RED HOOD versus SPEEDY
Seeing Red Part Four: Back To School Night (DC comics)
Where: Green Arrow #72 When: May 2007
Why: Judd Winick How: Scott McDaniel

The story so far...
Red Hood has teamed with former Star City criminal mastermind, Brick, to initiate a sinister plan against Green Arrow and his former ally, the Batman, but to what ends?

Though Green Arrow and Batman successfully defeat their opponents in the villain swap, the realisation that they were being distracted while the real plan was enacted comes too late.

With Speedy subdued, the Red Hood plans t ocontinue his path of corruption, turning to the current generation of sidekick. Will the Red Hood allow Speedy to live? Will he convert her to his extreme tactics? Read on to find out!

Previous Form:
Red Hood (#26): Victorys against Hyena, Captain Nazi, Count Vertigo & Brick.
Speedy: Mia Dearden has not yet been featured on the site.

Tale of the tape...
Strength: Red Hood 3 (Athlete)
Intelligence: Red Hood 4 (Tactician)
Speed: Draw 3 (Athlete)
Stamina: Red Hood 4 (Athlete)
Agility: Red Hood 4 (Gymnast)
Fighting Ability: Red Hood 5 (Martial Artist)
Energy Powers: Red Hood 4 (Arsenal)


The battle of the sidekicks! One all grown up, the other still in the infancy of her career, despite a considerable degree of training behind her. It presents an interesting situation!

Technically both are fairly evenly matched, bringing most of the same sorts of attributes to the table by the nature of their humanity. To compensate for the extraordinary threats they face each has honed their fitness, physicality and fighting skills to the sharpest degree. Adding to this natural arsenal comes an array of weapons.

Red Hood has turned his back on the non-lethal utility built from his days as Robin, opting instead for a more diverse range of weaponry. Hidden up his sleeves is anything from knives, high explosives, automatic pistols, and a range of other handy little gadgets.

Speedy stays true to her origins, wielding the bow and arrow like her master and mentor, Green Arrow. While her skills are probably not quite as sharp as GA's, her determination, will and extensive training cannot be doubted.

In this particular match-up, a lot has to be said for experience.
As comparable as any of the characters in these families are, Speedy is a new kid on the block. Despite only being resurrected a few years ago, we mustn't forget a lifetime of experiences that have been laid on top of the Jason Todd character. He's as street as Speedy, and as skilled as Green Arrow. [Green Arrow #71]

At the end of the tape, Red Hood is bigger, older, and better than Speedy.
The Math: Red Hood (Champion Class)
The Pick: Red Hood

What went down...
Our issue opens with Speedy, blindfolded and tied to a chair, sharing a dialogue with her captor; the sinister hero who ecsaped death -- Red Hood!
A fancy curved blade slits the ropes that hold the arrow slinging youngster in her chair, as the Red Hood informs her that their duel will not be one of violent interrogation. Her hands freed, Speedy removes the blindfold and is surprised to find her bow before her.

Her eyes adjust to present a second surprise -- her high school gym. With the standium lights on overhead, Red Hood stands at centre court, suggesting she take hold of her bow, because he has a lesson in store for her.

Speedy happily takes the opportunity to leap into battle, firing off several arrows. The Hood slices them out of the air with his curvy dagger, suggesting the young Speedy is only as good as her quiver's supply. She threatens to put an arrow in his eye in retort, but slashing at the airborne missiles, the Hood scoffs at the conviction of her threats.

Red Hood lords his expertise over his junior, calculating her range of attacks limited to thirty-three, all non-lethal.
The debate of morals continues, as the Hood guarantees to come for her the moment she runs out of arrows.

Perhaps out of agitation or provocation, the young arrow slinger fires an arrow that sneaks past Jason Todd's blade, finding his protective helmet. Physically fine, he offers his approval, before moving his mentoring to the next stage.

Red Hood fires off a barrage of hot led, offering little opportunity for Speedy to literally duck and dodge for her life. She does so with relative ease, emulating her teacher's training. Though she survives the assault, the string of her bow does not, leaving her unarmed.

Red Hood chuckles to himself about his skills with the lethal weapons, remarking, "Got real good with guns to piss off the old "boss"."
He tosses his opponent two blades and removes his helmet, declaring the next stage "higher learning."

Speedy doesn't spare a moment to look the gift horse in the mouth. She leaps at Red Hood, who competently defends against her two sword attack with his single dagger. He comments on her performance, complimenting her ability to hold her own. She replies with threats to be holding more than her own momentarily.

Todd takes the tough talking, and relates it to the similarities between the two of them. The crimson clad sidekick verbally spits in the Hood's face, whilst delivering a swift knee to his mid-section. She follows with a cracking elbow that spills blood from Todd's mouth, whilst defying his evolution, referring to him as, "Another one of the sick @#$&s who couldn't handle staying on the right side..."

Todd repeats that the two are alike, ducking a lunging attack to strike the younger hero hard in the back. She strikes back with a stiff kick, but Todd takes it and brings his knife down like an axe: Speedy blocks it in time with her own blades.

Red Hood lets flow the vivid information he has on Mia Dearden, making up the milestones of what have made her character. She interrupts him, using the gym seats to lean back and throw her legs out in a kick that topples the Red Hood.

He lands on his feet, and continues, arriving at one of the most defining facts of Speedy's young life: her testing positive for HIV. He asks if HIV is the reason she finds it so hard to kill, as though it has bestowed her with a new appreciation for life. She lunges at him in response, but the Hood gets in low, sliding under her leap. He throws his dagger up into her cape, tearing it as he fights to bring her down.

Speedy flows with the leap, taking the advantage from behind, but the Hood throws an instinctive fist behind him, connecting hard with Dearden's jaw.

The Hood gets in personal, grabbing the grounded Speedy by the throat to pin her down. He explains himself, telling her that his "surrogate daddy" comes from the same pampered upbringing as hers, and that like her, he was made on the streets. Streets where like her, he had to make hard choices to persevere.

The Hood retrieves his knife from the court floor, as Speedy struggles to regain her breath. "And I know that sometimes very bad things have to be done to do a great right." As though the message had someone fallen on her, the young girl agrees, "I don't think either of our "fathers" will ever understand that."

Todd replies, "But you do."

The hammer...
Batman and GA roll up the school as the gym explodes, but Speedy is safe, having escaped the explosion set by the victor - Red Hood.

Though it might not seem like it, this was a fight that actually contained a good amount of story and character development.
Red Hood isn't a particularly unique scenario. The hero who chooses more extreme methods became perhaps the most popular type over the course of the eighties and nineties, but what is interesting to read in this issue is the stake that Red Hood takes in the matter.

This doesn't revolve around any kind of seduction of the innocent, or scenario of revenge, which would be the more obvious result. Instead, Jason Todd's history as a homeless street child provides a bridging understanding between the two characters, once they work through their differences by fighting, of course.

