CHEETAH versus WONDER WOMAN

Blood Debt (DC)
Where: Wonder Woman #222 When: December 2005
Why: Greg Rucka How: Cliff Richards

The Story So Far...
Responsible for fatally snapping Maxwell Lord's neck before the eyes of the world: Wonder Woman must answer to international outcry in response to film of the humanitarian and philanthropist's apparent murder.

Submitting herself to the International Court of Justice; the superhero and Amazon ambassador willingly agrees to residence  in an adjacent detention facility while the terms of her trial are arranged. Alas, death has followed Diana to The Hague.

Watching her plea of "Not Guilty" was the merciless Cheetah, who leaves a pile of court guards' corpses in her wake as she stalks her ultimate prey. Emergency lockdown merely serves to cage the beast as she lies in wait!

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Wonder Woman 6 (Invincible)
Intelligence: Wonder Woman 4 (Tactician)
Speed: Cheetah 5 (Super Speed)
Stamina: Wonder Woman 5 (Marathoner)
Agility: Cheetah 5 (Cat-Like)
Fighting: Wonder Woman 6 (Warrior)
Energy: Draw 1 (None)
Total: Wonder Woman 29 (Metahuman)

Cheetah is arguably the most identifiable arch-enemy in Wonder Woman's rogues gallery, so it's about time we took another look at this classic rivalry.

Dr. Barbara Ann Minerva was an anthropologist seeking the secrets of an esoteric African tribe. She hoped for the gift of immortality, but was instead cursed when she submitted to a ritual to become the cat-god Urzkartaga's bride.

For desiring the pleasures of the flesh, she was doomed to survive only by consuming it. With this animal instinct came feline physical attributes, including enhanced strength, agility, reflexes, senses, a tail, and super-human speed!

Her greatest assets fighting Wonder Woman are speed and agility, coupled with feline ferocity -- and claws to match. Extra speed enhancements acquired from Zoom helped almost secure a win in Wonder Woman (Vol.3) #29. A tense stand-off with Wonder Woman in Justice League of America #15 ended when Firestorm delivered a knock-out blow.

Cheetah's also come up short against Catwoman, developing a rivalry over two noteworthy battles. In Catwoman: When In Rome #4, her tail was used against her to efficient effect. Catwoman #78 promised a vicious rematch, but again the fighting technique and desperation of Catwoman turned the tables.

Wonder Woman's no slouch in the arena of combat, but will often forego finesse for a brawling warrior's style that suits her incredible strength.

She used power and brawling to clobber Marvel's Juggernaut in Unlimited Access #1's tag team crossover. She tenaciously endured against the unique magic of Genocide in Wonder Woman #32, as well! She even bested two feral foes in Vixen and Tasmanian Devil during JLA: Classified #3! Impressive!

The record certainly favours Wonder Woman, but we still have more ground to cover before Cheetah can be written off. It must be noted that she successfully sniffed out an invisible Phantom Lady, and slashed up Uncle Sam, contributing to the domination of the Freedom Fighters in Infinite Crisis #1.

Could today's featured fight be the one to finally see Cheetah overwhelm her arch-nemesis? Wonder Woman is waist deep in controversy at this time having just fought Superman and killed Maxwell Lord. Let's see what happened...

The Tape: Wonder Woman Ranking: Wonder Woman (#15)

What Went Down...
From the rafters she watched Wonder Woman's immediate fate be decided with spite and resentment. The tribunal hearing determined she be held in the Hague detention facility, where Cheetah effortlessly follows, hidden by shadow.

Wonder Woman takes advantage of a spontaneous visit from Donna Troy and Supergirl to usher her legal council, Peter Garibaldi, on a safe travel home, then she returns to her quarters to confront the enemy she knows is hiding there!

Stepping into the light -- Cheetah revels in the fruits of her imposed bloodlust and then she launches herself at her sworn enemy with reckless abandon!

Her incredible speed allows her to tag Wonder Woman with the sharp edge of her claws, even as she contends with the mighty swinging fist of the Amazon!

Cheetah hits the wall with her feet and springs back in the direction of Wonder Woman. The warrior for peace is ready, but there's little she can do to prevent the momentum of Cheetah's returning charge. They smash through the wall!

Cheetah slashes at her downed foe, anticipating the taste of her flesh. She pounces into the air -- striking back down at Wonder Woman's cheek with the relentless whipping of her feline tail!

By now, armed guards have rushed to respond to the commotion -- but they're helpless before Cheetah's speed and agility. She darts between their bullets and effortlessly disarms them with a flick of her tail, and slash of her claws!

Before she can devour their flesh -- a gleaming projectile slices through her tail!

The agonizing pain clears her mind. She turns, finding Wonder Woman receiving her golden tiara as it arcs back to her hand like a boomerang. The perceived arrogance of her posture inspires a second wind. Cheetah dives at her prey!

This time Wonder Woman catches the charging Cheetah with a straight hand to the throat and slams her into the ground!

In her mind, Cheetah pleads for mercy from the jealous god who supplies her power, but the real negotiation is over. Wonder Woman slams her powerful fists into Cheetah until she's unconscious in a pool of her own blood.

The Hammer...
A decisive victory for Wonder Woman that takes her further down a path of violence.

She may have stopped the murderous Cheetah, but her bloody victory raises further questions as she awaits trial for the killing of Maxwell Lord.

The next issue deals with the fallout of the battle, with the International Criminal Court left with no choice but to revise the conditions of Wonder Woman's parole.

Diana agrees to the now mandatory imposed detention at The Hague, but quickly breaks the conditions when Themyscira comes under attack from an army of OMACs.

"Omni Mind And Community", or the OMAC Project, is a collective of nano-tech converted humans who were used as programmable soldiers by Checkmate, under the directive of Maxwell Lord.

Even in death, he continues to have his revenge against Wonder Woman, attacking her island home, and her international standing.

This all happened as part of the tangled web of events that built toward Infinite Crisis. An interesting time in DC history, when escalating mini-events created an interconnected foundation for an ultimate mid-decade blockbuster.

At the time, I very much enjoyed the unfolding, controlled chaos of it all, but looking back after years of repeating blockbuster events, it does start to feel a little bit bogged down and exhausting.

