CAPTAINS AMERICA versus TASKMASTER

The Hammer Falls Part 2 of 3 (Marvel)
Where: Avengers: The Initiative #34 When: May 2010 Why: Christos Gage How: Jorge Molina

The Story So Far...
When Tony Stark fought to bring about a new Superhero Registration Act -- he failed to fully consider what would happen if it all fell into the wrong hands!

A secret invasion by Skrulls allowed Norman Osborn to oust Iron Man and replace him as the "Iron Patriot" at the head of a reformed intelligence agency and Commission of Superhuman Activities.

In his hubris, Osborn conspires to bring about a siege on the City of Asgard that finally signals his dark reign has gone too far. Captain America returns to lead an assembly of Avengers against their dark counterparts, arriving just in time to join his temporary replacement against The Shadow Initiative's leader: Taskmaster!

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Draw 3 (Athlete)
Intelligence: Draw 4 (Tactician)
Speed: Steve Rogers 4 (Olympian)
Stamina: Steve Rogers 5 (Marathoner)
Agility: Steve Rogers 4 (Gymnast)
Fighting: Taskmaster 7 (Living Weapon)
Energy: Bucky Barnes 3 (Explosives)
Total: Steve Rogers 28 (Metahuman)

That isn't a misprint! We're getting two Captains America for the price of one!

Steve Rogers is fresh off an apparent assassination, and excursion through time, dropping-in on his temporary replacement, Bucky Barnes, for the ultimate All-American team-up!

We got a brief glimpse of the stand-in when the Secret Avengers took on The Hood in New Avengers #54, but Bucky is best known as Cap's World War II fighting buddy who was thought dead until he reemerged as Winter Soldier.

The duo are taking on a classic Steve Rogers rival who's studied all his moves and learned to imitate them exactly!

Taskmaster possesses "photographic reflexes" that allow him to utilize the fighting techniques of anyone he observes. Cap is one of Taskmaster's stock favourites, leading him to frequently travel with a similar disc-shaped shield. He also favours the swordplay of Black Knight and the marksmanship of Hawkeye.

This intimate understanding of fighting styles means Taskmaster can anticipate and counter familiar studies, but therein lies a potential weakness.

Deadpool #2 showed that an unfamiliar and unpredictable opponent can get the drop on Taskmaster, negating some of his expertise. Deadpool's penchant for absurdity helped him win that fight, and again in Cable & Deadpool #36.

Bucky's programming as a Russian assassin means he's a very different fighter to Cap, and although we learned of a secret history involving well known characters, it's entirely possible he never encountered Taskmaster as The Winter Soldier!

Even if their activities did lead to a meeting, we can't forget that Taskmaster is a supreme fighter -- but he isn't infallible. Moon Knight once used the shock & awe of crashing a plane and staring down death to bamboozle him. It's entirely possible the teamwork of Captain America and Bucky could lead to defeat!

The Tape: Steve Rogers & Bucky Barnes Ranking: Steve Rogers (#7)

What Went Down...

Avengers fall out of the sky like raindrops across the battlefield and Taskmaster begins weighing up his options. A besieged Norman "Iron Patriot" Osborn spells a back-up plan that could keep him in favour with powerful friends -- win or lose.

With shield raised, Taskmaster rushes to Osborn's aid, charging towards an attacking Captain America who doesn't see it coming.

Fortunately for the recently returned hero his erstwhile replacement has his back covered and opens fire!

Taskmaster blocks the bullets with his shield and raises his sword to challenge the original Captain America.

The mercenary has been looking forward to a rematch with his old nemesis, as well as the professional opportunity to outdo Crossbones by killing the legendary hero with more permanence than his previous assassination.

Cap responds dismissively, so Taskmaster aims to make a lasting impression, continuing to deflect Bucky's gunfire as he slashes his sword across Captain America's defending shield.

A break in the shooting gives Taskmaster the opportunity to turn the tide of battle. With a single pivot he smacks Cap in the face with with his shield, and hurls his sword at Bucky with enough accuracy to knock the pistol from his hand!

Cap recovers quickly and takes advantage of the turn by sinking his knee into Taskmaster's exposed mid-section!

He remembers Taskmaster and his "photographic reflexes" all too well, and reasons that Bucky's lost decades could present a completely unknown opponent for the mimicking fighter.

Bucky tags in and introduces the mercenary to a very different kind of Captain America, brandishing Taskmaster's own sword against him!

For a moment the attack catches Taskmaster by surprise, but as the newest Captain America takes up the offensive, he begins to recognize the man fighting beneath the red, white, and blue. He's studied many World War II newsreels, and as impossible as it may seem, he knows this is Cap's long dead sidekick: Bucky!

Armed with this knowledge, Taskmaster swings his shield just so to knock the sword out of Bucky's hand, and clip him across the chin!

Bucky rallies with an assurance that Taskmaster and his allies will pay for what they've done to America during the dark reign of their administration.

"The flag. This country. The public trust. And for what you and your kind have done to them... I'M TAKING YOU DOWN!"

Taskmaster invites him to try, and the stand-in Captain America responds with seemingly reckless abandon -- charging directly into the line of Taskmaster's downward swinging sword!

The soldier blocks the sword strike with his right forearm -- hiding beneath his uniform the cyborg legacy of his days as The Winter Soldier!

Taskmaster seems unfazed by this revelation, but isn't so nonchalant when a flash in the sky signals the arrival of The Hood and his Cabal.

