THE WEREWOLF versus HULK

Phasing Out (Marvel)
Where: Incredible Hulk #362 When: December 1989
Why: Peter David How: Jeff Purves

The Story So Far...
When Bruce Banner was accidentally caught in the blast of an experimental gamma bomb -- his body was irradiated in strange ways that caused him to transform into a mindless brute known only as The Hulk!

Eager to find a cure for his affliction and volatile alter-ego, Banner secures employment with a nuclear research facility in Yucca Flats, Nevada. Little does he realise, his newest excursion will bring him directly into the path of another man cursed to transform into a wild and uncontrollable beast -- Jack Russell: Werewolf by Night!

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Hulk 6 (Invincible)
Intelligence: Werewolf 2 (Average)
Speed: Werewolf 4 (Olympian)
Stamina: Hulk 6 (Generator)
Agility: Werewolf 4 (Gymnast)
Fighting: Hulk 6 (Warrior)
Energy: Draw 1 (None)
Total: Hulk 26 (Metahuman)

It's the fight that had to happen! Jack Russell and Bruce Banner are good men cursed to transform into uncontrollable rampaging beasts! They've both prowled the night as figures of terror -- but which Marvel monster will reign supreme?

The Werewolf is cursed with lycanthropy, which he inherited mystically from his father, and a doomed family heritage that started in the 18th century.

It actually began five generations ago when Grigory Russoff was bitten by a werewolf whilst hunting Dracula. His descendent Gregory Russoff renewed their curse decades later by reading a page from the Darkhold, passing it on to his estranged American son, Jack Russell, who became a werewolf upon maturity.

Like most: Jack transformed into a "Werewolf by Night" endowed with incredible strength, speed, agility, ferocity, and animal bloodlust. He rarely killed, but found himself in violent episodes, such as a run-in with Morbius in Marvel Premiere #28!

There have been various times when Jack has gained a certain amount of control over his transformations, using his powers to do good. We saw him teaming with Morbius against the forces of darkness in Marvel Zombies 4 #2!

His wolf claws easily ripped through the zombie flesh of Digger, but even under the fullest moon he'd have a tough time carving up the Hulk!

Hulk lives in a whole other weight class, clashing routinely with powerhouses like Hercules [Tales to Astonish #79], Thing [Fantastic Four #374], Red Hulk [Hulk #6], Sentry [World War Hulk #5], Thor [Avengers #5], Juggernaut [Marvel Adventures #14], and DC's Superman [Marvel versus DC #3].

Even cosmic entities like Silver Surfer [Incredible Hulk #95], Thanos [Infinity Gauntlet #4], Green Lantern [Unlimited Access #1], and Champion of the Universe [Marvel Two-In-One Annual #7] have stood in awe of Hulk's raw strength and savagery!

The only thing more varied than the many impressive opponents Hulk has faced is the Hulk himself! When Bruce Banner was first doused with gamma radiation he transformed, much like The Werewolf, into a grey goliath at nightfall.

When the full moon over Nevada brings The Werewolf into Hulk's path it'll be a grey Hulk he finds. However, this is the Joe Fixit persona, whose devious cunning comes with slightly less strength than his most famous green transformations.

Deadpool #4 showed us a green Hulk can bleed under the right circumstances, but even a mortal Hulk is strong! Incredible Hulk #335 demonstrated grey Hulk at his most sadistic too, ramming his fist through The Stalker. Lets find out what he does when a stray werewolf comes biting at his heels!

The Tape: Hulk Ranking: Hulk (#6)

What Went Down...

The Werewolf clutches a desert jackrabbit in its hand when sound drifts through the night air, tempting him on towards a bigger kill.

He forgets the small prey, letting the rabbit run from his grip while pressing onward. Over a small rise in the dirt The Werewolf discovers the kneeling form of a grey Hulk in congress with its own alter-ego.

The calm of dawn has Hulk teetering on the verge of transforming back into a meek and mortal scientist. Neither he nor Banner notices the coming threat.

The Werewolf pounces upon its prey unannounced -- landing on Hulk's back!

Sharp teeth gnaw at the grey goliath's neck while The Werewolf's claws dig at his face and shoulder.

The stunned Hulk is caught completely by surprise, but it's the concerned voice of Bruce Banner that desperately asks what's happening as he awaits to emerge!

The Werewolf rips at Hulk's flesh and one of the creatures lets out a howl. Was it  the frenzied Werewolf, or the Hulk experiencing pain? It's uncertain.

More clear is the increasing threat of Hulk changing.

Bruce Banner desperately asks him to do something, inspiring the surly Joe Fixit persona to assert control long enough to tell his alter-ego to shut up -- and slam the Werewolf into the rocky landscape surrounding them!

Hulk struggles to fight off his transformation knowing Banner will be torn apart if left to fend for himself. The Werewolf shows no pity for his predicament, seizing the opportunity to jump on distracted prey!

The charging tackle lifts Hulk off his feet and drops him back-first onto the hard desert floor. The Werewolf adds insult to injury, violently driving the back of Hulk's skull into the dirt with a palm strike to the chin!

Hulk orders the animal to get off, but doesn't seem to have the strength to make it happen. The Werewolf pins him down and hovers with fangs bared!

Even with things looking grim, Fixit Hulk pours on the attitude -- warning his attacker he doesn't know who he's dealing with. As unlikely as it seems, The Werewolf suddenly arches its back and sits upright!

For a second, Hulk actually believes his reputation alone has sent the werewolf scurrying for cover. He doesn't seem to notice the engulfing glow of the morning sun as it rises over the horizon and triggers a transformation.

The Werewolf ducks around rocky outcrop, slowly reverting to the human form of Jack Russell -- while Hulk simultaneously drops to his knees and shrinks to the shape of Dr. Bruce Banner!