One might have expected something far less subversive from Red Hood, who has more often than not been characterized as leaning closer to "evil" than the anti-hero stylings of a Punisher, or other heroes who kill. It's a pleasant surprise then to discover this storyarc, which has been pretty blatantly disposable, in it's conclusion was more than another attempt to destroy or brainwash a sidekick.

Instead, Todd opens a relatively sincere dialogue, and seems to relate his reasons for doing what he is. It could almost be read more like a final confession to someone who understands, rather than an attempt to sway Speedy away from the oath she's sworn with Green Arrow. Because, honestly, despite a frosty moment between Speedy and her mentor when he finally arrives, there doesn't seem to be any reason to expect the character to be anything but her usual heroic-self.

Thus, Secret Earths continues to sponsor the return of Jason Todd, even if this was a less than stellar chapter in the new history of the character.
We continue to watch over the character as he finds his way into the weekly DC mega-series, Countdown, where he's been tying up with his former surrogate big brother, Nightwing. It doesn't sound like things are getting much better for the character, but we'll keep our fingers crossed there's something more in his history than sacrificing himself to stop a new Anti-Monitor, or some such.

As the Red Hood/Winter Soldier debate rages ever on, one can't help but feel Jason Todd is starting to lose the stakes where focus is concerned. While Winter Soldier has been splashed around since his return as the shiney new toy, he seems set to benefit greatly from the death of Captain America, with his latest objective being to kill Tony Stark.

Granted, it's still a little whimsical in it's direction, but Winter Soldier's new mission, similar to Red Hood's time on the streets of Gotham, does highlight something intriguing about this new breed of character. That being, despite their inherent connection to mainstream icons like Batman and Captain America, they seem to be free to take things steps much farther than even some of the well established anti-heroes of the big two companies. Which is very interesting.
These guys go further than just extreme methods. They're practically heroes applying the methods of villains.

Anyway, we'll wrap it up here. Looks like I'm not going to get caught up before the end of the month, but stay tuned anyway for lots more Infinite Wars!

The Fight: 5 The Issue: 4.5

VENOM & SPIDER-MAN versus CARNAGE
The Hatred, The Horror And The Hero: Maximum Carnage Chapter 14, Part 2 (Marvel comics)
Where: Spider-man Unlimited #2 When: August 1993
Why: Tom DeFalco How: Ron Lim

The story so far...
The assembled might of Spider-man, Venom, Black Cat, Captain America, Iron Fist, Deathlok, Cloak, Dagger, Morbius and Nightwatch has finally broken up the reign of terror perpetrated by the Carnage Family, but the fight has not yet been won!

Carnage has escaped death once more, but Venom remains dedicated to hunting down the symbiote spawn of his own alien costume, and destroying it, with or without Spider-man's approval.

Spidey's sense of responsibility brings him to the fight, but as Cletus Kasady becomes further detached from reality, Spidey cannot escape the pull of pity, feeling a responsibility to protect Carnage from Venom's lethal objectives.
Has Spidey done the ultimate good, or sealed his fate by stepping into the crossfire of two of his most powerful enemies? Stay tuned!

Previous Form:
Spider-man (#1): Victorious in team-ups against Blacklash, The Secret Avengers, Dr. Dorcus, Tigershark, The Trapster, The Wizard, Mysterio, Atlantis & Elektra and The Hand.
Black Cat (#43): Instrumental in the final defeat of the Venom Symbiote, after it possessed Thor.
Venom (#97): Has had inconclusive battles with Iron Man & Quicksilver and The Flash.
Carnage: Has not yet been featured on the site.
Tale of the tape...
Strength: Venom 5 (Super Strength)
Intelligence: Spider-man 5 (Professor)
Speed: Spider-man 4 (Olympian)
Stamina: Carnage 5 (Marathon Man)
Agility: Spider-man 5 (Cat-Like)
Fighting Ability: Carnage 3 (Street Wise)
Energy Powers: Draw 2 (Projectile Weapons)


If there was ever a time to question the validity of the fabled Haseloff system, it might be now, true believers! What we're faced with here is one of the strongest cases of the Tombstone factor ever seen on Secret Wars on Infinite Earths.
It might not be enough to tear the internet in half, it might not even change the status quo of the site forever, but it will make for an interesting tape analysis!

I am, of course, referring to Carnage, who made his name with not one, but two major stories that brought together mortal enemies, Spider-man and Venom, in an alliance of common enemies. Such is the value of Carnage, who, despite being statistically on par with Venom, manages to play considerably higher than his weight class.

Carnage brings your basic symbiote abilities to the table. Though he traditionally resigns himself to the red symbiote, he has control over the costume in the same way Eddie Brock always has, allowing for quick changes and retractions.
Unlike Venom, Cletus Kasady favours solid structures over brute strength. Carnage regular morphs his hands into talons, extending jagged structures, and often a giant double-edged axe.

Despite a physique more reminiscent of Spider-man, Carnage still packs a powerful wallop. He challenges even Venom, who is traditionally measured as a fraction stronger than Spider-man himself. This combination of svelt speed, strength and agility makes Carnage a powerful adversary.

Together Spider-man and Venom cover most of those bases. Even so, Carnage continues to represent a fairly major threat during this time period, garnering team-ups between the mortal enemies that are Spidey and Venom not only for Maximum Carnage, but also another team-up previous!

The Math: Venom/Spider-man/Black Cat
The Pick: Venom/Spider-man/Black Cat

What went down...
Having made his escape from Venom and Spider-man, the psychotic Cletus Kasady [that's Carnage to you or I, thank you very much!] returns to places familiar to his own demented childhood. Venom is one the scene to interrupt an episode between Carnage and the ghosts of bullies past, smashing his way through the window as Carnage cries his name in emotional agony.

Venom comes in swinging, clearly riding the momentum gained over Carnage's past few encounters with the heroes. Despite his best efforts to cut the black symbiote down with an axe formation, Venom is easily able to leap the attack, and counter, using his webbing to rip a floor board up and into Carnage's face.

Dazed, Carnage makes his claim as master of death before the wall that bares his name, written in the blood of his victims. Venom laughs in his face, and throws a mighty punch that sends Carnage crumbling through the wall.

Venom snatches at his counterpart's own tendrils, making threats on the various ways he can end his life, when an unlikely savior comes to Carnage's rescue -- Spider-man! Spidey makes his dramatic entrance, colliding with a kick to Venom's back.

Venom attacks Spidey in a rage over his interference. He turns his lethal justice on Spider-man, asking him if he's willing to sacrifice his own life to stand in the way of justice for Carnage.

Spidey dances around Venom's wild punches and swipes, in the same way he verbally dodges the question, as Venom explains the deep personal responsibility he feels for Carnage's creation.
Venom is stunned in his tracks, when Spider-man relates the feelings to much the same way he regards Venom to himself.

At this moment of revelation, Venom is calm enough to notice that Carnage has made his exit under cover of the distraction. Spider-man and Venom again put aside their differences, in agreement that Carnage at the very least needs to be found and contained, regardless of whose methods win the day.