Bucky presumes the villain is receiving reinforcements, but Taskmaster notes the fighter jets already shooting down the HAMMER Helicarrier. Distractions enough to bring their skirmish to an end as the chaos brings the City of Asgard towards total destruction.

The Hammer...

There's direct overlap between the action seen in Avengers: The Initiative #34 and the concurrent events of Siege #3, but to the best of my knowledge todays featured fight ends as described. You could presume The Sentry's razing of Asgard is the capper.

With only one issue remaining: The Initiative creative team had to juggle contemporary concerns of the Dark Reign era, while also trying to give adequate send-off to some of the B and C list characters who were specific to the series, some since its beginning as a spin-off coming out of Civil War. The result is a slightly disjointed issue of a slightly disjointed series.

Taskmaster was first installed by Henry Peter Gyrich in Avengers: The Initiative #8 as a drill instructor at Camp Hammond. He was to train new recruits brought into the Fifty State Initiative by the government's Superhero Registration Act, kept in line by the threat of exploding nanobots supposedly implanted in his brain.

TM became a bigger focus for the series once he was made field leader of the black-ops Shadow Initiative unit in issue #20. This positioned him perfectly to serve the interests of Norman Osborn, who assumed command of the Fifty State Initiative after he leveraged the events of Secret Invasion to replace an indicted Tony Stark as the head of America's military and intelligence agencies.

That all might sound dreadfully complicated, but like most of these things, it's really a pick 'n' mix situation.

You only need to understand the story you're reading, and you can read as little or as much as you like. These other events add background and larger context to the lay of the land, but they're really not essential to understanding the series, or the story as told from the perspective of Taskmaster.

Siege ostensibly brings an end to the cascading circumstances that were roughly started with Avengers Disassembled, and really got going in Civil War.

The event was essentially designed to put all the pieces back together, bringing Captain America, Thor, and Iron Man back onto the same page after a half decade of sidelining and opposition. Thor had been back amongst the living for a while, but kept to himself, while Cap returned from his apparent assassination at the end of Civil War, having actually rattled around in time rather than death.

The curious irony of Siege is that, although it was arguably the most tightly arranged of Marvel's events -- tying related issues directly to the main battle in the Siege mini-series -- it results in one of the most insubstantial of the era.

Background characters suggest some of the action occurring in other Siege series, but Jorge Molina's pencils are swamped in a necessary palette that ties everything together with a monotonous wash of explosions occurring in the main title.

I like the detail of Taskmaster's deep understanding of fighting styles allowing him to identify Bucky Barnes beneath the shiny new Captain America costume. I'm a little less clear why, if this is their first meeting, he doesn't note any surprise that Bucky blocked a sword strike with his forearm. It seems like there's time, but a lot of other things are happening.

The goal of telling micro-stories inextricably linked to a single conflict and place was an intriguing one. It plays to the fantasy of telling a superhero war epic that goes back to Secret Wars, and maybe earlier. Siege may even achieve the genuine sensation of being on the frontlines, but its narrow focus makes everything feel small and just a little inconsequential.

I tend to think Final Crisis achieved a similar result without losing its sense of scope and grandeur. Siege benefits from having clearer long term goals, but even they manage to feel small and perfunctory. Its more of an end than a beginning, and we already knew what to expect long before it arrived.

What followed for Marvel Comics was less a return to good old character-driven comics, and more of a meandering freefall. Siege feels like the first chapter in the next ten years of scattershot comics. They chose to return to the event format shortly after, and each installment seemed more like Siege - "important" by design, but insubstantial and easily skipped by impression.

At some point I imagine I'll return to the main Siege series to take a closer look at its most significant battles. In the mean time, if you'd like to draw your own conclusions about the 2010 event you can check out collected editions of Siege: Avengers - The Initiative and Siege via Amazon links embedded below.

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Winner: Inconclusive (Draw)
#7 (--) Captain America (Steve Rogers)
#58 (--) Captain America (Bucky Barnes)
#991 (+2) Taskmaster

BLACK WIDOW & DIAMONDBACK versus CAPTAIN AMERICA

Cross Purposes (Marvel)
Where: Captain America #376 When: Early September 1990 Why: Mark Gruenwald How: Ron Lim

The Story So Far...
When the designer-drug ICE starts flooding the streets of New York City it ignites a wave of violence and addiction. No one is safe from the insidious product -- just ask Boomslang!

The Serpent Society villain was gunned down by a drug-fuelled gang while on the run from Captain America. Even the Avengers' trusted aide Fabian Stankiewicz is hooked -- sending the Sentinel of Liberty on a new mission to bust the drug-runners responsible!

Little does Captain America realise its all the latest criminal enterprise of his arch-nemesis, The Red Skull, and when one of the manufacturing plants he was investigating was blown up by its own user -- HE was exposed to the drug!

Now Cap is on the high from Hell and that spells trouble for anybody who gets in his way. Even his closest friends may not be able to bring him back down before he goes too far!

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Captain America 3 (Athlete)
Intelligence: Black Widow 4 (Tactician)
Speed: Captain America 4 (Olympian)
Stamina: Captain America 5 (Marathoner)
Agility: Diamondback 4 (Gymnast)
Fighting: Captain America 6 (Warrior)
Energy: Black Widow 2 (Projectile)
Total: Captain America 28 (Metahuman)

Black Widow and Diamondback may appear to be statistically outmatched by Captain America in head-to-head comparisons, but to really break this fight down we need to look more closely at our measure of fighting ability.

