THE CONTEST: GUARDIAN versus DEFENSOR

It had to happen! The Grandmaster has watched the Secret Wars on Infinite Earths for many years and now he comes with a challenge: I must select 12 heroes & villains from the DC Universe to do battle against his Champions of the Marvel Universe! Grandmaster's team competed in the first Contest of Champions and set an allowance of 5000pts based on fixed Fight Club Rankings. Each battle will be decided by you in fantasy fight polls held on Twitter, Facebook and Patreon!

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Draw 4 (Enhanced)
Intelligence: Guardian 4 (Tactician)
Speed: Guardian 4 (Olympian)
Stamina: Draw 4 (Athlete)
Agility: Guardian 3 (Acrobat)
Fighting: Guardian 4 (Trained)
Energy: Guardian 2 (Projectile)
Total: Guardian 25 (Champion)

Defensor is another one of The Grandmaster's unranked international recruits who debuted in the original Contest of Champions. Gabriel Sepulveda was a construction worker in Argentina who came upon an underground cavern containing a suit of armor & shield - each made of vibranium.

He was facing a paramilitary group when he was transported to the original Contest. He then went toe-to-toe with the more advanced armor of Iron Man, deflecting his repulsor rays. The rare metal of his suit can absorb incredible impacts, while internal mechanics also greatly increase his strength.

The last battle backfired when I tried playing a similarly powered opposite against The Grandmaster's champion. Now the scores are tied -- and he's still got a significant spending advantage for the fights ahead. I'm going to hold my nerve by matching another of his 0pt selections, but this time I'm going to try to grind it out with a challenger who is much closer in equivalence!

Guardian is another shield-wielding hero cut from the cloth of the finest creators of this kind: Joe Simon and Jack Kirby! His history has grown complicated over the years, but essentially Jim Harper has remained a powerful force for good, fighting out of Suicide Slum in Metropolis.

He was a natural athlete, honing his body to perfection to become the shield-wielding Guardian until retirement. His "perfect" genetics gained the notice of Project Cadmus, who successfully cloned him and launched the golden Guardian into a new modern era of heroics! A man of peak strength, speed, and agility keeping an eye on the dangerous and shadowy streets of Metropolis!

Both of these heroes have toiled in relative obscurity, but Guardian did recently make a comeback in the pages of Action Comics. That should bode well. His body armor isn't as impressive as Defensor's, but he has far greater experience and natural ability. I think that could be enough to get the win.

The Verdict (Updated June 11th)...

Voter turnout for the battle of shields was at an all-time low -- but I can't say I blame anyone. In case you didn't notice: there were some more important things going on in the world during the week of polling! I hope these fantasy fights can provide a fleeting moment of enjoyment and escapism, but the issues at the forefront of people's minds right now deserve our full attention.

I was also aware that obscurity might pose a problem. Guardian has a fairly limited cult following at the best of times, and Defensor only ever made a couple of appearances before disappearing from comics. We looked at one of those fights, from Marvel Super Hero Contest of Champions #2, and also managed to sneak in a Guardian appearance from Superman #695, but it was all very last minute.

With Facebook polls still non-functioning, there were only three votes to count from Twitter: a split result that determined Defensor the winner by a rounded majority of 66.7%.

In my estimation, Guardian is the more storied and skillful of the two combatants, but it may've been Defensor's superior hardware that got him over the line.

Vibranium's special properties have become quite famous thanks to the exploits of Black Panther. Its ability to withstand Iron Man's hi-tech assault, even in the form of Defensor's ancient armor, was likely a deciding factor for those voters who felt Defensor would win. Guardian is also essentially a super-cop, and I can see how that might not have been a popular choice at this moment in time.

That means Round 5, and the overall lead, goes to The Grandmaster!

We'll be back for Round 6 later this month! Keep your eyes on The Contest for the latest battles and past results. Hit up Twitter, Facebook, and Patreon for regular updates and new voting polls. You can also let me know what you think about the result in the comments or on social media!

Winner: Defensor

The Grandmaster: - 3

Secret Wars on Infinite Earths: - 2

<< Contest: Hawkman vs Peregrine    [Home]     Contest: Green Lantern vs Darkstar >>

GUY GARDNER versus GREEN LANTERN

Hearts of Darkness, Eyes of Hate! (DC)
Where: Justice Society of America #9 When: April 1993 Why: Len Strazewski How: Mike Parobeck

The Story So Far...
The Justice Society of America fought for truth, justice, and the American way throughout the 1940s, but when post-paranoia of the McCarthy era set in, they were driven underground by congressional hearings that turned masked heroes into figures of suspicion.

Decades later they return to fight the good fight, but when a current affairs program claims to have uncovered FBI files that prove they worked to spy on Americans, and sold their services to the Soviet Union, a fresh wave of paranoia turns the people against them!

As the owner of the network that made the false report, Alan Scott is quick to leap into action as The Green Lantern -- but it isn't long before he finds himself under attack by one of his loyal viewers: Guy Gardner!

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Guy Gardner 3 (Athlete)
Intelligence: Green Lantern 4 (Tactician)
Speed: Draw 3 (Athlete)
Stamina: Green Lantern 6 (Marathoner)
Agility: Draw 2 (Average)
Fighting: Guy Gardner 4 (Trained)
Energy: Draw 7 (Cosmic Power)
Total: Green Lantern 27 (Metahuman)

It's a battle of the ring slingers! Each has answered to the same moniker, but they represent very different spectrums in attitudes and light!

At this point: Guy Gardner had lost his Green Lantern power ring to Hal Jordan, forcing him to take up the yellow light of a Qwardian ring once used by Sinestro. Guy sought out the then-deceased villain's weapon after failed attempts to fight crime sans powers, as seen in Guy Gardner Reborn #1.

Once Guy found a new ring, it wasn't long before he was back with the Justice League fighting the likes of: Doomsday in Superman #74, and Eradicator in Action Comics #688. Neither fight went particularly well for the brash hero.

Long before Earth saw its first recipient of a Green Lntern Corps ring, there was the Green Lantern whose power derived its charge from the mystic Starheart: Alan Scott was a founding member of the Justice Society of America, who used his ring to fight the Axis of Evil throughout the Second World War.

His energy is magic in nature, but can achieve many of the same will-powered functions as a Corpsman -- as long as they aren't rendered against wood: his weakness! We saw his arch-enemy Solomon Grundy exploit that in JSA #65!

