TEEN TITANS versus BROTHERHOOD OF EVIL MUTANTS

The Greatest Heroes Of All Time (Marvel/DC)
Where: Unlimited Access #3 When: February 1998
Why: Karl Kesel How: Pat Olliffe

The Story So Far...
Axel Asher was just an ordinary New York University student until a trip down an alleyway turned into a life changing meeting with destiny!

Confronted by a man with a glowing cardboard box - Axel learned the responsibility was his to maintain the balance between two universes as the hero Access! When the two worlds went to war he learnt on the job: first merging the worlds together to stop the warring cosmic brothers that fuelled their fight, then fighting to stop reality as it should be from ceasing to exist!

Access is still trying to keep the worlds apart, but dark forces have begun to tamper with time and space! Thrown between the universes in their different periods, Axel has no choice but to recruit the aid of more crossover heroes! When the Justice League and Avengers go to war, he can only pluck the next generation to come to his aid when The Brotherhood of Evil Mutants strikes!

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Juggernaut 6 (Invincible)
Intelligence: Robin 4 (Tactician)
Speed: Impulse 7 (Lightspeed)
Stamina: Juggernaut 7 (Unstoppable)
Agility: Toad 5 (Cat-Like)
Fighting: Sabretooth 7 (Born Fighter)
Energy: Scarlet Witch 7 (Cosmic)


The Teen Titans are: Robin, Superboy, Captain Marvel Jr, Impulse & Wonder Girl. They come to the aid of inter-dimensional summoner: Access.

As hard as it is to believe, we've got a couple of debuts coming our way on both side of the fight! For the heroes, this is the first time The Comic Book Fight Club has played host to Impulse and "Wonder Girl" Donna Troy!

They're fighting alongside the Tim Drake and Kon-El versions of Robin and Superboy. Important to note because they'd easily be confused amidst the time travel shenanigans that have brought the Teen Titans into conflict with today's villains...

The Brotherhood of Evil Mutants are: Mastermind, Scarlet Witch, Quicksilver, Toad, Mystique, Blob, Sabretooth & Juggernaut.

The time displaced bad guys begin as the original sixties Brotherhood [see; X-Men #6], but get a serious injection of talent from other eras in the form of Mystique, Blob, Sabretooth, and the decidedly non-mutant, but still quite bad: Juggernaut!

For those keeping score at home, this marks the site debut for both Mystique and Blob! This all spells bad news for the kid heroes who are outnumbered, and arguably overmatched when it comes to experience and firepower, as well!

There isn't a lot of crossover experience between the two teams as they exist here, but what there is, is noteworthy. Three of these characters featured in the DC versus Marvel cosmic event: Robin defeated Jubilee [Marvel versus DC #3], Superboy lost to Spider-man [Marvel versus DC #3], and Quicksilver was defeated by former Titan: The Flash [Marvel versus DC #2]! Juggernaut also found himself flung into the path of Superman in an unofficial bout [DC versus Marvel #1], and later fought Wonder Woman in Unlimited Access #1, plucked from a time period after this fight. Donna Troy was the only Titan to participate in the pre-Crisis 1982 Uncanny X-Men/New Teen Titans crossover.

Juggernaut and Blob are arguably menace enough to occupy an entire team on their own. The unstoppable force and immovable object, respectively. They may be able to call upon the physical strengths of Captain Marvel Jr or Superboy to pin either down, but for the Teen Titans to stand any chance, they're going to want to pull some classic team tactics. Impulse's speed, and/or Robin's agility could be the answer to redirecting Juggernaut's unstoppable charge in the direction of Blob. That's a best case scenario that leaves their powerhouses free to occupy the rest of the villains.

Quicksilver's speed could prove problematic, but Superboy might slow him down with some well timed tactile telekinesis and brute strength. Scarlet Witch poses a serious threat with her hex powers, but in the old days, her timid personality will likely take her out of the fight when her brother's hurt. Toad and Mystique are lightweights matched by Wonder Girl and the team. Sabretooth is cunning, brutal and strong, but even if he gets the drop of the team and takes a hostage, the likes of Impulse or Captain Marvel Jr have it covered.

