SUPERGIRL versus LEX LUTHOR

Power Chapter Three: Outsiders (DC)
Where: Supergirl #3 When: December 2005
Why: Jeph Loeb How: Ian Churchill

The Story So Far...
Kara Zor-El was a teenager when the planet Krypton was destroyed, but when her father sent her rocketing towards the planet Earth, she was waylaid -- arriving decades after her cousin had established himself as the last surviving son of Krypton and Earth's greatest protector: Superman!

Granted the same powers by Earth's yellow sun, she adopts the identity of Supergirl and embarks on a quest to become accustomed with her adopted home world. Batman, The Justice Society, and Teen Titans help to prepare her for the challenges ahead, but the brash young hero still has much to learn as she races to confront the watchful eye of Lex Luthor!

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Supergirl 6 (Invincible)
Intelligence: Lex Luthor 6 (Genius)
Speed: Supergirl 5 (Super-Human)
Stamina: Supergirl 5 (Marathoner)
Agility: Supergirl 4 (Gymnast)
Fighting: Supergirl 3 (Street Wise)
Energy: Supergirl 5 (Lasers)
Total: Supergirl 30 (Super)

We've seen Supergirl face some heavy duty opponents, but today might just represent her biggest test! Few foes could be quite so motivated to do harm as the notorious Lex Luthor -- arch-nemesis of her Kryptonian cousin: Superman!

Lex Luthor is famous for his scientific brilliance and cerebral approach to battling enemies. He's as likely to manipulate a network of pawns and circumstances as he is to fight an enemy head-on. More's the better to get away scot-free!

His technological genius and financial might means he can build just about any weapon needed to level the playing field. His most famous invention is a green & purple power suit, seen being destroyed by Superman uncharacteristically easily in Justice League of America #15. It's rarely so simple!

Lex is motivated by a well-known hatred for Superman, but that obsession has also fuelled malice toward other heroes, as well. We saw him use artificially induced superpowers to torture Steel during 52 #42!

He also joined Libra and The Society during a murderous ambush of the Martian Manhunter in Final Crisis: Requiem #1. The Martian was defeated by fire-wielding members of the group, but gave them all a run for their money, using telepathy against them, including preying upon Luthor's fear of Superman.

When Supergirl fought Martian Manhunter back in Adventure Comics #450, he was disoriented, and favoured a more physical contest. Never the less, she managed to go toe-to-toe with the senior hero, before they called a truce.

She wasn't so lucky when facing Reactron and his radioactive StarSuit in The Daring New Adventures of Supergirl #9. She'd matched the nuclear-powered villain blow for blow until a poorly considered plan literally blew up in her face! You don't get away with those kinds of slip-ups against a foe like Luthor!

We know Supergirl has the strength and will to fight Lex Luthor. Her battles with the Marvel Family in Crisis on Infinite Earths #6 and Final Crisis #6 show that! It's just a question of whether her inexperience will allow Luthor the opportunity he needs to steal victory through any means necessary! Lets find out.

The Tape: Supergirl Ranking: Supergirl (#72)

What Went Down...
A wafting plume of blue breaks the monotony of endless red desert. Smoldering energy - emanating from the gauntlet of a lone armored figure: Lex Luthor!

Supergirl swoops down to confront the villain and is immediately introduced to his deadliest weapon! Kryptonite radiation spews from his closed fist, bathing the Girl of Steel in its power sapping properties!

Immediately suffering its effects - Supergirl careens  toward the earth with a devastating crash! Her body smashes into the rocky surface at Luthor's feet and the young heroine considers that she could be in way over her head!

As she crawls from the impact crater, Supergirl thinks of her cousin -- but quickly shakes those thoughts from her mind, even as Luthor clutches her throat in his metallic gauntlet.

The villain hoists his victim with arm outstretched, holding her with the sky at her back. He speaks spitefully, of her extra-terrestrial origins and a prophecy of his downfall foretold by Darkseid. He wonders where Darkseid has gone - accusing Superman of some murderous rendezvous beyond the eyes of Earth.

Luthor's bitter accusations inspire retaliation! Supergirl breaks the hold with a hovering kick and unloads with heat vision!

Cold and calculating, Luthor calls upon deflective defenses design to handle the same blasts offered by Superman. He verbally prods at the insult while firing back with the deflective force shield. It knocks the Girl of Steel back!

Barely able to stand, Supergirl is held up by the length of her hair while Luthor reminisces over past glories of metropolitan industry and presidential power. Supergirl can't help but think of her cousin's battle with Doomsday as Lex busts her lip with a thuggish punch to the face!

The villain speaks distantly of the way striking a girl reduces him, as if he wasn't a hooligan deep down. He buries his reinforced fist into Supergirl's abdomen with a vile punch, then breaks her nose with a back-handed fist.

Blood sprays from the weakened Kryptonian, all too mortal. All too similar to the pictures she'd seen of Superman's loss to Doomsday. Luthor justifies his attack with the symbol Supergirl wears and delivers an uppercut.

The once brash Supergirl now considers her own mortality as she lies in the dirt.

Luthor's twisted justifications turn to the "blackness" within everyone. The "sins of flesh and power" Superman supposedly denies. A poetic flourish for the final affront: a point blank beam of black kryptonite radiation!

Supergirl feebly pleads for the villain to stop. He only delights at her suffering.

Yet, for all his brilliance, and all his preparation -- Lex Luthor has failed to consider the consequence of his actions. The effects of black kryptonite prove completely unforeseen, spawning the very dark spirit he so vividly imagined!

At first, the black clad Supergirl emerging from Kara Zor-El's beaten body speaks in alien tongues. Then, as Luthor scowls unimpressed, her words turn to English, and he learns of his folly. He just made the worst mistake of his life!

The Hammer...
Woof. I can't say I took a lot of pleasure in describing that one! We've had some one-sided battles over the years, and a lot of villains finding success recently, but nothing quite so brutal! That was downright uncomfortable!

The nearest comparison that comes to mind is Superman/Batman #15: another Jeph Loeb script from 2005, drawn by Carlos Pacheco, depicting the impaling of an alternate universe Batman, and freedom fighting Wonder Woman bruised and choked with her own lasso by a tyrannical Superman.

