FANTASTIC FOUR versus DR. DOOM

Doom: Part 6 (Marvel comics)

Where: Ultimate Fantastic Four #12 When: December 2004 Why: Warren Ellis How: Stuart Immonen

The story so far...

Selected for a government funded think-tank, child prodigy Reed Richards is united with some of the most brilliant young minds in the United States. Forming a friendship with project director Storm's children, Susan and Johnny, the underpinnings of the Fantastic Four are born.

Experimenting with his theories of teleportation, the young Reed Richards prepares an attempt to teleport an apple, not knowing of the unsolicited intervention of his stubborn Latverian rival, Victor Van Damme, who is under the belief Richards' calculations require slight correction.

 The change results in an unexpected trip through the mysterious sub-dimension of the N-Zone, which leaves the quintet, including Richards' high-school buddy Ben Grimm, mutated in five individual ways. Spiteful, Van Damme uses his new found powers to pursue a hidden agenda of world domination, purveyed by a secret European organization, and begins by leading his tiny home nation to prosperity as the villainous Dr. Doom.

Previous Form:
Fantastic Four [#2]: Nearly unbeatable as a team, their only recorded loss coming from a future without Mr. Fantastic, against a transformed Death's Head II.
Dr. Doom (#118): The subject of Mondays in October, he suffered a quick fix defeat in the Monthly Punch-Up, facing up against Thor, norse god of thunder.

Tale of the tape...
Strength: Thing 6 (Invincible)
Intelligence: Mr. Fantastic 6 (Genius)
Speed: Human Torch 3 (Athlete)
Stamina: Dr. Doom 6 (Generator)
Agility: Mr. Fantastic 6 (Rubber)
Fighting Ability: Invisible Woman 4 (Trained Fighter)
Energy Powers: Human Torch 7 (Solar Power)

- The Fantastic Four possess much the same abilities in the Ultimate series as their standardized predecessors. Mr. Fantastic becomes an elasticated super-morph; Susan Storm gains the ability of pseudo-kinesis and invisibility; Johnny Storm becomes a man on fire as the Human Torch; and Ben Grimm's bulk is turned to stone, making him the man-mountain called the Thing.

- Their think-tank origins redefine the members of the Fantastic Four as all having particularly keen intellects, with the exception of Ben Grimm, who loses his career as a test pilot and completed college education.

- Dr. Doom undergoes the most dramatic transformation, his armored visage now organic in nature, and part of his body. Likewise, his physiology is initially altered to give him hooves instead of feet, spiney projectiles at his fists, and toxic organs, giving him the ability to breath noxious gas.

- As with the traditional Doom, Victor Van Damme eventually comes into possession of various magics through exploration into Atlantis, and also plunders advanced technologies, adding to his own considerable arsenal of invention.

The Math: Dr. Doom (Average) Fantastic Four (Total) The Pick: Fantastic Four

What went down...
Having crash landed in Latveria and already faced Van Damme's wrath, Reed Richards stands alone amidst the rubble of Latverian squabble.

Doom, arrogantly assuming Richards to be powerless, lordes his mutation as a gift from the cosmos that recognised his destiny for greatness. Richards heckles Van Damme's notions of a warrior's upbringing, referring to his monarch father's disdain. The quip finds a soft spot on the armored Doom, who charges at the young Richards with a berzerker snarl.

Mr. Fantastic reveals himself to his deranged rival, entangling him in the elasticated contortion of his rubber body.

Wrapped around Doom like a viper, Richards snags one of his goat-like legs and hurls him across the battlefield.

Doom screeches to a halt as his metallic body leaves a path of sparks along the stone of the Latverian cobble street. He lets loose a familiar growl of his rival's surname, bitterly denying demands for the faulty input that changed them each.

Continuing to flaunt his inflated ego, Doom verbally spits in Mr. Fantastic's face, declaring himself something magnificent, while Richards is but a rubber-bodied freak.

A focused burst of flame rains down upon the defiant Doom, heading his metallic body to smouldering. Richards orders his fellow, the Human Torch, to keep his super-heated assault to a minimum.

The Invisible Woman looks to get a little bit for herself aswell, encasing Doom's head in an invisible force field as reprieve for his previous death-breath indescretions.

Doom brings his taloned fingers to the field, clawing desperately enough to send a reverberation back to Invisible Woman herself. Struggling under the strain, she calls upon the aid of the strongman of the Fantastic Four -- the Thing!

A hapless victim in the transformation process, it is Thing who perhaps has the most malice to bare against Doom, trapped in an unfeeling body of stone and rock.

Coming to Susan's aid, Thing snatches Doom in the palm of his giant rocky hand, and brings him crashing down with force, smooshed into the ground.

"I only met you like twice. And I hate you already."

Just then an alarm triggered by electromagnetic activity sounds on Mr. Fantastic's wrist gauntlet.

Set-up to detect wireless control of robots, Richards quickly realises the threat is much less disposable.

Rising from his crater in the street, Doom again professes his power as a king, revealing his 'loyal' subjects, each equipped with a nano-tech tattoo of a dragon on their necks, that bites deep to take control of them.

Doom rises to an endless echo of approval. Like a herd of zombies, the Latverian people all gladly pledge their love for Victor Van Damme, willing to kill the Fantastic Four for defying him.

Surrounded by innocent pawns in Doom's game, the Fantastic Four struggle to combat the rampaging hordes without causing them harm. Richards, knowledgable in Van Damme's techniques, asks his team to buy time to negate the mind-controlling influences of Doctor Doom's technology.

The Thing barrels his way through the crowd, while Human Torch offers threats of flame. New to his powers, and perhaps underestimating of the crowd's mindless bloodlust, the Torch ignites some of the citizens by accident.

The Invisible Woman throws up a forcefield to protect the beseiged team, while Richards works on a solution to the problem. The strain eventually proves too great for the youngster and her new powers, the attacking mob pushing her to unconsciousness.

With Dr. Doom violently reciting the chain of Latverian royalty, the Fantastic Four find themselves overcome by the controlled mobs until -- shots fire from the sky and the sound of choppers washes over the small Latverian square.

The US military fires without the concern of the heroic FF, killing the controlled, much to Doom's distain. Troops emerge from the copters revealing orders to bring Van Damme into custody, but before the situation can escalate, Danish tanks roll into the square, ordering the US to pull out of their witch hunt.

Believing he has had the last laugh, Doom is shocked when he belt explodes, signifying the success of Richards' intentions to end his radio control over the human shield of Latverian peasants. Finding solace in the control of the data that could reverse the FF's mutations, Doom provokes a final assault.

Spotting one of Doom's own spikey projectiles in the sand, Richards snatches it up and whips his elastic arm to Doom. The metal of Doom's own make-up proves capable of slicing his face in a way that prevents it immediately healing.

Doom is left alone with his curse, defeated but free to fight another day.

The hammer... With a little help from the murderous US military, the Fantastic Four walk away with the win on points, if not decisive result!

As with any capialist business venture, you're always going to have much better odds of introducing new elements of change to a system if you've got some previous success. The contemporary comics industry couldn't be truer, with submissions at the major two comics companies all but shut off. In that respect, the Image concept closed one door while opening another.

