ABSORBING MAN & TITANIA versus ANT-MAN & WASP

"Even a God Can Die!" (Marvel)
Where: Avengers #275 When: January 1987
Why: Roger Stern How: John Buscema & Tom Palmer

The Story So Far...
Avengers Mansion has fallen into the grip of Baron Zemo and The Masters of Evil! Their siege has claimed not just the heroes' headquarters -- but also one of their mightiest ranks!

For daring to charge the building alone, Hercules received a devastating beatdown that left the demigod barely clinging to life! Rushed to hospital, he was declared dead, but The Prince of Power's bold heart refused to stop beating for long!

Captain America was captured providing backup, but Wasp escaped to accompany Hercules to the hospital. Joined by Ant-Man, she stands as the last line of defense for Herc and The Avengers -- and a walking target as The Masters of Evil deploy Absorbing Man & Titania to finish her off!

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Titania 5 (Super-Human)
Intelligence: Ant-Man 4 (Tactician)
Speed: Wasp 4 (Olympian)
Stamina: Titania 5 (Marathoner)
Agility: Wasp 3 (Acrobat)
Fighting: Absorbing Man 3 (Street Wise)
Energy: Wasp 3 (Explosives)
Total: Absorbing Man 22 (Champion)

Don't look now! It's a tag team showdown of Marvel Comics power couples with a debuting partner on both sides, but these pairs aren't created equal!

Carl "Crusher" Creel was a small time crook & boxer who was dosed with an enchanted potion by Loki while in prison. The concoction of Asgardian herbs granted Creel the power to absorb physical properties of anything he comes in contact with, transferring it to himself, his clothes, and a prison ball & chain.

The Absorbing Man typically chooses metals and stone, enhancing his strength and durability to go up against the likes of Thor and Hulk, but he's also capable of more inventive transformations, such as gases, liquids, energy sources, and supernatural materials. He can even rearrange his composition, enduring dismemberment, and forming irregular shapes such as hammers for fists.

Creel first met Titania during the original Secret Wars when she was unveiled by Doctor Doom and deployed against the Fantastic Four. An antagonistic relationship soon turned romantic as the pair became partners in crime and wedlock. They continued to battle each other's rivals, facing She-Hulk, Thunderstrike, Spider-Man, and The Avengers after joining up as enforcers for The Masters of Evil.

Scott Lang may be the second Avenger to assume the mantle of Ant-Man, but he's no stranger to prison himself. Unable to support his young family as a repair man; he used his skills as an electrical engineer to become a burglar, eventually breaking into the residence of Dr. Hank Pym -- the original Ant-Man!

Formally granted Ant-Man's suit after proving himself altruistic, he gained all the skills of Pym particle technology, favouring shrinking over enlargement, command of ants including winged varieties, a concussive "disruptor" blast, and eventually wrist-mounted gauntlets similar to the Wasp's bio-electric stingers.

We've seen the high-flying Janet Van Dyne cut down opponents many times before, blasting the likes of Moonstone, Pyro, Dragon Man, and Kingsize!

This seems like a fairly one-sided affair, with Absorbing Man and Titania typically mixing it up with a different weight class. The Tape gives us our best insight into how the diminutive heroes level the playing field, relying on intelligence, speed, agility, and firepower to mitigate the mighty strength of their opponents.

The Tape: Absorbing Man & Titania Ranking: Wasp (#39)

What Went Down...

Walls crumble as Absorbing Man and Titania stomp their way past helpless security and hospital staff -- on the warpath to The Avengers inside!

Nurses do their best to usher vulnerable patients out of the building as Wasp and Ant-Man shrink down to unnoticed size and race against the herd. Lost amongst the rushing feet, they aim to make a stand to defend a gravely injured Hercules.

Wasp makes the first move -- answering Absorbing Man's search by flying directly into his gaze with her bio-electric stringers blasting!

The sudden assault is enough to shock Absorbing Man out of his steel-skin!

Momentarily blinded by the flash, he clutches at his eyes in human form -- vulnerable as Wasp encourages Ant-Man to strike!

The diminutive hero rapidly returns to normal size, taking advantage of his blinded foe with a dazzling uppercut!

Titania launches herself at the Ant-Man in a furious rage, but with Wasp watching his back, he knows it's coming -- and shrinks beneath the reach of the rampaging villainess to leave her colliding face-first with a nearby wall!