Taking to the city skyline, the web-slinging allies take little time following the screams of innocent citizens to a cemetary below. Down below, they find Carnage using his symbiote manifestations to dig up his deceased mother, believing her to be the only one who won't turn him away in his hour of need.

Venom is unrelenting in his verbal assault of Carnage, which only serves to inspire a new resolve. Carnage lashes out with his symbiote, eventually finding Venom in the talonous claws of his extended hands. Overcome by the strength of a madman, Venom again finds himself in debt to Spider-man, who fires webbing into Carnage's eyes to provide distraction sufficient enough for Venom to free himself with a stiff punch.

Spider-man again interferes in Venom's attack, enforcing his own morals once more on the lethal protector. This time they aren't strong enough to break through Venom's self-righteous charge. He throws a devestating left, that rattles Carnage as it sends him hurtling down to the Earth.

Venom taunts Carnage, remarking on the luck that he didn't accidentally swat him all the way through the back fence of the cemetary into some nearby generators. Using his own tendrills he hunches over Carnage and lifts him by the throat, announcing his intentions to draw out the agony for every life lost.

At this point Spider-man intervenes with more force, leaping between the two symbiote-powered killers to push them apart with his own super-strength.
With Carnage clearly in the weakest of his mental states, Spider-man asks Venom if vengeance is really what's needed, and if it isn't time they felt pity for a man who has clearly been broken for a long time. Spidey appeals to Venom's inner humanity, calling to him to bury his own demons through peaceful means, before becoming as bad as Carnage himself.

Spider-man is probably starting to rethink his empassioned speech as stringy red tenderils wrap around his throat. The red symbiote, like his black predecessor, negates Spidey's spider-senses and drags him back by the throat declaring, "I am... Therefore I kill!"
With that, he tosses Spider-man across the graveyard like a ragdoll. By a bizarre stroke of fate, he comes to land between the graves of Norman and Harry Osborn. No wonder the place looked so familiar...

Carnage flies through the air with his hand in the shape of a blade, calling for 'one for the road' before Venom takes him down. All seems lost, until...

... The Black Cat comes out of nowhere, slamming into the back of Carnage in much the same fashion as Spidey's big entrance earlier in the piece!
Having withdrawn from the hunt for Carnage earlier in the piece, citing her own selfish reasons, Black Cat is a pleasant surprise in what had again devolved into a personal struggle between the spider-characters.

Sick of opposition, Carnage makes for his mother's coffin, deciding the advantage of numbers was cause enough to cut his losses and make a retreat. In his haste, he doesn't even notice that he's running directly into the path of Venom's ample fist.

Venom follows the shattering blow with an uppercut, and follows that yet again with an overhanded punch directly to Carnage's head! As he beats the living snot out of his spawn, Venom waxes on Spider-man's words, debating whether or not Carnage was worthy of vengeance or protection, but in the end, justice calls.

Despite all the talk of torture, and the thirst for bitter revenge, Venom makes one final play for a definitive conclusion to the saga endured over the past weeks. He charges at the stunned Carnage, taking advantage of his false securities, and heads straight for the nearby generators.

The resulting explosion reduces the scene to a bustling inferno, as Spider-man and Black Cat watch-on in shock. Amidst the flames they spy the silhouette of a person, and manage to drag the naked, burned body of Cletus Kasady, whose living symbiote, vulnerable to flame, is nowhere to be seen.

With Eddie Brock nowhere in sight, Black Cat suggests they look for Venom, but quickly follows that if he doesn't want to be found, he'll easily blend into the surroundings. At that moment, a truck leaves the area, carrying in the back a weakened man with a black symbiote, that fades to less conspicuous duds.

The hammer...
I'm going to give the sole victory to Venom here, with the strong assist going to Spider-man and Black Cat. I just don't think you could say Spidey had enough of an impact there to really impress on the result. Maybe if he'd tried killing Carnage, he'd have the stat...

So, this was a bit of a hurdle of an update, given the enormity of it. Though the summary might not have run hugely over the normal entry, the story itself takes place over a good many more pages than even the New Avengers taking on The Hand. [New Avengers #27]

Given the updates we haven't exactly capitalized on the release, but if you're still with us, you might need to be reminded that Web-slinging Wednesdays are dedicated to the villains of the Spider-man 3 movie. This feature, despite also containing a red hot dose of Carnage, is of course to represent the Eddie Brock Venom present in the movie. That's opposed to the Mac Gargan Venom, you'd currently be reading about in the pages of Marvel comics like Thunderbolts.

It's fast approaching 2am as I try to make a last ditch effort before being tied up with dentist appointments again, so I'm at a bit of a loss for words again.

It's interesting to look over the Maximum Carnage story, and how important it is in so many different ways to so many different types of fans. For a lot of casual readers it remains one of the most memorable crossover stories, be they familiar through the thirteen issues of comic themselves, or the hugely successful video game spin-off of the time.

I myself regard both quite highly. For some readers it seems it was a period in which many were infamously 'not reading at the time', which seems to be accompanied by the odd sneer toward the symbiote characters, and the following Clone Saga. Certainly there are criticisms worthy of both stories, but in the long run, I'd like to think Maximum Carnage is exactly what it set out to be -- a damn fun and interesting read.

It was perhaps a story let down by the glut of similar efforts that came out of Marvel around the same time. It must have been less than a year later that things like Spirits of Vengeance and various other stories kicked off, that brought the unlikely, but ever extreme team-ups of characters like Ghost Rider, Venom and Demogoblin to the pages of various comics.

I'm not terribly well versed in a lot of these subsequent stories, but I'd like to think even they have their merit. I guess maybe I'm just a little nostalgic for the days when a wider bredth of characters were regularly featuring across the multitude of titles printed by Marvel comics. This touches back on some of the things discussed in our last review. [Beyond! #3]

Rest assured you'll see more instalments from Maximum Carnage in the future. I really want to get Morbius into the rankings so bad, it's actually a little bit sad, believe me. But, in the mean time, I should probably be heading to bed!

I'd love to be caught back up before the release of Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer, but we'll see how we go. Otherwise, stay tuned! Some big things coming at the end of the month in the Punch-Up, plus the remaining entries in the special five-week Web-Slinging Wednesday series!

The Fight: 4.5 The Issue: 6

DRAGON MAN versus DEATHLOK
Dead Man Walking (Marvel comics)
Where: Beyond! #3 When: November 2006
Why: Dwayne McDuffie How: Scott Kolins

The story so far...
The cosmic entity called The Beyonder has been abducting heroes from the Marvel universe with a simple decree: "Slay your enemies and all you desire shall be yours! Nothing you dream of is impossible for me to accomplish!"

The ragtag grouping of Spider-man, Venom, Gravity, Firebird, Henry Pym, Wasp, Medusa, Kraven and the hood are torn apart when, interpreting the Beyonder literally, Venom appears to slay his mortal enemy - Spider-man.

