DRAGON & NINJA TURTLES versus COMPLETE CARNAGE

(Image)
Where: Savage Dragon #22 When: September 1995
Why: Erik Larsen How: Erik Larsen

The Story So Far...
When a construction worker violated sacred ground, he was destined to become part of a cosmic struggle of good and evil. Transformed into the demon Complete Carnage, he was a being of total evil until finally slain by his pure counterpart Radical and The Ninja Turtles.

Two years later, a new version of Complete Carnage has emerged to wreak havoc on the modern marvels he draws strength from! His existence: the product of scientific experimentation on a severed limb by the Whelan-Freas Research Centre! The product: an even more savage clone!

Radical is forbidden to intervene, forcing The Ninja Turtles to catch the train to Chicago alone. They won't have to look far for an ally in the fight with Complete Carnage, though. Officer Dragon is reporting for duty!

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Dragon 6 (Invincible)
Intelligence: Donatello 5 (Professor)
Speed: Turtles 3 (Athlete)
Stamina: Dragon 7 (Unstoppable)
Agility: Turtles 4 (Gymnastic)
Fighting: Draw 6 (Warrior)
Energy: Turtles 2 (Projectiles)


Just when you thought it was safe to crawl out of the sewers -- we've got an inter-company crossover on our hands!

The Turtles are: Leonardo, Donatello, Raphael & Michaelangelo.

We join the teenaged ninja-ones in the midst of a good old fashioned superhero team-up with none other than Chicago PD's finest: Officer Dragon!

You may remember him from his epic showdown with evil armored arch-nemesis Overlord, way back in Savage Dragon #7! Kinda appropriate, given, when last we left The Turtles on The Comic Book Fight Club, they were taking out their own notorious, evil armored nemesis: The Shredder - in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #1!

As if that wasn't enough in common: these heroes are all mutually mean, green and good for your environment -- provided you don't mind a little collateral damage with your thwarting of evil-doers!

The bad guy in question is Complete Carnage: A humble construction worker who violated sacred ground, placing a curse that manifested when he was struck by lightning whilst repairing a concrete wall. The event mutated him into the evil demon Carnage, whose mastery over cement and steel allows him to control both substances, draw strength from them, and even pass through them!

To combat the specialist demon The Turtles usually rely on specialist help - namely Radical, who was struck by the same lightning as the construction worker, and possesses powers of pure good. She was instrumental in destroying Complete Carnage once and for all, by trapping him in a liquefied road.

This particular Complete Carnage is a clone derived from a dismembered arm. Radical was ordered not to intervene by her spiritual guides due to the creature's illegitimate existence. That means The Turtles can only rely on Dragon when the creature goes on a rampage in concrete jungle of Chicago!

Officer Dragon certainly has the muscle to stand toe-to-toe with a jacked up, construction powered demon clone. Power reserves supplied by the cityscape could pose a problem in fighting and/or containing Complete Carnage, but The Turtles are there to supply invaluable tactical knowledge!

The Math: Dragon & The Turtles Ranking: Donatello (#169)

What Went Down...
Police Officer Dragon and The Ninja Turtles tumble into the Chicago streets as a building collapses behind them! Still trapped inside: the hulking demon known as Complete Carnage - alive again after two years through scientific tampering!

Drawing strength from man-made objects of concrete and metal, the creature is super-charged by the bricks and mortar that rain down on him! A giant purple fist punches through the wreckage before the demon explodes free!

Michaelangelo attacks first - leaping into the fray with his nunchaku leading the way! They smash against the bridge of Carnage's nose. The demon returns the favor, swinging a giant purple right hand that clobbers the bashful turtle!

The rest of the brothers aren't far behind - Leonardo leading as they take the fight to the cloned monster. Donatello recognizes extreme differences in the creature cloned from Complete Carnage's arm. This version lacks "the finesse of his predecessor" and shows a greater savagery!

Michaelangelo is pinned beneath the beast as he brothers attack, but the ground soon gives way beneath them - sending all five plummeting into the dark void of the underground sewers below! Reluctantly - The Dragon dives in after them!

Shrouded in darkness, falling uncontrollably - the ninjas strike! Nunchaku smash, blood sprays, a sai stabs into the demon's neck - it lashes out! Raphael is swatted away. Then The Dragon arrives like a piledriver - fist-first into evil!

Raphael tries to use the opening to get another shot in, but is knock away by gigantic limbs. The Dragon is knocked away, too. He takes a straight shot to the nose with a krak! Ninja silhouettes dance all around. Donatello's staff extends like a limb to strike the demon in the side of the head. The demon goes wild!

Flailing limbs and confusion keep Complete Carnage from focusing enough to utilize his power over man's sewer tunnels. The Turtles try to use it to their advantage, but they're in Chicago. Officer Dragon has dibs on this beat!

The two powerhouses collide in the dark! Dragon's powerful fists are hammers of justice, but the collapsing building has kept Complete Carnage strong. He fires a punch that launches The Dragon into the sewer structure. The next one sends him exploding out of the sewer - into Lake Michigan!

The Turtles take charge, whomping on their nemesis' clone while Officer Dragon is forced to swim back to shore. Donatello does some damage with his wooden staff. When Dragon arrives he's soaking wet - and hopping mad! He snatches Complete Carnage from behind and tosses him into the air like a ragdoll!

The heroes watch on, waiting for the rampaging demon-clone to return - but he does not! Little do they realize - another demonic entity is lurking beneath the surface. A creature driven by pure hatred for Dragon: The Fiend - Bonnie Harris!