Those not familiar with the second Ultimate Fantastic Four storyarc might recognise the team of Warren Ellis and Stuart Immonen from their geek-chic revamp maxi-series that followed; Nextwave: Agents of HATE.

Even big name writers and artists have roadblocks like editorial and marketing to contend with, and given the departure of Nextwave, I'd like to hazard a guess that UFF comes out of Ellis and Immonen earning a little bit of credibility (and cash) at Marvel Comics, because it certainly reads like that.

When you talk about the contemporary sci-fi setting of UFF and put Warren Ellis' name next to it, the imagination can go wild. One starts to imagine all manner of tech-savvy science fiction, and far-out distortions of what's become expected in a Fantastic Four comic. Alas; this portion of Ellis' Ultimate work tends to read much more like a mean-spirited Adventures title, putting very little into the single issue in favour of a very light superhero read. Immonen's pencils, fantastic as they are, add to this quality that far better serves a stylistic, tongue-in-cheek superhero romp like Nextwave, than what you'd expect from FF.

Not that Ellis and Immonen didn't have some obstacles working against them.

The Ultimate revamp saw to distance itself admirably from the original Four, but at the cost of many of the things considered great about the Fantastic Four.

Included in the origin to the point of being responsible for their creation, the goat-legged transformed Dr. Doom bares only superficial resemblance to what many regard as the greatest villain in comics history. His visage aside, this Doom possesses much less of the redeeming qualities of the familiar character, making him a much simpler, overtly evil opponent.

Likewise, as Dr. Doom loses a degree of pathos, so too do the Fantastic Four.

Doom's intervention in the experiment that resulted in their creation strips Reed Richards of the responsibility that made him the target of Ben Grimm's aggressions many times through history. Depression over his condition remains in the Grimm character, but without the justified internal conflict of both he, and his dear friend Richards, who constantly fails to turn his super science to reversing the effects of the cosmic radiation.

Likely due to the chagrin of many fans, Doom has since taken on a much more familiar appearance, and Mark Millar's return to the title included a story dedicated to preventing the accident to save Ben Grimm mental anguish, delivered without concern for the stripped weight of the story's drama in this world.

Which brings us to a much needed positive. It certainly isn't all bad!

Though not quite as mature and considered as Ultimate X-Men and The Ultimates, UFF found a solid run with Millar's solo return. A steady contrast to his creating collaboration with Brian "Convert for the gags*" Bendis, who wrote trademark meandering scripts based on Millar's conceptuals.

Millar not only redefined the UFF on terms more familiar to what made the original so legendary, but he also managed to expand on the mythos of the Ultimate Skrulls, and left an undying legacy of the Marvel Zombies. Granted, that last part might actually be a negative, given the nauseating over exposure of the Marvel Zombies brand since expanding out of the UFF storyarc. Look for a slew of irrelevant zombie variant covers on major Marvel titles through October. Oh, to turn against hallowe'en.

That's probably all the hating we have time for today, but join us next week as we continue a full month of DOOM in the name of the Marvel Ultimate Alliance Mondays initiative. We promise not to excede the agreed designation of this theme, which will last only for the duration of October.

The Fight: 5 The Issue: 4.5

[Adding to the absurdly named Victor Van Damme's backstory, Ellis includes direct lineage from Vlad Tepes, the Wallachian king known for his love of impaling. Tepes is widely regarded as the inspiration for Bram Stoker's famous literary account of the vampire, Count Dracula.]

GUILE versus RYU
The King of the Air Force: An Explosion of Menacing Military Combat (Group TAC/Capcom/Manga)
Where: Street Fighter II V Ep. 2 When: April 1995
Why: Gisaburō Sugii How: Kōji Tsujitani/Skip Stellrecht & Tesshō Genda/Kirk Thornton

The story so far...
When billionaire heir Ken Masters contacts his martial arts training partner, Ryu, by letter, Ryu makes the long trek from Japan to San Francisco to reunite with his friend.

Brought together again, the two are impressed with the development of their martial arts skills, and challenge each other as they propel themselves into mischief with the help of their tour guide, Chun-Li.

To spark their quest to develop their martial arts, an encounter with US Air Force thugs in a bar called Mt. Fuji. Though the skillful Ken and Ryu are able to defeat the thugs with ease, their commanding officer Guile may prove more sport.

Previous Form:
Guile (#107): Defeated Shadaloo thug, Birdie, in an issue of the UDON comic.
Ryu (#118): Victory over Balrog, with ties with Ken Masters, and a loss to Sagat.

Tale of the tape...
Strength: Guile 3 (Athlete)
Intelligence: Guile 4 (Tactician)
Speed: Ryu 3 (Athlete)
Stamina: Guile 5 (Marathon Man)
Agility: Draw 3 (Acrobat)
Fighting Ability: Ryu 5 (Martial Artist)
Energy Powers: Draw 3 (Explosives)


- Guile is a US Air Force Major versed in various hand-to-hand combat skills not typically associated with any traditional martial arts. His skills and determination as a special forces trainer have earned him the attentions of Interpol.

- Along with his impressive special forces fighting techniques, Guile is also able to harness his ki for trademark energy attacks including the sonic boom, and the flash somersault kick. These give him an impressive scope which compliments his strong grappling/striking technique.

- The Japanese nomadic martial artist Ryu is on the path to mastering a dangerous and nameless ansatsuken karate style of fighting, previously mastered by the brothers Akuma, and Gouken. It has been erroneously identified as a shotokan karate style.

- Ryu's style promotes mastery over one's ki, focused in the form of his powerful hadou ken ki blast, and sho-ryu ken uppercut. When the killing techniques of this unnamed style are mastered, a fighter's hadou ki can become corrupted by an immensly powerful dark version of the hadou.

- Ryu's style incorporates many basic striking punches and kicks, all of which make him a well rounded conventional martial artist.

The Math: Guile The Pick: Ryu

What went down...
Having disposed of the military thugs that menaced them, Ryu and Ken find themselves face to face with their Sergeant - the brush-haired, Guile!

Guile taunts the much younger Ryu with talk of study, prompting Ryu to continue the assault against the senior soldier with a grab of his jacket. Ryu swings through, finding Guile has nimbly slipt out of his coat, leaving Ryu holding it.

Guile takes a ready stance, and provokes Ryu into an all-out attack.
Showing considerable speed for his frame, Guile ducks and weaves around a barrage of punches and kicks, leaving Ryu nothing but air and drywall.

Ryu looks for a flying kick, but again Guile proves too quick, slipping sideways to put a table of drinks in the young Japanese fighter's path.

As Ken, the bartender and the other Air Force punks watch-on, Ryu finds himself tiring after both the fight with Guile's fellow soldiers, and his recent attacks.
Guile taunts Ryu, prompting another wreckless charge that gives Guile the momentum to swiftly bury his fist into Ryu's stomach.

Time freezes at the moment of impact as the wind is sucked from Ryu's gut.
The Sergeant orders Ryu to leave the bar and never return, sending him flying through the air with a devestating backhanded fist.

Ryu comes to a crash landing on another drinks table, sending some female on-lookers fleeing. Guile, assuming the battle is won, attends to his beaten buddies, only to find Ryu again taking a ready stance in the middle of the bar.

