MASTERS OF EVIL versus AVENGERS

A Gathering of Evil! (Marvel)
Where: Avengers #222 When: August 1982
Why: Jim Shooter & Steve Grant How: Greg LaRocque

The Story So Far...
While Wasp and The Avengers welcome their newest recruit to the halls of Avengers Mansion -- one of their old adversaries begins drawing plans for recruitment of his own for a new team of Masters of Evil!

Egghead begins his scheme by sending a missile to Atlantis, destroying the prison that holds Todd Arlis aka; Tiger Shark. From there, the first recruit attacks the super-villain prison facility at Ryker's, freeing Whirlwind, Scorpion, and Moonstone.

In exchange for their freedom, the team agrees to serve Egghead in his scheme for power & fortune, but old grudges die hard, and Whirlwind can't help but take a day trip to Avengers Mansion to seek revenge against The Wasp. A decision that forces The Masters of Evil to make their presence known ahead of schedule!

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Thor 6 (Invincible)
Intelligence: Hawkeye 4 (Tactician)
Speed: Moonstone 4 (Olympian)
Stamina: Thor 6 (Generator)
Agility: Scorpion 3 (Acrobat)
Fighting: Thor 6 (Warrior)
Energy: Thor 5 (Lasers)
Total: Thor 32 (Super)

The Masters of Evil are: Moonstone, Tiger Shark, Whirlwind, and Scorpion.

This powerhouse foursome is acting under the direction of Egghead, but a lack of cohesion is evident from the very outset. Whirlwind goes rogue looking for payback, but he'll get more than he bargained for once Avengers assemble!

The Avengers are: Wasp, Hawkeye, Thor, and She-Hulk.

Thor tops several categories of The Tape with godly might, but on average these Masters of Evil outpace at least half of The Avengers here, and there's a pretty compelling case for their path to victory.

Moonstone gained cosmic might from a Kree gravity stone that grants her super-human strength, durability, flight, energy blasts, and various other tricks. She could probably occupy Thor alone, as we saw when she battled the Asgardian-powered Bulldozer and Piledriver during Thunderbolts #1.

Either Tiger Shark or Scorpion could run interference on She-Hulk, with the former's history of battling the Sub-Mariner making the most compelling case. His ability to withstand the ocean depths, and Namor's strongest blows, as in Marvel Team-Up #14, spells an underrated powerhouse of the Marvel Universe.

That would free up Scorpion to try swapping his hatred of Spider-Man for the Wasp. She doesn't have the strength to cause an abrupt upset, but as we've seen before, her speed, agility, and bio-electric stingers can beat big opponents.

Whirlwind might be best suited to blowing Wasp off course, but she's always seemed to have his number. He might have better luck disrupting the flight of Hawkeye's arrows. His armor has gone head-to-head with Iron Man, and his fast twirling could probably deflect most standard trick arrows. Let's find out...

The Tape: Masters of Evil Ranking: Thor (#20)

What Went Down...

When Janet Van Dyne jumps into her town car for home, she finds faithful driver Carrothers replaced by arch-nemesis David Cannon -- aka; Whirlwind!

Like his namesake, Whirlwind whips around to grab hold of his intended target, but he's left holding a designer shall as Wasp activates the Pym Particles in her suit that cause her to shrink to insect size -- and bio-electric blast Cannon in the face!

On his way back to Avengers Mansion -- Hawkeye notices something amiss in the stationary vehicle and slips his bow to the ready.

Before he can finish producing an arrow from his quiver -- the archer is suddenly hit with a powerful beam of energy fired from overhead!

The voice that follows turns its ire not toward the downed Avenger, but rather the helmeted Whirlwind now fleeing from the vehicle. Moonstone lands on the street, joined by her fellow new Masters of Evil -- furious at their teammate for going rogue against The Avengers!

Wasp comes to Hawkeye's aid, buzzing through the air only to be swatted by Tiger Shark!

Recognizing the motley crew of villains and their superior powers, Hawkeye uses Wasp's distraction to quickly fire off a signal flare arrow before being blasted again by Moonstone!

Fortunately for Hawkeye -- the signal reached an Avenger capable of evening the score! His mighty hammer preceding him as it flies through the villainous foursome, scattering them like skittles!

Thor descends from the sky with hammer now in hand -- bringing it slamming into the road with enough force to topple the Masters of Evil again!

