SUPERMAN versus LEX LUTHOR
(DC/Warner Brothers)
Where: Superman Returns When: June 2006
Why: Bryan Singer, Michael Dougherty, Dan Harris How: Brandon Routh, Kevin Spacey, Kal Penn, Ian Roberts, Vincent Stone, Parker Posey

The story so far...
When astronomers locate what they believe to be the distant location of the once proud planet Krypton; Superman decides to unexpectedly turn his back on humanity, seeking answers about his origins in the stars.

After five years, Superman returns to a world that has grown used to his absence. An absence that saw Lex Luthor freed from prison due to the heroes absence during his trial, and allowed the villain to amass a new fortune through a sham wedding, and foster a new plot to use Kryptonian crystals to create a designer continent where Luthor will control realestate and wealth, at the cost of the United States.

When Lois Lane fails to show for her wedding to Daily Planet Editor, Perry White's nephew Richard, Superman and his pals learn through a desperate fax that Lois is being held hostage aboard Luthor's inhereted boat. Thus, Superman launches into action, ready to confront the geological threats of a world desperately counter-balancing a new landmass.

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Superman 6 (Invincible)
Intelligence: Lex Luthor 6 (Genius)
Speed: Superman 6 (Mach Speed)
Stamina: Superman 6 (Generator)
Agility: Superman 3 (Acrobat)
Fighting Ability: Superman 3 (Street Wise)
Energy Powers: Superman 5 (Lasers)


- With the planet Krypton on a path toward destruction, a scientist, Jor-El, bundles his only son into a rocket ship designed to take him far from the impending doom. The young Kal-El would be rocketted far from his home to come to land on the planet Earth, where a yellow sun would grant him the powers to become the man of steel - Superman!

A spiritual leader for the superhero community; Superman has a wide array of physical capabilities to back his presence up, the stalwarts being; super strength, flight, heat-vision, super breath, and super speed. He also has a keen intellect, his Kryptonian brain enhanced in much the way his body is.

A keen strategist, Superman has a broad understanding of sciences and battle tactics, but is often hindered by his own sense of caution and responsibility.

- Born to Lionel and Leticia Luthor, a young Alexander would spend time under the care of his aunt in a humble Kansas town called Smallville. There he could become acquainted with Clark Kent, the man destined to be the rival that would drive him to criminal greatness.

Lex Luthor's career has straddled the line between respected businessman and criminal mastermind. Few have so callously capitalized on the instabilities of a universe populated by gods and monsters, and as a human, he is perhaps rivaled only by the Batman for his ability to participate.

As the figurehead of LexCorp; an ambiguous conglomerate of companies involved in sciences, weaponry, and various other technologies; Luthor has amassed a fortune and veritable smorgasboard of resources to create any manner of custom designed weaponry or tools. Among the most prominent in his offense, an armored powersuit capable of confronting even the might of Superman!
Luthor's inventive genius has earned him a place amongst his world's most brilliant minds. Among Luthor's greatest triumphs, maneuvering himself to become President of the United States - a title Superman would never dare oppose.

The Math: Superman Ranking: Superman (#8)

What Went Down...
Having rescued Lois, her fiance, and the boy who may very well be Superman's, the big blue boyscout heads off to the terraform that has sent shockwaves as far as Metropolis! He comes to land on one of the jutting islands grown with the same technology that facilitated the effortless construction of the Fortress of Solitude.

Exploring the island, Superman hears a voice from the past echo with a snide commentary on the land's resemblance to Superman's own hidden fortress.
Luthor continues to taunt his old nemesis, confident as Superman slowly walks the path formed by Kryptonian design, unaware of the crippling element that lies deep within Luthor's earth.

The first indication is two beads of sweat dripping from the Man of Steel's temple as he demands the return of his crystals. Luthor responds with a violent shove that leaves the Superman tumbling down stairs, and through rocky stalagmites.

If the pain didn't tell him, the blood did. A gentle vein of green glows from a crack in the ground beneath him. This earth, similar to both his forgotten home, and the one that adopted him, behaves so very differently, betraying him in a way Earth's nature never has.

Luthor, having always found a great weapon in science, delights in the laymans account of the scientific story of Superman's predicament. His joyous ring echoes through the empty mass as he explains the crystal's function to imitate neighbouring minerals, such as the Kryptonite he had stolen from a museum.

The weight of Superman's predicament sinks in with help from Luthor's boot, driving home the weakening effects of the radioactive rock with every punt.
Again, and again, Luthor drives the boot in, releasing the bitter resentment no doubt pent up after years behind bars.

When Superman manages to catch Luthor's boot, one of his trio of muscled goons snatches the helpless hero by the face, using it as leverage to drag him across the unforgiving ridges of the new rock floor.

Succumbing to pain, Superman let's out a pathetic decree he can never hope to support on a land made of his only weakness; "I'm still Superman!"

Luthor's hired muscle, a thug called Riley, wrenches at Superman's typically invulnerable body, vaulting it into the air. Gravity proves a bitter rival as Superman comes crashing down once again, his body crashing into rock, unable to defy physics any longer.

Superman struggles to do litle more than crawl away as the other toughs, Stanford and Grant, circle around to join the burliest of the three in the brutality and humiliation of the once proud icon of truth, justice, and the American way.

The beating continues, repulsing even Luthor's partner in crime, Kitty.
Superman is kicked, twisted, beaten, and drowned, with no ability to retaliate. The three on one assault assures his defeat, leaving a broken man to Lex.

Luthor reveals a piece of Kryptonite from within his coat pocket, brandishing the crystal shaped piece like a dagger. No doubt revealing something about his character, Luthor pulls a crawling Superman into his grip, and plunges the tip of the Kryptonite deep into Superman's back, deliberately breaking it off.

Now directly exposed to the power-sapping properties of the alien mineral, Superman finds himself completely overwhelmed. Amazingly, he makes it to his feet, but it is to be the last time. With no intervention from his nemesis', Superman staggers backward to a sheer cliff face, with only the ocean below to break his fall.

Weakened by the Kryptonite still in his back, it is sure to be a watery grave for the hero from Krypton, unless someone can save him!

The Hammer...
Well, while it's with some reluctance I include "Riley," "Grant," and "Stanford" in the rankings, they never the less share victory with their boss, Lex Luthor!

So, with some reluctance I finally got around to seeing Superman Returns. I wonder if you managed to guess that. Yeah, so anyway, as that would suggest, I wasn't exactly thrilled with the prospect of this fifth Superman picture. My immediate problem was a fairly obvious devotion to the genre defining work of Richard Donner [in 1978] that, undeniably had it's merits, but has never sat particularly high on my list of favourite films.

It's quite pleasing then to discover that, while the film shares many bonds with the previous Donner flicks, it is not nearly the remake I had assumed it to be.
That's not to say it's at all a masterpiece of originality. Overtones common to the seventies film(s) are right there, including an airborne sequence that, though an exciting introduction to Lois Lane-woman of action, felt a tad familiar, like so many other generic moments, despite their specifics.