Ryu, sweating and beaten, defiantly refuses to concede defeat.
The two fighters charge at each other, Guile proving to be the fresher of the two as he punches Ryu's fist aside, ducks a kick, and follows with a barrage of unforgiving military trained fists.

Taking decisive control of the fight over his tiring opponent, Guile grabs Ryu by the shirt and tosses him over the bar into the shelves of drinks.

The move does surprisingly little, with Ryu reemerging almost instantly from behind the bar to make use of the opened space. He leaps out, flying at Guile with another airborne kick.

Guile manages to block the impressive move, using Ryu's follow-up kick to take the battle close quarters with a grapple that turns Ryu onto his stomach. Maintaining control of the youngster's leg, he tosses him at the wall, but Ryu shows tremendous control, turning his fall into a rolling offensive.

Ryu again springs from the roll, launching once more into a wave of kicks that are blocked by the bulky American. Guile again calls upon his grappling skills, snatching a punch to wrap the arm behind Ryu's back.

With his grip tightening Guile warns Ryu to cease his attack, or he'll be forced to crush his shoulder. Ryu throws his feet up, pushing off the bar to defiantly throw himself backwards, putting Guile between his fall and the hard floor.

Ryu, bleeding from the head and mouth, is reduced to a charging tackle that pushes Guile's spine into the edge of the bar. Enraged enough not to remain shaken, the Sergeant unleashes his full fury with a throng of rips that hit hard at Ryu's already punished mid-section.

Guile beats at Ryu's face relentlessly, putting the exclamation point on the battle with a trademarked somersault kick that sends Ryu high into the air for a harsh descent.

With Ryu down for the count, Guile challenges Ken, who has remained at the bar throughout the fight. Ryu's American buddy fires his own moral code at Guile, who was not present to see his fellow Air Force buddies attempt to gang-fight the two younger tourists.

To the shock of all present, a swollen and bloodied Ryu again staggers to his feet, once again taking a ready stance. Guile acknowledges his determination, walking past the clearly beaten fighter, leading his men out of the Mt. Fuji bar.
The Japanese fighter collapses the moment they leave.

The hammer...
After a hard-fought and brutal bar room brawl, our winner and still undefeat street fighter: Guile!

Much like elements Masaomi Kanzaki's work [ie; Street Fighter II #1], SFIIV takes the familiar characters and motiffs, and recasts them in a different light. This series presents our shoto protagonists as righteous martial artists coming into their twenties, freely characterizing them as brash and occasionally even hot-headed, as is perhaps the case with the battle against Guile here.

On the basis of the first episode, Ken and Ryu were probably within their right, but even acting on the assumption that Guile would join his packrat buddies, they were given ample opportunities to reassess the situation through the fight.
Guile proves to be a harsh but fair taskmaster, challenging the fighters in a way that will continue to be referenced throughout the series, and in many ways is the crucial catalyst for their adventures across the globe.

The uninitiated would come into this episode assuming the brash attitudes of Ryu and Ken, that ultimately repositions them as the antagonists in their fight with Guile, probably assuming that this is just down to a choice in characterization. What's interesting to note, as the series progresses, is that this very fierce, and unruly nature for fighters, is ultimately brought into question by the yoga-master Dhalsim. They are forced to reflect on events just like this one, and reevaluate their methods, in ways that allude to the dangers of the dark hadou, without ever approaching that thematic material.

Street Fighter II V is one of those series regarded by many with some reservation, but for me it probably hit at the perfect time. Through the mid-to-late nineties I made a conceited acquaintance with the vaguely familiar realm of animé, and as a life-long Street Fighter fan, found a great accompaniment to other series that would foster that interest.

SFIIV deviates from the source material in a lot of interesting ways, which make such discrepencies quite forgivable. The violence takes on a new tone as the characters are thrust into a fictional world of organized crime that permeates beyond the cartoon villainy of Bison's Shadaloo, and branches into the corruption of modern society.

Ryu and Ken are forced to contend with knife-wielding gangsters, murderous underground fight clubbers, drug planting frame-ups, prison life, and organized corruption in sport and cinema. All things that build on the existing themes of the military and law enforcement from the games, with characters like Guile (US Air Force) and Chun-Li (Interpol), and the espionage and world crime of Shadaloo's agents.

As we continue our look at Street Fighter, this series will inevitably become a stalwart of the weekends, with many more feature characters still to come.

I had a bizarre online confrontation with a testy, over sensitive, would-be reviewer recently; so more than ever I just want to wrap-up with some of the positives of the comics industry, which can sometimes be overshadowed.
Lord knows, like German tourism, the confused and maladjusted are everywhere!

- Pedro Cruz has begun a new on-going web strip called Cosmopolis that will unfold on a regular basis. Pedro provided pencils, inks and letters for the first issue of The Kirby Martin Inquest, which is on sale online right now!

- A few days ago KJ shared her adventures through Wonder Woman land, and if you've been reading the on-going discussion of the justice scale on the Infinite Wars, you might even like to check out the comments where she's been engaging me in some lively discussion. Very interesting stuff!

- It happened last week when Bully stepped up to the Bahlactus FNF, and lord knows it happened again. In a post truly worthy of the Infinite Wars, see the Invisible Woman take on Crystal! If he keeps that up, I might have to send my chronies around to beat stuffing outta him fer showin' me up!

A couple of overdue thanks too to some of the bloggers out there who are helping spread warbonds for the Secret Earth. Big shout out to Comics Make No Sense, The Sock Drawer, and all the people showing up in the menu.

The Fight: 6 The Episode: 6

[Street Fighter II V is a series that I'm often told went under people's radar, and from what I've heard, it's now being re-run on the Sci-Fi channel for any Americans out there. It's also available on DVD in a twenty-nine episode set, that I am more than pleased to finally own, having never bought the VHS...]

HULK versus SPIDER-MAN
Spider-man vs Hulk at the Winter Olympics - Chapter Four: The Contest of Champions
(Marvel comics)
Where: Marvel Treasury Edition #25 When: 1980
Why: Bill Mantlo, Mark Gruenwald & Steven Grant How: Herb Trimpe

The story so far...
The Thirteenth Winter Olympics have come to Lake Placid, New York, and it's not just the Russians who will antagonise the American hopefuls of ice hockey, figure skating, and bobsleigh. Lurking underground are the competitive aspirations of rival subterranean rulers -- the Moleman and Queen Kala!

In an effort to expand their underworld armies, Moleman and Kala each recruit champions from the surface world, both Olympian and superhero, against their will. It's at this time that Peter Parker, covering events for the Daily Bugle, is forced to spring into action as his alter-ego, the spectacular Spider-man!

As armies of Lavamen and Moloids clash underground; the Outcasts, kidnapped Olympians, Spider-man, and Hulk, are pitted against each other in a contest of champions. The stakes are high, as the battle for the underground threatens to destroy the surface as the battle erupts to rise Lake Placid into the air!

Previous Form:
Hulk (#7): Major victories over Thor, the Avengers & Daredevil.
Spider-man (#1): Victories over powerhouses like; Lizard, Rhino, Grey Gargoyle, Sandman & Scorpion.

