MARVEL ZOMBIES versus GALACTUS
Marvel Zombies Conclusion (Marvel comics)
Where: Marvel Zombies #5 When: June 2006
Why: Robert Kirkman How: Sean Phillips

The story so far...
Earth 2419: A frightening twisted version of the Marvel Universe, infected by the decay of an alien virus that turns all infected into decomposing, viracious zombies.

With the Earth's population decimated by the super powered zombies, food supplies begin to run low.
Failing to follow their zombified Fantastic Four into a parallel universe, the zombies finish the last active snack, Magneto, before the heavens present a miracle.

His arrival affected by unknown elements of this universe, the Silver Surfer shows up in present-day to assess the viability of the Earth for consumption by his master -- Galactus: Devourer of Worlds.

The Surfer's defeat paves the wave for the wrath of Galactus, but the devourer who knows no satisfactions appears to have met his match. Having ingested portions of the Silver Surfer's cosmically powered carcass, the Marvel Zombies have absorbed his cosmic power, and prepare to turn it against it's master!

Previous Form:
Marvel Zombies [#5]: Victories over Magneto and the Silver Surfer.
Galactus: Making his first appearance in the Infinite Wars.

Tale of the tape...
Strength: Galactus 7 (Omnipotent)
Intelligence: Galactus 7 (Infinite Wisdom)
Speed: Spider-man 4 (Olympian)
Stamina: Galactus 7 (Unstoppable)
Agility: Super-Skrull 6 (Rubber)
Fighting Ability: Sabretooth 7 (Born Fighter)
Energy Powers: Galactus 7 (Solar Power)


Okay, we should probably clarify the mass of characters interacting in this particular fight. Actually, we have a bit of a unique situation, given that there's a distinctly seperate fight in the middle of this one. We're going to conclude that the battle against Galactus is a singular fight in this particular saga, and leave the in-fighting between the two factions interesting in G-man to another day.

There are two groups who do battle with Galactus.
While the "heroes" are figuring out how to use the defeated Silver Surfer's cosmic energy [Marvel Zombies #3] against Galactus, the zombified villains of this world emerge to take their own shot at the world devourer buffet on offer.

The villains are, in no particular order: Super-Skrull, Green Goblin, Dr. Octopus, Stilt-man, Juggernaut, Rhino, Sabretooth, Venom, Dr. Doom, Red Skull and the Moleman.

Conversely, we welcome back many of the core zombie heroes from previous issues; Colonel America, Hulk, Luke Cage, Iron Man, Spider-man, Wolverine, and the brains behind the development of the weapon that harnesses the deceased Surfer's power, Giant-Man aka Hank Pym.

Though far from peak conditioning, this collective of heroes and villains is one impressive unit by any standard. Decomposition may undermine their physical strengths, but never the less, the challenge of the likes of Super-Skrull, Dr. Doom, Venom and the strategic assist from Hank Pym makes for a compelling argument. Then again, they are up against Galactus.

The world devourer represents one of the most powerful active presences in the Marvel Universe. His wealth of cosmic energy has spawned many herald off-springs, while still sponsoring his own space faring reputation built on the destruction and consumption of worlds. This is no guy to sneeze at!

Though made famous for a retreat, it should be noted that the Fantastic Four's defeat of Galactus in his first appearance was more of an agreed upon treaty than any kind of combative triumph for the FF. Such is the power of Galactus, that he has the luxury of living a life bound by his own strict rules, and not the whims of defeat in battle.

Though defeat is feasible (re; Annihilation), the zombie weaknesses of this mass is the most glaring factor undermining their potential for victory. On their best day, the combined minds of Dr. Doom and Hank Pym might represent hope, but otherwise, they stand ready to be mowed down by cosmic energy.

The Math: Marvel Zombies (Total) Galactus (Average)
The Pick: Galactus (Cosmic Class)

What went down...
Having returned from a strategic retreat, the Marvel Zombies gain the attentions of the world devouring Galactus with a massive burst of cosmic energy harvested from the Silver Surfer's broken body, and focused through a weaponized cannon.

Various villains, having engaged Galactus in straight combat similar to the heroes' previous efforts, spill as the blasted Galactus begins to lurch and fall to the earth.

Flat on the mat, Galactus is left in a more vulnerable position for the earth-bound villains to make their frenzied attack -- but the heroes, whose efforts toppled the mighty cosmic warrior, intervene to stake their claim to the fresh meat.

After a drawn out fight that sees the destruction of the villains, and the loss of Colonel America, the cosmic powered Marvel Zombies turn their attentions back to Galactus.

Having recovered from the previous attack, Galactus crackles with power cosmic, rueing the futile efforts to defy his might.

Stunned that Galactus survived the two focused beams of energy fired from Pym's cannon, Spider-man and the other cosmic powered Marvel Zombies regroup to take the fight back to the originator of the power cosmic.

The heroes launch a savage physical attack, pinning the devourer to the Earth as he spews cosmic energy like a massive battery.

The enhanced zombe heroes rip and tear at Galactus' perceived armor, finding the apparent evidence of the flesh and meat they so desire.

Unrelenting, the heroes pursue their attack, giving the cumbersome Galactus no opportunity to stay their efforts. Like a man being eaten alive by ants, Galactus has no choice but to lie and accept his fate -- death on Earth.

Like a pack of pirhanas, the zombies tear Galactus apart, devouring him and subsequently absorbing all his cosmic energies have to offer. It is a feast the likes of which has not been seen for quite some time. Bloody victory, is theirs.

The hammer...
With full bellies and even more power, the Marvel Zombies find themselves victorious once again, against overwhelming odds.

While I think we could question the validity of the victory, you cannot deny the result. Which I guess provides us an immediate segue into the contemplative discussion usually housed in this final section of our regular posts.

I have a fairly general complaint about this series, which manages to blanket much of the action, and conceptual development in this series.
The numbers, the lists, the tape. You've seen my work. I like to process things like simplistic, mathematical formulas. The idea of creating a tangential universe is ripe ground for this kind of thought process, and it's the lack of consideration in it's development that is the source of my disappointment.

Recent additions to the Marvel Zombies branding have revealed the process by which the plague spread through the community. While we were privvy to interesting and cute methods; like zombie Mystique posing as Scarlet Witch to infect the otherwise inaccessible Quicksilver; it essentially spent very little time on the numerical spread of the infection, content with vague specifics that alluded to widspread infection. Consideration for characters with unique defenses and counter abilities were largely overlooked -- we mentioned this in a previous entry, featuring Wolverine under threat of vampirism. [Blade #5]

During the original mini-series, and this issue in particular, we then have similar glossing of points, like the very nature of Galactus. There's a shakey relationship between Galactus as an abstract anomoly, and a physical threat to worlds.

The theory is that Galactus appears however a subject perceives him on an individual basis. Presumably this means there is more to Galactus than a giant man, and certainly more than the purple mini-skirt and tricked out pope-hat.
So, as cute and clever as it is to have the insatiable hunger of the zombies satisfied by the famous world devourer -- it undermines the unique nature of Galactus as a cosmic manifestation.