When I look at Superman Returns, I'm hard pressed to specifically fault it.
While it's nowhere near as subversive in it's success, it really draws parallels to the revamped Doctor Who TV franchise, which set about to reacquaint viewers with the fundamentals of what the character and series where about.
Much to my surprise, the film even manages to do a lot of the heavy lifting with allusions, such as the delivery of character and exposition through scenes set in the Daily Planet, which never actually show Clark Kent reporting on anything, despite a suspicious return to Metropolis that coincides with the big-blue.

It seems shamefully lo-brow to talk about a superhero film needing a supervillain. It feels like that's exactly the kind of thing we've all tried to repel from our medium which has been tarnished by less respecting efforts to translate it to the screen. Even so, if there's one undeniable issue here, it's Lex.

Well, that's not entirely true, it's Superman in-relation-to Lex.
I'll skim over the fact that Kevin Spacey's Luthor still has Gene Hackman lurking behind the contemporary veneer of a bald head, and beautiful suits. This character is far from the criminal mastermind who will become President!

[Bryan] Singer had originally conceived a script that brought General Zod back to the screen, but supposedly Jude Law's unwillingness to fill the role led to a rewrite of script. Personally, I imagine this would've been equally stale, but the necessity for a physical opponent feels present in a film that barely sees Superman clench a fist! One might argue this is a symptom of the comics, which offer a relatively meagre list of rogues for potential adaptation, but something fresh and physical might have been nice.

Of course, as described in the above fight summary, Superman isn't without his perils. One of the many motivators of a site like this is the opportunity to put myths under the microscope, like the common complaint that Superman is so powerful he's become unbeatable. A claim that couldn't be farther from the truth as the Man of Steel is utterly dismantled in the film's only feature fight.

You've got to give it some credit.
The gravity of the situation is completely underwhelmed on screen by the fact that Luthor isn't allowed to succeed, but think about it on your own time.
He's attempting to raise an entire continent riddled with Kryptonite. Imagine, will you, the prospect of a nation where Superman literally would have no power. As far as turning the home advantage against your opponent, you have to give credit to Lex [and the writers] for putting Superman at such a logical disadvantage!

That said, the extremes described by fans disatisfied with Superman's power levels are reversed, producing the same result. Superman fails to live up to the name, and in that respect the film can be disappointing. Likewise, though there are moments of perfect simplicity, the character almost demands a more bold interpretation. Scenes on the island fade to shades of grey, while brighter efforts pop with their surprisingly retro art design.

Brandon Routh is unconvincing, and at times appears to be lost to the suit as his body turns on certain angles. Though CG successfully makes up for the seventies claim that we'd "... believe a man can fly", it cannot mask uneasy inconsitencies like Superman's spacefaring ejection of Luthor's Kryptonite-infested state (which had previously left him near death and barely able to stand).

The result continues the theme of weakness when Superman plummets back to Earth to suffer a coma. In heavy handed scenes in the Planet, headlines are prepared to announce Superman's death, and really, I feel something of that weight should've been saved for what should be an inevitable sequel.

I said I was hard pressed to fault the film, and while I'm doing a pretty good job at picking and pulling at pieces that were disappointing, don't confuse that with a critque designed to leave the film lambasted! Actually, without responding to anyone else's opinions, I get the impression the film was perhaps unfairly received by a good many.

With a catalogue of adaptations as reference, you can start to shuffle paradigms referring to the order of quality. If Catwoman and Ghost Rider is the worst of this crop, which I truly believe are, and Batman Begins and Sin City mark higher ends of the scale; then Superman Returns is probably most central of all movies.

A satisfying story and respect for the character mean a worthy product, but nothing about this stands out. Superman's feats of amazement never really have any reason to be, nor do they extend themselves beyond what we've seen before. CG deserves kudos for being almost unnoticable in scenes that, in conceptual review, are utterly underwhelming. Singer's devotion to the past is evident, and seems to come at the cost of detailed minutia and chic that made the X-Men films so satisfying. Then again, some of that might fall on the cast, too.

As the hours tick from night to day, I really want to wrap this up, but every time I try to do so, it seems unsatisfying. Each positive or negative manages to bleed into a related contradiction, which I suppose is how these major productions come unstuck, when you're that close to each piece.

I might leave further aspersions to you, the war mongers, but before I do, I do want to lament on one last thing. Something that actually pertains very specificially to the scene reviewed, which is not only a fight, but also a fairly tremendous six minute exchange between two sixty year old characters.

I zoom in on Routh, who captures Reeves' gawky Clark Kent with eerie efficiency, but never quite amazes as Superman. Having become aware of the Kryptonite weakening him, Superman's kicked to the ground.

That moment when he's snatched by the face and dragged along the ground, if I can dare to expose myself so much, is chilling. The small boy inside me who still runs around with that warn out Superman t-shirt (that has a cape attached!), and colours Superman pictures green and orange sometimes to create a new hero/villain, and marvels at Superman comics.

That small boy is utterly terrified by a Superman who grunts and howls, and screams his name like it's a threat when he couldn't be less capable of backing it up. It's the moment the parent becomes pathetic, and that's scary, and I almost wonder if that wouldn't have upset small children in theatres. I don't know. Maybe we were just made of different stuff, back in a time when Superman mattered.

The Fight: 4 The Film: 4.5

If you're at all like me, and reticent about Superman Returns, then I can wholeheartedly say I think you should at least give it a go. Contrary to the very nature of providing you with a review, I'd recommend going in with as few assumptions as possible, because I'm still surprised by what was served up.

If you're part of a rental scheme, that's the perfect way to check this movie out, but if you find yourself wanting to own the DVD, which unfortunately appears to lack a commentary, you should head over to Amazon.com! They've got products available for a range of super prices, and every time you use links from the Infinite Wars to purchase, you help us continue to do things like this! Kick-backs, because poppa gotta eat tonight! YEAH!

IN STORES: January 23, 2008
You can probably find complete shipping list updates on most major comics sites. Consider this an opportunity to either do all your info-shopping in the one place, or get a speculative perspective on what might be worth checking out. These are untested reads. Secret Wars on Infinite Earths can offer no guarantee or endorsement of quality. These are simply titles that may be of potential interest. Some items may ship late.