The strands of Infinite Crisis would define much of the 2000s, but in some ways it feels as if Wonder Woman was the most permanently effected by it.

These 2005 issues inspired part of my Totem of Justice: an attempt to categorize and define a scale of violence and attitude in contemporary super-heroics. Using the DC heroes of the time, Wonder Woman personified Level 7 of 8: Longstanding Solution, or lethal force -- "a life for a life". Echoes of this time still seem to resonate within most versions of the warrior princess.

This period wasn't the first time Wonder Woman had been shown to be an uncompromising warrior in the ancient sense. It did seem to serve as a lightning rod for rethinking her characterization as an Amazon Princess, though.

Refining the definitive status of icons was one of the pleasures of DC Comics in the early to mid 2000s. There seemed to be a genuine effort to reflect upon the past, searching for the truest aspects of various iterations to inform (and reform) a modern classic take.

Even after sixty years Wonder Woman still seemed to lack that type of enduring touchstone. Lynda Carter could only offer the character so much, and even the post-Crisis period by George Perez seemed to be most fondly referenced for its visual exploits and classic riffs.

At the time, it seemed like an uncompromising Wonder Woman was a good way to differentiate her from counterparts like Superman and Batman. It expanded upon and honored the spirit of the Greek Amazon tradition that remains one of the most unique reference points for the character. The friction it created with her tradition as an ambassador for peace supplied interesting circumstance for drama, as in today's featured issue.

The execution of Maxwell Lord ultimately created a single memorable moment Wonder Woman could hang or hat on. That's probably why aggression is still a part of the character, and why Maxwell Lord will soon appear as a foil in the Wonder Woman theatrical sequel, Wonder Woman 1984.

Some time soon we'll work backwards to take a closer look at that defining moment. In the mean time: if you'd like to read today's featured battle you can find it collected in Wonder Woman by Greg Rucka Volume 3: War in Paradise.

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Winner: Wonder Woman
#13 (+2) Wonder Woman
#423 (-1) Cheetah

THE CONTEST: CHEETAH versus WOLVERINE

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

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Cheetah 4 (Enhanced)
Intelligence: Wolverine 4 (Tactician)
Speed: Cheetah 5 (Super-Human)
Stamina: Wolverine 6 (Generator)
Agility: Cheetah 5 (Cat-Like)
Fighting: Wolverine 6 (Warrior)
Energy: Draw 1 (None)
Total: Wolverine 26 (Metahuman)

The Grandmaster has come out guns blazing after suffering the biggest defeat of The Contest in the last battle! He's conserved points thus far, but this time he's spending up big to unleash one of the toughest competitors we've seen -- #4 ranked Wolverine!

I want to keep the pressure on, but I have to be realistic: I've already spent 2538pts -- just over half my budget in half the contest. In contrast, The Grandmaster only spent 1200pts before this match, and I know he's still got major players to come. I can't afford to blow all my points against a foe I'll struggle to beat, but I think I've found a mid-range selection who could score an upset!

Cheetah is poised for big things as a major villain in the delayed Wonder Woman movie sequel, and has all the necessary attributes to match and defeat Wolverine!

Her keen feline senses and cat-like claws draw parallels to the X-Man, but it's her incredible super-human speed and agility that could really give Wolverine trouble.

Speed was the difference when The Gorgon claimed victory in Wolverine #20. We also saw Winter Soldier rely on evasion and cutthroat tactics with a blade to earn a win in Wolverine #39. Cheetah may've been beaten in Wonder Woman #29, but she ran rings around Wonder Woman -- and Wolverine will never see or smell her coming at that kind of speed!

Wolverine's famous healing factor obviously gives him the ability to endure considerable punishment, but it can also make him over confident and sloppy. A rogue Archangel took advantage of that, eviscerating him in X-Force #5. He risked similar defeat taking a sword in Blade #5.

Fantastic Four #374 showed us what happens when Wolverine loses control with his razor-sharp adamantium claws, but it's an increasingly rare occurrence. He sliced through Donald Pierce and Lady Deathstrike in X-Men #133 and Uncanny #205, but they show the exception of non-lethal strikes against cyborgs. The former also demonstrates how he might walk into a super-powered loss.

So far we've recorded a 1-1 record for Wolverine against DC crossovers. He got a controversial win over Lobo in Marvel versus DC #3, and only shared a loss to Deathstroke in Uncanny X-Men and New Teen Titans after being overrun by Parademons. We also can't ignore his strong record against a comparable arch-nemesis - Sabretooth. He's a clear favourite against the #423 ranked Cheetah, but I think there's a pretty good case to be made that in practice Cheetah could score the upset!

The Verdict (Updated August 21st)...

As much as there was a legitimate argument to be made -- there was really no denying the favourite in this match-up. Wolverine has long been known as "the best there is at what he does", and that may've led some would-be voters to see a foregone conclusion from the outset.

Response was disappointing, but those that offered their views saw some reason in picking the underdog (or undercat, as it were). Nazar Talk Comics submitted a balanced view with an eye for the difference makers: "... I give it to [Cheetah]. She is stronger and faster. Although Wolverine can react to her and tank her hits and even damage her a little, but at the end, I don't expect him to win..."

Talking Wonder Woman also saw an evenly matched bout, but felt that famous mutant healing factor would be the more likely ticket to surviving: "I think this would be a knock-down, drag-out fight that would go on for a long, long time. If Cheetah can keep her strength up she could win, but with Wolverine's healing if he can outlast her I think he's got it in the end."

I was seduced by the topical dark horse, but Twitter voters could not be convinced. With Facebook polls still out of commission, it was a devastating and overwhelming 72.7% majority in favour of the famous Marvel mutant!

That means Round 7 belongs to The Grandmaster!

We'll be back for Round 8 real soon! Keep your eyes trained to The Contest for the latest battles and past results. Be sure to visit Twitter, Facebook, and Patreon for regular updates and new polls. You can also let me know what you think about the result in the comments or social media!

Winner: Wolverine

The Grandmaster: - 4 (2859pts)

Secret Wars on Infinite Earths: - 3 (1923pts)

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SECRET DEFENDERS versus FANTASTIC FOUR

Suddenly... The Secret Defenders (Marvel)
Where: Fantastic Four #374 When: March 1993
Why: Tom DeFalco How: Paul Ryan

The Story So Far...
When Johnny Storm was caught alone in a surprise ambush by Paibok the Power Skrull, Lyja, and Devos The Destroyer -- he unleashed the full force of his nova blast in a last ditch effort to survive!

