SECRET AVENGERS versus
THE HOOD/DORMAMMU
(Marvel)
Where: New Avengers #54 When: August 2009
Why: Brian Bendis How: Billy Tan

The Story So Far...
For decades, Dr. Stephen Strange shouldered the weight of burden that comes with receiving the mystic charge of the Sorcerer Supreme. As the destined master of magicks, he wielded his power to protect the delicate balance between good and evil as best he could, but when the Hulk returned from exile in space to wage war on Earth, Dr. Strange felt forced to tap into dark magic to combat the threat. It was decisions such as these that deemed him no longer worthy to protect the mortal plane as Sorcerer Supreme.

Dedicated as ever to the pursuit of good, Dr. Strange seeks out would-be successors in the hope of curtailing sinister forces who would seize the opportunity of his forced retirement, and prepare his replacement for the trials ahead. The Hood -- self-proclaimed "Kingpin of Super villains" -- emerges as his most active competitor on the side of evil, but battle does not influence the course of the sacred chain of succession.

Scanning the globe of it's mystic powers, the Eye of Agomotto finds a fitting successor in New Orleans. Thus, Dr. Strange -- joined by his former teammates in the underground Secret Avengers -- enters into a race against The Hood to ensure the power is inherited by the one intended, and not Dormammu, who is the powerful daemon with a claim to The Hood's soul.

Reaching out from his prison in the Dark Dimension from whence he came, Dormammu uses The Hood as a vessel for his own influence. It is a partnership that has allowed him to breach our plane and engage Daimon Hellstrom, the Son of Satan, in combat in the streets of New Orleans. Though a significant occult power in his own right, it is not Hellstrom that the Eye of Agomotto has chosen.

Jericho Drumm, known to the occult world as the Haitian houngan, Brother Voodoo, is the new Sorcerer Supreme. When fully realised, his powers will be sufficient enough to protect the Earth from the darkest evils of all the realms, but first he must survive the battle he is about to enter!

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Dormammu 7 (Omnipotent)
Intelligence: Dormammu 6 (Genius)
Speed: Ms. Marvel 4 (Olympian)
Stamina: Dormammu 7 (Unstoppable)
Agility: Spider-man 5 (Cat-like)
Fighting: Wolverine 6 (Warrior)
Energy: Dormammu 7 (Cosmic)


- The Secret Avengers are: Captain America, Spider-man, Ms. Marvel, Ronin, Mockingbird, Spider-Woman, Wolverine, & Luke Cage, with; Dr. Strange, Son of Satan, and Brother Voodoo.

Confronted with a government intent on pitting him against the reluctant and unwilling of his fellow heroes, Captain America instead threw his training and leadership against SHIELD and the US Government, to instead lead a resistance against their mandatory Superhero Registration Act. These Secret Avengers emerge to continue to fight the good fight, whilst protecting those who have pledged their lives to protecting the innocent. Among the most prominent and first to join the Captain's cause were; Hercules, Goliath, Luke Cage, Iron Fist, Falcon, Cloak, Dagger, and Cable.

Captain America's surrender to Tony Stark ended the superhero Civil War, and his subsequent assassination galvanized the efforts of the underground team allowed leniency by the guilty powers-that-be. Thus, these Secret Avengers continue to honor their leader, dedicated to the same justice he always sought.

- A career thief; Parker Robbins' lifetime ambition was to become a super-villain capable of battling the likes of Daredevil and Electro, who he witnessed fighting as a child. Whilst robbing a warehouse said to contain unspecified treasures, Parker gained his opportunity upon uncovering a mystically charged set of boots and cloak said to house the demon, Nistanti. Donning the red cloak granted him powers of transmutation, levitation, invisibility, and lethal bolts of energy.

As The Hood, Robbins continues to carry his weapons of choice, two hand pistols, whilst backing himself with the powers of a demon later revealed to be the dark lord of magic, Dormammu. With his master's help and inspiration of Wilson Fisk -- the Kingpin of crime his father had worked with -- Robbins begins a path to form a unified network of super powered criminals. As Kingpin of Super-Villains, he begins an association with a secret Cabal that creates a partnership with Director of HAMMER to whom he would supply hired muscle, Norman Osborn, and also brings him league with the likes of Dr. Doom and Loki.