Thin and Crispy...
NOV070173 COUNTDOWN TO MYSTERY #5 (OF 8) $3.99
OCT070225 GON VOL 03$5.99
NOV070182 GOTHAM UNDERGROUND #4 (OF 9) $2.99
NOV072147 IRON MAN #25 $3.99
OCT071981 MADMAN TP VOL 03$17.99
NOV072162 MARVEL ZOMBIES 2 #4 (OF 5) $2.99
NOV072195 PUNISHER #54 (MR) $2.99
NOV070197 SUPERMAN BATMAN #45 $2.99
NOV070199 SUPERMAN CONFIDENTIAL #11 $2.99
NOV072123 ULTIMATES 3 #2 (OF 5) $2.99
NOV072191 X-MEN FIRST CLASS VOL 2 #8 (OF 8) $2.99

The Deep Dish...
- NOV072210 ANNIHILATION CONQUEST HC BOOK 1 $29.99
I'm far from a big trade guy, but for an extravagant way to catch up on Marvel's 2007 sequuel to the cosmic reneissance, look no further than the Annihilation Conquest Hardcover!
Marvel have just announced a brand new Guardians of the Galaxy series, using an old name for the new purpose of capitalizing on properties funded by Conquest! We haven't dedicated much time to talking about it on the Infinite Wars, but I think it's been a long time coming, and am glad enough people have been on board to sponsor this move forward. I feel the team book is almost the logical step forward in keeping these characters and properties alive, and yet, I still managed to be surprised and delighted. Again, to use a comparison that's going to become exhausted over the next few months, this is everything the Spider-Offices aren't doing. Bravo!

- NOV070167 COUNTDOWN TO FINAL CRISIS 14 $2.99
I haven't been reading Countdown to this point, but as things continue to ramp up in the title, I really wish I was! What kinda credibility does a guy need to get review copies from DC?
Having just read Countdown: Arena, and gleefully initiated the peculiarly enjoyable Superman-Prime into the Infinite Ranks, part of me is just a little extra charged for the war we're being promised in Countdown. Whether or not it can live up to the hype and successfully wrap up to segue into the related weekly Final Crisis title, remains to be seen!

- NOV070174 CRIME BIBLE THE FIVE LESSONS OF BLOOD #4 (OF 5) $2.99
Pockets of resistance [ie; iFanboy] can be seen putting a lot of effort into rectifying the promotions bungle of the worst series title in 2007. Set to be appropriately redubbed THE QUESTION: Five Lessons of Blood, it may be worth jumping into recent back issues to pick this up on the cheap, and dazzle your friends. While not interested at first, I have to admit, talks with Greg Rucka (conducted on WordBalloon) have helped sell me!

- NOV072015 JACK STAFF SPECIAL #1 $3.50
Y'know, loitering around the big two like we do, you'd be forgiven for being blissfully aware of my reading habits. Sure, we're running a ship built on superheroes fighting, and sure that typcially equates to Batman and Wolverine fights, but there's much more to comics than that, and we're well aware of it!
Paul Grist's quirky self-contained series, (based loosely on a failed Union Jack pitch), brings together a lot of characters and lore directly inspired by British sci-fi/fantasy heroes from the seventies, many which have inspired me through childhood reading. I'm well behind on picking up these issues from Image, boasting skillfully applied colours, but encourage others to take heed! Heck, here's where your Spider-man dollars could be going, in lieu of Spider-Boycott: 2008; the stand against bad storytelling!

- NOV072171 ORDER #7 $2.99
The Order has been an Initiative spin-off with a decent hook, but an otherwise utterly uncompelling exterior. I have serious doubts that this issue would change my mind, but for anyone whose glance is easily seduced by the appearance of a favourite character, look no further than the cover of Order #7 to produce promise of the Sub-Mariner!
Hey, it isn't all flim-flam! This seventh issue gives the series opportunity to test it's legs in the domain of the Marvel Universe, meshing a new and isolated concept with one of the longest standing conventions of Marvel comics, in Namor. Could be interesting!

- NOV072120 ULTIMATE IRON MAN II #2 (OF 4) $2.99
Then again, you can take everything I said about the Order, and chuck it.
As origins go, I felt the last Ultimate Iron Man meandered beyond any series' right. I don't know if I should expect violence, and lord knows the issue may struggle to live up to the superb Pasqual Ferry cover, but... War Machine!!!
Teeheeheeheehee!!!

COVER TO COVER: 25 NEW BEGINNINGS - Round 4!
So it was that as 2008 ticked over to begin with a new number one, we thought we'd do likewise, and spotlight some of the [in]famous first issues of series reviewed over the last two years of Infinite Wars! With one more week of C2C fives to go, we approach ever closer to the present. A lot of you are going to have read some of these issues, so how do you feel in hindsight?

Speaking of hindsight, we're looking backward and running late yet again on the Infinite Wars. Unfortunately, writing this on the Wednesday, I regrettably lament on the shock accidental death of my countryman, and upcoming big screen Joker, Heath Ledger.
We've talked previously about having some reticence about the casting, but it's undeniable that the competence of Ledger as an actor, already seen in IMAX six minute previews, had him fixing for a major rise off the back of one of the most popular comics franchises going around. Very sad! He was twenty-eight.

Infinite Crisis #1 (December 2005)
"Infinite Crisis" Johns/Jiminez
Tensions between the Justice League are at an all time high as they real from the disappearance of Martian Manhunter, and the destruction laid to their satellite headquarters by an unknown assailant.

There to assess the damages, the "trinity" of Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman find themselves at odds over the course of their goals and methods. With cracks showing between the three pillars, an old foe is waiting in the wings to capitalize!

The fiend Mongul has found his moment of opportunity, but will the heroes suffer, or will it be he who tastes deadly defeat? The beginning of the event that reshaped the DCU!

Marvel Zombies #1 (February 2006)
"Marvel Zombies" Kirkman/Phillips
They came from beyond, and made contact with a young Reed Richards in the pages of Ultimate Fantastic Four, desperate to spread their plague of desperation and hunger.

From the story created by Mark Millar comes the twisting tale of a Marvel Universe overrun by a zombie plague that has claimed it's greatest heroes, and killed many others.

As one of the few super powered survivors, Magneto does his best to lead the resistance and ensure the survival of a trapped "Ultimate Reed", but with the interdimensional interloper saved, one question remains. Who'll save Magneto?!

Blue Beetle #1 (May 2006)
"Blue Monday" Giffen/Rogers/Hamner
With the crisis of the Brother Eye satellite and the armies of OMAC converts brought to an end, the crucial contribution of a new Blue Beetle goes unthanked, when young Jaime Reyes is hurled back to Earth by the mystic blue scarab.

Desperate to escape the Green Lanterns for reasons unknown, the blue scarab's worst fears come true when it's the Green Lantern, Guy Gardner, who discovers Blue Beetle upon his crash landing in the desert.

Unhinged at the best of times, Gardner is driven to madness when his ring responds to the magic of the Blue Beetle, and so, Reyes is forced to defend himself, even if it isn't he who's doing the fighting!

Civil War #1 (July 2006)
"Civil War" Millar/McNiven
When the New Warriors, starring in their own superhero reality television programme, corner a group of super villains, they soon discover the perils of fighting out of their depth in the realm of pseudo-fiction.

The resulting destruction results in the deaths of thousands of school children, with consequences felt far and wide across the Marvel Universe -- the most spanning being the initiation of a registration act to catalogue, police, and properly train superpowered individuals.

Approached by SHIELD; Captain America is the first to oppose the invasive initiative that looks to unmask many heroes with families. So begins the Civil War.