The desperate tactic left nearby Empire State University in scorched ruins, earning the ire of a public who believes Human Torch's flaming assault was a reckless act of endangerment.

With the rest of the Fantastic Four preoccupied -- and mercenaries taking to the streets to hunt The Torch down -- his old friend Spider-Man seeks the aide of Doctor Strange to assemble a familiar team to bring him in peacefully. With a simple astral projection the erstwhile New Fantastic Four are reunited!

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Hulk 6 (Invincible)
Intelligence: Mr. Fantastic 6 (Genius)
Speed: Spider-Man 4 (???)
Stamina: Wolverine 6 (Generator)
Agility: Mr. Fantastic 6 (Rubber)
Fighting: Wolverine 6 (Warrior)
Energy: Human Torch 7 (Cosmic Power)
Total: Spider-Man 29 (Metahuman)

The Secret Defenders are: Spider-Man, Hulk, Wolverine, Ghost Rider, with Doctor Strange.

The concept of the original "non-team" was taken to its ultimate conclusion when Doctor Strange began recruiting disparate heroes for missions as the Secret Defenders. Spider-Man seeks his assistance to re-assemble a quartet once gathered to operate as the avenging "New Fantastic Four".

The Fantastic Four are: Mister Fantastic, Invisible Woman, Human Torch, and Thing, with Ms. Marvel.

The long running relationship between Spider-Man and the classic FF has seen him play friend and "frenemy" to the Human Torch. We saw them fight side-by-side in Amazing Spider-Man Annual #4, Spider-Man Family #3, and Amazing Spider-Man #600, but rivalry got the better of them in Fantastic Four #543!

The FF also has a legendary history with the Hulk, starting with their first face-off in Fantastic Four #12! Much of the rivalry boils down to testing Hulk's strength against the Thing, who's also developed tensions with Wolverine.

Today's issue is where the true bad blood developed between them, but Thing & Wolverine also shared an earlier exchange in Contest of Champions #3, and extended their battles with an all-out war in Wolverine #22!

The overlapping dynamics between all the players on both teams are almost as intriguing as the general parallels between two versions of the FF.

Hulk and Thing are obvious strongmen, but this is a time when Bruce Banner's brilliant mind controls Hulk. His genius rivals Mister Fantastic within his field, while Spider-Man's webs and Ghost Rider's chains loosely approximate his elasticated reach. Ghost Rider's hellfire draws obvious parallel to Human Torch, but as we saw in Ghost Rider/Blaze: Spirits of Vengeance #6, its properties are very different.

Spider-Man and Ghost Rider can also roughly approximate the defensive projections of Invisible Woman, but it may be Wolverine who best inverts her role, providing penetrating blades in place of invisible force fields. He can also sniff out any invisibility with his keen senses.

In Wolverine #22 she stopped him cold by blocking his airways, but the same trick didn't work in the alternate reality rematch of What If? Wolverine: Enemy of the State. Sue Storm is on the edge of her Malice personality at this time, so the gloves certainly could come off. We saw her cause a lot of problem for the X-Men as one of Ahab's Hounds in X-Men Annual #14. She was pushed to lethal extremes when defending her family in Fantastic Four (Vol.3) #2, too.

Doctor Strange is here as an astral projection as in Strange Tales #111 and Marvel Adventures #14, but has no magical foe to interact with. That makes Ms. Marvel a bit of an x-factor, adding a second heavyweight to the FF.

Sharon Ventura is a former stuntwoman and Thing's ex-girlfriend who received super-human strength enhancements during her career with Unlimited Class Wrestling Federation. She later mutated into the erstwhile "She-Thing", but was cured of her rocky affliction in Fantastic Four #350. She left the group after they encountered Justice Peace in Fanatstic Four #354, but returned as a mole indebted to Doctor Doom for her cure.

Ms. Marvel is double tough, but will that be enough to tip the scales in favour of the classic Fantastic Four? It's about time we just dived in to find out!

The Tape: Secret Defenders Ranking: Spider-Man (#2)

What Went Down...
Pursued by Skrull adversaries and angry bounty hunters: Johnny Storm has had little time to refresh himself. The scent of the chase betrays him as the keen senses of Wolverine detect the young hero hidden within a decrepit building.

The Secret Defenders don't quite share Spider-Man's understanding. Hulk gives the young hero an ultimatum: walk out with them - or be carried out!

Incensed, but knowing he's clearly outgunned, the Human Torch sends a flare out the window to draw the rest of the searching Fantastic Four to his location. He then bursts into flames, leaping into the air to avoid the lashing chain of Ghost Rider, and stray webs slung by Spider-Man!

The evasive maneuvers give Human Torch a chance to return fire. Shocked that his old friend Spider-Man would betray him, he hurls his flame in the web-slinger's direction. Spidey leaps clear and pleads his case for wanting to help.

Hulk is much less concerned, slamming his hands together to send a shockwave that smothers Johnny's flame and knocks him clean out of the air!

The green goliath looms over a smoldering Johnny Storm, wanting to avoid more mindless fisticuffs. The decision is taken out of his hands as a rocky finger taps his shoulder -- followed with the fist of The Thing against his jade jaw!

The Fantastic Four file into the urban space ready to defend their comrade!

Spider-Man again hopes to talk it out, but Wolverine insists the time for diplomacy has passed. His hostility is met with the pliable, bending body of Mister Fantastic, who stretches around him and vows that Johnny will surrender himself peacefully to the appropriate authorities.

Ghost Rider sees Invisible Woman raising her hands and attempts to intervene, but his shuriken flinging chain hits only the force field she was conjuring up.

Her invisible bubbles also form around Wolverine's clawed fists, defending the malleable body of her husband from any unlikely punctures. The married couple share terse gratitude, their own turmoil simmering behind their teamwork.

Leaping to defend his sister: Human Torch ignites again -- and bathes Ghost Rider in an unrelenting stream of flame!