In some vague twist of fate, I've always liked the notion of Galactus existing as a sentient cloud, something like an autonomous gas giant. I would use the Stephen Soderbergh Solaris remake as a prime example, but it bares startling resemblence to the teased Galactus in Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer.
As a true manifestation, it is nicely conceivable that a cloud of formless sentience could be perceived as many different things, including the familiar Kirby designed character we know and love.

Ultimately, Marvel Zombies represents the hook fairly well.
Continuing to be a source of revenue for Marvel comics, the concept overstays it's welcome, reflecting the kitschy fascination with broad thematic archetypes that has clogged internet humor and cutesy comics. It's big, broad, dumb fun, that potentially overstays it's welcome, even at five simple issues.

With several one-shots, a crossover mini-series, a current crossover arc in Black Panther, and an upcoming sequel mini that parodies Marvel's Civil War, Marvel proves one fascinating thing: Zombies can be defeated by destroying the brain, severing the head, or hammering them into the ground.

Believe me, if there's something we know, it's hammers.

It's not all negative though. Though underhanded, it is a genuine compliment when I say this is dumb fun. It's maybe just a little dumber than World War Hulk, featuring far fewer moving parts, but a similar penchant for big superhero battles. Magneto, Silver Surfer and Galactus each provide the sparring opposition, while there's also an underlying story about Black Panther and the surviving Acolytes, who return from space at the end of the series.

This does nicely to leave the thread which is ultimately picked up in the current Fantastic Four-centric arc in Black Panther.

The zombie hunger is recharacterized, as Galactus gives way to the collective Galacti. Having absorbed his energies through consumption, the zombie survivors take to the spaceways, seeking out planets to quite literally devour, putting a more personal touch on Galactus' old job.

Having slipped into this parallel universe; Black Panther and the current FF find themselves face-to-face with the zombie Galacti in the current story. However unlikely, this actually serves to be perhaps the most impressive use of the device since Mark Millar's original introduction in Ultimate Fantastic Four.

Speaking of hammers, I once again find myself hunched over keyboard in the dark of the AM, losing my train of thought in a maelstrom of words and critical analysis. Fitting then that I should be the subject of such scrutiny!

The Broken Frontier's Bart Croonenborghs has the special honour of being the first out of the gates on the KMI front. His review of The Kirby Martin Inquest #1 [availble online @ nitelitetheatre.com] proves to be an astute and receptive look at the series, with a pleasantly polite outlook.

A few misconceptions aside (the book's timeframe, and format), it's a good opportunity to test the water if you've been as yet undecided about your purchase of the title. Particularly useful for the Infinite Wars faithful, who might have misconceptions about my range as a writer.
Although, even if this somehow doesn't tickle your fancy, I'd emplore you to support independent comics by buying it anyway. You can always use it to line your bird cage, or wrap around a back with a threatening message written on the bold white of the mask picture on the cover.

Before we close, it would be remiss of me not to get in the obvious dig about the Marvel Zombies cover, which was no doubt comissioned with glee by editor-in-chief, Joe Quesada.

See what I did there?...

The Fight: 3.5 The Issue: 4.5
[A fun concept, perpetuating Robert Kirkman's association with zombies, and slightly mediocre writing for Marvel properties. A concept that overstayed it's welcome, it might be a matter of choosing this, or the Evil Dead crossover.]

BATMAN versus RA'S AL GHUL
(DC comics)
Where: Batman Begins When: June 2005
Why: Christopher Nolan & David Goyer How: Christian Bale & Liam Neeson

The story so far...
Having witnessed the murder of his parents by a desperate armed robber in a theatre back alley, Bruce Wayne grows into a man of great guilt and anger.

Channeling his rage, he uses his inhereted fortune to traverse the globe, escaping his celebrity status as a Wayne to face the criminal element on it's own terms, and take it on one man at a time.

During his time abroad Bruce Wayne is confronted by a man named Henri Ducard, who promises to foster his power and hone his efficiency to become a true force of justice. Representing Ra's Al Ghul and the League of Shadows, Ducard eventually reveals a plot to use Wayne as a pawn in the destruction of Gotham; something Bruce Wayne, now Batman, will do anything to stop.

Previous Form:
Batman (#2): Has been an indomitable force for DC, featuring the highest win percentage of characters featured in more than twenty reviews.
Ra's Al Ghul: Making his first appearance in the Infinite Wars.

Tale of the tape...
Strength: Draw 3 (Athlete)
Intelligence: Batman 5 (Professor)
Speed: Draw 3 (Athlete)
Stamina: Draw 5 (Marathon Man)
Agility: Batman 4 (Gymnast)
Fighting Ability: Ra's Al Ghul 6 (Warrior)
Energy Powers: Batman 4 (Arsenal)


Sunday night, two warriors step onto the field.
One of them; the Dark Knight Detective and protector of Gotham -- Batman. Consumate strategist, obvsessive profiler, grim and unrelenting fighter.

The other; the head of the demon and master of the league of assassins -- Ra's Al Ghul. A man who has endured the test of time through the revitalising properties of the mysterious chemical Lazarus Pits littered across the globe.

For Batman, his life is a direct response to crime. His view of the world is simple, black and white, and though he would intervene by methods denied to law enforcement officers, he is essentially reactionary.

Ra's Al Ghul's mission is to save the world from itself through an obscure, controlled, slant on Darwinism. His view is hypothetical, and intends to stem the damage caused by man, and avoid cataclysm.

Each is as obsessive and well trained as the other, but there is a distinct clash of codes between these two men. For Batman, the line is drawn where lethal force is concerned, and he would never willingly sacrifice one man to save another. For Ra's, no cost is too great in the name of the greater good, and his training is in the deadliest of arts. He is conditioned to capitalise on Batman's restraints, no matter the respect he may have for him.

Seperating these two is difficult. Batman, in my opinion, has a physical edge, but Ra's Al Ghul's willingness to do what is necessary gives him the same edge many of Batman's lesser foes have. It's a killer instinct like this that keeps Joker a yard infront every time he goes on a killing spree, leaving Batman to chase him as a response.

The Math: Batman (Meta Class)
The Pick: A draw

What went down...
Having already confront Ra's Al Ghul; who intends to spread a fear inducing toxin by vaporizing Gotham's underground water supply; Batman defeats several members of the League of Shadows, and escapes peril at the hands of escapees of Arkham Asylum. With the use of a pneumatic propelled grappling hook, he finds himself dangling by a line beneath the monorail carrying Ghul and the microwave emitter vital to his plan.

Enduring obstacles beneath the rail, Batman manages to swing himself into an arc ending with a window of the train. Below, the tumbler Batmobile follows along, driven by Lieutenant James Gordon, who has orders to blow a section of the rail to prevent it reaching the hub of Gotham's water supply.