When Guy Gardner was a Green Lantern, his ring was unable to affect anything yellow. Now that he wields the yellow spectrum itself, there's no impurity creating a weakness. That gives him a theoretical advantage against Scott.

The Golden Age Lantern has bags of experience to call upon, and a level head that's seen him through countless battles. Guy Gardner may be a better fighter, but Alan Scott is arguably the superior tactician. Let's see how it plays out...

The Tape: Green Lantern Ranking: Guy Gardner (#134)

What Went Down...
Soaring over the city with determination -- The Green Lantern doesn't notice a gigantic yellow fist coming for his chin until it's too late!

The oversized uppercut stops GL in his tracks and signals the airborne arrival of Guy Gardner!

With his yellow power ring charged, the brash hero is full of piss and vinegar over televised reports that the JSA were once involved in post-war collusion with foreign powers. He's come to swat the traitor from the sky, but Green Lantern is in no mood for dealing with "phony Green Lanterns."

GL conjures the cutting edge of a giant chainsaw to cut through the giant yellow swatter swinging at him. Gardner is stunned his yellow construct had no effect on the Green Lantern's construct, confusing the original with his former Corps.

It looks like it's going to be an even match of ring against ring, but the Golden Age hero is unimpressed when Gardner leads with a giant mallet. He's been conjuring those for decades, and easily throws up a defensive shield.

Guy updates his offensive with a more modern tact, launching yellow rockets at his target -- but GL deflects them with a giant propeller just as easily as he challenges Gardner's willingness to believe slander against the JSA in the media.

The younger hero rationalizes their alleged overseas mercenary work as perfect explanation for the JSA's periodic disappearances. He backs it up with twin barrels of mega machine guns, but the Green Lantern catches his yellow munitions in the curve of a green pipe and sends them back overhead.

The Golden Ager questions how a gullible conspiracy theorist joined the Justice League, using the moment of provoked bravado to flick Guy with a giant hand!

Green Lantern continues to lecture Gardner on the dedication, creativity, and intelligence required of wielding a power ring. His coarse style of mentoring only riles Gardner up to be more bullheaded in opposition -- literally!

Guy rides a giant charging bull at his opponent, but Green Lantern tries his hand at being a matador. He steps aside, swishing his purple cape to reveal a great big green anvil that Gardner crashes straight into!

Seeing stars doesn't stop a dazed Gardner taunting the senior hero, who directs his attention to his feet. A green 500lbs weight precedes his plunge from the sky to the streets below, where the JSA has gathered amongst the onlookers.

Gardner emerges from a crater in the road and furiously shakes his fist skyward. It's only then he notices his yellow ring is no longer in his possession!

Green Lantern descends from the sky with a lesson in skills and humility, juggling the ring in one hand before he chucks it back to Gardner and slugs him with an old fashioned left hook!

Wildcat and Flash offer their compliments as Guy Gardner hits the deck. KO!

The Hammer...

The Green Lantern and Justice Society may have aged, but seeing Guy Gardner get kayoed when he's asking for it never gets old!

It wasn't the most diplomatic way to handle the situation, but occasionally a smack in the mouth is all that will do. Especially when there are sinister forces working behind the scenes to whip the public, and Guy, into an anti-JSA frenzy!

It's a situation reminiscent of the anti-superhero hysteria sparked by Glorious Godfrey (as G. Gordon Godfrey) in Legends. The masses become enthralled with a hypnotic mantra of hatred, but this time its laced with the dark sorcery of a Golden Age Spectre villain: the ancient destroyer of civilizations - Kulak.

A mob descends on GL and the JSA immediately after Guy Gardner hits the pavement. Not wanting to hurt the bewitched masses, they find a well-timed getaway driver in Carter Hall. Too bad for them he's under Kulak's spell as well!

Stories that vilify broadcast television were a dime a dozen in the 90s [see; Spider-Man #65], but the way Justice Society of America #9 represents the perils of "yellow" tabloid journalism, and obvious false reporting, feels awfully prescient. As does the transmission of misinformation amongst an audience all too willing to angrily mobilize to destroy institutions working to serve them.

The mysticism enhancing Current Affairs Spotlight's tabloid takedown only seems to bring the analogy forward to the present day's malicious, rapid spread propaganda of online viral channels. I shouldn't want to tinge the tale with too much of a contemporary political perspective, but the metaphors are deliberate.

The story also presents a generational struggle between the WWII statesmen, and Gen X's shoot-first action movie meatheads, who Guy Gardner parodies.

The Justice Society of America series featured in today's entry was actually the second JSA revival for the early nineties. Volume 1 was published in 1991 and set its adventures in the 1950s. Volume 2, as we can see, brings the vintage heroes into the modern age, alongside 90s icons like Guy, and Superman.

There's a modern sensibility but also a palatable sense of nostalgia, provided in part by Mike Parobeck's simple & clean renderings of the characters. It's a very nice looking comic that my scanning doesn't do full justice. Particularly to the colours by Glenn Whitmore, who keeps the world neutral and the heroes bold. Mike Machlan's inks add to the atmosphere with heavy shadows, as well.

As time marches on, the case against DC's Golden Agers seems to ebb increasingly hard against them. Former DC Publisher Dan Didio makes the case that multiple generations are part of a problem that ages evergreen DC icons like Batman. That was apparently the impetus for excising them, and the third generation Teen Titans, from the New 52 reboot.

Aging was indeed a legitimate problem, by design, pre-Crisis, but streamlining in the eighties facilitated classic returns as historic figures, still fighting evil in feature series like this one, and in mentoring support roles such as Flash #77.

The strength of the characters, and affections for them, constantly confirm their enduring appeal, and the value they offer by embellishing the DC canon. Their place in history is only ever as difficult as the publisher chooses to make it.

As one of the most exciting on-going series of the 2000s, JSA proved this. Its balance of classic and contemporary approach helped cement writer Geoff Johns as a creative force. It also reaffirmed the iconic status of Golden Age characters like Green Lantern, Flash, Hawkman, and Black Adam, creating new fans who are still eagerly supporting them in multiple mediums.

It's been good to see DC Comics restoring some of this legacy of late. Planned celebrations for the Green Lantern's 80th anniversary are exciting, and the development of a live-action Stargirl series, featuring the JSA, is pretty cool too.

