FLASH versus QUICKSILVER
"The Showdown of the Century!"
Where: Marvel versus DC #2 When: March 1996
Writer: Peter David Artist: Dan Jurgens

The story so far...
Life in the DC and Marvel universes has always been tough, but when cosmic events conspire to endanger both, the heroes of both Earths face a secret crisis that could destroy them all.

Before time two cosmic entities existed, sexless brothers representing the two sides of all that is, was, and will ever be.

Turmoil between the two brought about an end to things as they once were, but in the aftermath their energies were dissipated into space, becoming part of the multi-verse.
Cosmic instabilities, as a result of the actions of various beings of different realities, created instabilities. After eons of recollecting their fragmented thoughts, the two brothers turned, and remembered their existence.

Now they pit their warriors against one and other.

Tale of the tape...
Like the previous two DC versus Marvel fights, there should be very little confusion regarding the thematic origins of this match up. We started with powers derived from Gods, moved through Atlantean undersea kings, and now we arrive at the time tested question of speed versus speed.

Although a very logical, and interesting match-up, I think most fans would be unanimous that this fight was pretty much over before it even started. Which is fitting, because for anyone watching, the super speed probably would see the fight finished in seconds.

Strength: 3 (Trained Athlete)
Intelligence: 3 (Straight A's)
Speed: 7 (Lightspeed)
Stamina: 6 (Generator)
Agility: 3 (Acrobat)
Fighting Ability: 3 (Streetwise)
Energy Powers: 1 (None)

The Flash would have to be considered the superior speedster by even the most casual of fans. An argument could be made for the powers granted by the speed force being superior to those of a natural mutation. The speed force is generally shown to be involved on a larger scale, and capable of far more.

Furthermore, I don't believe Quicksilver has ever really been seen breaking barriers of light. Though interpretations tend to be somewhat varied, The Flash seems quite capable of effectively operating in frozen time, invisible to those around him.

Although currently without mutant powers as a result of the House of M crossover, we will maintain a rating standard for Quicksilver previous to that development.

Strength: 2 (Normal Human)
Intelligence: 2 (Normal Human)
Speed: 6 (Sound Speed)
Stamina: 6 (Generator)
Agility: 2 (Normal Human)
Fighting Ability: 3 (Streetwise)
Energy Powers: 1 (None)

The degrees of separation between the two character's differences are probably far less than the ratings may usually indicate. For example; issues such as strength, which would logically need to be at a certain point to survive the pressures of super speed would arguably rate Quicksilver higher than an average human. Never the less, contextually this is probably the most accurate rating.

Though a seasoned veteran, there are very few advantages for Quicksilver in this particular match-up. External forces would be the most likely opportunity for Quicksilver to snatch victory.
Although, as the arrogant son of Magneto, one should not discount Quicksilver's capacity for dirty play. Though not likely to share in Aquaman's act of blatantly cheating; it's quite plausible that Quicksilver could trick the Flash into letting his guard down.

Of course, as a seasoned member of the Justice League, and a well accepted successor to legends like Jay Garrick and Barry Allen, it's still a stretch to believe the Flash would fall for tricks. Particularly with the fate of his universe in the balance.

As history will show us, Flashes have a habit of rising to the occasion when the world needs them most. Wally West is a Flash that knows this best, ever inspired by the sacrifice of his predecessor and uncle, Barry Allen.

As harsh as it is, this may be one of the most one-sided matches featured on Secret Earths thus far.

What went down...
The Flash gets a running jump on Quicksilver, as they converge on a deserted road. The only witnesses to their clash; a father and son, driving an oil tanker.

The Flash uses super speed to batter Quicksilver with a flurry of punches, as he ponders their potential for friendship. Quicksilver is all business though, concerned only with protecting his universe, and gaining victory.

The two heroes, distracted, battle at high speed into the path of the truck occupying the road. The two are tossed apart, as the tanker veers off the road, losing it's load, and leaving it to erupt in explosion off the side of the road.

Ever the public servant; Flash races to the aid of the driver and his son, plucking them from the scene, and dropping them away from danger
Flash's selfless act did not come without a cost. Stunned by the smoke sucked into his lungs, Flash is helpess as Quicksilver capitalizes on the distraction, unloading with a barrage of his own brand of super speed punches.

Quicksilver hesitates, disappointed with the dishonorable methods of his pending victory. Guilt sets in as he also ponders his jealousy over finding someone faster than he.
This pause is enough for the Flash to gather himself, once more.

Flash pounds away at his mutant opponent, until the deed is done.
"... He who hesitates... is lost."

The hammer...
The winner (to no one's surprise) - The Flash!

I certainly don't want to discount the potential and worth of a character like Quicksilver. As far as mutants in the Marvel universe go, he's probably one of the elite, having served with the X-Men, X-Factor, Magneto's Brotherhood and even The Avengers. Pretty big honors.

I think Quicksilver has probably suffered in a way similar to Namor. Both arrogant characters removed from the people around them by nature, I think sometimes they get written as somewhat two-dimensional characters. Their arrogance and demeanor becomes their character, rather than a character trait.

That's perhaps what was so interesting about the Son of M spin-off, coming out of the House of M mega event crossover.
Essentially it's Quicksilver's mutant super speed that distances him from others, but as a byproduct of that distance, it also becomes his identity. When the fallout sees him stripped of those powers - who is he?

Those reading the Son of M series know that he's reached out to his Inhuman connections, and plans to usher in the return of the mutant race using their terrigen mists. The mists had previously granted Quicksilver limited timetravel abilities, which he uses to further his plot.

As events through the Marvel Universe broil, sepeculation now begs the question - where next for the heir of the similarly powerless Magneto?
Marvel previews seem to suggest Magneto may rise to prominence, but some speculation surmises it may be the son who takes the guise of Magneto.

So, although not a big seven A-lister to the degree of the Flash, Quicksilver is certainly a force to be reckoned with - even without powers.

The Fight: 1.5 The Issue: 3

NEXT: The Man of Steel versus the Monster of Steel!

IRON MAN versus DIABLO
"When strikes Diablo"
Where: Iron Man #159 When: June 1982
Writer: Roger McKenzie Artist: Paul Smith

The story so far...
Once upon a time, the Fantastic Four battled and captured the diabolical alchemist called, Diablo.

Fearing the Fantastic Four under estimated the foe, Dr. Strange went about casting a spell that thwarted Diablo's escape efforts. For Diablo, it felt as though he were in an endless freefall, until his memory was no longer his, and in his stead stood only Al Bido, Stark International janitor.

With his supressed memories reemerging, Diablo uses his vantage point to take full advantage of the fantastic chemical facilities granted to him at Stark International. Thus, the invincible Iron Man is forced into action anew, to protect his own company.

Tale of the tape...
Iron Man's one of those characters that has such a sliding scale of abilities, it can be pretty tough to really nail down what his capabilities are. I tend to think there's a generally accepted standard for a good [Tony Stark] Iron Man, so hopefully you all tend to agree.

Strength: 5 (Super strength)
Intelligence: 5 (Professor)
Stamina: 6 (Generator)
Energy Powers: 5 (Lasers)

Generally the Iron Man armor grants Tony Stark some pretty standard strengths.
By means well disguised, the armor greatly increases his strength both defensively, and offensively, enabling him to lock up with some of the toughest of bruisers in the Marvel universe.
The armor also provides a fairly comprehensive arsenal of attack weapons, the best known of which are his trademark "repulsor rays". There are also variations on this weapon ranging from retractable shoulder mounts, and chest beams.

As time has gone by, the lifespan of the armor's power has increased exponentially, ranging from various fuelling methods, including solar power. This in turn has greatly increased the stamina of an armored Stark not suffering from physical ailments.

Of course, Stark isn't without his own strengths, as both experienced in the suit, and also the brilliant mind who created it. Engineering tasks are often easily dealt with, even by shortcut methods, and most variables are accounted for.
Strengths not seen in others to don the armor, like Happy Hogan and Jim Rhodes.

Intelligence: 5 (Professor)
Energy Powers: 4 (Arsenal)

Of course, Diablo is not without his own strengths, largely stemming from his own intellect. As a brilliant alchemist, Diablo is capable of utilizing the most base of elements with twisted, and demented results.