The mortal burning proves ineffective against one who is already engulfed with the unearthly inferno of hellfire. Ghost Rider explains his non-lethal attack as he stares coldly with the permanent grin of his exposed skull.

Meanwhile, Spider-Man does his best to keep one step ahead of the super-strong fists of Ms. Marvel. She swings wildly, smashing through a support pillar as Spidey pinballs from surface to surface -- and catches her with webs!

Thing ducks a wild left from Hulk, and questions how the former rampaging brute could be anything but understanding of Johnny's current predicament.

Hulk retorts that it's his extensive experiences with collateral damage that drives him to prevent anyone else from repeating his unthinking past!

The Thing connects with a right hand deep in the mid-section, but his low stance leaves him vulnerable to an overhead hammer fist! Hulk's powerful blow knocks Thing clean through the floor and sends him plummeting down multiple levels!

Hulk then sets his sights on Mister Fantastic, who's proven capable of stretching around Wolverine's probing adamantium claws. Hulk's massive hand grips Mister Fantastic by the vest and whips him off like a loose sheet from a bed!

The X-Man is quickly besieged by Invisible Woman, who smashes him with an invisible force field that sends him hurtling backwards through the air. It provokes a rapid response as he rushes back with claws at the ready to test the impenetrability of her famous defenses.

Adamantium barely connects with invisible projection as Thing returns to the battle and grabs Wolverine from behind! He uses his incredible strength to powerslam Wolverine into the ground with a single hand. The mutant reacts!

Animal instinct takes over as Wolverine savagely slashes his adamantium claws towards his attacker! The unrestrained assault sickeningly carves through Thing's rocky face. It's like nothing the travelled hero has ever experienced!

The Thing howls in agony -- clutching at his wounded cheek as his body lurches in shock. The chilling scene snaps Wolverine back to his senses. He searches for reason, knowing he's gone too far. Thing responds with an uncaring fist!

The power of Thing's furious blow sends Wolverine smashing through untold walls as his airborne body careens into another neighbouring building.

Invisible Woman, Ms. Marvel, and Mister Fantastic rush to their teammate's side. Reed ensnares Hulk with his elastic body while desperately declaring Thing needs immediate medical attention.

Only Human Torch continues fighting --  caught in Ghost Rider's otherworldly chain!

The Spirit of Vengeance blames the young hero for the burning of Empire State University -- and the subsequent grim fate that has now befallen The Thing.

The chain squeezes The Torch's throat until his flame subsides. Ghost Rider swats him to the ground with the backhand of his fist, and prepares to unleash the torment of Johnny's own sins with the dreaded penance stare.

Suddenly a blast of energy forces the demonic hero away from his target!

Lyja The Lazerfist arrives just in time to defend her ex-husband -- even though she was one of the Skrulls who started his troubles!

She joins the Fantastic Four as they huddle together, standing back to five other backs, with the Secret Defenders closing in to surround them.

It seems battle is about to begin anew when a blinding light suddenly engulfs the Fantastic Four and their allies!

In the blink of an eye the sextet vanishes! Wolverine's sense of smell confirms they haven't been made invisible by Susan Storm. The sudden disappearance leaves Doctor Strange to contemplate their uncertain fate. An end, of sorts.

The Hammer...
Another famous fight goes on the record! It's reputation is largely built on the face-off between the "New Fantastic Four" and their classic counterparts, and the far reaching consequence of Wolverine's savage lapse of care.

His slash will scar Thing for the next few years, but I wonder how many readers know that the fight actually ended with an inconclusive result. Thing is injured, but still standing at the ready with his team, when the issue comes to an end.

If that wasn't tenacious enough: The next issue reveals the Fantastic Four were transported to the moon base of Uatu, The Watcher. There, Thing almost immediately engages in yet another brawl -- taking a face full of metal fist before he clobbers a rampaging alien robot! That's before he even finds the protective metal helmet he'll be wearing for the next year or so!

Fantastic Four #375 is also where we first witness the gruesome disfigurement of his face. The wound is significant, exposing fleshy tissue along his brow and cheek. It isn't stomach churning on the page, but the reality would seem much more shocking. His helmet was unpopular, but at least protects him.

On the one hand, it's an interesting milestone for the characters involved. On the other, it's surprising that such a consequential event would come from an otherwise typical case of superheroes fighting over a misunderstanding.

The reader certainly knows Johnny Storm hasn't gone rogue. Unlike the catalytic event of Civil War; the Empire State University compound wasn't destroyed by negligence. Johnny wrestled with his actions, fighting as long as he could to give students and faculty a chance to clear the area, before he went nova.

Human Torch's predicament came about as a result of long running plotlines involving Lyja and Paibok. FF #374 is the third issue to deal with the fallout, which highlights a general crisis of conscience that won't plague Wolverine.

I have to think Wolverine expressed a sense of responsibility, if not guilt, at some point in his solo series, or another X-title. I just don't remember it happening. I think it might've been absorbed into more general struggles with his animalistic urges and rage, which became a central plot years later.

The most significant follow-up I can recall is Fantastic Four #395: a 1995 issue that promises "payback" and an epic rematch on the cover, but actually delivers a team-up with Ant-Man, and a burying of the hatchet for Thing and Wolverine.

My best guess is that it remained a one-sided issue because of editorial lines at the time. It seems like an idea initiated by the Fantastic Four office with the intent to tell Fantastic Four stories. The X-offices might've given their blessing, but probably had their hands full with other on-going storylines at the time.

1993 was a pretty big year for Wolverine and the X-Men.

The animated series was on a fast track to becoming a global multimedia phenomenon, and in comics you had long and winding storylines happening every month in Wolverine, X-Men, and Uncanny X-Men. Half a year after this, Fatal Attractions begins, and Wolverine has his own wounds to heal when Magneto strips the adamantium from his skeleton in X-Men #25.

It might've been interesting if Thing got his rematch while Wolverine had bone claws, but the brutality of hero-on-hero violence has already been a little weird.

Keep in mind: this is all happening a decade before Marvel heroes were routinely maiming and killing each other. Breaking Wolverine's claws was a moment reserved instead for an uber-nineties arch-nemesis: the metallic Cyber.