Street Fighter Legends #1 (August 2006)
Double KO/Siu-Chong/Dogan
The young Japanese puro, Rainbow Mika, is fast making a name for herself with her colourful costume, and high-flying antics inside the squared circle!

When Sakura Kusanago's idol and long distance sensei; the wandering world warrior, Ryu; tells his student of the importance of experiencing different styles, it's the perfect excuse for Sakura to take in a pro-wrestling event featuring her blue and white garbed idol!

The big match features R. Mika up against an idol of her own, the Russian Czar of wrestling, Zangief, who may be about to prove the choreography of his moves is anything but fake!

COVER TO COVER: I HAVE A DREAM... TEAM!
I'm neither American, nor 'of colour', so I wouldn't presume to fully appreciate the gravitas of Martin Luther King Day, but there's a certain universal truth to that broad notion of a 'a dream.' As human beings we all have an opportunity to be touched by injustice or segregation, and in comics, where humanities best and worse traits are exaggerated, minorities of any kind become a hot topic.

I'm not going to enter into any kind of philosophical or political debate, make creative assumptions, or cast any aspersions. Instead, I invite everyone to join me in taking a look back at five issues that feature some of the top rating characters from the Infinite Wars rankings, because that's what brings us all together. That, and good old fashioned punching and kicking. HAH!

Power Man & Iron Fist #90 (February 1983)
"The Untouchable!" Busiek/Cowan
Tired of the money hungry business design of the Heroes for Hire; Luke Cage accepts a quarter from a small boy when he learns of a musclebound menace plaguing small businesses on his turf.

Helping the people soon proves difficult when he and his partner, Iron Fist, learn that the unchecked robber is none other than Unus; the untouchable Italian mutant!

After suffering an embarassing defeat at the hands of Unus and his inherent impenetrable forcefield, the Heroes for Hire take time to regroup, before going on the hunt for a rematch, and this time they've got a strategy! Sweet Christmas!

Iron Man #271 (August 1991)
"Dragon Flame" Byrne/Ryan
Replacement Iron Man, James "Rhodey" Rhodes, has inhereted the battle of a lifetime as the menace of the Mandarin returns to plague the gleeming golden avenger!

Suspicious of the identity of this Iron Man, Mandarin pits the monstrous might of one of IM's oldest foes, the ancient alien dragon called Fin Fang Foom, against the supposed impostor!

Never one to back down from a fight, Rhodey must call upon every trick in the Iron Man arsenal as he faces off against a foe whose name literally means, "He whose limbs shatter mountains, and whose back scrapes the sun!" UH-OH!

Marvel versus DC #3 (April 1996)
"The Showdown of the Century!" Marz/Jurgens
Omnipotent entities - brothers - have forced the greatest champions of the Marvel and DC universes into mortal battle, and dangling over their heads is the obligation of an entire universe's existence!

The weather goddess, Storm, soon finds her hands full as she stands face to face with the Amazonian princess, Wonder Woman! Having gained possession of the enchanted hammer of Thor, Wonder Woman looks unstoppable, at least until she surrenders the weapon in the name of a fair fight! Even without the mighty Mjolnir, Storm is forced to bring all her powers to the table in this epic showdown from the classic DC/Marvel mini-series!

Black Panther #19 (October 2006)
"World Tour" Hudlin/Eaton
It was the wedding of the decade when the ultimate superpowered couple of King T'Challa of Wakanda, aka; Black Panther, and the African X-Woman, Ororo Monroe, aka; Storm, were united in matrimony!

With royal power comes royal responsibility, and as a show of goodwill, the couple opt to tour the super powers of the world to garner relations in a world of change, suspicion, and a superhuman registration act in the United States.

First stop on the honeymoon tour is Latveria, where T'Challa begrudgingly meets with a concerned Dr. Doom, and inevitably finds discussions more than a little tenuous!

52 #42 (April 2007)
"Man Ain't Nothing but a Man" Johns/Morrison/Rucka/Waid/Giffen/Batista
John Henry Irons is the ultimate self-made man.
Though his greatest accomplishment in life may have been gaining an education that took him from the ghettos, it came with the cost of his soul, as he designed advanced weaponry eventually found in gang violence.

Having cleaned up the mistakes of his past with Superman-inspired armor of his own design, Steel hangs up the armor to return to the less perilous world of science, where he can continue to do good without endangering his family.

A sound theory; at least until work conducted for Lex Luthor is revealed to have a sinister underplot, and John Henry is forced to don the Steel armor once more to save his niece, Natasha!

FANTASY FIGHTS: CAPCOM/MARVEL ROUND 4!
In the first round of Fantasy Fights from the Infinite Wars, Marvel proved their overall superiority in fifteen seperate battles that culminated with your vote deciding their fate. Now, with DC vanquished, the Marvel Heroes are back to tangle with some old enemies: The world warriors of Capcom's Street Fighter!

By popular demand the Fantasy Fights are sticking around for seven more rounds of non-stop non-canon action! When the characters met in the video games, they were united against common goals, but this time some of Marvel's greatest fighters will be initiated as they duke it out for supremacy over the SF classics!

CHUN-LI versus ELEKTRA
Strength: Draw 2 (Average)
Intelligence: Elektra 4 (Tactician)
Speed: Chun-Li 4 (Olympian)
Stamina: Draw 4 (Athlete)
Agility: Draw 4 (Gymnast)
Fighting Ability: Draw 5 (Martial Artist)
Energy Powers: Chun-Li 3 (Explosives)


The Hook...
When it came to considering potential match-ups, a lot of characters came to mind. It's not at all surprising that the Capcom vs Marvel video games focused their attentions on popular Marvel characters, but there's always been that desire to see more pure fighters in the series. Lord knows it's a lasting disappointment that I couldn't find numbers to cram Batroc/Vega into the Fantasy Fights!

The solo movie left a little to be desired, but after Jennifer Garner's turn in Daredevil, Elektra has well and truly fullfiled both the popularity and the fighting skill for a scenario like this. Originally I considered her a match-up for Cammy, but ultimately I think there's more resonance between her and Black Widow.

Which means Chun-Li kinda gets left with the scraps here.
They're both expert fighters with some association to law enforcement, even if Elektra's turn with SHIELD does little to balance the ambiguity of her character against Chun-Li's role as an Interpol "goodie." If you really wanted to find thematic commonalities, there's also the fact that each have sought revenge for the murder of a father, Chun-Li's mission bringing her to Bison, while Elektra first came to blows with Daredevil under said circumstances.

Regardless of the trinkets of their character, this would always be a fanatstic fight between two iconic female characters!

The Math: Chun-Li Ranking: Elektra (#35)

The Battle...
If you go by the last round [Cammy/Black Widow] you can use that logic to steer to a pretty clean conclusion between these two, as well.

Behind the over-the-top qipao lurks a relatively subdued character in Chun-Li. She's the atypcial vendetta-cop, professional, but extra motivated by personal revenge. In the world of Street Fighter that could easily leave her without any kind of ki arsenal, but lucky for her, she's got some fireball action to go with the yup-yupping flurry of the super-fast lightning kick combo.