To reflect his potential for chemically enduced carnage, he has an arsenal rating for energy powers. Though potentially capable of a higher rating, generally Diablo's choices seem to be less of an explosive persuasion, and more inclined to the animation of creatures like the Dragon Man.

Of course, the nature of Diablo's creatures, as powerful as they are, lend themselves to termination. Heroes like Iron Man, generally unwilling to kill, are far less concerned where the magically animated are concerned. Although, I'm sure that raises many ethical questions, of which Iron Man should probably consider.

Ultimately, against a character like Diablo there are a lot of potential variables, and the most unlikely of elements could play a crucial part. Traditionally iron is one of the most powerful minerals of the occult, so against Diablo's alchemist powers, he may just be safe.

Regardless, given his track record, Diablo is a one-time A-lister who didn't have the stuff to do more than play a regular annoyance to the Fantastic Four.
Iron Man's a safe bet.

What went down...
Doing away with the psychiatrist that unlocked his supressed memories; Diablo uses his alechemist's bag of tricks to disguise himself as Tony Stark to send all laboratory scientists home, opening to him a veritable funhouse of possibilities.

When the call comes out, Stark leaps from his armor workshop to do battle with the mysterious threat posed by previously mild-mannered, Al Bido.
When Iron Man arrives to rip the sealed doors of the chemical reasearch lab open, he finds himself confronted with a two headed monster - literally - unlike the hangover of those drunken one night stands.

With security firing on the dragon beast, Iron Man draws it's attentions away, taking a superheated blast of fire breath. The protective properties of the armor ensure his safety, allowing him to strike back with disintegrating results.

Entering the darkened laboratory, Iron Man falls victim to an attack at the hands of the lurking Diablo, encased in a block of solid ice!
While Diablo gloats and lines up his next target, the Fantastic Four, the ever crafty Tony Stark uses the armor's thermal units to weaken the ice and blast free.

Diablo hurls tornado "devil dust" in Iron Man's general direction, forcing the battle outside as Iron Man tries to escape, only to find a sentient elemental fire chasing him down and clinging to his armor.
He turns the two weapons to his advantage, using the whirling winds of the devil dust to douse the flames, and then his repulsor rays blow the dust out of orbit.

Diablo continues his bizarre assault, giving life to the very sidewalk below, raising a monolith of concrete. The creatures smacks Iron Man around, battering him like a ragdoll, before moving in for the killing stroke.

The creature slams down at the floored Iron Man, but the creature's weight drives the invincible Iron Man through the ground into the levels below. The two plummet down, down, down, through each level, as Diablo explores what is unearthed.
There, he makes a discovery most terrible - Tony Stark's Iron Man workshop!

Using his evil science, Diablo animates previous incarnations of the Iron Man armor ranging from the original bulky suits, to the previous incarnations of his current, streamlined outfit.

Beneath a hail of armored punches, Stark finds himself mobbed by his own creations - doomed!
Or is he? Without the heart Tony Stark brings to the suit, the armor proves ineffective, falling before their master one by one, leaving only Diablo and a very angry Iron Man.

Diablo proves more resourceful than one might think, using Iron Man's untamed aggression to toss one of his potions that turns the air around his opponent into a binding, dense gas.

Believing him restrained, Diablo reaches in to unmask the golden avenger, unaware of Stark's security measures. When he hand meets contact with the visor, he finds only unforgiving, untamed electricity.

With Diablo defeated the gas wears off, leaving only a call to the Fantastic Four to take the villain away.

"Aw, them playboy types're all the same, Susie. Not a care in the world. Right, Iron-Pants?"

If only you knew, Thing!

The hammer...
Undoubtedly the win goes to Iron Man, despite having a pretty rough time of it. Perhaps I under estimated Diablo, in the same way the Fantastic Four did, the first time they had him in custody.

It will be interesting to see how the upcoming Marvel Civil War affects the relationship between these a-list heroes.

Details of the event are as yet sketchy, but a lot of theories point toward a rift between the heroes on policy regarding the registration of superhero secret identities. A theme seen in various ways in superhero stories past, including Powers storylines by the ever-involved, Brian Michael Bendis.

One tends to imagine that won't be the case, particularly with characters like the publicly known Fantastic Four appearing alongside Iron Man, who appears to be the head of the faction opposing Captain America.
Having gone public with his identity as Iron man, Tony Stark served as American secretary of defense, before reconvincing the populous he was no longer Iron Man, resigning in the aftermath of the events of Avengers: Disassembled.

Regardless, Iron Man remains a long standing favourite character, who really seems to still have wells of untapped potential. Warren Ellis' recent (oft delayed) run with hotshot artist, Adi Granov (see Iron Man profile pic), seemed to elaborate on some of the greater potential of the technologies involved in Iron Man, but the title does seem to remain forever stooped in the superhero culture that cultivated the character.

Although understanding the desire for identity away from the mecha themed Japanese manga characters, one does tend to wonder if Iron Man could benefit from an injection of that techno-pop, cyberpunk culture.

Perhaps Iron Man remains at his core a reflection of American mechanical, and technological manufacturing. Not necesarily renowned for it's longevity, or it's total effectiveness, much like Iron Man's ever changing armor styles.

Love him or hate him, it's great to have Iron Man officially on the board at Secret Earths!

The Fight: 3 The Issue: 3

NEXT: A battle for the human race! Flash versus Quicksilver!

NAMOR versus AQUAMAN
"The Showdown of the Century!"
Where: Marvel versus DC #2 When: March 1996
Writer: Peter David Artist: Dan Jurgens

The story so far...
Life in the DC and Marvel universes has always been tough, but when cosmic events conspire to endanger both, the heroes of both Earths face a secret crisis that could destroy them all.

Before time two cosmic entities existed, sexless brothers representing the two sides of all that is, was, and will ever be.

Turmoil between the two brought about an end to things as they once were, but in the aftermath their energies were dissipated into space, becoming part of the multi-verse.
Cosmic instabilities, as a result of the actions of various beings of different realities, created instabilities. After eons of recollecting their fragmented thoughts, the two brothers turned, and remembered their existence.

Now they pit their warriors against one and other.

Tale of the tape...
What a delicious way to continue the Marvel versus DC reflection.
I think of all the fights held this has to legitimately be the most worthy of controversy. I might be getting a little ahead of myself there, though.

Conceptually the fight is pretty straight forward; the two kings of Atlantis in their respective universes - ill tempered, mutated scions of the seas - facing off to name one grand Atlantean. A fair enough concept - or is it?

With Marvel comics' most popular characters emerging in the nineteen sixties during the Stan Lee era, it's understandable that many have a misconception about Sub-Mariner's origins. Though making noteworthy appearances in early issues of X-Men, and the Fantastic Four [alongside Golden Age revamp, The Human Torch], Namor's first appearance came in 1939, in the aptly titled Marvel Comics #1. The book published in October was from Timely Comics, which would later become Marvel.

In November 1941, National Allied Publications, which would later become DC comics, published More Fun Comics #73, which introduced the similarly aquatic themed hero of Aquaman.
Like Namor, Aquaman was the son of a human and an Atlantean, who would grow to assume the Atlantean throne.

Strength: 5 (Super strength)
Intelligence: 4 (Tactician)
Speed: 3 (Trained Athlete)
Stamina: 4 (Athlete)
Agility: 3 (Acrobat)
Fighting Ability: 6 (Warrior)
Energy Powers: 1 (None)

Though thematically similar, the characters diverged considerably in attitude and super powered feats. The Sub-Mariner would be a renegade sub-aquatic superman, while the gentler Aquaman would be at peace, and have a greater connection to the marine life around him.

Strength: 3 (Trained Athlete)
Intelligence: 4 (Tactician)
Speed: 3 (Trained Athlete)
Stamina: 5 (Marathon Runner)
Agility: 2 (Normal Human)
Fighting Ability: 4 (Trained Fighter)
Energy Powers: 2 (Projectile Weapon)

So, in a fight who would win?
Namor almost certainly has Aquaman out gunned on land and at sea with his raw strength, and his overall superior maneuverability, which includes flight.
Though both masters of their domain, it has been shown over the years that the water increases Namor's already impressive power exponentially.

Of course, Aquaman has one very interesting trait Namor doesn't. Aquaman can telepathically communicate with, and control aquatic life.
Now, even assuming the powers worked on Namor, it has been documented in the past that Namor's will is so strong, he can resist potent telepathic attack.