The dread Dormammu is an ancient mystic warlord that travelled to the Dark Dimension and conquered it. His interests in other domains brought him into conflict with Earth's first Sorcerer Supreme, Agamotto, and began a destined feud with the denizens of Earth that would stretch to his most bitter arch-rivalry with Agamotto's modern counterpart, The Ancient One, and his disciple, Dr. Strange.

Bound mystically to remain confined to the Dark Dimension, Dormammu is forced to manipulate his foes through minions such as Stephen Strange's rival, Baron Mordo. His becomes an obsession of loopholes, constantly bringing him into distant battles with other heroes from Earth, such as Dr. Strange's fellow Defenders; Thor, Norse God of thunder; and even Spider-man.

Math: Avengers (Ttl) Hood/Dormammu (Avg) Ranking: Spider-man (#2)

What Went Down...
Stirred by the battle already waging outside his window, Brother Voodoo has only moments to come to terms with the download of information offered by the Eye of Agamotto. He has been chosen -- and now bares both the gift and curse of being Earth's Sorcerer Supreme. Now, a baptism of fire against The Hood who has become a vessel for Dormammu to walk the Earth.

With Dr. Strange bringing up the rear, and his houngan brother's spirit advising him, Brother Voodoo charges into battle with the demon! It is an offensive-defense that sends Dormammu reeling with a strike from the Staff of Legba.

A friendly neighbourhood shower of weblines precede the dramatic re-entry of the Avengers into the fray! Brother Voodoo gazes upon the assembly while Captain America throws his mighty shield to earn an exacerbated grunt from the human-demon hybrid.

Ronin keeps The Hood's co-conspirator, Madame Masque, out of the battle, while Ms. Marvel follows up on Cap's hit with a headlock that gives her leverage to drive Dormammu's giant flaming influence face-first into the street! The blow sets up a string of teamwork which includes Dr. Strange and Son of Satan hatching a magic collaboration to produce an end-game.

Meanwhile, Wolverine gets a shot at a little revenge for a previous encounter with The Hood, slashing his unbreakable adamantium claws through a mystically-protected gut in a burst of flames. It's a two-prong attack, complimented by a stinger blast to the mandible by Spider-Woman!

Dormammu reacts fast, slamming his fists down, but the heroes are fast and agile enough to evade the strike. Captain America again uses the shield to inflict a blow, while Spider-man and Mockingbird do their best to contribute with webs and a dropkick, respectively. Despite their teamwork, Dormammu is able to make a charge for the Eye of Agamotto hung around Brother Voodoo's neck.

Luke Cage runs interference, tackling the rampaging demon mere meters from Voodoo. Cage is swiftly manhandled as the flesh of The Hood melts away, signifying the extent of the crossing of Dormammu into our dimensional plane.

The Avengers are batted aside by the increasingly powerful Dormammu as he attempts again to obtain the mystic artifact tied to the Sorcerer Supreme. The former barer, Dr. Strange, calls upon his still impressive mystic arsenal to defend Brother Voodoo, however, unleashing a spell to expose Dormammu!

The powerful spell forces Dormammu into Daimon Hellstrom's completed trap!
As the demonlord lunges once again toward the Eye, he is held in bondage by Hellstrom's hellacious incantation. Dormammu's only consolation is to gaze upon his mortal foe, Dr. Stephen Strange, and revel in his demotion from the coveted role of Sorcerer Supreme.

Strange's replacement proves his worth by rendering both the Doctor and Son of Satan redundant in exorcising Dormammu from the body of Parker Robbins [aka; The Hood]. The esoteric incantation surprises even Hellstrom as it rips Dormammu's presence from this plane of existance, leaving a powerless Hood smouldering and naked in the street. He joins his lover, Madame Masque, in Spidey web-couture and the custody of the Avengers.

The Hammer...
You only need to go back fifteen or twenty years ago to remember a time when Dormammu was an A-list villain. He probably didn't have the presence to be a Dr. Doom, but he was a Galactus grade magic villain. Alas, it's an unauspicious debut as his internship of The Hood comes to an end via the efforts of Brother Voodoo, Dr. Strange, Son of Satan, and the Secret Avengers!