If you like these characters and want to see more of them in action, you can dive into the Secret Archive for a complete index of featured fights ordered by publisher, series, and issue number. Links throughout this post are also means to discover more about the DC Universe and related characters!

Secret Wars on Infinite Earths has documented well over 600 battles and counting! If you like rankings and reading about superhero smackdown you can help make it all happen by joining the Patreon. Patrons can access schedule updates and voting polls, as well as levels to request a specific fight.

Subscribe to Secret Wars on Infinite Earths on Twitter and Facebook to get daily links to fights inspired by the topics of the day! Be sure to hit like and share on your favourite battles. Don't worry, they're strictly Kulak free!

Winner: Green Lantern
#90 (+66) Green Lantern (Alan Scott)
#140 (-6) Guy Gardner

SUNFIRE versus DARKSTAR

Chapter 2: First Contest: Frenzy in the Frozen North! (Marvel)
Where: Marvel Super Hero Contest of Champions #2 When: July 1982 Why: Mark Gruenwald, Bill Mantlo & Steven Grant How: John Romita Jr

The Story So Far...
Across the universe there exist immortal entities whose very being determines cosmic reality. The Grandmaster is one such being: an Elder of the Universe whose taste for games inspires a Contest of Champions!

Snatching the world's heroes from a temporarily frozen Earth; The Grandmaster drafts a team of twelve to represent him in a contest of life and death! His team must race to find segments of a golden artifact scattered to the four corners of the Earth. The Grandmaster's ultimate prize is the restoration of his immortal brother: The Collector!

Killed by the mad man-god Michael Korvac; The Collector's demise is beyond even the vast cosmic reach of a fellow Elder. Thus, The Grandmaster's challenge is issued to the ultimate opponent - Death herself!

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Draw 2 (Average)
Intelligence: Draw 2 (Average)
Speed: Draw 3 (Athlete)
Stamina: Sunfire 4 (Athlete)
Agility: Darkstar 3 (Acrobat)
Fighting: Draw 4 (Trained)
Energy: Sunfire 6 (Mass Destruction)
Total: Sunfire 23 (Champion)

We're back in the Contest of Champions, which means two teams of three represent The Grandmaster and Death in a race to claim portions of a golden artifact. The contest is interesting -- but what we're really here to see are the inevitable battles that break out between competitors from opposing teams!

Sunfire represents Death, fighting alongside Invisible Girl and Iron Fist -- not that you'd necessarily know it. The hot tempered Japanese mutant has no time for teamwork. His narrow focus on victory fuels a fiercely individual burden.

That's a quality that could work in the favor of Darkstar, who fights for The Grandmaster's team beside Daredevil and Talisman. Her first major deployment to the United States was to recover and return Black Widow to the Soviet Union, but she wound up temporarily defecting to the ranks of The Champions of LA.

Collaboration continued to be a hallmark of Laynia Petrovna's career, even after she returned to the USSR. Her mutant mastery of the darkforce was applied as a member of The Soviet Super-Soldiers, and later The Winter Guard.

Darkstar's powers are related to the same other dimensional energies used by Cloak, but her unique mutant connection allows her to fly, teleport, and project solid constructs made of abysmal darkforce energy. These can also absorb light.

Sunfire's powers are very different, but he shares some similar experience. He first entered the world stage as a hostile threat, using his atomic flame to enact a doctrine of loathing for American power, and its influence over modern Japan.

Sunfire fought the X-Men in his first outing, but was soon recruited to join them as one of the famous international lineup from Giant-Size X-Men. A redeemed Shiro Yashida later became a high-profile member of Japan's premier superhero team, Big Hero Six, while maintaining some loose affiliation with the X-Men.

Sunfire's self-sustained flame and aggressive nature make him a serious threat to Darkstar, but if she can keep her distance and use darkforce constructs to defend from afar -- she might just be able to take care of him!

The Tape: Sunfire Ranking: Draw (Not Ranked)

What Went Down...
A bitter arctic chill whips through the competitors as they discover themselves in the snow of the North Pole. Pleasantries between The Grandmaster's team are soon cut short as Sunfire takes to the sky -- prompting Darkstar to follow!

The hot-blooded hero sees his opponent approaching and seizes the opportunity to eliminate the competition with two searing spears of fire!

Darkstar nimbly navigates a path between the jets of flame and summons the energy of the Darkforce to return fire. A massive black hand forms from her outstretched fist, reaching to engulf an unprepared Sunfire!

The fist closes around Sunfire, surrounding him in darkness. Its massive fingers pin his hands by his sides, while the dark energies absorb the light of his fire into the cold void of another dimension.

Contemplating his samurai spirit, Sunfire stirs the raging inferno that burns within him -- and unleashes a blazing atomic explosion from all his extremities!

The stunning explosion blasts Sunfire free of the darkforce's suffocating grip and cracks the icy plane below!

The strain of the awesome outburst puts Darkstar on the back foot, allowing Sunfire to arch his back and resume an offensive. He sends a volley of three fire streams at Darkstar -- but her powers are still able to defend against their heat!

The shattered ice below suddenly reveals the golden prize at the centre of their contest.

Sunfire spots it first and abandons the battle -- making a beeline for the exposed water below in an effort to assist Invisible Girl in claiming victory for their team. Darkstar remains airborne, extending a giant black pincer in a race with Sunfire as a new struggle begins!

The Hammer...
The rules and objectives of the Contest of Champions ultimately outweighs the conflict between Sunfire and Darkstar. They become involved in the final mad dash to secure their golden prize, abandoning the battle without conclusion.

It's somewhat interesting to note that both featured characters are mutants. In fact, all three of the Contest of Champions battles we've covered thus far have included at least one mutant: Wolverine and Storm, the others respectively.

The Contest of Champions was originally conceived to tie-in with the Summer Olympic Games, so the international flavor is fairly deliberate, but the choice of adding lesser known heroes, and newly created obscurities, is a creative one.

It would've been very easy to overrun The Contest with X-Men. I'm not sure there's a more worldly bunch of heroes in the Marvel Comics canon to this very day. Wolverine, Storm, and Sunfire were all part of Professor X's global mutant recruitment drive in 1975, seen in the series defining Giant-Size X-Men #1.

