DEATHSTROKE versus GREEN ARROW

Crawling Through the Wreckage Part Three: An Eye For An Eye (DC)
Where: Green Arrow #62 When: July 2006
Why: Judd Winick How: Scott McDaniel

The Story So Far...
Green Arrow has spent a year reclaiming his life from the wreckage of Star City's destruction at the hands of Doctor Light and Merlyn. The time away allowed him to recover some of his lost fortune and retrain in new fighting arts. It also allowed his alter-ego Oliver Queen to campaign his way into the city of Mayor of Star City!

The more things change, the more they stay the same. As the emerald archer returns to the streets to fight new enemies, his life as Mayor brings a familiar nemesis back to confront him. Corporate rival Theodore Davis has employed the mercenary Deathstroke to setup a deadly rematch in the Mayor's Office!

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Deathstroke 3 (Athlete)
Intelligence: Deathstroke 4 (Tactician)
Speed: Deathstroke 3 (Athlete)
Stamina: Draw 4 (Athlete)
Agility: Draw 3 (Acrobat)
Fighting: Deathstroke 7 (Living Weapon)
Energy: Green Arrow 4 (Arsenal)
Total: Deathstroke 26 (Metahuman)

Deathstroke is widely recognized as one of the deadliest mercenaries in the DC Universe -- even if our record hasn't always reflected that.

Training and artificial enhancements granting access to 90% brain function means Deathstroke can conceive and enact a range of highly effective combat tactics and skills. Our best examples of this include fighting the Justice League to a standstill in Identity Crisis #3, and single-handedly defeating Marvel's X-Men in the classic Uncanny X-Men and New Teen Titans crossover one-shot!

Key to Deathstroke's effectiveness is his hand-to-hand fighting skills, which The Tape shows outclasses Green Arrow. Oliver Queen is a skilled martial artist, but his greatest point of difference has been specialized archery, as in the battles with The Penguin [Justice League of America #135] and Black Hand [Green Lantern: Rebirth #1].

Deathstroke's sword and speedy reflexes are his best weapon against Green Arrow's trick projectiles, but GA doesn't always need to rely on a bow to make the most of them. We saw him endure a fight with Brick long enough to wield arrows by hand for the win in Green Arrow #45. He also successfully rammed an arrow in Deathstroke's bad eye during the Identity Crisis fight.

That example showed both that Deathstroke basically outclasses Green Arrow, but that GA can also fight hard enough to overcome any perceived disparity.

Today's confrontation is coming after a one year break that allowed Ollie to re-train in new fighting disciplines. We saw the fruits of his labour when he faced Red Hood with the skills of a swordsman in Green Arrow #71. Sharpening his skills with a blade is a good way to offset some of the disparity with Deathstroke, who used his to cut down Phantom Lady in Infinite Crisis #1!

Green Arrow outranks Deathstroke in the Fight Club Rankings, but The Terminator stands well ahead in The Tape. So far their history has ended in an inconclusive draw. Let's see if we can break the tie with today's featured battle!

History: Draw (0-0-1)
The Tape: Deathstroke Ranking: Green Arrow (#23)

What Went Down...
A poisoned dart to the throat silences the objections of Mayoral advisor Frederick Tuckman. Mayor Queen can only grit his teeth and ask the intruding assassin what it is that he wants while nerve toxin floods Tuckman's body.

Deathstroke has been hired to kill the Mayor of Star City, but he fires another dart into Oliver Queen's chest and promises him total ruination before death. A complete political assassination from a petty mercenary to a bitter foe.

Lying on the floor of his public office, Mayor Queen clutches his chest while producing a small electronic device. A beep from the telephone is the only warning Deathstroke gets that The Mayor has wired his office to blow!

A Kord Industries miniature explosive was small enough to evade Deathstroke's earlier sweep of the office, as was the armored vest beneath the Mayor's shirt.

He produces bow & quiver and fires an arrow into Deathstroke's shoulder while the mercenary is still embedded in the office wall. His incredible mind processing what has occurred, The Terminator counter fires with a handful of small, self-propelling explosive beads!

Green Arrow leaps clear of the blast, but it buys Deathstroke the time he needs to retrieve his sword and go on the offensive! A single, precision swing of the blade cuts three arrows clean out of the air!

More arrows go astray, forcing Green Arrow to tumble clear of the rampaging Deathstroke. His sword completely cuts through the Mayor's desk, leaving him vulnerable to an arrow to the rear. A speedy flip saves him from its point!

Deathstroke lands in a dominant position over his target, but Green Arrow has prepared for an attack on his office. The exterior window shatters as a cable and dart flies straight for the assassin's chest -- dousing him in adhesive!

Another automated trigger yanks Deathstroke out the window by the cable attached to his chest, onto the roof and into the seat of a catapult! As he's fired into the city air he finally realizes he's been played: it was Green Arrow who hired him in the first place!

The speed and trajectory is too great for Deathstroke to shift his landing: a great open pit with reinforced walls he can't dig his sword into! When he hits the bottom, a ten-inch deep soup of adhesive bogs him to the ground.

Green Arrow looms over the pit and draws a sword before diving in!