Mastermind may be the most likely danger working for the Brotherhood. His ability to cloud the young heroes' perception with illusions could very quickly render them vulnerable, or even turn them against each other. All the villains could pose serious threats given the right circumstances, but Mastermind's unassuming appearance and tendency to hang back makes him a big one!

We could come at this a lot of ways, but that's the quick version. It's the Teen Titans who need to fight uphill. Let's just find out how they actually did...

The Tape: Sabretooth Ranking: Robin (#32)

What Went Down...

Having been lured in by an illusion of his girlfriend in peril -- Access has found himself in the super-fast clutches of Quicksilver! Magneto's Brotherhood of Evil Mutants is working for Darkseid and Access knows he needs help if he's to stop their evil plan. With the Avengers and Justice League busy, he uses his power to open a portal between worlds and summon a selection of Teen Titans!

The young heroes recognize peril where they see it - Impulse the first to act to rescue Access from The Brotherhood! Quicksilver takes exception to the brash, "big-footed" speedster, who opts to skip his lesson in humility!

Meanwhile, Toad gets a lesson in the value of theatrics from Robin. The mutant leaps and kicks circles around his foe, boasting the advantage of being homo superior, but is quickly dispatched with a skill toss of a roped batarang. "Listen, if your name doesn't make your enemies fear you, your actions better!"

Superboy tries a more affectionate approach to subdue the Scarlet Witch, but his charm offensive falls on deaf ears. Her hex power on the other hand, falls on a nearby fire hydrant - which blasts the young hero with a well deserved and intense "cold shower"!

Lucky for Superboy, fresh faced Wonder Girl is more than thrilled to be fighting in his presence! She comes to his rescue with a swift uppercut that dispatches the Scarlet Witch before she knows what hit her!

Captain Marvel Jr isn't sure what's happening to him, either, when his arms begin to turn against him in the form of giant serpents! It's all part of the plan of the illusion projecting Mastermind! Unlucky for him, Junior's mastery of the wisdom of Solomon helps him see through the mentalists trick. The strength of Hercules is more than a match for meek Mastermind, who takes a stiff left!

Unfortunately, it's no trick when Juggernaut comes up behind Marvel Jr and pounds him into the ground with two clubbing, unstoppable fists!

It also isn't an illusion when two Superboys confront Wonder Girl! She has no way of knowing the truth as they both plead their case to being the genuine article. At least, not until Sabretooth lurks up behind her with claws drawn and the real Superboy springs into action to stop him!

Superboy succeeds at torpedo driving Sabretooth into a stationary car, but can't be of any assistance as the second Superboy gets the drop on Wonder Girl - delivering a stiff chop to the neck as he transforms into Mystique!

Robin is busy doing his best to slow down the Blob. His martial arts fail to make an impact, serving only to annoy the hulking mountain of mutant mass! Having collected the bundled up Toad, Blob turns him into a living projectile - hurling his unconscious body at a Robin shaped bullseye!

Still stomping around the fight - the Juggernaut sets his sights on Access and Impulse and starts a-rampaging! Access is relying on Impulse to dash them both to safety at the last second -- when suddenly a beam of energy slams the Juggernaut! And a blast of ice sends him unstoppably slipping and stumbling!

Watching from elsewhere: the master of magnetism Magneto curses the arrival of Xavier's merry mutants: The X-Men! Evil Darkseid assures him all is going to plan. The Brotherhood seem to think so as well, Mystique ordering a strategic retreat as a thundering boom tube opens to whisk them from the battlefield.

Professor Xavier telepathically warns the gathering of young heroes of the New Gods' evil he sensed, leaving them to await further instruction in victory.

The Hammer...

An unexpected end to an unexpected crossover! The momentum may have been shifting to the bad guys, but plan or no plan - we're going to call this one a forfeit victory! That means the Teen Titans are the winners with the assist from the X-Men!

Admittedly - this wasn't an easy call to make. There was no decisive finishing blow. Cyclops & Iceman got the last offensive, but they arguably only stalled their target. The Titans were able to take several villains out of the fight during the melee, even if they had their own visual losses as well. The X-Men's arrival ultimately prompted The Brotherhood's retreat, but the X-Men didn't participate enough share in victory.