I wouldn't like to speculate about Loeb's writing process during what was a well publicized difficult time in his personal life. That would be overlooking the fact that the mid-2000s were a generally brutal period in DC Comics.

Some have tended to see Geoff Johns as the lead purveyor of violence around this time. He certainly roughed up Green Arrow and Kyle Rayner during the big return of Sinestro in Green Lantern: Rebirth #4. The bad guys were winning in Infinite Crisis #1 as well, savagely cutting down the Freedom Fighters.

Meanwhile, Loeb's despot Superman also claimed the life of Green Arrow in the first issue of Absolute Power, while the mainline Man of Steel was indulging in light heat vision knee-capping in the controversial pages of Action Comics #824.

To their credit: these depictions of Superman were still regarded as exceptions brought about by unusual circumstance. This certainly wasn't the relentless and fundamentally flawed Superman of Zack Snyder's miserable movie universe.

American geo-politics of the time obviously had some influence. The United States bared its fangs in the wake of the 9/11 tragedy. There was a clear shift in attitude, but the delivery of violence was seeded well before the abstract "War on Terror" upped the stakes of brutality in popular culture.

The style-clash of grim 'n' gritty and xtreme comics popular in the early nineties had familiar moments of blood and guts, but were predominantly frivolous fun & games. Examples like Adventures of Superman #464 show the transposing of surface elements of Dark Knight Returns into less weighty monthly issues.

Curiously enough, the bombastic hyper-violence of the nineties was largely tossed aside at the turn of the millennium: rejected in favour of deeper, darker stories, heavy weight written-driven concepts and concerned characterization.

In shifting towards the stakes of high consequence and long-form storytelling, comics began to focus on the credibility of its villains. Single issue episodes became more scarce as villainous plots were sustained "for the trade" over lengthier period of time. Evil was no longer set up to immediately fail, with the unforeseen consequence that extreme violence would become normal.

Lex Luthor is an interesting study over this period. Here in Supergirl #3 we see him reach an apex of extreme brutality, but for much of the preceding decades he was a villain who didn't get his own hands too dirty. This is an extension of efforts in the eighties and nineties to refine Luthor into a credible adversary removed from the oafish arch-villain of Super Friends or Hostess ads.

To get him here, Luthor became the great evil of our times: a xenophobic, self-invested businessman who put aside mad science to use clout and resources to achieve his ends. He was motivated by hatred for Superman, and an unending lust for wealth and power, which culminated in his successful bid to become President of the United States in another story written by Jeph Loeb.

This all may sound like contemporary commentary, but Luthor's tenure as 43rd President lasted roughly one term in real-time, beginning at the tail end of 2000, and at last unravelling in 2004 with his exposure as a dangerous and corrupt super-villain, and inevitable removal from office. Thus, the return of the green & purple power suit, and a freedom to

The cheap stunts and routine murder of annual event comics have maintained a bloody viciousness that DC Comics has struggled to move on from. The violent credibility of villains - a catalyst for more violent heroes. This cycle: the thesis for 1996's prophetic warning Kingdom Come, and the present day proliferation of evil Superman stories, and moral fluidity in heroes & villains. Dark times.

If you'd like to experience some of this violence first hand, or see the role it played in the belated reintroduction of Supergirl into the post-Crisis DC Universe -- you can find today's featured fight collected in Supergirl Vol.1: The Girl of Steel.

Shopping with the Amazon link provided will not only get you a solid deal delivered to your door, but also help support the site at no extra cost to you! If you don't see an embedded link to the right, you may need to adjust browser settings.

If you're a little bit more heroic than Lex and you like what we do here, you can support the site on Patreon. As a special thank you for your generosity you'll unlock various bonuses including poll options, extra updates, custom articles, and my sincerest thanks.

Secret Wars on Infinite Earths has featured well over 650 battles and ranked more than 950 characters! You can discover more by following links throughout each post, or by diving into the Secret Archive for a complete index ordered by publisher, series, and issue number. Or follow on Twitter and Facebook for daily links to smackdown inspired by the topics of the day. Be sure to like & share!

Winner: Lex Luthor
#134 (+271) Lex Luthor
#78 (-6) Supergirl

ANTI-MONITOR versus SUPERMAN, DOCTOR LIGHT & SUPERGIRL

Beyond The Silent Night (DC)
Where: Crisis on Infinite Earths #7 When: October 1985 Why: Marv Wolfman & Robert Greenberger How: George Perez

The Story So Far...
Manifesting on a moon of the anti-matter universe of Qward: The Anti-Monitor channeled that dimension's energies into fulfilling its ultimate domination. Sensing his equivalent, The Monitor, in a positive universe, he then set his sights on inter-dimensional conquest that resulted in their mutual dormancy for eons.

This slumber was broken by the experimental hubris of scientist Kell Mossa, who inadvertently roused the Monitors while attempting to learn the secrets of the universe. This allowed Anti-Monitor to enact a plot to destroy all universes comprising positive matter. Thus begins the Crisis on Infinite Earths!

Scouring the multiverse, The Monitor assembles heroic powers to fight the threat of existential annihilation. With some worlds now saved, Mossa channels positive and negative matter to guide the heroes through the universal membrane -- to confront the verge of the Anti-Monitor's hidden fortress!

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Anti-Monitor 7 (Omnipotent)
Intelligence: Anti-Monitor 6 (Genius)
Speed: Superman 6 (Mach Speed)
Stamina: Anti-Monitor 7 (Unstoppable)
Agility: Doctor Light 7 (Unlimited)
Fighting: Superman 3 (Street Wise)
Energy: Anti-Monitor 7 (Cosmic Power)
Total: Anti-Monitor 33 (Super)

When it comes to cosmic threats to the DC Universe it doesn't get much bigger than the Anti-Monitor! His aims threaten to unmake reality itself!

We saw The Flash take down his Anti-Matter Cannon in Crisis on Infinite Earths #8, but the only time we've actually recorded Anti-Monitor in battle was much later, when he returned as part of the Sinestro Corps in Green Lantern #25.