For you Infinite Wars stathounds, I'm playing it tough this time around and counting the Avengers' efforts as an assist stat. For those of you reading the site for the first time -- welcome! Here on The Comic Book Fight Club we like to look at superhero fights, discuss the comics and fiction, and just generally wallow in the pop culture fun time of comic books! Part of that includes a statistical tally of the fights reviewed.

At first glance, this looks like an unexpected truncation of The Hood's reign as Kingpin of Supervillains! In the Dark Reign landscape of the Marvel Universe, the demonically powered villain was second only to Norman Osborn in importance to the overarching clandestine machinations of evil. However, here, in the issue that finally reveals the new choice for Sorcerer Supreme, we seemingly see The Hood stripped of his powers and consequently taken out of the game!

I want to reflect on that last sentence for a second, just because it so succinctly summarizes the fact that Brian Bendis, seasoned writer of New Avengers since it's inception, has actually been cramming each issue full of content!

In the past it's been very easy to be critical of the writing, particularly on New Avengers, which barely began to find grounding before it was thrown into a free fall as a result of the Civil War rift. Here in the fifties, it feels like Bendis has finally delivered the book it was always meant to be, and it is quite glorious!

It's also been a rewarding piece of Marvel's attempts to circumvent the now traditional annual 'event' series, to instead spread the consequences of a high concept tale across multiple books. In a way, this sense of involving continuity has been a staple of the DC books for the past few years, but by doing away with any anchoring mini-series, Marvel have opened them up to a unique approach.

After the embrassments of House of M and Secret Invasion, I would've argued Marvel should never let Bendis get anywhere near a directorial position ever again. Yet -- with the personalized structure of multiple titles, the writer has found a vehicle more suited to his slow style. Dark Reign has found it's way into books as unlikely as Marvel Zombies, but the meat of the branding has been shared between books like Dark Avengers, New Avengers, and Secret Warriors, allowing for a more relaxed approach to a story that would traditionally have brought a lot of these events into a single compressed space. The Civil War mini-series comes to mind as a series that was, while satisfying as an event book, a prime example of the delineation of the story. Likewise, the Dark Reign banner hasn't strangled the life out of on-going series in the way Civil War completely derailed New Avengers!

Having spent several months thinking Dark Reign was going to be a brief storyarc about Strange's changing of the guard, it's a thrill to finally get a clear picture of the concept. And while a big part of me regrets the fact that Dr. Strange hasn't played much more than bit-roles in recent years, it's fun seeing Brother Voodoo get some of the credit he never quite got after Fred Hembeck had some fun.

Like Captain America's death; it's difficult to think of Dr. Strange's demotion in any kind of lasting terms. As fine and dandy as it would be to have Voodoo hold the mantle for the forseeable future, he probably isn't the character first-in-line for that kind of unmotivated upgrade.
With all the foreboding going on at the end of this issue of New Avengers (via Daimon Hellstrom), it seems pretty likely Bro' Voodoo's being set up for a fall of spectacular proportions. The kind of fall that kicks off a massive Marvel magic event in 2010/2011, and forces him to sacrifice himself in a blaze of glory, whilst tossing Doc Strange the keys to the kingdom on the way out.

What ever the goal, it's kinda nice to see these characters getting warmed up again! Even more pleasing is the fact that Bendis -- who doesn't have the best reputation when it comes to paying attention to stories not on his desk -- made a pretty good meal of them, too! You get a sense that the Marvel staff of thirty-to-forty-somethings are making use of the rest of the reading the did during the seventies, beyond obvious revivals of characters like Spider-Woman, and Power Man. It seems like you can barely turn a corner without bumping in to a Werewolf by Night or Shang-Chi solicitation, these days!

Thanks to Dark Reign, New Avengers has really gotten a new lease on life, and for perhaps the first time in it's run, is doing what it can do best. The Avengers are plugged in to the centre of the Marvel Universe and their actions have suddenly taken on the kind of gravitas that was teased at the end of 2007.

Billy Tan's pencils do a pretty good job delivering on the action in an issue that lives up to all your expectations of team-based superheroics. The hero of this issue might be Justin Ponsor, however, who works well the primary colours of some of the Avengers' costumes, balanced with the night time backdrop and glowing embers of Dormammu. Ponsor delivers the classic excellence you would expect of a Marvel colourist, with just the right flourish of CG to compliment some of the glowing far-out action and spellcasting.