However, even Namor can't fight an entire population, and in any universe, Aquaman potentially has every Atlantean man, woman and child at his disposal, along with all the other fishes in the deep blue sea.

Ultimately, I think Sub-Mariner's strength and direct approach would curb any potential for this strategy on Aquaman's part. I also think Aquaman, essentially a good natured character, would never resort to potentially endangering that many lives. So, realistically, Aquaman would just get the tuna beat out of him until the Justice League showed up.

What went down...
Not surprisingly, Namor takes the initiative, swinging wildly at Aquaman, who playfully avoids his punches while taunting.
Of course, Aquaman makes the dangerous mistake of assuming the Sub-Mariner's muscle renders him a slower target. A lesson is learned, as Sub-Mariner cuts him off mid-sentence and sends the ruler hurtling out of the ocean.

Aquaman comes to land in an aquatic theme park, where a friendly killer whale is nice enough to warn him of Namor's speedy arrival.

Bursting out of the waters, Namor scoffs Aquaman's claims as an Atlantean king.
"I am neither amused, nor impressed by you!"

Aquaman commentates on Namor's lack of personality (while also poking fun at his own grim and gritty period), before attempting to snare the flying mutant with his harpoon hook.

Believing the fight to be won, Namor does little to avoid the "unbreakable" cord, and is further baffled as Aquaman makes light of the situation.
"What are you? An idiot?!"

Ultimately it's Namor's own single-minded attitude toward the cosmic events that are his downfall. As he verbally bashes his opponent, Aquaman is able to call upon the aid of the killer whale seen earlier, who does the fighting for him.

"That's your weakness, Namor. You're too noble to cheat."

The hammer...
Having judged quite harshly against the Invaders in their battle with Wolverine, it pains me to say Namor is yet to get a win on the board. Aquaman, though he did so through dishonorable means, walks away victor from this long pondered match up.

It's interesting to note that each of the Atlantean characters have suffered a successive drop in popularity; more so Aquaman than the Sub-Mariner, who although not fronting an on-going series, has probably maintained a more consistent presence in his universe.

I've heard it said that Hollywood generally avoids underwater pictures these days, as they are considered fairly guaranteed flops. I tend to wonder if there's a similar psyche in the opinions of underwater tales in comic books.
Personally I think both characters have been at their best away from their responsibilties as monarchs of Atlantis, and operating on the surface world.

Part of this opinion is certainly driven by the rather vanilla handling of each undersea kingdom. However, I think there probably is a very real disinterest in the ocean as it's relevence to travel diminishes, and it's mysteries become fewer.

Each character is enjoying a new life, but I do tend to watch with an air of scepticism for the longevity of these new efforts, and the direction they're going in.

I think again Namor will inevitably maintain the greater success, with his current big push being part of the Illuminati storylines, that band together some of the greatest minds and characters from the Marvel Universe. In that respect, I tend to think of Namor as Marvel's Kevin Bacon, in that the degrees of seperation between he and every other character at Marvel, are few.

Aquaman's revival is perhaps more dramatic than Namor's, and more in keeping with DC's approach to reviving certain properties. An all new man has taken the mantle of Aquaman one year later, [after the Infinite Crisis], with Arthur Curry apparently taking on a mentor-like role.
It looks like the title will steer more toward the mysticism and legend of Atlantis, and unlike Namor, bring Aquaman back to the ocean. Which should be an interesting choice to watch.

The Fight: 2 The Issue: 3

DC versus MARVEL, NEXT: The Scarlet Speedster, Flash versus Son of M, Quicksilver! Place your bets!

DAREDEVIL versus TURK
"Overture"
Where: Marvel Comics Presents #19 When: May 1989
Writer: Dwayne McDuffie Artist: Ernie Colón

The story so far...
Introducing Damage Control, the superhero insurance company of the Marvel universe!

Like the previously featured Daredevil vs Scope; this Marvel Comics Presents feature is an eight-page stand alone short story. This time around, the story serves as a preview for the first of the Damage Control mini-series, marking the first appearance of the characters.

John Porter, rival to Damage Control, arrives at Josie's bar hoping to sell superhero insurance to the Daredevil hotspot. Meanwhile, outside, Daredevil seeks information from the ever present, Turk.

Tale of the tape...
I really enjoyed the apparent obscurity of featuring Marvel's long forgotten anthology title earlier in the year, so I thought I'd havbe another shot.
Of course, in hindsight, these shorts are a lot tougher to elaborate on, and I'm not sure how interesting even the full issues have been.

Never the less, this is a really interesting story!
Even with my lack of familiarity with Daredevil's nemesis is troubling. Hopefully you'll still respect me in the morning when you learn that, despite reading comics for almost twenty years, Frank Miller's work on Daredevil is one of the larger gaps.
As I understand it, Turk was a recurring character during Miller's run, probably best known for this period.

As far as I know, and from what little information is available, he's pretty much a street thug. As far as Daredevil goes, this isn't exaclty arch-nemesis material. In fact, in the context of this story, (and perhaps others), Turk is pretty much played for laughs.

Energy powers: 3 (Explosives)

Weapons seem to be Turk's primary attack point, assuming he's alone. Not really as inspiring as villains who can crush bricks on their head, or layer you in flames, or pierce your pupil with a sewing needle.

What went down...
Casually resting against a lamppost, Daredevil clearly doesn't take Turk seriously as he hurls himself in his general direction with a leather clubbing weapon.
Daredevil swiftly avoids the attack, and leaves Turk to crash through the window of Josie's Joint as Damage Control insurance man, John Porter, peddles his wares.

Daredevil continues his interrogation, coyly tugging Turk toward him with a finger grip to his t-shirt, and then grabs him in a headlock.

Turk continues to resist, looking to use the ol' bar room chair trick, but Daredevil effortlessly faps it away, before tossing the thug across the bar into a wall.

John Porter casually enjoys his drink, while Daredevil further presses for a name to, one would assume, a pressing case.
Turk refuses to give up the information, and boasts that this time around he was ready for the crimson champion, brandishing a grenade.

"Thish ish for you, Daredevil!"

Turk pulls the pin with his teeth, but Daredevil gracefully knocks the explosive right back to sender with his billy club.

"You look busy. We'll chat later."

Porter walks Josie out of her joint, assuring her of improved cash flow by refinancing her mortgage with his group, as Turk warns of live grenade.

Daredevil manages to get to Porter and Josie before the explosion goes off, diving on them like any self-sacrificing hero would. What a guy!

As Josie absorbs the enormity of her life crumbled before her, Damage Control representitive Mrs. Hoag shows up to offer reassurance.
Daredevil gets his man, Josie gets a new bar (dropped in by crane), and John Porter joins the Damage Control team.

As for Turk? He lives to be harrassed another day!

The hammer...
So, there you have it. Apologies to any regular visitors, this was a late post. Other commitments led to this brief entry being a little behind schedule, but I don't expect that to be a regular thing.
For formaly's sake, I'm sure we all can tell, Daredevil got the win.

As mentioned ad nauseum, this was a choice of particular interest, not only as the first appearance of Damage Control, but also just as a neat little story.
Working on my own short stories for self-publication, I've come to chat with collaborators about the similarly formatted Marvel Comics Presents, which came to and end in 1995. The title really did have a way of producing some incredibly interesting, and under exposed stories.

With the Damage Control short, McDuffie does an interesting job of introducing the McGiffen/DeMatteisesque comedy of a less than efficient group operating in a superhero world. At the same time, it's layered behind the Daredevil fight that provides keen comedic beats, while also playing conveniently to the psyche of the time. No doubt Frank Miller and Daredevil were still quite in the minds of readers in early 1989.

This also highlights the interesting point of exposing both up and coming talents, with characters maybe a little more obscure than are usually provided. I would say today at Marvel the rough equivalent of MCP would be the Unlimited books sporting the X-Men and Spider-man brands respectively.

Though fantastic opportunities and comics, they perhaps lack the variety of some of the characters and themes MCP promoted.
Number ninetten, the issue featured here, the title characters of each story are; Cyclops/Mastermold, Black Panther, Dr. Strange, and Daredevil/Damage Control.