We rate Captain America at a high level of 6: "Warrior" status, reflecting not just his hand-to-hand combat training, but the intangible quality with which he's able to stare down entire armies and barrel through them by sheer force of will.

We saw a glimpse of that famous fighting spirit when Cap single-handedly bested SHIELD agents in Civil War #1, and Nazi soldiers in Captain America (Vol.5) #5.

Cap has also made a career out of going toe-to-toe with vastly more powerful opponents, such as: Nebula [Avengers #315], John Walker [Captain America #350], Master Man [Reborn #2], Iron Man [Captain America Annual #9], Hulk [Avengers #4], The Destroyer [Thor #1], and Thanos [Infinity Gauntlet #4].

We rate Black Widow at 5 in fighting, but it could be argued she's actually a far more skilled and nuanced fighter than Captain America. She doesn't have his enhanced strength or endurance to rely on, utilizing a more precise style of martial arts. Discipline that could kayo Jigsaw with a single kick [Daredevil #62].

Black Widow is obviously also a cunning tactician, who executes her plans with the speed and agility of a well trained gymnast. Combine that with her wrist-worn gauntlets -- capable of discharging high-powered electrical blasts -- and she can fight beside Iron Man against an adversary as powerful as Titanium Man!

Black Widow's penchant for collaboration is itself another valuable skill, and although she and Diamondback fought in a previous issue, they're on the same page as they chase down a drug-fuelled Captain America. For DB it's personal!

Diamondback, aka; Rachel Leighton, is a former member of the Serpent Society who turned tail when Viper staged a hostile takeover. She teamed with Cap and became a short-lived romantic interest after reapplying her arsenal of trick throwing diamonds and gymnastics as a hero.

Will the addition of Diamondback's emotional connection help Black Widow bring a drug-hazed Captain America in? Let's find out!

The Tape: Black Widow & Diamondback Ranking: Captain America (#7)

What Went Down...

Cap slams a couple of kids up against a wall on West 113th Street with a mind to getting tough on drugs. They were out looking for kicks and he's all too happy to oblige. The only problem is -- Captain America's coming down from a high himself!

Diamondback and Black Widow show up to bring him in for treatment, but the Captain isn't buying it. He's gone a week without sleep and still doesn't even realise he inhaled the designer drug ICE during a warehouse explosion.

The concerned costumed heroines rush their cornered comrade. He informs Black Widow that her Avengers membership will be revoked, but she keeps her mind on the job -- launching into a flying kick while Diamondback tosses knock-out gas!

Even in his addled state Captain America remains the consummate super-soldier and dodges Black Widow's kick at the last possible moment!

Sensing the struggle ahead The Widow brandishes her wrist gauntlets and lets off a full frontal widow's sting!

Cap manages to get his shield up to absorb the brunt of the point blank blast!

He arrogantly counters with a hard right hand that knocks Black Widow off balance!

It's all too clear the knock-out gas isn't having any effect, but Diamondback seizes an opportunity to dive on Cap's back for a standing rear naked choke that chicken wings his shield arm behind his back. She calls for Widow to take the shot!

It's a good plan, but the drugs in Captain America's system haven't sapped any of his strength. He yanks his shield arm free -- knocking Diamondback to the ground -- and once again dodges Black Widow's sting!

He charges toward the threat -- grabbing Black Widow's firing arm to control the weapon and direct it away from him. It allows him to deliver a hard standing sidekick that launches her off her feet!

Cap's kick rebuffs Black Widow's attacks and her claim he's consumed drugs. The chemical effect and lack of sleep combine to keep him from thinking clearly. He doesn't even consider the possibility he's fighting under the influence!

Diamondback again attempts to get the jump on Cap -- reluctantly firing a couple of her diamonds into the wall over his shoulder.

She knows in her heart she's missed on purpose. A grace a slightly paranoid Captain America doesn't intend to extend when he whips his shield right at her!

Diamondback ducks to narrowly dodge the incoming shield, but can't avoid Cap's crazed tirade.

He perceives his enemy-turned-ally's new uniform as a failed deception, and her presence as an inevitable betrayal. He regrets letting her get emotionally close to him -- not even noticing Black Widow's proximity until she taps his shoulder.

He swings around with a violent left hook that cracks the nearby wall, but Black Widow manages to perch above it and launch herself from the wall's face!

She unleashes a direct blast inches from Captain America's head!

The vicious blow brings an instant end to the conflict! Cap drops unconscious like a bad habit. Hard and heavy -- straight onto his back!

Diamondback worries the sting could've caused permanent brain damage, but The Widow is cool and confident: "I know my opponent. I know my weapon." A successful takedown.

The Hammer...

Lately I've really been enjoying digging back into Mark Gruenwald's run on Captain America. I experienced it around the time mostly as infrequent, disparate issues picked up here and there. A fun, but not always flattering way to read.

In the years since I've had the pleasure of filling in a few more gaps, and coming to appreciate the overall sequential context of more of Gruenwald's work.

It breaks up into fairly easy-to-digest portions, but viewing the many years in totum makes it easier to recognize the ebbing flow of ideas and character-driven plotlines. There's a bigger picture informing everything, and that's good comics.

Captain America #376 functions reasonably well on its own as an action packed chapter in the Streets of Poison storyline. It's Part 5 of a story I was predisposed to enjoy as a raucous crossover between Captain America and Daredevil!