The Fiend's red hand clutches Complete Carnage by the skull. Bubbles froth into the water as the clone is confronted with its fate. While Carnage searches for breath, The Dragon springs into action from the shoreline, leaping into the lake!

When Dragon arrives - it's already too late. The Fiend has disappeared, leaving only the drowned corpse of the Complete Carnage clone.

Dragon hauls the remains back to the sewer exit, where The Turtles are stunned by the ease of its defeat. Clearly a pale shadow of the original Complete Carnage that caused them so much trouble! Officer Dragon is left to believe it was his actions that led to the death - an act he hoped to avoid.

The Hammer...
It was one helluva superhero team-up, but in the end, it was the surprise influence of a villain that gave us a victory shared by The Fiend & The Dragon! Take nothing away from The Ninja Turtles, though! They'll take away a well earned assist stat you can see in the rankings update at the bottom of this entry.

If you weren't paying attention, you may like it clarified that this is Bonnie Harris as The Fiend - the third incarnation of Dragon's infernal nemesis.

As noted throughout; this incarnation of Complete Carnage is a significantly discounted version of the deadly Ninja Turtles adversary. He was cloned by The Whelan-Freas Research Center in a twist that feels equal parts Terminator 2 and Aliens.

The fact that he was a clone doesn't ease the burden on Dragon as he and the Turtles leave the scene. It's an interesting contrast of morals. Even in 1995, the grim 'n' gritty red clad turtles of the comics aren't too fussed about slaying an enemy. Not that I typically think of Dragon as being one to pull his punches, either.

This the second outing of both independent creations on Secret Wars on Infinite Earths. In both cases, we've talked about the influence of Frank Miller. In the case of Eastman & Laird, I tend to think of the influence as conceptual, and a matter of content. Without the influx of ninja into Daredevil's New York City under early eighties Miller, we may not have four humanoid turtles in 1984 [see; Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #1].

In the case of Larsen and Savage Dragon, established in print eight years later, it seems to be the artwork of Miller that has the biggest impact. We saw that earlier in the series [Savage Dragon #7], and it's on display in this issue, again.

In both instances, Larsen seems to invoke the Frank Miller of Sin City, casting heroes in blood spattered silhouette in staccato action. You can see the effect in one of the panels featured above - half a page wide, with a grid of eight panels to its right. This goes on throughout the sewer fight - an effective tribute.

In both cases, the creators and their creations are part of a generation drawing direct influence from their predecessors. Once upon a time I would've thought of all concerned as contemporaries, but as we venture through mainstream comics of the 2010s, I'm spending more time thinking about the fractured narrative of generational comics creation, and less on the continuum of the whole.

Perhaps due to the slightly tongue-in-cheek nature of it all, or because of the youth behind their creation, there's an unmistakable sense of "independent comics" about TMNT. The characters have an enthusiasm for the same disjointed logic I remember thinking as a child, yet trying to fight. Irradiate anything and a gimmick is instantly justified. Reverse engineering the creation process from an idea one of the Big Two hasn't stamped their name all over yet. A concrete construction worker mutates, becomes evil, a purple demon, and can move through cement? Sure!

It's the rough sketch impression of comic books I remember existing among the uninitiated for a long time, yet never related to the comics that seemed to inspire it. A weird, toxic mutation rising from the muck of misspent youths ripping through comics long forgotten in front of B-movies on TV. A post-modern accident that gave the culture a whole new wing? What ever it is - I enjoy the enthusiasm and quirkiness it created.

I'm a lot less enthusiastic about the degrees of separation fuelling todays retro franchise fixation, but what can you do? Talk about old comics and the fights that bind them - I guess!

This entry was once again inspired by the theatrical release of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows (June 3rd). A wonderful excuse to pick out a couple of now-classic Ninja Turtles comics and bring them back to the light. That's all the turtles we've got time for this month, though. If you're reading in the future, you can use labels and links throughout this post to find more, or log in to the Secret Issue Index for a full archive of reviews!

Want to read the comics for yourself? Use Amazon links provided for your convenience [like the one to your right] to check out the full collected editions of the comic reviewed! Next week: The Brexit?! Not quite...

Winners: The Fiend & The Dragon
#174 (new) The Fiend (Bonnie Harris) [+1 kill]
#332 (+443) Dragon
#128 (+41) Donatello [+1 assist]
#129 (+41) Leonardo [+1 assist]
#145 (+140) Raphael [+1 assist]
#146 (+140) Michaelangelo [+1 assist]

HERO OF THE WEEK: SUB-MARINER (Marvel)
Real Name: Namor McKenzie
First Appearance: Motion Picture Funnies Weekly #1 (April, 1939)
Fight Club Ranking: #21

Featured Fights:
- vs X-MEN: X-Men #6 (Jul 1964)
- vs DR. DORCUS & TIGERSHARK: Marvel Team-Up #14 (Oct 1973)
- vs ATTUMA: What If? #41 (Oct 1983)
- vs AQUAMAN: Marvel versus DC #2 (Mar 1996)
- vs MR. FANTASTIC: Fantastic Four #412 (May 1996)
- vs AVENGERS: New Invaders #0 (Aug 2004)
- vs PTERRORISTS: New Invaders #1 (Oct 2004)
- vs WOLVERINE: New Invaders #6 (Mar 2005)
- vs RED SKULL & MASTERMAN: Captain America #5 (Mar 2005)
- vs MIND GEM: New Avengers: Illuminati #2 (Mar 2007)
- vs IRON MAN: Invincible Iron Man #12 (Jun 2009)

A recurring piece of superhero movie trivia may have died last week, with reports film rights to Namor, The Sub-Mariner are believed to be squarely with Marvel Entertainment!