For those who might be wondering - the X-Men who arrive on the scene are the earliest first class: Cyclops, Iceman, Angel, Beast & Marvel Girl. So new - they don't even recognize Juggernaut: who the team first faced way back in 1965's X-Men #12! Those're some bona fide near mint mutants!

As noted in The Tape; the meeting of Titans and X-Men isn't without precedent. The original 1982 crossover was the last collaboration between DC and Marvel for over a decade. It played up the similarities of teen superhero drama that permeated the pages of both popular books. I'm not sure how many people were clamoring for the 90s Teen Titans to meet the 60s X-Men, but I suppose it has a certain charm. It certainly plays to the sixties retro fad that was going on at the time of publication. Not that comics ever need a reason to be nostalgic!

As in a lot of the crossovers of this period, they get away with some fun nods. Wonder Girl quizzes Marvel Girl about the X-Men being "misfit heroes like the old Doom Patrol". A fun jab at an old comparison. Of course, they also kinda did it a couple of years earlier, when the Amalgam mash-ups delivered X-Patrol. I'm not sure X-Force fit the bill quite as well, but it's close enough.

If you've been keeping up with our regular Hero of the Week entries, you know Doom Patrol is a series I've had on my mind [04/11/2016]. I'm hoping we'll get a chance to talk more about them some time soon. Today's feature was a nice chance to delve into another neglected corner of the DCU - the Teen Titans!

Admittedly, I've never been a big fan. Reading the adventures of Robin, Wonder Girl and Kid Flash had its thrills as a small boy, but the melodrama and sidekick angst of iconic Titans never geld with me. Not even as a teen. Kid heroes struck me as disappointingly second-rate as a kid. My peers ain't no Justice League! I'm slowly coming around, though. The idea of bundling existing young heroes together is certainly a good one.

The deviation of Doom Patrol's Changeling to iconic Teen Titan is the kind of living evolution that makes comics great. At least until line-wide reboots erase the chronology. DC's Rebirth is fixing to reinject first and third generation heroes into the New 52 line-up. It's something, I suppose.

The Titans line-up featured here may not be traditional - but it's much easier to appreciate. I've particularly enjoyed watching Captain Marvel Jr climb the site ranks. Glad to have Impulse on the record, as well. I wasn't sure on first look, but he's often struck me as a better junior alternate to the Flash than latter day versions of Kid Flash. Giving the Teens their own identity and mythology always helps. Especially when it isn't soaked in self-serious sobbing and lame rejects.

If you noticed me ducking references to Wonder Girl, it's largely because I'm a little sketchy on what was going on with Donna Troy during the short 'n' nerdy years. Undoing that predicament in the years that followed - a good idea. With any luck we'll get a chance to explore all of these characters at a later point.

Sadly, we won't be adventuring further into the realm of big league comics crossovers! This feature concludes our April celebration of the 20th Anniversary of Marvel versus DC and the 10th of our original feature(s). Fear not, though! There are still plenty of weird and wonderful combinations I'm sure we'll dig up in the future! You can also dig through the back issues via our Secret Archive Index, character tags and links, or by hitting up our recent retrospective in Old Comics Wednesday: DC versus Marvel!

Coming soon: We turn our attentions to heroic battles of another kind! Be here next week when we witness one of the first ever showdowns between two of Marvel's greatest hand-to-hand combatants of all time! See you then!

Winners: Teen Titans (w/ X-Men)

#25 (+7) Robin

#59 (+40) Captain Marvel Jr

#100 (+195) Superboy

#280 (new) Wonder Girl (Donna Troy)

#281 (new) Impulse

#38 (+1) Beast [+1 Assist]

#61 (-1) Angel [+1 Assist]

#64 (-1) Cyclops [+1 Assist]

#103 (-1) Marvel Girl (Jean Grey) [+1 Assist]

#109 (-1) Ice Man [+1 Assist]

#343 (-15) Scarlet Witch

#349 (-9) Juggernaut

#774 (new) Blob

#775 (new) Mystique

#786 (-243) Mastermind

#805 (-21) Toad

#808 (-11) Sabretooth

#813 (-8) Quicksilver

GREEN LANTERN versus HULK

No Time Like The Present! (Marvel/DC)
Where: Unlimited Access #1 When: December 1997
Why: Karl Kesel How: Pat Olliffe

The Story So Far...
New York City native Axel Asher had enough trouble holding his own life together before he was confronted with a destiny to protect two parallel universes!

