter of finding the right stories and creative teams.

The right writer certainly came along in the form of fan-favourite and revamp master of the 2000s; Geoff Johns. With the editorial decision to resurrect Hal Jordan, Johns was let loose with a formula that was simple, but effective enough that it resonated with not only fans old and new, but also the uninitiated.

Johns entered the arena with a very clear intent to exonerate Hal Jordan of his crimes, to restore him to his classic, vintage glory as an All-American superhero. The way he did this wasn't particularly brilliant - deferring blame to secret third-party influences in a classic 'the devil made me do it' twist - but what made Johns' efforts so endearing was the minutia between the less than stellar high-concept. It was the caring attention to surrounding detail, and an awareness of the broader spectrum of the events, that saw a winning formula.

The central plot-device of this series can be distilled to simple brilliance. Taking Hal Jordan's devolution into the self-proclaimed Parallax; Johns redefines the name, grafting it onto 'the devil' that made him do it, with the additional foresight to explain not only the classic 'yellow impurity' of the Silver Age stories, but also why it disappeared around the time of Jordan's moral demise.

Parallax: No longer the regrettable identifier for a hero's fall from grace, instead the malicious personification of fear as a primal force in reality. A creature that dogged the Guardians who created the Lantern Corps from the beginning of time, and is now the powersource for those who would join Sinestro's yellow perversion of the Green Lantern tradition.

Commitment to the story helps build it's resonance as it becomes the modern reference point for all Green Lantern stories to follow. In much the same wayJohn Broome and Gil Kane reinvented the Lantern concept, Johns polishes it off once more, making much less radical changes than the leap from Alan Scott to Hal Jordan, but with the same mythology expanding template.

I'm not sure if this is the Green Lantern story I'd recommend to the interested, but it's certainly a valued touchstone for those looking to be initiated beyond the rings and black and green costumes. It serves as an introduction not only to the mythology of Hal Jordan and the Green Lanterns, but is also, in some ways, a crash-course for the major players of the DC Universe, featuring members of the Justice League and Justice Society, as well.

Johns also throws in an array of villains, setting himself apart from many of his contemporaries even with the use of Black Hand, opting to mortally wound, but not kill him. Motivation for the decision or not, Johns exibits an all too rare value for consistent characterization and enhancement, that has seen even the silliest of villains grow to prominent icons. An approach that's helped put characters like Black Adam, and many others, back on the map.

And that's about all the recap time we have!
If you own a personal planner, cell phone, or calendar - you're probably aware that today is a Friday! That means, along with your guaranteed dose of action beamed direct from the Secret Earth, you'll find an entire cosmos of fisticuffs as Bahlactus puts out the call for yet more fighting, still!

More and more bloggers are taking the opportunity to go a little deeper into the comics, to discuss and feature various fights, characters, and concepts, which has us jazzed! Be sure to cruise the Infinite Wars archives, and then check out some of the action around the blogosphere!

The Fight: 3.5 The Issue: 5
[Like many other legacy characters from the DC Universe, many fans can identify with one particular Green Lantern over others. While my mispent youth involved combing over Hal Jordan stories, a retroactive love for Alan Scott could not be denied! And now that we've finally got Jordan on the books, you know who's next!]

RED HOOD versus SPEEDY
Seeing Red Part Four: Back To School Night (DC comics)
Where: Green Arrow #72 When: May 2007
Why: Judd Winick How: Scott McDaniel

The story so far...
Red Hood has teamed with former Star City criminal mastermind, Brick, to initiate a sinister plan against Green Arrow and his former ally, the Batman, but to what ends?

Though Green Arrow and Batman successfully defeat their opponents in the villain swap, the realisation that they were being distracted while the real plan was enacted comes too late.

With Speedy subdued, the Red Hood plans t ocontinue his path of corruption, turning to the current generation of sidekick. Will the Red Hood allow Speedy to live? Will he convert her to his extreme tactics? Read on to find out!

Previous Form:
Red Hood (#26): Victorys against Hyena, Captain Nazi, Count Vertigo & Brick.
Speedy: Mia Dearden has not yet been featured on the site.