Not taking too kindly to being outwitted -- Absorbing Man reaches into a power junction and makes contact with the electricity. He receives enough raw power to add another "smart guy" to the list he's stomped.

Absorbing Man is a real bright spark as his body absorbs the charge and he swings his electrified wrecking ball over head!

Wasp and Ant-Man have no choice but to flee the walking bug-zapper, while Titania continues smashing through walls to enter the operating theatre housing the mortally wounded Hercules!

Titania has no regard for the demigods' critical condition, but stops short of making good on her threats to worsen his situation when Ant-Man directs a small army to swarm all over her body!

The maddening predicament shocks Absorbing Man out of his electrified state, sending him in search of a bottle of alcohol so he can assume its properties and become a living wash over his partners' ant-covered body!

The alcohol shower does the trick, but pulling himself back into humanoid form leaves Absorbing Man feeling disoriented -- and open to a tandem direct assault from Wasp's stinger and helmet Ant-Man's disruptor!

The blow stuns Absorbing Man, but once again Titania comes to the aid of her man -- immediately snatching Wasp out of the air!

Ant-Man is there to assist his fellow Avenger as well, riding his flying ant into range to toss a small canister at Titania.

It erupts into a gas that shrinks Titania down to the same diminutive size as the insect-like heroes. An equalizer that leaves her vulnerable to Wasp's stinger!

Absorbing Man groggily stumbles through the operating room in desperate search of a source of absorbable power. He finds only the unconscious Hercules, but before he can absorb the strength of a demigod -- Wasp is on him!

The full-size heroine flies overhead and hooks her legs under Absorbing Man's arms, briefly taking him off his feet before unleashing her full bio-electric stinger directly at his head!

The Absorbing Man drops like a mighty oak, slamming face down on the surgery floor -- knocked out! Ant-Man strolls in with a similarly unconscious Titania over his shoulder, noting Wasp's toughness as they relax in victory.

The Hammer...

Occasionally over the years I've been asked to weigh-in on "who would win a fight" between various characters. It can make for a fun conversation, but the more I do all of this, the more I'm reluctant to give any real answer, drifting away from that type of thing.

Secret Wars on Infinite Earths exists to some extent to provide solid reference material for exactly these kinds of debates, but despite our sports-inspired format, comic book superhero fights aren't determined purely by skill or abilities. It's an exercise in plot and narrative. Discussing abilities is a good jumping off point, but it's kinda putting the cart before the horse.

Stan Lee -- after decades of receiving these kinds of questions -- put it with affable simplicity in his Stan's Rants YouTube series: "There's one answer to all of that; it's so simple. Anyone should know this! The person who'd win in a fight is the person that the scriptwriter wants to win!"

Which means Absorbing Man and Titania may be obvious favourites in a fight against Wasp and Ant-Man, but that's exactly why they will more than likely lose. It just wouldn't be interesting if these things were foregone conclusions. The heroes can't simply be smeared across the pavement, and when a super-villain holds such an overwhelming advantage over a hero -- that just better defines the heroism of finding a way to overcome and defeat them.

That's why we still talk about Spider-Man beating Juggernaut, Batman matching Superman, and why Wasp is now nestled comfortably in our Top 40 ranks! [And as a matter of record: Spielberg won two Best Director Oscars for Schindler's List (1994) and Saving Private Ryan (1999), so Ant-Man should have more faith].

Of course, in the interest of avoiding foregone conclusions, sometimes the heroes have to lose, and The Avengers are facing one of their most stunning defeats, this issue taking place during the Siege of Avengers Mansion.

Wasp & Ant-Man's victory at the hospital defended a mortally wounded Hercules, whose vital signs are strengthening after an earlier flatline, but Baron Zemo and The Masters of Evil still have control of the Avengers' HQ. A violation Wasp vows to avenge after doctors have delivered the good news, and issue closes.

Wasp has been in a leadership role around this time, and it's kinda cool to see her playing pointman as the team attempts to regroup. She and Ant-Man could be easily overlooked heroes, but they're both well suited to rallying the troops, and making a surprise attack against The Masters of Evil.

You can rest assured we'll be looking at more from the "Avengers Under Siege" storyline, and Hercules' brutal defeat, at some point in the future.