Of course, it is quite an honor and vocationally beneficial to be able to say you've worked on Spider-man or Wolverine, so, there's certainly a good counter balance to the argument for a book like MCP versus Unlimited. It's just more food for thought!

The Fight: 3 The Issue: 4

NEXT: Namor versus Aquaman. Marvel versus DC!
NEXT WEEK: The Invincible Ironman versus the Diabolical Diablo!

THOR versus CAPTAIN MARVEL
"The Showdown of the Century!"
Where: Marvel versus DC #2 When: March 1996
Writer: Peter David Artist: Claudio Castellini

The story so far...
Life in the DC and Marvel universes has always been tough, but when cosmic events conspire to endanger both, the heroes of both Earths face a secret crisis that could destroy them all.

Before time two cosmic entities existed, sexless brothers representing the two sides of all that is, was, and will ever be.

Turmoil between the two brought about an end to things as they once were, but in the aftermath their energies were dissipated into space, becoming part of the multi-verse.
Cosmic instabilities, as a result of the actions of various beings of different realities, created instabilities. After eons of recollecting their fragmented thoughts, the two brothers turned, and remembered their existence.

Now they pit their warriors against one and other.

Tale of the tape...
Let's clear any illusions. Wow, this is the ultimate fanboy event, and I love it.
DC versus Marvel, or if you're so persuaded - DC versus Marvel. The ultimate showdown between the biggest, and best superheroes in comic books.
Or at least, a close approximation. While the nineteen ninties might not have been the ideal creative time for such an event, one imagines such an event could never have occured if the creative grounds were fertile to begin with.

Talk about a huge fight to get things rolling!
Two of each universe's heaviest hitters, each charged with the very power of Gods. Thor, a god himself, and Captain Marvel, harnessing the magically endowed abilities of a pantheon of legends and Gods.

The wisdom of Solomon, the strength of Hercules, the stamina of Atlas, the power of Zeus, the courage of Achilles, and the speed of Mercury.
The abilities that make up the magical acronym SHAZAM! Catch cry of Earth's mightiest mortal, Captain Marvel. But how do those abilities translate to the Haseloff system?

Strength: 6 (Invincible)
Intelligence: 5 (Professor)
Speed: 5 (Super speed)
Stamina: 6 (Generator)
Agility: 2 (Normal human)
Fighting Ability: 3 (Street wise)
Energy Powers: 1 (None)

Although usually only revealing the relevent points to each fight, I usually do make note of each rating for most characters. I can honestly say, Captain Marvel is the most enclusively impressive documented thus far.

Like Superman, Captain Marvel's intelligence is almost certainly his most overlooked talent, even if not his most useful. As is this case on this occasion, intelligence will really only serve him so well. His abilities as a physical combatant, will no doubt be his advantage.

Against a fighter like Thor, agility probably isn't a concern. Thor's ability to control lightning would be Captain Marvel's biggest concern. If he could somehow find a way to turn that advantage back on Thor, however, he would be applying that wisdom of Solomon well.
As has been the case in fights passed, Captain Marvel might even be well served using the magical lightning bolt that changes him from Billy Batson to big red.

Strength: 6 (Invincible)
Intelligence: 4 (Tactician)
Speed: 3 (Trained athlete)
Stamina: 6 (Generator)
Agility: 2 (Normal human)
Fighting Ability: 6 (Warrior)
Energy Powers: 5 (Lasers)

Thor, also a mighty challenger.
Similarly a character perceived as traditionally dimwitted, I think over time we've come to recognise Thor's wisdom as both Odin's successor, and of course as a strategic warrior.

While Cap's energy rating is not indicative of his shazam lightning, Thor's is rated to represent the ease upon which he can use lightning. This, also coupled with the use of Mjolnir as a projectile, make him a formidable opponent.

Thor's greatest concern would no doubt be the chance of being outsmarted.
Obviously, the flipside of the already discussed disadvantages of Captain Marvel would be to use the distance advantage. Mjolnir is an incredible weapon, of immense power. Thor's greatest priority would be staying in contact with Mjolnir, and using him any chance given.

Who would I put my money on to win? Geez, this has to be one of the toughest match-ups to theoretically call. Ultimately I would lean toward Thor, but it's a very difficult call to make.

What went down...
Introducing one and other, the two characters possessing power of Gods decide it fitting that they pray. I'm not a religious man, but if my world was at war, I guess I couldn't say that was such a bad idea.

With their prayers said, the two characters engage in battle at the scene of a fair.

The two heroes lament their usual responsibility to search for an alternative solution, as they engage in forced battle.
Captain Marvel scores a good looking blow with a stiff right hand, but Thor manages to thwap the good Captain away with the mighty Mjolnir, sending Captain Marvel hurtling into a ferris wheel.

Calling upon the strength of Zeus and Hercules, Captain Marvel rips the structurally compromised ride from it's barings, and hurls it like a discus at his Norse foe.
Mjolnir makes light work of the ride, sending it back as a falling pile of scrap metal.

Pinned down by a massive piece of the structure, Captain Marvel lets out the mighty cry, "SHAZAM!!", shrinking down to the nimble but vulnerable Billy Batson.

Unwilling to be immobile for even a second, Batson shouts his cry again, but this time Thor, recognising the lightning based powers, hurls his hammer to intercept the bolt.

"SHAZAAK!"

Explosive energy sends Thor and the frail Bill Batson into next week, the mortal unable to battle on any further. As Thor gathers himself, however, he realises victory has come at a price. Not only is his honor questionable, but his mighty hammer is apparently lost...

The hammer...
If you're sitting putting two and two together, let me put your mind at rest. Yes, this conclusive section of each update is inspired by Thor. Also to allude to the final drop of a judge's gavel.

The judge, of course, on this time would undoubtedly rule in favour of Thor, victorious. Ergo, Marvel jump to an immediate lead of 1-0.
To those unfamiliar with the event, I challenge you to avoid the temptation of spoilers, and bet amongst your friends on the final outcome.

As you probably noticed from the pictures, Thor is dressed somewhat uncharacteristically. This is something reflected more than once by the series, which really puts a unique stamp on the development of the two companies at the time.

Earlier I mentioned the event coming at a time perhaps not creatively suited to support such a concept in the way it deserves. This is well displayed by the event's inclusion of characters in flux like Spider-man, who at the time was Ben Reilly, the would-be non-clone, and Aquaman, complete with harpoon-hand.

While the nineties may not have been as creatively barren as some claim, it certainly produced a lot of comics that were less than well thought out. Many characters fell into traps of quick gimmicks, and eventually reversed changes.
Kyle Rayner, Hal Jordan's successor as the Green Lantern, is another example of a nineties shakeup prevelent in DC versus Marvel. Hal Jordan, of course, made his triumphant return as a cleansed hero in the 2005 mini-series, Green Lantern: Rebirth.

The Fight: 3 The Issue: 3

NEXT: Daredevil versus Turk, at Rosie's bar!
NEXT WEEK: Sub-Mariner versus Aquaman!

HAWKMAN versus St. ROCH
"Fate's Warning"
Where: Hawkman #31 When: October 2004
Writer: Justin Gray & Jimmy Palmiotti Artist: Ryan Sook

The story so far...
Settling into St. Roch hasn't been easy for Hawkman.

In a pit of depression over his own destined shortcomings, and his inability to protect a female scientist in a terrorist explosion at a chemical lab; Hawkman finds himself in a dark place. That is, until he makes the acquaintance of local jazz singer, Domina Paris.

Tensions between the Hawk-people and police Detective Grubs escalate as a series of murders dubbed the Angel Killings begin. Named so for the MO of painting a red cross on the victim's chest, and perching them in some manner with makeshift wings.

Hawkman and Hawkgirl become distracted as they battle a mysterious creature that appears linked to the killings, but unfortunately find themselves in the police spotlight alone, each and every time.

Tale of the tape...
If there's one thing this website needed, it's more Hawkman!

I've made passing reference in the past to the gaping DC shaped hole in my comics collection, and where characters like Hawkman are concerned, that'll be a lasting regret. He really is a great fighting character, and just something interesting in a sea of themed superheroes.

A fond versus moment from the past is a black and white oversized reprint of a Hawkman/Superman clash. Unfortunately as an inferior reprint, it will not be featured in future instalments.

