ABOMINATION versus SUB-MARINER

When Titans Splash (Marvel)
Where: Namor The Sub-Mariner #59 When: February 1995 Why: Glenn Herdling How: Geof Isherwood

The Story So Far...
The Abomination is an unexpected intruder in the Sub-Mariner's domain, but the gamma-irradiated powerhouse is merely a pawn in a grand scheme to construct underwater nuclear reactors for artificial island bases!

Controlling The Abomination from the safety of a cloaked deep sea vessel is a remnant of his days as a KGB agent -- and while the Sub-Mariner defends himself from the beast's attack, Stingray investigates the unseen enemy that dwells in the water.

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Draw 6 (Invincible)
Intelligence: Sub-Mariner 4 (Tactician)
Speed: Draw 4 (Olympian)
Stamina: Abomination 6 (Generator)
Agility: Sub-Mariner 3 (Acrobat)
Fighting: Sub-Mariner 6 (Warrior)
Energy: Draw 1 (None)
Total: Sub-Mariner 29 (Meta-Human)

The Abomination is supposedly stronger than the Hulk, but even if that were true -- it won't give him any guarantees against one of the jade giant's oldest and most vexing sparring partners -- especially fighting in his domain!

Namor, the Sub-Mariner is among the strongest heroes in the Marvel Universe, reaching peak power when submerged in the sea. The life-giving waters can restore him from devastated weakness to full strength -- as we saw during his battle with Tiger Shark and The Aquanoids in Marvel Team-Up #14!

Namor has such esteem as a physical combatant that he joined Thor, Firelord, and Iron Man in the first wave assault on Thanos during Infinity Gauntlet #4, and took on a super-enhanced Ronan the Accuser in Maximum Security #3! He even bested the Mind Gem itself while on mission in New Avengers: Illuminati #2!

A contentious attitude, and obligations to the undersea kingdom of Atlantis, have made Prince Namor an opponent of heroes and villains alike.

Along with run-ins with the likes Hulk and the Fantastic Four, we've seen him almost single-handedly fight the X-Men to a standstill in X-Men #6, withstand a brainwashed Wolverine in New Invaders #6, and overwhelm Iron Man during Invincible Iron Man #12. He can stand toe-to-toe with Abomination - but will he?

The Tape: Sub-Mariner Ranking: Sub-Mariner (#33)

What Went Down...

A massive green-fisted uppercut sends Namor hurtling backwards, but the Prince of the Deep quickly corrects his course to wrap a vengeful hand around Abomination's throat!

Triton, Andromeda, and Stingray watch in horror as Abomination launches another powerful attack, socking the Sub-Mariner across the jaw with a devastating left that once again sends him streaking through the water!

Triton & Andromeda jump in to lock-up Abomination's arms, but the powerhouse simply drags them into a head-long collision by rapidly raising his fists!

Recognizing he's clearly out-matched -- Stingray leaves Abomination to his business, taking the opportunity to investigate a mysterious wave distortion spotted earlier.

Sub-Mariner returns to the fray, rising from beneath Abomination to grab hold of his jaw and thrust the behemoth's head violently upward!

A light overhead diverts Namor's attention to a materializing underwater vessel that extends a mechanical claw to grab hold of Stingray.

The distraction allows Abomination to deliver a powerful body blow that smashes Namor through underwater rocks!

The deep sea monarch recalls his acquaintance with the Hulk as Abomination smashes his fist through more rock, narrowly missing Namor's head.

A sense of urgency consumes the Sub-Mariner as he works quickly to end the fight so he can save Stingray. With the entire ocean at his command, he begins to swim rapid circles around the Abomination -- generating a crushing vortex!

Feeling the pressure of the sea bearing down on him, Abomination does the only thing he can -- smashing his palms together to send a powerful shockwave through the water that interrupts the Sub-Mariner's flow.

Namor is never the less the first to recover and resume his affront -- dive bombing both fists into Abomination's gut like an undersea torpedo!

Bravado becomes his undoing as boasting that even the Hulk never beat him beneath the sea inspires a tactical shift from Abomination.

The gamma-irradiated powerhouse manages to grab the swimming Sub-Mariner by the ankle and launch him uncontrollably toward the surface with a mighty throw!

Namor's wings aren't powerful enough to slow his ascent, but breaching the surface reveals a man-made island to the Prince of the Sea. He only has a moment to survey the military installation before Abomination joins him in the air!

Abomination launches from the water with a diving tackle, but Namor's aerial superiority gives him the foundation to punch the villain in the face -- and send them both plunging back into his domain!

The Sub-Mariner grabs hold of his opponent and steers him towards deeper waters still, challenging the Abomination's presumption to enjoy fighting underwater.

The Avenging Son threatens to test Abomination's resilience with the nitrogen blood absorption of a trip 15,000 feet below to The Hellencian Trench, but before he can make good on the excursion -- a cloaked craft orders a halt!

The mercenary Major Bogatin issues an ultimatum: the Sub-Mariner will help them pilfer a sunken submarine to construct a nuclear reactor for the Advanced Idea Mechanics' artificial island -- or they will execute Stingray!