Inside the train, Batman confronts his mentor, Ra's Al Ghul.
Disappointed in his pupil's defiance, Ra's launches an attack, armed with an extendable asp baton. Recalling his training, Batman uses the spiked prongs of his gauntlets to defend the blows, and tie the weapon up. Ghul challenges his student to show him something new, prompting Batman to slide the asp with the ultra durable spikes fashioned into his costume.

The Batman follows with a stiff kick, and heads for the conductor's controls on the rail. Stunned but by no means defeated, Ghul pursues the caped crusader into the cockpit, attacking from behind with little regard for chivalry.

With the broken off asp, Ghul stabs wildly, staking the sharpened edge into the train console. The controls sparking, Batman turns back to his opponent.

Taking advantage of the confined space, Batman reaches up to the train handrails and kicks Ghul with both feet, pushing him back into the train car.

Falling back into the microwave emitter, Ra's falls thoroughly on the backfoot.
Batman uses his momentum against him, launching his own body to send Ghul toppling backward over the bulky machine.

Despite the offensive, Batman's brutal gambit backfires, giving Ra's the opportunity to recover first and throw a solid punch to the gut from the rising position. Using Batman's own response, Ghul spins him around, sending him to a shattering blow head-first into one of the speeding rail's windows.

The advanced design of Batman's cowl protects him from mortal injury, allowing him to absorb a bone breaking elbow to the arm, before launching into his own brutal attack. A combination of short, stiff punches to the face, and a whip toss that pushes Ra's Al Ghul off balance the assault of choice.

Again Ghul uses his defensive predicament to launch an attack, moving from the crouching position to strategically attack points in the leg and mid-section. Brutish, clubbing fists pound the Batman's legs, attempting to spasm the the musculature into undermining his stance.

Ghul rises to stand at the ready, having toppled Batman with a rising knee to the face; blissfully unaware that on the streets, Gordon was arriving in the position of no-return. The user-friendly weapons system provides Gordon with an all too simple method of blowing out the rails.

Ra's engages Batman, taking an elbow in the name of maintaining focus on an offensive that sees him opening Batman up with a barrage of short, aggresive elbows and fists. Batman lets loose a few sloppy wide shots, giving his teacher the opening to unleash several knees and kicks that again send him to the floor. Ghul pursues it this time, taking a mount position.

He wraps his hands around his former pupil's throat, strangling him whilst taunting his inability to overcome his limitations. Batman turns the tables on his boasts, revealing a plan that did not involve stopping the train; while below, Gordon succeeds on his third try to eliminate the supporting structure of the targetted portion of rail.

Distracted by the explosions ahead, Ghul is susceptible to an offensive switch. Batman rolls him over, turning the mount around in a fashion mirroring the conceptual battle waged by the two strategists.

Batman reveals a taunt of his own, repeating the belittling teachings of his former master to, "... mind your surroundings."

Ra's Al Ghul challenges Batman's intent, questioning whether or not he had finally learned to do what was necessary to achieve his goals. Batman denies his philosophical opposition such satisfaction, slanting his actions on the stance of leaving Al Ghul to his destiny, rather than ending his life wilfully.

Batman shatters the windows and tosses explosive batarangs that seperate the car from the rest of the train, providing him an exit. Using the malleable memory cloth of his cape, he exits in grandiose fashion, fully living up to his branding.

With a zen-like acceptance of his impending doom, Ra's Al Ghul faces the front of the train and closes his eyes, the wind blowing against him.
With nowhere to run, Ghul sits as the front cars careen over the portion of the broken rail, plummeting into an underground parking lot. The overloading microwave emitter explodes, presumably obliterating any life within, and the threat to Gotham City.

Batman glides to the street below where Gordon is waiting by the tumbler, responsible for saving Gotham from a scheme that would have decimated Wayne Tower, and exploded the main hub of the underground water maines.

The hammer...
The winner with an implied death -- Batman!

Y'know, I don't know what I'm going to do when The Dark Knight comes around next year, but since I'm following my whims, I've had to add this one to the to-do list recently. Actually, it was after browsing some 'leaked' photography from the set of the sequel that really got me in the mood. That's some great looking sequel!

So, regular readers will no doubt notice that this is a site of subtle nuances. Well, okay, we feature lengthy, clumsily repetitive summaries of comic book superhero fights, but I like to think there's a little something more here.
It's a thought that helps me sleep at night, so humor me, if you will.

Out of some of the subtleties we can learn some interesting things.
We've learnt that if comics were anything to go by, most superheroes are south-paws, with many pencillers favouring left punches over the more traditional right.
We've also learnt, if you're paying attention, that more often than not the villain is the aggressor (usually reflected by being the first name listed). Making Batman not the only hero to attack his foes head-on, but certainly one of the most prominent. You could look, most recently, to a Wolverine for another example of a hero confronting, or even initiating conflict. [Wolverine #50]

So, statistical interests aside, there's also the interesting matter of Ra's Al Ghul's apparent demise. Comic book readers are no doubt well aware of his close association with the Lazarus Pits, which allow the mortally wounded to heal their wounds by bathing in it's mysterious fluid. They are even known to revive the dead, although such a decision comes at the cost of the subject's sanity.

Still, given Ra's Al Ghul's steady calm when facing certain death, you have to wonder if it might not be a little nod to a potential return for the character in future Bat-films. I guess that fact remains one of the most persistent interests of this new, creatively triumphant series of Batman theatrical releases.

In a world where film series rarely out-do the likes of the twenty-eight Godzilla features, or twenty-one 007 James Bond movies, one has to wonder how the enduring serialzed adventures of comic book heroes will adapt into series of major motion pictures.

Certainly Batman rates among the most enticing characters for such a series, representing a franchise essentially anchored by one major character, with a wide variety of successfully proven working parts that can be plugged in and out of the formula. Batman's rogues gallery of villains is widely regarded as one of the best, rivalling groups boasted by Spider-man and the X-Men.

Still, at such an early junction of reinvention, much of Batman's cinematic future likely hinges on the consistency of the material. Struggling to breakaway from the less than satisfying downturn of the previous films, The Dark Knight has already exhibited the first casualty of filmstars, removing Katie Holmes' Rachel Dawes, for the switch of Maggie Gyllenhaal.

One would have to imagine a change to any more crucial a principle, particularly one stemming from the comics, or previously represented in film, would be a severe blow to the franchise's future. A frailty that suggests it might require the commitment of the stars to a fourth feature, to really believe in the on-going pursuit of these films in the current timeframe.

Regardless, I for one am positively silly over the coming sequel in 2008.
Sure, it has it's potential disappointments. It seems like the film has spun down a spiral reminiscent of the previous franchise, suffering toy selling inclusions of "Batpod" motorcycles and unrefined costume changes. There's also the matter of my beef-headed countryman, Heath Ledger, taking up the mantle of the usually svelte clown prince of crime, the Joker.

Batman Begins was by no means one hundred percent, undeniably perfect, but what it was was a triumph for the Batman branding, and superhero films in general. It was a pure and well envisioned take on the character, that clearly drew on many of the most prominent sources, while still injecting a unique streamlined and vaguely commercial interpretation of the material.