In that epic encounter, it took the combined efforts of the Guardians of the Universe, Green Lantern Corps, Earth's heroes, and one of the Anti-Monitor's own teammates, to destroy him! It bodes well that it was Superboy-Prime who struck the final destructive blow -- but we're getting way ahead of things!

Superman is the primary target in today's featured battle, but he isn't alone!

Japanese scientist Kimiyo Hoshi was studying the anti-matter phenomenon when she was struck with a beam of ionic energy passing through an unstable star in the Vega system. The cosmic force was enacted by The Monitor, who turned her into a new soldier for good - the photonic hero Doctor Light!

Kimiyo Hoshi shouldn't be confused with the villainous Arthur Light, even though her costume and powers bear some similarity. This Doctor Light is determined to the point of arrogance, unwilling to suffer fools as she applies her knowledge of science to mastery over energy and light-based powers.

Doctor Light can offer Superman powerful support against the awesomely destructive energies wielded by the Anti-Monitor. Her ability to move as light particles can also compliment one of their few advantages over the awesomely powerful anti-matter entity -- superior speed!

We've seen Superman keep pace with Barry Allen [Flash: Rebirth #3] and Wally West [Flash #209], and if he can use that speed in combat he could tactically wear Anti-Monitor down. Strength and durability alone probably won't cut it this time, but there will be extra muscle on its way once the fight begins.

When Supergirl enters the fray, she effectively doubles their power! We saw her go toe-to-toe with Captain Marvel in Crisis on Infinite Earths #6, and Martian Manhunter in Adventure Comics #450! She'll also revisit the conflict with Mary Marvel decades later in Final Crisis #6!

With both Superman and Supergirl fighting, it's conceivable the Anti-Monitor could be damaged sufficiently to be defeated. The extra hands mean he can be subdued and tag teamed, with Doctor Light weaving in and out, as well. Will that be the case? Only destiny can decide this one! Let's meet their fate...

The Tape: Superman, Doctor Light & Supergirl Ranking: Superman (#5)

What Went Down...
Penetrating the deepest sanctum of the great cosmic fortress: Dr. Kimiyo Hoshi and Superman stand in awe of a massive mechanical solar collector. While Doctor Light examines its advanced technology, Superman closes in to begin its ultimate destruction -- unaware of the figure lurking behind him in the shadows!

Pain racks his body like never before as Superman is engulfed by the Anti-Monitor's awesome power! Here, his incredible strength and invulnerability will count for nothing. He is a mortal opposing the powers of a virtual god!

Kal-El's cry of agony echoes through the fortress, heard from afar by the super-humanly sensitive ear of Supergirl. She abandons the battle outside and follows the sound, but its Doctor Light who comes to his aide first.

Anti-Monitor effortlessly backhands Superman across the chamber and through a nearby wall. When Doctor Light attempts to intervene, her point blank beams of energy do nothing to deter their target. Anti-Monitor shows her how it's done!

He renews his pursuit of Superman, looming over the Man of Steel as his giant clasped hands smash against the Kryptonian's face! Every strike is another blow delivered to the hopes of the multiverse!

The cosmic titan stands ominously over the bruised Superman with his face obscured in smoldering energy. He means to deliver a finishing blow, but didn't count on Supergirl smashing through the halls of his fortress!

Faster than a speeding bullet she flies directly at the Anti-Monitor to deliver a devastating left hook! She keeps him off balance, following with an all mighty right that sends him smashing through another stone wall!

The advantage is short lived. Anti-Monitor swings wildly, launching Supergirl across the fortress with a furious left!

The enraged Anti-Monitor fires a beam of energy that catches Supergirl's limp body before she can land. She's sent tumbling in the air like a rag doll!

Promising death, he turns his attentions back to the wounded Superman -- but again the Anti-Monitor will be denied! Supergirl doggedly digs her heels in and rips the stonework up like a proverbial rug -- staggering the cosmic monster and sending his hand blasts harmlessly off course as he loses footing!

The Girl of Steel darts across the rubble to pour on punches from a mounted position. The strength and fury of her devastating blows begins to crack the Anti-Monitor's life-shell armor. He retaliates with a wild blow to the face, but the damage is already done! Power pours from his destroyed body!

With his power quickly waning, the Anti-Monitor must seize his opportunity to destroy his enemies and the worlds they come from.

As his body burns with leaking energy, the heroes huddle together, and Supergirl recruits Doctor Light to flee with her injured cousin while she plots a final desperate stand. She throws herself at the burning figure like a torpedo!

The trajectory takes the warring figures on a collision course with the solar collector machine - destroying it! Supergirl refuses to stop, still smashing her fists into the Anti-Monitor as they both burn within the machine's core!

Horrified, Doctor Light feels compelled to help the brave heroine -- but Supergirl desperately orders her to go. A momentary lapse that gives Anti-Monitor the chance he needs to lock his arm around her and unleash his raw power!

Superman can only watch in horror as untold cosmic energies completely consume Supergirl's body and a solid beam blasts right through her!

Anti-Monitor makes a desperate escape, running for a nearby ship as his body begins to fail him. He lives to fight another day. Supergirl will not.

Superman cradles his cousin's broken and bloodied body as her indomitable will at last begins to fade. She tells the Man of Steel not to cry. His example taught her to be brave - and she was. She dies knowing Anti-Monitor's machines were destroyed and the lives across multiple worlds were saved. 

The Hammer...
Supergirl's act of supreme sacrifice succeeds only in delaying the Anti-Monitor, who fled on the brink of destruction, but will return in the next issue fully healed, and wearing a newly formed shell that is his iconic armored design.

The battle and its result provides the first in a one-two punch of iconic deaths that set the stakes of Crisis on Infinite Earths apart from other events of the era. It was immediately followed with the death of Barry Allen, whose grim fate was prophesied in a much earlier issue.

In spite of a premise that could've easily incorporated their quick resurrection into a newly formed DC Universe; the deaths of both Supergirl and The Flash were granted an immediate and sustained sense of consequence. Dead was dead. At least for a while.