Drawn into an inter-dimensional conflict between warring cosmic brothers, and the denizens of their respective universes, Axel became the hero of two worlds: Access!

Having undone a merging of universes, and averted cosmic annihilation, Axel learns to adjust to the challenges of keeping both worlds separate, while also living a normal life. Attempting to juggle his responsibilities he decides to stop off in the DC Universe to get a special gift for his girlfriend -- only to find himself caught in the crossfire between the Incredible Hulk and Green Lantern! Zoinks!

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Hulk 6 (Invincible)
Intelligence: Green Lantern 4 (Tactician)
Speed: Hulk 4 (Olympian)
Stamina: Hulk 6 (Generator)
Agility: Draw 2 (Average)
Fighting: Hulk 6 (Warrior)
Energy: Green Lantern 7 (Cosmic)


The DC universe's most powerful weapon against the "strongest one there is" in Marvel's! One is fuelled by bravery and indomitable willpower -- the other is indomitable willpower! On the surface, this is another odd pairing. When you break it down in terms of themes: it's one heck of an interesting encounter!

Hulk is the raging alter-ego of brilliant Dr. Bruce Banner, who was bombarded by gamma radiation while saving a boy from his own bomb test. The radiation mutated his body so that any time the timid scientist grows agitated, he runs the risk of transforming into a rampaging, musclebound, dimwitted powerhouse!

Through his various incarnations Hulk has performed unfathomable feats of strength while locking up with: Superman [Marvel versus DC #3], Iron Man [Iron Man #2], Thor [Avengers #5], The Sentry [World War Hulk #5], Hercules [Tales to Astonish #79], Red Hulk [Hulk #6] and the Silver Surfer [Incredible Hulk #95]! All physical powerhouses, but only Silver Surfer is comparable to the cosmic energies of DC's emerald ring-slinger!

Hal Jordan was a daredevil test pilot before being chosen to wield the ring of the Green Lantern! Inducted into the GL Corps as a replacement for a dying alien who crash landed on Earth; he was cosmically selected for his fearlessness and proximity to the crash site. Trained by Sinestro to be the Green Lantern of Sector 2814, Jordan surpassed his mentor to become one of the greatest ring wielders of all time! He controls his ring's charge with a blend of whimsy and determination, summoning sometimes absurd hard-light constructs in the pursuit of serious justice!

We've primarily seen Hal Jordan combat other ring wielders in previous feaured fights. He's locked constructs with Parallax Kyle Rayner [Green Lantern #24], Sinestro [Green Lantern #25] and Larfleeze [Green Lantern #44]. For a more literal example of the ring against brute strength we look to his role in pinning down power suited Lex Luthor [Justice League of America #15], Black Lantern Martian Manhunter [Green Lantern #44], and to a lesser extent the Appelaxian Golden Roc [Secret Origins #32].

The Golden Roc gave him trouble because of the yellow weakness in the Green Lantern power rings (later revealed to be Parallax). Against the jade giant that is the Hulk that's mildly relevant. He might throw a school bus, for example. My real reason for raising it is because the weakness was eventually removed, but this is Hal Jordan operating in a very particular point in the past - just prior to the destruction of Coast City and his succumbing to Parallax. Which means he's well into his pro years and really should be plenty experienced with super-strong monsters.

This is also a Hulk plucked from quite early in his existence. Significant if you want to break down fluctuations in his strength and intellect. Here on Secret Wars on Infinite Earths we generally adhere to a couple of basic Hulk principles: His strength has a finite limit, and measuring it in any particular year is usually splitting hairs.

Early Hulk is double tough, but not real bright. That means the ball is really in Green Lantern's court. He's going to want to try to get the drop on Hulk as soon as possible and play the distance game. A physical fight is a mistake, but there could be some benefit to a preliminary offensive to try to subdue him enough to make containment an option. That's a big ask, but he could definitely try some old tricks like an oxygen depriving bubble and restraints. Anything structural is gonna be in for an absolute pounding, and Hulk's offensive is strength is going to be very taxing on the ring depending on charge.