While equally bizarre in dress, Elektra is a little less flashy.
Her moves don't have fancy names, and aren't elaborate displays of martial arts or light shows. Elektra's an assassin of the highest degree, and when we refer back to the last battle of assassins, we come down to a basic representation of two-dimensional character traits.

Chun-Li, though a proficient fighter and lead protagonist, could not quite be regarded the 'best there is at what she does.' Elektra, on the other hand, operates on a premise of being, yes, prone to death, but when not dying, a master assassin with no equal. Ergo, you do the math.

Again, this is going to be a fiercely choreographed battle between two skilled fighters capable of throwing a wide variety of limbs in deadly ways. Elektra is presumably not going to be out to kill Chun-Li, but failing more specific descriptions, the lengths she is willing to go to may give her some edge.

The Hammer...
Okay, well, there's something to consider!
The math has failed to accurately calculate the last two results. After two years, could this be the first definitive signs of the patented Haseloff system cracking, or is this a betrayal of a higher order? One thing's for sure: You can help decide the fate of the Street Fighters and Marvel Heroes by voting in the poll!
There's only one more weekend before the finale, and though the Capcom characters are making a late charge, Marvel's dominance looks untested!

Interesting futures lie in wait for each of these characters, interestingly enough. Elektra, having already tasted feature film success, will be joined by a solo-faring Chun-Li when she breaks out the blue and yellow in a Street Fighter film unrelated to the previous! The film, starring Kristin Kreuk in the title-role, will presumably play closer to what we know of Chun-Li, placing the femme fatale on a quest for justice.

Likewise, in the comics, a new series of UDON's Street Fighter Legends will coincide with the film, and Street Fighter IV video game release, spotlighting Chun-Li. Hardly surprising that one of video game history's first major female protagonists would be at the centre of this new reneissance of Street Fighter action!

Meanwhile, over at Marvel, things are a little bit quieter.
While Elektra has had her time in the sun, the inevitable question being asked in the lead up to Marvel's Skrull Invasion line-wide event will be -- Where is Elektra, and when was she swapped? The answers may lie in the pages of the disgracefully delayed Might Avengers, but until those issues have caught up, we live in wonder [and joyous distain for Bendis!].

WINNER: ELEKTRA

2 versus 2

FANTASY FIGHTS: CAPCOM/MARVEL ROUND 3!
In the first round of Fantasy Fights from the Infinite Wars, Marvel proved their overall superiority in fifteen seperate battles that culminated with your vote deciding their fate. Now, with DC vanquished, the Marvel Heroes are back to tangle with some old enemies: The world warriors of Capcom's Street Fighter!

By popular demand the Fantasy Fights are sticking around for seven more rounds of non-stop non-canon action! When the characters met in the video games, they were united against common goals, but this time some of Marvel's greatest fighters will be initiated as they duke it out for supremacy over the SF classics!

CAMMY WHITE versus BLACK WIDOW
Strength: Black Widow 3 (Athlete)
Intelligence: Draw 4 (Tactician)
Speed: Draw 3 (Athlete)
Stamina: Draw 4 (Athlete)
Agility: Draw 4 (Gymnast)
Fighting Ability: Draw 5 (Martial Artist)
Energy Powers: Black Widow 2 (Projectiles)


The Hook...
We're running catch-up here, and I'm running on empty, so we're not going to mess around too much with this one. The formula for putting characters together has been about trying to create resonance and as a result of that, viable pairings of characters. That's particularly addressing something like the Capcom/Marvel video games that have characters like Hulk, Spider-man, and Mephisto, up against the slightly pedestrian Street Fighters.

The premise between these two is simple: They're both assassins, they're both highly skilled fighters, they're both involved in sub-sections of espionage in their universes, they've both been tied up with mind-control and all that sort of jazz.

The Math: Black Widow Ranking: Black Widow (#74)

The Battle...
As I said, I'm not really inclined to dwell on this too long.

We've got two characters with extensive histories in fighting. Essentially their roles are defined in their corners by their ability to out-fight, out-maneuver, and generally be very proficient assassins. Like we've talked about recently [Captain America #4], bringing two characters like this together creates an awkward friction between respecting the reality of their skills, and maintaining the on-going survival of the characters.

If we accept the conceit that neither character is ordered to kill here, we just have to hammer out who wins the hand-to-hand. It might expose an ignorance, but I'm going to say Black Widow, maybe by the (historical) numbers, has shown more signs of weakness and incompetence. I can't really go into specifics, but I'm just going to say on the whole, Cammy has maintained that two-dimensional reputation better.

I think the depiction of the fight, like some of our other close ones, really needs to service a lot of acrobatic and skilled close quarters fighting, but in the end, I expect Cammy to out maneuver Black Widow.

The Hammer...
You'll notice a complete lack of pictures here.
We haven't really had an opportunity to take a look at either character, and I'd be honest that part of that is due to relative disinterest in the characters. I think there's a good chance we'll get to see Black Widow in the near future if we manage to get back into Daredevil, but I couldn't say for sure.

I think something that's let Black Widow down in particular has been her being shoe-horned into the superhero world. If Marvel could maintain interest in something like a Checkmate, you could imagine Black Widow joining a cast of characters of varying significance. I guess it hasn't been that long since SHIELD titles and things of that sort have been tried, though, so maybe that's not such a great insight.

Looking forward to Street Fighter IV, it'll be interesting to see Cammy make an assumed come back. The reveal of a new character, the first of several female balances, has sparked a lot of debate amongst fans regarding the nature of a "good" Street Fighter character, and whether or not there's a place for suited assassins in this universe.

I'm not entirely decided, but I do tend to feel Crimson Viper [the new character in question] deviates from the classic formula more than I want. Cammy is being used as a justifying argument, but I think there issues both on a broader asthetic level, and more specific notes of concept. Really, I'm not up to getting into that, so you'll just have to track some of those arguments down yourself.

Be sure to make your voice heard by dropping comments if you agree/disagree with the results here, and check in with the poll in the right menu! Who should win overall? Can the Street Fighters come up to the level, or do the Marvel Heroes have their number with those crazy powers?

WINNER: CAMMY WHITE

2 versus 1

SENTRY versus HULK
The End of World War Hulk (Marvel)
Where: World War Hulk #5 When: January 2008
Why: Greg Pak How: John Romita Jr

The story so far...
After an emotionally unstable Scarlet Witch unleashes her powers in an event that threatens reality, and tears Earth's mightiest heroes apart; a secret sect of superhero powers dubbed, The Illuminati, are forced to reconsider the potential threats they harbor within their own number.

Recognising the erratic rampages of the Hulk as a longstanding and overlooked threat on their back porch, the group, though morally divided, conspire to lure the jade giant into a craft that will rocket him into deep space. Their message is one of peace, but for the Hulk, it is the beginning of a dark period in his existence.