The Flash was at least permitted to have existed within this new universe's secret history, but his death quickly became a crucial part of the modern canon. Barry Allen was part of a slightly re-tooled Justice League origin, and would be paid frequent homage through the legacy of his successor, the former Kid Flash: Wally West. This new Flash struggled to understand the details of his mentor's death, but continued to honor it. No such luck for Supergirl, though...

The initial conception for Superman in the post-Crisis DCU was one of a mythic 'Last Son of Krypton'. Kal-El's world had become abundant with derivative survivors from his dead home planet. The reboot was an opportunity to restore his status as a one-of-a-kind icon, completely excising Supergirl from his reality.

Of course, it didn't take long for the merits of a Girl of Steel to be reconsidered.

It would still take until 2004 for Superman's cousin Kara Zor-El to be reinstated into the modern post-Crisis canon, but a facsimile was created in her stead fairly quickly: a compromised version conjured from a character minted just a couple of years before the Crisis rebooted history.

Matrix was a shape-shifting "protoplasmic" lifeform engineered in a pocket universe by a heroic alternate Lex Luthor. When she was thrust into regular adventures in the new DCU, she was entangled with a Luthor who had been masquerading as his own son. Her disguise was much simpler, inventing a Supergirl for a universe that had only known Superman.

The new Supergirl proved an adequate replacement, but inherently susceptible to high levels of continual convolution. Efforts to separate her from Kryptonian history, while still patching together familiar Supergirl tropes, just made things increasingly messy. Eventually she would have to go.

The argument for keeping Superman alone in the universe is a tempting one, but over time I've come to see more merits in a DC Universe with Supergirl in it.

The modern age has become increasingly fixated with darker impulses that challenge the fundamental core of Superman as a character. Supergirl, like other derivations of Superman, offer the perfect vessels for exploring alternative perspectives of Superman's experience, without interrupting or corrupting his status as an icon of truth, justice, hope, and aspirational American ideals.

Supergirl expands the DCU and Superman's world with her own adventures and canon, while also offering the opportunity to explore a Kryptonian who is younger, more impulsive, less experienced, and at the same time more versed in Superman's lost home world, and its traditions. These details, and an innate feminine perspective, have continued to make Supergirl an interesting character in multiple mediums. I can't help but think of the current TV series - a shining example of the value of the character, and the enjoyment she can provide.

Supergirl's death fighting Anti-Monitor was a pretty epic, bad ass way for the Silver Age version of the character to go out. I love seeing her refuse to back down - again and again. Does the headband somehow make it even more bad ass? I think so. I've got a real soft spot for it. It's a little eighties aerobics, but I dig it. It's a shame it had to die, but I'm glad it wasn't permanent.

That about wraps it for 2019. It's been a long year with some great fights and I'm bushed! Make sure you check out the 2019 Feature Fight Recap to revisit and vote for the best battles of the year. This battle technically kicks off Season 2020, so make sure you stick around for more Secret Wars on Infinite Earths!

If you'd like to check out Crisis on Infinite Earths for yourself, you can get yourself a deal and support the site by checking out the Amazon purchase link provided. If you don't see it, you may need to adjust your settings.

You can find more featured fights from the DCU and Crisis by following links throughout this post, or by diving into the Secret Archive! You'll be able to monitor a complete index of battles ordered by universe, series, and issue number!

You can also get daily links to fights inspired by the topics of the day by subscribing to Secret Wars on Infinite Earths on Twitter and Facebook. Make sure to like & share your faves! Happy holidays!

Winner: Anti-Monitor
#350 (+240) Anti-Monitor [+1 kill]
#5 (--) Superman
#71 (-2) Supergirl
#894 (new) Doctor Light (Kimiyo Hoshi)

MARVEL FAMILY versus EARTH-ONE HEROES

3 Earths! 3 Deaths! (DC)
Where: Crisis on Infinite Earths #6 When: September 1985 Why: Marv Wolfman How: George Perez

The Story So Far...
When Psycho-Pirate is imbued with enhanced powers by the Anti-Monitor, his emotion-manipulating influence can now span three entire worlds!

While Earth-X, Earth-Four, and Earth-S are besieged by a destructive wave of anti-matter -- the Psycho-Pirate turns heroes into agents of their world's own demise!

On Earth-S, the Marvel Family are stoked into a blind rage that convinces them the red skies of impending doom have been created by their former allies from Earth-One! It's up to Supergirl, Wonder Woman, and the Teen Titans to fend off this world's mightiest mortals long enough to save it!

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Captain Marvel 6 (Invincible)
Intelligence: Captain Marvel 5 (Professor)
Speed: Captain Marvel 5 (Super-Human)
Stamina: Captain Marvel 6 (Generator)
Agility: Black Canary 4 (Gymnast)
Fighting: Wonder Woman 6 (Warrior)
Energy: Supergirl 5 (Lasers)
Total: Captain Marvel 30 (Super)

The Marvel Family are: Captain Marvel, Mary Marvel, Captain Marvel Jr, and Uncle Dudley.

The Marvel Family are the magically powered heroes of Earth-S. Led by Captain Marvel, they draw their might from a pantheon of gods & legends by speaking a magic word that will summon the transformative lightning of Shazam!

We've seen the Marvel Family fight together against the dastardly Doctor Sivana in DC Comics Presents Annual #3, and again against his Monster Society of Evil in the modern-classic Earth-S flashback of Convergence Shazam #1.

The heroes of Earth-One are: Supergirl, Wonder Woman, Changeling, Kole Weathers, and Black Canary.

The impromptu gathering boasts members of the Justice League of America and Teen Titans, but they'll still have their work cut out for them against an assembly as powerful as The Marvel Family!

Wonder Woman can match the Marvels blow for blow, but her Fight Club record hasn't been flattering. She was part of the JLA halted by Captain Marvel's lightning while entering Hell in Underworld Unleashed #3, and defeated by Mary Marvel in a reprisal of today's encounter in Final Crisis #3. Lightning was also a feature of her defeat by Storm during the crossover of Marvel versus DC #3.