A surprised Deathstroke blocks the diving sword slash and admires the archer's new weapon. The blade's quality is matched only by Green Arrow's ability to wield it. He swings it deftly, forcing The Terminator to duck and avoid!

The adhesive surrounding his feet slows Deathstroke, while Green Arrow moves faster than ever -- unhindered thanks to specially treated boots. The bowman leaps gracefully over his foe, while Deathstroke swings at air.

The archer locks eyes with his target and attacks head-on. Deathstroke swings wildly just to meet his attacker's blade at equal measure. Their swords spark as they collide and Deathstroke realizes his opponent has undergone a change!

They cross swords again and Deathstroke manages to drag his feet out of the mire to jump and lunge forward. He's forced right back down into a deep lean backward as Green Arrow continues to press on.

GA leaps over Deathstroke again and successfully slashes his back!

Deathstroke swings wildly with his sword, but Green Arrow leaps clear and forces an evasive duck with his own blade. His fighting style has changed so much after a year's re-training than Deathstroke knows he can't possibly adjust to match him. He pulls the pin on a flash grenade and covers his eyes!

The blinding light leaves Green Arrow momentarily dazed, allowing Deathstroke to fire off a grappling hook. His escape seems assured until a gunshot severs the tie that would take him to safety and he notices the guns.

Armed with armor piercing rounds, a sniper division of the National Guard surrounds the pit, poised to shoot by order of Mayor Oliver Queen. He thought of everything. Deathstroke is under arrest.

The Hammer...
That's one way to stop a hired killer! Green Arrow laid the perfect trap, utilizing everything at his disposal: prep time, his re-trained fighting style, the ultimate trick arrow, and the special resources available to the Mayor of Star City!

It's nice to be back talking Green Arrow -- especially with an opponent as worthy as Deathstroke! Theirs is an interesting rivalry that almost shouldn't have the chemistry that it does. There isn't a whole lot that innately or thematically ties the two characters together. It just seems to work.

I suppose some of the appeal lies in a test of fighting ability. Green Arrow is the expert marksman with competent fighting skill. Deathstroke is the venerable fighting machine better known for his close quarters skills. Throw them together and see who can get the better of the other, or slip out of mortal danger.

There is some overlap between their roles as senior figures in the lives of extra-ordinary young students. I'd call the rivalry an upgrade from beating up Robin and the kids in the Teen Titans, but without that history, there wouldn't be a Deathstroke to begin with, so maybe I need to get that old bias in check.

Of course, Deathstroke matches up more naturally with a lot of the adult DC Universe, operating best as a freelance mercenary with enough character and gimmicks to be interesting unto himself. The suspension of disbelief is a little less strained when he fails to apply his supreme skills to beating adult heroes.

Success rate has a way of undermining the legend of Deathstroke ever so slightly. From six fights we've recorded three outright victories: wins against Robin, the X-Men, and a shared victory over the Freedom Fighters.

Attempts to parlay the success of the character into a villain-driven solo series no doubt helps address success rate, but also inevitably balances the books with forgettable patsies invented to die without collapsing a major franchise. At some point we will take a closer look at a Deathstroke starring title, but it hasn't been as attractive a spotlight as other battles involving better known heroes.

Today's featured fight owes a lot to the brief but popular encounter in Identity Crisis #3, which was published just a couple of years prior. Without that issue, we might not regard Green Arrow and Deathstroke as the rivals they are.

Seeing Deathstroke go all-out against the Justice League was part of what made Identity Crisis memorably satisfying. It helped broadcast the potential of the character, and finally seeded more regular appearances in the larger DCU as a member of groups like The Society and Injustice League.

Flash forward to 2020 and Deathstroke is even starring in his own animated series for CW Seed: Deathstroke: Knights & Dragons. This expands upon the character's live-action appearances in Arrow, Titans, and a much discussed cameo in the Justice League movie. Plenty more reason to talk Slade Wilson!

If you haven't had your Deathstroke fix you can check out this issue in full collected in Green Arrow: Crawling Through The Wreckage. Using the Amazon link provided to shop will help support Secret Wars on Infinite Earths at no extra cost!

You can also find more from both of today's characters by following links throughout this post, or by diving into the Secret Archive for a complete index of featured battles in order of publisher, series, and issue! You can also get daily links to topical fights by following on Twitter and Facebook!

Today's result propels Green Arrow into the highly disputed #20 rank! He edges out Steel, with some of the biggest DC heroes hot on their heels! Check out the 2019 Rankings Recap for the movers and shakers of last year, and keep your eyes on the bottom of new entries for updates!

Winner: Green Arrow
#20 (+3) Green Arrow
#71 (-2) Deathstroke

X-MEN versus MAGNETO

Showdown! (Marvel)
Where: X-Men #113 When: September 1978
Why: Chris Claremont How: John Byrne

The Story So Far...
With his nemeses The X-Men held captive deep within his volcanic subterranean base in the Arctic; Magneto is free to stage an unopposed attack on the Royal Australian Aerospace Research Facility in Woomera, South Australia!

The X-Men are reduced to the physical capacity of infants in the nightmarish care of the android called Nanny! That is, until Storm manages to use the lock-picking skills she learned as a thief to free herself and the team from their elaborate shackles!

Awaiting their greatest foe's return, the X-Men scramble to devise a plan to ambush the Master of Magnetism and defeat him once and for all!