Thus, Prince Namor joins the Abomination in reluctant servitude -- for now.

The Hammer...

An exciting fight ends with an unlikely alliance as Sub-Mariner joins Abomination in the same predicament of indentured servitude.

Neither wishes to serve the whims of AIM -- or rather, the ex-KGB mercenary now working for them -- but both must cooperate to preserve the lives of Stingray and Abomination's ex-wife, Nadia Dornova. At least... long enough for Namor's ally Andromeda to find the cloaked sub holding them and stage a rescue.

It's another strange twist in the life and times of Emil Blonsky, who seemed to thrive after his Hulk-like transformation, but keeps finding himself in vaguely sympathetic situations, forced to serve masters who desire his power, and suffering emotional torture and hardship as a result.

This time it's the former Major Bogatin seeking to exploit Abomination's power.

He knew Blonsky from their days as KGB spies, imbedded together in the US Air Force base where Bruce Banner was developing the gamma bomb that turned him into the Hulk. Bogatin was therefore well positioned to doubt that Emil had perished when he disappeared, having been transformed into Abomination.

Apparently the erstwhile Major put it all together, and leverages his unique insight into Blonsky's earlier life to coerce him into an elaborate scheme of salvaging sunk submarines, and constructing underwater nuclear power plants without succumbing to radiation, or intense subaquatic pressure.

The story draws heavily from those seminal issues of Incredible Hulk, padding the nefarious figures lurking in the shadows to further flesh out Abomination's backstory some thirty years later. Something that had already been done with the introduction of his ex-wife in Incredible Hulk a few years earlier, in 1991.

By keeping it light and focused on telling a new story -- rather than meddling with old ones -- it succeeds rather well. They even float the idea that Abomination might be particularly well suited to fighting underwater. A simple, intuitive idea drawn from his slightly amphibious look. Gotta love those fin-like Jack Kirby ears.

The issue ends with Abomination catching up with his blackmailer and doing something very nasty off-panel with a sickening "KRAK". A grim end for Bogatin, who might've worked as an on-going menace in the Marvel Universe, but just exists to give an inconsequential super-villain guest spot a bit more heft.

You might've thought mutual grievance would've kept the morally ambiguous Sub-Mariner on the same page with Abomination, but once Andromeda helps Stingray escape with Nadia, the villain snatches a warhead detonator and clobbers Namor, eager to destroy Bogatin's work, seemingly with Triton in the blast zone.

It might've been an interesting premise to parlay Abomination into Sub-Mariner's limited rogues gallery, but it of course turns out the Inhuman fish-man is just fine, washed ashore by the submarine explosion. No harm, no foul, I suppose.

I'm a bit of a sucker for a good villain crossover and this issue satisfies on that level. It's an interesting match-up and we at least get a pretty good taste of what it's like for Sub-Mariner and Abomination do battle. A palatable alternative to the many run-ins between Namor and Hulk over the years.

Your mileage will vary vis-a-vis the very mid-nineties artwork. Some scenes and figures have a very rough finish with unrefined detail, such as faces, while others look dynamic and well staged. That roughness seemed to become a curious signature of the Namor series, getting very spiny and vague when Jae Lee arrives.

Geof Isherwood inks himself here, with colours by Glynis Oliver that come together brilliantly to create a real sense of vast space in the panel showing Namor over Abomination and a cloaked sub. That one's a favourite.

If you'd like to see more from these characters and creators you can follow links throughout this post -- or deep dive into the Secret Archive for an index of featured fights in order of publisher, series, and issue number.

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Winner: Inconclusive
#33 (--) Sub-Mariner
#635 (-4) Abomination
#630 (new) Major Bogatin [+1 assist]
#631 (new) Andromeda [+1 assist]
#632 (new) Triton [+1 assist]
#633 (new) Stingray [+1 assist]

AVENGERS & X-MEN versus RONAN

Whatever The Cost! (Marvel)
Where: Maximum Security #3 When: January 2001
Why: Kurt Busiek How: Jerry Ordway

The Story So Far...
A sudden global surge in extraterrestrial conflict reveals a master plan by the Intergalactic Council of empires to declare Earth a prison planet!

Encounters with the Kree, Skrull, Shi'ar, and more have earned humans a meddlesome reputation. To further delay them from reaching beyond the stars, the untamable scum of the universe are now interned to keep Earth busy. Energy lattice surrounds the solar system in an effort to contain humanity and the prisoners from further interference.

With the Kree seemingly conquered by the Shi'ar Empire, Ronan The Accuser was appointed overseer of the new prison planet, but in truth he has conspired to launch a new Kree uprising. With the mutated Ruul army at his command, and an infestation of the Earth by Ego feeding him unlimited power, Ronan stands poised to lead the Supreme Intelligence to ultimate victory!