Each man has only the vague notion of the monster his alter-ego has just finished wrestling. Vulnerable and under dressed they scurry in separate directions -- eager to escape the other's threatening potential.

The Hammer...
I've been on a real Universal Monsters kick over the last couple of years, and as a tangent of that, I've been wanting to get to this battle for quite some time.

Incredible Hulk #362 would've been on shelves right around the time I was diving enthusiastically into the worlds of Marvel Comics and classic monsters. Its got some of the same marquee appeal as Frankenstein Meets The Wolf Man, but the ties with Universal Monsters actually run much deeper than mere comparison.

Werewolf by Night obviously owed its creation to the loosening of Comics Code Authority standards in the 1970s, but also the influence of a new wave of werewolf and monster horror in movies, and pop culture.

Dozens of knockoffs were committed to celluloid throughout the seventies, but the legacy of Lon Chaney Jr and Universal's 1941 classic, The Wolf Man, always looms largest over the genre. It wasn't the first telling of the werewolf myth even by that film studio, but it created the basic template everyone recognizes to this day.

Hulk draws obvious comparisons to Frankenstein's Monster with his towering figure, monosyllabic speech, and volatile strength -- but the pathos of Bruce Banner's split personality, and its original nocturnal triggering, are right out of The Wolf Man. Banner didn't bring it upon himself like Dr. Jekyll. He was afflicted with his curse just like Larry Talbot!

Marvel inevitably had to bring their tragic transforming monsters together eventually, and Peter David & Jeff Purves do a good job of living up to the fantasy match-up.

Purves draws both characters in a fun, expressive way, but keeps it grounded enough to sell the struggle between the two monsters. Glynis Oliver deserves note for colours that balance the blues and greys of night perfectly, with bursts of orange moonlight and red-brown fur. It feels like Halloween to me.

The inconsistent nature of Hulk's transformations around this time also works wonders for evening the playing field.

As we covered in the Tale of  the Tape [above]; Hulk should usually take care of The Werewolf pretty handily, but because he's on the verge of reverting back to Banner, there's a tension and plausibility in their first encounter that wouldn't otherwise be there without it.

The Werewolf seems to have the better of Hulk before they both undergo simultaneous transformations at sunrise. Hulk isn't bound by the day/night cycle of his original incarnation, but the synchronized change is a fun conceit.

As you might've guessed from the ultimately inconclusive result this is just Round 1. They'll meet again before the end of the issue to settle the score once and for all. You can rest assured we'll find our way back for that some time in the future.

If you want to find the future rematch, or find any of the other fights previously featured on the site, you can discover more than 650 battles indexed by publisher, series, and issue number in the Secret Archive!

You can read the entirety of this issue and more by checking out the collected edition in Hulk Visionaries Vol. 4. By using the Amazon link provided you'll not only find a good deal, but also help support the site at no cost to you.

Secret Wars on Infinite Earths has always been free, but if you like what it's all about and want to support the cause, you can join the fight with Patreon. As a thank you for making it possible to keep fighting on you'll unlock extra updates, fantasy fight polls, and options to choose custom articles.

You can also follow on Twitter and Facebook to get daily links to battles inspired by the topics of the day. Don't forget to like, share, and comment!

Winner: Draw
#6 (--) Hulk
#149 (+7) The Werewolf (Jack Russell)

SOLOMON GRUNDY versus MOLLY MAYNE & THE GREEN LANTERN

Took Ill on a Thursday (DC)
Where: Solomon Grundy #4 When: August 2009
Why: Scott Kolins How: Scott Kolins

The Story So Far...
In the 19th century, Gotham City was home to a wicked soul named Cyrus Gold. Responsible for murder and misery, he was cursed upon death to forever rise from his unmarked resting place in Slaughter Swamp as the beast Solomon Grundy!

Caught in an endless cycle of death and rebirth, the shambling monster is forever drawn to new acts of evil as an unstoppable undead creature - until now..?

A mysterious force has given Cyrus Gold seven days to end his curse, but dark forces conspire to prolong the agony of Solomon Grundy! He was bedeviled by The Demon, delayed by Bizarro, and vexed by Poison Ivy. Now a taunting voice draws him into the suburbs to find the source of his greatest enemy's power!

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Solomon Grundy 6 (Invincible)
Intelligence: Green Lantern 4 (Tactician)
Speed: Green Lantern 3 (Athlete)
Stamina: Draw 6 (Generator)
Agility: Draw 2 (Average)
Fighting: Draw 3 (Street Wise)
Energy: Green Lantern 7 (Cosmic Power)
Total: Green Lantern 27 (Metahuman)

Solomon Grundy's on the warpath, but we already know all about that: We've tracked his cursed movements through Killer Croc, The Demon, Bizarro, and Poison Ivy. You're probably a lot more curious to know who Molly Mayne is!

In today's battle she's the suburban second wife of the Green Lantern, but in a former existence she was better known as the original Harlequin!

Her costumed alter-ego was an attempt to get closer to Green Lantern by becoming his criminal target. Romantic aspirations meant Harlequin's crimes were never too severe, and she eventually joined the side of angels, before marrying her super-hero sweetheart in the pages of Infinity Inc.

Harlequin's hypnotic glasses probably could've been an effective tool against Solomon Grundy, but the mature-aged retiree hasn't used her gear in quite some time. Good thing GL's Starheart battery has tipped him off to the trouble at home!

We saw the Golden Age Green Lantern school his younger counterpart, Guy Gardner, in the pages of Justice Society of America #9, and he even briefly slowed Superboy-Prime in the Sinestro Corps War epic of Green Lantern #25!

Unfortunately, this Green Lantern's power ring has a weakness to objects made of wood -- which allows the swamp-borne Solomon Grundy to cause all kinds of trouble. He used a tree to smash right through GL's construct in JSA #65!