Ostensibly its Gruenwald's high concept take on drug crime on America's streets, but this is also the issue where it escalates into a turf war between The Kingpin, who already rules New York City's criminal underworld, and Red Skull, who is manufacturing and distributing the methamphetamines into his market.

The conflict invariably poises the crime barons' respective bankrolled killers, namely Bullseye and Crossbones, to go against one another in what coalesces into a thrilling pseudo-sequel to Acts of Vengeance.

Everyone will take turns switching partners for some interesting irregular match-ups, but there's even more fun than the opposing foursome. Who better to get in the middle of this collision of Captain America and DD's worlds than Black Widow?

She becomes involved once word of his increasingly uncharacteristic behaviour reaches Avengers HQ. She won't get a chance to link-up with her former flame, Daredevil, or throwdown with one-time adversary Bullseye, but the optics of her entanglement certainly tickle all of those associations.

Black Widow's status as a Soviet-era adversary turned hero also compliments the unfolding redemption of Diamondback, which has been a saga played out over three years of Captain America plotlines.

The heroines met three issues prior for an abrupt case of mistaken intentions -- each unaware of the others' apparent face turn as they battled their way out of the sky and into the Hudson River. Their subsequent team-up subtly infuses Diamondback with some of the same hope for heroics associated with The Widow.

Diamondback's new "undercover" design is a simple, but pleasing alternative to the eye-catching hot pink costume she usually wears. It's essentially an inversion of the costume worn by Nightshade in DC's contemporaneous Suicide Squad -- a series that shares a similarly pleasing episodic nature. I wonder if it was just the style of the time, or if the respective designers knew.

Truth be told, I think artist Ron Lim and inker Danny Bulanadi could've made just about anything work! I particularly love the heft Lim gives to Captain America and Crossbones. Contrasted brilliantly by the lithe acrobatics of Black Widow.

This is such a good looking comic! It's not quite as inky as others I've romanced about from 1990, but there was still clearly something magic in the presses that year, because it's got that look! I only wish my scans did the pages true justice!

This isn't a dark comic by any measure, but when the action goes to the street, there's a wonderful sense of gloom brought about by colorist Steve Buccellato. Lim does great facial expressions, and I love the inked detail of Cap's stubble. It's really a case of everyone doing incredible work!

If you'd like to experience it for yourself you can find this issue in Captain America Epic Collection: Streets of Poison or the now out-of-print Streets of Poison trade paperback. Use Amazon links provided to do any of your shopping and you'll not only get yourself a good deal delivered to you -- but also support the site!

Secret Wars on Infinite Earths has featured well over 600 battles and ranked more than 1000 characters! If you'd like to help the project continue and see more reviews like this you can get involved by becoming a Patreon subscriber. As a thank you you'll gain access to additional updates, polls, and custom articles.

Discover more by exploring the Secret Archive for a complete index of featured fight articles in order of publisher, series, and issue number. Or follow links found throughout each post to follow characters and subjects you're interested in!

You can also subscribe on Twitter and Facebook to get daily links to fights inspired by the topics of the day! Be sure to wave the flag by hitting that like and share!

Winner: Black Widow (w/ Diamondback)
#42 (+15) Black Widow
#612 (new) Diamondback [+1 assist]
#7 (--) Captain America

INVINCIBLE versus TITAN

(Image)
Where: Invincible #1 When: January 2003
Why: Robert Kirkman How: Cory Walker

The Story So Far...
Mark Grayson may seem like any ordinary boy, but as a young child his father revealed himself to have an incredible secret -- he's the superhero Omni-Man!

Nolan had come to Earth from the planet Viltrum, and in puberty Mark would be destined to develop super-powers of his own: super-strength, speed, and flight!

In his teens: Mark enthusiastically embraces his powers and the legacy of heroism that comes with them. Devising a makeshift costume to hide his identity while he practised flying -- he eagerly embraces his first test when he happens upon an early morning diamond heist!

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Invincible 6 (Invincible)
Intelligence: Invincible 4 (Tactician)
Speed: Invincible 6 (Mach Speed)
Stamina: Invincible 7 (Unstoppable)
Agility: Invincible 3 (Acrobat)

Fighting: Invincible 3 (Street Wise)
Energy: Draw 1 (None)
Total: Invincible 30 (Super)

We're going right back to the very beginning! Invincible doesn't even have a superhero costume or name yet! He's still just Mark Grayson: two weeks into developing super-human strength, speed, invulnerability, and the power of flight -- perks that come from having an alien father from the planet Viltrum!

Mark hopes to follow in the footsteps of his father: visitor from another world who integrated into human society as one of its greatest champions - Omni-Man!

In the 1980s Nolan found a life with a woman he once rescued. He and Deborah Grayson were married, and thanks to the relative similarity between human and viltrumite DNA, they sired a healthy boy destined for great power.

The first test of Mark Grayson's responsibility is Titan: a low level criminal enforcer with the ability to generate a durable layer of rock over his entire body.

The casing grants Titan super-human strength and a hide capable of surviving heavy impacts -- even if he still feels the sting of bullets and other blows.

Mark only has a couple of weeks experience with his newfound powers, which could roughly be compared with Superman. Will that give Titan the edge to send the future Invincible home with a loss in his opening bout? Let's find out!

The Tape: Invincible Ranking: Draw (Not Ranked)

What Went Down...