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Ronan 6 (Invincible)
Intelligence: Goliath 6 (Genius)
Speed: Nova 7 (Light Speed)
Stamina: Thor 6 (Generator)
Agility: Spider-Man 5 (Cat-Like)
Fighting: Wolverine 6 (Warrior)
Energy: Ronan 6 (Mass Destruction)
Total: Ronan The Accuser 34 (Super)

Earth's heroes are: Thor, Warbird, Sub-Mariner, Wonder Man, She-Hulk, Goliath, Hercules, Thing, Beta Ray Bill, Rogue, Colossus, Sunfire, with USAgent, Quasar, Captain America, Spider-Man, Wolverine, Nova, Namorita, Speedball, Triathlon, and Mister Fantastic, Iron Man, Bruce Banner, Silver Surfer.

Several other heroes can be seen teleporting into action with Quasar, but for the sake of clarity, we're only focusing on those identifiably involved in the battle. This includes support troops led by USAgent fighting on the ground.

Ronan The Accuser has been dramatically augmented by Ego, who has begun to infest the Earth. The flow of power Ego supplies adds to Ronan's already impressive Kree might, and results in a massive increase in his physical size.

Working on the Ego problem are Mister Fantastic, Iron Man, and Bruce Banner. They've built a machine to repel the infestation, and drain Ronan's power by funneling it into a captive host. Silver Surfer has volunteered for the potentially lethal absorption, but it means he's taken out of the battle.

Silver Surfer's absence from the fight will be felt. We saw him beat Ronan back in Silver Surfer #13, but there are still plenty of other heavy hitters on the field who have credentials beating some prominent cosmic opponents!

Thor can match his hammer against Ronan's Universal Weapon, having used it to best Super-Skrull in Thor #465. Warbird (Carol Danvers) gained her powers from the Kree and has a late win over Thanos [FCBD Civil War II #1]. She-Hulk performed the rare feat of defeating Champion of the Universe in She-Hulk #8. Sub-Mariner was one of the first heroes to valiantly face Thanos in Infinity Gauntlet #4, joining She-Hulk in a noteworthy grim stand. Even Colossus has memorable cosmic face-offs, including a win over Ord in Astonishing X-Men #5!

Thing has made a career of taking on the universe's deadliest fighters. His renown across galaxies was built on battles against Ronan himself, The Champion, and villains like Ego, The Living Planet [Fantastic Four #235], Gladiator [Fantastic Four #249], Paibok The Power Skrull [Fantastic Four #358], and even his own Magus created Doppelganger [Fantastic Four #367]!

The heroes can also count on the aide of Beta Ray Bill, who was interned on Earth as part of the intergalactic council's designation as a prison planet. Beta Ray Bill famously defeated Thor in Thor #337, proving worthy to wield Mjolnir before Odin granted him his own hammer: Stormbreaker. He once fought Silver Surfer to a standstill in Beta Ray Bill: Godhunter #2, and fought valiantly by his side against the unstoppable Tyrant in Silver Surfer #82!

This all spells one phenomenal fighting force, but will it be enough to mitigate the incredible power boost received by Ronan The Accuser? They're literally fighting a man with the power of an entire planet -- and a Kree army!

The Tape: Earth's Allied Heroes Ranking: Spider-Man (#2)

What Went Down...
A sudden flash of light signals the arrival of Ronan The Accuser. He hovers menacingly in the air, a towering titan gazing down at the aggravating heroes who have begun to threaten his power source.

With a gesture of his Universal Weapon, he summons an army of Kree imperial soldiers, and warns Earth's heroic brains trust that they will be destroyed if they reactivate their machine. Then -- another flash of light: the cavalry!

Quasar teleports a troop of heroes over thirty-strong and when Ronan  threatens to kill them all -- USAgent steps forward to order the heroes against him. They swarm the giant-sized Accuser!

Thor, Wonder Man, and Warbird come in high with blows to the head and face, while Sub-Mariner contends with the giant's right arm, and Beta Ray Bill and Goliath lock up the left! Working the body is Hercules and Colossus, while She-Hulk and Thing come in hot from below as the giant threatens to lose footing!

Around Ronan's feet, Kree soldiers scurry as they contend with the heroes' support forces. USAgent bats at a small group, while Spider-Man, Wolverine, Nova, Triathlon, Namorita, Speedball, and Captain America do the same!

Overhead: Ronan delivers his first decisive blow as he targets Thor with his own hammer-like weapon and unleashes the planetary force of Ego!

With a wild backhanded chop, The Accuser dispatches with Beta Ray Bill, Hercules, and Sub-Mariner! He then turns his attentions to the ionic Wonder Man and brings his massive Universal Weapon slamming down upon him!

USAgent bats a Kree soldier with his photonic shield and contemplates the fragility of humanity's hopes against the invaders, while across the battlefield Mister Fantastic rallies the Thing and Human Torch to defend their ace.

Bruce Banner and Iron Man finish loading the Silver Surfer into their device and in an agonizing instant Ego's incredible power begins flooding into his body! His back arches, while on the horizon the infested landscape that is Ego begins to contort violently -- and Ronan The Accuser begins to shrink!