After crash landing on the planet Sakaar, the Hulk becomes a gladiatorial warrior amidst an ethnically diverse alien community. He rises through the combative ranks and recovers from his initial wounds to become the new ruler of Sakaar, leading a rebellion by might. As King, Hulk would find love and sire an heir to his throne, but his happiness would sour when the ship that brought him to Sakaar detonates in an explosion that kills thousands, and sets off an environmental chain of events that would destroy the planet.

Rallying the survivors, the Hulk leads his Warbound to Earth where he seeks revenge from Reed Richards, Tony Stark, Dr. Stephen Strange, and the other heroes he believes responsible for the carnage. Hulk gives the innocent time to clear, and swiftly takes Manhattan, and defeats the heroes, leaving America only one man to turn to. Their saviour -- the Sentry.

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Draw 6 (Invincible)
Intelligence: Sentry 2 (Average)
Speed: Sentry 6 (Mach Speed)
Stamina: Sentry 6 (Generator)
Agility: Sentry 3 (Acrobat)
Fighting Ability: Hulk 6 (Warrior)
Energy Powers: Sentry 7 (Cosmic)


- After years of unwitting exile, ordinary man, Robert Reynolds, comes to recall a fantastic serum of unknown properties that long ago granted him the power of one million exploding suns, giving birth to The Sentry!
His return to the world of superheroes is short lived when, with the help of his forgotten best friend, Reed Richards, he comes to realise that his arch-nemesis, The Void, is infact an evil half of his dual identity. Thus, as The Void threatens to return to destroy America, Reynolds is forced to again make the ultimate sacrifice, utilizing his super-computer CLOC, and Dr. Strange, to wipe his memory from the globe once more.

Years later, a breakout at the superhuman prison The Vault forces the Sentry to come out of exile, having agreed to imprisonment after the accidental murder of his wife. A far different vision of Bob Reynolds emerges, and through the transferred knowledge granted to a comics writer, the heroes soon learn of a mental disease planted by Mastermind, responsible for Sentry's transgressions as The Void.

Though still troubled by his fear and anguish, the Sentry rejoins the superhero community as a member of the Avengers. His ill-defined powers include; super strength, durability, speed, energy blasts, space travel, and other.

- Dr. Robert Bruce Banner, a slight and insignificant scientist, lives slavishly dedicated to the pursuit of knowledge, as funded by the United States military.
Though Banner justifies his goals as means for peace, he becomes one of America's leading weapons designers after inventing a gamma radiation bomb.

During preperations for a test launch in the desert, Dr. Banner spots a reckless youth on the testing ground, and in a moment of magnificence, knowingly throws himself on a bullet that would grant a far crueller fate than death.
Bitterly aware of the Communist conspiracy of his fellow scientist, Banner struggles to usher he and the boy to safety while his colleague continues to countdown the launch.

After succumbing to an ordinarily lethal doses of gamma radiation, Dr. Banner soon finds himself undergoing a horrific transformation. Originally by night, but soon triggered by rage or unease, Banner discovers the superhumanly strong alter-ego within himself, dubbed simply - the Hulk! As the Hulk, Banner's brilliance is reduced to a childlike lumbering, while his slight frame conversely comes to possess size, strength, and durability never before imagined.

Hulk has no specific known weaknesses, but is fiercely protective of the few who earn his favour. Though generally good hearted, Hulk is prone to wild rages and varied personalities, including the calculating persona adopted during his time on the planet Sakaar, where he adopts a military savvy.

The Math: The Sentry Ranking: The Hulk (#8)

What Went Down...
With the greatest heroes of the Marvel Universe already defeated and awaiting torture, the President of the United States has no choice but to turn to the unknown quantity that is the mentally disturbed "golden guardian", the Sentry.

Able to break through Sentry's own insecurities and fears, the President inspires the hero's immediate travel to Manhattan, where he unceremoniously greets his "old friend" with a torpedo dive that sends Hulk rocketting through several prominent architectural structures!

At his most powerful, the Hulk emerges from the rubble to warn his former ally away from his fight. Desperate for an opportunity to release his power, the Sentry mournfully disagrees, before exhibiting yet another propelling blow.

With the stakes rising exponentially, the Hulk sends a final stern warning to the men he has come to punish. He tells them to flee, but to never forget all that had transpired in the war they had provoked. With that, the Sentry catches up to his opponent, and the clash of the two powers levels the makeshift gladiatorial space that was once Madison Square Garden.

The devestating blow is but the first, as the Sentry soaks up his first real physical encounter since his return. The Hulk's blows are unrelenting, creating blinding bursts of energy and unexpected spatters of blood as his giant green fist collides and breaks the golden aura of the Sentry.

The Hulk's earth-shattering blows sponsor a spark of light from deep within the Sentry. As blood pours from cuts on his face, the Sentry's eyes begin to glow with pure golden energy, forcing a smile over the typically repressed hero. The storm that comes would devestate all life, had Manhattan not already been evacuated.

From a safe vantage point, the Hulks allies and enemies alike watch in awe of the Sentry's powerful display. With the wave of city-destroying energy dissipated, the power of a million exploding suns becomes more focused, a twirling tornado of golden light, with the Sentry at the centre.

The Warbound do their best to aid the fallen Hulk, whilst realising their own lives may depend on a unity previously unimaginable. Iron Man and Mr. Fantastic conspire to bring down the weapons of the world, but it is the Hulk who rises from the ashes ready to again face the Sentry's unwavering powers.

The Hulk leaps into the storm of energy, where the Sentry asks him if letting everything go alway feels so good. The Hulk does not answer, content to suffer through the skin searing energies to collide with his former-ally, once more.

Amidst the malestrom, the Sentry throws several punches that swat and pound the Hulk like a ragdoll. Physically, the Sentry appears almost unmoved, but though he may be embattered, the Hulk's strength appears equally undying.

Sentry remarks on the irony of their role reversal, recalling a time in another life when he was the one who strived to calm the Hulk down. Fast becoming the out-of-control destructive quantity, Reynolds willingly takes his licks as the Hulk silently drives his powerful fist again, and again, into his opponent's face.

Suspended in an endless swirl of energy decimating New York City, the two powerhouses remain locked in immortal combat. Tied up, they throw their best at one and other, sensing the beginning of the end, the Sentry farewells his former partner. Whether or not it is arrogance, is hard to say.

With the Sentry's words comes a renewed charge from the Hulk, who trivializes the labels that will be peeled on and off of Sentry. As they each pound away at the other's bloodied and bruised bodies, the Hulk reflects, declaring saviours and destroyers as irrelevant, "Allt that matters... is what you choose."

The Sentry's explosive powers burst again in a glare of blinding white.
When the energy finally begins to dissipate two figures can still be seen fighting within. Now Earthbound, the images clear, revealing not the visages of monstrous destruction, but instead, two men, and then. Peace.

A quiet thank you escapes from the swollen lips on Robert Reynolds' malformed face, before he collapses at the feet of the victor. Confused, the Warbound observe for the first time the slight stature of Bruce Banner, prompting one of the warriors to remark, "Today. Finally... The Hulk knows who he is."

