QUICK FIX DOUBLE FEATURE: By the Gods!
CAPTAIN MARVEL JR versus IRON GOBLINS
The Trials of Shazam! (DC)
Where: DCU: Brave New World #1 When: August 2006 Why: Judd Winick How: Howard Porter

Quick Fix...
If you're inclined to glean ahead for a preview of things to come, you'll see this is a double feature none too subtly influenced by one of our fantasy fights; specifically the Round 1 encounter between Captain Marvel Jr and Hercules.

It was while satisfying my own curiosities that I discovered just how unfortunately tilted our efforts are. To regular readers it's no secret that back issues provide a disctinctly Marvel-coloured look back, but it's when observing the cumulative character rankings [Super Stock] that you really appreciate the situation. Marvel characters outnumber their DC counterparts by a little over two-to-one - a pretty damning statistic for fair balance! Made only worse when you consider the registered appearances of members of the Legion!

Ergo; that long winded journey behind the scenes brings us to arrive at an opportunity to induct Captain Marvel Jr into the Infinite Wars proper.

I suppose there's a catch to attempting something like this with absolutely no affiliation with a character. Aside from knowing he wears a gaudy version of the Captain Marvel outfit which supposedly inspired Elvis Presley's wardrobe and moral fibre - I don't really have any reference for the character.

I think my general oblivion boils down a common distain for characters that derive themselves from more successful franchises, without any major differentiation. We've discussed this in the past, particularly for female spin-offs, with notable exceptions being characters like She-Hulk, who have strong identity, and a mythos that has built around them [all hail Slott! - Marionette Mike].

Of course, whilst talking about Trials of Shazam, it occurred to me that I'm inclined to make noted acceptions for a character if and when they inherit the mantle from which they were derived. I could make wild generalizations about the functionality of one version over another, but I think I'm just going to put it down to circumstances. Better ideas come to better writers in better situations.

I don't know if this particular scenario necessarily constitutes the salvation of Freddie "Captain Marvel Jr" Freeman, but as part of the DC $1 80 page sampler, Brave New World, it's well worth a look!

We join our junior hero already locked in mortal battle with a trio of long thought vanquished beasts called Iron Goblins. The specifics of how these blindfolded goblins differ from the garden variety, I do not know, but they're certainly big, bad, ugly, and capable of swatting Cap Jr around like a ragdoll!

A single punch sends Freddie hurtling across the extravagant Prague location where the battle is taking place, sending him into a wall that is no doubt very old, and very valuable. The Goblins quickly descend on him, but the Marvel is far from out of the fight. He leaps over one goblin, delivering a kick to another.

Freddie's turning momentum is suddenly interrupted by the magical lightning bolt that grants (and strips) him of his fantastic powers. Where the blue suited Captain Marvel Jr stood, now stands the casually attired, powerless Freddie!

The youngster desperately cries the name of the friend that grants him his powers, Captain Marvel, but for the first time he finds himself alone.
Unaware of events transpiring elsewhere which have seen the death of the Wizard Shazam; Freddie finds himself on the painful end of a deft blow from the Iron Goblins. He hurtles through windows, alone. and defeated, as the Goblins wander off into the world, no longer interested.

Now, I would have to admit, enjoyable as this short story was, it failed to entice me to the maxi-series it was advertising, which struck more specifics chords away from what I perceive as a dense, but frenetic superhero presentation.
Of this Brave New World preview; we might see more, returning to look at battles involving Mary Marvel, and the big red cheese himself.

On Trials of Shazam; it was browsing over reviews recently that I was forced to pause and reassess my opinion of the book. It was probably that that kept Cap Jr in my mind for the opening round of the DC/Marvel Fantasy Fights, because otherwise it's a series entirely below the broad radar, I think.
For me; particularly off the back of Jeff Smith's niche mini-series; Trials just lacked the glitzy appeal of something more familiar. As a general fan of the golden age, I can't help but feel it's a shame DC haven't been able to dedicate more time to depicting the character in a contemporary-classic fashion, reinventing the character with a similar flavour to books like JSA, or even something like Batman: Year One.

As much as Porter's pseudo-painted CG work was a draw, (while it lasted), for many readers, I couldn't help but feel it highlighted the divide between what I'd love to have seen of Shazam in the 00's, and what was finally being served up.
That said, I think it's incredibly admirable to see the Marvel family more closely associated with versions of the gods from which they derive their powers, and the broad magic corner of the DCU, which probably benefits from the association as much as the Marvels are fleshed out beyond the hokey rogues pre-existing.

I don't know if I'm sold on Trials, despite it's gladiatorial suitability for the Infinite Wars, I am very open minded to the future of the Marvel family, and the prospect of Junior graduating to fully fledged Captain Marvel. I think that's an exciting oppotunity not only for that character, but for the franchise of the "Shazam" characters. Fun!