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Colossus 6 (Invincible)
Intelligence: Beast 6 (Genius)
Speed: Beast 4 (Olympian)
Stamina: Wolverine 6 (Generator)
Agility: Nightcrawler 5 (Cat-Like)
Fighting: Wolverine 6 (Warrior)
Energy: Magneto 6 (Mass Destruction)
Total: Magneto 28 (Metahuman)

The X-Men are: Cyclops, Phoenix, Storm, Banshee, Nightcrawler, Colossus, Wolverine, with Beast.

Despite occasionally working alongside the team; Magneto arguably represents the X-Men's ultimate arch-nemesis! His mastery of magnetism challenges Charles Xavier's dream on both a physical and philosophical plane, shaking the Earth to its very core with the influence of magnetic fields, and dangerous ideas!

There are obvious issues for some of the X-Men who're facing Magneto at a time when he's firmly positioned as a ruthless villain. Wolverine's adamantium laced skeleton is famously susceptible to magnetic influence, most devastatingly demonstrated when the metal was ripped from his body in X-Men #25!

There are also concerns surrounding the organic steel of Colossus. He can choose to remain in his unaltered human form, but this also negates the asset of his super-human strength, rendering him a vulnerable target for Magneto.

Nightcrawler always offers interesting tactical possibilities with his agility and ability to teleport. We saw him strike a decisive blow against Dracula in X-Men Annual #6. He might be able to get the drop on Magneto, but penetrating his magnetic force field seems unlikely. Coordinating with teammates is best.

Cyclops and Storm are strong tactical leaders who can call shots on a team strategy. Cyclops' optic blasts also offer a strong ranged attack that can help pin Magneto down. Storm's control of weather is less suited to their confined arena deep within a volcano, but a well timed gust could help and hinder tactically.

As unlikely as it seems, Banshee could be an ace in the hole. His sonic scream was potent enough to stun Invisible Woman in X-Men Annual #14, and might be able to penetrate Magneto's defenses! The confined space of the arena may just enhance his offensive potential, but there is the risk of hurting his teammates.

The obvious powerhouse here is Jean Grey, who at this time is entwined with the Phoenix force. Cosmically enhanced telekinesis and telepathy are just the tip of the iceberg. In theory, Phoenix would have no trouble defeating Magneto on her own, but the use of her powers at this time appears in flux.

An uncharacteristic act of psychic violence by Charles Xavier famously reduced Magneto to a mindless state in X-Men #25. He was also matched by a cosmically enhanced Spider-Man in Amazing Spider-Man #327.

Magneto has the benefit of confronting the X-Men within his subterranean Arctic lair, and even though they have some element of surprise, they're also recovering from prior hardships. This is a classic - let's see how it went!

History: X-Men (1-0-1)
The Tape: X-Men Ranking: Wolverine (#4)

What Went Down...
Descending into his darkened lair: Magneto tends to his malfunctioning Nanny robot, fully aware the X-Men have likely escaped their shackles. He plays the fool, inviting a sudden assault from Cyclops, Banshee, and the other X-Men!

The Master of Magnetism is forced to fall humbled to the floor as the concussive force of their ranged attacks overwhelms him! Even braced for impact, the combined power was nearly more than he could handle!

Wolverine is the first to emerge from the dark, with claws at the ready, but Cyclops psychically calls him off. The X-Men have a game plan and Wolverine must wait his turn -- or have none at all!

Wolverine obeys -- while Storm struggles to initiate the next phase of their plan: extract the humidity from the air around Magneto.

Though fatigued from the effort of orchestrating their earlier escape, Storm works at her invisible offensive. Not that he knows it! Magneto rises, gloating that he's had time to recover. He doesn't hear Banshee coming up behind!

Gliding through the darkness, Banshee delivers an intensely focused sonic scream directly to Magneto's back! As soon as the blast hits, Cyclops gives Wolverine the telepathic signal to go for broke!

Striking mercilessly from behind - Wolverine rips through Magneto's cape and rakes unbreakable adamantium claws against his back!

Magneto yells in agony, lashing out with a sudden wave of his hand that sends Wolverine hurtling across the pitch black arena! Even as he dispatches one X-Man - another steps forward, igniting the lair with the light of the Phoenix!

Magnetic shields offer a defensive buffer as Jean Grey blasts Magneto with the Phoenix's flame, but the force of her power pushes him into a nearby console!

The lair's control centre explodes at his back as Magneto begins to feel the dehydrating effects of Storm's efforts -- and perhaps the encroaching heat of the volcanic magma surrounding the underground facility.

There's little time to contemplate temperature as Colossus barrels down upon Magneto! The steel-skinned mutant wasn't part of the plan, but his efforts prove none the less effective as he silences Magneto with a devastating right hand!

Colossus buries his fist in Magneto's mid-section, desperately fighting to keep the Master of Magnetism off-balance enough to avoid becoming a metallic pawn under his powers!

The affront works, but his teammates conspire to lend a helping hand -- much to Nightcrawler's chagrin! Beast swings him by the tail like a human wrecking ball and lets him loose -- to teleport with momentum straight at Magneto's head! The acrobat collects his helmet while Colossus winds up for a kayo!