Although incredibly strong, Solomon Grundy is often a lumbering and slow-witted opponent who can be out-smarted, or even out fought. The latter was the case for Stargirl & Jakeem Thunder in JSA #29, and the otherwise challenged trio of Hawkman, Hawkgirl & Monolith in Hawkman #33.

Grundy is coming off a win against Poison Ivy in today's story, but Green Lantern and the former Harlequin should be industrious enough to come up with ways of defeating. It all just depends on GL getting there in time!

The Tape: Green Lantern Ranking: Green Lantern (#90)

What Went Down...

The entrance to the Scott residence is reduced to splinters as Solomon Grundy explodes through the front door -- smashing his way inside!

Molly Mayne recoils with understandable panic, but she's no ordinary suburban housewife. Even as a fearful tear trickles down her cheek, the former Harlequin steels herself with unique life experience, and rushes deeper into the house.

Slamming a door behind her buys precious seconds as Molly scrambles to rummage through a very specific drawer.

Grundy's massive fist comes crashing through the door right behind her, but she's already found what she was desperately looking for! She discharges the hidden weapon -- punching a hole clean through Grundy's rotting chest!

For a moment the beast looks down at the smoking cavity in his torso -- then swats Molly aside through nearby architecture with the back side of his hand.

Grundy's true target is quickly uncovered by hulking hands that tear through cupboard woodwork like it was paper.

Inside: the glowing green lantern that is the source of his oldest enemy's power!

As the monster reaches for the lantern shaped battery it begins to radiate with burning green energy. The light speaks to him through a familiar oath: "Beware my power!"

Solomon Grundy fights against the energy, grasping for the awesome artifact as if incensed by its powerful resistance. He shouts defiantly that he isn't afraid -- raising the lantern above his head as it spews blinding light all around him!

The monster brings the lantern violently crashing against the ground.

The impact is so strong it causes parts of the house to collapse over a stunned Molly Mayne!

Grundy barely even notices the collateral damage of his outburst. His determined focus remains solely on the lantern itself, now held in the palm of his right hand as he lets out an angry yell.

The furious behemoth brings both his hands smashing together around the lantern and presses with all his unearthly might! He vows to crush it!

Reaching out across the county to Slaughter Swam: the Starheart battery speaks to Alan Scott through his power ring. Alerted to the attack, Scott's mind immediately flashes to the imminent danger threatening his wife.

With the ring hoisted above his head, Green Lantern blazes a trail through the night sky! He flies as fast as he ever has, willing his wife to hold on. Willing himself to make it there before it's too late!

Molly stirs and speaks her husband's name, all the while Grundy continues to squeeze harder and harder around the Green Lantern's power battery. It begins to illicit a small, harsh clicking. Then in a terrible instant -- the lantern shatters!

The awesome explosion of power reduces the Scott residence to rubble -- but high above the smoldering crater is The Green Lantern himself! He cradles his wife, bruised & battered, but safe in the aura of his glowing energy!

The hero slings a green containment field over an unconscious Solomon Grundy and makes a beeline for the nearest hospital. The awful truth doesn't begin to set in until the hero starts to feel dizzy with Gotham Metropolitan Hospital in sight...

The Hammer...
Green Lantern has to make a crash landing outside the hospital as his power ring begins to fizzle and fade. The Starheart literally bids him a fond farewell, lamenting the time it enjoyed sharing with him.

Things look about as bad as they can for ol' Alan Scott, but don't worry too much. This isn't the end of the Golden Age Green Lantern.

Next issue he'll need to get a ride from Gotham Metropolitan back to his house in the suburbs, but once he's made that trip, GL will magically reassemble the shattered lantern to restore his powers and status quo.

I've got mixed feelings about this. On the one hand: it's very refreshing, particularly these days, to see a fundamental threat to a hero's existence resolved after only one issue. It's basically a good old fashioned superhero cliffhanger.

On the other hand: this is a cliffhanger based on the lie of a false peril.

You could argue that most perils to a franchise superhero are "false" because they will assuredly prevail in the end. However, what separates the good from the bad is the preservation of that threat, and the agency of the hero to resolve it.

Rather than prevent or see through this crisis with an act of heroic ingenuity -- GL literally resolves it with a simple wave of his hands.

It quickly becomes apparent, next issue, that the threat was never real. The sentimental goodbye from his ring was an illogical, maudlin act of manipulating the reader. An unsatisfying cheat in what feels like a sagging middle issue.

I don't want to judge this issue too harshly. The high-concept thrill of the Solomon Grundy series is a gauntlet of battles through some of DC's other eerie and monstrous characters. It doesn't really need to be much more complicated than that, but even by those basic terms, Solomon Grundy #4 struggles to satisfy.

Alan Scott's power battery just cannot live up to the role of being this issue's title bout. It isn't an entirely inanimate object, but dialogue and colour-tinting can't distract from the fact it's Solomon Grundy wrestling with a novelty lamp. Remember this one?

It might've been fun to see Molly Mayne break out her old Harlequin gear as a lantern-assisted feature opponent. A chase similar to Uncanny X-Men #143, with Grundy taking the role of the N'Garai Demon, could've been fun. Otherwise, the obvious solution is to just bring Green Lantern into the fray right at the start for an obligatory throwdown between classic adversaries.

Fortunately, this issue sets up another exciting opponent for the following issue. A shadowy cameo by Professor Ivo spells the imminent arrival of Amazo, who'll be deployed to take revenge for a failed team-up in a recent Justice League story.

Issue #4 also revisits the torment of Cyrus Gold, whose murder in 1885 set in motion his unending curse to rise from Slaughter Swamp as Solomon Grundy.

Cyrus soon finds himself back in the swamp, where he unexpectedly pulls the knife that killed him from the very same swamp Green Lantern had earlier been sent to search. This in turn triggers memories of the many lives he had claimed.