Strength: 4 (Steroid popper)
Stamina: 4 (Athlete)
Fighting ability: 6 (Warrior)

If the ratings were more expansive, Hawkman would probably get a seven for stamina, being essentially immortal. Never the less, as always, these ratings are indicative of more immediate abilities, and cannot be one hundred percent inclusive.

Like many heroes, Hawkman's strengths are quite straight forward and universal.
He's got some big, heavy old weapons, and he's crazy and tought enough to use them. Arguably his strenght is probably somewhere closer to a 3.5, but in my experience his strength tends to be variable around that mark.

The character adopting the name of St. Roch has fought Hawkman in previous issues of this storyarc, but there's very little to gauge the length of the character's abilities.
As these things tend to go, we have to step outside of the story and acknowledge that by raising the personal stakes, it's likely St. Roch's previous mini-victories will be for naught.

What went down...
Freed from jail, Hawkman joins Hawkgirl on the chase for the St. Roch creature, and the abducted Domina Paris.

Arriving at an abandoned warehouse by the docks, Hawkgirl and Hawkman find evidence of the previous murders. A bloody sink, and other paraphernalia possibly involved.

"Carter... I don't want to just catch him anymore. I want to hurt him." "You already hurt me..."

As St. Roch speaks to them from the shadows, the two heroes make a morbid discovery. Hanging from the broken ceiling by ropes; Domina Paris in the same position as the victims of the angel killer. Red cross. Makeshift wings.
Hawkman rushes to her aid, praying for signs of life, while Hawkgirl engages the creature.

Roch continues to talk through his fight. He credits his rise to sainthood to Hawkman and Hawkgirl as he tosses her through a ceiling support.
Hawkgirl recovers and clubs the beast through a wall, only to have pieces of brick hurled at her, as the creature declares himself further as a saint.

A tender moment shared between Hawkman and Domina as she dies, segues cleanly into unabashed rage.
Hawkman comes to Hawkgirl's rescue, crashing down on St. Roch, and then clubs him across the warehouse with his mace.

Roch scrambles to the rafters, and manages to take a slice out of the attacking Hawkman, before getting knocked to the ground where Hawkman thunders down with remorseless punches.
It's then, at close contact, that Hawkman begins to feel the effects of St. Roch's powers. His insides churn, and his body aches as the onset of St. Roch's diseases take hold.

Revealing himself as the thought-dead leader of the terrorist group featured at the beginning of the storyarc. St. Roch elaborates on his fate in the chemical research laboratory explosion, proclaiming himself to be both the disease and the cure for St. Roch.

With this information, Hawkman's resolve is strengthened.
He leaps from the ground and drives the terrorist's body through the exterior wall of the warehouse, before emerging from the waters with his broken body.

The hammer...
If you've been visiting Secret Earths on any kind of regular basis, you're probably the kind of fan that's willing to indulge a particular type of fanboy hysteria. Which is good, because recently I did get a little silly for Hawkman.

As is often the case, I think we've ended up with a fairly clean result. So, for formality's sake, let us declare Hawkman the victor, with assistance from Hawkgirl.

Hopefully no one has taken offense to the marginalizing of Hawkgirl, but I would honestly assess her involvement in the fight proper, as minimal.
Recently visiting the When Fangirls Attack site on blogspot, it occurred to me that this site could be perceived as a little neglectful. Which it is... (kidding)

As the Hawkman title makes the transition to Hawkgirl, I'm holding out hope that it doesn't mean anything negative to Hawkman. There have, naturally, been a lot of rumours swirling regarding a possible death. This was probably perpetuated by confusion generated by overlapping continuity in Countdown, Rann/Thanagar War and Hawkman.
I tend to think the scares are over, but if anyone's reading Hawkgirl, drop a comment and let me know!

The Fight: 3.5 The Issue: 5

NEXT WEEK: DC versus Marvel! The first fight!

MONTHLY PUNCH-UP #3
Here we are once again for the first day of another month!

As the image to the right may suggest, next month is the beginning of the three month celebration of the DC vs Marvel mega-event.
More on that in a moment, but first some things pertaining to this past month.

While I wasn't able to dig up any concrete information on the featured issue of Street Fighter II, I did discover something that may prove enlightening.

Apparently there is a Japanese manga company called Tokuma Shoten, which may or may not have published the original, Japanese version of this particular Street Fighter series. If anyone can confirm or deny this, I'd greatly appreciate it.

Also, a big thanks goes out to Ragnell who was able to tell me Zor has appeared prior to Seven Soldiers: Zatanna. He can be seen battling The Spectre in the Golden Age Spectre: Archive Edition published by DC. Very interesting, and a fight that may feature in future editions of Secret Earths.

Now, onto the business of the day; DC versus Marvel/Marvel versus DC.

The above is a cardboard foldout ballot from the Skybox DC versus Marvel trading card series. One of the few utterly worthless pieces of memorabilia in my meager collection. The image at the top of the page is a ballot from the actual comic, which presumably some suckers probably ripped out of their books.

Beginning next month we will be celebrating the much maligned, but thoroughly interesting crossover that happened this time ten years ago. It's really quite frightening to think that much time has elapsed.

In the interest of keeping updates versatile Monday will be DC/Marvel day, while the regular Friday slot will be maintained by other entries.
Each featured fight from DC versus Marvel will be it's own single entry, with an extra final recap rounding things out to twelve weekly entries in total.

For the first month, regular Friday entries will try to steer toward characters that were omitted from the crossover. Beyond that, things are still up in the air.
Hopefully everyone will be able to enjoy the festivities, and perhaps even chime in with a comment or two on the more controversial results.

The Top Five...
#1 Batman (-) (#1)
With so little history behind Secret Earths, it comes as little surprise that despite not being featured, the Batman remains top of the pile.
With an interesting and unique crop of characters being featured as part of the DC vs Marvel milestone, Batman may be challenged by other characters as he slips from the spotlight.
Ever a present and favourite character, he will no doubt be a stalwart of the top five.

- Batman versus Superman
- Batman versus Superman
- Batman & Red Hood versus Captain Nazi, Hyena & Count Vertigo

#2 Daredevil (+2) (#4)
As a personal favourite, Daredevil is no doubt a promising challenge to Batman in these early months. Perhaps the only things keeping DD from taking the top spot will be Batman's solid exposure in my collection, and also Daredevil's capacity for loss. Though an incredibly proficient fighter, one would struggle to find a character as challenged and battered as Daredevil.

- Daredevil versus Scope
- Daredevil & Elektra versus Bullseye

#3 Captain America (-1) (#2)
Again, a minum of entries all spread out amongst different characters mean Captain America moves very little. I would expect the Captain to slide further in coming months, with interests being diverted in other directions. As a prevelent character in the Marvel universe, no doubt Captain America will rise again, but he may have to fall to do it.

- X-Men & SHIELD (w/ Captain America) versus Wolverine
- Zombies (inc. Captain America) versus Magneto

#4 Green Arrow (re) (#5)
Ousted for a month, Green Arrow returns to the top five.
Having gained larger recognition as a vital player in the goings on in the DC universe, there's a chance Green Arrow may continue to ebb in and out of the top five.
With a large DC shaped hole in my collection, it may be the events of the Infinite Crisis mega-crossover, and it's consequences that control Green Arrow's fate.

- Justice League (inc. Green Arrow) versus Deathstroke (w/ Dr. Light)
- Batman (w/Green Arrow) versus Superman
- Green Arrow versus The Brick

#5 Zatanna (new) (-)
A somewhat surprising entry is Zatanna!
I had made the mistake of assuming Mr. Fantastic would maintain his top five position for one more week, but apparently I was wrong!

Zatanna is probably an unlikely character to sit this high on the list, really thriving solely on recent interests in the character. I have had very little to do with the character in the past, and I wouldn't expect to see her in the top five again. This may be her swansong.

- Justice League (inc. Zatanna) versus Deathstroke
- Zatanna versus Zor

The hammer...
If any of you are crazy enough to be running some sort of elaborate betting system based on this website, then there are a few names not mentioned worth keeping an eye out.

Featured in the DC versus Marvel crossover; Wolverine and Elektra are both characters lurking outside the top five. With Zatanna and Green Arrow each absent from the event, there's good odds that one of those [Wolverine or Elektra], might steal a spot.