The punch Colossus delivers would've destroyed any normal man -- but Magneto defiantly clings to consciousness like iron to a magnet!

At that moment Nightcrawler notices lava seeping through the ceiling. The damaged control console has triggered an irreversible sequence that will open the roof and flood the chamber with the volcano above!

Precious seconds tick away as Cyclops searches for a way out. Magneto mocks the X-Men, blaming their dire predicament on the reckless actions of Phoenix. He is fast becoming their only hope for survival -- and with that he seizes his opportunity, throwing Colossus and the others away with a magnetic wave!

The X-Men scramble to avoid the searing touch of pouring lava! Banshee glides along sonic waves to snatch Wolverine clear of harm. Jean Grey narrowly avoids a dice with danger when Beast tackles her clear.

Magneto summons his helmet back to him and takes leave, using magnetic fields to repel the magma and safely forge his way toward the surface! He leaves the X-Men desperately fighting to survive as the facility collapses.

The Hammer...

Things looked pretty dire for a while there, but Magneto's ability to take a licking and keep on ticking gave him the chance to make full use of his home ground advantage. If they hadn't been encased in volcanic lava, the X-Men might not have snatched defeat from the hands of victory! Whoops!

As this issue comes to an end we see Phoenix explode from the ground, carrying Beast to the snowy surface above. The rest of the X-Men are presumed dead, but the next issue will reveal they tunneled their way into the Savage Land.

Magneto escaped, but he lost a valuable base of operations housing a wealth of data collected over many months. Anyone who's lost a hard drive without backups knows how that stings! I presume whatever information was gained by attacking Australia was for, and stored safely, on board Asteroid M.

I've been eager to feature more Magneto and the X-Men on Secret Wars on Infinite Earths, so this one's been on the docket for quite some time. It's the earliest in the Chris Claremont/John Byrne run we've looked at so far, but not the earliest meeting between arch-foes. X-Men #6 still holds that distinction.

The creative team doesn't feel quite as sharp as they eventually will, but there's still so much to like about this issue! I was particularly drawn to its depiction of Colossus -- another mutant I've been hoping to spend more time with.

I'm a little leery on Magneto's ability to withstand heavy blows dealt by the Russian hero, but I suppose you can presume he's dampening the hits with his magnetic powers. It's worth it for some great Byrne drawn action!

Their head-on collision is a great moment that obviously looks cool, but also adds dramatic tension as Colossus runs the risk of submitting his metallic body to exploitation by Magneto. He was supposed to hang back, but as in a lot of early Colossus appearances, there's a determination to prove himself as the powerhouse every fan wants him to be. His relentless fighting does the trick!

Of course, it's really a classic case of an X-Men team effort. Their ability to work together is a key element that nearly wins them the fight. Each member gets a moment to shine, including Beast, who only recently reunited with the team after leaving the Avengers to answer a distress call from Polaris, and help his old teammates out of a jam. His team-up with Nightcrawler is a real treat! Two agile, furry blue heroes I love, but don't remember seeing together a whole lot.

The lineup of X-Men featured in the issue is right up there with the best. Magneto is also in fine form as a formidable villain, too. The white knuckle nature of the fighting means there's little time for any of the hokey villainy he sometimes dips into. Byrne's rendering of the classic design, especially when the helmet casts solid shadow over his face, is really thrilling!

I noticed in the time while I was working on this entry Rob Liefeld kicked X-Men #113 back into discussion. He used the opening page as an example of Magneto's days as a definitive Marevl villain. Regardless of how you might feel about contemporary examples, it's definitely a period worth investigating, if you haven't.

You can find this issue and many more collected in the first Uncanny X-Men Omnibus. Use the Amazon links provided to get yourself a good price and help support Secret Wars on Infinite Earths in the process!

You can find more from the characters featured in today's battle by following links throughout this post, or dive into the Secret Index for a complete archive of featured fights in order of publisher, series, and issue number!

Subscribe to Secret Wars on Infinite Earths via Twitter and Facebook to get daily links to superhero smackdown inspired by the topics of the day! Be sure to like and share your faves!

Winner: Magneto
#138 (+270) Magneto
#4 (--) Wolverine
#49 (-1) Beast
#51 (-1) Storm
#81 (-1) Cyclops
#131 (-9) Phoenix (Jean Grey)
#354 (-77) Banshee
#405 (-7) Colossus
#929 (-33) Nightcrawler

This post has been moved. Please find the correct link here: Carnage versus New Avengers.

COVER TO COVER: 2019 TOP 20 FEATURED FIGHTS!

Happy new year, true believers! Another 12 months of the Secret Wars on Infinite Earths have come to an end! You can catch up on all the battles fought in the 2019 Feature Fight Recap, but here we're crowning the 20 Best  Battles as determined by you!

One battle quickly established itself as bigger than the rest: The #1 fight dominated interest in a year that was expected to be much more cosmic than it was. Dueling Marvels brought a strong following to respective camps, while movies continued to highlight comic book originals. Scroll through the covers below to get the 2019 Top 20 Featured Fights in list form. You can also revisit the top battles from 2018, 2017, and 2016!