Of course, lets not overlook the 90s saturation of the assembly we have before us. The entire concept of the "New Fantastic Four" feels very much of that time, frivolously throwing together popular characters with almost no natural ties.

I'm actually a fan of the restraint they showed by only featuring this quarter a total of four issues, including this one. That always managed to keep the legend of the "New Fantastic Four" special. Going to that well too many times could've been a little tacky. As it stands, their reunion in Fantastic Four #374 would feel completely perfunctory if it wasn't for the on-going story of Thing's injury.

Sue Storm's extensively derided swimsuit costume also glows with the ills of the era, far more offensively than Mister Fantastic's dubious fishing vest.

There's something to be said for the logic of the outfit being rooted in the encroaching persona of Malice, but I was never the biggest fan of frequenting that idea, either. Not to be confused with the other Malice persona that turns Polaris into a screaming she-devil. We get it, guys... Menstruation!

It doesn't look like this issue is currently available in any collected formats, but you can find the first team-up of Spider-Man, Hulk, Wolverine, and Ghost Rider in the Epic Collection: Fantastic Four - The New Fantastic Four. Use the Amazon link provided for all your shopping and you'll not only get yourself a great deal -- but also support the site at no extra cost!

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Winners: Inconclusive (Draw)
#2 (--) Spider-Man
#4 (--) Wolverine
#6 (--) Hulk
#10 (--) Mister Fantastic
#12 (--) Thing
#13 (--) Human Torch
#14 (--) Invisible Woman
#151 (+16) Ms. Marvel (Sharon Ventura)
#399 (+2) Ghost Rider (Dan Ketch)
#161 (+5) Lyja [+1 assist]

AVENGERS & X-MEN versus RONAN

Whatever The Cost! (Marvel)
Where: Maximum Security #3 When: January 2001
Why: Kurt Busiek How: Jerry Ordway

The Story So Far...
A sudden global surge in extraterrestrial conflict reveals a master plan by the Intergalactic Council of empires to declare Earth a prison planet!

Encounters with the Kree, Skrull, Shi'ar, and more have earned humans a meddlesome reputation. To further delay them from reaching beyond the stars, the untamable scum of the universe are now interned to keep Earth busy. Energy lattice surrounds the solar system in an effort to contain humanity and the prisoners from further interference.

With the Kree seemingly conquered by the Shi'ar Empire, Ronan The Accuser was appointed overseer of the new prison planet, but in truth he has conspired to launch a new Kree uprising. With the mutated Ruul army at his command, and an infestation of the Earth by Ego feeding him unlimited power, Ronan stands poised to lead the Supreme Intelligence to ultimate victory!

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Ronan 6 (Invincible)
Intelligence: Goliath 6 (Genius)
Speed: Nova 7 (Light Speed)
Stamina: Thor 6 (Generator)
Agility: Spider-Man 5 (Cat-Like)
Fighting: Wolverine 6 (Warrior)
Energy: Ronan 6 (Mass Destruction)
Total: Ronan The Accuser 34 (Super)

Earth's heroes are: Thor, Warbird, Sub-Mariner, Wonder Man, She-Hulk, Goliath, Hercules, Thing, Beta Ray Bill, Rogue, Colossus, Sunfire, with USAgent, Quasar, Captain America, Spider-Man, Wolverine, Nova, Namorita, Speedball, Triathlon, and Mister Fantastic, Iron Man, Bruce Banner, Silver Surfer.

Several other heroes can be seen teleporting into action with Quasar, but for the sake of clarity, we're only focusing on those identifiably involved in the battle. This includes support troops led by USAgent fighting on the ground.

Ronan The Accuser has been dramatically augmented by Ego, who has begun to infest the Earth. The flow of power Ego supplies adds to Ronan's already impressive Kree might, and results in a massive increase in his physical size.

Working on the Ego problem are Mister Fantastic, Iron Man, and Bruce Banner. They've built a machine to repel the infestation, and drain Ronan's power by funneling it into a captive host. Silver Surfer has volunteered for the potentially lethal absorption, but it means he's taken out of the battle.

Silver Surfer's absence from the fight will be felt. We saw him beat Ronan back in Silver Surfer #13, but there are still plenty of other heavy hitters on the field who have credentials beating some prominent cosmic opponents!

Thor can match his hammer against Ronan's Universal Weapon, having used it to best Super-Skrull in Thor #465. Warbird (Carol Danvers) gained her powers from the Kree and has a late win over Thanos [FCBD Civil War II #1]. She-Hulk performed the rare feat of defeating Champion of the Universe in She-Hulk #8. Sub-Mariner was one of the first heroes to valiantly face Thanos in Infinity Gauntlet #4, joining She-Hulk in a noteworthy grim stand. Even Colossus has memorable cosmic face-offs, including a win over Ord in Astonishing X-Men #5!

Thing has made a career of taking on the universe's deadliest fighters. His renown across galaxies was built on battles against Ronan himself, The Champion, and villains like Ego, The Living Planet [Fantastic Four #235], Gladiator [Fantastic Four #249], Paibok The Power Skrull [Fantastic Four #358], and even his own Magus created Doppelganger [Fantastic Four #367]!

The heroes can also count on the aide of Beta Ray Bill, who was interned on Earth as part of the intergalactic council's designation as a prison planet. Beta Ray Bill famously defeated Thor in Thor #337, proving worthy to wield Mjolnir before Odin granted him his own hammer: Stormbreaker. He once fought Silver Surfer to a standstill in Beta Ray Bill: Godhunter #2, and fought valiantly by his side against the unstoppable Tyrant in Silver Surfer #82!

This all spells one phenomenal fighting force, but will it be enough to mitigate the incredible power boost received by Ronan The Accuser? They're literally fighting a man with the power of an entire planet -- and a Kree army!

The Tape: Earth's Allied Heroes Ranking: Spider-Man (#2)

What Went Down...
A sudden flash of light signals the arrival of Ronan The Accuser. He hovers menacingly in the air, a towering titan gazing down at the aggravating heroes who have begun to threaten his power source.

With a gesture of his Universal Weapon, he summons an army of Kree imperial soldiers, and warns Earth's heroic brains trust that they will be destroyed if they reactivate their machine. Then -- another flash of light: the cavalry!