Mournfully regretting his life of sin, Cyrus is visited by a vision of the Phantom Stranger who guides him to find and forgive his killer if he wants to successfully end the curse. Some will remember we discuss The Stranger's presence way back at the start of the series.

If you want to read it all for yourself you might be lucky enough to find a collected edition via the Amazon link provided. Doing any shopping via these links helps support the site at no extra cost to you! If you don't see it, you may need to add permissions to blocking software.

We're slowly but surely working our way through the macabre saga. If you'd like to revisit previous chapters you should start with Faces of Evil: Solomon Grundy, then work your way through the links listed after Solomon Grundy in the Secret Archive. That's where you'll find every featured fight indexed alphabetically in order of publisher, series, and issue number.

Secret Wars on Infinite Earths has featured well over 650 battles and ranked more than 950 characters! If you appreciate what it's all about and want to see these chronicles continue into the future you can join the fight on Patreon. As a thank you you'll unlock additional updates, polls, and custom articles.

You can also follow on Twitter and Facebook to receive daily links to superhero smackdown inspired by the topics of the day. Don't forget to like and share!

It was tough to render a decision in today's battle, but I'm coming down on the side of a draw. Grundy may've swatted Molly Mayne aside and shattered the lantern, but its temporary destruction also knocked him out cold and left him bloodied. A moot result, with Green Lantern showing up in time to assist his wife.

Winner: Draw
#145 (--) Solomon Grundy
#459 (new) Harlequin (Molly Mayne)
#90 (--) Green Lantern (Alan Scott) [+1 assist]

THE CONTEST: FIRESTORM versus SHE-HULK

It had to happen! The Grandmaster has watched the Secret Wars on Infinite Earths for many years and now he comes with a challenge: I must select 12 heroes & villains from the DC Universe to do battle against his Champions of the Marvel Universe! Grandmaster's team competed in the first Contest of Champions and set an allowance of 5000pts based on fixed Fight Club Rankings. Each battle will be decided by you in fantasy fight polls held on Twitter, Facebook and Patreon!

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: She-Hulk 5 (Super-Human)
Intelligence: She-Hulk 3 (Straight A)
Speed: She-Hulk 3 (Athlete)
Stamina: She-Hulk 5 (Marathoner)
Agility: Firestorm 3 (Acrobat)
Fighting: She-Hulk 4 (Trained)
Energy: Firestorm 6 (Mass Destruction)
Total: Firestorm 24 (Champion)

The scores are tied as we head into the final four and The Grandmaster is making his move!  He has a 949pt spending advantage after relying on unranked characters in many of the earlier rounds, including the last. Now he's dropping a whopping 808pts on a powerhouse player with plenty of topical appeal!

She-Hulk brings considerable raw power to the fight: possessing similarly gamma irradiated muscle to her famous cousin The Hulk!

For a long time she was distinguished by her ability to transform at will, while also retaining the intellect of her law practicing alter-ego, Jennifer Walters. That helped her outwit and outfight Champion of the Universe in the now-classic boxing rematch seen in She-Hulk #8!

"Shulkie" was always double-tough, but these days she's looking even more like her brawny cousin -- with a bigger punch to boot! Of course, with great gamma power comes a volatile mental state, which has forced the likes of Iron Man to stop her savage rampages in battles like Avengers #501.

In today's battle I'm going to propose it doesn't matter which version of She-Hulk shows up!

I'm planning to turn her gamma strength into a weakness by calling upon a criminally under-valued hero who's only going to cost me 29pts: Firestorm!

The Nuclear Man in question is Ronnie Raymond, whose exploits on the site have been limited to battles with Brimstone in Legends #1 and #2. In those cases he shared the Firestorm Matrix with Professor Martin Stein, whose mentoring made Ronnie Raymond a formidable hero able to exploit his abilities to fire energy blasts, and transmute matter on a molecular level!

Traditionally Firestorm cannot use his transmutation powers on organic life, but he certainly can safely siphon off radiation -- which I'm proposing is the perfect skill to sap She-Hulk of her super-strength. He might weaken her enough to deliver a finishing blast, or even trigger her transformation back to an easily detained Jennifer Walters!

The Verdict...
It was another battle of two very different opponents who create an ambitious and complex chemical equation. I thought I'd found a clever way to solve it with the nuclear powers of Firestorm, but my argument didn't really come into play as opinions developed over the course of a wildly swinging vote.

Michael Wagner was one of the initial swell of voters who went with She-Hulk, citing recent developments in comics to speak succinctly to the unshakeable endurance of gamma-irradiated heroes: "Hulks are Immortal".

Nazar Talk Comics saw a complicated match-up, but ultimately came down in favour of She-Hulk as well: "Ahh this is really complicated. I don't think Firestorm has any chance if we take into account the Bryne feats/powers. She-Hulk would one shot." He added "Ronnie definitely has the speed thing covered, he does however lack the right power to defeat her. Although he could incapacitate her in something where she won't be able to fight back. That is quite possible too."

The Man in the Tan Jacket was an early supporter for Firestorm, going further with his speed, aerial agility, and transmutational powers: "Firestorm would win this with relative ease. While She-Hulk is stronger and tougher, Firestorm is way faster and can fly; Shulkie would never lay a finger on him. One transmutation turning the air around She-Hulk into either mercury or iron oxide, and she's K.O.'ed."

Firestorm Fan didn't need convincing, seeing a similar conclusion with range playing a major factor: "She-Hulk is a great character, but Firestorm can attack from a distance with Molecule Man like powers. Firestorm’s got this."

Lester Medina Lopez looked to the recent Doomsday Clock series to put Firestorm's potential power into perspective: "Even Dr. Manhattan said he was one of the most powerful characters in DC."