Supergirl shares most of the same powers of her famous cousin, but she had similar issues when fighting the dark Mary Marvel in Final Crisis #6. Their tie was only broken by the intervention of Captain Marvel Jr, who's fighting by his adopted sister's side this time!

Captain Marvel has had many run-ins with Supergirl's famous cousin, where the magic lightning has been revealed to be a potent weapon against Kryptonians, if dodged at super-human speed! The best example is Kingdom Come #4, which also reveals the potential to turn the transformational bolt against its caller!

Black Canary and her ear-piercing canary cry will be an X-factor in the battle, as will the animal-based metamorphosis of Changeling, (aka; Beast Boy), and the crystal-generating powers of Kole Weathers.

Kole predominantly offers strong defensive capabilities, while Changeling can add a degree of muscle to Wonder Woman & Supergirl via large animal transformations. With the addition of Black Canary's targeted audio disorienting, the group could seize an upset against their magic match-up! Let's see...

The Tape: Earth-One Heroes Ranking: Wonder Woman (#16)

What Went Down...
Black Canary only has seconds to react as a giant green elephant announces its impending arrival through the brick wall at her back! The animal is Changeling: shape-shifting Teen Titan who's been hurled violently by an unseen assailant!

Supergirl hovers over the young hero as he reverts to human form, skidding through the city rubble that litters the street. She checks on his well being, but is quickly set upon by the powerhouse responsible for attacking: Captain Marvel!

Earth's mightiest mortal blazes a trail across the battlefield like a human missile, mistakenly under the impression Supergirl and her Earth-One comrades have taken to evil! He charges her -- only to be caught with an aerial uppercut!

Fearing for her life, the young heroine attempts to reason with the rampaging Marvel. She appeals to his better nature, insisting his mind has been influenced by an unseen force. Squatting amongst the wreckage of the city -- Captain Marvel rejects her pleas as unacceptable lies!

Firmly believing Supergirl has unleashed the anti-matter cloud consuming his world, Captain Marvel ignores her shared experience and desire for help -- clenching both fists to pound the ground with the strength of Hercules!

The shockwave of Captain Marvel's blows topples a nearby building over Supergirl's head, but she doesn't join the bird-shaped Changeling in flying retreat. Instead, the girl of steel redoubles her efforts to fly through the building and collide with Captain Marvel to end his uncontrolled rage!

On the ground below, Black Canary theorizes the emotional manipulations of Psycho-Pirate must be responsible for Captain Marvel's uncharacteristic rage.

Before she can act on her theory, the street-level hero is struck by the awesome vision of a giant crystal barrier! Kole Weathers wields it to prevent the city's denizens from rushing into the anti-matter field. As she does, the mysterious Harbinger appears at her side to enact a ritual she cannot comprehend.

Meanwhile, Wonder Woman attempts to tame a befuddled Mary Marvel by holding her in the lasso of truth. Mary resists, tugging at the golden rope while taken by the same emotion-warping madness as Captain Marvel!

The rage is shared by Captain Marvel Jr, who rockets through the air to catch Wonder Woman by surprise and rescue his sister!

Fate turns once more as Black Canary suddenly sends a sonic shriek emanating through Mary and Marvel Jr's ears!

The Marvels clutch their ears in agony, begging for a reprieve as the focused canary cry rattles them to their very core!

With Uncle Dudley caught in the coiled snake form of Changeling, Wonder Woman declares the Marvel Family "on ice". The victory pales in significance as Harbinger communes with the universe in an event of cosmic significance.

The Hammer...
It was a close call, but Black Canary comes through with the sonic cry that allows Supergirl, Changeling, and Wonder Woman to wrap the Marvel Family up! A hard fought win with great significance!

Supergirl and Captain Marvel stare in awe as the cloud of Psycho-Pirate's influence lifts, and the anti-matter void threatening Earth-S disappears! Against overwhelming odds -- the world is saved!

This was the moment that effectively assured the Marvel Family would continue their adventures into the new, composite DC Universe that would emerge from the Crisis on Infinite Earths. Not that it was an entirely smooth transition!

The wholesome qualities that defined classic Captain Marvel made him one of the first targets for harsher modern sensibilities, and the evil New Gods who represented their darkest extremes in-story.

In Legends #1: Captain Marvel was tricked into believing he'd used his magic lightning to kill a villain called Macro-Man. Now more tied to his youthful alter-ego, Captain Marvel was effectively retired by Billy Batson's loss of faith in himself, and his mighty magical powers.

Of course, Billy naturally gets wise before the end of the DCU defining mini-series, becoming a founding member of the new Justice League alongside Black Canary. With any luck, we'll get the chance to look further at the battles found in Legends, and the subsequent series that led to Justice League International.

In the mean time, we can technically close the book on a year of featured fights for Season 2019! Today's battle was inspired by the upcoming television version of Crisis on Infinite Earths, which will feature a cavalcade of live-action cameos and callbacks across episodes of Supergirl, Batwoman, The Flash, and Arrow.

You can dive deeper into the original Crisis on Infinite Earths by following the tag link, or by exploring the Secret Archive for a full index of entries in order of publisher, series, and issue number!

Hold the fate of the multiverse in the palm of your hand by checking out collected editions of Crisis on Infinite Earths! By using the Amazon purchase links provided you can get yourself, or a loved one, the perfect holiday gift -- and support the site at no extra cost to you!

Stay tuned for more fabulous fisticuffs and the chance to vote for the best featured fights of 2019! Thanks to everyone who's finding Secret Wars on Infinite Earths and helping spread the word by liking & sharing daily links via Twitter and Facebook!

Winners: Black Canary, Supergirl, Changeling & Wonder Woman
#15 (+1) Wonder Woman
#38 (+16) Black Canary
#70 (+41) Supergirl
#330 (new) Changeling (Garfield Logan)
#567 (new) Kole [+1 assist]
#46 (-3) Captain Marvel Jr
#49 (-2) Captain Marvel
#125 (-13) Mary Marvel
#353 (-27) Uncle Dudley

SUPERGIRL versus MARTIAN MANHUNTER

Return To Destiny (DC)
Where: Adventure Comics #450 When: March-April 1977 Why: Denny O'Neil How: Mike Nasser & Terry Austin

The Story So Far...
Mars lives again and welcomes the leadership of J'onn J'onzz, but celebrations on Mars II are cut short when his dear friend Re's Eda is murdered by sniper fire!