By hitting the covers below you'll find popular fights featuring: Captain Marvel, Captain Marvel, Spider-Man, Superman, Thanos, Joker, Silver Surfer, Carnage, Mysterio, Hellboy, Hulk, Thor, Conan The Barbarian, The Flash, Green Lantern, Green Arrow, and more!

Behind The Covers
1. COSMIC POWERS vs TYRANT (Silver Surfer #82)
2. MARVEL FAMILY vs MONSTER SOCIETY OF EVIL (Convergence Shazam #1)
3. MS MARVEL vs PROWLER (Ms Marvel #6)
4. JUSTICE LEAGUE vs CAPTAIN MARVEL (Underworld Unleashed #3)
5. DAREDEVIL vs MYSTERIO (Daredevil #7)
6. MS MARVEL vs THE COLLECTIVE (New Avengers #17)
7. THOR vs CONAN (What If? #39)
8. HELLBOY vs CAMAZOTZ (Hellboy in Mexico)
9. LOBO vs SUPERMAN (Adventures of Superman #464)
10. AVENGERS vs THANOS (Free Comic Book Day Civil War II #1)
11. MS MARVEL vs SUPER-SKRULL (Marvel Team-Up #62)
12. CARNAGE FAMILY vs SPIDER-MAN, CLOAK & DAGGER (Web of Spider-Man #101)
13. BATMAN vs RED HOOD (Batman: The Killing Joke)
14. HULK vs CHAMPION OF THE UNIVERSE (Marvel Two-In-One Annual #7)
15. SPIDER-MAN vs MYSTERIO (Amazing Spider-Man #13)
16. FLASH vs KID FLASH (The Flash TV Special #1)
17. HELLFIRE CLUB vs X-MEN (Uncanny X-Men #209)
18. DOCTOR LIGHT vs GREEN LANTERN (Green Lantern #36)
19. PENGUIN vs GREEN ARROW (Justice League of America #135)
20. SPIDER-MAN vs MYSTERIO (Spider-Man #65)

ANNUAL PUNCH-UP: 2019 CHARACTER RANKINGS RECAP

Every battle featured on Secret Wars on Infinite Earths contributes to the Fight Club Rankings! Characters move up and down the ranks relative to other characters, and based on every win, loss, and draw.

Real-time updates appear at the bottom of every new featured fight, but we also take stock of the movers and shakers at the end of each year. You can flashback to see how things have changed from 2016, 2017, and 2018. You can also check out a full recap of 2019 Featured Fights to see the battles that shaped the year!

Season 2019 turned out to be a good year for villains. Marvel's Absolute Carnage gave reason to revisit the classic Maximum Carnage event, which made Shriek and Carnage the two biggest improvers of the year! The "House of X" also saw Mister Sinister and Nimrod make significant gains in a very Marvel centric year. Halloween tradition made Solomon Grundy the most improved DC character, up 250 ranks, while Anti-Monitor's television debut sponsored a 218 rank rise.

Other significant gainers in 2019 were: Dazzler, Nebula, Photon, She-Hulk, Super-Skrull, Scarecrow, Mysterio, Mary Marvel, Doctor Sivana, and Hellboy. In equal opposite, featured defeats saw massive drops for: Dagger, Terrax, Beta Ray Bill, Gladiator, and Eradicator. A loss for Thanos pushed The Mad Titan to the bottom of the Top 10, while Sabretooth settled at the lowest rank of #946.

We added thirty characters to the cumulative rankings in 2019, which is taking us ever closer to the outstanding figure of 1000 ranked characters! Will it happen in 2020? Check out the full list of updated ranks for characters who were featured this year, and stay tuned in the new year for more from Secret Wars on Infinite Earths: The Comic Book Fight Club!