A late influx of Firestorm votes flipped the Twitter result mid-way, buoying Firestorm to a strong 62.5% win. Technical problems continue to prevent the creation of Facebook polls.

That means Round 9 goes to Secret Wars on Infinite Earths!

We'll be back for Round 10 sometime soon! Keep your eyes on The Contest for the latest fantasy fights and previous results. Be sure to visit Twitter, Facebook, and Patreon for even more updates & polling options. You can also weigh-in on this result, or share your thoughts right here in the comments.

Winner: Firestorm
The Grandmaster: - 4 (2051pts)
Secret Wars on Infinite Earths: - 5 (1888pts)

[Home]    Contest: Killer Croc vs Talisman >>

DEADSHOT versus BLOODSPORT

World's Finest: Year Ten - War of the Worlds! (DC)
Where: Batman & Superman: World's Finest #10 When: January 2000 Why: Karl Kesel How: Dave Taylor & Tom Morgan

The Story So Far...
Simultaneous breakouts at Stryker's Island Prison and Arkham Asylum spell double trouble for Metropolis and Gotham City. Some of the deadliest super-criminals from both cities have been let loose -- and the twins responsible are inspiring a turf war that could tear Gotham apart!

Leading a first-wave assault on the Gotham City docks is the ultimate gunman whose arsenal will never run out of ammunition. Bloodsport is just one of the Metropolis super-powers who've come to take over, but little does he know he's stepped into the sights of Deadshot!

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Draw 3 (Athlete)
Intelligence: Deadshot 4 (Tactician)
Speed: Deadshot 3 (Athlete)
Stamina: Deadshot 3 (Strong Willed)
Agility: Deadshot 3 (Acrobat)
Fighting: Deadshot 4 (Training)
Energy: Bloodsport 4 (Arsenal)
Total: Deadshot 23 (Champion)

They say Deadshot doesn't miss, but will the master marksman be able to make the perfect shot when his opponent is quicker on the draw? That's the challenge he faces against the man of a thousand weapons: Bloodsport!

Robert DuBois was plucked from obscurity by Lex Luthor, and outfitted with state of the art technology that allows him to teleport any weapon imaginable directly into his hands. This even included a gun that fires kryptonite needles when he was first deployed to hunt and destroy Superman!

In theory that means Bloodsport has a limitless arsenal and more firepower than Deadshot, but as The Tape stats show -- that's really his only clean advantage.

DuBois lacks Deadshot's finesse and expertise with arms. In Suicide Squad #6 we saw Deadshot's perfect aim when he creased the skull of an airborne Enchantress with a non-lethal shot fired from a significant distance!

That also shows Deadshot is cool under pressure, performing under immediate threat of Rick Flag and oncoming soldiers. The stakes were just as high in Legends #3 when he used a single-shot laser gun to bring down the rampaging Apokolips beast Brimstone.

Some of his cool nerve can be attributed to an apparent death wish, but Floyd Lawton's jaded outlook isn't nearly as volatile as Bloodsport's!

DuBois espouses the virtue of soldiers who've served their country, but he never actually went to war himself, despite verbiage to the contrary. In truth he was a "draft dodger" who fled to Canada, leaving his younger brother Mickey to take his place, and lose both arms & legs in action in Vietnam.

Suffering a psychotic breakdown that took him on several tours through Canadian psychiatric care; Bloodsport ultimately channeled his self-loathing into aggression towards perceived symbols of modern American apathy. The epitome of this was Superman, but he makes no bones about gunning down civilians, either.

There's a case to be made that speed might be used against Deadshot. He was admitted to the Suicide Squad only after The Flash took him down in Legends #1. On the other hand, fast shooting saved his neck when the Manticore had him pinned down in Suicide Squad #2.

Bloodsport's hopes really rely on coming in guns blazing. Otherwise, he appears to lack any real training or the combat skills necessary to outfight Deadshot.

The Tape: Deadshot Ranking: Deadshot (#72)

What Went Down...
Bloodsport shouts a warning of "incoming" as he unloads with a massive hi-tech blaster cannon on the Gotham West Side docks. It is a courtesy with a purpose -- the shot itself a warning of sorts, that "Metropolis Muscle" is taking over!

"GOT YOUR ATTENTION, PEOPLE? GOOD! 'CAUSE FROM NOW ON, THESE DOCKS ARE RUN BY METROPOLIS MUSCLE! WE CLEAR?"

The message is heard loud and clear, but Gotham's criminal underworld have been warned of the incursion and come prepared.

No sooner has Bloodsport finished his bold declaration of takeover, than Deadshot has a wrist-mounted gun barrel pointed at the back of his head.

He calmly orders Bloodsport to drop the massive cannon.

The Metropolis gunman complies, but for someone who can will any weapon into his hand with a mere thought -- disarming is a temporary predicament.

Bloodsport's hand begins to glow a familiar blue as he wonders which of them would be faster on the draw: He with his "arms-transporter" -- or Deadshot with his trademark wrist-mounted magnum?

The marksman either doesn't see it coming, or simply allows a futuristic pistol to materialize in Bloodsport's hand to indulge a shootout. Bloodsport twirls around as soon as the gun is in his hand and opens fire!

Bloodsport manages to get off three shots as he dives to his right, but Deadshot leans clear and aims true -- shattering the gun in Bloodsport's hand with a single crack shot!

In an instant Bloodsport fills his other hand with another gun and fires wildly. He may not have Deadshot's expert aim, but he reckons that toppling a brick wall directly behind him with superior firepower will finish him just fine.

Deadshot stands his ground and invites Bloodsport to join him in Hell.

Before the Gotham local can make good on his threat, two caped crusaders come swooping out of the blue to bring their deadly battle to an end!