The bombshell was dropped by Marvel's "Convoluted Editorial Title" Joe Quesada during the Fatman on Batman podcast. If true, it signals the presumptive untangling of the character from Universal Pictures, and X-Men/Fantastic Four rights holders - FOX Studios.

Given Namor's long running, iconic association with the Fantastic Four - it's a slight shame. If FOX had been able to produce a single worthy Fantastic Four film, it would have been a wonderful premise to see Atlantis invade the surface world. Further; as the studio who owns the X-Men, the prospect of at least acknowledging his mutant status -- perhaps in a Reed Richards examination sequence -- could have been interesting. Even if overlapping the two franchises has never held a lot of appeal.

Sadly, FOX have not managed the Fantastic Four license well. The one-time hypothetical slam dunk of an FF movie has arguably been rendered completely toxic by a mediocre film version in the mid-2000s, and even more disastrous reception for their troubled, grimy 2015 reboot.

One studio's loss is another's gain, and the long, winding road of one of Marvel's oldest superhero characters has a lot to offer!

If news that Marvel Studios has Namor up their sleeve holds any appeal, it's the prospect of stitching authentic back matter into their Second World War history! As a big fan of the Golden Age of comics, I was pretty excited to see a WWII origin story in 2011 franchise-builder: Captain America: The First Avenger. Unfortunately, the film's CG buffed sheen reflected a haze of perfunctory adventure. It smacked of a get-it-in-the-can gamble riding high on the promise of a widely reported Avengers film, failing to capture the true grit and thrills of the heroes who fought the Nazis.

Whether or not The Invaders are ready to come to the screen is up for debate. The original Human Torch has a famous, nameless cameo in the first Captain America film, but usage of the character could invite unfavourable confusion amongst movie-goers, to say nothing of  cranky FOX lawyers.

If the combustible android is up for grabs, then the holy trinity of Marvel's World War II heroes could be a wonderful palate cleanser for Cap's paranoia charged clashes with Hydra infested SHIELD, and Iron Man's Civil War Avengers.

The Civil War rift even provides the perfect opportunity for Cap to reunite with his secret 1940s allies for an all new mission! The chance to see flashbacks to meatier moments of Captain America's WWII career could be a real breath of fresh air, even if they're anchored to a modern threat. You only need the big three, but I'm sure the world would welcome appearances by other Invaders, like; Union Jack, Spitfire, Blazing Skull, Thin Man, and Dyna-Mite. They could certainly add some much needed color should TV's Agent Carter ever need new adventures.

In the comics, Namor's also a charter member of The Avengers, with potential to transpose his return and/or invasion of the surface world to a future sequel. In more recent times, he also held membership with The Illuminati - a secret cabal of kingpin heroes that included; Iron Man, Mr. Fantastic, Dr. Strange, Professor X and Black Bolt.

Revealing Namor's existence through an already in-place Illuminati conspiracy could be a very unique and memorable beat for the ballooning cosmic spectacle of the long promised Avengers: Infinity War film. Black Bolt and The Inhumans have certainly been on Marvel's table for some time, with Dr. Strange arriving later this year. Mr. Fantastic and Professor X are easily replaced with the likes of movie versions of Black Panther and General "Red Hulk" Ross.

Boy... Getting carried away much? Hey! What ever happens, it's sure to be an interesting talking point! For now, it's the glint of what's possible that makes Namor the Hero of the Week!

<< Hero of the Week 06/13: Dr. Manhattan      [Home]      Hero of the Week 05/30: Quicksilver >>

NINJA TURTLES versus THE SHREDDER

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (Mirage Studios)
Where: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #1 When: May 1984 Why: Kevin Eastman & Peter Laird How: Kevin Eastman & Peter Laird

The Story So Far...
From the shadows they strike! Four highly skilled ninja warriors fighting New York City's criminal gangs. They are mistakes of science - four turtles mutated by an unknown ooze that transformed them into walking, talking turtles!

Trained by a mutated rat called Splinter, they are four brothers bound by an ancient code of honor. A code that will bring them into conflict with a deadly enemy from Splinter's past!

The sensei's teachings come from Japan, where he was once pet rat of a legendary martial artist named Hamato Yoshi. A rival for the love of fair Tang Shen, he was forced to beat jealous Oroku Nagi to save her life. Years later, Hamato Yoshi was slain by Nagi's brother - Oroku Saki: The Shredder!

Fifteen years later, The Turtles must avenge the death of Yamato Yoshi and bring an end to The Shredder's rule over the American branch of the Foot Clan!

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Shredder 5 (Super-Human)
Intelligence: Donatello 5 (Professor)
Speed: Draw 3 (Athlete)
Stamina: Shredder 6 (Generator)
Agility: Draw 4 (Gymnastic)
Fighting: Draw 6 (Warrior)
Energy: Shredder 3 (Explosives)


We've been adding some pretty big names to The Comic Book Fight Club this year, but today we add comic book royalty! For decades they set a standard as the biggest independent comics property to launch as a mainstream brand! As a consequence, they've been a pretty formidable fighting force in every medium you can think of! Today we're going back to the comic that started it all for a very special, legendary milestone fight!

The Turtles are: Leonardo, Donatello, Raphael & Michaelangelo.