Tale of the tape...
Strength: Hulk 6 (Invincible)
Intelligence: Spider-man 5 (Professor)
Speed: Spider-man 4 (Olympian)
Stamina: Hulk 6 (Generator)
Agility: Spider-man 5 (Cat-like)
Fighting Ability: Hulk 6 (Warrior)
Energy Powers: Spider-man 2 (Projectiles)


- Exposure to heavy doses of gamma radiation embued Bruce Banner with hidden wells of super human strength which, when enraged, boil forth to give way to the incredible Hulk.

- Hulk's strength is often seen to fluctuate in correlation with his anger and stress levels. This has served to make him one of the most powerful physical fighters in the Marvel universe.

- Spider-man possesses the enhanced strength, speed, and agility of a spider. Adding to his arsenal, a precognitive spider-sense that warns him of pending danger, and self-made webshooters, which have since been replaced by a mutation reminiscent of scenes from the Spider-man feature films.

What went down...
Having agreed to represent Moleman in his battle against Kala's forces, Spidey steps up to the armored visage of a gladiatoral Hulk, while the Outcasts square up against the forces of the kidnapped Olympic athletes.

Hulk, suffering the effects of being drugged by Kala, lumbers quickly into battle with wild punches. Spidey's agility gives him the edge to stay out of reach, while he playfully mocks Hulk's choice in wardrobe.

In a show of strength Hulk flexes his muscles, bursting out of the "stupid" armor fashioned for him by Queen Kala. The decision frees his movement, allowing the Hulk to better match the speeds of his opponent. He charges Spidey, snatching him off the ground before he can leap away.

Through the fog of the drugs fed to him, Hulk opts for death by throwing, hoping to toss Spidey to his demise. Instead, Spider-man is able to use his web-shooters to snag a line on a nearby ski-lift track, swinging around the surrounding carnage to come back to Hulk.

Hoping to use the momentum of his swing, Spidey lands on the ice, careening directly toward the waiting jade giant. His decision becomes less confident as he closes the gap, and while he cannot stop on the ice, Hulk grows tired of his slowed speed and shatters the frozen lake with a quake making punch.

Spidey momentarily leaps clear of the focused rift as it tears through the action of the surrounding skirmishes. The aftershock tosses Spider-man into the air anyway, flipping away from the Hulk's path of destruction, for the moment.

Spider-man again seeks the aid of the chair lift, using it to navigate a speedy path up the mountain, which catches the attention of the Hulk. Spidey remains ahead as the Hulk leaps his way up, falling into Spider-man's trap.

Using his patent-pending web-fluid to fashion a pair of snow skis, Spider-man again seeks the aid of momentum in toppling the incredible Hulk. He charges down the mountain directly for his drug-addled foe, hoping the velocity will give his spider-enhanced strength the edge it needs.

Hulk boastfully stands his ground, awaiting the Spider-man's collision with his massive green frame.

Spider-man leans forward for a final boost of speed, only to plow directly into the immovable Hulk, much as the verbally challenged monster had expected. Spidey once more finds himself in the vice-like grip of the Hulk.

In a twist, Hulk expresses remorse, explaining Queen Kala's order to kill Spider-man as a plan not his own.
Despite his regret, the Hulk holds Spider-man in the air, pressing down on his chest with a mighty grip.

Spider-man manages to use the situation to position his legs between he and the bulky chest of the gamma irradiated Hulk. Resisting the crushing strength of the green goliath, Spider-man manages to spring himself free, pushing off.

Spidey's efforts not only free him from the deadly grip of the Hulk, but also put the jade giant off-balance at the edge of a snow covered mountain. Perhaps influenced by the effects of Kala's drugs, the dim-witted Hulk realises his predicament too late, tumbling backward over the mountain.

His descent gathers more snow, resulting in the formation of a crunchy-centered Hulk snowball. With the New York crowd watching on, the Hulk tumbles down to collide with the audience box in which Kala and the Mole man are seated.

The move shatters the glass dome that protects Kala from the aging effects of the surface atmosphere. Her youth a fading memory, Kala finds herself at the mercy of Mole man, with her own lava men recoiling at her sight. As her powers begin to fade, so too do the controlling effects that held the Hulk in her service.

Freed, the Hulk finds himself confused about his predicament.

Spider-man notes the pedastal constructs used by Mole man to seperate Lake Placid from the rest of the Earth. Hulk, wanting but to be left alone, is content to rise to the occasion. He pounds the ground with unbridled rage, expressing distain for the chatter of the red and blue Spider-man.

Hulk's mighty strength proves enough to shake the techno-constructs that lifted the Olympic grounds.

With the ground restored to a level state, and the threat of the warring subterranean monarchs subsided, Hulk opts to leave the Olympians and Spider-man to their own devices. Content in the fact that he has once again proven himself the strongest one there is.

The hammer...
As much as Spidey managed to get Hulk on the back foot, I think in terms of their one-on-one battle, we've got to call this one a draw!

If you're reading this particular entry it may be courtesy of the links provided by Bahlactus, as part of the Friday Night Fights initiative. FNFs is bringing the blogosphere together with fight styled antics and re-lettered panels with droll phrasings. If it helps you, feel free to imagine any of the above Hulk panels with Electric Six lyrics replacing the dialogue. Don't you want to know how we keep starting fires?

If the topical atmosphere of the 1980 Winter Olympics somehow escaped you, you may need to be told that this is, of course, a special back issue review from the vault, highlighting one of Marvel's long-running Treasury Editions.

I'm reminded new readers [like Jade] might not have the benefit of knowing that Treasury Editions were over-sized annuals published through the seventies into the early eighties. Our standard cover image has been resized, deceiving you to the actual proportions, which are much squarer, along the lines of a newspaper.
They often featured reprinted material, which maybe makes this one slightly unique for being an original story. It preceded the infamous 1981 Edition, which featured a Superman/Spider-man crossover. Alas, I do not own that.

This comic by it's very nature is a little bit silly. It takes the tried-and-true KLF method of making a pop record, latching on to something as dating as the Winter Olympics of the year. With a twist of Superpro, the Olympians featured in the story get a healthy injection of super into the skills represented by their respective sports, allowing them to do combat with disfigured foes like the Outcasts.

For me, while this isn't a particularly intelligent comic, it holds many fond memories. I had to borrow my cover scan from a google image search, because my version wears the battle scars of twenty-seven years of love. If I recall correctly, this was a bargain bin Christmas gift from a comic store I did not frequent as a child. It was one of those hole-in-the-wall stores around one of the less desirable parts of town, stumbled upon one day inadvertently.

Like last feature's Deadpool/Taskmaster romp, this is just a fantastic example of superhero comics as cause and effect. It's sixty-four pages of contrived action, pitting two of the Marvel media giants of the decade against each other, with the thinnest plot available. One that even manages to stumble over itself as moments transition over each other, and Spidey manages to slide ten metres on ice, over the course of five pages.

I couldn't in good conscience pick this up today and give it a good review. It just isn't how contemporary comics should be delivered, but that basis is built purely on the context of the times. This comic book, for me, represents history.
It represents what events from the early 1900's equal to our contemporary society. Let the record show that once upon a time in history, Mole Man and Kala duked it out for supremacy over the underground, as they had before. Let it be considered that this defeat was but a contributing factor to Kala's appearance irrelevance in today's comics, and let it be assumed she is out there somewhere, or has suffered a fate befitting of a character who cheated old age so often.