The thunderous shockwave is enough to stir a sleeping Avenger, who hears the commotion of Moonstone taking to the skies and firing her beams at Thor.

Scorpion seizes upon the opportunity of a staggered thunder god, charging in to smack Thor violently through the air with a powerful tail swipe!

That's all She-Hulk needs to see to smash through her Avengers Mansion window and race into battle!

Tiger Shark is sent flying back-first into the perimeter wall as She-Hulk reaches the gate, but it's Wasp who meets her on the street to stop the gamma-irradiated Avenger from entering the struggle -- lest she ruin the designer outfit borrowed from Janet Van Dyne's personal wardrobe.

Shulkie scrambles to carefully remove her borrowed garments while Thor swings his hammer to deflect more beams from Moonstone -- and Tiger Shark turns Wasp's abandoned town car into an airborne projectile!

The car finds its target, reduced to twisted metal and broken glass as it collides with Thor in a car-on-man traffic accident!

Wasp unleashes her stinging bio-electric blast while flying around the back of Scorpion's neck, shouting a wellness check to her godly teammate.

Relatively unharmed; Thor shrugs off the wreck and returns his ire to the direction of the villains, but Tiger Shark insists The Masters of Evil should fear nothing from the thunder god's strength.

The sub-aquatic scourge insists a coordinated effort can reduce the lone powerhouse to hamburger meat, but his focus fails to take into account She-Hulk -- who catches Tiger Shark by surprise with a knockdown blow from behind!

Hawkeye rejoins the group, firing an exploding arrow at the twirling tornado of Whirlwind -- knocking the swirling villain out of orbit as The Avengers square off with the newly outnumbered Masters of Evil!

Moonstone calls for evasive actions, but is cut-off as Wasp buzzes around the floating villain and blasts her with a bio-electric sting!

She-Hulk is ready to wallop Moonstone as she drops out of the air -- and is sent careening into a flat-footed Scorpion!

Thor makes sure Scorpion and Moonstone aren't getting up as The Avengers celebrate the victory with their newest recruit, and an armored NYPD truck arrives to cart the villains off.

The Hammer...
A triumphant team effort is capped off by She-Hulk as she proves the value of having extra muscle -- even on a team that boasts the Asgardian might of Thor, God of Thunder!

The Avengers all had their parts to play, but it's obviously an action-packed welcome to the team for She-Hulk in particular, who was their newest recruit as of a roster drive in Avengers #221. You probably know it: the red cover with white grid of prospective new members.

She-Hulk is a Wasp find -- the only one to accept admission from a meeting to bring another woman into the Avengers fold that also included: Invisible Girl, Black Widow, Spider-Woman, and Dazzler. All candidates who find their ways to other versions of the Avengers (assuming you include Dazzler with A-Force).

Hawkeye rejoined at the invitation of Captain America & Iron Man as well, and the skirmish outside Avengers Mansion in #222 serves as a chance to smooth things over with She-Hulk, whose pink Cadillac he fried with an electric impulse arrow after she cut off his cab in traffic, in the previous issue.

Hawkeye is obviously at home with the Avengers after a couple of decades of association, and despite the initial friction, it turns out She-Hulk is a perfect fit too.

Typically the less volatile counterpart to Hulk, she thrives in the social dynamic of the Avengers, pairing instantly well with fashion-conscious Wasp as a character in need of a more permanent costume.

That may be a precarious premise for pairing a couple of female characters, but you know I enjoy Wasp the fashionista and the modern sensibility of She-Hulk matches it well. A case where the conceited push to balance the Avengers line-up with additional femininity pays off a treat, benefitting from She-Hulk's tenure as a solo hero, and perhaps the keen intuition of plotter & then-Editor in Chief, Jim Shooter.

As a piece of Avengers history this is all very interesting, but the thing that made the cover -- and really gets me jazzed -- is the oddball grouping of villains who formed this short-lived new Masters of Evil.

Long time readers will know I have a particular taste for good quality second-tier villains, and this one-time gathering brings Scorpion into the super-villain big leagues, seeing him bat at Thor in a brief detour away from his usual sparring with arch-nemesis Spider-Man.

Scorpion'll be back menacing the web-slinger in his next printed appearance, but in a couple of decades he'll team with Moonstone again, under the guise of Venom, as members of the Thunderbolts and Dark Avengers [see; Thunderbolts #111, Nova #3, and Incredible Hercules #128]. An interesting relationship branch for a couple of characters who don't otherwise have much to do with each other.