In the same way the Tim Burton feature of 1989 helped define the benchmark of superhero films, Batman Begins returns the character to the pinnacle of major motion picture success, both financially, and more importantly, critically.

At first there were many details I was unsure about, but ultimatley Begins has endured the test of time. I rank it among the most watchable of the recent flock of superhero adaptations, stoically detailed, yet diverse in it's economy of characters, themes and locations. Truly a well rounded origin film and story.

One of these days I'll get around to returning to the movie, to summarize another of the fights, and maybe talk a bit more about the content of the film. In all likelihood, a retrospect may come sometime around the DVD release of The Dark Knight, where we can talk a bit more about the film in it's new context.

Until then, let's enjoy what is always a special occasion, a movie entry!
A DC movie entry, no less, something we've been neglecting not only in film reviews, but in reviews in general. Maybe now I can face the DC Nation!

The Fight: 5.5 The Film: 7
[The Keysi style makes for a grounded battle that provides an anchor to the exciting conclusion, but isn't quite worthy of supreme accolade. Even so, Batman Begins is a must-see for action fans, setting an impressive, mature benchmark for future films with similar characters. Believeable fantasy, sublime.]

N'GARAI DEMON versus KITTY PRYDE
Demon (Marvel comics)
Where: Uncanny X-Men #143 When: March 1981
Why: Chris Claremont & John Byrne How: John Byrne

The story so far...
It was long ago that the grounds of Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters saw the sprouting of a demonic totem connecting to the world of the N'Garai -- a Cairn, the bridging gateway for these demonic creatures to spew forth into our world and wreak havoc.

Storm and her fellow X-Men were able to overcome the N'Garai who attacked them, but months later a N'Garai demon emerges once more on the grounds on Christmas eve, seeking to bring misery to the mutants of the X-Men mutant academy.

Alone in the mansion while the other X-Men spend down time with their loved ones, Kitty Pryde decides to direct her misery toward training in the Danger Room. Her session is interrupted by an alarm alerting her of the intrusion, and her investigation leads her to the greatest workout of her career -- one-on-one battle alone against a N'Garai demon!

Previous Form:
Kitty Pryde (#51): Involved in defeats of Wolverine, Nimrod, Punisher & Mr. Sinister.
N'Garai Demon: The N'Garai have not been featured before in the Infinite Wars.

Tale of the tape...
Strength: Kitty Pryde 2 (Average)
Intelligence: Kitty Pryde 3 (Straight A)
Speed: Kitty Pryde 3 (Athlete)
Stamina: Kitty Pryde 4 (Athlete)
Agility: Kitty Pryde 3 (Acrobat)
Fighting Ability: Kitty Pryde (Trained Fighter)
Energy Powers: Kitty Pryde 1 (None)


So, it's around about the right interval to encounter another face-changing Infinite Wars rule that will reinvent the way in which you look at our rankings system. Okay, maybe not, but it's worth noting, none the less.

In the case of non-specific characters representing autonomous entities or groups (like The Hand), we do not recognise individuals. The only statistical impact made by characters like these is if they appear as a group, thus affecting result in the team rankings, or traditionally, by reflection on their opponents.
Exceptions to this rule are represented by The Doom Denouement Decree.

Because he isn't represented as a singular entity, and the chances of revisiting the N'Garai are fairly slim, the stats above only represent Kitty Pryde. These are not indicative of the total dominance of the Shadowcat character in combat.

Quite the contrary could be said of this example.
Kitty Pryde has suffered fairly an ebb and flow in characterization, being expanded as a SHIELD agent trained heavily in martial arts, to returning again to her perpetual inprisonment in pubescence. Because of that constant constraint on the character, I have no choice but to recognise the limitations set upon her by the many writers who have handled her -- to a degree.

As it happens, this particular encounter is quite early in her career, back when she was progressing through the teen years to earn her place on the X-Men. In the same way Jubilee faced a right of passage [Adventures of the X-Men #7], this story represents a turning point in the character.

Never the less, we're getting a little ahead of ourselves.

A N'Garai Demon is nasty stuff, and considering Kitty Pryde's mutant gifts are essentially defensive in nature, it's difficult to mount a logistical argument for her victory in this situation. Her fighting skills, in our opinion, are moderate, although at this stage in her career, yet to be developed.

One would even question her tactical capabilities, although in a more contemporary setting that would be a far less relevant issue. I'm afraid, for all of the Pryde pride, I just can't come up with a reason to tip Shadowcat on the merits of her abilities on paper.

The Math: Non-Applicable (Footsoldier Non-Entity Clause)
The Pick: N'Garai Demon

What went down...
Not wanting to alert the police to a false alarm, Kitty Pryde takes it upon herself to investigate intruder alert, despite protocols put into place by Professor Xavier and the senior X-Men.

Exploring the mansion, she finds a broken skylight in Storm's indoor conservatory where the plants all appear to be dead. Her curiosity aroused by the speed of the plant's decay, Kitty Pryde's suspicions based on goop on the floor are soon realised when she finds herself face to face with the hideous form of a N'Garai demon!

She narrowly avoids it's long, slashing limb, using her phasing abilities to flee through the floor. Unfortunatley for her, the taloned claw of the demon rips effortlessly through the mansion floor, following her into the hall below.

Using her powers of intangibility, Kitty flees through the improbable space of the X-mansion's reinforced walls, but they shred like cardboard before the might of the demon's grasp. His claws, as sharp as adamantium, allow him to make chase regardless of where the young mutant runs.

Hoping to use intelligence in the face of brute strength, Kitty uses evasive tactics designed to fool even the keen senses of Wolverine. She drops through the stairs into storage space, waiting patiently to see if the creature is aware enough to deduce where her disappearing scent could go.

Just as she decides to brave the vacuum and reach for the telephone, the demon appears to give her the fright of her life! With tactical precision it smashes through the door behind her, trapping her in the ultimate sneak attack!

It's claws slash through body and she screams, "but does not die."
Phasing at the last moment, Pryde lives, but is shocked to find herself in pain from the attack. The result leaves her right arm numb and hanging lifelessly, now more an inconvenience than part of her potential arsenal.

Unable to escape injury in her ephemeral state, Pryde heads for the most accessable weapon available to her, the aptly named -- Danger Room!
She punches in the input commands for the most dangerous setting she knows, just as the demon proves it's intelligence, bursting through the reinforced doors of the Danger Room command centre.

The lunging creature pushes her back over the console, through the apparently unbreakable viewing glass. She lands on the training room floor with a thud, leaving herself open to the killing blow prepared by the vile creature.

Ready for a main course of Sprite, the demon finds itself walking into the wile plans of the young mutant, instead, a mouthful of pneumatically launched metal rods!

The demon looks to mount a defense with the Danger Room itself, ripping at the floor to create a sturdy shield. Unwittingly the move interferes with the room's settings, potentially affecting the safety settings. It soon finds out just how much, suffering under roasting fires reminiscent of it's home.

Kitty Pryde realises the mounting danger fingers her, too, and notes that while phasing will protect her from the physical threats of the Danger Room, it will leave her still developing mind fatigued and vulnerable to other attacks.