I have a special affection for these characters. A decade later they [the Outcasts, Queen Kala] would appear in an Iron Man annual that would again inspire the awe of superhero comics, and dredge up those fond memories of lifting the giant-sized pages of this very Treasury Edition.

Alan Moore speaks of Watchmen as a project that was dedicated to doing things traditional literature and film couldn't typically produce. If there's something I inflect on that quote, it's the time and effort dedicated to conjuring emotional response from these characters. The in-built history and association we are able to form by their regular publication, and which colours the Watchmen due to their derivative inspiration as analogies for famous Charlton characters adopted by DC.
This isn't a great comic to be preserved for the ages.
This is a piece of the evolving history that may not mean much to Hulk or Spider-man fans, but finds it's significance in the evolution of the subterranea, and the life and times of the Mole Man. A moment a secondary villain character would very rarely benefit from in any other medium.

I've struggled a little over the past week or so to come to the Infinite Wars with an agenda, or a motivated discussion. Without the fuel of weekly comics to spark my interests, that might not change, but at the very least I can express today a sense of joy for what comics have meant to a literary movement. As the medium permeates through the existence of shows like Heroes and Lost, and the multitude of blockbuster movies coming out, I can see all that Marvel Treasury Edition #25 can mean. This is comics!

And hey, if you'd like to help inspire me, why not jump on board as a sponsor?
Yes sir, that's an empassioned segue! What better way for online retailers to promote their services than by buying themselves promotional space on the Infinite Wars, by providing weekly review materials?

Not a sponsor, but keen to get in on the action? If stamps and bonds aren't really your thing, why not hit-up the PayPal donation button, or head over to Nite Lite Theatre where you can pick up the first issue of The Kirby Martin Inquest!

Hey, don't look at me like that. I've got structure and pseudo-intellectual discussion to fund! Sometimes a guy needs incentive to stay up all hours of the night talking about lava men!

The Fight: 4.5 The Issue: 4
[Hulk's armor bares a vague resemblance to the armor warn during Planet Hulk, adding a humorous spin to the panel where he breaks free of his armor, exclaiming, "Hulk will... Get rid... Of stupid armor!" Hulk is currently locked in mortal combat with the Marvel Universe as part of the World War Hulk crossover.]

DEADPOOL versus TASKMASTER
Operation: Rescue Weasel That Wacky Doctor's Game! (Marvel comics)
Where: Deadpool #2 When: February 1997
Why: Joe Kelly How: Ed McGuinness

The story so far...
It's a romantic rainy night at the avier Institute for Higher Learning, where Siryn is one of the many extraordinary homo-superior students who sleep peacefully in the bed.

Having enjoyed the previous night of hanging upside down from a tree outside Siryn's window; Deadpool heads out to visit his buddy and partner in crime, Weasel, only to discover a disturbing absence!

Following Weasel's tracking beacon, Deadpool goes on a romp to Nevada where he runs afoul a secret super-villain ninja training facility run by the notorious Taskmaster! Lucky for Deadpool, this is his book, so he can run head-long into a fortress-like school without a care in the world... Right?... Right?...

Previous Form:
Deadpool (#37): Notable victories over the Hulk and Taskmaster.
Taskmaster (#384): Suffered defeat at the hands of Moon Knight and Deadpool.

Tale of the tape...
Strength: Draw 3 (Athlete)
Intelligence: Taskmaster 4 (Tactician)
Speed: Deadpool 3 (Athlete)
Stamina: Deadpool 5 (Marathon Man)
Agility: Deadpool 4 (Gymnast)
Fighting Ability: Taskmaster 7 (Born Fighter)
Energy Powers: Deadpool 4 (Arsenal)


- Taskmaster's "photographic reflexes" give him the inhuman ability to appropriately execute any fighting move or style he is able to observe and study.

- On the basis of his clashes with the Avengers, Taskmaster carries an arsenal of weapons familiar to Earth's mightiest heroes. A shield, sword, and arrows pertain to Captain America, Black Knight and Hawkeye, and do well to compliment his expert hand-to-hand fighting skills.

- So respected are Taskmaster's skills that he has regularly been sought out as a trainer by hero and villains alike. Among his most noted pupils; Crossbones, Spider-Woman, and a man he trained for the US Military to become a replacement for Captain America, the eventual Avenger, John Walker.

- As a graduate of the mysterious Weapon X project, Deadpool possesses a synthesized healing factor modelled on seminal Weapon X subject, Wolverine.

- Though typically assessed as mentally unstable and homicidal, Deadpool has a keen intellect for combat. His regular witicisms and obnoxious pop culture references are all key to his combative style, which regularly frustrates or distracts opponents.

- Deadpool is versed in a variety of weapons and hand-to-hand fighting methods, and comes fully equipped with explosives, guns, swords, holographic projectors, teleportation devices, and kung-fu grip.

The Math: Draw The Pick: Taskmaster

What went down...
Returning from the black haze of unconsciousness, Deadpool awakes shackled in a tiny windowed apartment with a distinctly dungeonesque design motiff.
Oblivious to the negative chi-flow of the barred windows' feng shui, Deadpool makes the grim discovery that his bestest bud is actually considering voluntary servitude to the better tempered Taskmaster.

Unwilling to leave Weasel's loyalties to the test, he takes the decision away, placing Deadpool into one of his Ninja School display sessions to illustrate various counter-fighting styles, as a constructive means of killing him.

Freed of his shackles, 'Pool goes straight to work, opening with a headbutt/mule kick combo that does away with Taskmaster's ninja lackeys.
Taskmaster maintains a running commentary of Deadpool's frivilous fighting antics, while deconstructing them for the viewing class.

TM throws a relaxed kick as a means of highlighting Deadpool's evasive maneuvers. Much to the merc with a mouth's frustration, Taskmaster easily works around his defensives, highlighting a tendency to dodge left, whilst delivering a stiff palm to the base of DP's skull.

Looking to expand the session, Taskmaster returns to Deadpool his sword.
Summoning the skills absorbed from the Black Knight, Taskmaster further engages Deadpool with an irritating air of superiority. He remains clinical in his analysis, commenting upon Deadpool's banter, without being effected by it.

Showing incredible control, Taskmaster strikes back at Deadpool's witicisms with masterful swordery, slicing away one of his fingers with the tip of his broadsword.

Deadpool simmers with rage, but is ripped out of an otherwise predictable onrush by Taskmaster's persistent arrogance. Calling upon his fantastic skill for insanity, Deadpool abandons his more predictable array of moves, instead breaking into a contrary display of contemporary dance. Macarenas were mentioned.

Baffled and disarmed by the sudden harsh change in practise, Taskmaster is left wide open to Deadpool's unorthodox fearless foolishness.

Prancing around like an idiot, Deadpool sends Taskmaster's obsessive compulsive analysis into overload, recalling, "... the "dancing on the ceiling" style of kung fu taught by sensei Lioenel Ritchie..."

Calling upon every ounce of his anti-hero extreme prowess, Deadpool closes in for the finishing blow, throwing his strength into a conventional left that fells the thoroughly disarmed ninja school master.