There are two heroes representing the Soviet Union in The Contest, but neither is the famous X-Man Colossus. Along with Darkstar is her brother Vanguard, who debuted fighting Iron Man with his sister and the Soviet Super-Soldiers, in 1978, and competes later in The Contest on the side of Death's team.

Over the years I've often thought it might be a more exciting comic with the likes of Colossus in place of Vanguard, but there's something to be said for the world building Contest achieves, and the more sporting tone of its brand variety.

Of course, Darkstar has loose ties to the X-Men, most notably serving with Angel and Iceman as one of The Champions. Long time fans might remember her as an unrequited romantic interest for Iceman before the team went their separate ways. The pair share a tender moment together during the gathering of prospective competitors at the start of Contest of Champions #1.

The Marvel Age was rooted deeply in the Cold War era, so the majority of Soviet characters have tended to be villains. I like the way Darkstar and her comrades embellish a heroic side to the other side of the iron curtain.

In Contest of Champions, I think we see Darkstar in her best design. Like her heroic bearing, she eschews the standard Soviet colour palette of red. Sure, there's a gold star, but the black and yellow athletic stripes down the side give her the look of a general, legitimate Marvel super-hero. I like it!

Sunfire has a pretty spiffy design himself, if a little more obvious. I suspect he's a character we'll return to, to explore more deeply in the future.

In the mean time: Darkstar is currently appearing in our unofficial sequel to Contest of Champions. You should check out The Contest: Green Lantern vs Darkstar for an intriguing match-up you can now view with more context. It's a closely contested result that deserves a closer look.

If you'd like to discover more battles like the one featured today, or explore more from the worlds of comics, dive in to the Secret Archive. There you'll find every featured fight indexed by publisher, series, and issue number.

Secret Wars on Infinite Earths has documented well over 600 battles and counting! If you like reading about superhero smackdown, you can help make it all possible by subscribing to Patreon. Patrons receive illuminating schedule updates, special request options, and voting polls.

Subscribe to Secret Wars on Infinite Earths on Twitter and Facebook to receive daily links to fights inspired by the topics of the day. Don't forget to like and share posts, and look for pinned Contest polls to vote and have your say!

Winner: Inconclusive (Draw)
#448 (new) Sunfire
#449 (new) Darkstar (Laynia Petrovna)

THE CONTEST: GREEN LANTERN versus DARKSTAR

It had to happen! The Grandmaster has watched the Secret Wars on Infinite Earths for many years and now he comes with a challenge: I must select 12 heroes & villains from the DC Universe to do battle against his Champions of the Marvel Universe! Grandmaster's team competed in the first Contest of Champions and set an allowance of 5000pts based on fixed Fight Club Rankings. Each battle will be decided by you in fantasy fight polls held on Twitter, Facebook and Patreon!

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Draw 2 (Average)
Intelligence: Draw 2 (Average)
Speed: Darkstar 3 (Athlete)
Stamina: Draw 3 (Strong Willed)
Agility: Darkstar 3 (Acrobat)
Fighting: Draw 4 (Trained)
Energy: Green Lantern 7 (Cosmic Power)
Total: Draw 22 (Champion)

The last battle flipped the lead in my favour, but The Grandmaster still has a lot more spending power for the battles ahead. Today he's got another strong 0pt selection on his team, but unlike the battle with Blitzkrieg, this time I'm conserving points with an equal challenger I think is a perfect match!

The Grandmaster didn't go for one of Russia's well known physical power-houses when he recruited for the original Contest of Champions. Instead, he chose the complex personal ethos and versatile super-powers of Laynia Petrovna: better known to the world as Darkstar!

She was raised from childhood to harness her mutant ability to wield the other-dimensional energies of the Darkforce for the Soviet Union. This is the same power connected to Cloak, but her expertise allows her to fly, teleport, and project large solid objects. We haven't yet documented these powers in action, but she's used them to go toe-to-toe with Magneto, Doctor Doom, Hulk, and Sentinels!

Darkstar and energy constructs? That sounds like something right up the Green Lantern's alley!

In the DC Universe the Darkstars are a rival organization of intergalactic lawmen. We caught a brief glimpse of Hal Jordan butting heads with one in Green Lantern #40, but to match The Grandmaster's unranked bargain recruit, I'm looking to a Green Lantern we haven't yet featured on Secret Wars on Infinite Earths: Jessica Cruz!

Before she became a charter member of the Green Lantern Corps, Cruz had the unusual distinction of wearing the Ring of Volthoom: an interdimensional ring possessed with an entity that fed on the wearer's internalized anxiety and fears. Fear was something Jessica had plenty of, having escaped killers who murdered he friends when they stumbled upon them disposing of bodies.

Darkstar's darkforce energy can absorb light into its dimensional void -- which could be a problem even for a Green Lantern. Encounters with the New Gods and Darkseid have only increased Jessica's powers, which is why I think she could be perfectly suited to match and destroy the shadowy constructs of Darkstar. They've both faced the other side of death. I think Jessica Cruz is the one who came back stronger!

The Verdict (Updated May 11th)...

It boiled down to a battle of light against darkness. I put my chips on the light, hoping Green Lantern's willpower could outshine the abysmal constructs of Darkstar's dark force power.

Green Lantern started strong, no doubt benefitting from strong brand recognition -- but the battle soon heated up, to become one of the closest match-ups The Contest has seen so far!

Nazar Talk Comics jumped in early to advocate for Green Lantern. Jessica Cruz is still a relatively new ringslinger, but the anxious temperament that defined her early appearances has been offset by newer adventures. A temporarily fatal encounter with Darkseid left her able to project Omega Beams from her hands -- a unique ability that may've be on the minds of people voting for her!

Writer David Gallaher knows a bit about both characters, having written Convergence: Green Lantern Corps and Darkstar and The Winter Guard. It was exciting to hear his perspective, which came down to one simple deciding factor "by a hair": Darkstar absorbs light!

During the week we saw Darkstar's light absorption give Sunfire trouble in a spotlight on Marvel Super Hero Contest of Champions #2. Sunfire was able to burn his way out of the black void with his atomic flame, but there's no guarantee a Green Lantern would do  the same.

With Facebook polls still not functioning,, it was looking like it might end in a split draw -- until the Twitter vote was broken at the eleventh hour! In blackest night Darkstar took victory with 54.2%!

That means Round 4 goes to The Grandmaster in another nail biter!