Ronan is caught completely off guard as his unfathomable power weakens ever so slightly and his mass begins to reduce. The sudden change signals the opportunity for the heroes to strike!

Rogue calls out his sudden weakening, with Thor, Warbird, Wonder Man, Sub-Mariner, Beta Ray Bill and Colossus rushing in to capitalize!

The Silver Surfer betrays his struggle as he begins to moan and his chrome skin burns ever brighter with blistering energy. Iron Man can see the strain is too great, but before any of the genius heroes can act -- Silver Surfer is torn free!

His smoldering and cracked body falls limply to the ground even as he attempts to volunteer for another try. The words catch in his throat as he passes out. There will be no reprieve for The Surfer.

From the air above, Quasar spots the brains trust of Banner, Richards, and Iron Man gathering over the exhausted cosmic rider. He scans the horizon, taking in the vista of his home planet Earth, then leaves Nova battling the Kree warriors.

It seems Silver Surfer's power cosmic could not contain the energies absorbed from Ego, but Quasar assures Reed Richards that his quantum power is more adaptive. Knowing the risks, he volunteers to be strapped into the machine and the draining process begins anew!

Sensing the sudden pull of his energy once more -- Ronan lashes out wildly by swatting Thor, Rogue, and Sunfire out of the air! The Kree Accuser can tell that the drain is more smooth than before, hastening his desire to find the cause.

Still gigantic; Ronan stomps across a smoking battlefield littered with the beaten bodies of Thor, Hercules, and more. He sets his sights on the machine attacking Ego's infestation of Earth, and prepares to battle Earth's last line of defense!

The Hammer...

Ronan does a very convincing job of cleaning house before setting his sights on the next challenge. The battle is won, but the war is certainly not over!

War is very much the tone here. I think the more superhero universes became proliferated with identifiable characters - the greater the desire to see a war-like scenario. Several series tried it. There are obvious echoes of Operation: Galactic Storm and Infinity Gauntlet in this one. I can't help but think of Annihilation as well, which took the hell of cosmic warfare even deeper into the trenches.

1984's Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars may be the most recognized example of conflict between warring Marvel factions, but that was much more about isolating defined sides and smashing them together like (tie-in) toys. Speaking of which: Isn't it about damn time we featured the site's namesake? I digress...

In a continuum of those memorable Marvel events, Maximum Security makes a lot of sense. Through the prism of published releases in 2001, however, it reads almost anachronistic.

The event feels like the last gasp of a movement begun with the soft Heroes Return reset of 1998. There's a colourful, fluffy house style in the artwork, and a confluence of references to Marvel's favoured past, and the character designs of the misguided mid-90s and probing millennium. All would soon go away.

Indeed, the concluding issue of Maximum Security may be cover dated 2001, but it very much belongs to the final throes of 2000, when it actually hit racks.

The release of the first X-Men movie that same year is arguably what changed comics forever. It was a foundation stone for the next two decades of superhero domination in cinema, but it would also influence two of the defining releases of 2001: Ultimate X-Men, and Grant Morrison & Frank Quitely's New X-Men.

Both were incredibly intriguing in their own way, participating in a movement towards more sedate art direction, and denser character work. Everything was being deliberately rethought. Designs got blacker, and bombastic super-heroics were taking a slight step back as written concepts took greater focus.

I was vaguely aware of the Maximum Security crossover unfolding when it came out, but it didn't connect with me. It seems like every ardent comic book fan has a lull in their reading, and for me, it was very much 99-2000. They were generally exciting times, and other interests just started to eclipse a lifetime of reading comics.

In hindsight, Maximum Security was a little old fashioned, but I think if I'd taken the time to look closer, I would've enjoyed it. It was certainly an interesting piece of history to revisit when I picked up back issues many years later.

Three issues doesn't give the core mini-series a lot of room to expand upon a fast moving plot, but there are, of course, many tie-in issues that focus closer on relevant characters and spillover. There may be no better marker of time than Gambit #23: a series I frequently forget even existed.

Ronan The Accuser stands out as a main villain, which feels like a culmination of sorts. Growing up I'd always thought of Ronan as a big deal (and a classic Fantastic Four villain), but under scrutiny it becomes apparent his appearances were steady, but infrequent. He's really more of a Captain Marvel character, and for many years he hung his accuser's hat on the legendary Kree-Skrull War.

At the start of Maximum Security he poses as another banished alien forced to warden the Earth prison. A dirty tactic, but a nice set up for his coming out as a literal big bad. It's fun to see him swatting around some of the heaviest hitters in the Marvel Universe, even if the interactions are a tad impersonal.

I'll look forward to returning to the next phase of the battle in the future, when the other, more surprising featured character comes back to the fore: USAgent!

In the mean time, Blogger restrictions means this entry will only appear tagged for the fighters featured tackling Ronan. For most of the others, we have an assist stat that acknowledges their support role. You can check out the updated character rankings and results at the bottom of this post.

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Secret Wars on Infinite Earths has featured well over 600 battles and ranked more than 950 characters! You can find them all indexed in the Secret Archive by publisher, series, and issue number. Or simply discover more wonders by following links throughout this and other feature articles.