If you know anything about today's protagonists, it's that they're teenaged mutant ninja turtles. They were trained in the martial arts by Splinter - a mutated rat who was once a pet of Japanese ninjitsu master: Hamato Yoshi.

Yoshi was considered the greatest warrior among the mysterious Foot Clan, and by mimicking his training, Splinter excelled as a master practitioner of ninjitsu.

Displaced by his master's murder; Splinter was exposed to the same glowing ooze that accidentally met four domestic pet turtles. The five mutated into extraordinary walking, talking, humanoid beings! Taking refuge in the sewers of New York City, Splinter raised the turtles as his adopted sons, teaching them an honorable code of the ninja as they remained hidden in the shadows.

The Shredder is Oroku Saki: young member of the Foot Clan who quickly rose through the assassin ranks to be chosen leader of their expansion into the United States.

Saki led the Foot's insinuation into the New York criminal underworld, offering smuggled drugs, weapons, and assassination. His true desire: murderous revenge against Hamato Yoshi and his wife Tang Shen for their involvement in the death of his older brother - Oroku Nagi!

This tangled web of honor and revenge brings us to the fight at hand!

The Shredder uses armor and bladed guards to compliment his already deadly mastery of the assassin's fighting arts. The turtles have the natural armoring of their mutated shells, but favour speed and agility to make the most of their weapons styles!

The advent of color in TMNT comics told us The Turtles all wear red in their original comic book incarnations. This means it's their trademark weapons that really tell them apart! Leonardo wields dual katanas, Michaelangelo swings nunchaku, Donatello favors the long bo staff, and Raphael strikes with twin sai!

The Turtles clearly have a numbers advantage, but The Shredder fights dirty, and made them battle his Foot Clan ninja before reaching him. Even though The Turtles handled them with ease, they're carrying fresh wounds into the final fight! You may know Shredder as the bumbling foil of the 1987 cartoon, but make no mistake - the comics world is a dark, dangerous place where the Turtles face genuine peril!

The Math: The Turtles Ranking: Draw (Not Ranked)

What Went Down...
With his Foot minions defeated, The Shredder challenges The Turtles to face him one at a time, or all at once! Now the students will face a master!

Raphael is the first attack! He pays for his brashness, leaping into a slash of The Shredder's bladed gauntlet! Donatello is the next to feel his sting, as sharpened steel rakes through turtle flesh! The Shredder follows with a direct kick to the face. He mocks his opponent: "Hah! You left yourself wide open! You are much too slow!"

Michaelangelo attempts to get the drop on The Shredder, and successfully makes contact - but the master effortlessly tosses him away!

Shredder calls upon the only remaining turtle - the sword wielding "gaijin" Leonardo! He charges at his foe and Leonardo leaps to meet him. The pair meet in an explosion of sparks as metal grinds against metal!

Leonardo's blades find their arrogant target, giving The Shredder a taste of what its like to feel his torso sliced! The mutant turtle doesn't walk away unscathed, though. Realizing they are outmatched, the Turtles realize they must shift tactics, fighting together - and from a distance!

One turtle tosses three shuriken, another three darts! The Shredder does his best to dodge and deflect the attack with his armor. Raphael ups the stakes, hurling his sai blades like deadly missiles! Shredder is forced to leap out of the way -- making his landing on top of an unforgiving knee to the gut!

A palm strike to his helmet's face plate staggers The Shredder backward. Leonardo comes from behind with a katana to the back! Donatello strikes from the front - swinging his staff so hard it breaks the helmet apart! He's quick to call The Shredder's defeat. He suffers for his over confidence with a devastating straight kick to the stomach! Oroku Saki surveys his enemies with contempt.

Leonardo and Shredder leap toward each one more time. This time, Leonardo's aim is true. His blade unimpeded as it skewers through Oroku Saki's body!

The Turtles loom over their defeated opponent, but ignore his demands to finish it. They are not without honor - unlike Oroku Saki! Leonard hands the defeated warrior one of his bloodied katanas and offers him the chance to redeem himself with an act of ritual seppuku. The dishonorable Shredder has other ideas...

Producing a thermite grenade, Oroku Saki plots to destroy The Turtles along with himself! Spotting the danger - Donatello hurls his staff like a javelin!

The impact of the wood's end striking Shredder's bloodied face sends him tumbling over the rooftop edge! The bomb detonates a safe distance below!

When bruised and battered Turtles make their way to the alley below, all they find is a single gauntlet. Their master's master Hamato Yoshi is avenged. Oroku Saki is dead!

The Hammer...
It's fair to say Leonardo and Donatello were the MVPs, but victory could not have been attained if not for the combined efforts of The Ninja Turtles! We welcome them into the ranks as mutual winners over The Shredder!

If you only know Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles from the 1987 cartoon series, or the more recent feature films and 2012 Nickelodeon series, this battle may have been a rude awakening! A callous introduction to the real Ninja Turtles!

Where acts of violence have always been a carefully negotiated minefield in the various multimedia spin-offs; The Turtles were fully unleashed in their earliest comic book adventures!

Leondaro's katana blades finally made perfect sense amidst the spray of villain's blood. Robot minions needn't apply. This was the grim and gritty mid-eighties in full force. A contrast I certainly found jarring when I first discovered the comics as a young fan of the eighties cartoon! Punchlines and pantomime had been the weapon of the color-coded cartoon turtles. In comics, they were bathed in shadow, clad in uniform red, and facing a harsh world with grit teeth.

The secret origin of the Turtles is the stuff of comic book legend. A fabled night of comic book jamming between two independent artists - Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird. Frumpy, heavily armed turtles gave rise to a cheese grater for an arch-villain. Equal parts parody and loving homage to the work of Frank Miller.