We'll be back for Round 5 later this month! Keep your eyes on The Contest for the latest battles and past results. Hit up Twitter, Facebook, and Patreon for regular updates and new voting polls. You can also let me know what you think about the result in the comments or on social media!

Winner: Darkstar

The Grandmaster: - 2

Secret Wars on Infinite Earths: - 2

<< Contest: Guardian vs Defensor    [Home]    Contest: Swamp Thing vs Sasquatch >>

HSU HAO versus KENSHI

Blood Ties: Prelude (DC)
Where: Mortal Kombat X #1 When: March 2015
Why: Shawn Kittelsen How: Dexter Soy

The Story So Far...
While under deep cover with the Red Dragon clan, Special Forces agent Kenshi learned of the existence of a son living in Thailand. Abandoning his post, and the search for cultist Daegon, he raced to Lampang, where he arrived to find a bloodbath and the boy's dead mother: Suchin.

Finding his son in the next town, Kenshi must take the boy on the run as the Red Dragon pursue the double agent across Asia. The chase takes them to the wilderness of The Himalaya, where Hsu Hao leads a search right on his tail! With arrows soaring above, the fight is on!

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Hsu Hao 4 (Enhanced)
Intelligence: Kenshi 3 (Straight A)
Speed: Kenshi 3 (Athlete)
Stamina: Kenshi 4 (Athlete)
Agility: Kenshi 3 (Acrobat)
Fighting: Kenshi 5 (Martial Artist)
Energy: Hsu Hao 5 (Lasers)
Total: Kenshi 24 (Champion)

Most MK fans will tell you the writing's on the wall for this one...

Hsu Hao remains one of the great unloved characters from the series' 27 year history! If you're looking for him in the latest game, you'll only find a billboard reference to Hsu Hao watches, and Erron Black carrying his decapitated head!

The meta-text spells swift death for Hsu Hao, but in the arena of kombat he isn't necessarily a slouch! He's a physically powerful grappler, balancing his preference for close-quarters hand-to-hand fighting with a cybernetic heart capable of firing deadly energy beams. Think Bane with a touch of classic Metallo and you've got a rough idea of what this guy can do.

In his original video game appearance Hsu Hao was accomplished enough to infiltrate the Special Forces of the Outer-world Investigation Agency. In truth, he was a member of the ancient Red Dragon clan -- rival criminal organization to the better known Black Dragon. He was supposedly killed on debut once discovered by Jax, but Mortal Kombat is now existing in a new, rebooted timeline. So here he is -- for the first time all over again!

Blind sword saint Kenshi is undoubtedly a more skilled fighter than Hsu Hao, but faces overwhelming odds against the Red Dragon's innumerable foot soldiers. He's on the run - having spent time undercover with the clan in a reversal of roles with Hsu Hao. The necessary abruptness of his exit means he's burdened with the safety of a young son: Takeda. That could slow him down.

The once arrogant Kenshi wandered Japan, challenging warriors to prove his superiority as a swordsman. He was blinded when Shang Tsung tricked him into breaching the tomb seal of his warrior king ancestors. From this adversity, Kenshi learned to see with his mind's eye, mastering telekinesis and intuition that allows him to commune with the spirits of his ancient ancestors.

Hsu Hao missed the all-in melee of Mortal Kombat: Armageddon's opening sequence, but Kenshi featured, going 1-from-2 in fatal encounters with Sheeva, and Quan Chi. The intro offered a brief showcase of his swordsmanship.

Kenshi should be the favourite, but he enters the battle already under attack from overwhelming numbers, and fatigued from being on the run. His friends in the Special Forces won't be here to save him. Let's see what happens...

The Tape: Kenshi Ranking: Kenshi (#355)

What Went Down...
In the wilderness of the Himalayan ranges, Kenshi dashes across the grass with his son on his back. The small boy notices a volley of arrows, calling his fathers attention to the incoming threat. With a simple gesture, Kenshi cuts the arrows out of the air with his telekinetically guided sword!

The leaping sword saint lands heavy -- one arrow found its way into his leg!

He orders his son to run as Red Dragon soldiers arrive upon them on motorcycles. Hsu Hao leads, gloating that even the impressive mind of Kenshi fatigues when he's been running all night. They trade threats. Kenshi strikes!

Once again Kenshi's sword takes flight, but before it can pierce the cold heart of Hsu Hao its blasted out of the air by his cybernetic laser!

Somewhere nearby, Kenshi's son runs afoul a wayward member of the Red Dragon. Looming over the child, the foot soldier points to a scar he received from the boy's father. He contemplates selling Takeda into Outworld slavery -- only to be punished for his wicked words when a chain and kunai suddenly explode through his throat!

Hsu Hao is unaware of his minion's fate as he stands over Kenshi with blood running from his fists. He mocks the sword saint for failing to kill them, for hiding instead of fighting. Almost too beaten to speak, Kenshi croaks an ominous correction: "Not... hiding... Trespassing."

Again the mysterious kunai on a chain flies out of nowhere -- smashing through the lens of Hsu Hao's cybernetic enhancement! The spear-like weapon catches inside, launching Hsu Hao off his feet as its master pulls it back!

The flaming fist of Scorpion greets Hsu Hao with deadly accuracy! The force of the blow drives his fist straight through Hsu Hao's head -- spraying blood across the battlefield! The ninja barks a familiar command: "GET OUT OF HERE!"

A Red Dragon archer challenges the lone ninja, positing even he couldn't defeat them all. The point is rendered moot as a group of Shirai-Ryu ninja emerge from the surrounding wood behind their master. Scorpion wins!

The Hammer...
A dangerous plan plays out as Kenshi lures the Red Dragon into a Scorpion victory! Had the ninja arrived a second later - it would've been a very different result! Still a reasonably impressive showing for the losers, particularly considering Hsu Hao's notorious infamy!

The fight comprises the opening five pages of Mortal Kombat X #1, and was used to promote the launch of the series in digital and print formats. It ticks the boxes in terms of action, but had me feeling trepidatious upon first impression.

The importance of blood & guts to Mortal Kombat has always been exaggerated. Kung fu standards and character-driven finishing moves are a fun trademark of the games, but within a narrative setting it just wouldn't be satisfying to see all the characters killed. That isn't what makes Mortal Kombat worth following.