The erstwhile Martian Manhunter must apply his trade as detective and superhero to catch the killer -- but Eda's final words implicate a gunman from his former home of Sol! Since the only beings who know of Mars II's existence are the Justice League -- The Manhunter makes a grim vow to return to Earth!

He steals a spaceship from the resistant Martian Army and blazes to the stars, but the Earth-bound fury is pursued by one of his own! Commander N'or Cott uses torpedoes to shoot down the unarmed ship, sending it crashing towards the city of Metropolis! This looks like a job for Supergirl!

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Draw 6 (Invincible)
Intelligence: Martian Manhunter 4 (Tactician)
Speed: Supergirl 5 (Super-Human)
Stamina: Supergirl 5 (Marathoner)
Agility: Martian Manhunter 7 (Unlimited)
Fighting: Martian Manhunter 4 (Trained)
Energy: Draw 5 (Lasers)
Total: Martian Manhunter 36 (Cosmic)

Today's battle pits two great heroes in an unlikely dream match! It's The Girl of Steel testing her mettle against the mighty Manhunter from Mars!

Drenched by Earth's yellow sun: Supergirl shares all the solar-charged gifts made famous by her Kryptonian cousin! She's super-humanly strong, durable, fast, has enhanced senses, can fly, use X-ray and laser heat vision, blow massive quantities of air with high intensity -- as well as a few other tricks!

In some incarnations its been suggested Supergirl's powers can rival, or even exceed, those of Superman's, but the one thing she undoubtedly lacks is his experience! Experience being something Martian Manhunter has to spare!

J'onn J'onzz was a policeman on his native Mars long before he was accidentally brought to Earth! He possesses a range of powers similar to Supergirl's, with the addition of telepathy, advanced shape-shifting, and intangibility!

We saw the Black Lantern Martian Manhunter exploit those extra abilities to vicious effect against Green Lantern and Flash [Green Lantern #44], while muscle was the main mode of victory against the Appellaxian Stone God [Secret Origins #32], and Professor Ivo's robot army [Justice League of America #261].

He's generally strong enough to go toe-to-toe with Supergirl, and need only to do a little light mental rewiring to prey upon her inexperience. The drawback to all those incredible powers is a Martian's physical and mental weakness to fire!

Supergirl need only glare intently to light a spark with her Kryptonian heat vision! She did it against Mary Marvel in Final Crisis #6, and used it to melt lead around Reactron back in Daring New Adventures of Supergirl #9! The glow of the flame was enough to stop J'onn J'onzz in his tracks in Secret Origins #35 and DC: The New Frontier #2, but he showed some greater resilience when rushing into battle with the towering Brimstone [Legends #2].

Both hero's power sets have been inconsistent in demonstration, but for the most part they're very evenly matched! Supergirl has the obvious trump card with her intense heat vision, but experience and mental powers makes Martian Manhunter the more compelling case. Let's see if those factors come to play...

The Tape: Martian Manhunter Ranking: Martian Manhunter (#23)

What Went Down...
An explosion and hail of spaceship debris signals the unannounced return of the Martian Manhunter to Earth! He ejects from the vessel just in time to avoid its destruction, but is still stunned and disoriented by the blast!

Spying the dazzling sky show while she soars above the city -- Supergirl rushes to intercept the deadly debris! Mistaking it for an attack by aliens, she flings the door in the direction of the tiny silhouette that was the pilot!

Struggling to see straight - the Martian Manhunter is tagged by the unexpected hunk of metal!

Instinctively perceiving threat, he swoops to return firing, forcing Supergirl to take evasive action while destroying the projectile with another of her own!

The young heroine recognizes her error, but the Martian's violent response leaves her uncertain of his motives. Given his strength rivals hers, she hopes a pulled strike will bring him back to his senses and delivers a stiff left!

The attack has the opposite effect, only serving to further provoke the confused Martian hero! He lashes out with a devastating left hook of his own -- launching Supergirl sideways with the brunt of his impressive strength!

The young heroine is unshaken by the physical assault, but scrambles for the wisdom she presumes her cousin would have. Unsure, she steels herself and hopes to hold the Manhunter off until he regains his senses!

A flying torpedo dive gives pause for thought, while Supergirl's desperate cries for peace cut through the fog of the Martian's disorientation. He remembers!

No sooner than he recognizes Supergirl does the Martian Manhunter lock eyes with N'or Cott's spacecraft! Sensing danger, he warns Supergirl to watch out as two missiles fire in their direction and she prepares to save them both!

The Hammer...
It was a superhero fight in the classic style! A touch of brashness, with a hint of mistaken identity! Martian Manhunter was kept at a disadvantage thanks to his shuttle explosion, while Supergirl resisted going too far once she identified the JLA stalwart. The net result is an aerial slugfest destined to end in a tie!

If this were a face-off from the last couple of decades you'd probably find both characters intent on hitting much harder, with more efforts to demonstrate their unique abilities. The fact that today's fight isn't so bloodthirsty is actually quite refreshing! It's a little cheesy, but it's nice to think heroes can walk away from their scuffles without devolving into brutal blood feuds.

While we won't draw too many definitive conclusions from today's clash, it makes a case for the strength of both characters. Qualities that've been inconsistently depicted at various stages in their publication history.

It's always kind of amazing to think about Martian Manhunter's vast powers being so overlooked! The late Len Wein once joked about the propensity of a bygone era for reducing him to super-breath. The scourge of birthday cakes, he mocked. I'm glad 1977 was treating the character a little better!

In internal monologue, Supergirl surmises that the Martian's strength is nearly equal to hers. I've always preferred a modern scale that puts Martian Manhunter in the upper echelons of super-human strength, but the so-called "Swiss Army Knife of Superheroes" has often been minimized in that regard. I tend to think a mild manner and the simplicity of his fire weakness is the better balance.