Quasar teleports a troop of heroes over thirty-strong and when Ronan  threatens to kill them all -- USAgent steps forward to order the heroes against him. They swarm the giant-sized Accuser!

Thor, Wonder Man, and Warbird come in high with blows to the head and face, while Sub-Mariner contends with the giant's right arm, and Beta Ray Bill and Goliath lock up the left! Working the body is Hercules and Colossus, while She-Hulk and Thing come in hot from below as the giant threatens to lose footing!

Around Ronan's feet, Kree soldiers scurry as they contend with the heroes' support forces. USAgent bats at a small group, while Spider-Man, Wolverine, Nova, Triathlon, Namorita, Speedball, and Captain America do the same!

Overhead: Ronan delivers his first decisive blow as he targets Thor with his own hammer-like weapon and unleashes the planetary force of Ego!

With a wild backhanded chop, The Accuser dispatches with Beta Ray Bill, Hercules, and Sub-Mariner! He then turns his attentions to the ionic Wonder Man and brings his massive Universal Weapon slamming down upon him!

USAgent bats a Kree soldier with his photonic shield and contemplates the fragility of humanity's hopes against the invaders, while across the battlefield Mister Fantastic rallies the Thing and Human Torch to defend their ace.

Bruce Banner and Iron Man finish loading the Silver Surfer into their device and in an agonizing instant Ego's incredible power begins flooding into his body! His back arches, while on the horizon the infested landscape that is Ego begins to contort violently -- and Ronan The Accuser begins to shrink!

Ronan is caught completely off guard as his unfathomable power weakens ever so slightly and his mass begins to reduce. The sudden change signals the opportunity for the heroes to strike!

Rogue calls out his sudden weakening, with Thor, Warbird, Wonder Man, Sub-Mariner, Beta Ray Bill and Colossus rushing in to capitalize!

The Silver Surfer betrays his struggle as he begins to moan and his chrome skin burns ever brighter with blistering energy. Iron Man can see the strain is too great, but before any of the genius heroes can act -- Silver Surfer is torn free!

His smoldering and cracked body falls limply to the ground even as he attempts to volunteer for another try. The words catch in his throat as he passes out. There will be no reprieve for The Surfer.

From the air above, Quasar spots the brains trust of Banner, Richards, and Iron Man gathering over the exhausted cosmic rider. He scans the horizon, taking in the vista of his home planet Earth, then leaves Nova battling the Kree warriors.

It seems Silver Surfer's power cosmic could not contain the energies absorbed from Ego, but Quasar assures Reed Richards that his quantum power is more adaptive. Knowing the risks, he volunteers to be strapped into the machine and the draining process begins anew!

Sensing the sudden pull of his energy once more -- Ronan lashes out wildly by swatting Thor, Rogue, and Sunfire out of the air! The Kree Accuser can tell that the drain is more smooth than before, hastening his desire to find the cause.

Still gigantic; Ronan stomps across a smoking battlefield littered with the beaten bodies of Thor, Hercules, and more. He sets his sights on the machine attacking Ego's infestation of Earth, and prepares to battle Earth's last line of defense!

The Hammer...

Ronan does a very convincing job of cleaning house before setting his sights on the next challenge. The battle is won, but the war is certainly not over!

War is very much the tone here. I think the more superhero universes became proliferated with identifiable characters - the greater the desire to see a war-like scenario. Several series tried it. There are obvious echoes of Operation: Galactic Storm and Infinity Gauntlet in this one. I can't help but think of Annihilation as well, which took the hell of cosmic warfare even deeper into the trenches.

1984's Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars may be the most recognized example of conflict between warring Marvel factions, but that was much more about isolating defined sides and smashing them together like (tie-in) toys. Speaking of which: Isn't it about damn time we featured the site's namesake? I digress...

In a continuum of those memorable Marvel events, Maximum Security makes a lot of sense. Through the prism of published releases in 2001, however, it reads almost anachronistic.

The event feels like the last gasp of a movement begun with the soft Heroes Return reset of 1998. There's a colourful, fluffy house style in the artwork, and a confluence of references to Marvel's favoured past, and the character designs of the misguided mid-90s and probing millennium. All would soon go away.

Indeed, the concluding issue of Maximum Security may be cover dated 2001, but it very much belongs to the final throes of 2000, when it actually hit racks.

The release of the first X-Men movie that same year is arguably what changed comics forever. It was a foundation stone for the next two decades of superhero domination in cinema, but it would also influence two of the defining releases of 2001: Ultimate X-Men, and Grant Morrison & Frank Quitely's New X-Men.

Both were incredibly intriguing in their own way, participating in a movement towards more sedate art direction, and denser character work. Everything was being deliberately rethought. Designs got blacker, and bombastic super-heroics were taking a slight step back as written concepts took greater focus.

I was vaguely aware of the Maximum Security crossover unfolding when it came out, but it didn't connect with me. It seems like every ardent comic book fan has a lull in their reading, and for me, it was very much 99-2000. They were generally exciting times, and other interests just started to eclipse a lifetime of reading comics.

In hindsight, Maximum Security was a little old fashioned, but I think if I'd taken the time to look closer, I would've enjoyed it. It was certainly an interesting piece of history to revisit when I picked up back issues many years later.

Three issues doesn't give the core mini-series a lot of room to expand upon a fast moving plot, but there are, of course, many tie-in issues that focus closer on relevant characters and spillover. There may be no better marker of time than Gambit #23: a series I frequently forget even existed.

Ronan The Accuser stands out as a main villain, which feels like a culmination of sorts. Growing up I'd always thought of Ronan as a big deal (and a classic Fantastic Four villain), but under scrutiny it becomes apparent his appearances were steady, but infrequent. He's really more of a Captain Marvel character, and for many years he hung his accuser's hat on the legendary Kree-Skrull War.

At the start of Maximum Security he poses as another banished alien forced to warden the Earth prison. A dirty tactic, but a nice set up for his coming out as a literal big bad. It's fun to see him swatting around some of the heaviest hitters in the Marvel Universe, even if the interactions are a tad impersonal.

I'll look forward to returning to the next phase of the battle in the future, when the other, more surprising featured character comes back to the fore: USAgent!