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Winner: Ronan The Accuser
#398 (+286) Ronan The Accuser
#613 (+279) Ego The Living Planet [+1 assist]
#31 (-1) Sub-Mariner
#32 (--) Thor
#35 (--) Silver Surfer
#49 (-2) Warbird (Carol Danvers)
#70 (-12) Rogue
#74 (-3) Wonder Man
#80 (-6) Goliath (Hank Pym)
#145 (-1) She-Hulk
#400 (-56) Beta Ray Bill
#419 (-7) Hercules
#423 (-3) Colossus
#591 (-137) Sunfire
#2 (--) Spider-Man [+1 assist]
#3 (--) Iron Man [+1 assist]
#4 (--) Wolverine [+1 assist]
#6 (--) Hulk (Bruce Banner) [+1 assist]
#10 (--) Mister Fantastic [+1 assist]
#12 (--) Thing [+1 assist]
#115 (+1) Nova (Richard Rider) [+1 assist]
#130 (+2) USAgent [+1 assist]
#428 (--) Speedball [+1 assist]
#614 (+282) Quasar [+1 assist]
#922 (new) Namorita [+1 assist]
#923 (new) Triathlon [+1 assist]

VISION, SUB-MARINER & SHE-HULK versus THANOS

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

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

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

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

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Thanos 6 (Invincible)
Intelligence: Thanos 5 (Professor)
Speed: Firelord 5 (Super-Speed)
Stamina: Thanos 7 (Unstoppable)
Agility: Sub-Mariner 3 (Acrobat)
Fighting: Thanos 6 (Warrior)
Energy: Thanos 6 (Mass Destruction)
Total: Thanos 34 (Super)

The assembly of heroes enters the third phase of attack with confidence gained from their second wave brawlers. They may've been sent packing, but set up the distraction to begin a third wave with: Vision, Sub-Mariner and She-Hulk!

Sub-Mariner was part of the first wave that Thanos avoided by manipulating time. They never really entered any kind of conflict, but inadvertently helped Thanos reach a decision to negate his omnipotence - and fight fair.

She-Hulk doesn't quite pack the punch of her incredible cousin -- who was part of the second wave -- but with the flying Sub-Mariner in tow, she could provide a more dexterous follow-up to the brawling successes of Hulk and Drax! She can stretch to her cousin's strength level [eg; She-Hulk vs Avengers], but it's her mental acumen that best distinguishes her.

Champion of the Universe was able to beat She-Hulk using the Power Infinity Gem in She-Hulk #8, but she lawyered her way to a quick rematch victory in a memorable cosmic contest. Thanos isn't above reason, but he's probably made the exceptions he's going to. So smart strength is her best role.

Ultimately, the real x-factor in this phase of attack is Vision! The eerie android brings a versatility that none of the other combatants have offered! Thanos has committed to fighting by some rules of physical reality, but Vision can easily subvert them by shifting his density from total intangibility - to super density!

In the "Counter Earth" reality of Avengers (Vol. 2) #1; Vision's density proved strong enough to topple Thor! Unfortunately, his synthoid body was susceptible to the magic of Loki. When Rogue absorbed Thor's powers in the alternate reality of What If...? #66, Vision attempted a trademark of shifting density while intersecting with her body, but her newfound godly energies rendered it moot.

If the other heroes can maintain a distraction, Vision could conceivably try to sneak up on Thanos, to attempt to interfere with the Infinity Gauntlet, or harm him by shifting density within his person. A hand in the brain is sure to cause even Thanos problems! He could also deliver a powerful beam of energy from his forehead at point blank!

That said, with so much power at his disposal, it's just as likely Vision could be reduced to scrap by the powers of the Infinity Gems! Like Loki's magic, the gems could have unforeseen effects. Thanos himself also possesses abilities to manipulate energy that could destroy Vision - and his allies!

The heroes are riding a moment of opportunity, but the deck is still seemingly stacked in Thanos' favour. Let's see what happens in the third wave!

The Tape: Vision, Sub-Mariner & She-Hulk Ranking: Sub-Mariner (#22)

What Went Down...
Preoccupied with attempting to squash a miniaturized Hulk -- Thanos doesn't notice the eerie synthezoid materializing behind him! The Vision has the drop on the god-like being -- and intends to take full advantage!

Vision unleashes a narrow beam of energy directly at Thanos! Its heat causes the surrounding air to ignite - engulfing Thanos in flames!

Unaffected by the fire, but stunned by the unexpected attack, Thanos stands idle as the Vision disappears as suddenly as he came! The synthezoid phases effortlessly through Thanos' space platform in strategic retreat.

Captain America orders his team to "pour on the power" -- summoning She-Hulk and Sub-Mariner in a sudden rush!

Sub-Mariner soars above the licking flames, while She-Hulk runs straight through! Their fists collide with Thanos in perfect unison - a left and a right!

Thanos orders the pair away with a remarkably simplistic push. He throws his hands outward to merely shove them away. but his newfound powers are as vast as they are cruel! In truth, the areas where his hands made contact begin to manifest a strange growth spreading across their chests with alarming speed!