I say that knowing full well that the series has made a habit of temporarily killing off a chunk of its cast, particularly in the most recent installments.

Indeed, much of Mortal Kombat X deals with the fallout from 2011's Mortal Kombat, which retold and rewrote elements of the original canon, most notably concluding with the mass deaths of a majority of original trilogy heroes.

Liu Kang, Kitana, and all the iconic favourites were immediately restored, and made playable in MKX as revenants serving Quan Chi. A dubious solution that quickly stripped any dramatic tension from the threat of death, and weakened the unique status of characters like Scorpion and Noob Saibot by also redefining all fighters returned from the Netherrealm as "revenants".

Long time fans will remember Scorpion as a "spectre" whose personal tragedy drove him to return from Hell to seek vengeance against his killer. His Ghost Rider-like flaming skull, and lust to avenge the murder of his family & clan, gave meaning and distinction to what a spectre's curse could be. Even the revelation that his murdered nemesis, Sub-Zero, had returned as Noob Saibot, contributed something new and unique to the mythology: a rare example of a "wraith".

Case in point: I'm not strictly opposed to characters escaping death, but you can only play that card so many times before you kill the gimmick. It should be an exception to prove the rule, used as scarcely as death itself.

Notoriously unpopular Hsu Hao seems like a perfect candidate for permanent execution, but I'm reminded of Mysterio's demise in Daredevil #7, where the choice to knock-off an unfashionable villain nixed potential for a strong rethink.

I've long thought Mortal Kombat could gain something much more valuable by leaning in to Hsu Hao's bitter unpopularity, repurposing him as Frankenstein's Monster meets Kenny from South Park. A character comically destroyed each game, who returns stitched together with new Red Dragon tech and magic.

MK's checked a lot of boxes when it comes to movie references and archetypes, but there hasn't really been a Frankenstein type. I think Hsu Hao could suit that niche quite nicely, and become a more beloved character in the process.

After today's battle it seemed quite impossible. It's kind of hard to rebuild a guy once his head's been completely exploded. However, the tenuous premise that MKX comics would be tie-ins that actually matter has pretty much gone out the window. Hsu Hao makes a cameo in Mortal Kombat 11 as a very much intact, but decapitated head, during one of Erron Black's fight intros.

Hope springs eternal that Hsu Hao might get a second shot, but the series has come a long way since Daedly Alliance, and Mortal Kombat always has a tendency to relive material from the seminal titles of the early nineties. The next opportunity might not present itself for quite a while.

In fact, Mortal Kombat Legends: Scorpion's Revenge will take the series back to the tournament of the first game when the animated feature streams next week - April 12th! A home release follows later in the month, which you can order below using the Amazon link provided.

You can also find today's featured fight collected in Mortal Kombat X Vol. 1: Blood Ties. Using Amazon purchase links provided will not only get you a good deal - it helps support the site at no extra cost. So get over here!!

You can find more Mortal Kombat by following links throughout this post, or by diving into the Secret Archive where every featured fight is indexed by publisher and series. Scroll past the DC and Marvel lists to find more from MK!

If you like what Secret Wars on Infinite Earths is all about and want to see it succeed, you can support the project by signing up to Patreon. You can also easily connect with the site by subscribing via Twitter and Facebook. There you'll receive daily links to fights inspired by the topics of the day. A share and a like goes a long way to helping keep the wars infinite!

Winner: Scorpion (w/ Kenshi & Takeda)
#140 (+274) Scorpion (Hanzo Hasashi) [+2 kills]
#346 (+9) Kenshi [+1 assist]
#581 (new) Takahashi Takeda [+1 assist]
#909 (new) Hsu Hao

NEW MUTANTS versus HELLFIRE CLUB

King of the Hill! (Marvel)
Where: New Mutants #75 When: May 1989
Why: Louise Simonson How: John Byrne

The Story So Far...
When an attack on the X-Men's home turf led to the inevitable defeat of The Marauders -- an explosive device planted in the X-Mansion allowed Mister Sinister to strike the ultimate revenge against his enemies!

Unaware of the events that transpired; the New Mutants return from battling an alien called Gosamyr to make the shocking discovery that their school is in ruins!

A brief skirmish with an injured Sabretooth gives them a taste of what transpired, but there's no time to dwell on the past. A new threat arises when former Headmaster Magneto returns with The Hellfire Club at his side!

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Sebastian Shaw 6 (Invincible)
Intelligence: Magneto 5 (Professor)
Speed: Cannonball 5 (Super-Human)
Stamina: Sebastian Shaw 7 (Unstoppable)
Agility: Warlock 6 (Malleable)
Fighting: Mirage 4 (Trained)
Energy: Selene 6 (Mass Destruction)
Total: Magneto 28 (Metahuman)

The New Mutants are: Cannonball, Sunspot, Wolfsbane, Mirage, Warlock, and Illyana Rasputin.

This is a young team, facing the challenge of a once trusted mentor, but that doesn't mean we should count them out. They'll all go on to great things, and already show signs of their future promise -- even at this early stage. On their way here they dealt with a short-lived challenge from a weakened Sabretooth.

The Hellfire Club are: "White King" Magneto, "Black King" Sebastian Shaw, "White Queen" Emma Frost, and "Black Queen" Selene.

The Inner Circle clearly have experience on their side - none more so than Magneto. His admission as White King comes with his intimate knowledge of the New Mutants, having served very recently as their Headmaster.

We've seen Magneto withstand the coordinated powers of the adult X-Men in X-Men #113. He's clearly a major threat all on his own, and even the telepathic assault that took him out in X-Men #25 is covered by his Hellfire Club support.

Emma Frost hasn't developed her diamond form yet, coming to the fight strictly as a powerful telepath. Sebastian Shaw offers super-human muscle, able to absorb any impact against him and convert it into strength. Selene rounds out the group with mastery over inanimate objects and life-draining.This one really comes down to team dynamics and execution of strategy. For the New Mutants to have a real chance they'd need to clearly identify the strengths and weakness of themselves and their opponents.

This is long before Emma Frost will develop an invulnerable diamond form, so taking her telepathic powers out of the battle early with a frontal assault could be a good use of Cannonball or Wolfsbane. Removing Sebastian Shaw without powering him up could be a job for Warlock, who could eject him similarly to Nimrod in Uncanny X-Men #209. Wolfsbane could claw Selene, while Mirage's empathic image casting is free to attack Magneto at his core.