In the mean time, Blogger restrictions means this entry will only appear tagged for the fighters featured tackling Ronan. For most of the others, we have an assist stat that acknowledges their support role. You can check out the updated character rankings and results at the bottom of this post.

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Secret Wars on Infinite Earths has featured well over 600 battles and ranked more than 950 characters! You can find them all indexed in the Secret Archive by publisher, series, and issue number. Or simply discover more wonders by following links throughout this and other feature articles.

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Winner: Ronan The Accuser
#398 (+286) Ronan The Accuser
#613 (+279) Ego The Living Planet [+1 assist]
#31 (-1) Sub-Mariner
#32 (--) Thor
#35 (--) Silver Surfer
#49 (-2) Warbird (Carol Danvers)
#70 (-12) Rogue
#74 (-3) Wonder Man
#80 (-6) Goliath (Hank Pym)
#145 (-1) She-Hulk
#400 (-56) Beta Ray Bill
#419 (-7) Hercules
#423 (-3) Colossus
#591 (-137) Sunfire
#2 (--) Spider-Man [+1 assist]
#3 (--) Iron Man [+1 assist]
#4 (--) Wolverine [+1 assist]
#6 (--) Hulk (Bruce Banner) [+1 assist]
#10 (--) Mister Fantastic [+1 assist]
#12 (--) Thing [+1 assist]
#115 (+1) Nova (Richard Rider) [+1 assist]
#130 (+2) USAgent [+1 assist]
#428 (--) Speedball [+1 assist]
#614 (+282) Quasar [+1 assist]
#922 (new) Namorita [+1 assist]
#923 (new) Triathlon [+1 assist]

CAPTAIN AMERICA versus BATROC

(Marvel)
Where: All-New Captain America #1 When: January 2015 Why: Rick Remender How: Stuart Immonen

The Story So Far...
Drained of the super-soldier serum that keeps him young and powerful: Steve Rogers is forced to retire from active duty, passing the mantle & shield of Captain America to his trusted comrade-in-arms - Sam Wilson!

Adapting his winged suit for a new identity; the former Falcon flies again in red, white, and blue -- dedicated to upholding truth, justice, and the American ideal against the forces of evil!

His newest mission takes the all-new Captain America underground in search of a deeply hidden Hydra fortress. The criminal cabal hopes to exploit a young boy as the ultimate doomsday weapon. Standing in his way is one of Cap's oldest foes -- the mercenary master of savate: Batroc The Leaper!

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Captain America 3 (Athlete)
Intelligence: Captain America 4 (Tactician)
Speed: Batroc 4 (Olympian)
Stamina: Draw 4 (Athlete)
Agility: Batroc 4 (Gymnast)
Fighting: Batroc 5 (Martial Artist)
Energy: Draw 1 (None)
Total: Batroc the Leaper 23 (Champion)

When Captain America throws his mighty shield in today's battle -- it won't be Steve Rogers his opponents yield to! The villain known as Iron Nail forced Rogers into retirement when he drained the super-soldier serum from his body.

Replacing the rapidly aged hero in the field is one of his closest friends and most trusted allies: Sam Wilson -- also known as the high-flying Falcon!

Wilson first met Cap when the Red Skull hatched a plan to use the cosmic cube to remold him as a pawn in their conflict. Racketeer Sam "Snap" Wilson became possessed with keen senses, an uncanny mental link with birds, and the perfect well intending character to trick Rogers into adopting the sleeper agent.

Together they broke the Red Skull's programming and thwarted his scheme, allowing Wilson to become Captain America's regular crime-fighting partner for years to come. As Falcon, he was eventually gifted a winged harness designed by Black Panther. The new suit granted him the ability to fly -- adding to his already impressive physical skill and training!

We've seen Falcon and Captain America go to war as two of the original Secret Avengers in Civil War #3, and fight against Baron Zemo in Thunderbolts #105. When Cap was assassinated in Captain America (Vol.5) #25: Falcon was there to provide air support to Winter Soldier as they brought down Crossbones.

As Captain America: Sam Wilson also gains possession of Cap's iconic vibranium alloy shield. It offers additional defensive capabilities that he may find handy when he comes up against the educated feet of Batroc the Leaper!

Steve Rogers relied on his shield blocking the blows of Batroc's deadly savate strikes ever since the sixties! We saw him do it in Captain America #251, when Batroc teamed with Mister Hyde to successfully take the super-soldier down.

A mercenary for hire -- but not a madman; Batroc ultimately teamed with his arch-rival, Cap, to turn the tables on Hyde in Captain America #252. He wasn't so lucky when he ran afoul Deadpool in Monte Carlo, though. Deadpool #20 ended with the fighting Frenchman suffering two broken legs.

Batroc is fighting fit in today's battle, and his expertise in the French kickboxing style arguably make him a more specialized martial artist than the new Captain America. Cap's ability to evade and go airborne should give him plenty of ways to win, but as you can see below, the record so far has been kind to Batroc!

The Tape: Batroc the Leaper Ranking: Batroc the Leaper (#125)

What Went Down...
Undercover as a Hydra agent: Nomad leads Captain America into the inner sanctum holding the deadly boy they've come to save. There, they find Batroc The Leaper standing guard expectantly, finishing off a serve of croquembouche.

Nomad heads for the child, while the new Captain America rushes in to confront an old enemy. Batroc meets him snide derision and a leaping kick!

The Leaper shoots high with his kicks, aiming for the head, while his words attack the mind of the American.

He sarcastically quizzes the replacement Captain about his super-powers, attacking modern US culture and politics while listing super-obesity, hyper-warmongering, and omega-illiteracy. Cap blocks with his shield and hits back!

Batroc rolls with the punch and continues the mind-games, finding himself positioned between the Captain and Nomad, who was clipped by an earlier Hydra shot. Batroc takes the opportunity to boast about his worldly disposition, effortlessly delivering toppling kicks to both of his targets!

Cap crashes upside down into a mess of high-tech machinery and cables.

Batroc keeps applying the pressure, moving on him fast with a kick directed squarely at his face. The Captain manages to catch it inches from impact, and use the block to fling Batroc across the lab and through a nearby window!

Cap jumps fearlessly through the shattered glass to follow Batroc on the underground plunge outside the facility. The Frenchman opens his body to slow his descent, while the winged hero does the opposite to close the gap!