The Fight: 5 The Issue: 6

New Avengers appears monthly from Marvel Comics featuring an all-star line-up of characters that includes; Spider-man, Wolverine, and Captain America! You can find more of those characters' exploits and links to collections of the tales via the Infinite Wars Secret Archive and Online Gift Shoppe! By using purchase links provided on the site, (like those to the right), you help sponsor future entries in The Comic Book Fight Club. You can also benefit from the range of titles and prices made available by shopping with Amazon.com and still contribute even when buying other items, provided you go through us!

ROGUE versus AVENGERS
What if Rogue possessed the power of Thor? (Marvel)
Where: What If...? #66 When: October 1994
Why: Simon Furman How: John Royle

The Story so far...
It has long been theorized that for every defining decision made in life, there are infinite worlds where each possible and even improbable outcome is played out. This is truth, and the Watcher is pledged to observe and record the events on each, including a world where a woman stole the power of Thor, becoming a goddess unto herself!

Long before she was a charter member of the X-Men. the mutant called Rogue joined her mother, Mystique, in the formation of a new Brotherhood of Mutants. Disillusioned by the birth of her spirit stealing powers, Rogue willingly submits to the terrorist actions of Mystique's group, which eventually brings them into conflict with the Avengers!

In our world Rogue permanently absorbed superhuman traits from Ms. Marvel, granting her enhanced strength, speed, and flight, and the burden of living with actions that left Marvel comatose. In another world, however, events take a considerably different turn, and a remorseless Rogue crosses a line from which she will never be able to return, and neither will Thor...

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Thor 6 (Invincible)
Intelligence: Beast 6 (Genius)
Speed: Beast 4 (Olympian)
Stamina: Thor 6 (Generator)
Agility: Beast 5 (Cat-Like)
Fighting Ability: Thor 6 (Warrior)
Energy Powers: Thor 5 (Lasers)


- The Avengers are: Thor, Spider-Woman, Vision, Hawkeye, Wonder Man, Beast, and Jocasta.

Plotting against his half-brother, the Norse god of mischief, Loki, uses illusions to manipulate the rages of the green goliath known as the Hulk!
The scheme is intended to draw Thor into a combative trap, but Loki's plans come unravelled when a distress call from Rick Jones is picked up not only by Thor, but also the Wasp, Ant-Man, and Iron Man! Despite initial misunderstandings, the unlikely team forms an alliance and easily defeats the god of mischief - thus, the Avengers are born!

Though their adventures would see the roster subject to change, the growing number of associated heroes would only lend credence to the claim that they are Earth's mightiest heroes! United, the many iterations of the Avengers would face foes of minor, or cosmic natures, always willing to put their lives on the line for the greater good, a philosophy embodied by charter members like iconic early recruit, Captain America.

Though the eventual issue of superhero registration would split the team on principle, both sides would ensure the Avengers name would live on.
In an official capacity, Tony Stark leads the team as officially registered operatives of SHIELD; while a collective of street level heroes, including the likes of Dr. Strange, Power Man, and Spider-Man, fight the good fight in secret.

- A tumultuous and unstable childhood in Mississippi masked a dark secret in the history of a girl named Anna Marie. Unbeknownst to her, a genetic time bomb was ticking away, destined to awaken during pubesence and the moment of her first, and last kiss. Upon discovering an innate mutant ability to drain the energy and mind of other living beings upon skin contact, this fragile young girl became the withdrawn woman known as Rogue.

Manipulated by her birth-mother, Mystique, Rogue would become a member of the Brotherhood of Mutants, and during this time undergo another transformation. Battle with Ms. Marvel would grant Rogue superhuman strength and the power of flight as a result of extended contact between the two.
This milestone occurance would leave a lasting guilt with Rogue, and help shape her into the woman she was destined to become, as a member of the X-Men.

The Math: Avengers Ranking: Thor (#17)

What Went Down...
This story actually omits the Watcher, instead revealing this tangent from the perspective of the precognitive mutant called Destiny, whose premonitions give her insights into the many likelihoods of any decision. It is she who foresees a dreadful future as Rogue does battle with Earth's mightiest heroes.