The arrival of local law enforcement sends two well dressed diamond thieves fleeing from the scene of their successful heist. Between them is the rock-skinned Titan -- chided for failing to fulfill his intended role holding the cops at bay.

"It was a diamond heist! We knew there would be cops there! Why do you think we brought you along?!"

The super-powered enforcer makes up for his reluctance to stare down a half-dozen armed cops by tucking the suited men under each arm and leaping them over an obstructing fence. A clean getaway? Not quite...

On the other side of the fence the thieves land right in the path of a waiting masked man who delivers a powerful uppercut to Titan!

The suited thieves spill unconscious to the ground as the mystery man follows his attack on Titan with a leaping stomp that drives both feet into his chest!

The rocky villain fires back with a hard right hand that knocks his attacker off of his chest!

Titan dives through the air to take the offensive, unsure of the masked fighter's intentions. He asks: "Who the hell are you? Are you trying to stop us or rob us?" 

The hero responds with his fists -- unleashing a powerful haymaker that smashes the stone from Titan's body! A knock-out that declares his intent to stop them.

The Hammer...

The budding hero apologizes for mixed messages his handkerchief mask and goggles might be sending, but the thieves are already out cold, awaiting collection by the proper authorities.

Omni-Man happens to catch his son in his first heroic outing, and the confusing bandit chic of Mark's makeshift costume prompts the father to take his super-powered son on a rite of passage to the tailors. The next step on the path to becoming the Invincible you know and love!

The way I remember it Invincible was a relatively quick cult sensation, but in his foreword for collected editions of the series: Kurt Busiek, writing circa May 2003, describes his conceited dismissal of the new title, and its apparent slow start.

"Like the vast majority of smart-thinking Americans, I passed up INVINCIBLE #1 at least twice. Heard about the new Image "superhero line," saw the books in the catalog, and breezed right by INVINCIBLE. Just another superhero book, I thought. I've got a complete run of Nova. Of Firestorm. Of Speedball, for Pete's sake. This isn't anything I need."

I can relate to Busiek's experience.

He'd probably quibble semantics, but my thinking was somewhat similar. At first glance the Invincible #1 cover is not very remarkable. Plain even. The costume always made me wonder if it was all just somebody's joking attempt to turn the Image Comics logo into a mascot. The internal influences seemed uncomfortably obvious as well: Superman meets Spider-Man, with Savage Dragon action. A hint of Dragon Ball Z flavour may or may not be deliberate.

Busiek goes on to tell us that Firebreather and Dominion were his choices from Image's new wave of the time. Not being a smart-thinking American, I connected with the deepcuts of UK import Jack Staff.

Jack Staff wasn't particularly veiled with its references either, but it pulled from the far less common source of 1960s British comics. Curiosities that I'd enjoyed as a young boy and was eager to do so again, even though I'm not nearly that old. I just happened to discover one of the vital joys of comics at an early age -- back issues!

I like a certain amount of complication. It's the cornerstone of shared universes and one of the great and unique strengths of serial comic books. If things were too simple they'd be boring. Yet by 2003 online comic book fandom had begun to organize around some burgeoning ugly ideas.

Viral myths deeming Superman uniquely "unrelatable" and impossible to feature in "good" stories began to spread. The deeply regrettable phrase "new reader friendly" was coined to give common short-hand to a confused and anxious group convinced history had made American comics uniquely unapproachable. A hideous contradiction that would make human existence impossible. I did not approve.

Invincible seemed to be participating in both of these unfortunate preoccupations, but that wasn't the whole story. Sure, it reduced the Superman archetype to a fallible teenager, and very famously indulges in the increasingly common trope of the evil Superman. It does attempt to be "new reader friendly" and succeeds at that feat very effectively, but it doesn't do it at the expense of comic book excess.

Some of the impression that Invincible was overly-simplified comes from the relatively straight-laced earnestness of it all. It's only post-modern in the most basic of facets, a byproduct of passing time. Otherwise, it avoids commentary or subversion to its betterment. It is unabashedly a superhero comic. Apparent with its references, but still determinedly individual enough to join the pantheon.

Invincible's costume is one of the few meta gags worked into the first issue, using Robert Kirkman's search for an iconic design as part of Mark Grayson's origin story, and the invention of Arthur Rosenbaum: superhero tailor.

The idea of a specialist tailor, or armorer, was an emerging trend of the new millennium fixation with pseudo-practicality. Kirkman gets more out of the idea by using scrapped design concepts to tell his story. The orange & yellow costume Mark Grayson tries on first, and Rosenbaum's assumption that solar batteries would be a useful accessory to a Superman-esque character, directly references Kirkman's earlier conception for his character, then called Bulletproof.

He later spins the serviceable, if slightly generic, earlier design into another character -- Zandale Rudolph -- benefitting from the work done in this first issue. New reader friendly? Pff! You just got backdoored into big boy comics, buddy!

There's "continuity" all over this first issue that will eventually pay off later. It's implicit in the very first pages, where Cory Walker lays out an effective cold open action scene that features a fully realised Invincible grappling with what might, at first glance, appear to be a suicide bomber. A topical assumption in 2003 that gets flipped on its head in future issues.

For the record: I like Cory Walker's artwork. It's got the hallmarks of a modern American superhero comic artist, but a character all its own. Its simple linework lends well to the series' future in animation, and his sense of action is energetic and bombastic. The thin sharpness of his lines, and quirky details feel a little bit European, but there's an anime flavour bubbling beneath the surface, too. I say anime, rather than manga, because a sense of movement is a common feature.