#1 (--) Batman (Bruce Wayne)
#2 (--) Spider-Man (Peter Parker)
#3 (--) Iron Man (Tony Stark)
#4 (--) Wolverine (James "Logan" Howlett)
#5 (--) Superman (Kal-El)
#6 (--) Hulk (Bruce Banner)
#7 (--) Captain America (Steve Rogers)
#8 (--) Luke Cage
#9 (+1) Mister Fantastic (Reed Richards)
#10 (-1) Thanos
#11 (--) Thing (Benjamin Grimm)
#12 (+1) Daredevil (Matt Murdock)
#13 (+1) Human Torch (Johnny Storm)
#15 (--) Wonder Woman (Diana of Themyscira)
#20 (+10) Steel (John Henry Irons)
#23 (+11) Green Arrow (Oliver Queen)
#29 (-4) Martian Manhunter (J'onn J'onzz)
#30 (-2) Thor (Odinson)
#31 (-2) The Flash (Wally West)
#35 (--) Silver Surfer (Norrin Radd)
#37 (+12) Black Panther (T'Challa)
#38 (+13) Black Canary (Dinah Lance)
#45 (+39) Captain Marvel (Carol Danvers)
#46 (+22) Captain Marvel Jr (Freddie Freeman)
#49 (+70) Captain Marvel (Billy Batson)
#50 (-5) Storm (Ororo Monroe)
#56 (-3) Rogue (Anna Marie)
#64 (+28) Scarlet Spider (Ben Reilly)
#66 (-2) Morbius, The Living Vampire (Michael Morbius)
#72 (+36) Supergirl (Kara Zor-El)
#77 (-8) Green Lantern (Kyle Rayner)
#95 (+133) Hellboy (Anung un Rama)
#100 (-3) Black Lightning (Jefferson Pierce)
#106 (+94) Doppelganger
#107 (-1) Blade (Eric Brooks)
#124 (+242) Scarecrow (Jonathan Crane)
#125 (+202) Mary Marvel (Mary Batson)
#126 (-2) War Machine (James Rhodes)
#131 (-11) Green Lantern (Guy Gardner)
#135 (+246) Super-Skrull (Kl'rt)
#136 (+250) Solomon Grundy (Cyrus Gold)
#137 (+250) She-Hulk (Jennifer Walters)
#142 (+308) Shriek (Frances Barrison)
#155 (+270) Photon (Monica Rambeau)
#178 (+294) Dazzler (Alison Blaire)
#200 (-8) Overlord (Antonio Seghetti)
#278 (-6) Plastic Man (Patrick "Eel" O'Brien)
#300 (-6) Alice (Elizabeth Kane)
#324 (new) Tyrant
#325 (new) Tawky Tawny
#326 (new) Sterling Morris
#327 (new) Omega (Michael Pointer)
#328 (new) Blue Marvel (Adam Brashear)
#329 (new) Shang-Chi
#330 (new) Beast Boy (Garfield Logan)
#333 (-1) Moon Knight (Marc Spector)
#335 (-195) Beta Ray Bill
#337 (+300) Carnage (Cletus Kasady)
#343 (-173) Gladiator (Kallark)
#347 (+156) Doctor Sivana (Thaddeus Sivana)
#348 (-6) Medusa (Medusalith Amaquelin)
#350 (+218) Anti-Monitor
#353 (+239) Nimrod
#354 (new) Uncle Marvel (Dudley H Dudley)
#355 (-47) Harry Leland
#383 (+207) Lobo
#384 (+280) Mister Sinister (Nathaniel Essex)
#390 (-31) Poison Ivy (Pamela Isley)
#400 (-20) Vision
#401 (+229) Mysterio (Quentin Beck)
#412 (-20) The Joker
#439 (new) Conan The Barbarian
#442 (-16) Crystal (Crystal Amaquelin)
#500 (-15) Scout (Kip Kidd)
#562 (new) Roaf
#563 (new) Trickster (James Jesse)
#564 (new) Lady Blaze
#565 (new) Ms. America (America Chavez)
#566 (new) Sersi
#567 (new) Hobgoblin (Jason Macendale)
#568 (new) Kole (Kole Weathers)
#570 (-149) Eradicator
#576 (+283) Nebula
#600 (-22) Scope
#678 (-17) Sasquatch (Walter Langkowski)
#700 (-16) Clayface (Basil Karlo)
#800 (-16) Mister Freeze (Victor Fries)
#855 (-14) Captain Britain (Brian Braddock)
#880 (-13) Black Manta (David Hyde)
#881 (new) Ganymede
#882 (new) Morg
#883 (new) Prowler (Hobie Brown)
#884 (new) King Kull
#885 (new) Ibac (Stinky Printwhistle)
#886 (new) Camazotz
#887 (new) Huo Li
#888 (new) Callisto
#889 (new) Selene Gallio
#890 (new) Black King (Sebastian Shaw)
#891 (new) Friedrich von Roehm
#892 (new) Sage
#893 (new) Swamp Thing (Alec Holland)
#894 (new) Doctor Light (Kimiyo Hoshi)
#895 (-14) Demogoblin
#896 (-28) Nightcrawler (Kurt Wagner)
#900 (-22) Mileena
#902 (-28) Enchantress (June Moone)
#909 (-305) Dagger (Tandy Bowen)
#910 (-45) Mister Atom
#911 (-214) Terrax
#915 (-29) Killer Frost (Louise Lincoln)
#935 (-40) The Penguin (Oswald Cobblepot)
#936 (-54) Cloak (Tyrone Johnson)
#937 (-30) Toad (Mortimer Toynbee)
#938 (-30) Thunderbolt Ross (Thaddeus Ross)
#939 (-30) Brick (Daniel Brickwell)
#940 (-30) Killer Croc (Waylon Jones)
#941 (-30) Lady Deathstrike (Yuriko Oyama)
#942 (-30) Dan Hibiki
#943 (-30) Lizard (Curt Connors)
#944 (-30) Zangief
#945 (-29) Quicksilver (Pietro Maximoff)
#946 (-31) Sabretooth (Victor Creed)

ANTI-MONITOR versus SUPERMAN, DOCTOR LIGHT & SUPERGIRL

Beyond The Silent Night (DC)
Where: Crisis on Infinite Earths #7 When: October 1985 Why: Marv Wolfman & Robert Greenberger How: George Perez

The Story So Far...
Manifesting on a moon of the anti-matter universe of Qward: The Anti-Monitor channeled that dimension's energies into fulfilling its ultimate domination. Sensing his equivalent, The Monitor, in a positive universe, he then set his sights on inter-dimensional conquest that resulted in their mutual dormancy for eons.