My notorious bias against kid heroes means I usually think of Supergirl as a step behind her cousin, but when strength is derived from exposure to Earth's yellow sun, without a single iron pumped, it kinda stands to reason there's relative parity. Inexperience is the point of difference that makes Supergirl interesting.

As noted last month; I've been revisiting seventies issues of Adventure Comics to enjoy the heyday of another (sometimes) underrated hero: Aquaman!

The action-packed Adventure Comics #444 was the first to feature a full issue of Aquaman action, but the back-up stories quickly returned with issue #449. There, Martian Manhunter made his home on Mars II, before a murder plot sets him on a series of run-ins with heroes, beginning with Supergirl in #450.

I'm sure writer Denny O'Neil wouldn't consider this a narrative high point of his distinguished career, but you've gotta love these kinds of back-up stories! The easily overlooked and forgotten ones! With characters who matter, doing things just a little bit interesting. The less common the combination - the better!

Granted, these days Supergirl & Martian Manhunter go together like milk & cookies! It's one of the rare examples when film (or rather television) actually refines and exploits a character to their best elements! In Supergirl's case, one of the best improvements the show has made was the costume!

I can't say I have a lot of love for the seventies shorts/bloomers seen in today's featured fight, nor the small shield logo off to one side. Its leagues ahead of the micro skirt atrocities yet to come from the new millennium, but there's a lot to be said for keeping it simple and classic. Not just simple, as it is here.

Classic sure worked for J'onn J'onzz, who'll be back in a stylized version of the old look in a new DC Comics series announced by The Hollywood Reporter! It's a little weird visually, but shows promise as Martian Manhunter continues a comeback from the dark days of the New 52 reboot!

I'm sure we'll be talking more MM and Supergirl in the future! If you'd like to find more be sure to follow links throughout this post, or dive into the Secret Archive for featured fights indexed by publisher, series, and issue number.

You can support Secret Wars on Infinite Earths by using social media links at the bottom of each feature to share your favourite fights! You can also follow on Twitter and Facebook to get daily links to classic fights inspired by the topics of the day! A like, share, retweet, or comment is a great way to get involved!

Winner: Inconclusive (Draw)
#23 (--) Martian Manhunter
#108 (+5) Supergirl

SUPERGIRL versus REACTRON

Re-Enter: Reactron! (DC)
Where: The Daring New Adventures of Supergirl #9 When: July 1983 Why: Paul Kupperberg How: Carmine Infantino

The Story So Far...
The heroic Doom Patrol are on the path of a nuclear powered villain who shares a troubling history with team leader Tempest. The villainous Reactron is a soldier with absolutely no regard for the people he harms, and a power suit that grants him mastery over radiation!

Having escaped Doom Patrol in their earlier skirmish; Reactron is lured to Lake Shore University by an experimental nuclear reactor capable of enhancing his powers! It's the same campus attended by Linda Danvers -- student alter-ego of Supergirl!

Having watched the action from afar using her Kryptonian enhanced vision, Supergirl is ready to jump into action to put a stop to Reactron's meltdown! Does she have what it takes to stop the radioactive villain alone? Doom Patrol races to the scene with the fight already under way!

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Supergirl 6 (Invincible)
Intelligence: Draw 2 (Average)
Speed: Supergirl 5 (Super-Human)
Stamina: Reactron 6 (Generator)
Agility: Supergirl 4 (Gymnast)
Fighting: Reactron 4 (Trained)
Energy: Reactron 6 (Mass Destruction)


Every great superhero needs a rogues gallery to fight against, and today we're looking at one of the villains who's become a frequent foe for Supergirl!

If you know anything about the "Girl of Steel" it's that she escaped the grim fate of her home world Krypton to join cousin Kal-El on planet Earth. Enriched by the Milky Way's yellow sun, she possesses much the same powers and vulnerabilities as Superman: Flight, enhanced strength, speed, endurance, stamina, heat and x-ray vision, and super-breath.

We saw most of Supergirl's super-abilities on display when she battled a corrupt Mary Marvel in Final Crisis #6. We know she can hang with heavy-hitters like the Marvels - and she's going to have to, because her opponent is a fresh face brimming with newfound power in 1983!

Reactron was once Benjamin Krullen of the United States Army. An amoral soldier who gained an experimental hi-tech "StarSuit" that allows him to channel radioactive energy into concussive blasts. He would later be outfitted with a Gold Kryptonite heart, allowing him to sap the powers of Kryptonians, but that upgrade is a couple of decades away from our featured fight.

We're catching Reactron early in his villainous career -- just his second printed appearance! This is a pre-Crisis version whose design and powers are much less sophisticated -- but no less dangerous! He's double tough, can absorb and redirect radioactive energies, and has the potential to blow!

Strength and invulnerability give Supergirl a comfortable edge in this fight, but the exact effects of radiation on Kryptonians aren't always consistent.

We've seen Superman shrug off the routine nuclear energies of Atomic Skull [Superman/Batman #21], but in some stories, large doses of radiation have inflicted temporary ill effects on The Man of Steel.

We know the unique radiation signature of Kryptonite can sap Superman and Supergirl of their strength, and potentially even kill them. That's evident in the synthetic variety used by Batman [see: The Dark Knight Strikes Again #1, Justice League: The New Frontier Special #1], and the strange green glow emitted by the Kryptonite Man [see; Superman/Batman #23].

This early in his career, it might be too much to expect Reactron to be expert enough in his abilities to simulate Kryptonite. "The Living Reactor" can offensively direct large waves of radiation, though. Expelling as much radiation as possible might be his best key to victory, but Supergirl is the favourite here.

We find them in mid-battle. Let's see how it went down...

The Tape: Supergirl Ranking: Supergirl (#90)

What Went Down...

Supergirl clutches at Reactron's wrists as she flies at the irradiating menace! The living reactor is strong enough to break her hold, sending the girl of steel recoiling as he yanks his hands free!

This time it's Reactron's turn to recoil as Supergirl rockets back at him like a Kryptonian missile -- smacking him right in the mouth with a devastating left!

The villain can't help but be impressed by Supergirl's strength, but he survives the rough treatment with a smile on his face. She attempts to wipe it off by slipping behind him and locking in a Kryptonian bear hug!