Moonstone and Tiger Shark stick around with Egghead in the short term, joining the next Masters of Evil line-up in Avengers #228. That one continues the brief advancement a spider-villain as well, but those are details for another day.

Tiger Shark is another bad guy I get a kick out of seeing, especially when he's out of the water away from his usual issues with Sub-Mariner. What can I say? This is the fun of long-running superhero comic books!

If you agree that this is fun -- you can find more from your favourite heroes and villains by following links throughout this post, or by diving into the Secret Archive for a complete index of featured fights in order of publisher, series, and issue!

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Winners: She-Hulk, Wasp, Thor, and Hawkeye
#17 (+3) Thor
#39 (+14) Wasp
#87 (+69) She-Hulk
#88 (+70) Hawkeye
#413 (-61) Moonstone
#434 (--) Scorpion
#980 (-193) Whirlwind
#981 (-294) Tiger Shark

MODOK versus ABOMINATION

Yellow Fever?! (Marvel)
Where: Incredible Hulk #288 When: October 1983
Why: Bill Mantlo How: Sal Buscema & Jim Mooney

The Story So Far...
Left adrift in space by the mysterious entity known as Galaxy Master -- Abomination is discovered floating frozen in a block of ice by a passing space shuttle.

Retrieved by the astronauts and returned to Earth, the green gargantuan becomes a sleeping guest of the US military when the gamma-hunting expertise of General Thunderbolt Ross is called upon to deal with the situation.

Anticipating a lapse in the Presidentially pardoned calm of an intelligent Hulk -- Ross commits treason to form a pact with a meddling MODOK in order to turn Abomination into a living contingency. The only problem standing in their way is Abomination's total fear of fighting the Hulk. A fear MODOK intends to beat out of him!

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Abomination 6 (Invincible)
Intelligence: MODOK 5 (Professor)
Speed: Abomination 4 (Olympian)
Stamina: Abomination 6 (Generator)
Agility: Abomination 2 (Average)
Fighting: Abomination 3 (Street Wise)
Energy: MODOK 3 (Explosives)
Total: Abomination 25 (Metahuman)

It's a classic case of brain versus brawn, and although the stats appear to favour muscle in the arena of combat -- that isn't necessarily an accurate indicator when one of these minds belongs to a Mental Organism Designed Only for Killing!

M.O.D.O.K. is a strange looking fellow, but don't let his proportionately tiny limbs fool you into thinking he can't handle himself.

From the massive mind of the man once known as George Tarleton springs forth the most deviously brilliant designs for dominating his foes - backed by an array of mental powers: a little mind control, telekinesis, and deadly brain-blasts!

We saw MODOK's mental beam unleashed against Cable during the pocket universe punch-up of Captain America (Vol.2) #6, and turn heroes against one another in the kid-friendly realm of Marvel Adventures: Avengers #9. The latter - a struggle with consequences that only got weirder from there!

MODOK was created deliberately by Advanced Idea Mechanics to serve as a super-intelligent living computer, but Emil Blonsky was accidentally transformed into the physically powerful living Abomination when he was bombarded with concentrated gamma radiation intended by Bruce Banner for suicide.

From his accident - the Russian saboteur was immediately & permanently mutated into a green-skinned goliath far more grotesque than the Hulk, but also physically stronger, without fluctuating power relative to his moods.

Abomination is famous for going head-to-head with the Hulk, often times leaving him the worse for wear, but that is simply the price for competing with one of the most powerful mortal beings on the Earth! Can MODOK match that?

At the time of today's featured story Abomination is leaving a state of suspended animation, having been floating through space in a chunk of ice. That's bound to take its toll, but it might not have the impact you're expecting...

The Tape: Abomination Ranking: MODOK (#386)

What Went Down...

At the bottom of a dark containment pit lies a whimpering wreck -- a former shell of the monster that was The Abomination!

Above: MODOK activates a control panel with a simple mental command, filling the void with dancing light as he unleashes a crackling forest of energy beams!

The jagged arcs inspire the Abomination to his feet -- terrified of the agony they might unleash. In his fear, he doesn't notice the "plasmifire" cannon lowering from the wall to blast him with searing flame!