This slumber was broken by the experimental hubris of scientist Kell Mossa, who inadvertently roused the Monitors while attempting to learn the secrets of the universe. This allowed Anti-Monitor to enact a plot to destroy all universes comprising positive matter. Thus begins the Crisis on Infinite Earths!

Scouring the multiverse, The Monitor assembles heroic powers to fight the threat of existential annihilation. With some worlds now saved, Mossa channels positive and negative matter to guide the heroes through the universal membrane -- to confront the verge of the Anti-Monitor's hidden fortress!

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Anti-Monitor 7 (Omnipotent)
Intelligence: Anti-Monitor 6 (Genius)
Speed: Superman 6 (Mach Speed)
Stamina: Anti-Monitor 7 (Unstoppable)
Agility: Doctor Light 7 (Unlimited)
Fighting: Superman 3 (Street Wise)
Energy: Anti-Monitor 7 (Cosmic Power)
Total: Anti-Monitor 33 (Super)

When it comes to cosmic threats to the DC Universe it doesn't get much bigger than the Anti-Monitor! His aims threaten to unmake reality itself!

We saw The Flash take down his Anti-Matter Cannon in Crisis on Infinite Earths #8, but the only time we've actually recorded Anti-Monitor in battle was much later, when he returned as part of the Sinestro Corps in Green Lantern #25.

In that epic encounter, it took the combined efforts of the Guardians of the Universe, Green Lantern Corps, Earth's heroes, and one of the Anti-Monitor's own teammates, to destroy him! It bodes well that it was Superboy-Prime who struck the final destructive blow -- but we're getting way ahead of things!

Superman is the primary target in today's featured battle, but he isn't alone!

Japanese scientist Kimiyo Hoshi was studying the anti-matter phenomenon when she was struck with a beam of ionic energy passing through an unstable star in the Vega system. The cosmic force was enacted by The Monitor, who turned her into a new soldier for good - the photonic hero Doctor Light!

Kimiyo Hoshi shouldn't be confused with the villainous Arthur Light, even though her costume and powers bear some similarity. This Doctor Light is determined to the point of arrogance, unwilling to suffer fools as she applies her knowledge of science to mastery over energy and light-based powers.

Doctor Light can offer Superman powerful support against the awesomely destructive energies wielded by the Anti-Monitor. Her ability to move as light particles can also compliment one of their few advantages over the awesomely powerful anti-matter entity -- superior speed!

We've seen Superman keep pace with Barry Allen [Flash: Rebirth #3] and Wally West [Flash #209], and if he can use that speed in combat he could tactically wear Anti-Monitor down. Strength and durability alone probably won't cut it this time, but there will be extra muscle on its way once the fight begins.

When Supergirl enters the fray, she effectively doubles their power! We saw her go toe-to-toe with Captain Marvel in Crisis on Infinite Earths #6, and Martian Manhunter in Adventure Comics #450! She'll also revisit the conflict with Mary Marvel decades later in Final Crisis #6!

With both Superman and Supergirl fighting, it's conceivable the Anti-Monitor could be damaged sufficiently to be defeated. The extra hands mean he can be subdued and tag teamed, with Doctor Light weaving in and out, as well. Will that be the case? Only destiny can decide this one! Let's meet their fate...

The Tape: Superman, Doctor Light & Supergirl Ranking: Superman (#5)

What Went Down...
Penetrating the deepest sanctum of the great cosmic fortress: Dr. Kimiyo Hoshi and Superman stand in awe of a massive mechanical solar collector. While Doctor Light examines its advanced technology, Superman closes in to begin its ultimate destruction -- unaware of the figure lurking behind him in the shadows!

Pain racks his body like never before as Superman is engulfed by the Anti-Monitor's awesome power! Here, his incredible strength and invulnerability will count for nothing. He is a mortal opposing the powers of a virtual god!

Kal-El's cry of agony echoes through the fortress, heard from afar by the super-humanly sensitive ear of Supergirl. She abandons the battle outside and follows the sound, but its Doctor Light who comes to his aide first.

Anti-Monitor effortlessly backhands Superman across the chamber and through a nearby wall. When Doctor Light attempts to intervene, her point blank beams of energy do nothing to deter their target. Anti-Monitor shows her how it's done!

He renews his pursuit of Superman, looming over the Man of Steel as his giant clasped hands smash against the Kryptonian's face! Every strike is another blow delivered to the hopes of the multiverse!

The cosmic titan stands ominously over the bruised Superman with his face obscured in smoldering energy. He means to deliver a finishing blow, but didn't count on Supergirl smashing through the halls of his fortress!

Faster than a speeding bullet she flies directly at the Anti-Monitor to deliver a devastating left hook! She keeps him off balance, following with an all mighty right that sends him smashing through another stone wall!

The advantage is short lived. Anti-Monitor swings wildly, launching Supergirl across the fortress with a furious left!

The enraged Anti-Monitor fires a beam of energy that catches Supergirl's limp body before she can land. She's sent tumbling in the air like a rag doll!

Promising death, he turns his attentions back to the wounded Superman -- but again the Anti-Monitor will be denied! Supergirl doggedly digs her heels in and rips the stonework up like a proverbial rug -- staggering the cosmic monster and sending his hand blasts harmlessly off course as he loses footing!