Namor and She-Hulk desperately claw at the spreading stuff as it overwhelms their chest and torso! In seconds their arms and faces are also encased! It only takes a few more for the two Avengers to be completely and utterly consumed.

Where once there was hope, there is now only two disgusting piles of unknown moss marking the place where Sub-Mariner and She-Hulk died. Such is the unspeakable will of the Titan who would court death: Thanos!

The Hammer...
The first wave ended in ambiguity, while the second was determined only in retreat. Vision may've got in and out, but this time Thanos concludes the battle with the most final of victories -- a double fatality!

I'm reluctant to state exactly what it was that consumed them with any certainty. The initial growth was on bare flesh, but it quickly overwhelmed their clothing, too. Some kind of fungus, it would seem. It hardly matters.

One might question whether Sub-Mariner and She-Hulk were the best heroes for this particular fight. Their courage is unquestionable, of course, but in a battle of such esoteric scale, could the close quarters combat of bare flesh truly hope to triumph? On a team with so many heavy-hitters, perhaps you would think so, but alas poor Namor, I knew him well.

Adam Warlock seems fairly resigned to losing some of his troops. His resolve to keep Silver Surfer out of the fight doesn't sit well with the space rider, but it has its purpose. At least Vision made an impression and remains in play.

For those following the rankings through these posts, Vision's role will warrant an assist stat - rather than a defeat. His get in, get out offensive really only served to facilitate the follow-up power play from the duo of defeated Avengers.

Vision has established himself as a floating wildcard with potential to cause real harm. His phasing powers could be a real game changer if he can use them to relieve Thanos of The Infinity Gauntlet, or interfere with his internal make-up.

Be here in two days as we advance to the fourth wave! Readers of past, present, and future can find all the Infinity Gauntlet installments via links throughout these posts, or by using the Secret Archive Index! All featured fights are filed by publisher, series, and issue number!

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Winner: Thanos
#66 (+51) Thanos [+2 kills]
#24 (-2) Sub-Mariner
#375 (-5) She-Hulk
#359 (+3) Vision [+1 assist]

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

IRON MAN, THOR, FIRELORD & SUB-MARINER versus THANOS

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

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

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

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

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Thanos 6 (Invincible)
Intelligence: Thanos 5 (Professor)
Speed: Firelord 5 (Super-Speed)
Stamina: Thanos 7 (Unstoppable)
Agility: Sub-Mariner 3 (Acrobat)
Fighting: Thanos 6 (Warrior)
Energy: Thanos 6 (Mass Destruction)
Total: Thanos 34 (Super)

The force assembled to take on Thanos is a who's who of heroes who survived his purge of half of all existing life! The collective is guided by Adam Warlock, with field command led by Captain America.

Their strategy involves multiple waves of attack, beginning with a heavy hitting first strike. Charged with firing this opening salvo is a trio of Avengers, with a former herald of Galactus: Iron Man, Thor, Sub-Mariner, and Firelord!

Firelord was once Pyreus Kril of the planet Xandar. He was a soldier of the Nova Corps, until his friend Gabriel Lan was abducted by Galactus. Kril doggedly pursued his friend, pledging his service to The Devourer of Worlds in exchange for knowledge of Gabriel's untimely demise as the short-lived herald Air-Walker.

Like others imbued with the Power Cosmic: Firelord possesses greatly enhanced strength, speed, and stamina. He also wields a staff in combat, able to channel cosmic fire through the weapon. He's used this power to battle opponents as powerful as: Ego The Living Planet, Phoenix, Silver Surfer, Nebula, and Thor!

Thor may appear to be part of this awesome foursome, but at this point in time, it was mortal Eric Masterson who was in possession of Mjolnir! He was given the full powers of the thunder god so as to protect Earth while the real Thor lived in exile - punishment handed down by Odin.

Masterson would eventually come to be better known as the mace-wielding Thunderstrike, but at this time, he's the next best thing to the god of thunder! He may lack the combat experience of the genuine article, but possesses all his godly strengths -- as long as he isn't separated from Mjolnir for sixty seconds!

That just leaves Iron Man and Sub-Mariner, who between them have registered notable victories against: Juggernaut, Doctor Doom, The Mandarin, Diablo, Axis Mundi, and other prominent opponents. We know them well!

Against any other opponent, they would be an intimidating force - but Thanos is no ordinary villain! We saw him swiftly defeat a manipulated Terrax [Green Lantern/Silver Surfer], and dominate the entire line-up of Guardians of the Galaxy [GOTG #25] without any enhancements!

In today's battle he has forged the famed Infinity Gauntlet: A glove wielding the combined powers of The Infinity Stones. These grant him command over the realms of Soul, Mind, Power, Time, Reality, and Space. He is nigh omnipotent!

The laws of reality are now within Thanos' jurisdiction - and unlike some who may wield the gauntlet, he has the wherewithal to fully comprehend and control the power at his finger tips. His influence is on a cosmic scale, making physical reality trivial in comparison. There's no greater example than his purging of half of living entities in the universe!