If you want to find those entries, or any of the topics covered today, you should follow links throughout this post. Or just dive into the Secret Archive for a complete index of featured fights in order of publisher, series, and issue number.

Secret Wars on Infinite Earths has featured well over 700 battles and ranked more than 1,000 iconic characters! You can make sure there are many more by becoming a supporter on Patreon. As a thank you for your patronage you'll find additional updates and multiple tiers to sponsor your own special content.

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Winners: Wasp & Ant-Man
#33 (+6) Wasp (Janet Van Dyne)
#354 (new) Ant-Man (Scott Lang)
#379 (-27) Titania
#984 (new) Absorbing Man

TITANIA versus FANTASTIC FOUR

Tempest Without, Crisis Within! (Marvel)
Where: Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars #3 When: July 1984 Why: Jim Shooter How: Mike Zeck

The Story So Far...
In the cold vacuum of distant space -- the sudden emergence of a space station filled with some of the mightiest heroes and villains of Earth!

Gathered together by some awesome, unknown force, they are issued a simple decree: "I am from beyond! Slay your enemies and all your desires shall be yours! Nothing you dream of is impossible for me to accomplish!"

Deposited to a planet created by this mysterious Beyonder from pieces of other worlds -- forces align to fight a war of good & evil unseen by human eyes. Leading a rabble of the disagreeable and devious: Doctor Doom seeks to enhance his forces with the creation of two new super-villains to join an attack at dawn!

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Thing 6 (Invincible)
Intelligence: Mr. Fantastic 6 (Genius)
Speed: Human Torch 3 (Athlete)
Stamina: Thing 5 (Marathoner)
Agility: Mr. Fantastic 6 (Rubber)
Fighting: Thing 3 (Street Wise)
Energy: Human Torch 7 (Cosmic Power)
Total: Human Torch 23 (Champion)

Plucked from the obscurity of a Denver town during The Beyonder's construction of Battleworld; Mary MacPherran was discovered by Doctor Doom and granted super-human powers using alien technology found on the composite planet.

As Titania she gratefully received super-human strength, durability, and stamina, further bolstering Doom's forces in the Secret Wars against Earth's mightiest heroes -- and a few of his conspiring contemporaries as well!

The Fantastic Four are: Mister Fantastic, Human Torch, and Thing.

The foursome is actually a trio -- unaccompanied by the Invisible Woman, who stays safe at home, heavily pregnant.

Further depleting the ranks is the unexpected transformation of The Thing into his human alter-ego of Benjamin Grimm. It marks a noted loss of strength for the seasoned threesome as they find themselves under surprise attack from an unfamiliar adversary!

Ordinarily Thing would probably go head-to-head with Titania without too much issue, but it'll be up to Mister Fantastic and Human Torch to fend for themselves and their powerless friend. A rare, but not unheard of predicament.

Though generally known for his smarts, Reed Richards can stretch his abilities to combat - particularly when the family's involved.

We saw Reed rough up the Sub-Mariner during a jealous grudge match in FF #412, and outfight the Super-Apes in a dramatic lone stand during FF (Vol.3) #3. Of course, he also found himself twisted and tossed aside by the likes of Hulk in FF #12 and FF #374, and the impossibly powerful Gladiator in FF #249.

In her first outing it remains to be seen if Titania is as strong or durable as those high-level competitors. She's certainly highly motivated and eager to test her strength. So let's see what happened...

The Tape: Fantastic Four Ranking: Mister Fantastic (#11)

What Went Down...

There are no obstacles awaiting Doctor Doom as he pilots a flying ship filled with an army of villains towards the heroes' headquarters. Unchallenged -- he prepares them for ramming speed and crashes directly into the undefended complex!

From the heart of the sprawling facility Doom strikes -- directing The Wrecker to his mission to free Kang, Enchantress, and The Wrecking Crew from imprisonment -- while the other villains spill outward to cause maximum mayhem!

The first heroes alerted to the assault are the Fantastic Four -- now a threesome, with the powerless human form of Ben Grimm standing to his feet as Human Torch and Mister Fantastic spot the disturbance outside.

The very window they're peering through betrays them as Titania comes calling.

Her newfound super-human strength gets its first test drive as she smashes the exterior wall into the large table seating the FF!