The experienced aerialist tackles Batroc in mid-air, but the mercenary is unfazed and throws a hard punch! Cap returns the favour, smacking him in the face with the front side of his shield!

They fall to a jutting pipe that Cap barely catches with one hand, while Batroc lands the right way to wrap his legs around and hang upside down. Despite the precarious position -- still they continue fighting!

Batroc blocks a punch and swings upright to the top of the pipe. Captain America finds a hard straight right to the body and follows it with a devastating left to the face! The blow pushes Batroc to deliver a left that busts his brow!

The Captain drops to his arms and knees on a metal mesh platform while The Leaper mocks Steve Rogers in absentia for sending an "errand boy".

In his gloating, Batroc fails to notice Nomad hovering overhead. Nomad sends his horde crusher staff hurtling towards the unsuspecting mercenary -- who's knocked tumbling from the small platform!

The Leaper disappears into the smoldering red void cast by liquid magma burning beneath them. It happens so fast, even the winged Captain America is helpless to stop the fall. He can only chastise the callousness by which Nomad dispatched his enemy. Unnecessary lethal force is not their way.

The Hammer...
It looks like bad news for Batroc, but worry not! He survives to leap another day, returning later in the series. No thanks to Nomad! He came out of nowhere with extreme prejudice to save the all-new Captain America (and steal his heat)!

This incarnation of Nomad was known at the time as Ian Rogers, but also answers to Leopold Zola. He's a frightfully convoluted creation who was born in the pocket reality of Dimension Z: Arnim Zola's personal testing grounds for his twisted experiments.

It turns out Steve Rogers spent a lifetime lost in the pocket dimension, where he raised Arnim Zola's would-be son as his own. It all plays out a bit like a long-form, pulpy twist on the same kind of lived-in detour that was Planet Hulk.

That heavy deviation from the status quo speaks to some of the frustration that has plagued Captain America's recent publication history.

It seems ever since his apparent assassination in 2007, the character just hasn't been allowed to settle in to any kind of iconic, familiar routine.

He spent some of 2009 lost in time, while Bucky filled in as Captain America. He returned in 2010, but was appointed Director of SHIELD while his super-soldier serum was deactivated by Machinesmith. Cap's exile in Dimension Z happened in 2013, followed by another loss of his super-soldier serum in 2014, and Sam Wilson's reign as Captain America in 2015. Steve got better the following year - only to suffer the ultimate indignity of that unfortunate Hydra business in 2017.

All of this constant upheaval may've made short-term headlines, but it also killed the simple pleasure of picking an issue off the rack and enjoying the latest adventure of a beloved character. The repetitive monotony has become unappealing, and created successive jumping-off points that last multiple years.

While all of this disruption was going on with Cap, Marvel also made a habit of alternating between killing and resurrecting its other leading characters. This took on a slightly different twist in the mid-2010s, when the "All-New" brand signaled efforts to replace the classics with a generation of surrogates.

Marvel had some success in its heyday with brand shakeups like this, such as the popular costume changes of the 1980s. These included Cap's black outfit (later USAgent's), Wolverine's brown costume, Iron Man's silver centurion armor, and Spidey's black costume.

There were certainly plenty of successful understudies created over the years, too. Yet, with so much print dedicated to constant instability, the All-New replacement characters were all too often ill timed, and indelicately shunted into position. It seemed cynical and didn't give these characters their best chance to succeed, but they certainly weren't all bad.

We've talked about the strong art direction that made All-New Ghost Rider one of the must-read series under the "Marvel Now" banner. Now we're getting to another of the more intriguing propositions.

There was a certain naturally occurring arc to the return of Bucky Barnes in 2005, and his acceptance of the Captain America mantle, but removed from that context, it was always slightly dubious that a storied Russian assassin, The Winter Soldier, would inherit the legacy of a paragon of justice and liberty.

Since his debut in 1969: Sam Wilson has been an almost continuous presence in the life of Captain America. He's fought by his side untold times, participating as a trusted friend and ally. He's been an agent of SHIELD and eventually a charter member of the Avengers. In a great many ways, he's the most obvious choice to be chosen to succeed Steve Rogers as Captain America!

I particularly like the costume design. Sam Wilson has been his own man for a long time and it was fantastic to see that he retained his wings. There's really no reason not to. The way he combines using the shield with flight is pretty fantastic, and exactly the kind of combination of elements that makes this work.

I'm quite fond of these characters launching into their own series with an established villain. It worked for All-New Ghost Rider, and Batroc The Leaper lends some nice heft to the first issue of All-New Captain America, bolstering the mostly nameless ranks of Hydra goons.

I'm a little surprised Cap didn't get the win to start him off on a high note. He isn't new at this game, and I don't really rate Nomad enough to want to see him get the rub. That said, there is something to be said for not overdoing the success of a character in a new spotlight. It eases them into the new role, and gives them somewhere to grow. We've seen how Marvel legends like Spider-Man started out with awkward losses [see; Amazing Spider-Man #7, #13].

I think the win over Batroc would've helped sell Falcon to someone checking out the new series. I also would've liked to see him have a more compelling retort for Batroc's amusing commentaries on the state of American culture. Maybe it's because I'm a filthy foreigner, but I thought Batroc was a far more compelling verbal combatant, besting Cap's rather wet 'What makes you so elite?'

The issue ends with the arrival of Baron Zemo and a cadre of established villains, so if you thought Falcon (and Nomad) had trouble before, wait until they have to face down Taskmaster, Crossbones, Madame Viper, Baron Blood, and more! Something to think about as we wrap up today's battle!

If you'd like to see this fight in its entirety, and the rest of the arc, you can check out All-New Captain America Vol.1: Hydra Ascendant. Using the Amazon link provided will not only get you a safe deal delivered to your home, but also help support the site in the process at no extra charge!

Secret Wars on Infinite Earths has documented well over 600 battles with more than 950 characters! If you'd like to find more you can follow links throughout this post, or dive into the Secret Archive for a complete index of featured fights!

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Winner: Nomad (w/ Captain America)
#339 (new) Nomad (Ian Rogers/Leopold Zola)
#135 (-10) Batroc The Leaper
#960 (-1) Captain America (Sam Wilson) [+1 assist]