Superman grabs Deadshot and pulls him clear of the brick debris, while Batman swoops down from above to silence Bloodsport with an overhead kayo!

The Hammer...

If you were hoping for a definitive answer to who the superior gunman is: I'm afraid you'll have to keep wondering! This was an issue of World's Finest, and the title pairing of Superman & Batman swooped in to steal the win.

Although published with a cover date of 2000; the conceit of the World's Finest mini-series means it's set sometime in the past. The majority of each issue takes place in a different subsequent year, which means around sixty years of publication history was consolidated into an adjusted ten year timeline.

The penultimate issue touched upon the aftermath of Death of Superman and Knightfall, but it seems World's Finest #10 also might take place somewhere in what would've been the real-time publishing period of the early nineties. It's a little difficult to say for sure, and Bloodsport's presence is the primary reason.

Robert DuBois was gunned down violently in a 1995 issue of Adventures of Superman. He doesn't make any subsequent appearance before 2000, which seemed to reinforce his untimely death.

Steel also makes an appearance in World's Finest #10, wearing what looks like his original S shield armor, but might be a later version adopted around '97. The latter would sit better with the involvement of the villain Riot, who debuted in 1996, in Superman: Man of Steel. Either way, somebody clearly got confused.

Death being what it is in modern day comics: the permanence and status of Robert DuBois' death has been a little difficult to track ever since.

Another Bloodsport appeared on the scene in 1993 with significantly different prejudices. There may also in fact be a third unidentified Bloodsport who just happens to look almost identical to Robert DuBois.

It's difficult to know for sure if there actually is a lookalike, or if World's Finest #10 merely began a chain of confusion that continued with later creators, who presumably wanted to call back to the slightly obscure early post-Crisis villain, but didn't know or care that he was dead.

The line wide relaunch of the New 52 definitively restored Robert DuBois to the new canon, allowing him to make a couple of appearances in The Flash. It seems safe to assume he'll be sticking around now that Idris Elba has been revealed as a live-action Robert DuBois in next year's The Suicide Squad movie.

The fact that it was long rumored Elba would replace Will Smith as Deadshot made today's featured fight a particularly fun battle to dig up from obscurity.

I have to imagine the film will inspire DC Comics to utilize the character much more, possibly setting up for a future rematch with Floyd Lawton, assuming he returns from whatever nonsense has befallen him. It wouldn't surprise me if the comic follows the movie's lead and swaps Bloodsport in very soon. That tends to be the way things work, these days.

It actually strikes me that the relative obscurity of Bloodsport will work in favour of both the filmmakers and DC.

The choice offers a low risk way to reinvent a character, and potentially mint a new lasting icon in the process. It's also a much more pleasing and genuine way to address ethnic diversity in comic book films, as opposed to casting against type as they did for Deadshot.

Bloodsport may seem like a bit of a nothing character, but in the future we may take a closer look at his first appearance to uncover what is a surprisingly strong debut for an otherwise forgotten villain. I've certainly overlooked the character all these years, but it's probably no surprise the John Byrne introduction works. We'll talk more about the glaring Van Damme connection, too. I know you saw it!

In the mean time: Bloodsport becomes the 987th character added to the Fight Club Rankings!

You can check out adjusted ranks for all featured characters at the bottom of current updates. Follow links throughout this post to discover more from each combatant -- and many more!

Secret Wars on Infinite Earths has featured well over 650 comic book battles and you can find them all in the Secret Archive! Links are indexed by publisher, series, and issue number. Or subscribe on Twitter and Facebook to get daily links to superhero smackdown inspired by the topics of the day. Don't forget to like & share updates if you do!

If you'd like to read today's featured fight for yourself, you can check it out in the now out-of-print Batman * Superman: World's Finest collection. Using the Amazon link provided to shop will do a fine job of helping support the site.

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Winners: Batman & Superman
#1 (--) Batman
#5 (--) Superman
#80 (-8) Deadshot
#933 (new) Bloodsport (Robert DuBois)

THOR versus THANOS

The Final Morning (Marvel)
Where: Thor #25 When: July 2000
Why: Dan Jurgens How: John Romita Jr

The Story So Far...
At the very dawn of time an alien sorcerer named X'Hoss foresaw the coming of The Designate and the elevation of all life to greatness.

To protect The Designate from those that would attempt to destroy her, he crafted three objects of immense power: The Illumination Stone, The Map of All-Ending, and The Chalice of Ruins.

These artifacts were soon corrupted by demonic forces so that their union with the tears of The Designate could command power over death itself. It is this knowledge that leads The Mad Titan, Thanos, on a new quest to indulge his obsession and flatter the attentions of Death herself.

In league with the loathsome Mangog; Thanos has brought the universe to the brink of Ragnarok. On a tiny ice planet, Thor lies beaten and broken, but across the gulf of space his poisoned father Odin conspires to arm him with one final reprieve. He need only survive long enough to receive it...

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Draw 6 (Invincible)
Intelligence: Thanos 5 (Professor)
Speed: Thor 3 (Athlete)
Stamina: Thanos 7 (Unstoppable)
Agility: Thor 2 (Average)
Fighting: Thor 6 (Warrior)
Energy: Thanos 6 (Mass Destruction)
Total: Thanos 34 (Super)

Everyone knows Thor is one of the most powerful Avengers -- but even a God of Thunder is given grave pause by the cosmic malice of Thanos!

For a time it was thought Thanos could not die: true after he was rejected by Death herself. The notion was temporarily challenged however when Drax had his long awaited revenge by removing Thanos' heart in Annihilation #4. It took a cosmic cube to put him back down after being briefly resurrected in Guardians of the Galaxy #25. A more lasting return soon followed.

In today's battle Thanos has become a bringer of death. He has collected fabled artifacts of grim power and potential: The Chalice of Ruins, The Map of All-Ending, The Illumination Stone, and even the tears of Tarene The Designate. From this collection his will now becomes a vast coda to life itself!