The room's attack systems go AWOL, unleashing a wide array of cannons, explosives and energy rays!

Kitty Pryde tries to lure the determined demon into the line of fire, where her intangibility would protect her from the full brunt of fatal injury.
She successfully brings it to the centre of the action, but a random energy pattern forcefield wall puts an end to her plans. It's complex design requests great concentration from her, a luxury she does not have.

Narrowly avoiding the demon's wild slashes, Kitty plots an evasive course, again narrowly escaping certain doom at the menacing touch of the demon.

She navigates her way to a more vulnerable area of the wrecked Danger Room, feeling the effects of the draining chase, unsure of the level of injury sustained by her opponent - it's cries, easily born of rage, as much as pain.

Sprite drops through the floor, and stumbles her way toward a monocar that leads to the X-Men's hangar room. She gets barely halfway when the demon, still in hot pursuit, bends the track and forces her car from it's rails.

Making the rest of the trip on foot, the exhausted mutant takes full advantage of her phasing abilities, entering the Blackbird aircraft via shortcut directly through it's base. Inside, she prods at the controls which she had relcutantly received training for. Struggling to recall her training under such intense pressure, it's at the very last minute that she finds the means of ignition!

With no time to spare, the demon lurks with menace behind the ship, walking directly into the blast of flame produced by the immensly powerful turbines that power the incredible craft! Having been improperly started, the stress destroys the craft, ending the offensive-defensive maneuver.

Emerging from the plane, Kitty searches for the remains of the N'Garai, only to find herself staring down a clawed hand reaching from the resulting flames!
Lucky for her, it is the last exertion of energy, before the creatures burns to nothing.

The hammer...
The winner, by Blackbird infernal toasting - Kitty "Sprite" Pryde!
She's able to have herself a relaxing shower, before greeting her returning teammates, who bring with them her parents! Though a little stunned by the state of her attic plants, and the rest of the room, Storm is very proud of the young student.

And with that, we conclude our look at young women coping with invasions of the X-Mansion. I don't know if there's anything to really conclude from this, but it's certainly been an interesting theme to pursue.

You might wonder exactly what it is about these damsels in genetic distress, who seem find themselves regular targets of home invasion. If you've just joined us, you might want to go back and revisit the Jubilee/Sabretooth [Adventures of the X-Men #7] and Rogue/Sinister [Ultimate X-Men #49] entries, where we featured following infiltrations of the X-Mansion.

In the case of the Jubilee entry, if you have keen senses like the lupine Wolverine, you can literally smell the Claremont and Byrne all over Macchio's script. It's a none too subtle homage that builds on story from the cartoon series, featuring similar points of entry for the villains (Storm's skylight), a Danger Room trump card, and a last minute claw-scare, reaching from the final flaming frame of the villain's defeat.

While lacking the direct references, Brian Vaughan's Ultimate X-Men story comes full circle to reaffirm the validity of the concept, which in truth, has probably been seen even before examples like Juggernaut storming the mansion in the earliest adventures of the original team. Home invasion is by no means a new invention of the mutant menace.

Certainly, when dealing with children of any age or gender, a major milestone is the decision of leaving them home alone. It's no small wonder that the X-Men, built on gifted youngsters, have revisited this theme time and time again. It's a logical way of really bringing the test of readiness to the students, and is a dramatic device infinitely relatable to both those who have experienced such scares, and those who have only imagined it.

For female characters, it is perhaps an even greater proof of worth.
These are characters almost universally characterized as weak and timid through their formative years, events such as these providing the opportunity to force the characters to make their stand in a believable transition. The homeground advantage is the crutch which facilitates the next step of combative credibility.

I like this story. I like the simplicity of it's design, and the effectiveness with which it employs a specific spin on the technique of using a character's credibility to put another character over. I think this is deserved of it's reverence in the history of Uncanny X-Men stories.

It was actually among the very first X-Men stories I was exposed to.
Far more interested in the brightly coloured escapades of Spider-man, Batman, Superman or the Fantastic Four, this issue always stood out as an abberation.

It didn't make an X-fan out of me. Actually, I was never really much of an X-Men fan until the nineties and the explosion surrounding the cartoon and reinvention of the branding. Even so, despite all the things working against it, like the distinct lack of more prominent characters, this story managed to work it's way into my young psyche. This single, done-in-one, Kitty Pryde, "Sprite" story.

Of course, just to spoil the emphasis of that point, I have little to no interest in the Kitty Pryde character today, and could not feature the character without slipping in a note of distain for the furor surrounding Joss Whedon's Astonishing X-Men. A title so thoroughly dependent on this era of Claremont/Byrne comics, that it reads thoroughly redundant, with that extra special slice of wanting to be too cute for it's own good, that only Whedon can bring.

Nominations of Astonishing remains the acid test for the corrupted credibility of the Eisner awards. You maniacs. Damn you. It was Earth.

It's not all negative though. Whedon deserves credit for at least recognising what works about the characters, and pushing the positive presence of Kitty Pryde. I don't know if he quite does it in the best way, putting a spin on the character distinct from Buffy, the character he's famous for, but still a little bit... young for my liking. It has been twenty-five years since this tale, afterall.

With that bombshell, I think it's just about closing time!
I am, as always, quite exhausted, but enjoying continuing working on new projects. If you haven't already bought yourself a copy of The Kirby Martin Inquest, you should dart over to Nite Lite Theatre where you can get yourself an affordable copy on online order! Rich L, along with a couple of other sites, will hopefully be carrying some reviews of the book very soon.

Speaking of plugs, it is Friday, which means it's the chance for all of us to wave our flags in the name of Bahlactus! He was pretty slack last week, forgetting to include our Christmas sweetening feature [Powerman & Iron Fist #66]
Let's hope his cosmic awareness is on the game this week, ready to devour the Infinite Wars as featured from the secret earth! electricalgoldfish was ready, and we have to throw thanks out to her! Cheers!

Now, I have to go rid myself of this damned demon ripping up my architecture, and get some sleep before coming back for more Infinite Wars!

NOTE (Nov 29, 2007): The purchasing public should be informed that Marvel Essentials collect black and white versions of reprinted materials. Though this issue is contained within, it will appear different to that which is featured here. Consider yourself informed!

The Fight: 4.5 The Issue: 5
[A classic Claremont and Byrne X-tale of single issued proportions! A ham like me could miss the presence of Colossus and Wolverine, but it's undeniably one of the great tales. Newbies would do well to check themselves for a lesson!]

WOLVERINE versus SABRETOOTH
Evolution Chapter One: First Blood (Marvel comics)
Where: Wolverine #50 When: March 2007
Why: Jeph Loeb How: Simone Bianchi

The story so far...
They used to be friends, but over the decades the bloody feud between Wolverine and Sabretooth has grown to be one of the most bitter and thoroughly twisted conflicts in comics.

Having carved his way through lies and deceptions, Wolverine knows he isn't Sabretooth's son, clone, time travelling counterpart, or any other relation -- but he still just can't put his finger on what is true.