That's a potential match loser! This one definitely has potential to go both ways, but I lean towards the Hulk for an advantage in the spread. Raw power, yellow cabs on tap, with power and endurance to spare. Let's see how it went...

The Tape: Green Lantern Ranking: Hulk (#5)

What Went Down...

Cross dimensional souvenir shopping in Coast City goes awry when tremors signify the arrival of the Hulk! Access isn't worried - he met the genius scientist during the battle between worlds. Alas; all is not as it seems. This isn't the super-intelligent powerhouse he knows he can reason with. It's the rage fuelled Hulk of old - disoriented, displaced, and tearing up the street!

Access manages to calm the raging beast with the promise to return him home, but his nerves are getting the better of him in the shadow of the towering green goliath. He can't open the doorway between worlds fast enough, and Coast City's own green guardian is about intervene!

It's not often the Hulk finds himself dwarfed or overpowered - but a giant green fist achieves just that! A construct formed by the power ring of Green Lantern!

Access can't believe his eyes. The Green Lantern he knows is Kyle Rayner, but before him stands the commanding presence of Hal Jordan - fallen Lantern who, as far as he knows, is dead. Access isn't just between worlds - he's lost in time!

Not wanting trouble: Hulk attempts to jump free of the city with a vertical leap that impresses even the wile space cop. Still perceiving the beast as a threat, Green Lantern makes pursuit. Even in the air, Hulk won't go without a fight.

A streak of green light falls to the Earth - making a crater out of street with its impact! Hulk clearly didn't take kindly to GL's interference. From within the hole he delivers an uppercut to the authority of Space Sector 2814. Apparently he doesn't recognize the Green Lantern Corps' jurisdiction.

A cushion of ring energy protects Green Lantern as he crashes into the glass of a nearby building. The fearless hero takes exception to being told to leave his own city. He attempts to contain the situation and his target by forming a giant-size chain around the Hulk!

The bonds don't last long before Hulk shatters them into shards of hard-light energy! Again the Green Lantern is stunned by his foe's feats! He's not sure exactly what he's dealing with, but he's happy to fight mean green like for like!

A giant, non-denominational movie monster is Hal Jordan's instrument of just destruction! His ring-formed big green monster stomps on the Hulk with a giant lizard-like foot!

With his opponent subdued; Green Lantern quizzes Access for some intelligence on the situation. Access has done some investigating of his own, determining the present as the anniversary of Barry Allen's death - the past. He ponders the impending doom of Hal Jordan and Coast City with foreknowledge, but can offer no prophecy, nor enlightenment to how the time and space of two universes has begun to overlap. Even if he could - there's no opportunity!

Hulk has summoned the rage-fuelled strength to lift the giant lizard monster! Before it can cause any collateral damage the ring-slinger deletes his construct. While he does, Hulk takes possession of Access with the intent of following through on his earlier promise to return him home.

Green Lantern takes chase once more, but Access assures him he has the situation under control. This time he manages to open a doorway to the exact point in time and space where the Hulk was plucked from. They pass through in mid-flight, making landing in the desert of South-West America. Home.

The Hammer...

Just when it looked like Green Lantern was on top of things, Hulk takes the fight into another round! Who knows how it might have ended if they'd gone the distance. With the result we have here, we can only call it a draw!

As regular readers know, we're looking back at some of the forgotten DC/Marvel crossovers to celebrate the 20th Anniversary of DC versus Marvel/Marvel versus DC! It's been ten years since we ran down that particular showdown, which has remained one of the most popular series of fights featured on Secret Wars on Infinite Earths: The Comic Book Fight Club!

The evergreen intrigue of inter-company crossovers may have kept the 1996 event mini-series fresh in people's minds, but it's always interesting to dig through the outlying collaborations people tend to forget. I didn't set out to dwell on the two Versus sequels: DC/Marvel: All Access and Unlimited Access, but curios like Green Lantern v Hulk and Batman v Scorpion are just too good to ignore! Weird, unlikely, and all kinds of fun!

Admittedly, the importance of these stories to the larger comics tapestry is not overwhelming. Their greatest impact may be as time capsules for a very rare moment when DC and Marvel were able to work so extensively together, they produced dozens of crossover issues. Cultural spectacle that's likely a boon to the big two superhero universes to this day. The eternal talking point for fans.