The New Mutants could also try to turn Magneto against his new teammates. Will the perfect scenario play out for them? Let's see how it went...

The Tape: New Mutants Ranking: Cannonball (#115)

What Went Down...
Hovering above the ruins of Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters: Magneto and The Hellfire Club survey the damage. Angered by their former headmaster's return, Sunspot grabs a massive hunk of damaged machinery and hurls it!

The steel equipment is effortlessly deflected by The Master of Magnetism, who also holds his clubmen afloat. He allows Black King, Sebastian Shaw, to descend and match Sunspot on the ground. He attacks with a devastating left hook!

Cannonball leaps to his teammate's defense for the second time this day, but finds his path to Shaw suddenly cut off by a rising wall of wreckage. A defensive measure courtesy of Selene, she who commands all that is inanimate!

Cannonball smashes into the wall and falls to his hands and knees!

He's too stunned to resist The Black Queen, who lingers over the fallen firebrand with sinister intent. She traces her hand over the back of Cannonball's neck, preparing to drain his life-force -- when she suddenly becomes a decrepit hag!

The transformation is a mere illusion plucked from Selene's own psyche by the empathic powers of Mirage! The young mutant makes her inner most fear a tangible reality, but she's soon undone by a psychic assault from Emma Frost!

The White Queen mentally forces Mirage to release Selene from her influence, inciting Warlock to bare massive fangs in defense of his teammate!

The techno-organic creature notes his imperviousness to Emma Frosts' telepathic bolts, but fails to consider his absolute vulnerability to the Master of Magnetism! His cartoonishly distorting body is swept toward the rest of the new Mutants, who find themselves collectively surrounded by twisting metal!

Tired of their rebellious opposition, Magneto holds his former students encased in a ball of metal to end the battle.

The Hammer...
With the New Mutants at his mercy: Magneto quizzes them about the young mystery girl in their company and their missing member. He's surprised to learn his once promising student, Illyana Rasputin, has chosen to become a child to avoid succumbing to her own darker impulses.

Despite their defeat, the New Mutants defiantly refuse to return to their former headmaster's tutelage. The team has simply seen the former villain make too many compromises to ever accept him as their teacher again.

This effectively concludes Magneto's four years as New Mutants Headmaster, and a member of the X-Men. He'll return to villainy shortly thereafter, rebuilding Asteroid M, and joining the cabal of conspiring villains in Acts of Vengeance. We saw how that led him to battle Spider-Man in Amazing Spider-Man #327.

The split from the New Mutants has immediate consequences within the pages of New Mutants #75, where Sebastian Shaw seizes the opportunity to challenge Magneto's position as White King. In the end it always comes down to in-fighting and power struggles with these people.

Shaw claims Magneto was elected into the Inner Circle as a leader of both the X-Men and New Mutants -- but now controls nothing. Magneto takes that about as well as you'd expect, and the two throw down for the main event battle hinted at on the cover of the issue [see; top]. You can be certain we'll return to take a closer look at that fight some time in the future!

Today was supposed to mark the long-awaited wide release of New Mutants in theatres, but FOX's final X-related film was once again delayed, by the closure of cinemas, and unprecedented measures to curb global spread of COVID-19.

These are strange days, but I figure Secret Wars on Infinite Earths can do its small part by continuing to feature some of the characters who would've been in theatres around this time. It's been a good time to do some extra reading while we're all self-isolating, and hopefully it provides a fun distraction.

As I've mentioned before, even as a young reader, I was never one to buy-in to kid heroes. That meant the New Mutants weren't really on my radar until a year later, when they got a major overhaul from the style guide of Rob Liefeld.

The revamp did a good job of shaking off the impression these were the geeks of the X-Men universe. I appreciate the effort to present them as authentically youthful and in training, but I've never been a big fan of this iteration of their matching black & gold uniforms. The update was well timed.

I appreciate that today's featured fight showed the New Mutants coming into their powers, but ultimately outclassed by their opponents. It moved necessary storylines forward, and avoided the dubious trope of kid-heroes overcoming unfathomable odds. This time the bad guys won and that feels credible.

Star pupil Cannonball did manage to violently kayo Sabretooth on the way to this fight, after Sunspot withstood a full rake of his claws. That was another well weighted way to give the team a win before they took a loss. It also set up a future rematch that we can officially add to the To Do list.

You can discover relevant past, present, and future fights by following links throughout this article, or by diving into the Secret Archive. That's where you'll find every battle indexed by publisher, series, and issue number! Or subscribe to Twitter and Facebook for daily links to battles inspired by the day's topics!

Secret Wars on Infinite Earths has featured well over 600 battles and counting! If you like superhero smackdown and want to see the service continue you can contribute via Patreon. Patrons gain insider access to the schedule, and can get involved with special feature articles and polls. Not to mention fostering my eternal gratitude and continued survival!

If today's battle has whetted your appetite, you can get the full story collected in Epic Collection New Mutants: Curse of the Valkyrie. Shop using the Amazon purchase link provided and you'll find yourself a good deal at a safe distance -- while Amazon supports the site at no extra cost! Nice!

Winners: Magneto & Hellfire Club
#81 (+60) Magneto
#182 (+288) Emma Frost
#390 (+508) Sebastian Shaw
#391 (+506) Selene
#128 (-13) Cannonball
#341 (-187) Sunspot
#353 (-156) Magik (Illyana Rasputin)
#357 (-128) Warlock (Phalanx)
#589 (-44) Mirage
#907 (new) Wolfsbane

SASQUATCH versus CHAMPION OF THE UNIVERSE

And They Shall Call Him... Champion! (Marvel)
Where: Marvel Two-In-One Annual #7 When: October 1982 Why: Tom DeFalco How: Ron Wilson

The Story So Far...
The Fantastic Four's Thing has  earned a reputation as one of the universe's greatest fighters, having battled some of the most powerful beings in this universe - and beyond! Enter: Proja - Promoter Supreme!

Charged with signing worthy opponents to face The Champion of the Universe; Proja sees big box office potential in a match between Thing and his client! Madison Square Garden is the only arena in the world that could stage this once in a lifetime title bout, but you can't have a main event without an undercard!

Thor was disqualified when he brought his enchanted hammer into the ring, and Hulk was deemed too much of a brute to be allowed to compete. Now it's up to Alpha Flight heavyweight Sasquatch to bring brains and brawn to blows against the fresh fists of The Champion!