The other heroes quickly turn on Venom, and although he manages to escape their clutches, his decisions ultimately lead to the crash landing of their spaceship on Battleworld. Here, the group sans Venom encounter "Michael", who is actually Deathlok, the survivor of a previous group. Unfortunately for them, however, he wasn't the only person whose attentions were razed...

Previous Form:
Wasp (#25): Involved in several successful group endeavours.
Medusa (#194): Defeated by her former teammates, the Frightful Four.
Dragon Man, Deathlok, Gravity, Firebird: Have no yet been featured on the site.

Tale of the tape...
Strength: Dragon Man 6 (Invincible)
Intelligence: Deathlok 4 (Tactician)
Speed: Wasp 4 (Olympian)
Stamina: Dragon Man 5 (Marathon Man)
Agility: Wasp 3 (Acrobat)
Fighting Ability: Deathlok 4 (Trained Fighter)
Energy Powers: Firebird 6 (Mass Destruction)


Well, well, well... This certainly has to be one of the more interesting groups we've dealt with here on Secret Earths. As you may have noted from the above rankings indicators, despite the impressive array of C-listers, all we're concerned with is; Wasp, Medusa, Gravity, Firebird and Deathlok. The other characters might turn up in future installments, I do not know for sure.

Dragon Man's a fun villain! I've maybe gone a little generous on the strength side of things, but consider him on the low end of a six. Not that it makes much difference, considering all concerned, bar Deathlok, are completely without any major strength based skills or enhancements.

Needless to say, this isn't going to be a fist fight. The Beyond! team needs to look to their unique capabilities if they're going to stand a chance against the Dragon Man, who really isn't that commanding a threat in general, but just generally deals with much stronger foes.

Deathlok has the weaponry and tactical advice of his cybernetic computer going for him, although given the obscure nature of the characters he's paired with, data is going to be limited. Any tactical advantage gained is going to be limited to what he can do, and a gun and cybernetic strength isn't going to do it.

Medusa brings snaring tactile hair strands to the table; Firebird can fight fire with the fire breathing Dragon Man, almost certainly surpassing his capabilities; and Gravity is bringing all kinds of wacky powers to the table.

All in all, a group of level headed heroes with these abilities should be able to function as a unit well enough to overcome the relatively childlike Dragon Man. Certainly the inexperience of Gravity and Firebird is well countered by the season of senior heroes like Deathlok, Wasp and Queen Medusa.

The Math: Deathlok and team(Total) Dragon Man (Average)
The Pick: Deathlok and team

What went down...
With several of the heroes already knocked out, Deathlok wastes no time going to battle with the roaring Dragon Man. His cybernetic intelligence rates chance of survival for Deathlok at less than 4%, but he fights on anyway.

Wasp calls an eyeshot, as Gravity impresses his influence on the situation. He uses his powers to shackle the seething Dragon Man, while Medusa capitalizes, using her strong hair to hoist a boulder onto the Dragon Man's foot.

The pain of the attack inadvertantly sees the Dragon Man bucking in agony, sending Gravity into the unsuspecting Medusa. Their collision knocks them both down.

Wasp, unable to get in for a close shot with her stinger blast, calls for back-up from Deathlok, who appears to be standing around in the middle of the battlefield. Little does Janet Van Dyne realise, Deathlok is unlocking the protocols in his cybernetic enhancements, rapidly increasing his options and chances of victory.

With safety protocols disabled and the maximum strength boost activated, Deathlok not only all-but assures his own survival, but increases the statstical chances of victory for the group. Although it hampers his chances, Deathlok ensures his no-kill parameters remain in effect. "Which isn't to say we can't punch his lights out."

Deathlok heads into the fray with a cybernetically enhanced uppercut that knocks the Dragon Man into next week! Reeling from the blow, Dragon Man is vulnerable for Wasp to come in to fire off one of her blasts at point blank range into his eye.

Unfortunately this serves only to enrage the beast further. Thought his eye is clearly effected, he breathes a massive jet of flame in retaliation, but the Wasp manages to get clear before she can be hit by the blinded beast.

Deathlok takes the brunt of Dragon Man's firey breath, suffering heavily under it's extreme temperature. His body begins to degenerate, as do his cybernetic enhancements, but just when all seems lost, Firebird enters the battle!

The flaming heroin absorbs the impact of the flames, coming between the simple creature and the advanced cyborg, Deathlok. She lets out a Phoenix style burst of flame in the shape of a bird, which sufficiently startles the Dragon creature.

Firebird orders the creature away, and follows her demands with an impressive blast of flame that sends the Dragon Man hurtling across the jungle terrain in which they fight. The attack proves to exert too much energy, but Gravity is there to use his powers to break Firebird's fall.

Deathlok's cybernetics are able to regenerate and self-repair the bulk of the damage done, allowing him to pursue their opponent for one last encounter.
Finding Dragon Man on his stomach deeper into the jungle, Deathlok snatches him by the tail and whips him into more larger rocks and boulders, ensuring the knocked down monster stays down.

The team regroups to address the remaining threats that await them on Battleworld. Mission accomplished.

The hammer...
Chalk up a victory to Deathlok, Firebird, and the rest of the team! In the interest of clarifying the statistical value, I'm going to consider that a solid team effort from everyone concerned.

Speaking of teams; Deathlok goes on to inform his fellows that he was on Battleworld as the remainder of a team that had been summoned long ago. That team consisting of; Darkhawk, Terror Inc, Sleepwalker, Dracula, Photon, Coldblood and Wonder Man. Not a bad little ensemble, even if I do say so myself. Reminiscent of Robert Kirkmans "legion of losers", who were so unfortunate they stole the name of The Spot's team!

Beyond!, like Kirkman's efforts in the later issues of Marvel Team-Up, highlights a resurgance in appreciation for the lower tier characters who largely suffered from post-nineties backlash. While it might not have been the biggest story to befall Marvel Comics, I like to think Beyond! went lengths to just reaffirm the potential value of these characters. Certainly with McDuffie moving back into the Marvel Universe big leagues writing a title like Fantastic Four, which directly references this mini, it's showing promising signs.

I also particularly like seeing an interest with grooming characters for bigger things. A conceit more characteristically seen at DC, where characters seem to be more readily embraced, both new and old. Characters like Gravity can really benefit from these kinds of things, whilst reviving classics like Deathlok.

It isn't all sunny for Marvel's B-listers, though. To the surprise of noone, Blade has been cancelled with the twelfth and final issue. They at least have the grace to wrap up their storylines, but really, anyone who thought this was a good way to capitalize on Blade's unexpected popularity in the films, was an idiot.

While not brilliant stories, what at least earns stories like Beyond! point of recognition is the very simple approach to the characters. Very little effort is made to do anything with them, but deliver an expected charaterization moving through events. Blade failed instantly to successfully capture the formula that was so brilliantly mastered particularly in the Stephen Norrington introductory film. The one that broke Blade onto the map.

Sometimes you really have to wonder about the thought processes behind these decisions. Not that I would volunteer myself as the supreme-intelligence. Even if it is simple brilliance to team the Sub-Mariner and Blade in a storyline that would blow your minds. Yes, I'm going back to the Sub-Mariner B-list packed pitch.