Was it too much? Not enough? Probably just right.

Revisiting the comics landscape of 1996 through G. Kendall's "The Guide to the Guide to Comics" on Comic Book Resources; I'm reminded of the particularly unique fascination with the Amalgam Comics experiment. It topped Wizard's list of most wanted action figures not in existence. Not only do I remember its place on that list, but I was one of many fans already thinking it! Different times...

The megamix universe unfolded in two waves of a vast series of #1 one-shots that introduced pretty memorable mash-ups of both company's characters. If you love Batman and Wolverine - you're gonna go cross-eyed for Dark Claw!

The one thing all of this quantity didn't quite deliver was an integral on-going series. I was cross-eyed for that first wave Dark Claw, and I probably would've like to read more adventures with that character, and others.

There were also the great many original DC and Marvel characters who hadn't really been able to participate in the crossover fun. Martian Manhunter and the Fantastic Four may have graced the cover of Marvel versus DC #2, but it wasn't until Unlimited Access and '99s Superman/Fantastic Four that those characters made any significant appearance. Iron Man: another notable omission (yes, even then) picked up by Unlimited Access and its pre-JLA/Avengers throwdown.

While Unlimited Access certainly offers some of the most diverse hero meet-ups, I can now say I tend to prefer the DC published All Access a little more. It has much more of the whiff of the adolescent nineties on it, but the finish of Jackson Guice's pencils have a sheen of quality, and the use of characters, while limited, balances the interests of the time with the story being told. Given the timing, Venom and the X-Men are arguably the two big cheques picked-up in that one. Guaranteed future entries, to be sure.

Pat Olllife's a fine comic artist in the modern classic sense, but I tend to find the inks really don't do enough to elevate his work. Inconsistent lines and lack of detail sometimes leaves the work looking unloved, or unfinished. I'm sure he and Al Williamson were on a rough schedule to get the series done, but its not an isolated case for Olliffe's work. I'm not crazy about the dry colors often applied to his work, either.

I am crazy about superheroes fighting and we will have one more blockbuster Marvel versus DC encounter in April! There'll be more characters than you can poke a stick at, and even a couple of noteworthy debuts for the site! If you can't wait for that, be sure to jump into the Secret Archive for past crossover clashes as featured this week's Old Comics Wednesday: DC versus Marvel portal!

Winner: Draw

#5 (--) Hulk

#25 (+1) Green Lantern (Hal Jordan)

#122 (+17) Access [+1 Assist]

SPIDER-MAN & WONDER WOMAN versus MANTIS & JUGGERNAUT

No Time Like The Present! (Marvel/DC)
Where: Unlimited Access #1 When: December 1997
Why: Karl Kesel How: Pat Olliffe

The Story So Far...
New York City native Axel Asher had enough trouble holding his own life together before he was confronted with a destiny to protect two parallel universes! Drawn into an inter-dimensional conflict between warring cosmic brothers and the denizens of their respective universes, Axel became the hero of two worlds: Access!

 

Having undone a merging of universes, and averted cosmic annihilation, Axel learns to adjust to the challenges of keeping both worlds separate, while also living a normal life. Crossovers continue to draw him deeper into the DC and Marvel Universes, but his powers help maintain the balance of reality.

 

What happens when it isn't just space that's starting to bleed from one universe into the other? When Mantis shows up in the Marvel Universe with a plan to kill Axel's girlfriend, he's forced to use his powers to recruit heroic allies from each universe once more. Only this time he's crossing over through time, as well!

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Juggernaut 6 (Invincible)
Intelligence: Spider-man 5 (Professor)
Speed: Wonder Woman 5 (Superhuman)
Stamina: Juggernaut 7 (Unstoppable)
Agility: Spider-man 5 (Cat-like)
Fighting: Wonder Woman 6 (Warrior)
Energy: Mantis 5 (Lasers)

Not a hoax! Not a dream! Heroes of two worlds uniting against the threat of an unexpected, villainous alliance!

Spider-man is Peter Parker of the Marvel Universe, joined by Wonder Woman of the DC Universe. They had a brief encounter during a previous crossover in 1981's Marvel Treasury Edition #28, and are aware of each other during this inter-dimensional team-up -- which has to be a good thing!