As he did before, Reactron summons his nuclear powered strength and throws his arms open with explosive force! The radioactive counter once again throws Supergirl from her opponent! The experience sharpens her mind toward tactics.

While Supergirl ponders the advantage of taking the fight away from the cramped confines of their reactor arena -- Reactron turns up the heat with direct blasts of radiation!

Bathed in nuclear beams, Supergirl laughs off their effects as merely cleaning her costume. She makes a beeline for an improvised skylight and escapes the experimental reactor's control room, even as it begins to malfunction!

Reactron takes flight, pursuing his prey into the sky where she attempts to take advantage of maneuverability. She tries a ranged attack, firing X-ray vision in his direction, but Reactron's suit allows him to absorb the rays and redirect them as a concussive blast!

The dangers of the modern world begin to occur to Supergirl as she realizes Reactron's suit could convert everything from the sun's ultraviolet rays, to communication microwaves into an infinite power source! That's also when she remembers the perfect defense against such phenomena: lead!

While the Girl of Steel disappears a super-speed, Negative Woman and Tempest of The Doom Patrol arrive to keep Reactron company!

Reactron scoffs at Supergirl for seemingly fleeing, and laughs at the supposed threat of the arriving Doom Patrol. Tempest gives his former military chum a sobering jolt of kinetic energy, while Negative Woman attempts to short circuit him with her uncanny phasing powers!

The shock of being hurt sends Reactron heading for solid ground. His radiation blasts keep Negative Woman at arms length -- a threat that further provokes the ire of Tempest!

The former soldier keeps Reactron on the defensive with kinetic blasts as Supergirl returns overhead with a section of disused, lead sewage pipe!

She dumps the tube on top of Reactron and starts to reduce it to slag with intense heat vision when suddenly Tempest turns his kinetic blasts against her!

The Girl of Steel failed to realize encasing Reactron in lead just provokes him to turn up his powers -- creating an energy that eats through led with explosive results! Realizing her error, she snatches the lead encased villain and heads for the sky -- attempting to clear the populate college campus before he explodes!

The nuclear boom is big enough to shatter windows for miles around -- and knock Supergirl out cold! Her uncontrolled fall is stopped by the stretching energy form of Negative Woman, who carries her safely to the ground.

The rest of Doom Patrol arrive on the scene as Supergirl comes to, ready to learn the secret origin of her newest nemesis and prepare for round 2.

The Hammer...

It had thrills, spills, and special guests, and in the end the bad guy had to essentially blow himself up! The tactics weren't pretty, but the hammer falls in favour of villainous victor: Reactron!

As you can probably sense, the fight is far from finished. There's a follow-up confrontation within the pages of this very issue -- which also contains a Lois Lane back-up story! Wowee!

At some point in the future I'm sure we'll come back to see how the rematch went. Reactron may not be a first or second tier villain, but you know how I love those recurring bruisers. The kinds of bad guys with a simple gimmick, flashy costume, and deep seeded desire to do no good.

Reactron was actually one of the key inspirations for making this our final featured fight for January! I mentioned last month that I've been enjoying something of a Supergirl renaissance, thanks chiefly to the newish TV series.

One of the things I like most about Supergirl is its incorporation of comic book characters. It isn't completely faithful to the page, but it wields its references pretty well. The show reminds me of past efforts like Superboy, Lois & Clark, and maybe even the 1990 version of The Flash, but it combines its light entertainment disposition with much more frequent, heavy comic book content.

Case in point: Reactron was the first bona fide super-villain to appear in the series, making an enemy of Supergirl in the third episode.

It isn't the character from the comics. He presents more like a dark vision of Iron Man, clad in gun metal suit with a glowing red nuclear heart. This version of the character, an engineer named Ben Krull, is a smidge more sympathetic. He owes his powers (and deteriorating health) to a terrorist attack that was stopped by Superman, but not before it poisoned him, and killed his wife.

This Reactron leaves Metropolis to pursue Superman's newly revealed cousin, who's still finding her way as a hero in the early episodes. It's a quest for revenge - family for family. It nearly works, too! Supergirl gets her butt kicked in a hard hitting fight that ends with a silhouetted Man of Steel arriving just in time to rescue his kin as she falls unconscious!

Within the context of the show, the episode and its events are economic world building. I can't help but see the ties to the comic, though.

Reactron's first comic book appearance was the issue before the one we featured today [Daring New Adventures of Supergirl #8]. In the TV show, he's introduced as a pre-existing Superman villain, which functions a little bit like his shared backstory with Tempest. Who appears in our feature fight to rescue Supergirl with his greater knowledge of the threat -- kinda like Superman.

Just like the comic; TV's Supergirl figures she can beat the nuclear nemesis with lead. Things go a lot smoother in the show, though. Instead of encasing him in a lead pipe he explode out of, Melissa Benoist's character coats her hands in lead to prevent explosion when she rips the core out of Reactron's suit.

The comic book version only made it one issue further before his untimely demise. A death undone by the line-wide DC reboot of Crisis on Infinite Earths, which gave Reactron a second chance at life, and a role as recurring villain.

He appears much the same when he returns as a villain in Doom Patrol. I quite like the eventual suit revamp he gained, becoming a Supergirl villain once more after the character was reintroduced in the mid 2000s. With any luck we'll get to some of those chapters, as well.

In the mean time, we tick off a few more names on The Comic Book Fight Club "To Do" list! Last year I featured Robotman as one of our illustrious Heroes of the Week, inspired by the relaunch of Doom Patrol under DC's Young Animal imprint. I've been wanting to scratch the itch of DC's misfit surreal superheroes for quite some time. It's a modest start, but at least today's assist appearances by Negative Woman and Tempest have given us our first taste!

Looking for more obscurities from the DC Universe and beyond? Follow links throughout this post to find more on relevant topics, or dive in to the Secret Archive Index to browse past feature fights by publisher, series and issue!

Winner: Reactron
#302 (new) Reactron
#101 (-11) Supergirl
#510 (new) Tempest [+1 assist]
#511 (new) Negative Woman [+1 assist]