The ninja-laden saga of Daredevil and Elektra had already been unleashed upon the world by Marvel Comics. It was still a couple of years before The Dark Knight Returns would hit hard. TMNT was arguably the first of a generation that would spawn from grim & gritty introspection. They got in while it was still fun, filtering the mindsight through youthful enthusiasm, and maybe some of the existing Eastern influence that was already there in film and pop culture.

There's no pizza here. No gratuitous gadgets or vehicles destined for the toy store. Just a dedication to Miller and Jack Kirby from two enthusiastic fans. Raw independent comics driven by inspiration, love for the medium, and with no thought for tomorrow. That's why, as legend has it, The Shredder was never intended to survive this first issue. When he fell and exploded Oroku Saki truly died. There was no guarantee there'd be another issue!

Of course, Shredder did come back. How could he not? Cartoons and movies weren't just arbitrarily picking out the first bad guy to anchor their heroes serial adventures. Shredder is a bad ass bad guy!

As a stand-alone adventure, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #1 just packs so much into its forty pages! It's a joy to behold. Reinvigorating. Like being caught in a cloud of creative pollen. It's a well rounded saga in a single issue, replete with enough backstory to fuel years worth of issues! That was something the 2003 animated series made very good use of - adapting this, and other comics, into an unfolding story of many episodes. Their version of the first major Shredder confrontation - episodes seven and eight!

I can't say I have the same enthusiasm for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows -- the feature film sequel out today (June 3rd).

The newest mutation of movie Turtles has grappled with misguided direction since launching in 2014. The sequel tries to pull things back from the brink, injecting more of the eighties cartoon to pander to some version of purists I'm not sure exists.

I'm certainly not about to say I haven't greatly appreciated having a reason to plug back into my lapsed Ninja Turtles fandom. I just think there are far better ways to do it!

If you agree, then you may like to join me by going back to the earliest years of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles! You don't need to spend a fortune to go back to 1984. Just use the Amazon link provided [right]! By doing so, it helps out The Comic Book Fight Club, too!

Winners: The Turtles
#169 (new) Donatello [+1 kill]
#170 (new) Leonardo [+1 kill]
#285 (new) Raphael
#286 (new) Michaelangelo
#786 (new) The Shredder

HERO OF THE WEEK: QUICKSILVER (Marvel)
Real Name: Pietro Maximoff
First Appearance: X-Men #4 (March, 1964)
Fight Club Ranking: #818

Featured Fights:
- vs X-MEN: X-Men #6 (Jul 1964)
- vs APOCALYPSE: Uncanny X-Men #295 (Dec 1992)
- vs MAGNETO: X-Men #25 (Oct 1993)
- vs GALACTUS: What If...? #70 (Feb 1995)
- vs FLASH: Marvel versus DC #2 (Mar 1996)
- vs VENOM: DC versus Marvel #4 (Apr 1996)
- vs TEEN TITANS: Unlimited Access #3 (Feb 1998)

I was tossing a few characters around for this week's HOTW, but in the end, I settled on one of the surprise breakouts of the X-Men movie franchise: Quicksilver.

The real furor started back in 2014, when Quicksilver was introduced to audiences in X-Men: Days of Future Past. Played by Evan Peters, he was stage centre for an effects sequence that stylistically showed what it's like to move at super-human speeds. It was an undeniably striking moment underscored by on-point, era appropriate soundtrack - Jim Croce's Time In A Bottle. A moment of levity and exciting super-heroics in the sometimes dour world of Bryan Singer's direction.

That same year: Marvel Entertainment introduced the speedster as a future attraction teased in a credits sequence from Captain America: The Winter Soldier. Approximately a year later, Quicksilver was back in the spotlight in one of the most bizarre twists of the complicated Marvel Comics licensing phenomenon, this time played by Aaron Taylor-Johnson in Avengers: Age of Ultron.

There still tends to be a faith in Marvel's handling of in-house characters, but in Age of Ultron's Quicksilver, some of the biggest cracks were exposed.

It seemed unlikely that Quicksilver would be the battleground for superhero supremacy on the silver screen, but somehow, that's exactly what happened! Even more remarkable - FOX were the winners in the creative tug-of-war! Marvel's version was unceremoniously killed off, while the X-franchise brought theirs back for another run around in X-Men: Apocalypse, and mainstream advertising campaigns!

It all speaks to the core importance of the character in the original comics. It's been a while since I've seriously paid attention to the character. He was a creative casualty of House of M, Decimation, and the lengthy tedium of the post-Morrison deconstruction of the X-Men. He lost his speed powers, messed around with Terrigen mists, did some sort of time travel, was homeless, and generally degraded as a character to the point of no interest. The end of a forty year run that defies belief.

Through all the BS it's easy to forget that Quicksilver is the son of one of the Marvel Universe's most legendary villains: Magneto! It was in that capacity he was introduced, a member of the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants with his hex powered sister Scarlet Witch. They quickly turned on their villainous father and found their way into early membership of the Avengers! For many years, this role seemed to keep Quicksilver distanced from his parentage, as he became a middling arsehole in the Avengers ranks, who married an Inhuman (Crystal) and had kids of his own. I say arsehole -- because that was really his defining trait. Forget the comedy antics of the movies. Quicksilver's been prone to fits of madness and aggression throughout the years - a perennial angry, scowling jerk.