I'll salvage myself by abruptly changing the subject to the overall concept of Beyond!. The idea of a cosmic entity providing the McGuffin by spontaneously collecting up various selected characters, only to plonk them on a planet called Battleworld, is likewise simple brilliance.

It's highly unlikely that it will ever produce a Watchmen, but it is almost certainly guaranteed to be a ridiculously fun and action packed romp each and every time. You have to wonder if Marvel shouldn't focus their attentions on establishing Beyond! as a trademark, in a world where Secret War has perhaps shifted the perception and awareness of the classic Secret Wars branding.
It probably wouldn't hurt to shake-off the stink of Secret Wars II, too. At least Beyond! references the Beyonder, without conjuring images of the white leisure suit and gheri curl.

Gee, I wonder who would be qualified to write a comic about a random collective of superheroes fighting on an alien planet? Hey, I'm just saying, I'm here for the grooming Marvel. Look at the credentials, baby. Two years!
It's 1:15am, so I'm going to go to sleep now. The catch-up continues!

The Fight: 4.5 The Issue: 5
NEXT WEEK: King Midas said there'd be days like this... GREY GARGOYLE!

THE AVENGERS versus THE HAND
Revolution Part One (Marvel comics)
Where: New Avengers #27 When: April 2007
Why: Brian Michael Bendis How: Leinil Yu

The story so far...
In the wake of Wolverine's tenure as a Hydra puppet, Elektra has taken control of The Hand, but it hasn't been the gift to peace some may have expected it to be.

During the superhero Civil War the hero called Echo has been investigating in Japan under the created guise of Ronin. Her operations in the Japanese underworld have attracted the attentions of Elektra and her new Hand clan.

An SOS distress she sends out to her jailed friend Matt Murdock proves to arrive too late, and Echo is killed, only to be resurrected by The Hand to be an instrument of Elektra. That is, unless her friends make the save!
Better late than never...

Previous Form:
Secret Avengers [#16]: Were swiftly defeated by the pro-reg Avengers.
Spider-man (#1): Successfully teamed with the Avengers, Zombies, Human Torch, Ghost Rider, Namor & Iron Man.
Wolverine (#3): Successfully teamed with the Avengers, Zombies & the X-Men.
Luke Cage (#143): Yet to feature in any significant capacity.
Elektra (#10): Victories over Bullseye, Catwoman & Echo.

Tale of the tape...
Strength: Luke Cage 5 (Super Strength)
Intelligence: Spider-man 5 (Professor)
Speed: Iron Fist 4 (Olympian)
Stamina: Luke Cage 5 (Marathon Man)
Agility: Spider-man 5 (Cat-like)
Fighting Ability: Iron Fist 6 (Warrior)
Energy Powers: Dr. Strange 6 (Mass Destruction)


Statistically speaking, the tape clearly lines up to favoure the Secret Avengers, but what it fails to consider is the overwhelming presence of The Hand, which supplies an unending supply of disposable ninja. Thus, we should consider that on the terms of team numbers, Elektra far outnumbers the seven Avengers.

Not that these Avengers are a team of piss-ants. On the contrary, there's an interesting blend of characters close to the street, with firepower to back them up when things get rough. The line-up of seven features; Luke Cage, Spider-man, Iron Fist, Dr. Strange, Spider-Woman, Wolverine, and Ronin; aka Hawkeye.

Yes, Hawkeye is the second Ronin, as revealed in the recent New Avengers #30, but more on that in The Hammer. For the time being, let us consider that Hawkeye has gone into combat without his bag of trick arrows. Good or bad?
Well, at least he isn't going to explode any time soon ["Not like this!" - Misgivings Mike], but on the same time, now he's without his trademark weapons!

For those who came in late -- Hawkeye was trained in the early days by the Swordsman, so presumably he's going to be proficient with the Ronin blade he's packing, but one would have to question his willingness to use it.

Willingness to do what's necessary probably isn't going to be much of an issue with Elektra or her Hand ninja, which are all trained in the deadly anatsatsuken assassin arts! Elektra in particular poses a threat to the safety of the team, but they're not without their counter threats.

Wolverine is the best there is at what he does, and that's eviscerating, slicing, dicing and juicing, wherever possible. If push comes to shove, he's the guy who'll do what's necessary to make sure the good guys come out with the least casualties. Meanwhile, on the less lethal but not less deadly side is Iron Fist, who can pound-for-pound match most of the Marvel universe's best fighters!

Throw in the mystic prowess of Earth's Sorceror Supreme, the web-slinging spectacular Spider-man, and the impenetrable hero no longer for hire, Luke Cage, and you've got yourself a pretty formidable unit!

The Math: The Avengers (Total) Elektra (Average)
The Pick: The Secret Avengers

What went down...
After three days of conditioning at the bottom of a hole, Echo might be beginning to slip, but the sound of fighting no doubt inspires her to hold on just a moment longer. Good thing she can't hear what the fighters are saying...

The Avengers find themselves set upon fairly swiftly by the hordes of the Hand ninja. Given their personless nature, there's no holds barred against these animated humanoid collections of goop and mystic meat. Wolverine takes great advantage, slicing through what resembles a neck while Spidey quips about some of their more recent adventures.

As Wolverine lets the inner animal out, Hawkeye remarks, perhaps ironically, on the exchange of discussion during the fight.

Cage pounds his way through some ninja, while Iron Fist remarks upon his distaste for banter during combat. "You're doing banter now, Fist." "No, I'm not." "I didn't say it was good banter."

Though their exchange is corny, their skills remain as sharp as ever. Iron Fist warns Spider-man through a dodge, following through with a fully charged fist of iron that rips straight through the faux-flesh of Hand ninja, reducing them to mist.

Hawkeye, the new kid on the team, enquires about Dr. Strange's techniques, which until this point have involved silently going about his business. The good Doctor reveals his prestige, a series of simple transient spells that reduce the ninja to sleeping, or crying for their mommies.

Elektra enters the fray, furiously bringing her sai down to Cage's chest with an incredibly sloppy, and uncharacteristically undisciplined axe handle motion.

Cage's "unbreakable" skin protects him from damage, allowing him the opportunity to grapple with Elektra, pulling her in for a face-to-face. Introductions are brief; "Rrr... I got a message from Matt Murdock." "Yeah?" "He told me, if I see you, to give you this..."

Pictured right is DD's message.

And, before you say what you're thinking, yes. It does still hurt a great deal. Or at least, so I'm told. Come on, it makes sense. Now, stop snickering...

Spidey stops to quip, but Wolverine pulls back the reins, ordering the wall-crawler toward the initiation pit, as apparently predetermined during team strategizing.

Spider-man webs the stunned Elektra up, and slips down the hole, landing with springy ease. He pulls his mask back to his nose, allowing the deaf Echo to read his lips. He explains that Murdock sent he and his Avengers to rescue her, but the tortured Echo is understandably reluctant to trust the rescue. Fortunately for her, she's too weak to put up a struggle, and Spidey slings his way back to the surface to rejoin his Avengers.