As the final insult, Deadpool makes snide reference to Taskmaster's wardrobe, "open a copy of vogue for pete's sake..." Some would say this was the greatest insult of all, but then, those people probably fight with floppy wrists and open palms, and have never tasted the smothering pain sauce of a punctured lung.

The hammer...
He won the fight, he won Weasel, but most importantly, he won our hearts. He's the merc with a mouth, Deadpool!

Now comes the inevitable invite to ABC's Dancing with the Stars, with the Joey Fatone incentive that is sure to win legendary chubby-chaser Deadpool over. Legs may be humped.

The Deadpool/Taskmaster relationship has become one of those legendary equations in comics, and it's just thoroughly absurd to think it's an association that was defined a decade ago, by the team of Joe Kelly and then relative head-lining new-comer, Ed McGuinness.

Things have been a little slow around the Infinite Wars the past few weeks, and pining for new comics has perhaps distracted from the "classic" brand of discussion we've been bringing in the busy months. What finally got me over the hump was getting around to seperating Deadpool from his alternate universe counterpart, Swordsman, by way of a special little rule we like to call the superboy-prime directive. One of these days I'll get around to elaborating...

It seemed like an appropriate to revisit the unusually overlooked Deadpool, and one might say this seminal issue was a long time coming. Particularly as we'd done things a little backward, by going first with the then-released issue of Deadpool's current starring vehicle, which featured a solid rematch. [Cable & Deadpool #36]

What can you say about Deadpool that hasn't already been said?
He's overcome humble beginnings as a Rob Liefeld creation to become intentionally funny, exibiting a fourth-wall breaking insanity that may make him one of the most cosmically aware characters in the Marvel Universe!

I think from a characterization perspective, there's a tendency for Deadpool to dangerously straddle the realm of obnoxiousness, but one inevitably looks back upon Joe Kelly's redefining run on the character with rose coloured glasses. Or, in our wildest fantasies, with Rose McGowan strapped to our heads. What? Don't look at me like you weren't thinking it too...

We'll probably follow this up sometime in the near future with a look at one of the infamous Great Lakes/Deadpool interactions which have built on the original encounter fostered by Kelly. It's perhaps on the strength of that history alone that it becomes impossible to deny Kelly's mark on the modern comics scene.

There have been a lot of fan-favourite moments in Deadpool's history, including an oft-referred to run with Gail Simone and the Agent X character, but I don't think I'll ever get past these first issues. These early scripts just have such a brilliant balance to them between comedy and superhero antics, carrying through lines like the comedic romantic angle with Siryn, and the manic relationship tendered with Blind Al. Likewise, the character has ever looked as good as he has under the bold pencils of superstar cartoonist, Ed McGuinness.

If you haven't already, you've got to go back to [Deadpool #4] where you get but a single panel glimpse of Ed McGuinness' superb treatment of the Hulk.

There's no grand point to be made in this review.
There's no specific grandious significance to these issues, nor any ground breaking characterization I can try to spin creative insights off. This is the brilliant fun of superhero comics, boiled down to the pure essence of cause and effect. It's a done-in-one story, it's a whole lotta action, and it's gags aplenty.

I wish I had something brilliant to tell you, but this post possesses a similar conceptual simplicity. Consider it a valuable history lesson to all the newbies out there, who've been bumping, humping, and lady lumping on the Deadpool bandwagon without ever witnessing the second beginning.

... Actually, that's probably the third beginning, because you'd probably count the first appearances seperate to the mini-series... Yeah...

The Fight: 4.5 The Issue: 5
[Deadpool remains a cult mainstay of Marvel's less prominent titles, with a dedicated fanbase that saved the character from cancellation many times, and a flair unique enough to attract the interests of Hollywood. If it were up to this writer, the Deadpool movie would start with a white room credits intro, and more fourth-wall breaking discussion than you could poke a stick at!]

MONTHLY PUNCH-UP #22 (October 2007)
THOR versus DR. DOOM
"Fourth & Goal" (Marvel)
Where: Heroes Reborn: The Return #4 When: December 1997 Why: Peter David How: Salvador Larroca

Quick Fix...
In August we spent a lot of time talking about the mid-nineties crossover spectacular, Heroes Reborn, and here we bridge the gap from the end of that closed-off reboot project, to Heroes Return, which is exactly what it suggests.

After spending a full year under the watch of guys like Jim Lee, Whilce Portacio, and an ever ill-fated Rob Liefeld; the characters leave behind their Ultimate styled reinventions to come back to a clean restart in the Marvel Universe proper. Good news for all concerned.
Especially Iron Man, who was relieved of some silly business revolving around a literal regression into his teenage years, as opposed to the childish bitch-fit he's throwing across the current Marvel Universe. Morning, Vicar!

If you want to know more of the backstory involved, you can probably follow the Heroes Reborn tag and read through some of the hammer conclusions of those posts. The quick summary is that the heroes battled Onslaught, it all hit the fan, Franklin Richards used his super-duper cosmic powers [see; X-Men Annual #14 for more Franklin power] to instinctively whisk the heroes into safety by creating a pocket universe, represented by a blue ball he fiercely guards.

Somewhere along the line the Celestials catch wind of the whole affair, and decide one of the two universes needs to go. Franklin and the gang win over the sympathis of one of the Celestials, who takes human form on Earth, and eventually the two universes collide in an effort to return the heroes to their home before the new universe is collapsed.

In order to successfully crossover to their universe, the heroes and villains that were sucked into the Heroes Reborn world must gather to cross into reality simultaneously, or risk damning everyone. Not such a problem when everyone gathers to utilize one of Dr. Doom's advanced ships to ferry through a break, but things go awry when the good Doctor decides to risk everyone when he kidnaps Franklin Richards with the intent to harness his imeasurable power.

With the boy in hand, Doom teleports out of the ship, into the gulf of space.
Despite the futility of his efforts, Reed Richards stretches out of the ship to reach desperately for his son. The rocket propelled Doom looks set to out maneuver any would-be attackers, but before he can fire a deadly blast from his gauntlet, Thor comes to the aid of Mr. Fantastic!

Iron Man and Thing desperately hold on to Mr. Fantastic, while Doom and Thor drift further from the vessel intended to be their salvation.

Spiteful, Doom risks much for an opportunity to rule his native world without opposition, opting to gamble his own life by drawing Thor into the outer space of the pocket universe, potentially damning all to eradication by the terms laid out by the Celestials.

Thor valiantly beckons his fellows to return inside to the safety of their ship, asking them to abandon him to ensure Doom have no further influence on their fate.

To the Latverian monarch's dismay, Thor manhandles him with godly strength, using his mystic hammer Mjolnir to summon a dimensional rift in the fabric of the pocket universe space-time, where he would intend to remove both he and Doom to the in-between of non-space.

The pair disappear into a vortex, leaving the heroes no choice but to press on. Confronted by a mirror of memories from the lives they forgot during their year in exile, the heroes blast their way toward home, shattering the pocket universe.

Though the heroes would not know it, the Celestial Ashema sacrifices her own consciousness to preserve the reality of Franklin's pocket world, and the lives that were inadvertantly created within it.

For the Avengers and the Fantastic Four, an overdue return to a world that has mourned them. Their return is an unceremonious one, seeing the heroes scattered as their travel disintergrates, and they are dispersed across reality.