By the nineties he rejoined the mutant ranks on the side of heroes, and became a member of the government sanctioned X-Factor. Somewhere in there he at least managed to throw a punch in his father's direction [X-Men #25], but was still defiantly under utilized as the heir apparent to Magneto during his Avalon years. Granted, Age of Apocalypse toyed with it well, making Quicksilver the second in command to Magneto's X-Men leadership.

I like Quicksilver. I like that he's been unexpectedly thrown back into the spotlight. As the X-Men films move forward, I'm interested to see what they might make of the character. Is there more to explore? Could this factor into the much discussed New Mutants movie? We'll have to wait and see.

<< Hero of the Week 6/6: Sub-Mariner       [Home]       Hero of the Week 05/23: Magneto >>

MAGNETO versus JUGGERNAUT

Wanderings (Marvel)
Where: What If...? #94 When: February 1997
Why: Jorge Gonzalez How: James Calafiore

The Story So Far...
Humanity is dead. A single murderous act committed by the mystically empowered Juggernaut has changed the course of human history - condemning him to wander a planet with no human life.

The ripple that doomed this reality was the death of Charles Xavier. In this world, the mutant hunting robots called Sentinels went unopposed by the X-Men. They killed the Avengers and Fantastic Four before the world even knew of their existence. In time, the Sentinels turned on their masters and reprogrammed themselves. Converting their power cells to emit a powerful radiation - they poisoned the Earth. The result was the extinguishing of all human life.

Protected from physical harm by the mystic enchantment of the Crimson Gem of Cyttorak - Cain Marko was unaffected. Unstoppable. Alone. Or so he thought, until years of wandering bring him back to the Sentinel base he destroyed, where an unexpected survivor waits to greet him - Magneto!

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Juggernaut 6 (Invincible)
Intelligence: Magneto 5 (Professor)
Speed: Juggernaut 3 (Athlete)
Stamina: Juggernaut 7 (Unstoppable)
Agility: Magneto 2 (Average)
Fighting: Juggernaut 3 (Street Wise)
Energy: Magneto 6 (Mass Destruction)


What if... Magneto challenged the Juggernaut? Both are legendary enemies of Professor X and the X-Men, and both have even joined the team for varying amounts of time in different periods! Even so, neither has had a great deal to do with the other in fifty years of publication! That makes this a special showdown!

This is one of those fights where boiling down a winner really comes down to the circumstances they're positioned in. Both could conceivably finish the fight with a flick of their wrist, just as easily as their strengths could cancel each other out - resulting in a very long, very drawn out stalemate.

Juggernaut aka; Cain Marko is the most direct and inflexible when it comes to his abilities. The Crimson Gem of Cyttorak mystically grants him major league super-strength, implausible invulnerabilities, typically limitless endurance, and momentum that will render him unstoppable! Even so - he has been stopped!

The best examples on record come from the powerhouses of the DC Universe, who managed to match pure brute force with the unstoppable Juggernaut! Superman made the most convincing case, catching him by surprise with a knock-down blow [DC versus Marvel #1]. Wonder Woman & Spider-man employed strength, smarts and a colliding New God for the KO [Unlimited Access #1]! Captain Marvel Jr wasn't so lucky, but a tag team effort from Iceman & Cyclops showed Juggernaut's unstoppable momentum can be used against him [Unlimited Access #3].

Magneto: Master of Magnetism likely won't be able to rely on brute force. His ability to effect his will over any ferrous material could certainly see him hurling physical objects Juggernaut's way, but that's child's play for the Juggernaut, as we saw when Spidey tried I-beams and a wrecking ball [Amazing Spider-man #230]!

One of the deadliest tactics in Magneto's arsenal is his ability to manipulate an opponent from within. At times he's been able to control the iron content in a foe's blood, giving him enough control to hold them in place. He took that to extremes against Apocalypse [X-Men Omega] and Wolverine [X-Men #25] - the latter succumbing to his famous adamantium being ripped from his bones! As Juggernaut is physically invulnerable, though, this wouldn't get Magneto far.

He could try binding Juggernaut in massive pieces of metal, or by using means of magnetic enhancements to increase the force of his power. That worked well against the rampaging Sub-Mariner, at least for a little while [X-Men #6]!

Indeed, bondage and/or repulsion seem like Magneto's best bets to secure any kind of victory against the Juggernaut. In the past, hi-tech restraints have been used effectively to hold Juggernaut in incarceration for periods. For alternative results, Magneto could use a position of advantage to propel Juggernaut into space. He usually finds his way back, but it would keep him out of the way.

Finally - for a creative solution we need only look to Nimrod, who was able to use highly focused energy beams to disrupt Juggernaut's ability to think clearly once his protective helmet was removed [Uncanny X-Men #194]. Even if the outer helmet is resistant to magnetism, the physical force of other objects has always been a safe bet to get it off. A focused electro-magnetic beam could produce some effect on Juggernaut's brain - disorienting him, at the least.

Of course, the world is full of non-ferrous objects, and if Juggernaut had his way, he could just as easily clobber Magneto with a few park trees and chunks of cement. Which is extra bad news in the alternate reality we're about to visit, where Magneto must maintain protective shielding against a poisoned Earth!

Under ordinary circumstances this one really could go either way! As radiation is a mortal peril of no consequence to Juggernaut, he clearly has an advantage in this environment. Then again, in a world that was once overrun with Sentinels, Magneto may still have a few tricks up his sleeves...

The Tape: Magneto Ranking: Juggernaut (#349)

What Went Down...