Tale of the tape...
Strength: Red Hood 3 (Athlete)
Intelligence: Red Hood 4 (Tactician)
Speed: Draw 3 (Athlete)
Stamina: Red Hood 4 (Athlete)
Agility: Red Hood 4 (Gymnast)
Fighting Ability: Red Hood 5 (Martial Artist)
Energy Powers: Red Hood 4 (Arsenal)


The battle of the sidekicks! One all grown up, the other still in the infancy of her career, despite a considerable degree of training behind her. It presents an interesting situation!

Technically both are fairly evenly matched, bringing most of the same sorts of attributes to the table by the nature of their humanity. To compensate for the extraordinary threats they face each has honed their fitness, physicality and fighting skills to the sharpest degree. Adding to this natural arsenal comes an array of weapons.

Red Hood has turned his back on the non-lethal utility built from his days as Robin, opting instead for a more diverse range of weaponry. Hidden up his sleeves is anything from knives, high explosives, automatic pistols, and a range of other handy little gadgets.

Speedy stays true to her origins, wielding the bow and arrow like her master and mentor, Green Arrow. While her skills are probably not quite as sharp as GA's, her determination, will and extensive training cannot be doubted.

In this particular match-up, a lot has to be said for experience.
As comparable as any of the characters in these families are, Speedy is a new kid on the block. Despite only being resurrected a few years ago, we mustn't forget a lifetime of experiences that have been laid on top of the Jason Todd character. He's as street as Speedy, and as skilled as Green Arrow. [Green Arrow #71]

At the end of the tape, Red Hood is bigger, older, and better than Speedy.
The Math: Red Hood (Champion Class)
The Pick: Red Hood

What went down...
Our issue opens with Speedy, blindfolded and tied to a chair, sharing a dialogue with her captor; the sinister hero who ecsaped death -- Red Hood!
A fancy curved blade slits the ropes that hold the arrow slinging youngster in her chair, as the Red Hood informs her that their duel will not be one of violent interrogation. Her hands freed, Speedy removes the blindfold and is surprised to find her bow before her.

Her eyes adjust to present a second surprise -- her high school gym. With the standium lights on overhead, Red Hood stands at centre court, suggesting she take hold of her bow, because he has a lesson in store for her.

Speedy happily takes the opportunity to leap into battle, firing off several arrows. The Hood slices them out of the air with his curvy dagger, suggesting the young Speedy is only as good as her quiver's supply. She threatens to put an arrow in his eye in retort, but slashing at the airborne missiles, the Hood scoffs at the conviction of her threats.

Red Hood lords his expertise over his junior, calculating her range of attacks limited to thirty-three, all non-lethal.
The debate of morals continues, as the Hood guarantees to come for her the moment she runs out of arrows.

Perhaps out of agitation or provocation, the young arrow slinger fires an arrow that sneaks past Jason Todd's blade, finding his protective helmet. Physically fine, he offers his approval, before moving his mentoring to the next stage.

Red Hood fires off a barrage of hot led, offering little opportunity for Speedy to literally duck and dodge for her life. She does so with relative ease, emulating her teacher's training. Though she survives the assault, the string of her bow does not, leaving her unarmed.

Red Hood chuckles to himself about his skills with the lethal weapons, remarking, "Got real good with guns to piss off the old "boss"."
He tosses his opponent two blades and removes his helmet, declaring the next stage "higher learning."

Speedy doesn't spare a moment to look the gift horse in the mouth. She leaps at Red Hood, who competently defends against her two sword attack with his single dagger. He comments on her performance, complimenting her ability to hold her own. She replies with threats to be holding more than her own momentarily.

Todd takes the tough talking, and relates it to the similarities between the two of them. The crimson clad sidekick verbally spits in the Hood's face, whilst delivering a swift knee to his mid-section. She follows with a cracking elbow that spills blood from Todd's mouth, whilst defying his evolution, referring to him as, "Another one of the sick @#$&s who couldn't handle staying on the right side..."