Still battling their way through the endless stream of red cloth and ninja, Cage is all too happy to call a strategic retreat. Wolverine gives the cue, signalling to Dr. Strange to make for a magical exit. While the Doctor conjures his spell, Iron Fist gives them some room, pounding the stoney ground of The Hand's lair, creating a seizmic shake under foot.

Elektra cuts herself free of Spidey's web with a sword, but by then it's too late. The Secret Avengers have made their escape -- for now.

The hammer...
While there wasn't really any physical conclusion to this encounter, there was a very specific mission objective achieved, and a physical dominance worth noting, considering the nature of The Hand. Thus, we crown The Avengers winners!

I'm drastically behind schedule, so it may not yet have occurred to you that this post is occurring on a Sunday! I think I may have mentioned that I wanted to revisit the issue once we knew who Ronin was, so when else would be a more fitting time to do a Sunday Super Special?!

We of course all now know that the new Ronin is in fact the post-House of M resurrected version of Clint Barton - Hawkeye. I think it's safe to say of all the picks, he was the most logical, given the telegraphing nature of New Avengers #26, which featured his return and search for Wanda Maximoff (after a quick visit with Dr. Strange).

We also know that Hawkeye came to be the new Ronin under the flippant conditions that without a costume, he would not be allowed to accompany the Avengers, who were otherwise interested in his aid. Hmmm... For a guy who made his name on gnarly, gritty, street level dialogue, Bendis just can't help but serve up hunks of ham, can he? This issue, particularly with that little hindsight, is positively dripping in ham and honey glazing.

Still, another benefit of hindsight is the progression of the story to better feature this new collective of Avengers. For the first time in the title's history it finally feels like there's a cohesive and grounded direction that actually involves the team! Hey, the team appearing in their book? I'd buy that for a dollar!

I'd be lying if I said I didn't think Hawkeye-Ronin was a debacle of the most hilarious degree. I think the circumstances are what really make it unfortunate, given the previous Ronin fiasco, and the justifiable media it generated.
Though the circumstances by which Barton becomes Ronin are laughable, the delivery would likely have been much more acceptable if it were allowed to be more forthcoming, and free of the marketing angle.

New Avengers, as highlighted during this fight, is a pretty light story that isn't going to excessive lengths to take it's self seriously.
It's a ninja-battling romp thrugh Japan that has the Secret Avengers out of all the red-tape clutter that's bogged the Marvel Universe down, that is freeing them up logically for this refreshing change of pace. It's a sound concept.
The costume-changing action figure antics fit right in with the banter exchange, and butt-kicking that goes with it. The frustration really just comes down the caged scrutiny and responsive secrecy that went along with it. It wasn't worth it.

Still, Ronin-II is out of the way now, and hopefully we can look forward to Captain AmeRonin sometime in season 07/08. Yuk-yuk. Jokes aside, New Avengers has finally found it's footing as a satisfying read, and it looks like this story still promises a lot to come. Groovy!

It's getting late again, and I'm still trying to catch up on updates, so stick around for the next Monday Marvel Ultimate Alliance update. We're skipping Tigershark and Kraken to get straight to the Dragon Man! Be here!

EDIT (June 17): You are no doubt aware by now that revelations from New Avengers #31 reveal that this was not Elektra at all, but rather a well trained Skrull facsimile! Rankings have now been changed accordingly.

The Fight: 5 The Issue: 5.5

BLACK ADAM versus AZRAEUZ
Every Hour Wounds, The Last Kills (DC comics)
Where: 52 #45 When: May 2007
Why: Geoff Johns, Grant Morrison, Greg Rucka & Mark Waid How: Chris Batista, Jamal Igle & Keith Giffen

The story so far...
The nation of Khandaq has endured great hardship since Black Adam's coup of power, but war and unrest is quickly overshadowed as the nation becomes stricken with disease and famine, seemingly without a cause.

The true nature of Khandaq's hardship reveals itself in the form of the new Monster Society, each member representing one of the four fabled horsemen. The group is successful in killing Black Adam's adopted brother and sister, Osiris and Isis, but Adam slaughters all their number, save Death himself.

Having acted in conjunction with the corrupt governments being manipulated by Intergang - a criminal group Black Adam refused to involve himself with - Azraeuz flees to the neighbouring nation of Bialya. Unfortunately for them, Black Adam knows that, and with his family buried, is ready to take a trip...

Previous Form:
Black Adam (#20): Destroyed the other members of the Four Horsemen, and Psycho-Pirate.
Azraeuz (#239): Defeated by Black Adam and Isis in preceding battle.

Tale of the tape...
Strength: Draw 6 (Invincible)
Intelligence: Black Adam 4 (Tactician)
Speed: Black Adam 5 (Super Speed)
Stamina: Black Adam 6 (Generator)
Agility: Black Adam 3 (Acrobat)
Fighting Ability: Black Adam 7 (Born Fighter)
Energy Powers: Black Adam 3 (Explosives)


Because the descriptions used in the tape system are fairly specific, it's generally pretty rare that you see sevens being thrown around. A lot of the guys you associated as having high level strengths are pipped at a six, because the system attempts to account for the uneven effect of cosmic and omnipotent characters.

Being a born fighter is pretty specific. There aren't too many characters ranked to have that honor, but I think we can all agree Black Adam is one of them.
Over the past six months the general message, where Black Adam has been concerned, is that if you get in the way you're straight-up fucked!

While his abilities can be easily wrapped up in a bow and analyzed, he's one of those characters whose statistics are misleading. With the right motivation it's fair to say Black Adam could take on an entire planet, and he just might even win! That's not to say he's ridiculously unbeatable, but there's a fiery temper that sponsors efforts inhuman even to super humans.

Azraeuz isn't easy! From what little we've actually seen of him [52 #44], he clearly has some skill. I mean skill in that condescending way the French guy uses it in Matrix Reloaded, when Neo's just stopped a whole bunch of bullets dead in their tracks. Azraeuz, "Death", has some skill.

Past performance shows Azraeuz is capable of getting the better of Black Adam. With his three buddies and the benefit of surprise, Azraeuz was able to physically dominate Black Adam, and keep him busy while his new girlfriend was getting killed by his fellows. Azraeuz definitely has the power to deal with Black Adam, but if we're going to go on past performance, we also have to recognise that ultimately Black Adam came out on top there.

Likewise, the bare statistics easily favour the Shazam-powered Adam, who exceeds Azraeuz in all areas but the wide-berthed strength, at a six.
So, where are we going with this? Well, that's pretty simple:

The Math: Black Adam (Super Class)
The Pick: Black Adam (Azraeuz is so fucked!...)

What went down...
Black Adam arrives in Bialya, already in a furious rage, as he crashes his way into the building that houses that nation's leaders. There, Adam finds the military and government officials who beg for the aid of their allies, but find themselves abandoned.