The Fix: 3.5 The Story: 4.5
Winner: The Iron Goblins

DCU: Brave New World might not be the New Frontier, but as a bargain priced promotional sampler it represents a trend I'd love to see more of! While most titles featured within are finite, or inevitably to be suspended, I don't think DC should be discouraged.
If you enjoyed the art in this portion of the Quick Fix; be sure to check out the first volume of Trials of Shazam, available at Amazon and featuring all the art from Howard Porter before he was forced from the project due to injury.

---

HERCULES versus THE TERMINI
Terminus Factor Part III: ... Can Terminus be far Behind? (Marvel)
Where: The Mighty Thor Annual #15 When: February 1990 Why: Roy Thomas How: Herb Trimpe

Quick Fix...
So, like I said, I've had a couple of vaguely obscure Beta Ray Bill stories on the to-do list for a very long time. One of those, a story from the '93 Thor Annual, seemed like a great follow-up to the monster/myth antics at work in Trials of Shazam, but on a whim I grabbed the 1990 Annual just to have a flick through for interesting back-ups.

Lo and behold, rounding out the fantasy fight that inspired this Double Feature, Thor Annual #15 presents a portion of the Terminus Factor starring Thor's Greek demi-god foil, Hercules!

I suppose it's good synergy that I've never been much of a Hercules fan.
I at least have a familiarity with Hercules that I don't with Captain Marvel Jr, but that familiarity only furthers my contempt for the character.

These days he tends to be a parody of himself, and honestly you could be forgiven for thinking that was always the case. His oafish buffoonery was once played straight, but the character seems to be at his best when he's dim-wittedly pledging himself to a charging action shot, or throwing down as the obligatory second-tier muscle in a group. It would be as an Avenger that I am most familiar with Hercules, otherwise relatively disinterested.

They say absence makes the heart grow fonder, and while I might not be ready to consider myself a Hercules fan, I am at least interested in some of the more recent outings by the character. Hercules was among the obscure collective minority that was sympathetic to Hulk's cause during the events of World War Hulk, something you might have thought more characters could've been involved in, but alas, such is the course of restructuring major events.

Post-World War Hulk, Hercules will inherit Incredible Hulk as his own title, with the specifics as yet unrevealed. Our blogging contemporary, ComicByComic, has more than once proposed the interesting prospect of Hercules adopting his own raging alter-ego as a condition of the series, although, that scenario has presumably befallen another character who will be the subject of the Red Hulk title; written by Jeph Loeb and deliciously drawn by Ed McGuinness; but I digress...

So, anyway, if you're a dedicated War Monger you'll know way back in August 06 we touched upon the emergence of the Terminus goo post-gestation from deep within a volcano [Captain America Annual #9].
By the third chapter the Terminus entity has worked it's way through the food chain to be rabid, metallic animals, but when they rampage their way to the Blackrock Nuclear Power Station, they transform into bulky humanoid Terminus creatures with infantile intelligence.

Fortunate for the authorities, Hercules is on the scene and more than willing to tackle the physical challenge of this small mob of six-or-so Termini!

The demi-god finds himself in a position of Samson qualities, but is more than ready to meet the shackled tear of the monsters with superhuman strength! He smashes the two Terminus creatures together, boasting his power as son of Zeus.

Other members of the Termini group descend on Hercules with gusto, regarding the situation with the same primal simplicity of their earlier counterparts.
Hercules bowls through the pack with the staggering power of the punch, but as he makes his charge into battle, the demi-god finds his boots betray him, slipping in the spilt radioactive goop that powered the Termini's evolution.

Violently imitating Hercules' curses, the Termini descend upon the opportunity, tearing and crushing the Avenger into submission. With Hercules unconscious, the Termini begin to squabble amongst themselves like angry children, leading to the shock fourth-stage transformation. Forming into a giant singular entity, the reborn Termini begins to take shape, as Hercules comes to to witness not only the shocking change, but the descent of the original creature - Terminus!

And if you're wondering, for record purposes we're going to regard "the Termini" hive entity as an extension of Terminus. This means, even though the creature can fight itself divided, it will be statistically measured as one Terminus.

With that little bit of house keeping out of the way, I'm going to wrap this one up! It's very late, I think I lost my focus a long time ago, and we've got to gear up for [today's] regular original Friday entry!

While you're sitting tight for that, be sure to check out all of the other fun stuff popping up around the Infinite Wars, including an exciting new poll! If you scroll back up toward the top of the page, you'll find the poll inset into the right-side menu, asking you to predict which company will win our Fantasy Fights!

The Fix: 3.5 The Issue: 4
Winner: The Termini

With Messiah Complex weaving it's way through the X-Titles right now, this kind of vintage crossover event is a topical subject of debate. In the Annual format, we can see how it's far less offensive to pick-up a book starring a supporting (or unrelated) character, but whether or not this has a place in contemporary comics, remains to be seen!