Only the Human Torch remains conscious, nursing a broken arm and ribs as he points his right hand toward the attacker and douses her in flames!

The blazing fire engulfs Titania, deterring her just long enough for the Human Torch to blast his way through the floor, allowing he and his fellows to drop to the safety of the lower levels.

Titania stands ready at the hole's edge -- a job well done.

The Hammer...

I suppose I should take a moment to bask in the collective sigh of relief now that Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars is finally on the record!

In the age of SEO you might've presumed it would be one of the first things featured on Secret Wars on Infinite Earths, but life online wasn't always about being so damn obvious, and I've always preferred to go where whim takes me.

Once we finally crossed off Crisis on Infinite Earths, Secret Wars obviously started burning up the To Do list -- and let's be honest: It has always been a point of interest that I've wanted to get to. I just never imagined this is where we'd start!

With Titania making her live-action debut in She-Hulk on Disney+, it felt like the right time to finally dig into the famous Marvel maxi-series, which essentially came together to sell some action figures, but also introduced a few enduring ideas and new additions to the Marvel pantheon.

Titania's first official fight in print wasn't exactly a barn burner, but she makes a heckuva strong impression with her total bamboozling of the Fantastic Four!

Today we might think of her as more of a She-Hulk villain, but it makes sense that her first conflict might be with the FF. After all, she was granted her super-human strength by Doctor Doom, and was itching to prove herself with worthy combat.

It's actually one of several small skirmishes breaking out, by happenstance, as Doom deploys his villainous troops to wreak havoc on the unsuspecting heroes while The Wrecker recovers prisoners.

That element of tactical deployment and human-resource management is one of the things that makes Secret Wars appealing. It won't quite achieve the status of a true war story with super-heroes, but it at least flirts with the concept beyond a clumsy series of indistinguishable fights transparently advertising a toy line.

She-Hulk happens to be the next target featured after today's fight, surprised by another Secret Wars debutante - Volcana. Proximity that perhaps subconsciously alludes to the characters' future associations, including She-Hulk's admission to the Fantastic Four as a stand-in for The Thing, who'd already subbed out in the pages of Fantastic Four #265.

A lot of what makes Titania enduring is here right from the start.

As soon as she receives her powers -- a painful process that requires whole-heartedly embracing them at risk of destruction -- she has a costume ready, and  comes up with an alias on the spot. Truth be told it's probably my favourite Titania look. Leather pro wrestling chic with thorny spikes up & down the sleeves.

A quick flex lifting & throwing a few tonnes of slag melted by Volcana, and she's ready to rumble. Doctor Doom introduces his new recruits to the rest of the squad, and Titania makes a beeline for a lazily lounging Absorbing Man looking for a rumble: "I'm going to do anything I want to you! Everything I always wanted to do to everybody who used to be bigger and stronger than me! Maybe I'll just play with you... or maybe I'll make you eat dirt..."

The vaguely flirtatious threat is met with indifference as Absorbing Man blows off the challenge from "a dame" at least until tomorrow. A dynamic that might be seen as dismissive, but feels more like the playful preview of a lasting relationship that will be forged between the couple as super-human equals.

That's a combination I look forward to exploring further in future updates. For now: we need to make a call about this result.

Although the Fantastic Four look in pretty bad shape, Human Torch ensures they slink away quickly before the fight really takes off. In the next issue Hulk will still be carrying an unconscious Mister Fantastic and Ben Grimm, with the Torch nursing his injuries. I'm inclined to take this compelling outcome into account and deem this a debut win for Titania. Agree or disagree? Hit the comments below.

Secret Wars on Infinite Earths has featured almost 700 battles and ranked well over 1000 characters! You can find more from your favourite characters & topics by following links throughout each entry, or by diving into the Secret Archive for a complete index of featured fights by publisher, series, and issue number.

If you like what we're all about and want to help the site continue to grow become a supporter on Patreon! You'll get warm kudos and respect from your peers for being such a fine, discerning patron, and also unlock access to additional updates, sponsored article options, and various other things.

Get free daily links to fights inspired by the topics of the day by subscribing via Twitter and Facebook. Don't forget to smash that like, fave, and share -- and keep your eyes peeled for the week's top trending battles every Sunday!

Winner: Titania
#352 (new) Titania
#14 (--) Human Torch
#11 (--) Mister Fantastic
#13 (--) Thing