A year prior, an alliance would've been much trickier. During Marvel versus DC [#3], a cosmic contest of champions pitted Wonder Woman against Storm, while briefly in possession of Thor's hammer Mjolnir. The true-blue amazing Spider-man missed out on the showdown of that particular century, but has contended with the likes of Superman, Lex Luthor, Joker, and others, in other universe shattering encounters.

The villains of today's crossover are Mantis of the DC Universe's New Genesis, and the unstoppable Juggernaut. Mantis is a newcomer to The Comic Book Fight Club, but Juggernaut we know well. He too has infamously faced the might of Superman [DC versus Marvel #1], and has the only history recorded on site between our tag team tusslers, mostly unphased in his clash with Spidey [Amazing Spider-man #230].

There's a nice thematic symmetry to the two sides. Spidey & Mantis are super-powered bug-men, Wonder Woman & Juggernaut are magical powerhouses. How does this shake down in combat? Not exactly evenly.

We've seen Wonder Woman take on her share of magical bruisers: A mythic Minotaur [DC Universe 0], the monstrous Genocide [Wonder Woman #32], a corrupt Mary Marvel [Final Crisis #3]. Two outta three ain't bad! She had Mongul dead to rights in Infinite Crisis #1, and gave Superman some grief that same issue. Given Juggernaut's sketchy win/loss record, we can at least call that a stalemate.

Mantis, on the other hand, possesses a range of standard New God super-human abilities: Strength, speed, agility, flight. The real catch is his ability to siphon power from attacks and even individuals, which could render Spidey and WW both at a serious disadvantage! How will they handle it? Let's find out...

The Tape: Spider-man & Wonder Woman Ranking: Spider-man (#2)

What Went Down...

Inner city calm turns to panic when Empire State University comes under fire from the New God Mantis! How he came to be in a universe not his own is a mystery of meagre importance, paling in significance to his intent: To destroy the girlfriend of man of two worlds - Axel Asher!

As Access, Asher uses his ability to create inter-dimensional doorways to pull his girlfriend Ming out of harm's way -- right before explosive beams of energy blast from Mantis' hands to her location! Mantis glowers at the narrow escape, failing to notice the friendly neighbourhood Spider-man coming at him from behind with a flykick to the back!

The advantage is momentarily lost when Mantis uses his physical might to pin Spider-man to the ground and begins drinking in his life-force!

A spray from mechanical web-shooters covers Mantis' face in a blinding weave - prompting him to relinquish the hold and start blasting energy! Fortunately, the proportionate leap and agility of a spider makes light work of dodging the blind shots -- which find the invincible chest of the Juggernaut!

The mystically endowed menace isn't taking a swing at Mantis, though. He's unharmed and in cahoots! Instead rampaging against Spider-man - who leaps out of the path of Juggernaut and into a blast of energy!

Juggernaut clutches the hero's head in his giant hand and invites his accomplice to grab the other end to finish the job properly. It doesn't look good for the human-spider wishbone - until a streaking Amazon delivers a torpedo-like right across the face of Juggernaut!

Spider-man delivers an uppercut to Mantis, who's swiftly caught by the golden lasso of Wonder Woman! Spidey offers to take the load, but finds he's fresh out of web-fluid. The distraction gives Juggernaut the time he needs to sneak up behind and viciously smash Wonder Woman's face into the Earth!

The Amazon warrior recovers and instantly fires back with a left cross that staggers the hulking villain - but doesn't topple him! Juggernaut dares to be amused by the powerful attack, which "almost hurt". The world shakes from the impact of two titans colliding at full charge!

Meanwhile, Mantis is flying wild -- driven mad by the rapidfire banter of his webless opponent! Spidey dodges those deadly hands and snags the gleaming lasso still wrapped around Mantis' neck! It makes a fine substitute for web, as Spidey swings the magic rope around Mantis' wrists and mounts his back!

Access returns to the scene - informing Spidey he's having trouble figuring out exactly where in the DC Universe Mantis came from. That makes a return delivery tricky, but it hardly matters when Mantis goes aerial - dragging Spider-man helplessly behind him!