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Champion 7 (Omnipotent)
Intelligence: Sasquatch 6 (Genius)
Speed: Draw 3 (Athlete)
Stamina: Champion 7 (Unstoppable)
Agility: Draw 2 (Average)
Fighting: Champion 7 (Living Weapon)
Energy: Draw 1 (None)
Total: Champion of the Universe 29 (Metahuman)

Champion of the Universe came into this with a lot of fanfare and bluster, but at this point you'd be within your rights to wonder if it's all just hype. Let's take a closer look at the tournament so far to see exactly what's happened!

Two heavyhitters were taken out before the action even started: Doc Samson was knocked out cold by his training robot, and Sub-Mariner refused to fight on grounds of not lowering himself to "such folly".

When Thor finally stepped into the ring to begin proceedings, he was swiftly disqualified for bringing a hammer to a boxing match. It was a no contest with Hulk as well when he was deemed too much of a brute to compete!

So far it seems like all The Champion has done is talk trash, and duck & dodge his most powerful challengers with technicalities. So what's he gonna do next? Disqualify his opponent on grounds of fur constituting illegal body covering?!

We know from future reference that Tryco Slatterus actually is the real deal. All you've gotta do is check out the way he dominated She-Hulk in their first match to see that! Don't count his next opponent out, though. This time it's different!

Sasquatch answers the question of what would happen if the Hulk retained the brilliant mind of a scientist. He's a professor of physics whose experiments with gamma radiation gave him super-human strength with total control.

So far Sasquatch has an 0-1 record on Secret Wars on Infinite Earths, but that loss only came after he stood his ground against all four members of the mystically powered Wrecking Crew in Omega Flight #1!

Dr. Walter Langkowski is pretty impressive, and although he's regarded as a strongman and brawler, his background as a professional football player means he should understand the competitive conditions Champion demands. Can he put it together with the fate of the Earth on the line? Let's find out!

The Tape: Champion of the Universe Ranking: Champion of the Universe (#337)

What Went Down...

Sasquatch materializes in the ring an instant after Hulk has disappeared for disqualification. The Champion is beginning to lose faith in Earth's challengers, but his spirits rise when Sasquatch side-steps the first punch!

Sensing a need to keep The Champion off balance, Sasquatch slips around him with a go-behind into a high waist lock.

The wrestling-style tactic falls flat with The Champ, who'd expect the referee to break it up -- if he didn't solve his own problem with a shrug of the shoulder, and thrust of his forearm in Sasquatch's general direction!

Champion follows it up with a wild left that hits deep and launches Sasquatch backwards into the ropes. He callously urges Sasquatch to fight back. He does!

Having played possum to try to expose hidden motives for The Champion of the Universe's game, Sasquatch decides to stop holding back. He bounces off the ropes and leaps with momentum towards a finishing blow -- or so he thinks!

The wild trajectory of Sasquatch's jump takes him straight into the sweet spot of The Champion's devastating left hook! There's nothing he can do to stop the impact as Champ's glove smashes against his jaw!

The phenomenal power of the perfect strike leaves Sasquatch out on his feet -- keeling over for a ten count. The biggest challenger, the hardest to fall!

The Hammer...

A valiant effort from Sasquatch in the first real fight of the tournament, but Champion of the Universe is clearly still the undisputed champ! His pugilistic power was just too much for Sasquatch's catch-as-catch-can confusion.

Champion really needed a convincing win after two non-starters with Thor and Hulk. Boy did he get it! That last shot of Sasquatch doubling over, drool pouring from his mouth, is a pretty effective and haunting image.

Something about the bluntness of it really sells the utter devastation of The Champ's last blow. It's fairly unusual to see a character like Sasquatch look so physically pathetic. The heavy shadow enhances the drama, while Champion's idle posture conveys how utterly unconcerned he is with his defeated foe.

I presume there was some concern with the depiction of blood throughout the issue. I don't think its absence hurts any of the fights, though. That stream of saliva might be even more disturbing. Blood can happen from an incidental blow to the brow or lip, but to drool like that you need to be completely slack-jawed!

Top marks to artist Ron Wilson for creating such a distinct and dramatic image for the third bout. We've already seen him create a different style and character for each battle, with three more to go. That shouldn't be taken for granted!

Sasquatch might seem like a slightly unusual contender through today's prism, but in 1982 he was still a fresh and exciting addition to the Marvel Universe, having debuted early in the Claremont & Byrne run on X-Men, in 1979.

It was some clever booking to have Sasquatch step into the ring right after Hulk was eliminated for being too much of a brute. Sasquatch immediately addresses what might've happened had Hulk retained greater clarity and intellect. I would presume that might also be the reason Doc Samson was taken out before the fighting even began. They're both gamma irradiated powerhouses.

I don't quite buy the self-sacrificing stalling tactic to find out Champion's "real" motivation for threatening the Earth, but it at least gave Sasquatch fans an argument to save face for his ultimately brutal beating.

Sasquatch was also a competitor in the Contest of Champions just a month or two prior to Marvel Two-In-One Annual #7. Which happens to be one of the reasons we've finally come back to revisit the boxing tournament! He's currently appearing in our unofficial sequel! You can check out The Contest: Swamp Thing vs Sasquatch for all the details on how that works, and what went down!

When next we reconvene to Madison Square Garden we'll be seeing if the steely mutant mettle of Colossus can bring an end to the reign of Tryco Slatterus as Champion of the Universe! I hope you'll be here to join me when it happens!

At the time of this writing, the majority of sporting leagues have been put on indefinite hold while the world faces the deadly spread of COVID-19. I'll be doing my best to keep the fight alive with the usual superhero smackdown.

If you need a sporting distraction: you can find well over 600 featured fights on Secret Wars on Infinite Earths! They're indexed in the Secret Archive in order of publisher, series, and issue number. You can also discover more by following links throughout this post, or getting daily updates via Twitter and Facebook!

If you like what Secret Wars on Infinite Earths is all about, and want to help it succeed, you can contribute to the project via Patreon. Patrons receive inside access to the schedule and special request feature articles. Not to mention my eternal gratitude and continued survival!

Winner: Champion of the Universe
#109 (+228) Champion of the Universe
#920 (-231) Sasquatch