The Hammer...
In what I have to say might just be one of the most amazing and raw fist-fights I've ever witnessed in a comic book, Hulk emerges the last man standing! Which really doesn't do the Sentry any credit in his canonical debut to the Infinite Wars, a worthy loss!

I've been feeling a bit like a survivor of this kind of battle over the past week, so we're running a few days behind schedule. To whet your appetites over the delay I dropped a post that contained big green letters reading "epic." I think a lot of reviewers have been well within their rights to express disatisfaction with a mini-series that was destined to underwhelm, but I have to say, in isolation, this final issue deserved that kind of hype.

I was disappointed not to have World War Hulk on the site sooner, but even glimpses of the first issue couldn't prepare me to imagine what we were missing out on. Conceptually, I don't think the promise of Hulk being angrier than he's ever been ever had a chance of reaching the logical conclusion it demands - but damned if Greg Pak hasn't done his best with what he had.

There's been a lot of criticism in reference to The Sentry in general, but again, World War Hulk earned a lot of harsh remarks for what many regarded as an inevitable conclusion. If you were one of those people, I'd love to hear from you, beause now that it's passed, I think at least half should be eating their words.

As a consumer you can observe a lot of large, yellow panels, each spread lavishly across high-gloss paper with very little specifically depicted. As a consumer you could feel the $3.99US pricetag over values the content, but I must say, it really does set the mood for what is just such an epic encounter. Actually, even in the writing, this seems to me to be an issue desperate to be so much more.

If one is willing to acknowledge any validity to the theory that Sentry is too powerful, this issue is the one to relish in it. I wish the circumstances were different, because had the Sentry been a more active proponent of the Marvel Universe, this issue almost feels like it's staged for his last hurrah. As it is, with Mighty Avengers lagging disgracefully behind schedule, I don't think we even know the fate of the character post-WWH.

It feels like World War Hulk should've been built around this fight.
It feels like that could've given the eventual shuffle of agendas a greater resonance. Instead of quickly rearranging everyone to be vaguely on the same page, a more structured approach could've given this outcome emphasis.
Sure, it's strong as a spur of the moment thing, but as an inadvertent shift of villain, something more specifically designed to reacquaint the Hulk and the heroes really could've mapped out a more palatable future.

Then again, if this is what the standard will now be for the Hulk's return, it's hard not to wish for a world where the new Hulk film wasn't farther into the future, allowing the inevitable return of Banner to get the weight of a couple of years of absence. Y'know, a planned absence and return, as opposed to a Thor scenario, where the character returns with a whimper...

... But we're getting distracted.
If the Sentry really is too powerful to regularly operate in the Marvel Universe, this scenario of extreme power shouldering extreme responsibility seems like a perfectly Marvel way to have emphasised his reticence as a willing agoraphobic.
Although, to reiterate, I just think it's a shame the past five years of Marvel comics couldn't have been as well organized as their Distinguished Competition; giving Sentry more time to be an active and struggling component, providing the perfect vehicle for the character to be forced to exercise his powers, and become the accidental villain of the piece, ending in his unceremonious death [or at least, extended exit, ala Hulk's fate].

But then again, this is World War Hulk, and the Sentry is probably just as much an unsolicited distraction as JMS' Thor is! This is our chance to take a look at the last of the top ten characters of 2007, and look forward to 2008: a year that will not be green, but rather, glow furiously with red - just as a certain Bruce Banner did, as he entered a deep sleep in a containment chamber beneath the Mojave desert...

Right now safe bets for the mysterious "Red Hulk"; who made his debut in a new series created by Jeph Loeb and Ed McGuinness; is the seemingly mortally wounded Rick Jones. Rick Jones, who was wearing a red jacket at the time he was stabbed by the traitor to the Warbound, Miek.
The identity of this Hulk, who has already had a lethal encounter with a former antagonising mainstay of the Hulk universe, is the subject of the first storyarc, and the task of an investigative Doc Samson. We'll probably have an opportunity to talk more about that sometime in the near future.

A bit less likely to show up is the slightly less interesting spin-off, Skaar: Son of Hulk. I have to admit, as someone who skipped World War's precursor, Planet Hulk; the outerspace stuff really doesn't hold much interest for me. But then again, I have to at least give it kudos for much the same as everything else coming out of World War Hulk.

Sure, we've seen Hulk go on rampages against the heroes before. In fact, a recent Cover to Cover entry, designed to prime you for this fight, highlighted some of the previous battles featured that involve a hero fighting the Hulk.
While no one is giving World War Hulk credit for pitting Hulk against his fellows, it's undeniable that the story not only takes it to a level I don't think we've ever seen, but also provides a launching pad for development of the character over the next couple of years. The on-going has even served up a Hercules on-going!

Why, particularly if I don't like it all, is this significant?
Because it's the kind of creatively savvy business decision another Stan Lee co-creation has been sorely lacking. This series, which is really an action blockbuster piece of fluff, manages to not only eclipse, but I think embarass the entire effort that has been: Spider-man's Brand New Day. It may get tiring, but I'm sure this is a point that will continue to be made in the coming months.

And with that, we wrap things up here. If you've got a comment, as always, I'd love to hear from you. I may be a bit under the weather, but if we can right the ship, we'll be heading into unknown territory "next week", as we leave behind the 2007 top ten. It should be very interesting to navigate through a landscape completely devoid of Spider-man entries! Hah! It might take a little while for things to right themselves, so I appreciate the patience.

Also; you might have noticed a blurb in the right hand menu after you voted in the Fantasy Fights poll. I've run across some folks out there using some of the images from the site, and while I'm not too worried about that, I'd really appreciate it if you can all throw links back on things like that. It not only acknowledges the effort put into the site, but also helps us grow. Cheers!

The Fight: 6.5 The Issue: 6

Missed out on World War Hulk like me? Thought you didn't care, but have found your interests piqued? Why not head over to Amazon? By using purchase links you not only sponsor future entries on Secret Wars on Infinite Earths, but also navigate your way to an affordable way to catch up on missed comics!
Amazon has a wide range of titles often at ranging discounts, and with special incentives on US shipping! Boy, when I grow up, I hope I can be an Amazon! Wait... That's not what I...

Fight fans can expect to find battles with Iron Man, Black Bolt, and Dr. Strange, as well as many more exciting confrontations that may just find their way to upcoming Infinite Wars entries!

EARTH-38

Yesterday we broached the subject of the streamlined DC Multiverse - or "Megaverse" - which consists of fifty-two seperate universes defined by each alternate Earth. DC has already mobilized the concept considerably, and I was disappointed to discover that Earth-38 had been identified in the pages of Countdown: Arena, defined by an Atomic Knight Captain Atom.

We don't do Brother Eye spotlights very often, but to date we've usually used it to focus on the canonized history of a character, and then branched out to discuss potential concepts. This time around we're going a little broader and opening up discussion to the prospects of an entire alternate universe, recasting the now established Earth-38 on the basis of a missed opportunity. Pleased be sure to note that this is not a canonical notation of DC's Earth-38. If you are looking for factual notes, you can no doubt find those through Wikipedia, or Google.