Not featured in the event, Daredevil is a shoe-in to remain competitive with five characters spotlighted in March that did not partake in the event. Two bruisers not featured at all yet, are Hulk and the Thing. These guys are definite outside chances to make an impact, as solid fighters.

Finally, if anyone's going to rise through the ranks faster than a speeding bullet, it's probably Superman. Currently ranked at a disgraceful fourty-fifth, and with a major motion picture on the way, it wouldn't be unreasonable to expect a resurgance in popularity for the Man of Steel.

That's all from Secret Earths today, as we prepare to kick off the DC versus Marvel triple threat from now until the end of May!

THIS WEEK: Hawkman! 'Nuff said!
NEXT WEEK: Marvel versus DC
February hit count: 442

ZATANNA versus ZOR
"Zor!"
Where: Seven Soldiers: Zatanna #4 When: December 2005
Writer: Grant Morrison Artist: Ryan Sook

The story so far...
In this Seven Soldiers mini-series, Zatanna has been adventuring within herself, and the world of magic, as she comes to terms with all that she is, and all she can be.

With her powers failing her, Zatanna travels with a mysterious new apprentice called Misty, who exhibits great magical potential, and has a little magic die that seems to serve her every whim.

Encountering the legendary Ali-Ka-Zoom, Zatanna learns more about her own past, and the history of her young friend, on her way to find council with seven unknown men. What she finds, is Zor.

Tale of the tape...
Like previous entries, Zatanna is a character that has been proclaimed as potentially one of the most powerful heroes in comics. Unlike a Mr. Fantastic, whose abilities rely on his special skills, and execution -- Zatanna's formula is very simple. Say it, and it happens.

Granted, it's not that simple. She has to say it backward, but over the years I can't say I've ever seen her struggle with this. As a novelty act, there are actually people in the world who do phonetically speak backward. So, with a lengthy history behind her, Zatanna really is bound by her own will and imagination.

Intelligence: 2 (Normal human)
Stamina: 3 (Strong willed)
Energy powers: 4 (Arsenal)

For a character with such unlimited potential, it's tough to nail down any kind of rating on each individual stat. Based on her tame interpretations, I have hopefully adequately represented her strengths.
Again, her magic isn't terribly well represented by the typical stats, and therefore her potential is quite a bit higher.

On the flip side, my sources tell me Zor has never appeared prior to this issue, so he enters as an unknown equation. It is quite obvious that he is of greatly significant power, and with Zatanna a little less than certain of herself, he could potentially defeat her.

As we saw in the Justice League's fight with Deathstroke, Zatanna can be swiftly eliminated by an able foe through a silencing maneuver. That said, against the unknown quantity, you'd still surely have to put your money on Zee.

What went down...
Initially Zatanna is surprised. The silhouette emerging through the fog resembles that of her deceased father, the great magician Zatara. It is, of course, not Zatara.

You'd probably never guess it, but FYI, his name is Zor!

Apparently amused by Zatanna's hopeful mistake, Zor shoots her with a couple of eye-bullets (as you do), and remarks that in her world he can make her his daughter, or do anything else he can imagine.

Zor reimagines Zatanna as though she was raised by his own hand. Perverse and spiteful. Dark and venomous. He creates Zorina, dark (and sexy) daughter of Zor.
Of course, the gag is, being a Bizarro-Zatanna of sorts, Zorina rebels against her father, "Erotser annataz ot yonna yddad!"

The formerly captured Shapeless Being serving "the new architect of the universe" is Zatanna's instrument of counter measure, using him to ensure she becomes whatsoever Zor becomes.

The two magical beings exit the physical realm, doing battle in another place. A place where reality is meaningless, and will becomes absolute.
Zor plucks a satellite from orbit and hurls it at Zatanna, only to see it caught and spat out by the heckling Justice Leaguer. She makes fun of his beard.

"Liar! It's a magnificent beard and I know you want one! Hahahaha!"

Zor hurls comets at Zatanna, and she breaks the jar that contains the Shapeless One. Reality slips farther from Zatanna's grasp, and the fight leaves the page, taking a trademark Morrison trip through the fourth wall.

Zatanna and Zor begin to battle with the very reality we're reading.
Zor tears through the panel on the page, as Zatanna struggles and falls.
The two magicians race through the very fabric of reality, and somehow Zatanna manages to get one step ahead of Zor. For a moment they wrestle as two people, in the oily scum of Slaughter Swamp.

Then Zatanna reaches out. She extends her arm toward us, and she realises she couldn't find the seven unknown men because they were there, on the outside, all along. She stands before "the time tailors".

Zor lies on a table, disected by the Time Tailors for manipulating reality beyond boundaries deemed acceptable. Zatanna is granted access to their information, and victorious, this soldier is granted one last moment with her father. The real one.

The Hammer...
I have to admit, this looked like a much better idea after Christmas when I read the mini-series and got very excited about it. My interests have waned a little with time, but it's still a fantastic book, with a fantastic character.

I think it's pretty safe to say Zatanna is unanimously victorious, being that she's the character who managed to continue her existence. Call me old fashioned, but I think existing is always a pretty good indicator of someone's status.

While my interests may have waned over time, I have to absolutely sing the praises of this mini-series. Grant Morrison needs no further introduction, but Ryan Sook is proving to be a name I'm slowly coming to recognise. His pencil work on Seven Soldiers: Zatanna is truly phenomenal, and further complimented by the inks of Mick Gray and Nathan Eyring on colours.

Of the Seven Soldiers collection of series it was only this, and Mister Miracle, so far, that caught my attentions. Without a doubt I imagine Zatanna was the most interesting of the lot. Great read!

The Fight: 3 The Issue: 6.5

NEXT WEEK: The monthly punch-up, with all the information you'll need for the upcoming DC versus Marvel/Marvel versus DC super event! Plus, the newly popular top five! Be here!

BULLSEYE versus DAREDEVIL & ELEKTRA"The Murdock Papers"
Where: Daredevil #79 When: January 2006
Writer: Brian Michael Bendis Artist: Alex Maleev

The story so far...
Two years ago Matt Murdock was attacked by his enemies, just like he'd been attacked by his enemies time and time before. This time, however, the toll of all those previous fights had been take, and this time, Matt Murdock intended to end it.

Having been humiliated and utterly defeated at the hands of Daredevil, the Kingpin finally made a move to use the information of Daredevil's secret identity.

Setting up all the pawns, Kingpin negotiates his way to a better life abroad, while manipulating the federal investigation forces into hunting his nemesis down.

The assassin Elektra returns to help prevent the Kingpin's "Murdock Papers" falling into the wrong hands, as one of only three people who know they existed. The other two people being the Kingpin himself, and the man who once killed Elektra, the Kingpin's other prized assassin.

Bullseye is back.

Tale of the tape...
Technically we're featuring the rematch before the kick-off, but these characters are so familiar with each other, I don't think showing fights out of sequence is going to affect things too drastically.

The X-factor in this particular fight is common to all three characters involved, and that's history. Elektra's as cool as they come, but it has to do something to even the best of us, knowing you're fighting a guy who's killed you. Especially the way Bullseye was able to do it, with her own weapon.

Energy powers: 4 (Arsenal)

The energy powers is a difficult category, but here the four is to represent Bullseye's incredible accuracy skills. Essentially he has access to an arsenal, making anything he can throw a weapon.

Agility: 4 (Gymnast)
Fighting ability: 5 (Martial artist)

Obviously having the agility to avoid Bullseye's attacks, or the associated hand-eye coordination to even counter them, is a tremendous advantage. Both Elektra and Daredevil each share the same rating for agility, as do they share fighting ability.

Against a marksman like Bullseye, their greatest advantage is to try to out maneuver his attacks, and then out fight him with a superior fighting discipline.
Of course, against a character as psychologically offensive as Bullseye, that might be easier said than done.

That said, on paper, the Daredevil and Elektra team would be hard to bet against.

What went down...
At the beginning of last issue, Daredevil posed a question, and got an answer when he caught a razor tipped ace of spades in mid-air -- right infront of Elektra's neck.

The story resumes with Bullseye flying onto the rooftop straddling a motorcycle, while throwing razor cards at Daredevil, Elektra, Black Widow and former special agent Angela Del Toro (the new White Tiger).

As DD looks to protect Del Toro, Elektra shows no hesitation where confronting Bullseye is concerned. She charges him, forcing them off the side of the rooftop, and down through a skylight into an office block.