Like the less-than-remarkable cover -- occasionally the staging of scenes is a little too underdone -- but I also greatly appreciate the anime-style stillness he's able to achieve in quieter moments. Scenes of domesticity are as natural as the Kirby by way of Larsen bursts of bombastic wall breaking. You don't always get both.

It'll take an unfortunately long time, but today's featured fight antagonist, Titan, will also take on far greater significance. He gets a little lost in the shuffle, sitting out dozens of issues as the series juggles human drama, other high concept fun, and a commitment to the alien aspect of the title-character that becomes the series' signature. I know you know about Omni-Man, but we'll get to that another time.

If you don't know about Invincible but want to start learning you can start your journey with a tiny bite of Invincible Vol.1: Family Matters or devour the first year of issues with Invincible: The Ultimate Collection Vol. 1. By using the Amazon purchase links provided you'll not only get an easy and convenient deal, but also help support the site at no extra cost to you!

Secret Wars on Infinite Earths has featured well over 600 battles and ranked more than 1000 characters! If you'd like to see more Invincible, or just help support this project in general, you can get involved on Patreon. As a thank you you'll gain access to additional updates, polls, and options to choose future feature content.

Discover more by exploring the Secret Archive for a complete index of featured fight articles in order of publisher, series, and issue number. If you've entered into the world of comics through invincible it's a nice way to go deeper into the comic book multiverse! Follow links throughout posts to search for specific subjects.

You can also subscribe on Twitter and Facebook to get daily links to fights inspired by the topics of the day! Be sure to wave the flag by hitting that like and share!

Winner: Invincible
#345 (new) Invincible
#955 (new) Titan

CAPTAIN AMERICA versus PROFESSOR POWER

Power Struggle (Marvel)
Where: Captain America #338 When: February 1988
Why: Mark Gruenwald How: Kieron Dwyer

The Story So Far...
Confronted with an ultimatum from the United States Government: Steve Rogers chooses to walk away from the shield & stripes of Captain America rather than re-enlist.

Having determined the mantle is intellectual property of the government: The Commission of Superhuman Activities installs former rival John "Super-Patriot" Walker as a new Captain America!

Fighting alongside his own Bucky the new Cap battles right-wing militant group The Watchdogs in his first successful missions. Now he takes on his first super-human threat as The Commission deploys the duo to take down wealthy scientist turned terrorist Professor Power!

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Professor Power 5 (Super-Human)
Intelligence: Professor Power 4 (Tactician)
Speed: Captain America 3 (Athlete)
Stamina: Professor Power 5 (Marathoner)
Agility: Captain America 2 (Average)
Fighting: Captain America 4 (Trained)
Energy: Professor Power 5 (Lasers)
Total: Professor Power 26 (Metahuman)

John Walker is still relatively early in his career as Captain America and today's battle represents his first serious test against a super-villain!

He and partner Lemar "Bucky" Hoskins have already fought through droves of costumed Roman Centurions, Mandroid-style robots, and the giant-size henchman known as Leviathan. All that waits is their primary target: Professor Power!

Anthony Power grew disillusioned with modern America when his son Matthew returned catatonic from the Vietnam war. He used his considerable fortune to establish a scientific think tank, and a Roman inspired private army intent on carrying out terrorist plots to provoke America to strength and greatness.

At his most extreme Anthony Power seized control of The Secret Empire and attempted to start a nuclear war with Russia. He was thwarted by The Defenders and subsequently re-engaged in a private vendetta against his best known adversary: Charles Xavier and his X-Men.

Power's hatred was first inspired when he attempted to force the mutant telepath to restore his son's broken psyche -- inadvertently causing its destruction!

The grieving father eventually had his mind transferred into his son's healthy body, which he outfitted with a powerful battle suit that allows him to fly, fire an energy beam from his hand, and greatly enhances his strength & durability.

John Walker underwent the Power Broker's process to gain super-human strength and durability of his own. We saw him notably out muscle Steve Rogers later in his tenure as the new Cap [Captain America #350], and even compete with Wonder Man in a weight lifting contest in West Coast Avengers Annual #5!

The eventual USAgent is very strong, but would ordinarily struggle to match the might of Professor Power. Lucky for him he's catching Power in a weakened state after being psychically assaulted by Moondragon and having to escape SHIELD.

The Tape: Professor Power Ranking: John Walker (#144)

What Went Down...

Having spotted Professor Power being lowered into an escape rocket: the new Captain America and Bucky scramble to take out his army of Centurion guards and reach the vessel before it takes off!

With no time to spare: Captain America throws his mighty shield -- sending it careening towards the rocket's propulsion engine. It smashes into the rocket, sending it lurching from the launch rail and into a nearby wall!

Unnaturally powerful hands rip through the hot metal of the wreckage, uncovering an unconscious Professor Power.

Just as Captain America goes to check for vital signs -- the Professor stirs and summons enough energy to lift his hand and fire a concussive beam right at Captain America's mid-section!

The point blank blast is strong enough to knock John Walker back and ignite his "guts" with pain, but he quickly blocks the attack with his shield and returns fire with a super-human charging punch!

The devastating blow would've toppled any man, but in his poor condition Professor Power goes down easily. That isn't enough for John Walker, though!

In a rage Captain America mounts his floored opponent and begins raining down unrelenting blows! With every punch another frustration boils over!

When the new Bucky catches up with his partner it's already over.