Not a lot left to say, except that as we close our Marvel Ultimate Alliance Mondays features, we're going to have a complete month of DOOM!
Let this be the first of five fingers of Doom, delivered in a similar fashion to our evil doppelgangers in September. Next month's Punch-Up will feature a full rundown of the many posts connected to the villains from the video game.

The Fix: 3 The Issue: 4
Winner: Thor

The Top 5...
#1 Spider-man (-) (14) (Marvel)
Class: [Meta] Last Opponent: [Galactus]
Win Percentage: [71.43%] Features: [28]
Season 2006: [#2] Current Ranking: [#1]

We're officially entering the final quarter, and this is where the dash to beat Spidey is going to happen. As the league leader both for the year and in cumulative rankings, Spider-man seems an indomitable cultural icon, but with very little happening post-Spider-man 3, now may be the time for the inevitable decline.

Batman has a lot on the horizon, but whether or not three months are enough remains to be speculated. Despite his death, Captain America is now presenting a serious threat to the top spot, and with increased activity, it really is anyone's game at this point.

Upcoming creative changes to the Spider-franchise are worth lamenting, notably the streamlining of titles to three issues a month of Amazing. Nothing sounds particularly exciting, but it remains to be seen exactly how the big names involved will stamp their mark on the revamped series.

#2 Batman (-) (20) (DC)
Class: [Meta] Last Opponent: [Catwoman]
Win Percentage: [71.43%] Features: [21]
Season 2006: [#1] Current Ranking: [#2]

DC got a long overdue showing across September, giving Batman an inevitable boost as their leading icon. A defeat at the hands has damaged what was one of the most impressive win percentages on the site, bringing Batman now on a percentage par with Spider-man.

Making a late charge is Captain America to seriously threaten Batman's year long security in the top two. It was a late charge that positioned Spider-man for a strong year in 2007, and teased at stealing top spot in '06. If Cap mirrors, he'll almost certainly take number two before '08.

Nothing special comes to mind for Batman, but it's interesting to note a new series right up our alley! Gotham Underground debuts this month from DC comics, and looks set to initiate some of the concepts we've discussed in the past concerning the criminal underworld of the urban sprawl. Should be interesting for those with the money to purchase such luxury items.

#3 Captain America (RE) (4) (Marvel)
Class: [Meta] Last Opponent: [Galactus]
Win Percentage: [42.31%] Features: [26]
Season 2006: [#8] Current Ranking: [#3]

Like a dead artist, Captain America's stock continues to rise exponentially as his death is mourned by the Marvel Universe.
Success in the Infinite Wars has mirrored the critical acclaim of the series title he left behind, which has been carried on successfully despite the fact he no longer appears in it.

It sounds like a new Captain America may finally be named soon, which might just carry on the Steve Rogers nostalgia train. Rogers himself is also fixing for a return to the Marvel Universe with the Invaders/Avengers time travelling caper coming sometime in the near future from Kreuger and Ross.

In the 2006 September Top 5 count, it was Spider-man who made the shock entrance at the number-two spot as the beginning of a late charge. He didn't quite manage to usurp the top spot until early '07, but if history is anything to go by, it might be Cap's turn to threaten the leader as we head into the final quarter.

#4 Black Adam (-1) (5) (DC)
Class: [Super] Last Opponent: [Kobra]
Win Percentage: [100%] Features: [6]
Season 2006: [#n/a] Current Ranking: [#9]

He holds on for another month, enjoying success in another appearance courtesy of the new quick fix double features. Longevity in the Top 5 was always going to be Adam's problem, and with few entries in my meagre collection to go, it seems it may actually finally be the end of the dream run for 2007's MVP.

There's still a slew of recent entries out there including the final issues of 52, the World War III four-parter, the current Dark Ages mini-series, Countdown, and an apparent appearance in Dwayne McDuffie's new Injustice League. The only problem will actually be seeing that stuff. Sponsors, if you're listening...

It may be Superman who rises to claim Adam's spot as the second DC hope, after a recent string of entries in September. Likewise, characters like Catwoman and Green Arrow lurk as potential threats to a top five stay for Teth-Adam.

#5 Mr. Fantastic (RE) (3) (Marvel)
Class: [Champion] Last Opponent: [Ahab]
Win Percentage: [58.33%] Features: [12]
Season 2006: [#14] Current Ranking: [#8]

Perhaps the most unlikely entrant into the top five, despite being here before, way back at the very beginning. The success of the Fantastic Four has arguably been a long time coming, and with Mark Millar and Bryan Hitch coming up on the title, they'll remain in mind.

If things continue for the quartet, it's quite possible Reed Richards may be but a sign of things to come. Thing lurks close by at sixth spot, while Johnny Storm and Invisible Woman are no more than a couple of wins away themselves.

There's an argument that claims Reed Richards could be one of the greatest fighters in the Marvel Unvierse, if he were free of his inhibitions. We saw shades of that when he battled his doppelganger [Fantastic Four #366], and it may just be reinforced by his show here in the top 5.

Super Stock...
1. Spider-man (-) (M)
2. Batman (-) (DC)
3. Captain America (+3) (M)
4. Iron Man (-1) (M)
5. Wolverine (-1) (M)
6. Superman (+4) (DC)
7. Hulk (-2) (M)
8. Mr. Fantastic (-1) (M)
9. Black Adam (+2) (DC)
11. Thing (+4) (M)
13. Human Torch (-) (M)
14. Invisible Woman (-2) (M)
15. Beast (+3) (M)
17. Silver Surfer (+5) (M)
20. Catwoman (+79) (DC)
21. Storm (+16) (M)
24. Wasp (-4) (M)
26. Flash [Wally West] (+22) (DC)
27. Robin [Tim Drake] (+1) (DC)
28. Hawkman (+22) (DC)
31. Etrigan (+37) (DC)
42. Jean Grey (+56) (M)
45. Yellowjacket [Hank Pym] (-18) (M)
50. Iceman (-5) (M)
51. Cable (+58) (M)
52. Wonder Woman (+288) (DC)
53. Cyclops (-13) (M)
54. Ronin [Clint Barton] (+70) (M)
62. Gambit (+87) (M)
63. Dark Claw (+97) (DC/M)
68. Tabitha Stevens (+88) (M)
76. Atom Smasher (new) (DC)
89. Rainbow Mika (-7) (Capcom)
90. Sakura Kusanago (-7) (Capcom)
100. Cheetah (-7) (DC)
105. Vega (new) (Capcom)
106. Dhalsim (new) (Capcom)
108. Guile (new) (Capcom)
109. Despero (new) (DC)
110. Warlock (Tech) (new) (M)
111. Cannonball (new) (M)
112. Forge (new) (M)
113. Sunspot (new) (M)
114. Banshee (new) (M)
115. Ms. Marvel [Sharon Ventura] (new) (M)
116. Franklin Richards (new) (M)
117. Thunderhawk (new) (Capcom)
118. Fei Long (new) (Capcom)
119. Ryu (-13) (Capcom)
124. Galactus (+208) (M)
126. Deadshot (-60) (DC)
143. Sagat (-69) (Capcom)
144. Captain Cold (+180) (DC)
145. Aquaman (-78)
146. Captain Marvel (+188) (DC)
148. Scarlet Witch (-48) (M)
150. She-Hulk (-23) (M)
158. Ken Masters (new) (Capcom)
159. Darkseid (-19) (DC)
160. Black Canary (-25) (DC)
168. Phoenix [Rachel Summers] (-23) (M)
175. Brainwave (+26) (DC)
200. Arachne (-22) (M)
223. Dr. Druid (new) (M)
224. Chun-Li (new) (Capcom)
225. Puppet Master (new) (M)
226. Alfred Pennyworth (new) (DC)
227. Ron Troupe (new) (DC)
228. Green Lantern
[Kyle Rayner] (-26) (DC)
237. Martian Manhunter (new) (DC)
250. Hyena (-27) (DC)
252. Balrog (-27) (Capcom)
300. Echo (-27) (M)
301. Zangief (-26) (Capcom)
350. Sasquatch (-25) (M)
358. Macro-Man (new) (DC)
359. Ra's-A-Pocalypse (new) (DC/M)
362. Mongul (new) (DC)
364. Hammer (new) (DC)
368. Birdie (new) (Capcom)
370. Matter Master (new) (DC)
371. Kobra (new) (DC)
372. Ahab (new) (M)
373. Saviour (new) (DC)
374. Preus (new) (DC)
388. Dan Hibiki (-113) (Capcom)
389. Quicksilver (-52) (M)
390. Brick (-40) (DC)
391. Lizard (-40) (M)
392. Magneto (-40) (M)