Months turn to years as the Juggernaut walks the planet alone - a prisoner of the magic that keeps him alive. Haunted by silence and personal demons, his mind wanders as far as his invincible body. He finds himself back at the Grand Canyon: site of one of the murderous Sentinels' largest manufacturing facilities. It was a source of misery Juggernaut destroyed long ago - an act of vengeance for a world already dead. He wonders if he should have left them to build, so that one day they may overwhelm him. As he does, the metal carcasses stir...

The machines move not of their own will, but by that of a survivor amongst the wreckage: The Master of Magnetism - Magneto!

Wielding total control over the Sentinel's broken metal bodies, they reach out like extensions of Magneto's own form! A giant hand crashes down from the sky, slamming and pinning Juggernaut to the barren Earth!

Entire squadrons of Sentinels were no match for the Juggernaut when they were functioning. The remnants of a few lifeless shells dangled like puppets are barely an inconvenience. He smashes through the pieces effortlessly! Enraged!

Magneto entertains a request for his tale of survival. It provides a distraction while he twists the coil of a Sentinel's metal lash around Juggernaut's body!

The restraint wraps around Juggernaut's massive mystically charged arms like a metallic boa constrictor. It loops around his body - but so do his mighty fingers around it. With a simple clench of his fist - the Juggernaut crushes the steel. With a flex of his chest and arms - he explodes free of the shattering snare!

As unstoppable in action as reputation, the Juggernaut advances - smashing through Magneto's defenses. A wall of Sentinel scrap - no match!

Magneto hurls metal upon metal! More and more! He knows his time is running short. He cannot keep up the attack while also maintaining the shielding that protects him from the radioactive landscape.

Face to face, helmet to helmet - Juggernaut mockingly notices the gaunt look on Magneto's face. It's no joke. The Master of Magnetism is dying and it's all the Juggernaut's fault. Just like all the deaths that befell human and mutant alike.

Succumbing to the effects of the poisoned atmosphere, Magneto tosses his helmet away. He won't need it. He stares through the hulking monster with laser focus and utters a final curse: If the Juggernaut had not succeeded in killing his brother Charles Xavier, the X-Men could have stopped the Sentinels, and the heroes of Earth would not have fallen to ambush, and humanity could have lived.  If the undying Juggernaut is tired of an existence alone - he must live with the knowledge that it was all his own doing!

The barbs of Magneto's final words penetrate the Juggernaut in ways radiation never will! The furious behemoth looms over Magneto as he falls and dies.

The Hammer...

Somehow I don't think this one'll be settling the fantasy fight debates any time soon. Never the less, the record will show a dramatic conclusion makes Juggernaut the physical victor!

After dipping into the alternate reality of Age of Apocalypse last week [X-Men Omega]; I couldn't pass up the opportunity to pull this now classic What If...? out of storage.

The What If? banner has enjoyed a resurgence in recent years, retooling current Marvel events in a series of one-shots and specials. It seems as good a way as any to restore the relevance of a book that languished into cancellation in 1998, a mere ten issues after What If...? (Volume 2) #94 -- today's featured issue.

The book was in the midst of a second revamp at this point. Episodes now revolved around a starring Marvel character, typically suffering some grim fate in a dark, twisted reality. That isn't entirely different from a lot of the classic issues, but the presentation took it into increasingly dark, blood stained worlds, minus the contextualizing of The Watcher's narration. Many of the issues I think of from this time had no relation to the main Marvel Universe at all. I imagine some purists consider it a dark time for the series, but #94 highlights the hidden gems that were still coming out of it.

#94 is actually a pretty classic What If? set-up, obscured by the new style. It makes no overture to tell you exactly when it takes place. Calafiore's penciling style is very much in key with a modern Marvel aesthetic. All of this just goes to obfuscate very deliberate references to X-Men #11-#18 (1965). Classic!

You don't need to know your X-Men history to enjoy the issue, and that's part of the beauty of it. It's just a very effective stand-alone story. One that takes the well known premise of Juggernaut's invincibility and shows the grim downside of being unstoppable. You get some nice superhero action. A mostly convincing vision of a desolate world.

When Magneto dies, Juggernaut goes on another smashing tantrum, uncovering the true reason for the sacrifice: Magneto was trying to lure him away from an underground pocket of survivors. They're sealed away from the outside poisons by a surviving Iceman, whose powers have gone haywire since Charles Xavier died. In his desperation for human contact, Juggernaut condemns them to die, as well. A poignant message about the virtue of treading lightly, and the curse of being immortal: 'A once boastful battle cry is now a horrific prophecy of damnation. No one can stop the unstoppable Juggernaut.'

Of course, like all good things, especially in comics, the more you know - the more you'll get out of it! The Brotherhood of Evil Mutants fought the X-Men in X-Men #11, ending with The Stranger abducting Magneto and Toad. Juggernaut stomped his way into Xavier's Mansion in X-Men #12 & #13. Dr. Bolivar Trask and his Sentinels debut in X-Men #14. Magneto returns to Earth in X-Men #17, telling the tale of his spaceship escape in X-Men #18.

These are the events that shape What If? #94. In this reality, Juggernaut not only confronts his hated step-brother - but murders him! This allows debuting Sentinels to catch sixties Marvels other heroes unawares. Magneto and Toad were safely off-world at the time, allowing them to return and create sanctuary.

All in all, a very effective use of linear publishing history! All utilized without effecting a shred of burden upon a reader who may be otherwise completely unawares of the retro references they were reading! Fantastic!