Elektra continues to battle Bullseye through an eating area, avoiding a projectile hot coffee pot, while Daredevil tries to keep Del Toro out of harms way.
Though in posession of the White Tiger's amulet, DD is certain she lacks the skill necessary to fight a man as deadly as Bullseye. He proves his point, snatching the amulet away, and kicking Del Toro off the roof into a garbage laden alley below. She brakes her arm, but lives.

DD charges Black Widow with the task of protecting his wife Milla, before he joins the fray.

Inside the offices, Bullseye manages to get the jump on Elektra, and snatches one of her sai away. Pressed up against a wall, it all looks horribly familiar for Elektra, but before Bullseye can deliver the finishing blow a red billy-club hurtles into his throat.

Elektra cracks her fist against Bullseye's face, and DD makes his landing count, coming through the skylight onto Bullseye.
Bullseye is able to use it to his advantage though, turning the broken shards of glass into lethal projectiles.

Bullseye gets tossed out the window, landing on a buss in the street, but the damage is done. An innocent with a shard of glass in her throat passes. Daredevil will not let it go lightly.

On the street, DD emplores people to clear the area as he and Elektra each hurl one of their weapons at Bullseye. He's able to catch them both, and defend himself against Elektra's attack. It leaves him open to Daredevil, who slams him into the street, and catches Elektra's sai as Bullseye tosses it.

The fight goes to close quarter, Bullseye pulling Elektra into defend himself from a Daredevil punch, before getting a boot in the face. Elektra fights back, and Daredevil gathers himself, driving his fist into his arch-nemesis' face.
The nose busts. Blood sprays.

With his ass in his hands, Bullseye makes a run for it, but doesn't see a truck coming at the T-junction.

His body whips around, leaving him motionless in the middle of the street. Elektra checks for signs of life, and Daredevil tells her his legs are broken, and a rib is shattered, but like always, he still lives.

Elektra seeks vengeance, but despite the evils Bullseye has committed against him, this time the Catholic Murdock shows mercy for his deadly foe.

Before he can retrieve the papers he fought so hard for, a shot is fired, taking his shoulder. A sniper shot from so far away, not even Daredevil's keen radar senses could pick it up. Of course, that's a whole other story.

The hammer...
I think it's pretty safe to say that by the end of the fight, Elektra and Daredevil emerged the victors. Unless of course you consider Bullseye's broken leg predicament to be another notch on the Daredevil belt for championing disabilities.

It's probably noteworthy that despite being one of the biggest writers in comics today, Brian Michael Bendis has not been featured on Secret Earths prior to this. That is largely because of two things -- coincidence that other titles have grabbed my attentions sooner, and also because I am often a critic of his more recent works.

Regardless of my opinion of his work as a whole, I have to undoubtedly acknowledge his Daredevil as a truly impressive comic. Not only due to the fantastic art provided by Alex Maleev, but also because of the overall atmosphere, and Bendis' ability to take Frank Miller's contribution, and continue it.
That fact is also cause for critique, but overall Daredevil has been one of the most fantastic runs of his career. I'm sorry to see it end, but the Murdock Papers has been a worthy send-off!

The Fight: 7 The Issue: 7

NEXT WEEK: A fight that actually leaps off the page! Be here in seven!

GREEN ARROW versus THE BRICK
"New Blood Part Six: Coming Out"
Where: Green Arrow #45 When: February 2005
Writer: Judd Winick Artist: Phil Hester

The story so far...
In the midst of personal battles at home with his HIV positive ward, and his son, Green Arrow has been fighting a war on the streets.

The war, thus far, has been for naught. Daniel "The Brick" Brickwell, a mutated thug with skin like stone, has been taking Star City piece by piece from under the feet of Green Arrow.

As The Brick's control spreads through the Star City underworld, it becomes obvious that Green Arrow has to put a stop to it.

Tale of the tape...
At this point the Brick really hasn't been in action all that long, so to a degree he's a bit of an unknown quantity. Still, there are some very obvious assumptions that a strategist like Green Arrow could marke.

Strength: 5 (Super strength)
Fighting ability: 3 (Street wise)

Brickwell's most obvious strength is his 'brick' hard skin, and the proportionate super strength that comes with it. In a one on one confrontation, it's his invulnerability that make Brickwell such a difficult obstacle to over come.
A heavy hitter like a Superman could probably handle Brickwell relatively easily, but as a normal human with weapons, Green Arrow runs out of options.

Even if he is able to shoot off a few arrows, there's no guarantee they'll do more than distract Brickwell.

Intelligence: 4 (Tactician)

This has to be a battle of smarts for Green Arrow. Some of his trick arrows might prove as useful distractions, but this is a battle of ego. Green Arrow's motivation is to prove to Brickwell that he wears the trousers in Star City, and if he wants to, he can slap any gangster around.

Of course, against someone with the strength, and resources of the Brick -- that's easier said than done. On paper, if Green Arrow wasn't the super trooper hero he is, you'd have to lean toward Brickwell. Particularly considering Green Arrow has taken little time to plan for this fight.

What went down...
It was an evening like any other in the Brickwell household. Daniel was discussing ways to evade the attentions of the Penguin by outsourcing his arms running, when there was an interruption. Apparently Green Arrow had stopped by.

You've got to admire a hero who knocks on the front door, and challenges his arch-nemesis. Brickwell acknowledges the gaul it took, and orders his boys to hand GA his "toys" back, so they can step outside.

"Bitch, I have not got all day..."

Four arrows stop Brickwell mid-sentence, jamming themselves into his rock hard skin just barely. Brickwell appears surprised by the force of the shots, even though they don't slow him down. GA tries to fire off a couple more, but the Brick manages to swat him before they leave the bow.

Brick challenges GA to do better, and he tries, but Brickwell shows surprising speed. He snaps an unshot arrow, and slams Green Arrow against a concrete pillar. GA spits blood in the gangster's face defiantly, and gets hurled across the lot for his troubles.

The fight continues, Green Arrow finding himself grossly outmatched as he tries to slug it out physically with the Brick. Exhausted, he gets slapped around physically and verbally.

As Brick lunges in to finish him off, GA manages to stuff one of his ball ended trick arrows down his throat. Cold and concisely he fires off a glue arrow straight at Brick's gullet.

"That's not the regular glue bomb arrow." "It's a high-grade industrial adhesive."

Brick struggles in vain, until he falls to the ground -- suffocating.

GA shows mercy, spraying the adhesive with a dissolving compound. Though barely conscious, Brickwell is allowed to live, but not before Green Arrow delivers closing words.

"And don't forget... Don't you ever forget, Mr. Brickwell... who was wearing the boots. "Bitch.""

The hammer...
This was a fight akin to Daredevil putting the "final" kibosh on the Kingpin, so it's a shame The Brick didn't have an opportunity to established himself more as a character. It had the makings of a very solid story, but ultimately fell short through creative premature ejaculation. One would assume this may have come about by editorial mandates.

Quite obviously, despite getting slapped around like a little girl's doll, Green Arrow came out the other end victorious. As far as I know, we haven't seen The Brick since. If anyone wants to let me know, that would be greatly appreciated.

I really enjoyed this issue of Winick's GA. It's been on the pile for Secret Earths entries for a while. My only real critical disappointment with the story is the fact that the book didn't have a more mature tone to it, and couldn't have built up it's urban threats. Previous issues were marred by monsters and goblins.

After this issue things get considerably more Saturday morning super heroey, but that's not necessarily a bad thing for us. No doubt you'll see more GA in the future, but this might've been the best of it.

The Fight: 6
The Issue: 6

NEXT WEEK: The hero, the villain and the lover!

RYU versus BALROG
"Super Action Series"
Where: Street Fighter II #1 When: July 1994
Writer: Masaomi Kanzaki Artist: Masaomi Kanzaki

The story so far...
Super cool wandering warrior, Ryu, has found his way to the man-made manhattan of the island, Shad.
While looking for a decent meal, he runs afoul gangsters who have been plaguing a small family owned restaurant for insurance money.

Ever the hero, Ryu comes to the aid of the sexy store manager, but not before incurring the wrath of the gang boss -- former boxing champion, Balrog!