The Pitch...
When DC confirmed through the conclusion of 52 that it was streamlining the Multiverse, specifically to canonize various abandoned Elseworlds and debut new concepts as well, it was hard not to get a little excited. As readers we had the prospect of a whole range of new and nearly new toys -- for the writers involved, an opportunity to build something special from the ground up, with the benefit of hindsight.

With the alternate universe tale, Marvel Zombies, as a platform, we've discussed in the past a desire for greater design in alternate universes. With the Fifty-Two Earth Megaverse taking a centralized position, it was my hope that DC would not only turn loose contract talent like Grant Morrison, but also look to fresh talent to dedicate their time to fostering one particular Earth.
I'm not going to presume to know how much planning has gone into developing each Earth, but on the surface, it generally appears many have been slapped together on very thin concepts.

With so many Earths to construct, I felt a concept that really could've been well explored was the notion of time versus fiction. It's a common debate and proves particularly applicable to the DC Universe, which has sponsored a great many characters with traditions dating back to the thirties, and forties, when superhero fiction was solidifed.
Notions of pseudo-realistic development have been explored in titles like The Golden Age, or John Byrne's Generations, but both ultimately surrender to the time lapses typical of comics, to extend the presence of certain figures. Likewise, they share much in common with their vintage counterparts, and that's where I would have loved to have seen deviation for Earth-38.

The proposal here has not been entirely fleshed out, but essentially it's about turning contemporary storytelling to golden age ideals, and developing the DCU in a way not viable for a corporate entity. Concept aside, I just love the notion of really justifying an extra Earth by seperating it from what is and isn't possible form a franchized fiction.

The Story...
It's not by accident that we choose Earth-38 as our designation, because it's in 1938 when this universe becomes noteworthy. The conceit of this evolving planet is philosophically connected to Superman and the influence he had as a seminal superhero character, and inspiration for characters that followed from National (DC) comics. While it doesn't necessarily bow to that established fiction, or rigidly mirror real world events, it draws inspiration from those.

Literally, or conceptually, an alternate Earth is defined by the placement of three key characters; Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman. Over the coming weeks we will attempt to relate the formative story of our Earth-38 through these characters, and the intricacies of their emergence as public figures.

- Superman (Kal-El; aka Clark Kent)
1912, in distant outerspace, the advanced planet Krypton is racked by natural disaster and a lethal plague. Crippled by political beurocracy, fear, and the looming shadow of mistakes of the past, this technologically advanced race faces extinction due to the indecision of it's elders.

A prominent scientest named Jor-El recognises no future for Krypton with the planet's thermonuclear core inevitably charged to detonate. With that, he utilizes illegal technologies developed by his mentor, Jax-Ur, to propel his infant son into the gulf of space. Kal-El is bundled into a tiny ship with trinkets, encyclopaedias, and memories of the planet Krypton, designed to ensure their legacy lives on.

The rocket is piloted toward a planet with a viable environment for survival, using an AI technology developed by Jax-Ur and Jor-El called the Bilateral Reckoning Navigation Chip.
The BRNC is designed to allow sophisticated three-dimensional celestial navigation, but a malfunction in it's infancy that led to the destruction of one of Krypton's moons, is what leads to the outlaw of space travel that sealed Krypton's fate.

The ship AI discovers Earth, and comes to crash land on a farm in 1913 Kansas.
A simple farmer, Jonathan Kent, investigates the disturbance on his land, and upon hearing the sounds of a crying infant, scolds his hands attempting to breach the cortex of the pod. Eventually able to pry it open with a shovel, he and his wife Martha do their best to care for the child, who remains remarkably unharmed. For the next two days the couple care for the boy, and retrieve various items from the pod.

The Kents prove suspicious, but compliant, when authorities from the Nation's Capital come to investigate. When quizzed about approaching the "meteorite" they nervously deny doing so, fearful of what the government may do with a child from the heavens. The church-going Kents concoct a story about a child born out of wedlock to Martha's sister, and inadvertently adopt the child with the aid of their community.

Christened Clark Kent, the boy lives a fairly typical childhood on the farm, oblivious to his birth in the stars. The Kents come to learn of Clark's complex history through strange solar powered notebooks taken from the Kryptonian pod. The computer-books contain informations on Kryptonian life, technology, and current affairs, and while the Kents choose to keep this from Clark, unbeknownst to them, the artifacts contain traces of Kryptonite radiation that stem the fantastic qualities hidden in the boy's alien physiology.

On the thirteenth anniversary of when the Kents found Clark, he enters pubescence and comes to need the aid of seeing eyeglasses. Over the next few years Clark's growth is sponsored by decades of exposure to Earth's yellow sun, and as the Kryptonian artifacts' contamination disipates over the years, Clark begins to grow stronger, faster, and more astute than many of his fellows. By his fifteenth 'birthday', the Kents finally reveal to Clark his true origins.

Though the young man experiences a serious crisis of his faith; his adoptive parents provide a supportive atmosphere that allows him to quickly come to terms with his history. Grounded by a humble parentage, Clark suppresses his abilities with rare exception, resisting the temptation of greed, to only use them to subversively help those in dire need.

This quiet servitude leads Clark to feel distanced from humanity, and despite a relationship with local girl, Lana Lang, his natural curiosity leads him to desire observation of more. He attends a Kansas university, and after several years of study, opts to leave his parents' farm to pursue an internship at the Metropolis newspaper, The Daily Planet. There, Clark continues to quietly observe humanity, and learn more about the world he has come to call home.

In an effort to remain inconspicuous, Clark recalls a childhood of afternoons spent in the library where he would devour books through his spectacles. Though the sight difficulties presented during his development of heat and X-ray vision had subsided, he continues to wear glasses, and adopts an awkward bookworm persona to remain underestimated and ignored by his fellows.
Prolonged exposure to kryptonite residue on the farm led Clark to develop something comparable to a human allergy. Although he had already manifested a range of superhuman abilities, he finds them increased exponentially while in distant Metropolis, making his secret powers all the more difficult to contain.

In 1938, whilst covering the signing of the Civil Aeronautics Act as a Planet reporter, Kent discovers a shocking connection to his alien past. Further probing uncovers the existance of his Kryptonian pod, which remains in military custody decades later. Desperate to reconnect with his past, Clark Kent fashions a colourful alien disguise from the blanket he was wrapped in at birth, and storms the military base holding the ship.

Clark's unceremonious incursion of the base raises the alarm, and he soon finds himself in a stand-off with US soldiers. Senior officers manage to talk him down, and formerly introduced as Kal-El, he is talked into joining the military as they face growing unrest in Europe, and the prospect of a second World War. Project Superman sees the birth of an icon, and in his cape and S branded suit, Kal-El becomes a public force for good, and an inspiration to the American people. So begins Earth-38...