Of course, a clever and willing reader will never be deterred by loose references to past events. Each of us carries with us an extensive history that is of little or no consequence when we meet new people. The same should always be thought of in superhero comics. Such is life! When a relevant thread of prior history presents itself, it's an opportunity for further learning and familiarity. That was always one of my favourite qualities of the What If? series. New stories starring some of my favourite characters, with glimpses of their classic adventures, and new reasons to seek out old stories.

If you happen to be on the look out for a good stand-alone Juggernaut story, I think keeping this old story in mind will be well worth it. You can, of course, find even more great stories by following links in this post, or delving deeper into the Secret Archive of The Comic Book Fight Club!

Winner: Juggernaut

#111 (+238) Juggernaut [+1 kill]
#352 (-1) Magneto

HERO OF THE WEEK: MAGNETO (Marvel)
Real Name: Max Eisenhardt (aka; Erik Lehnsherr, Magnus)
First Appearance: X-Men #1 (September, 1963)
Fight Club Ranking: #351

Featured Fights:
- vs X-MEN: X-Men #6 (Jul 1964)
- vs SPIDER-MAN: Amazing Spider-man #327 (Dec 1989)
- vs X-MEN: X-Men #25 (Oct 1993)
- vs APOCALYPSE: X-Men Omega (Jun 1995)
- vs ZOMBIES: Marvel Zombies #1 (Feb 2006)

Having just espoused the joy of a heroic Magneto during the Age of Apocalypse [see; X-Men Omega], I'm sticking with the theme for Hero of the Week, but not necessarily the same sentiment!

As you may know: X-Men: Apocalypse opens in American theatres this Friday (May 27th). It's the sixth installment in the main X-film franchise. Ninth overall, if you include spin-offs starring Wolverine and Deadpool. Of the six X-Men films so far; Magneto plays a major role in... six of them.

The Master of Magnetism returns in Apocalypse as a man running from a dark past towards a darker future. In the last film, he staged a very public attempt on the life of the President of the United States of America. In this one, he's back to become a Horseman of the ancient Egyptian mutant: Apocalypse. One could safely assume Magneto will reunite with his former allies in the X-Men before the end of the film, to thwart the mutual threat of Apocalypse's grand villainy.

FOX has a lot of problems developing beneath the surface of its expanding X-film universe. Sixteen years of superhero movie dominance has seen a lot of standards change, and the X-Men have been slow to evolve since staking their territory in the early days of the era.

In February; Deadpool defied expectations to become the biggest monetary success in the X-pantheon. Its strengths lie in the introduction of a strong new character pulled directly from the four-colour pages of comics. There was levity, action, and striking visuals. It was by no means a perfect movie, but it broke the mould just enough to be an exciting development.

The fact that the world had to endure the mangled miosis of X-Men Origins: Wolverine before getting to a definitive vision of Deadpool speaks volumes to the foundational problems FOX has had.

Arguments can be made that the pioneering of films in 2000 (X-Men) and 2003 (X-Men 2) were justified in their muted approach. X2 was the film the original wishes it could've been. Stripped of its hokey super-villainy, and refined in its understanding of characters, it remains one of the strongest entries into the series. It was the first time we saw Magneto in an outright heroic context in the films. The impulse to return to the master of magnetism - reasonable, given the potential for building on themes, and exploiting the charismatic stardom of Sir Ian McKellan.

Magneto was a bad guy again in X-Men: The Last Stand. A sequel besieged by a flood of comic book competition, and the departure of key talents, including director Bryan Singer.

I tend to think of Singer as a restrictive influence who does as much harm as he does good. A confessed comics philistine from the start - his detachment from the characters, genre and material has meant an increasingly deformed depiction that neither embraces the filmic qualities and character study of the early films, nor the over-the-top superheroics that have finally taken over the screen.

I'm torn as to whether or not the appeal of Magneto is one of several self-made problems the franchise is now hampered with.

There's been a compelling case to keep Magneto involved at most steps along the way. X2 corrected the Saturday Morning Cartoon aspects of the first film's depiction. The third film promised to utilize his star power and conclude an arc of the third film. Even the much discussed X-Men meets The Pianist idea of a Magneto Origins spin-off seemed like a very interesting idea. It ultimately evolved into X-Men: First Class -- which I would consider to be the greatest of all the X-Men films.

Like Deadpool; X-Men: First Class was colourful, reminiscent of comics, and balanced its drama with a healthy dose of levity. It also brilliantly cast, had a vibrant film sensibility, and wove a pretty tight story. You could really only penalize the movie if you dwell on the order of events, and by that point, the adaptation of comic book canon was already well and truly off the table. In isolation, it was a shift in tone and focus that was well worth it. A compelling new layer to the Xavier/Magneto story that has ultimately become the series' foundation. Taking a macro view of the films, however, it may have made things worse.

Magneto is just one of the X-Men's great villains. The impulse to utilize the character may have been correct, but I think the franchise could've done a world of good by allowing the character to step away, and/or become a greater evil. By trying to have it both ways, Magneto has been made far less effective. Fassbender is very charismatic in the role, and I would've loved to see him in the costume, or a version of it, as promised by the end of First Class. Instead, he's about to be a drab looking lackey for Apocalypse. A character I can't foresee Magneto being beholden to. Which may mean more half-measures.

Magneto really has been a strong film character. I'll be hoping for the best. Early indications seem to be X-Men: Apocalypse is headed for a fall. Bryan Singer probably needs to go. A shift in focus could be the ticket, and with FOX promising New Mutants, X-Force, and more Deadpool, maybe things will work out. What ever the course, I hope we can move on to bigger and better things.

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