The battle already in progress, Spider-Woman blasts desperately at the grinning villain who keeps a palm to Thor's face. Like a superhuman leech, Rogue draws upon the godly energies of the Norse storm deity, gaining his invulnerability.

The Avengers rally their forces under the field leadership of Vision. The synthoid approaches Rogue, who is contemplating the dangers of holding on to her prey too long. Her focus remains unbroken as Vision phases his arm through her gut, increasing his density to near normal - a move that would render pain and unconsciousness on most ordinary adversaries, but not a god.

Suddenly Rogue recoils from Thor, screaming as raw energy beams from her eyes and mouth. Seeing an opening, Vision directs the Avengers to attack in her moment of weakness, but this serves only to snap Rogue out of her daze. She swats Vision with the super human strength of a god, whilst shrugging off the stinger blasts of Spider-Woman.

The Vision's synthetic body is reduced to spare parts as he hurtles through the Avengers perimeter, reaching a crash landing inside the headquarters mansion, much to the shock of his wife, Scarlet Witch.

Outside; Hawkeye, Spider-Woman and Wonder Man do their best to pool their powers, but it's a similar scene as Rogue turns the strength of the Avengers' powerhouse against them. With a mighty Norse blow, the villainness sends Wonder Man on a similar path to Vision. Merciless in her march, Rogue hoists a vehicle through which WM had crashed, and brings it crashing down upon him with interest!

Beast and Jocasta leap from within Avengers mansion.
In another world Beast and Rogue would be great friends and teammates with the X-Men, but here, the only contact between them is offensive. Rogue swats the bounding Beast, leaving him to crash across the battlefield.

Despite quipping in Thor's unique tongue, very little of the Avengers' thoughts penetrate Rogue's mind as she rampages against the heroes. In a single blow the superhuman southern belle brings her fists down upon the street, causing a quake that rattles the foundations of adjacent buildings, burying Hawkeye and Spider-Woman beneath a shower of rubble!

Jocasta next feels Rogue's wrath, as her energy blasts are easily shrugged off, and her metallic casing is penetrated by Rogue's invulnerable fist. In a frenzy, the mutant rips away at Jocasta's circuitry, revelling in her powers, until it clicks.
With the rush of combat and the absorption of power settling, Rogue begins to feel the weight of her actions.

As Wonder Man frees himself from his burial beneath a van, he bares witness to a terrifying sight. As Rogue struggles to formulate a plan of action, she reaches for Thor's hammer, and despite it's many enchantments against evil, she lifts it effortlessly...

The Hammer...
In true What If style, it's a devestating victory for the magnificent mutant, Rogue! For those who love their supet stock; though she leaves Thor technically in a coma, we're going to notch it up at a third kill stat (for Vision, Jocasta), making Rogue one lethal customer!

If you've been following this month's Cover to Cover, you'll already know we've been throwing the X-Men a bit of overdue goodwill in a month of good house keeping. A lot of overlooked items are getting checked, and this issue actually fullfils a few of them. I mean, sure, there's that X-Men connection, but there are a few other influences on this particular selection.

She-Hulk and She-Thing? Why, they're old friends of the Infinite Wars!
She-Thor on the other hand, was something that managed to completely stay below my otherwise marvelous Marvel radar! It was over on Comic by Comic that the loveable Rich Lovatt whipped this doozy onto the board in an unashamed celebration of the spin-off character currently appearing in The Initiative.

As much as I would have loved to meet his challenge to feature the lightning wielding lass, I haven't had any opportunity to pick up the Initiative title, nor was I reading Thor at the time. I suppose you could've surmised that already, given that I didn't even know who she was, but I digress... Because sure, I don't have that she-Thor, but I do have Rogue! Compromise!

It might disturb some readers to know that Thor actually has a bit of a history with gender-bending tales. At various times, including the post-apocalyptic future of Earth X, Thor has been transformed into a woman to learn humility. This action in itself has probably had sexist undertones, but no doubt it's a predicament some other folks might like to see handed down to the less considerate in the comics reading community. Lessons in humility could be learned by all, as fanboys worldwide discover an anthemic meaning in Madonna's, For a Girl.

Of course, this issue of What If features a tale about Thor becoming a woman in a much less literal sense. I had actually wanted to feature this issue the last time we hovered around Rogue, late last year [Ultimate X-Men #49].