All hope seems lost, but this isn't the first time Thanos has brought the universe to the brink of extinction. In his most famous quest The Mad Titan achieved nigh omnipotence by assembling the cosmic infinity stones into the Infinity Gauntlet.

Eric Masterson was in command of Mjolnir, and the might of Thor, at that time, lending his hammer to a fruitless first wave which convinced Thanos to indulge in a fairer form of combat. Thor's godly strength was then used to batter Thanos convincingly until he put distance between them by flinging the erstwhile Thor into space. When the stand-in Thor returned to fight by the side of Spider-Man, he was turned to glass and shattered for his trouble.

This time it's the one true Odinson going into battle -- but there may be some doubts about the nature of the Thanos he faces.

It's alleged in the 2002 Infinity Abyss mini-series that Thanos created a series of duplicates intended to test potential enemies and allies. These "Thanosi" clones were deemed imperfect, carrying out lesser visions of his plan. This basically seems like a device for explaining away inconsistent portrayals of Thanos.

The genocidal Titan that Thor's facing today clearly lives up to Thanos' most terrifying potential. His scheme and its destructive threat is not dissimilar from Infinity Gauntlet and you should not look upon this version as greatly inferior.

Thor has confronted many cosmic adversaries over the years, finding mixed results. The supposed daughter of Thanos, Nebula, proved capable of holding him at bay in Avengers #315, while Drax fought a mad Thor to an inconclusive result in Warlock and The Infinity Watch #21. An Ego-powered Ronan The Accuser went one better, swatting him aside in Maximum Security #3!

The potential for cosmic adversaries to subvert Thor's enchanted hammer is an eventuality that cannot be overlooked. Champion of the Universe was able to move Mjolnir by manipulating space around it in Marvel Two-In-One Annual #7. The most famous example remains Beta Ray Bill, who proved worthy of wielding Mjolnir and turning its power against its master in Thor #337.

Thanos seems unlikely to lift Mjolnir any time soon, but The Mad Titan has enhanced himself with considerable magic and cosmic power. The odds seem very much stacked against Thor, having already been beaten severely, and forced to battle Thanos' ally Mangog. Let's see how he does...

The Tape: Thanos Ranking: Thanos (#11)

What Went Down...
Thanos romanticizes the embrace of death as a dazzling wave of destructive energy erupts directly from his hand and out into the cosmos.

Thor makes his grim approach from behind, stomping determinedly through snow with Mjolnir twirling at his side. He shouts indignant condemnation for Thanos' unthinkable disregard for life -- and pays dearly for his passion.

Thanos engulfs Thor in a punishing shower of excess energy. As he does, the first wave of death exterminates 41 billion lives on the planet Parsikon IV!

Only the Mad Titan and a badly damaged Rigellian Recorder are witness to the breadth of carnage now unleashed. The robot Recorder is without emotion but experiences something approximating regret. Thanos delights at his handiwork.

Racked with agony: Thor defiantly endures the spillover of energies and vows to stop Thanos. The Thunderer's bravery is true, but Recorder knows he is unlikely to escape the devastating forces acting against him.

Though pledged to record all events: the legless machine drags itself towards peril, preferring to offer what little assistance it might than survive to bear witness to the end of sentient life itself. It reaches out and is consumed.

Thor honors Recorder's sacrifice, shouting his name into the night and swearing to avenge him. His passionate cries grate on the ears of the traitor Tarakis.

The former Grand Vizier to Odin asks permission to end Thor's life. A final irony as an unseen stream of cosmic flame shatters his very existence!

The destruction of Tarakis signals the arrival of an emissary of Odin: Firelord!

The Xandarian herald carries armor infused with the blessings of Odinforce. He knows he is not powerful enough to enter Thanos' energies, but a cosmic blast may free Thor from its deadly embrace -- at the risk of killing him.

Firelord tosses Thor an enchanted belt to increase his resolve -- then dares to fire upon the beleaguered Odinson.

The explosion of colliding energies successfully throws Thor's body clear of the relentless fire holding him in place. For a moment his mighty body lies in the snow - smoldering and motionless. Then the Odinson begins to stir!

Firelord hands over the special armaments forged by blacksmith Jagrfelm at special order of Odin himself!

The strength doubling belt of power wraps around Thor's body, while a barbed gauntlet extends all the way up to his bicep, and a great spiked shield obscures his torso from sight. Even Mjolnir's might is enhanced with additional Odinforce!

Reinvigorated by the power of his new armaments: Thor immediately launches his assault -- hurling Mjolnir at a disinterested Thanos.

The hammer bounces against the unfathomable forces surrounding Thanos. It is enough to regain the Mad Titan's attention. He turns -- unleashing a maelstrom of power that radiates across the icy planet with violent consequence!

Firelord does his best to protect himself and Tarene, while Thor relies on his new shield to bear the brunt of the incredible onslaught. The impact pushes him across the battlefield -- driving his body into a frozen cliff side!

The God of Thunder emerges from the mountain depression and challenges Thanos to settle the battle, not with distant shots, but with their own fists -- as gods and warriors would do. Thanos refuses!

Again the enchanted shield protects Thor from the awesome force of Thanos' mystically enhanced power! The thunder god presses against his eye beams, striding slowly but steadily towards their source.

The shield begins to fray at the edges and crack, but still it holds as Thor wills himself and the metal disc forward. It begins to shatter, sending devastating shards around him, but Thor is unshaken in his mission to defend all life!

Soon, the shield is no more -- but Thor has reached his target!

With a warrior's decree he swings wildly with Mjolnir! The spectacular blow demands the attention of Thanos once more, but still the Mad Titan refuses to fall!