IRON MAN versus CAPTAIN AMERICA
The Terminus Factor Part One of Five: You are what you eat (Marvel comics)
Where: Captain America Annual #9 When: 1990
Why: Roy Thomas & Dann Thomas How: Jim Valentino

The story so far...
When Sherlock Holmes isn't cracking cases, he shoots heroin. Which is, frankly, why Holmes is nothing but a skinny elbowed English nancy.

Scoffing the most lethal of dangers, Captain America decides to volunteer for an experimental mission to pilot a Stark funded vessel to the center of a newly formed volcano. Why? Well, formerlyto protect Persephone-1 from sabotage, but really, just because he's that good. Human, too.

Things get ugly when a cybernetic egg planted by Terminus begins to crack, and a glowing lot of weird stuff starts to wreak havoc on the mission.
Only by the intervention of Iron Man (who just happens to turn up as Mr. Stark disappears...) do Cap and the pilot escape with their lives -- but so too does the Terminus goo!
Hitting a local waterstream has a strange effect on the fish that swim through it, and subsequently the bear who eats the fish, and so, Terminus enters the circle of life... and the water supply.

Previous form:
Iron Man #2: Iron Man battles Hulk to a standstill.
Captain America #6: Captain America and Cable do battle with AIM.

Tale of the tape...
Strength: Iron Man 6 (Invincible)
Intelligence: Iron Man 5 (Professor)
Speed: Captain America 3 (Trained Athlete)
Stamina: Iron Man 6 (Generator)
Agility: Captain America 4 (Gymnast)
Fighting Ability: Captain America 6 (Warrior)
Energy Powers: Iron Man 5 (Lasers)

It seems like it's been a while since we've had a straight one-on-one.
I guess it seems appropriate that the Civil War theme provide the first in a while. These two guys are arguably among the top tier of Marvel characters, stalwarts of the Avengers, and most recently, leaders of two different camps of thought.

Captain America isn't necessarily the most free-thinking sunnuva gun in town, but he represents the broadest sense of right, and the ideals of what all men aspire to. In many respects he's what America wants to be in the world, as opposed to what it is. He's a guiding symbol of good, who never backs down.

Stark, both in Civil War, and in general, probably represents more of what America really is. He's a character who made his early life producing technological advancements in weapons, and has essentially built a fortune by neglecting extrapolation beyond what serves his immediate goals -- which means ignoring the potential consequences around him.

Both characters exhibit an All-American iron will, but as the stamina readings show, Iron Man just has a little extra technology to back it up.

Wolverine might have a better PR agent, but Cap is truly the best there is at what he does, and he's about as close to human as you can get, without relying upon gadgets, or iron suits of armor. This guy has all the experience and grit to fight overwhelming odds, and plenty of times he'll even come out on top.

Iron Man's equipped to go toe-to-toe with pretty hefty opponents too, mind you.
The red and gold has regularly diced with the likes of Fin Fang Foom, the Mandarin, Titanium Man, and The Hulk.

So, what does all of that mean? Well, Cap may have taken down Japanese kamikaze pilots, and dropped a few Nazi tanks in his time, but neither of those had the maneuverability or firing power of Iron Man. Nor did they have the ability to out grapple him with hydraulic muscle.

He'll always be a sentimental favourite, but against Iron Man? We salute you anyway, Cap.

What went down...
Washington state has more resaons than a newly formed volcano for a couple o' Avengers to visit. You guessed it! It's time for the annual Georgeville trout feast!
Cue ominous music. Oh yes, that trout*.

Cap's a bit more manly than the silver spoon, so he doesn't bother with any food, but IM goes and sits by himself to chow down on some fresh, local trout.

As Cap is putting the moves on Dr. Napier (the Persephone-1 captain), some schmuck in a suit turns into "... a snarling animal -- leaping at us --!"
Napier makes her alliances known by calling Iron Man for help, claiming Captain America needs help, which promps Cap to machismo the guy head-first into the pavement.

As an angry mob starts to form, crazy eyes Iron Man shows up on the scene.
Snarling ponytail suit guy got the jump on Cap, but Iron Man is a drunk, so he's well prepared to backflip, snatch up the damsel in distress, and forward flip his way through a double barrage of repulsor rays.

In the commotion some powerlines become severed, and some of the raving mob start to head toward them with no sense of repercussion. Cap is there to save a zombified kid, as some guy in lime green pants gets fried.
Cap dumps the kid in a barrel of ice, as Iron Man descends into the mob.