Death slaughters some of the men himself, before making an escape while Black Adam interrogates and kills those who have involved themselves in his mess.

Adam quickly dismantles the Bialyan military and moves to the streets, wreaking terrible havok with little regard for the civilians of the country.
Spying an orchid amidst the blood already spilled, Adam's sorrow is reignited, stirring him to retaliate brutally to the advances of the innocents that would protect themselves and their country.

Furiously searching through the carnage for Death, Black Adam notices crows gathering in the darkened, smoke-filled skies. Azraeuz is done hiding.

Azraeuz' strategy of hidnig proves to be more motivated by more than cowardice. With every death Black Adam has inflicted, Azraeuz has been able to feed and grow ever stronger, likewise explaining why he freely turned on his own allies.
With fatalities in the millions, Azraeuz is incredibly powerful!

He swats Black Adam through the air with ease, leaving him to land with a bang in a Bialyan cemetary.

The horseman of death hoists the Shazam powered anti-hero from the ground, and delights in the death of his bride, and the predictability his rage has brought with it.

Azraeuz slices through Adam's chest with his golden scythe, delighting in the sustenance he has provided through the death of the millions of innocents.
With Black Adam down and hurting, Azraeuz then continues his schpiel, demanding the death of Khandaq's ruler.

Black Adam's mighty fist shatters the golden scythe at the neck as he comes thundering down toward him. He plunges the blade deep into Azraeuz' mid-section and makes a grim decree, "I am here to tell you you are death no longer. I am."

Adam wraps his hands around the creature's neck and cries the magic word of the Wizard Shazam; heiling down the mystic lightning that changes him back to his human form of Theo-Adam, and cuts through the villainous horseman without mercy.

Stunned and sizzling, Azraeuz again feels the searing burn of the lightning ambush, as Adam immediatel reverts back to his more common form.

Snatching up a piece of wreckage, Black Adam looms over the struggling and smouldering beast. He confidently demands the total cooperation of the creature in answering his questions in descriptive terms, before driving the chunk of column deep into it's broken wings and back.

"And then, almight "Death" -- I am going to spend the rest of the night slowly ending your life."

The next day on Oolong Island, the assembled scientists responsible for the creation of Azraeuz and his fellows are watching a newscast concerning Black Adam's rampage, only to interrupted by the sounding of the island security. The alarm that tells them -- Black Adam has come for them.

The hammer...
The winner, with several million kills added to his name, Black Adam. For anyone wondering, we will probably continue to track Black Adam's rampage across the DC Universe next month, although, I haven't as yet been able to pick up the four issues of World War III, so we might fall short of the complete story.
If anyone would desperately like to see those covered, hit up the PayPal donations, because I'm strapped!

So, it's convenient that I was behind on updates, because some of the big news hitting the comics/movie world is the hot rumor of interest in Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson playing the role of Captain Marvel in the feature film version of the character's adventures. As I'm sure you're all already thinking, he would of course be far more compelling in the role of the Middle Eastern anti-hero, Black Adam!

Without getting into the whole caucasian/ethnicity debate that comes up with a lot of comic adaptations, there's a few reasons The Rock would be so great as Adam. Visual asthetics aside, he's shown not only that he can play the action tough guy, but as also brought the presence of fighting royalty to The Scorpion King, and played the motivated anti-hero in Doom, complete with a crazed twist.
Likewise, as much as Rock can turn it up, there's a genuine and warm sincerity to his character that suggests to me he might be able to embody some of the finer pathos, and motivated antagonising Black Adam undertakes. While also possessing, as seen in Doom, that necessary evil that the character sometimes exhibits.

I couldn't tell you who I'd rather see playing Captain Marvel, but suffice to say, The Rock is one of the few muscle-men who come to mind who could fit the part, and maybe have a hope of selling it. I don't know what the general consensus is, but I've had at least a couple of people agree.

So, 52 has of course well and truly wrapped up by now, and we're two weeks into the follow-up project, Countdown. I haven't had the money to pick up World War III, so as you can imagine, I'm not reading Countdown right now. It's much the same scenario that struck me earlier in 52's life, but if this experience has been anything to go by, there'll still be plenty to gain later in the run!

I think one of the saddest points coming out of 52 is that Black Adam's powers were wrestled away from him by Captain Marvel, who is now the governing protector of their abilities. Fortunately Countdown has featured an appearance by the character, and DC have solicited an upcoming Black Adam mini-series that will not only detail the time between his defeat in WW3 and Countdown, but also feature artwork by Secret Earths Top Ten artist, Doug Mahnke.
So, it looks like the hits are just going to keep on coming for Black Adam!

Y'know, reflecting on this particular issue and everything Black Adam has been through as a character, having just featured Namor [What if...? #41], I come back to a point I think I've made previously: DC are doing Namor better than Marvel.

Much like Adam, the Sub-Mariner has lost not only a relative; Namorita during the New Warriors/Stamford incident, but also one of his oldest friends - Captain America. The fact that, as far as I know, he is yet to have any kind of reaction to this, is a little disheartening. I've mentioned before that I'm not a fan of the thick-headed angry Namor, but if there was ever grounds for an incursion of the surface world, this is probably the time.

Marvel a really getting dissed pretty hard on this front. Particularly given the Sub-Mariner is one of their few enduring Golden Age properties, predating Black Adam by almost twenty years. It's disappointing that they've let this sacred cow slump so certainly. We might have to compare mini-series later in the year, but on what little we have to go on now, it's not looking good for ol' marine-mook.

Before I get too carried away, we are a week behind right now, so I think I'd best wrap this one up. A lot of big updates coming this way, including a special little something next, so stay tuned!

I saw the movie Crank last week, and like that, this issue of 52 was just stupid-fun. Action packed, vengeful, ridiculous, and over-the-top. Loved it!
The Fight: 7 The Issue: 6

SPIDER-MAN versus GREEN GOBLIN
He Who Laughs Last...! (Marvel comics)
Where: Amazing Spider-man #176 When: January 1978
Why: Len Wein How: Ross Andru

The story so far...
Aunt May is in the hospital after a heated exchange with a police officer during a rights for the elderly march, but Spidey's got more problems than just the wacky adventures of the terminally hospitalized Golden Oldie!

Psychologist supreme, Dr. Hamilton, has been kidnapped with signs of a struggle, and all signs point to a patient who's gone off the deep end -- but isn't Dr. Hamilton treating the amnesia stricken Green Goblin, Harry Osborn?

That's right true believers! The Green Goblin is back in action, and his first stop is his apartment, where he rooms with one Flash Thompson. Uh oh, looks like Flash is about to step in it real good, unless a certain spectacular individual can spider his way over there!

Previous Form:
Spider-man (#1): Victorious over classic foes such as; Kraven, Tombstone, Scorpion, Mysterio & Sandman.
Green Goblin: Harry Osborn has not yet been featured.