Thanos throws an all mighty right hook, but Thor returns fire with a staggering left that allows him to slip behind and strike the back. Thanos throws massive fists like clubs as Thor moves back in front. He connects with Thor's jaw!

The Mad Titan compares his godly adversary to a mere insect. Thor steels himself to be an insect that bites: reaching with his enchanted gauntlet to clutch the Illumination Stone that's hung around Thanos' neck.

The Titan's demeanor changes from arrogance to desperation, but there is nothing he can do to stop Thor crushing the gem in his armored fist.

The artifact explodes with a final roar of power as Thanos' grip on death suddenly ends! This time it's Thanos who yells into the night. Thor orders he be silent -- issued with the full brunt of Mjolnir's enchanted uru.

First a direct blow to the body softens Thanos up. Then an uppercut staggers him, before the might of Mjolnir is brought crashing down upon his head with the righteous indignation and fury of a warrior god defending life itself!

Thanos lands facedown in the snow, still smoldering with power, while Thor stands hunched beyond him in grim vigil, prepared to smith him again and again if needs demand it. The Mad Titan doesn't stir -- until an amazed Tarene steps forward with tears in her eyes.

The billions across space who lost their lives weigh heavily on Thor, and inspire The Designate to weep. It is said without the protection of The Stone of Illumination her tears will burn evil as if it was cast to the fires of Hell. She wipes her tear sand allows them to fall to Thanos who is consumed in flame.

The Hammer...

There was a certain grandeur when the final chapter of Death of Superman went to full and double-page spreads, but I dare say Thor #25 just might be the most epic thing Dan Jurgens has ever written!

It certainly doesn't hurt that John Romita Jr is absolutely drawing his arse off, as well! This is the JRjr you remember from World War Hulk, but today's fight, and the drama leading up to it, is laden with such beautiful poetry and glorious crescendo -- it's on a whole other level!

The sense of rising hopelessness as Thor struggles to return from a previous bitter defeat, and his allies become little more than spectators, reminds me of the saga-defining cosmic battles from Akira Toriyama's Dragon Ball Z.

Even the way allies continue to make small but vital contributions, such as Firelord delivering Odin's armor and killing Tarakis, seems very in keeping with DBZ. It was a pop culture phenomenon around this time, but I'm not sure it was a deliberate reference. Even if it was, the manga (or anime) never felt quite so heavy with epic Nordic tragedy. This issue is really something else!

Which makes it seem such a shame to undercut the battle's legitimacy by later reframing Thanos as an imperfect clone [as defined in The Infinity Abyss].

His motivations might be slightly regressive, but the only real incongruity is probably Thanos' apparent destruction when the fight is over. Otherwise, the epic battle and its intergalactic stakes feel very worthy of the one true Thanos! This certainly isn't the fall to Earth of his earlier appearances opposing Ka-Zar.

Not that I'm doubting the wisdom of Jim Starlin, mind you. If anything, this is probably another indictment on the assassination of a popular character. It isn't explicitly stated that Thanos died, but it certainly wasn't his usual graceful exit.

The situation reminds me ever so slightly of Mysterio's death a year prior in Daredevil #9. Thanos wasn't nearly the same subject of ridicule, but this was nearly a decade on from the highs of Infinity Gauntlet. Marvel cosmic was on the decline in general, and Thanos might've started to feel a little played out by 2000. Killing the character would be a mistake, but a big sendoff makes sense.

Whether he meant to kill off, or just sideline Thanos, I do greatly appreciate that Dan Jurgens put something back into the Marvel Universe.

The mythology of The Designate, and the artifacts used in this battle, were put into place very abruptly - just a few issues before this - but I think they worked reasonably well within their context. The grandiose opera of these issues do a lot to accelerating the meaning and credibility of everything involved, while expanding the theo-cosmic world of Thor and the Asgardians.

It's always cool to see Firelord get in the mix, and he's a very natural guest as a well established adversary to Thanos. We'll remember his team-up with Eric Masterson during Infinity Gauntlet, and role as a regular supporting character in Thanos adjacent issues of Silver Surfer. As a matter of housekeeping: he'll share the win with Thor for slaying Tarakis during the battle.

I rather like Tarene in these early issues, as well. There's something about the simplicity of her whitish attire that rather appeals to me. It seems like a bit of a shame that she was quickly remodeled as "Thor Girl" -- a female version of the main title hero -- when she had her own ambiguous, but otherworldly qualities here in these first appearances. It might've been nice to retain that, even while expanding her beyond a weeping Pariah/Harbinger type.

Before we wrap this massive entry, I should also note that by an act of pure serendipity, I happening to be listening to Jocelyn Pook album Untold Things while writing this entry. I don't usually soundtrack reading comics, but it turned out to be a very inspiring compliment to the super-sized issue. If you give it a listen, you might understand what I'm getting at.

If you want to get more of this type of Thor you can check out entries for Thor (Vol.2) #1 and Thorion of the New Asgods #1. Both feature big godly action by John Romita Jr. You can also discover more by following other links throughout this post, or by diving into the Secret Archive!

Secret Wars on Infinite Earths has featured more than 650 battles and ranked well over 900 characters! If you like what it's all about and want to support the project you can be hero and donate via Patreon. As a thank you you'll receive special acknowledgement, extra updates, voting polls, and custom articles.

You can experience today's featured fight for yourself by checking out one of the collected editions of Thor: Heroes Return Omnibus or Thor by Dan Jurgens & John Romita Jr Vol.4.

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Winner: Thor & Firelord (w/ The Designate)
#21 (+11) Thor
#403 (+528) Firelord [+1 kill]
#471 (new) Tarene [+1 kill] [+1 assist]
#596 (new) Rigellian Recorder [+1 assist]
#11 (--) Thanos [+41,000,000,000 kills]
#932 (new) Tarakis