Todd repeats that the two are alike, ducking a lunging attack to strike the younger hero hard in the back. She strikes back with a stiff kick, but Todd takes it and brings his knife down like an axe: Speedy blocks it in time with her own blades.

Red Hood lets flow the vivid information he has on Mia Dearden, making up the milestones of what have made her character. She interrupts him, using the gym seats to lean back and throw her legs out in a kick that topples the Red Hood.

He lands on his feet, and continues, arriving at one of the most defining facts of Speedy's young life: her testing positive for HIV. He asks if HIV is the reason she finds it so hard to kill, as though it has bestowed her with a new appreciation for life. She lunges at him in response, but the Hood gets in low, sliding under her leap. He throws his dagger up into her cape, tearing it as he fights to bring her down.

Speedy flows with the leap, taking the advantage from behind, but the Hood throws an instinctive fist behind him, connecting hard with Dearden's jaw.

The Hood gets in personal, grabbing the grounded Speedy by the throat to pin her down. He explains himself, telling her that his "surrogate daddy" comes from the same pampered upbringing as hers, and that like her, he was made on the streets. Streets where like her, he had to make hard choices to persevere.

The Hood retrieves his knife from the court floor, as Speedy struggles to regain her breath. "And I know that sometimes very bad things have to be done to do a great right." As though the message had someone fallen on her, the young girl agrees, "I don't think either of our "fathers" will ever understand that."

Todd replies, "But you do."

The hammer...
Batman and GA roll up the school as the gym explodes, but Speedy is safe, having escaped the explosion set by the victor - Red Hood.

Though it might not seem like it, this was a fight that actually contained a good amount of story and character development.
Red Hood isn't a particularly unique scenario. The hero who chooses more extreme methods became perhaps the most popular type over the course of the eighties and nineties, but what is interesting to read in this issue is the stake that Red Hood takes in the matter.

This doesn't revolve around any kind of seduction of the innocent, or scenario of revenge, which would be the more obvious result. Instead, Jason Todd's history as a homeless street child provides a bridging understanding between the two characters, once they work through their differences by fighting, of course.

One might have expected something far less subversive from Red Hood, who has more often than not been characterized as leaning closer to "evil" than the anti-hero stylings of a Punisher, or other heroes who kill. It's a pleasant surprise then to discover this storyarc, which has been pretty blatantly disposable, in it's conclusion was more than another attempt to destroy or brainwash a sidekick.

Instead, Todd opens a relatively sincere dialogue, and seems to relate his reasons for doing what he is. It could almost be read more like a final confession to someone who understands, rather than an attempt to sway Speedy away from the oath she's sworn with Green Arrow. Because, honestly, despite a frosty moment between Speedy and her mentor when he finally arrives, there doesn't seem to be any reason to expect the character to be anything but her usual heroic-self.

Thus, Secret Earths continues to sponsor the return of Jason Todd, even if this was a less than stellar chapter in the new history of the character.
We continue to watch over the character as he finds his way into the weekly DC mega-series, Countdown, where he's been tying up with his former surrogate big brother, Nightwing. It doesn't sound like things are getting much better for the character, but we'll keep our fingers crossed there's something more in his history than sacrificing himself to stop a new Anti-Monitor, or some such.

As the Red Hood/Winter Soldier debate rages ever on, one can't help but feel Jason Todd is starting to lose the stakes where focus is concerned. While Winter Soldier has been splashed around since his return as the shiney new toy, he seems set to benefit greatly from the death of Captain America, with his latest objective being to kill Tony Stark.

Granted, it's still a little whimsical in it's direction, but Winter Soldier's new mission, similar to Red Hood's time on the streets of Gotham, does highlight something intriguing about this new breed of character. That being, despite their inherent connection to mainstream icons like Batman and Captain America, they seem to be free to take things steps much farther than even some of the well established anti-heroes of the big two companies. Which is very interesting.
These guys go further than just extreme methods. They're practically heroes applying the methods of villains.

Anyway, we'll wrap it up here. Looks like I'm not going to get caught up before the end of the month, but stay tuned anyway for lots more Infinite Wars!

The Fight: 5 The Issue: 4.5