With glimpses of an ancestral history as a backdrop, Wolverine confronts Sabretooth at Xavier's Mansion, where he's staying as a member of the X-Men, not for the first time. Wolverine's mission? To finally put an end to the bitter hatred that inevitably brings these two monsters together, time and again.

Previous Form:
Wolverine (#4): Solo victories over Silver Samurai, Blade, Punisher & Winter Soldier.
Sabretooth (#341): Suffered defeats against Iron Fist & Jubilee.

Tale of the tape...
Strength: Sabretooth 4 (Steroid Popper)
Intelligence: Draw 4 (Tactician)
Speed: Sabretooth 4 (Olympian)
Stamina: Wolverine 6 (Generator)
Agility: Wolverine 3 (Acrobat)
Fighting Ability: Sabretooth 7 (Born Fight)
Energy Powers: Draw 1 (None)


There are just some classic feuds that get a fanboy all kinds of tingly, and damned if this isn't one of them! As far as brutal, scrapping throwdowns go, Wolverine and Sabretooth produce among the best. Maybe it's because they're such efficient fighters, or maybe it's because their healing powers allow them to go all-out, but together they always promise fireworks!

The way I see the tooth and claw debate is something like a good Japanese hero, because I like to think Sabretooth just has a bit of edge, and certainly our numbers reflect that. He's stronger, he's a little faster, a little bit more feral, a little bit more vicious -- but a whole lot more evil, too.

Like those great Japanese superhero styled archetypes, I like to think it's the good in Wolverine's heart and his determination that always gets him across the line against the odds. It's that inexplicable fire inside of him that pushes him to defeat the more powerful Sabretooth time and time again.

We could bounce it around a lot of ways, but when it's all said and done, it's going to be Wolverine. On paper, I'd love to be objective to the point where I could honestly expect Sabretooth to win, but history just doesn't suggest that.
I'd love to have access to every Sabretooth/Wolverine clash just to test that theory, because I'm sure Sabretooth's gotten plenty of licks in there, but for now, this one will have to suffice.

The Math: Sabretooth (Meta Class)
The Pick: Wolverine (Meta Class)

What went down...
Having snuck his way into the mansion, Wolverine bypasses small talk with X-Men leader, Rogue, heading straight for Sabretooth, who's watching television and scoffing beer from the comfort of a couch. Something that clearly doesn't sit terribly well with Wolverine, what with the murderous past, and all.

Wolverine tosses Sabretooth out the window of his room, forcing the fight onto him in the snowy cold of the Mansion grounds. Determined to put an end to things, Wolverine pops his claws and the two raging beasts go at it!

They each tag each other with gashing swipes, but it's Wolverine who comes out of it with the first attack bonus. He knocks Sabretooth back with a shot, following quickly by burying his claws deep in Sabretooth's shoulder.

Sabretooth uses the close quarters situation to his advantage, turning his superior strength and leverage on Wolverine. Like a human hammer toss, Sabretooth swings Wolvie around, sending him on an unsolicited fast ball special with malicious intent!

Wolverine comes back with a diving drop kick, throwing himself boots-first at his arch-nemesis to smash him through a tree.

Using his speed and agility, Wolverine's quick to his feet. Moving in once again for the claws, Sabretooth, equally as fast, turns Wolverine's momentum against him, driving him fast first into another tree with bloody results!

Sabretooth presses the advantage, wrapping both of his mighty, clawed hands around Wolverine's throat.
Squeezing increasingly tighter, he manages to push Wolverine's healing capabilities to the absolute limit, choking the life out of the smaller mutant scrapper.

Wolverine fades into memories of the sordid past shared with his blonde counterpart, before coming back out of it as his mangled throat begins to repair itself.

Wolverine quizzes Sabretooth on details of the past, while resuming his attack with a clawed fist to the face, bridging into a combination. Another slash to the jaw, finished with a diving knee to the jaw.

Sabretooth strikes back, digging his own finger-tipped claws into Wolverine's defensively exposed chest. Explaining the words that have haunted Wolverine from his past, "Quod Sum Eris," Latin for, I am what you will be.

With Sabretooth holding on tight, Wolverine defiantly shoves his fist beneath his jaw. Sabretooth warns against popping his claws, but ever the rebel, Wolverine pops them with a "SNIKT!" to conclude this installment of the fight.

The hammer...
There might be an argument on points here, but given that we don't actually see the fruits of the closing sound effect, I'm going to have to call this one a draw.

This fight, of course, infamously continues over five excruciating issues, all of which have not been purchased by my good self.
Right now that isn't really much of a statement, but you can rest assured, these are not purchases to be made in the near future. Well, maybe #55 for the decapatative conclusion, but otherwise, it sounds like some very disappointing filler from Loeb.

We've alluded before to the ire Jeph Loeb's name can inspire [Superman/Batman #14] whenever he's tackling a new story. Having reached noteriety with work like The Long Halloween, more recent, simpler works have come under heavy, oft questionable criticisms. Superman/Batman is a good example of a title that has suffered heavy criticisms from fans, regularly criticising it under terms outside of the work itself. Many seemed to approach those stories with a discomfort or distain for fun, four-colour superhero stories without broad consequence.

Here, we have a very different situation, and I'm afraid many of the defenses I would have thrown up for his recent DC works are completely irrelevent.

Wolverine suffers from several immediate setbacks, largely inherent to the publicity received for both Loeb's involvement, and the character itself. The major offender here is the promise to deliver the definitive, be-all-end-all conclusion to the Sabretooth/Wolverine feud, closing the lid on many of the unanswered questions, putting their hatred to bed once and for all.

Audio and print interviews expanded on that, really building up the expected granduer of the event, which promised not only to deliver a major milestone in the history of this story, but also the reunion of two beloved characters.

Unfortunately, this first issue meanders it's way through page after page of scripted scenes of under achieving battle between these two. Simone Bianchi, painted style artist on the book, and also a point of promotion, really doesn't do anything spectacular with these pages, cramming in a lot of brown, similarly set scenes in a lot of awkwardly shaped panels.

With the exception of the utterly disappointing further complication of their history, introducing an ancestral history of feral-humanoid creatures, the first issue reads entirely inconsequential. While that was entirely acceptable in something like the Superman/Batman stories, here we've already been promised consequence.

It seems to be a case of giving the story the stage it deserves - six complete issues - without actually expanding the materials in a way that builds and honors that grandeuer. It's a case of a stage without a fitting show, instead delivering six unfortunate issues of boredom and spite.

Bianchi certainly doesn't do a lot to help. I'm sorry to say it, but introducing a painted finish to a comic is not a ticket-to-ride. If that were ever a novelty fitting of an instant top ten seller, it's been well warn out by the many contributions that have come and gone in an era of the iconic works of Alex Ross, and gritty stylized books by Alex Maleev.

The fairly uninspiring artwork fails to justify the story in a way that, perhaps, even Ed McGuinness might have. Of course, Ed McGuinness pencils would've struggled to justify such large wastes of panel space, and hopefully encouraged a denser approach to the content by Loeb.