The Girl of Steel darts across the rubble to pour on punches from a mounted position. The strength and fury of her devastating blows begins to crack the Anti-Monitor's life-shell armor. He retaliates with a wild blow to the face, but the damage is already done! Power pours from his destroyed body!

With his power quickly waning, the Anti-Monitor must seize his opportunity to destroy his enemies and the worlds they come from.

As his body burns with leaking energy, the heroes huddle together, and Supergirl recruits Doctor Light to flee with her injured cousin while she plots a final desperate stand. She throws herself at the burning figure like a torpedo!

The trajectory takes the warring figures on a collision course with the solar collector machine - destroying it! Supergirl refuses to stop, still smashing her fists into the Anti-Monitor as they both burn within the machine's core!

Horrified, Doctor Light feels compelled to help the brave heroine -- but Supergirl desperately orders her to go. A momentary lapse that gives Anti-Monitor the chance he needs to lock his arm around her and unleash his raw power!

Superman can only watch in horror as untold cosmic energies completely consume Supergirl's body and a solid beam blasts right through her!

Anti-Monitor makes a desperate escape, running for a nearby ship as his body begins to fail him. He lives to fight another day. Supergirl will not.

Superman cradles his cousin's broken and bloodied body as her indomitable will at last begins to fade. She tells the Man of Steel not to cry. His example taught her to be brave - and she was. She dies knowing Anti-Monitor's machines were destroyed and the lives across multiple worlds were saved. 

The Hammer...
Supergirl's act of supreme sacrifice succeeds only in delaying the Anti-Monitor, who fled on the brink of destruction, but will return in the next issue fully healed, and wearing a newly formed shell that is his iconic armored design.

The battle and its result provides the first in a one-two punch of iconic deaths that set the stakes of Crisis on Infinite Earths apart from other events of the era. It was immediately followed with the death of Barry Allen, whose grim fate was prophesied in a much earlier issue.

In spite of a premise that could've easily incorporated their quick resurrection into a newly formed DC Universe; the deaths of both Supergirl and The Flash were granted an immediate and sustained sense of consequence. Dead was dead. At least for a while.

The Flash was at least permitted to have existed within this new universe's secret history, but his death quickly became a crucial part of the modern canon. Barry Allen was part of a slightly re-tooled Justice League origin, and would be paid frequent homage through the legacy of his successor, the former Kid Flash: Wally West. This new Flash struggled to understand the details of his mentor's death, but continued to honor it. No such luck for Supergirl, though...

The initial conception for Superman in the post-Crisis DCU was one of a mythic 'Last Son of Krypton'. Kal-El's world had become abundant with derivative survivors from his dead home planet. The reboot was an opportunity to restore his status as a one-of-a-kind icon, completely excising Supergirl from his reality.

Of course, it didn't take long for the merits of a Girl of Steel to be reconsidered.

It would still take until 2004 for Superman's cousin Kara Zor-El to be reinstated into the modern post-Crisis canon, but a facsimile was created in her stead fairly quickly: a compromised version conjured from a character minted just a couple of years before the Crisis rebooted history.

Matrix was a shape-shifting "protoplasmic" lifeform engineered in a pocket universe by a heroic alternate Lex Luthor. When she was thrust into regular adventures in the new DCU, she was entangled with a Luthor who had been masquerading as his own son. Her disguise was much simpler, inventing a Supergirl for a universe that had only known Superman.

The new Supergirl proved an adequate replacement, but inherently susceptible to high levels of continual convolution. Efforts to separate her from Kryptonian history, while still patching together familiar Supergirl tropes, just made things increasingly messy. Eventually she would have to go.

The argument for keeping Superman alone in the universe is a tempting one, but over time I've come to see more merits in a DC Universe with Supergirl in it.

The modern age has become increasingly fixated with darker impulses that challenge the fundamental core of Superman as a character. Supergirl, like other derivations of Superman, offer the perfect vessels for exploring alternative perspectives of Superman's experience, without interrupting or corrupting his status as an icon of truth, justice, hope, and aspirational American ideals.

Supergirl expands the DCU and Superman's world with her own adventures and canon, while also offering the opportunity to explore a Kryptonian who is younger, more impulsive, less experienced, and at the same time more versed in Superman's lost home world, and its traditions. These details, and an innate feminine perspective, have continued to make Supergirl an interesting character in multiple mediums. I can't help but think of the current TV series - a shining example of the value of the character, and the enjoyment she can provide.

Supergirl's death fighting Anti-Monitor was a pretty epic, bad ass way for the Silver Age version of the character to go out. I love seeing her refuse to back down - again and again. Does the headband somehow make it even more bad ass? I think so. I've got a real soft spot for it. It's a little eighties aerobics, but I dig it. It's a shame it had to die, but I'm glad it wasn't permanent.

That about wraps it for 2019. It's been a long year with some great fights and I'm bushed! Make sure you check out the 2019 Feature Fight Recap to revisit and vote for the best battles of the year. This battle technically kicks off Season 2020, so make sure you stick around for more Secret Wars on Infinite Earths!

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Winner: Anti-Monitor
#350 (+240) Anti-Monitor [+1 kill]
#5 (--) Superman
#71 (-2) Supergirl
#894 (new) Doctor Light (Kimiyo Hoshi)