Ryu offers Po-Lin and her little brother Wong-Mei a chance to free themselves of debt if they bet money on him to win the fight. But does Ryu have what it takes to win?

Tale of the tape...
Okay, this isn't a typical super hero clash, but using the Haseloff system of categorizing powers and abilities, hopefully these relatively human characters can be accurately shown to measure up.

Fans of the video games will recognize Balrog as a pretty big deal, especially considering this is Ryu's first fight in this particular incarnation of the manga. Although not the easiest or most versatile of playable characters in the Street Fighter games, Balrog has to be acknowledged as a big deal.

Strength: 4 (Steroid popper)
Speed: 3 (Trained athlete)
Fighting ability: 4 (Trained fighter)

Like any real prize fighter, Balrog's keys to victory are in his technique and ability to execute. While regarded as a supremely skilled fighter, Balrog is also known for his ferocity, a fact that saw him thrown out of the boxing circuit.
In a street fight, that viciousness could be his greatest weapon, combined with his incredible strength and relative speed.

Stamina: 4 (Athlete)
Fighting ability: 5 (Martial artist)
Energy: 3 (Explosives)

As a Shotokan karate fighter, you can enter into the debate of martial artist versus boxer very easily. Rather than try to split hairs, let us just assume that each have been measured by a universal standard, and that standard has ranked Ryu a more skilled fighter.

Perhaps the greatest advantage of Ryu's technique, particularly against one of the few Street Fighters unable to harness their ki, is his hadou-ken and shoryuken attacks. Balrog's strength would likely allow him to out fight Ryu through sheer power, but he has to be in close to do that.

Kicks, and energy attacks are Ryu's most likely chance, and you'd have to think it's a good one. Apart from being one of Street Fighter's most revered hero characters, he's also extremely skilled.

What went down...
Little Las Vegas! The grudge bout of the century!
"You're mine..." "Let's do it."

As the fight kicks off, Balrog takes the aggressive offensive, moving in with a barrage of punches and fancy footwork.
Ryu manages to block them all, and moves in for a roundhouse kick, but gets nothing but air.

Balrog's speed is on display as he dodges the kick, and find's Ryu dazed and confused. He unloads with a dashing uppercut, ripping the ribs of the Japanese fighter.

The pummelling continues as Balrog gives Ryu everything he's got. A flurry of high speed punches seem to be too much for Ryu, who really never got out of the gates, as he hits the mat.

Balrog's team greet the champ as all hope seems lost for Po-Lin and Wong-Mei's, who were betting the shop on this one. However, to the shock and amazement of everyone, Ryu gets up!

"When you were in the ring, nobody ever survived your combinations.
But now, you don't even have a third of your old strength."

Balrog goes berzerk! He tosses his towel aside and charges into battle with Ryu, as the Japanese fighter berates him, lamenting on his fall from grace.

The taunting is too much for the former champion, who puts everything into his last punch - but it never connects.

Ryu unleashes his hadou-ken attack, putting the finishing move on Balrog, but the threat isn't over. An over zealous goon lines Ryu up in the scope of his rifle and fires at the victor.

Fortunately for Ryu, a mysteriouso stoic Guile emerges just in time to deflect the shot and destroy the gun. Balrog shows signs of turning a new leaf, denouncing the sniper attempt. He is gracious in defeat.

The hammer...
By his own opponent's omission, Ryu emerges as the obvious victor.

It's probably not surprising that I'm a huge fan of beat 'em up video games, and the characters therein. Street Fighter is certainly among my favourites, and this was a long time coming.
I'm pretty sure something from the UDON efforts will turn up on Secret Earths soon enough.

This particular issue serves as this month's attempt at fulfilling the 'obscure' slot. I really know very little about the origins of the book, or what became of it.
Like other beat 'em up comics, I never saw anything beyond the first issue, but I'm not certain whether it failed to make print, or just wasn't distributed.

I actualy bought this issue at the time in a supermarket magazine section.
Generally in Australia, at the time, comics were sold in newsagencys (as well as comic shops, of course), so this was quite an unusual find.

As far as I know the book itself was a Japanese reprint, that may or may not have been printed by Marvel comics. The brand printed on the cover, as you may or may not be able to see in my scan, is Tokuma Comics.
Hopefully by the time of the March punch-up, I might be able to tell you more about this little gem. It's not terribly faithful to the Street Fighter story, but it's still a favourite.

NOTE (Nov. 29, 2007): The Tokuma Shoten series has been translated and reprinted in it's original black and white unedited form, by UDON comics. If you're picking it up via Amazon, consider yourself informed!

The Fight: 3
The Issue: 4

NEXT WEEK: Green Arrow bashes his head against a brick wall!

MONTHLY PUNCH-UP #2
Alright, I think I'm getting the hang of this.

Welcome back to Secret Earths for the second of what will perhaps be many monthly punch-ups. Having added a hit counter this month, I actually know people are visiting, so... go team!

A pretty good selection of fights this month, even if I do say so myself. Perhaps garnering some of the most attention was Daredevil vs Scope, and for that reason I'm going to endeavor to mix the eras up. Not that you should hold me to that, because there are so many great comics grabbing my attention.

For anyone interested, I was pleased to be informed that Scope is in fact a character unique to the aforementioned feature story. Thanks to Vonn Hennigar for finding confirmation on that.

In case anyone hasn't noticed, I'm running a little behind schedle (contrary to the dates of these entries). Because of that, the weekly punch-up is going to take evasive action, so instead of just waffling on about a character, you're just going to get the top ten as it stands. Thanks for your patience.

March will kick off the three month celebration of the tenth anniversary of Marvel versus DC, and with any luck I'll find them time to upgrade to two entries every week, to offer some diversity. Three months is a LONG time for one theme.
In the mean time, hopefully you'll enjoy the attempt at making interesting selections for February.

The Top Five
#1 Batman (Unchanged)
Hardly surprising on a site like this that Batman would weigh in at first early, and continue to do so. That's largely due to the exposure of the character, and the successful nature of his strengths as a thinking hero. In the next coming months there will hopefully be a greater diversity, which may see this change for a time.

- Batman versus Superman
- Batman versus Superman
- Batman & Red Hood versus Captain Nazi, Hyena and Count Vertigo

#2 Captain America (+1)
Like Batman, you'd have to consider Captain America, a character known for his prowess as a fighter, as a worthy inclusion in the top five. Cap enjoyed a return to my comic collection thanks to the efforts of Ed Brubaker on a new series, but because it featured largely character driven stories, Cap may slide from the top by numbers.

- X-Men & SHIELD w/Captain America versus Wolverine
- Zombies (inc. Captain America) versus Magneto

#3 Mr. Fantastic (-1)
His gradual decline from the top ten has already begun, and you'd imagine it will continue as numbers accumulate. Generally not an active fighter, but as a member of the Fantastic Four, there's still a good chance he'll stick around. With pretty versatile powers, and the brain to potentially use them in infinite ways, Mr. Fantastic is often regarded as one of the most underrated, and potentially powerful, fighters in comics.

- Mr. Fantastic versus The Super Apes & Red Ghost

#4 Daredevil (new)
Here's a guy I'm sure will climb the ranks, just because I'm really digging the character lately. The end of Bendis and Maleev's run will no doubt inspire nostalgia, and several entries.
Like other entries, Daredevil is known for his fighting prowess, and should be considered a very valid top five fighter. Unfortunately my collection is lacking in previous appearances though, so his status could be in question.

- Daredevil versus Scope

#5 Wasp (new)
Okay, to the three or four Wasp fans out there -- I wouldn't expect her to stick around. As an unlikely offensive instrument of doom, zombie Wasp actually proved useful for something other than hasty retreat to deliver messages to loved ones. Yes, alternate reality counterparts to characters are included in the ranks to save confusion. DKR Batman is Batman, and Zombie Wasp is... well, I wouldn't want to say infront of the children...

- Marvel Zombies (inc. Wasp) versus Magneto

The Hammer...
That about wraps it up for this monthly punch-up.
As my efforts become spread thin amongst other projects this is likely the method I'll be taking each month, rather than trying to string together a monologue about a character.

With the Marvel/DC action taking over in March, I took the time to pick out four personal favourite fights for February. You've got a brick shithouse, reality bending mystic battles, old rivalries and more!

Next week: There'll be fighting in the street! Be here!