Cap, recognising Iron Man as a threat, tries to take him out quick with a swift toss of his mighty shield. IM goes down, and much to the surprise of the Captain, the mob descends on the Golden Avenger!
Meanwhile -- to his further surprise, the kid he dumped in the ice has returned to his senses. This prompts an idea, and also an impromptu opportunity to cop a feel of Napier's arse, as he ushers her into their helecopter with the rather conspicuous line, "Don't wory about us getting lonely..."

Back in the street, Iron Man blasts his way free of the ravenous mob, and cuts the chopper off as he flies over the snowy mountains.
A direct hit overhead to the main propellor ensures the craft head straight for terra not-so firma.

Emerging from the crashed vehicle relatively unscathed, Cap leaves Dr. Napier and challenges Iron Man to, "-- COME AND GET ME!"

Iron Man does just that, but Cap is able to backflip clear.
After getting nothing but net, shellhead decides to drive it to the hoop, and nails Cap square on the kisser with a swooping left hook.
Showing no fear, Cap eggs Iron Man on, taking a backhand that sends him flying again.

As the Captain continues to provoke the supreme assault from his ally, Dr. Napier could be forgiven for wondering if Cap was going crazy too, but alas, no
For Captain America is not without a plan!

Iron Man throws all the energy blasts he has, and then follows it up with a torpedo dive, knocking Cap a little sillier, as he plants himself deep in the snow. [Ding! Ding! Ding!]

Cap tosses his shield, and knocks Iron Man back momentarily, but the armored Avenger strikes back with a vengeance!

Cap spills over the edge of a mountainous cliff, and hanging on for dear life as the zombified villagers below watch, Iron Man blasts at the very piece of Earth Cap is clinging to!

As the sentinel of liberty begins to fall, fall, fall to his demise, something happens! The icey effects of the snow finally snap Tony Stark out of his maddened haze, and with no time to lose, he swoops down and catches the tiny patch of Earth and scoops Captain America up to safety!

The villagers gradually return to normal, and the day appears saved, but Cap and Iron Man are forced to ponder whether or not the menace of the glowing Terminus goo was indeed through.

The hammer...
Even though things ended peacefully, I've got to give this one to Iron Man based purely on points. Though Cap was ultimately able to pacify his sinister urges, Iron Man thoroughly had his number, and it was only by his will that Cap survived the fall from a cliff.

I had an interesting discussion recently about Captain America, and whether or not he has credibility as a military figure, and that ultimately led to a discussion about Civil War, which leads me here.

The conversation actually began when I said I felt Ultimate Captain America had a militant credibility that I felt the regular "616" Cap had long since lost.
I guess, honestly, there are two contributing reasons for that opinion. One is the stereotype of the fighting soldier as either a hardass drill sergeant, or a mindless jarhead. The other, perhaps the more legitimate half of the argument, is the fact that since his revival in the sixties, Captain America has spent his time devided between his roles as superhero, and ideal.

On this, my friend and I were able to agree - Captain America is an ideal - but our opinions largely diverged on whether or not his role as an ideal had superceded his credibility as a militant figure.

Personally, I err on the side of there being a distinct necessity for them to be exclusive. While a soldier may be inclined to go AWOL given the right motivation, and perhaps do so justfully, I still think there is an inherent responsibility to rank, order, and thought processes that might not necessarily reveal outcomes potentially disasterous.

For example; I feel Captain America's ideals in the Civil War scenario representative of his role as the ideal that all mean, of all colour and creed, should/would like to live up to. They are not, however, the actions of a man considering his responsibility to queen, country and greater good.

I would like to think many of us, when distancing ourselves from the material, would ultimately acknowledge that registration is a good idea. That, in the real world, it's exactly the kind of law we would each wish to see enforced and monitored to the greatest degree. This is particularly relevent, as discussed in a previous 'Hammer,' in a post-tragedy scenario.

What I think, logically, we would disagree with, is the way in which anti-registration heroes are being hounded, imprisoned and attacked with extreme prejudice.
Likewise, allowing Captain America a shred of his all-American dignity, I believe he would object to the methods used, but assuming a military role, as opposed to the role of an uber-idealistic superhero, would oppose via due process.

I doubt the thought process of a man who is almost as viciously opposing the registrants, as they are his camp. This is a man who has almost gone to the lengths to lead children (Young Avengers) into a war with his own country. This is a man putting the needs of certain individuals above the needs of the public, which has just recently lost thousands, many of whom were children.
This, in my estimation, is not the approach of a character with military credibility. This is a character who has filtered through the superhero mould, and abandoned process in favour of ideal.

And maybe that's not such a bad thing.

Also not a bad thing: Jim Valentino's pencils!
Maybe not as realistically tight as some of the contemporary best, but this is not the line I imagine when I think of a man who joined the co-founders of Image comics, and created the oh-so nineties character - Shadowhawk.

The Fight: 4 The Issue: 5

NEXT: We round the month out with the one we've been waiting for - Cap and his supporters versus Iron Man and his supporters. Do not miss it!