#35 Green Arrow (DC)
Class: [Champion] Last Opponent: [Superman/Batman]
Win Percentage: [57.14%] Features: [7]
Season 2006: [#11] Current Ranking: [#16]

Once upon a time Green Arrow was a top five contender in the Infinite Wars, but with new additions slipping by the wayside in favour of nineties nostalgia, he just seemed to have lost relevance for us.

Nothing like a wedding to save a relationship!
Green Arrow and Black Canary have tied the knot, and it's the cliffhanger that everyone's been talking about! After attacking his new wife with a blade, Ollie finds himself with one of his own arrows buried in his throat. Way to spaz in the face of commitment, guy!

It might be a while before we see the turn around in the Infinite Wars, but the marriage of the Justice League sweethearts is without a doubt the most exciting new event over the past month. Brother Eye watches keenly!

The Hammer...
So, can you tell I'm phoning it in a bit? Things started great, but it's late and I could really use the rest, so I've kinda been whipping through the writing on this Punch-Up. Not really the best way to lead into a proposal of sponsorship, but hey, I like to think it shows a relatable side of humanity.

It's been another huge month of Infinite Wars, finally delivering that long ago promised slant toward some DC titles. Hopefully we'll be able to continue that as we cruise our way through back issues of varying importance.

That's probably a great segue to highlight the fact that, yes, we have put out the call for a sponsor. I figure it's a great opportunity for the Infinite Wars to get more involved in the new comics scene, while also offering a promotional canvas for an online retailer to promote prompt mailing, and sparkling service.
And before you look at me like that, just consider for a moment the fact that I haven't pulled a Dave Campbell to sell out to google ads and cookies.

Uh huh, that's right. You like that? Yeah?
Don't let the humorless, droning discussion about characterization and faux-feminism fool you. The Infinite Wars have got edge. Yessir.

Speaking of which, we should give a shout out to When Fangirls Attack, who continue to be the most responsive referrer of our reviews and discussions.
Likewise, Bahlactus has and will be involved in propagating the Infinite Wars, despite some apparent disgruntled responses to our format. To those who feel discontent with our distinct lack of isms, idioms and singular pictures of people putting boot-to-cheek -- waah waah waah. Mmm, hi-brow!

If you're inclined to link to one of our many trailing entries, I've been scouring the blogosphere for inspiration for our on-going musings. I'd very much like to be quoted, so jurors will never doubt my testimoy should I be called at an old age.
I've been endeavouring to do much the same, without being gratuitous about who and where I'm linking. Which leads us to our final topic:

It was The Fortress Keeper who turned my attentions to a top fifty list being compiled by Facedown in the Gutters featuring the internet's favourite twenty-five Marvel and DC characters. Rather than labour over my picks, I thought it would be fun to take advantage of nearly two years worth of stats, to highlight the Infinite Wars' cumulative top fifty, as divided by company representation.

Marvel Comics [tab]
#1 Spider-man
#2 Captain America
#3 Iron Man
#4 Wolverine
#5 Hulk
#6 Mr. Fantastic
#7 Venom (Symbiote)
#8 Thing
#9 Daredevil
#10 Human Torch
#11 Invisible Woman
#12 Beast
#13 Silver Surfer
#14 Thor
#15 Storm
#16 Luke Cage
#17 Wasp
#18 Sub-Mariner
#19 Elektra
#20 Kitty Pryde
#21 Ghost Rider (Johnny Blaze)
#22 Rogue
#23 Scarlet Spider
#24 Winter Soldier
#25 HellcatDC Comics [tab]
#1 Batman
#2 Superman
#3 Black Adam
#4 Green Arrow
#5 Steel
#6 Catwoman
#7 Red Hood
#8 Flash (Wally West)
#9 Robin
#10 Hawkman
#11 Zatanna
#12 The Demon
#13 Nightwing
#14 Flash (Barry Allen)
#15 Wonder Woman
#16 Deathstroke
#17 Atom (Ray Palmer)
#18 Dr. Light
#19 Black Mask
#20 Soldier
#21 Sinestro
#22 Bizarro
#23 Atom Smasher
#24 Phantom Stranger
#25 Dr. Fate

Some interesting results coming from the cumulative rankings.
If anything I think this list just highlights the distinct slant toward Marvel the Infinite Wars has shown. This is something we hope to continue to rectify over the coming month, although, again, a fairly meager, and unimportant collection will hamper that. Hopefully some magic sponsor out there will lend a hand, at least in the new comics stakes. Mmm, comics for nothing.

We've got a whole lot of Dr. Doom coming up, including Fantastic Four #350 which was recently mentioned in one of the best Bahlactus links of the year: Time waits for no man, and it won't wait for Reed...
If you haven't read that lengthy post yet, I suggest you hop to it, or see that you deliver message to a previous-self from the past few days, so they can.

In a serendipitous alignment of events, I considered what it would be like to have a guest entry in the Infinite Wars. Lord knows my collection brings with it the baggage of my interests, and is distinctly lacking in certain prominent subjects. Suffering from allergies and heading into the Spring of the future, it might be fun to think about who might be able to rise to the challenge of our format gruelling, to read and write, alike.

Dem's Good Reading might be a good candidate, serving up an Infinite Wars worthy photographic recap of a super-fight from Invicible! If you think you might like to contribute, or know of someone you'd like to see tackle the format, drop a comment and let us know.

For now, I'm going to put an end to this while I'm only a little behind.
We've got Dr. Doom and Street Fighting aplenty in October. Don't forget you should still go and find your way to picking up The Kirby Martin Inquest #1, which will feature in more reviews, if people stop being slack. That's not just one reviewer in particular, but actually a platoon of people who've read it for free, and aren't paying their dues. Tut-tut.

I'm tired, still a little stuffed-up, and going nowhere fast with this. Cheers!

September Hit Count: [6036/36951] (+1578)