Tale of the tape...
Strength: Spider-man 5 (Super Strength)
Intelligence: Spider-man 5 (Professor)
Speed: Spider-man 4 (Olympian)
Stamina: Draw 4 (Athlete)
Agility: Spider-man 5 (Cat-like)
Fighting Ability: Draw 3 (Street Wise)
Energy Powers: Green Goblin 4 (Arsenal)


I'm once again a week behind updates, but no doubt even had this update come in on time, most of you probably would have seen Spider-man 3 by now.
So, at this point, your general knowledge of characters like Green Goblin are probably going to pretty much be up-to-date. There will be subtle differences, but you've at least got a decent idea about the hypotheticals involved.

What I'm doing here is admitting that straight up in an effort to win you over, but more to the point, I'm padding out this section. I have to admit, this really seemed like a good part of the concept earlier on in the site's life, but I'm sure some of you are finding it more and more tedious each time around.
Although, on the other hand, I know some people are enjoying absorbing the tiny morsels of comic book factoid, so for the good of the team...

Spider-man's strength tends to fluctuate based on interpretation, but generally speaking he's got Harry pretty well covered. The strength gained from the Goblin's serum would be lucky to challenge Captain America, on most days, who also has basic serum-based enhanced strength.

Taking the emotion out of it (featured in Spidey 3), Green Goblin's arsenal is the core of what he's about. The razor bats, pumpkin bombs, glider, finger zap and whatever other nasty things are available. It's nice and gimmicky, but at the end of the day Spider-man's agility and preternatural warning senses go great lengths to nullifying that, and his webbing offers a good defensive/offensive option.

So, what am I saying?...

The Math: Spider-man (Meta Class)
The Pick: Spider-man

What went down...
Discovering his shared apartment totally trashed, Flash Thompson is none too pleased to find the Green Goblin slamming the door behind him, as he makes his startled entrance to investigate the bat-shaped glider in the middle of the room.

Thompson attempts to confront his "melodramatic" friend, who seems to have shifted to a personality unique to the Goblin, but gets a face full of finger-bang for his trouble! With Thompson out cold, the Goblin contemplates his exit, but it seems someone has snuck into the room while he was distracted...

Spidey drops in on his pal, and gets a goblin finger spark for his trouble!
The Goblin keeps Spidey swinging, evading his blasts while he makes for his glider. Too bad for him, Spidey's agility combined with the tight spacing makes for the perfect intercept!

Grappling with his troubled best friend, Spider-man supplies the additional weight to throw the goblin-glider out of whack. Spidey is hurled across the room as the Goblin spirals out of control, colliding with a wall.

Spidey tries to talk his buddy down, but the Goblin's bag of tricks isn't empty yet!

Shaken, Spidey is unable to avoid the Green Goblin hurling a razor bat at him, which packs an added little extra punch -- an electric charge!

Spidey gets fried, but manages to hit a wall, and steady himself enough to shoot a line of webbing at the Goblin! Mustering his proportionate strength of a spider, Spidey yanks the Goblin across the room, directly into his waiting fist!

He smacks the Goblin across the room and yanks him back for some more, swatting him like a green and purple paddle ball! The second punch sends the Goblin careening into the wall in a manner that would surely leave any normal man crippled, had he not enhanced himself with his father's super serum!

Despite the high impact collision, the Green Goblin is still sound enough to make it to his feet!

Spidey tries to talk his friend down, assuring him that his personal losses aren't the end of his world, but this only antagonises the unhinged Goblin!

Desperate to defend his "new life", the Green Goblin snatches up the unconscious Flash Thompson, who has been left like a ragdoll on the floor the entire time.

Thompson let's out a grown as the Goblin lifts him and menacingly retorts, "If you're so concerned about saving your friends, my dear web-slinger -- try saving Flash Thompson!!!

And with that, he hurls his roommate and friend out the window, for a cliff-hanger ending!

The hammer...
So... I guess there's a real argument to go both ways here, so I'm just going to call it down the middle and go with a draw. Green Goblin certainly gets the last laugh, but Spider-man had more than his fair share of licks throughout the encounter.

All in all this is a pretty quaint number. I'm not sure if it was the best feature to go with to represent the Harry Osborn incarnation of the Green Goblin, but it was good enough to make Spider-man Family #1, and I don't have too many more lying around handy, so it's what we've got.

It sounds like a lot of the wackier aspects of Harry's descent into becoming the Goblin have managed to find their way into the latest feature film. Certainly the selective amnesia has made it's way in all it's cornball glory, as has the insanity and ultimate redeeming qualities that remain buried within. The only thing missing is a bad ass look.

I don't want to go ragging on the film before I've even seen it, because I'm sure I'm going to have a lot positive to say too, but they're zero for two on Goblin designs. With all the things that did translate, I'm kinda disappointed we couldn't have had something that resembled the original films costume more, even if it was a little dorky, too. The generic suit and extreme hang-ten glider just don't click with me at all, and I think if you're going to indulge the technicolour silly of amnesia, you've got to try to do something with the costume!

Anyway, not to nitpick too far, but we seem some unfortunate fatalities in the film, something you can't help but feel Raimi should be above, given the hindsight of the Batman films, and general common sense.
I'm not going to dwell on the spoilers, but I will use that as a segue of sorts to bring it back to the comics. Oh yes! I'm good, people!

With the Norman Osborn incarnation of the character dying, Harry endured as the Green Goblin, continuing the legacy with a healthy dose of drugs, goblin serum and soap opera. He was a prominent factor beyond this appearance, into the eighties and nineties of when I was really enjoying Spider-man, eventually being put to rest under the dutiful pencils of SWoIE's favourite, Sal Buscema.

Much like the film version, the character died with some level of redemption, survived by his loving wife Liz, and a creepy, ominous son, Norman Jr.
I can't help but feel this was a really fitting close to a chapter that really encapsulated a lot of the greatest milestones for Spider-man in his first thirty years. That's perfect, fine.

Flash forward half a decade and Norman is revealed to be alive and well, complete with some sort of healing properties produced by his potent dose of serum. Then another half a decade later you get variations on the goblin introduced via the Osborn/Stacy children, but back it up for what I'm going to wrap this 1:26am overdue update with.

The Spider-man movie franchise highlights the perfect concept of an arc to the characters, making way for forward momentum. This kind of reality and progress was something that really helped put the Spider-man character on the map for a lot of readers, I'm sure. So for that, the series, regardless of it's decision in the final installment, probably deserves to be commended.

The comics, as newer readers hitting us up will quickly learn, shall be forevermore shamed for sullying the value and finality of death.
Of course, I'm a huge hypocrite because I kinda liked the Phil Urich Goblin who found Harry's equipment and used it for good. So even though I'm saying it's a shame they didn't keep the cover closed on the Green Goblin, I guess I'm making exceptions.

Norman Osborn has been a bit of a hoot in Thunderbolts lately, and later in the month we'll have some Norman coming special delivery. So, stay tuned for that.
In the mean time, I'm going to go to bed, because I'm almost certain this has wound up being one of the less well considered editions of the discussion based Hammer section. Good night!

The Fight: 2.5 The Issue: 3