Captain America stands solemnly over the body of Professor Power -- now in a pool of its own blood. The mission is over.

The Hammer...

On the surface it may seem like a victory, but the cracks are beginning to show, and even John Walker seems to recognize he's gone too far.

Bucky congratulates him on a successful mission, but Walker knows what he's done. Professor Power is dead. By using lethal force he has crossed a line that his predecessor never would've. The result may be good enough for their superiors in The Commission, but it isn't good enough for Captain America.

It's an interesting moment of introspection that forecasts, and perhaps allows for, John Walker's future redemption as USAgent. He isn't a completely irredeemable character operating as a self-appointed executioner. He is, however, a man with obvious character flaws, and a serious issue with losing control.

Walker goes even further off the rails by the time he faces off with Steve Rogers, already driven to lethal extremes after watching the murder of his parents by The Watchdogs, and being set upon by armed enemies. Its all part of an orchestrated campaign by the Red Skull to discredit Captain America by pushing the easily exploited John Walker over the edge. It's a pretty short trip.

The subject of lethal force in superhero comics is an interesting one, especially when the hero in question is a sanctioned soldier.

Usually we accept that soldiers may be required to kill through the course of their duties, but it's also true that there are rules of engagement, and soldiers cannot indiscriminately murder whomever they please. Principles of justice and humane treatment dictate international law, and superheroes take that restraint further.

Opinions vary as to whether or not it should be assumed Steve Rogers killed Nazi soldiers during the Second World War, but it's generally accepted that he stands for higher ideals. The ability to achieve his objectives without killing is what elevates the super-hero and super-soldier. The goal is preservation of life.

I'm reminded of What If...? (Vol.2) #51, which explored the ideals of Captain America through the prism of a reality where Frank Castle became the new Cap.

The veil of fiction often allows us to enjoy The Punisher with the presumption of some degree of moral impunity, but as many stories show, his judgement is not infallible. He's ultimately a violent psychotic whose methods inevitably lead to unjustified killing. His approach is an appealing power fantasy on the page, but in practise its a simplistic and deeply flawed way to view the world. Far below the aspirations that inform the super-hero archetype, and Captain America.

When John Walker killed Professor Power he violated basic principles of justice by giving in to base aggression, and using excessive force on an already subdued opponent who was little to no threat. Tantamount to an act of cowardice and the beginning of a proverbial slippery slope.

Comics being what they are: Walker was responsible for the death of Matthew Power's body -- but Professor Power lived on when his psyche returned to its original body. This allowed Professor Power to continue to appear in later stories such as the Spider-Man and X-Men crossover in Spectacular Spider-Man that I most associate the character with.

As noted in The Tape section: Anthony Power had his mind transferred into his son's strong, youthful body when Matthew's psyche was accidentally destroyed in a telepathic battle between Mentallo and Professor X. Xavier had been unable to help the shell-shocked soldier recover from his time in Vietnam. War is hell.

We've looked at some heavy themes in today's featured fight and we'll continue to explore John Walker's ill fated time as Captain America at a later date. If you'd like to get the drop on the story you can read the whole issue collected in Captain America: The Captain. By using Amazon links provided you'll get yourself a  good deal and ensure Amazon supports the site at no extra cost to you!

If you'd like to find more on any of the characters covered in today's battle be sure to follow links throughout this post. You can discover even more fun and games by diving into the Secret Archive for a complete index of featured fights in order of publisher, series, and issue number!

Secret Wars on Infinite Earths has featured in excess of 600 battles and ranked well over 1000 combatants! If you like superhero smackdown and want to keep this resources strong you can support the project by signing up to Patreon. As a thank you patrons receive access to extra updates, polls, and custom articles.

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Winner: Captain America (w/ Bucky)
#80 (+64) USAgent (John Walker) [+1 kill]
#610 (new) Battlestar (Lemar Hoskins) [+1 assist]
#953 (new) Professor Power

SENTINEL A7 versus FALCON

Legion! (Marvel)
Where: Falcon #2 When: December 1983
Why: Jim Owsley How: Mark Bright

The Story So Far...
Some would say every day is just another battle for survival on the mean streets of Harlem -- but it becomes terrifyingly true when a casual stroll past an inner city landfill turns lethal for The Falcon!

A mutant-hunting Sentinel has been lying almost dormant beneath the garbage heap -- but its sensors have detected the high-flying winged avenger and deemed him a mutant.

Suddenly springing to life -- the evil machine has gigantic hands of death and a malfunctioning program that wants to put the squeeze on Falcon!

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Sentinel A7 5 (Super-Human)
Intelligence: Falcon 4 (Tactician)
Speed: Falcon 3 (Athlete)
Stamina: Sentinel A7 5 (Marathoner)
Agility: Falcon 3 (Acrobat)
Fighting: Falcon 4 (Trained)
Energy: Sentinel A7 5 (Lasers)
Total: Sentinel A7 24 (Champion)

Sentinels have long been a scourge of mutantkind, but occasionally their hateful programming has been directed at other opponents as well.

Sentinel A7 was consigned to the scrap heap after it was blasted to oblivion by Cyclops in X-Men #98. It looks as if its been able to auto-repair the gaping cavity in its chest, but are its circuits and programming still fully functioning?

The malicious machine has identified The Falcon as a mutant target.

To this point Sam Wilson had never been considered by those terms. His wing suit was designed by the Black Panther, while his keen senses and rapport with birds came courtesy of a cosmic cube controlled by the Red Skull.