Across the battlefield, Wonder Woman fares a bit better. Perceiving Juggernaut's armor to indicate an innate weakness, she hones in on his helmet. A two-fisted uppercut rocks Juggernaut and sends his metallic dome flying!

Alas; Juggernaut's helmet is designed to protect against a weakness to mental attack -- something neither Spider-man nor Wonder Woman can render. With confidence he snatches Wonder Woman and runs her through a nearby faculty building at devastating speed!

Still flying above, a frustrated Mantis prepares an anti-matter charge to try to free himself from the cuff of Wonder Woman's enchanted lariat. He isn't paying attention when Spidey tosses the loose end around a lamp post -- sending Mantis into a high-speed downward spiral!

Spotting Wonder Woman and Juggernaut again brawling in the open, Spider-man calls his ally's attention to the "irresistible force" swinging wildly above. She sends an "unmoveable object" heading its way with an uppercut!

Add insect-men from New Genesis to things that can stop the Juggernaut. KO!

The Hammer...

The winners of this titanic tag team encounter are quite definitively Wonder Woman & Spider-man! As a matter of formality we also need to acknowledge the assist from Access, since he did recruit Wonder Woman to even the odds in the Marvel Universe.

Those in the know will remember there was a lot going on in the world of Wonder Woman around this time. She teetered on the brink of death in '97, resurrected for a spell as the Goddess of Truth. These strange twists were obliquely referenced in Unlimited Access, which, as it turns out, is actually a crossover between space and time -- making this a Wonder Woman plucked from some time in her past!

When you consider the inconsistency major superheroes faced throughout the nineteen nineties, playing in time doesn't seem like such a bad idea. Topical reference had meant the Spider-Clone participated in Marvel versus DC #3 the year prior, instead of the genuine article. Wonder Woman got to dodge that bullet thanks to time travel shenanigans, much the same as Hal Jordan, who appears a solid seven years before DC fashionably recommitted to its mistakenly discarded Silver Age icons [see; Green Lantern: Rebirth].

The disappointing fact of Marvel's four issue Unlimited Access mini-series is that it quickly breaks from the benefits of selecting characters at their iconic best, opting to get lost in mash-ups of alternate futures, and significantly dated pasts.

Even with a prior dozen or so DC/Marvel crossovers in the nineties, the desire to see comics' biggest contemporary icons together was still strong. Much more so than meetings with the sixties Brotherhood of Evil Mutants, or the Days of Future Past X-Men. Too many major players were still unused, and intriguing competitive match-ups unexplored. Wonderful as those stories are unto their own publication, nobody wants to feel the fight is just a meaningless What If...?

That may sound particularly absurd for an inter-company crossover, but one of the remarkable things about DC & Marvel's collaborations of the nineties was their willingness to play fair. Nothing illustrates the eerie détente as well as an editor's note advertising a recent issue of Green Lantern in the pages of Marvel published Unlimited Access. Concocting mutually owned Amalgams seemed like a nice way to keep things even, but now we're casually incorporating business as usual. Spooky!

The companies would become spiteful nemeses anew just a few years later, but in the late nineties, everybody seemed fine playing relatively nice! Impactful stories were an available option. The battles, with some notable compromises, could be presented with more than a dismissive denial. Fans might debate their outcomes, but whether you like it or not, Storm beat Wonder Woman, and Wonder Woman got the better of Juggernaut. For real.

Depending on your perspective, you may say Wonder Woman has also got the better of Batman & Superman. Throughout March, we've been taking inspiration from the unprecedented cinematic experience of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. In mass theatrical release today - the movie includes the first feature film appearances of: The Batman v Superman rivalry, the DC Trinity, aspects of a cinematic Justice League, and Wonder Woman herself!

 

Starting now, and continuing into the month of April, we'll be featuring the 20th Anniversary of another unprecedented pop cultural showdown event: DC versus Marvel/Marvel versus DC!

 

It's been ten years since we first ran through the classic crossover contest. In April we'll continue to explore the two follow-up series and some of the inter-company crossover battles that you may have forgotten! So don't miss it!

 

Winners: Wonder Woman & Spider-man

(--) #2 Spider-man

(+3) #12 Wonder Woman

(+29) #138 Access [+1 Assist]

(-18) #341 Juggernaut

(new) #772 Mantis