This story was supposed to do what so many others haven't, clearing away all the muddy, garbled confusion and misinformation surrounding these characters, boiling it all down to a final confrontation. Instead, this story seems to add to the list, screaming out for any excuse to ignore, revive, and do it right another time, with another creative team. Hopefully without killing Sabretooth.

I'm not about to condemn Jeph Loeb and jump from the ship screaming, but I think it's safe to say that on the merits of what's between the front and back covers, this is a monumental embarassment and failure to produce. Ed McGuiness, who pencils a bizarre fantasy dream-tale with Wolverine, shows up his contemporary with shocking results.

So, getting away from all the negativity, I should throw some shout-outs.
I've got to give thanks to Rich @ ComicByComic, for the mention of The Kirby Martin Inquest, which has a second issue I've been hard at work lettering.

Pedro Cruz, artist on KMI, is doing some regular sketches that you can check out there, and we're talking about maybe working on a mini-comic side project, which should be a lot of fun. While KMI is a paced, character-driven crime/superhero story, this side project might be a bit more up the Infinite Wars alley.

Before we go, you'll notice I copped out and just went with the post today.
Rather than waste time stalling behind, we'll just play the entries I'd like to do by ear. Tomorrow, as always, we'll have a great review, and then who knows!
Keep hitting us up, read through some of the archives, follow your favourite characters through the tags, and stay tuned!

The Fight: 2.5 The Issue: 3.5
[An unfortunate misfire from Loeb! The score average is brought up by the back-up story, which is the only justification for the price of admission here. Sorry to say, but it's definitely the worst read of the year. Disappointing!]

FANTASTIC FOUR versus PAIBOK
Whatever happened to Alicia?! (Marvel comics)
Where: Fantastic Four #358 When: November 1991
Why: Tom DeFalco How: Paul Ryan

The story so far...
After the Beyonder's secret war, the Fantastic Four's Thing opted to stay behind and continue his adventures. It was this act that nearly put a vital snafu to a secret plan launched by the Skrulls to infiltrate their enemies team.

Posing as Thing's blind girlfriend, Alicia Masters, the Skrull soldier named Lyja was forced to take a harsh turn, steering the affections of the Masters girl to an unlikely suitor -- Johnny Storm!

When Thing returned he eventually learned to live with the loss of his love, and was witness to the marriage vows of Johnny and Alicia, or so they thought. With Lyja revealed, the furious Johnny Storm leads the Fantastic Four on a mission to space to retrieve the captive Alicia, but little does he know the overseeing officer in the matter is a Skrull familiar, yet very different...

Previous Form:
Fantastic Four [#2]: Victories over Frightful Four, Iconoclast, Super-Skrull & Annihilus.
Lyja (#178): Lent Mr. Fantastic the assist against Sub-Mariner.
Paibok: Making his first appearance in the Infinite Wars.

Tale of the tape...
Strength: Thing 6 (Invincible)
Intelligence: Mr. Fantastic 6 (Genius)
Speed: Paibok 3 (Athlete)
Stamina: Thing 5 (Marathon Man)
Agility: Mr. Fantastic 6 (Rubber)
Fighting Ability: Thing 3 (Street Wise)
Energy Powers: Human Torch 7 (Solar Power)


What's so familiar about Paibok you say? No? Think all Skrulls look alike?
Yeah, well, I've met your kind, and frankly I don't much care for it! Y'see, there are Skrulls who distinguish themselves through dangerous procedures. Procedures that bestow them with fantastic new abilities!

Kl'rt, the Super-Skrull, is the most familiar of these engineered Skrulls with the powers and abilities of the Fantastic Four. There is, however, another such soldier. One with powers comparable of X-Men -- Paibok, the Power Skrull!

Paibok's powers are fairly simple, but not to be discounted.
He can control and manipulate the formation of ice (ala Iceman), fire bolts of electricity (ala Storm), and has super strength and all that comes with it by way of the ability to change his skin into organic metal (ala Colossus).

I'm running a couple of days late, and it's just been an hour or so of the Blogger server being down, so I won't ramble on too much.

Lyja, having lived among them, is sympathetic to the Fantastic Four's plight, accompanying them fairly willingly to the Skrull station where Alicia Masters has been held. Though they are a fantastic five, Paibok easily overcomes the numbers advantage with a veritable army of Skrull soldiers on board.

The FF are pretty experienced with sweeping up swarms of Skrulls, and have earned their cosmic stripes slapping guys like Kl'rt around, so I'm probably going to have to say they're the better option.

Paibok's powers are impressive, but against a guy who has the effective properties of rubber (Mr. Fantastic), a guy with Hulk-level strength (Thing), and a guy who's made of flame (Human Torch).

The Math: Fantastic Four (Total) Paibok (Average)
The Pick: Fantastic Four (w/ Lyja)

What went down...
Powering to the andromeda galaxy aboard one of Reed Richards' spaceships, the Fantastic Four head for one of the many Skrull imperial ships. Arriving on board, they strip from their suits, ready to raise some hell!

The shape changing Skrulls imitate various alien animals and monsters, their efforts in vein, as the Fantastic Four do what they've done so many times before. The Torch burns them down; Mr. Fantastic wraps some Skrulls up and disarms them; Invisible Woman knocks some Skrulls out with her helmet under the veil of invisibility; and the Thing does what Thing does best -- clobber!


To the shock of the suspicious Human Torch, Lyja takes a gun from one of her fellow Skrulls and turns it against them, much to the horror of her commanding officer, Paibok, who watches from a control room.

The Skrulls mysteriously clear the deck, conveniently clearing a path for a massive rocky ball of ice! The descending chunk ushers in the arrival of Paibok - the Power Skrull - riding atop a platform of ice!

He leaps into the air, flying toward the team, where Mr. Fantastic steps up almost literally with his stretching ability. Wrapping his elastic arms around two jutting structures, he absorbs Paibok's forward momentum and flings him backward like a Skrull-borne slingshot!

Paibok flies through his flight path, coming back around for another attack.
Mr. Fantastic again engages the Power Skrull, using his outstretched arms to tie Paibok up, unprepared for an electric charged shock! His arms snap back, as he flees the flying Paibok who continues to blast electricity and ice.

Thing calls dibs on the Power Skrull, compelling Richards to stretch his way to the airducts, to go in search of Alicia Masters. Paibok welcomes the challenge, powering up to reveal his metallic transformation!

Thing and Paibok come to blows, Thing coming off second best to the metal plated super Skrull! Ever the hearty battler, Thing comes back for more, as Paibok reaches for a metallic column, ripping it from it's structural placing to toss at the rock-hided hero.

Thing pounds through the tech-filled column, and returns the favour to Paibok, knocking him back wit ha stiff left!
Down, but not out, Paibok resorts to his ice powers, blasting Thing at relative short range. He continues his forward march, resisting the gathering frost that builds to a thick layer of mushy snow and crystalizes to ice!