With the exception of a period of bliss during Morrison's run, which was surrounded by other contributions by folks like Joe Casey and Brian K. Vaughan, the X-Men have been on a downward spiral into the creative bowl for a couple of decades. Incestuous storylines gave way to self-referencial nightmares, and constant revamps eventually gave way to a bland blue and yellow goop that darkened as it decayed in and around the already mentioned New X-Men.

During this period of foul characterisation and garbled plot, it was especially surprising to see the decision to cull the mutants to a rough-estimate of one hundred and ninety-eight, give or take a few astute fanboy observations. Editorial saw hope in minimizing the mutant menace, rather than using the palette of characters available to move forward with edicts to steer away from mistakes passed.

Somehow, amidst the chaos, Rogue was a character who managed to rise through the ranks. Hovering between fashion faux pas of the bland black and red outfit newer readers might recognise, and the daggy vintage of the white striped green cloak, Rogue took on a position of leadership in the X-Men that isn't unreasonable for a senior member. As the teams were fragmented by creative drafts, the favourite uncle of the X-verse was able to steer Rogue through some sort of progression, taking her beyond the timid swirl of frustrations and inadequacy that had characterized her in the recent past.

If you've jumped onto the X-Men with Messiah Complex, that last description might have you a little confused about timelines. Alas, it seems Rogue's inadequacies have again been pushed to the forefront. It's too soon to tell for sure if this will be a lasting tale of morose brooding, or a mcguffin in a much larger tale, but it's exasperation of the Nth degree.

Against all odds, the X-Men have come back to the forefront of a lot of readers' lists with Messiah Complex. The story, which for all intents, seemed to meander it's way through a messy conflict featuring some of the enduring, but thoroughly boring personalities still living in the X-Men Universe. Mystique, stripped of the good that came from her solo adventures under Vaughan, is again a thinly motivated mutant terrorist leading a band of evil mutants whose names I do not know, or want to know. As critical as I am of Joss Whedon's "Astonishing" X-Men contributions, you probably have to give him credit for using his moxy to remain removed from the mess of the core titles. Not that he isn't guilty of similar crimes, relying heavily on the past in equally frustrating, but much less unattractive ways.

Somewhere in the maelstrom of all this, Rogue has undergone some sort of transformation. Honestly, the ham-fisted Christ-allagory not even considered, this whole mutant-zero baby story just reminds me of everything that screwed the pooch. Without granting service to a story that seems to reboot the X-Men yet again, it sounds like Rogue will again become a character distanced from those around her, with motivations uncertain because of the influence of Mystique, who is now said to be the only remaining bank of memories absorbed.

I don't mean to be overly negative, and we've been coming down on a lot of topics a lot lately. It should be noted that the issue reviewed, though not perfect, is one of many great issues of the now classic series. In fact, the conclusion of the story, which is something I hope to revisit in the future, paints exactly the kind of contrasting picture I'd like to see of this character.

Rogue managed to work her way through the punkish rebellion of her earlier years, but the hurdle of brooding melodrama is a foe proving most worthy.
This roughly amounts to our discussion the last time we looked at Rogue, and I'm not sure I have an easy, or specific solve. Without even getting into the design innovations of soft-latex bodysuits, I want to say there's forward momentum to be granted to the character. I want to say there's some sort of momentary light at the end of her tunnel, even if on-going stories throw up new hurdles.

What about you, fearless reader?
What are your thoughts about the progress of one of Marvel's franchise mutants? Has the character's depiction in the feature films only hindered any chance of development, or is there still hope for Rogue when she returns in the rebuilding series, X-Men: Legacy, dedicated to a new team post-Professor X's shooting.
Make your feelings known by hitting up the comments, where all remarks are welcome!

The Fight: 5.5 The Issue: 4.5

Unfortunately neither this issue of What If, nor the story it's based upon, Rogue's first appearance in Avengers Annual #10, have been reprinted recently. If you're lucky, you might be able to hunt down a copy of "X-Men: Famous Firsts" or "The Greatest Battles of the Avengers" on Amazon. By utilizing links provided on the Infinite Wars for purchases, you help support your favourite comic book fight blog! Yay!