Among the heroes identified as missing, likely eradicated, are: Archangel, Beast, Black Cat, Black Panther, Box, Dagger, Daredevil, Diamond Lil, Firestar, Guardian, Hawkeye, Hercules, Human Torch, Iceman, Invisible Woman, Makkari, Marvel Boy, Marvel Girl, Mister Fantastic, Night Thrasher, Northstar, Power Man, Puck, Quicksilver, Sasquatch, Sersi, Shaman, Thing, USAgent, Vindicator, Wasp, Windshear.

Which brings us to the fight! If Thanos can erase all those heroes in an instant, the odds are clearly stacked against those that survived. Existence gives them the chance to confront Thanos on the physical plane, but with all the power at his disposal, the odds are not in their favour! Let the fight for life begin!

The Tape: Avengers & Firelord Ranking: Iron Man (#3)

What Went Down...

Delivered to Thanos' space shrine to Death by the magic of Doctor Strange; the heroes launch their carefully planned attack!

Iron Man, Firelord, Thor, and Sub-Mariner hurl themselves at the battlefield as the first wave. Each extends whatever influence they can before their airborne person! Thor tosses his mighty hammer, Firelord spews cosmic flame, and Iron Man lets loose with blasts from his armored gauntlets!

Only the noble Sub-Mariner leads the pure muscle, flying his body towards Thanos like a human missile! Four awesome attacks of pure brawn and energy certain to destroy any opponent -- assuming they ever connect!

With a simple snap of his fingers - The Mad Titan freezes time. Each threat hangs suspended in reality as Thanos moves freely amongst them. He smiles, confident in the transcendent knowledge of the Infinity Gauntlet's power.

The Titan walks among his first attackers and despairs. He'd hoped the universe would challenge him with so much more. He notes he could eradicate them in an instant. Such is the awesome omnipotence of The Infinity Gauntlet!

Spared the bondage of time and reality is Thanos' advisor - Mephisto - who draws his attention to two more existing beyond the gauntlet's influence. Adam Warlock and Silver Surfer loom over the battlefield in observation. The arrogant Thanos presumes their reservation to be a sign of intelligence. He contemplates their destruction - but Mephisto seizes his ear!

If omnipotence has failed to impress the mistress Death, perhaps an act of courage may improve his lot. Mephisto inspires a scenario where Thanos has severed his cosmic awareness, granting the barest chance of failure!

Only Thanos' brother Starfox notices Mephisto's mischief at work. He has saved the heroes from instant eradication, granting them their first sliver of hope. It is highly unlikely that Thanos' power will be overcome - but now there is a chance!

Thanos resumes the natural timeline by a simple act of will. No longer where he once stood; Mjolnir, Sub-Mariner, and the heroes' attacks crash into the stony matter of the strange space platform!

The Mad Titan lets out a bellowing laugh -- sufficiently distracted to be unaware of the next wave of assault coming behind him!

The Hammer...
It's no secret the mini-series' titular "Infinity Gauntlet" refers to a gem-studded glove worn by Thanos. What's a little less obvious is the existence of a second gauntlet: The running of the gauntlet by Thanos -- against some of the greatest heroes of the Marvel Universe -- in the pages of Infinity Gauntlet #4!

It was difficult to determine whether or not the battle should be examined as a single force in continuing attack, or a series of separate skirmishes.

This opening strike highlights the nature of the problem fairly well. The narrative perspective is told through Thanos, who can remove himself from normal time, and examine a frozen moment over multiple pages.

Each offensive is designed to flow as part of a larger plan hatched by Adam Warlock, but the overlap is minimal. Each wave is easily distinguished, with only a few fighters participating in multiple waves. Taken as a gauntlet of separate attacks, we'll be examining each wave as a featured fight.

As for this opening attack? Thanos may have had total manipulation of the battlefield, but this opening challenge resulted in no conclusive result.

I'm sure Sub-Mariner didn't particularly enjoy flying face-first into Thanos' platform, but he's faced far worse, and didn't have too much trouble smashing right through it. The other heroes involved were in no way impacted by their attacks missing the target. This is by definition an inconclusive draw!

Rest assured the battles that are coming will not end quite so ambiguously. The heroes have been given a chance to fight the impossible foe. We'll see just how successful they are as we return for daily Infinity Gauntlet updates!

You can follow Secret Wars on Infinite Earths on Twitter and Facebook to help keep you abreast of subsequent updates. Those coming in late can check out the Secret Archive Index to find sequential links to each battled listed under Infinity Gauntlet in the Marvel section. I'll endeavor to make sure there are links to adjacent waves of attack for convenience. [See: Hulk & Drax vs Thanos]

If you'd like to witness every bitter blow and cosmic gesture - check out the collected edition of The Infinity Gauntlet! By shopping via the Amazon link provided, you not only get yourself a good deal - you help support Secret Wars on Infinite Earths at no extra cost!