Is it possible the Red Skull merely unlocked latent mutant powers?

That's one explanation for the mental link he shares with Redwing and other birds. It also might support some of the daring aerial feats he's performed over the years, which would put considerable strain on his body.

He was able to torpedo Pyro and endure Avalanche's vibrational blasts when The Avengers battled Freedom Force in Avengers #312. His flying fists also caused trouble for Baron Zemo in Thunderbolts #105. He showed the indomitable will of a super-soldier whilst battling Batroc The Leaper in All-New Captain America #1.

All of this goes to show Falcon will never go down without a fight, but it also reminds us he's best equipped to take on human threats. Sentinels aren't a world away from Hydra super-weapons, but can he win alone? Let's find out...

The Tape: Sentinel A7 Ranking: Sentinel A7 (#600)

What Went Down...

An empty street erupts with violence when a damaged Sentinel suddenly springs to life from beneath the trash heap of an inner-city garbage dump!

The sleeping giant's trigger is Falcon -- who just happened to be strolling through the neighbourhood when the machine identified him as a mutant.

The earthbound hero leans away from the sudden danger exploding out of the dump, but is never the less completely caught by surprise in the ambush!

Falcon can do nothing to escape the gigantic purple fist clasping around him!

The metal hand envelopes him almost completely -- pinning his wings to the sides of his body! The machine coldly observes its prize and speaks declaratively: "Resistance is useless!".

The machine was correct. With its free hand the human-shaped robot blasts Falcon in the face with a concentrated dose of powerful knock-out gas.

Sentinel A7 transmits a report that The Falcon has been successfully neutralized and sets a course for home base. Its programming never once detects that there is no one there to receive.

The Hammer...

We came to see if Falcon could stop the scourge of an out-of-control Sentinel, but all we got was a dirty sneak attack! The winged avenger never really got a chance to fight -- caught by the spontaneous unexpected revival of Sentinel A7!

What makes this unit so special? As noted in The Tape: Sentinel A7 previously appeared in X-Men #98, where it was blasted to smithereens by Cyclops after interrupting a Yuletide dinner date. Its unexpected return in Falcon #2 is a genius bit of shared-universe storytelling early in the career of Christopher Priest.

If this doesn't seem like the whole story - you're damn right it isn't!

The malfunctioning Sentinel takes Falcon to its long abandoned headquarters and places him in a glass holding tube. It doesn't take long for the dazed & nauseated hero to pull himself together and bust out -- setting up an exciting rematch!

We'll get a better impression of what Falcon can do when we come back for Round 2. Ideally I'd like to work my way through the entire four issue mini-series, which is all around a good time. I've just been especially eager to get to this issue.

Falcon doesn't have a particularly famous rogue's gallery, mostly sharing foes with his crime-fighting partner Captain America. To keep things fresh the mini-series tackles its subject by first mining Sam Wilson's personal circumstances to explore the character, and generate a new villain. Then it finds inventive ways to send him into conflict with other well known adversaries from the Marvel canon.

Reviving Sentinel A7 almost seven years after it was seemingly destroyed was a strange and unlikely masterstroke.

The unusual match-up gives the second issue an immediate hook, with a dramatic Paul Smith cover to lure you in, and Mark Bright interior art that really sells the scale of threat Falcon is up against!

Three different artists tackle cover duties for the series. They're all pretty good, but I daresay Smith's are the most famous. That first issue almost telegraphs the coming of Sentinels with a battle-damaged Falcon up against a wall looking like he could step into the Days of Future Past scene from Uncanny X-Men #141.

Falcon's no stranger to fighting overwhelming odds, but what would a Sentinel want with him? Six years before Dwayne McDuffie gave us Damage Control the issue answered what happens when giant killer robots break down in the city, but it also asked the question that launched a couple of decades of fan speculation.

History seems to have settled that Falcon isn't really a mutant, but for a while the possibility added an interesting wrinkle to his Dolittle-esque rapport with birds.

Mutant status might've led to other unique adventures had the 1983 mini-series launched more regular solo outings. In the end, it was probably simpler for the wingman to remain organic to the world of Cap, and human concern.

Falcon #2 ultimately plays it pretty ambiguously, any way. Sentinel A7 may be cosmetically repaired, presumably from other scrap sourced from the junkyard, but is clearly experiencing malfunction. It continues to operate as if no time has passed since its previous attack in 1976, even though that iteration of Sentinels had been decommissioned, and its headquarters is in obvious disrepair.

If you'd like to see what happens when the action continues you can check out the full mini-series collected in Avengers: Falcon. By using the Amazon purchase link provided you'll not only get yourself a good deal, you'll also be my wingman by getting Amazon to support the site at no extra cost to you!

You can find follow-up articles and more by following links throughout this post, or by diving into the Secret Archive for a complete index of featured fights in order of publisher, series, and issue number! Just scroll down to Falcon to find any future updates, or explore the many other options available!

Secret Wars on Infinite Earths has featured more than 600 battles and ranked well over 1000 characters! If you like superhero smackdown and want to support this independent corner of the web you can sign up to Patreon. As a thank you you'll receive access to additional updates, polls, and custom article options!

You can also follow and subscribe on Twitter or Facebook to get daily links to fights inspired by the trending topics of the day! Be sure to like and share posts while you're there, and tell me which ones are your favourites!

Winner: Sentinel A7
#188 (+412) Sentinel A7
#996 (-11) Falcon