Bursting from the ice, Thing rips up the flooring right from under Paibok's feet!

Despite the attack, the tables manage to turn once more, Invisible Woman making the save for an unprepared Thing with an invisible force field!
She follows it up, encasing Paibok in an invisible force field, giving Paibok another opportunity to stretch his powerful limbs.

Revealing his bio-electricity was designed with Invisible Woman specifically in mind, he channels his power through Invisible Woman's forcefield, frying her into submission with many volts of energy!

Thing quickly comes to Susan Storm's ally, but Paibok delays their rematch, interested instead in executing the flaming brother of the Invisible Woman, who mows Skrulls down with lethal regard.

Sneaking up behind the battling hot-head, Paibok prepares to make a cowardly sneak attack from behind! Fortunately for Johnny Storm, his wife, Lyja, sees the attack coming, and continuing to grapple with her duty and her adopted him, she transforms into a Bierbeast to curtain the unrelenting electric blast!

Lyja drops to the floor motionless, finally breaking through his hate-filled conflict, to provoke the concern of her deceived husband, Johnny Storm.

Distracted by Lyja's traitorous turn, Paibok doesn't notice Thing sneaking up behind him to rip another massive column from it's barings to bring the house down! The roof crumbles atop the Power Skrull, with a morose Thing looking on with quiet distain.

Johnny Storm shares a tender moment with the dying Lyja, making peace with her and the deceptions he suffered. Though originally operating as a Skrull infiltrator, Lyja confesses her true love for the Human Torch, before fading in his arms. Her apparent death is precursor to a sudden return!

With the ship rumbling, Paibok emerges from the rubble. With the "War World" station about to reach critical mass, the Fantastic Four (under a force field produced by Invisible Woman) navigate their way back to their ship, reluctantly leaving behind the limp body of Lyja.

With Alicia Masters in his arms, Mr. Fantastic makes a rendezvous with his team at their ship, making a successful escape from the exploding space station with the rest of the team!

The hammer...
It was a close one on points, but I think you'd have to give it to the Fantastic Four! Lyja has to share in the victory, despite her apparent death at the hands of ex-jilted lover, Paibok.

It may please you to know Lyja actually survived not only Paibok's electricity, but also the explosion of the station! She returns to menace and join-up with the FF again, but as you may have noticed in the contemporary comics, Human Torch and she are estranged.

Running quite behind, I should remind everybody that this is yet another Marvel Ultimate Alliance Monday post, featuring the villains from the smash hit video game! Unfortunately, we won't be be featuring Titannus, the enhanced mutant Skrull from Robert Kirkman's Marvel Team-Up work. I neither have those issues, nor any money to buy them. If you would like to rectify that, you can scroll up the side menu and hit-up the PayPal donations site! Although, honestly, I'd probably rather buy some World War Hulk books...

I should get another thank you out to When Fangirls Attack, the index website with a vested interest in feminist and female-centric issues, cataloguing this time around our feature that discussed Jubilee [Adventures of the X-Men #7].
I've actually really enjoyed getting into a lot of the discussions and topics presented there, and you should see if there's something there for you. We here at the Infinite Wars certainly appreciate their support of our light hearted activities!

Actually, on a side note, working on the coming issues of The Kirby Martin Inquest [which is one of my reasons for being late] brought a nice opportunity to put a bit of WFA programming into practice -- adding a new prominent female character to the series. In earlier drafts there was a conceited reason to avoid female characters, but with a lot of that falling away in the final draft, I'm pleased to put a new spin on a role that would've been more typically cast as a male (a reporter).

Conveniently, the female touch actually brings with it an advantage - so that's been a nice bit of awareness rubbing off on me, and coming in very handy.
We could keep talking about women in comics, specifically damsel-in-distress syndrome with Alicia Masters here, and the weak characterization of Susan Storm. Or, we could even talk about Lyja's desperate attempts to court Johnny Storm's love, which has turned to bitter hatred -- but we won't.
I figure the fangirls only need to see so much of us. Allow them a break!

Instead, there's a prevalent issue in Marvel comics right now, and it conveniently coincides with this, and the last Ultimate Alliance post [Fantastic Four #6], and that's -- Skrulls!

If you've been reading New Avengers, or are just keeping abreast of superhero comics affairs, you'll be well aware that the Elektra who appeared as head of The Hand clan was in actual fact a disguised Skrull! [New Avengers #27]

Though intrigued and excited by the prospects of a mass infiltration of the Marvel universe, it was this issue of Fantastic Four, along with various others, that were the basis of criticisms that this simply isn't an original enough concept to be acceptable.
While the broad point stands, I think I've had the chance to rethink the issue, having reviewed some of the greater details within this issue. What's key here is that Alicia was replaced during the Secret Wars event, which begs a question providing complications for our rankings systems -- When was Elektra replaced? And by extension, when was whoever else replaced?

Issues of New Avengers: Illuminati, co-written by Brian "Nugget Loving*" Bendis and Brian Reed, detail retroactive inclusions of the secret meetings held by the Illuminati, and how their subversive strategums shaped certain subtlties in the Marvel universe. Among those was the provocation of the Skrulls, already being connected to the incursion we're seeing in contemporary Marvel stories, but could it be that the immediate follow-up, featuring The Beyonder, is the clue?

Dare we dredge up memories of the Ben Reilly Spider-Clone by implying the invasion began decades ago? Could it be that these mass switches actually occurred en masse, while the heroes were in a confused state flux having being plucked from reality by The Beyonder?!

There's also a question about the fate of the heroes that have been replaced.
Have they been lucky enough to remain in stasis somewhere in outer space, like Alicia Masters? For the sake of maintaining a copy, it's fair to assume the Skrulls would need a living reference, but you never know with these guys.

Is it not entirely possible that they've all been murdered? Or perhaps disected in the name of Skrull science, allowing them to develop the range and efficiency of how they grant special powers to the likes of Kl'rt and Paibok?

Theories for your consideration, good friends!
In the meanwhile, I should probably try to get some sleep before the sun comes up, because that's when I have to fight crime with the powers bestowed upon me by my hybrid heritage of Irish/Australian. Enter the drunken fist!

I might be doing a bit of retroactive revisions myself, trying to insert some of the many reviews of interest I've missed over the past couple of days. Continuing the free-flowing, interest based discussion of these entries, there's a lot to get to, and I'm finally keen to take a look at a couple of DC features, so fingers crossed I get to do that!

Thanks again to Women In Comics, and hopefully we'll continue to have a positive association with them, providing our own unique skew on women in comics. You'll certainly be seeing more at the end of the week, as we take a look at a certain X-Men classic mentioned in a previous entry.

The Fight: 4 The Issue: 4.5
[Square-bound, giant sized, and with a circular hole in the cover exposing the 4? The only thing tragic about THIS comic is the price tag -- $2.50US. Cheaper than most twenty-two page comics. Oh the agony! A great issue, with lots of bonus materials, including a fun little Dr. Doom short -- about retroactive continuity!]

* Not an actual nickname for Bendis.