For his role in inspiring their stay of execution, Mephisto will record an unlikely assist stat. The demon trickster is here as chosen advisor to Thanos, but it's clearly in his interest to stem the flow of evaporating souls.

Winner(s): Inconclusive (Draw)
#3 (--) Iron Man
#22 (--) Sub-Mariner
#410 (new) Thor (Eric Masterson)
#411 (new) Firelord
#353 (+2) Thanos
#144 (+31) Mephsito [+1 assist]

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

HERO OF THE WEEK: SUB-MARINER (Marvel)
Real Name: Namor McKenzie
First Appearance: Motion Picture Funnies Weekly #1 (April, 1939)
Fight Club Ranking: #21

Featured Fights:
- vs X-MEN: X-Men #6 (Jul 1964)
- vs DR. DORCUS & TIGERSHARK: Marvel Team-Up #14 (Oct 1973)
- vs ATTUMA: What If? #41 (Oct 1983)
- vs AQUAMAN: Marvel versus DC #2 (Mar 1996)
- vs MR. FANTASTIC: Fantastic Four #412 (May 1996)
- vs AVENGERS: New Invaders #0 (Aug 2004)
- vs PTERRORISTS: New Invaders #1 (Oct 2004)
- vs WOLVERINE: New Invaders #6 (Mar 2005)
- vs RED SKULL & MASTERMAN: Captain America #5 (Mar 2005)
- vs MIND GEM: New Avengers: Illuminati #2 (Mar 2007)
- vs IRON MAN: Invincible Iron Man #12 (Jun 2009)

A recurring piece of superhero movie trivia may have died last week, with reports film rights to Namor, The Sub-Mariner are believed to be squarely with Marvel Entertainment!

The bombshell was dropped by Marvel's "Convoluted Editorial Title" Joe Quesada during the Fatman on Batman podcast. If true, it signals the presumptive untangling of the character from Universal Pictures, and X-Men/Fantastic Four rights holders - FOX Studios.

Given Namor's long running, iconic association with the Fantastic Four - it's a slight shame. If FOX had been able to produce a single worthy Fantastic Four film, it would have been a wonderful premise to see Atlantis invade the surface world. Further; as the studio who owns the X-Men, the prospect of at least acknowledging his mutant status -- perhaps in a Reed Richards examination sequence -- could have been interesting. Even if overlapping the two franchises has never held a lot of appeal.

Sadly, FOX have not managed the Fantastic Four license well. The one-time hypothetical slam dunk of an FF movie has arguably been rendered completely toxic by a mediocre film version in the mid-2000s, and even more disastrous reception for their troubled, grimy 2015 reboot.

One studio's loss is another's gain, and the long, winding road of one of Marvel's oldest superhero characters has a lot to offer!

If news that Marvel Studios has Namor up their sleeve holds any appeal, it's the prospect of stitching authentic back matter into their Second World War history! As a big fan of the Golden Age of comics, I was pretty excited to see a WWII origin story in 2011 franchise-builder: Captain America: The First Avenger. Unfortunately, the film's CG buffed sheen reflected a haze of perfunctory adventure. It smacked of a get-it-in-the-can gamble riding high on the promise of a widely reported Avengers film, failing to capture the true grit and thrills of the heroes who fought the Nazis.

Whether or not The Invaders are ready to come to the screen is up for debate. The original Human Torch has a famous, nameless cameo in the first Captain America film, but usage of the character could invite unfavourable confusion amongst movie-goers, to say nothing of  cranky FOX lawyers.

If the combustible android is up for grabs, then the holy trinity of Marvel's World War II heroes could be a wonderful palate cleanser for Cap's paranoia charged clashes with Hydra infested SHIELD, and Iron Man's Civil War Avengers.

The Civil War rift even provides the perfect opportunity for Cap to reunite with his secret 1940s allies for an all new mission! The chance to see flashbacks to meatier moments of Captain America's WWII career could be a real breath of fresh air, even if they're anchored to a modern threat. You only need the big three, but I'm sure the world would welcome appearances by other Invaders, like; Union Jack, Spitfire, Blazing Skull, Thin Man, and Dyna-Mite. They could certainly add some much needed color should TV's Agent Carter ever need new adventures.

In the comics, Namor's also a charter member of The Avengers, with potential to transpose his return and/or invasion of the surface world to a future sequel. In more recent times, he also held membership with The Illuminati - a secret cabal of kingpin heroes that included; Iron Man, Mr. Fantastic, Dr. Strange, Professor X and Black Bolt.

Revealing Namor's existence through an already in-place Illuminati conspiracy could be a very unique and memorable beat for the ballooning cosmic spectacle of the long promised Avengers: Infinity War film. Black Bolt and The Inhumans have certainly been on Marvel's table for some time, with Dr. Strange arriving later this year. Mr. Fantastic and Professor X are easily replaced with the likes of movie versions of Black Panther and General "Red Hulk" Ross.

Boy... Getting carried away much? Hey! What ever happens, it's sure to be an interesting talking point! For now, it's the glint of what's possible that makes Namor the Hero of the Week!

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