Desperately fleeing from the fire, Abomination runs directly into the path of a massive spiked club mounted on a telescopic tentacle.

It rises from the ground and catches the running behemoth with a direct hit. The upward strike knocks Abomination off his thundering feet and into the waiting embrace of a tangle of mechanical tendrils!

The cold metal coils wrap around his body, binding Abomination's mighty form in mid-air and surging it full with electric shocks!

Abomination does not struggle, though. He would rather choose death than living to fight, refusing to invite the pain a life of combat has wrought. A choice MODOK refuses to accept, matching his indifference with the very torture Abomination fears.

Realizing he faces the threat of an endless torture, Abomination rips himself free and asks: "What kind of sadist are you ?!!"

A massive, mechanically reinforced battering ram answers with a mighty slam -- while MODOK's cold, distant voice remains trained on his mission to unlock Abomination's destructive potential so he may avoid fighting his own equal.

The ram slams Abomination against a wall and pins him there, while another metal tendril emerges from a trapdoor in the floor, snaking a laser cannon  toward his helpless person.

A precision beam burns at Abomination's face as he squirms beneath the massive crushing weight of the battering ram.

The clarity of understanding MODOK's mission to turn him loose against AIM, and service a deal with General Ross, inspires Abomination to at last push back against the ram and rip it from its base.

He will smash MODOK's enemies -- as long as he doesn't have to face the Hulk!

In his anxious desperation, Abomination uses the crumpled battering ram to smash the laser and then reduce everything to twisted scrap!

Alone in the middle of the wreckage the monster pleads to fight anyone but the stronger, more savage Hulk. The opponent he cannot win against.

MODOK hovers over his tearful minion and informs him that he will fight the Hulk: "-- And you will triumph over him! Much has changed while you floated frozen in space! The Hulk is dominated by Bruce Banner's mind now!"

If his words failed -- MODOK's mindbeam successfully dominates the tortured Abomination, driving him to agonized knees. He cries "NO!" to deaf ears as his new master callously commits him to the very thing he fears most.

The Hammer...

This is much less a fight than a total domination of body and spirit. MODOK is like a well resourced little league father, pushing Abomination to absolute breaking point in pursuit of unleashing the destructive potential he's holding back.

It's an interesting scenario all around. A contextual rethink of The Abomination, who perhaps remains the greatest equal sparring partner for Hulk, but is also therefore destined to face recurring defeat, pitted against his nemesis all over again in the endless dance of classic comic book arch-rivalries.

Abomination was left adrift in the cold of space after his most recent defeat in Incredible Hulk #270. Retrieved by astronauts, and thawed from a block of ice by MODOK and General Ross, he's now subject to a conceptual shakeup, developing the unlikeliest of inverse characteristics to the Hulk's rage-induced strength -- he's controlled by fear.

More accurately: Abomination appears to be in the grip of a crippling anxiety, perhaps brought on by post-traumatic stress rather than simple performance anxiety. A predicament that makes this issue read quite modern, not that the substance of such maladies were completely unknown to 1983, or earlier. It's just treated with a great deal of understanding, presenting Abomination not just as a pathetic figure for derision, but as a mistreated soul, tortured by unreasonable expectation, and the callous, selfish indifference of agencies neglecting a duty of care for their own self-interest.

Bill Mantlo's script marries these everyday issues with the explosive, big action you expect of superhero comic books, serving psychological torture with a healthy helping of explosions and lasers. A palatable way of digesting heavy, psychological subject that is otherwise the bedrock of Incredible Hulk comics.

Admittedly, it's a bit of an atypical place to start with Abomination, whose only prior appearance on the site was an inter-company cameo menacing Elektra and Catwoman, but in truth his journey has actually come to have many of these kinds of detours, and I fully intend to look closer at more of his exploits.

This entry also goes some small way to challenging the modern conception of MODOK. Known for the unusual appearance of a large floating head with tiny limbs, we've seen MODOK be a subject for comedy, but here we're reminded that MODOK is also a force to be reckoned with, capable of defeating powerful foes!

Who will he dominate next? Follow links throughout this post to connect with more entries from your favourite characters -- or dive into the Secret Archive for a complete index of featured fight articles in order of publisher, series, and issue.

Secret Wars on Infinite Earths has featured more than 650 comic book battles and ranked well over 1,000 characters! If you've found something interesting and want to help the list continue to grow - considering becoming a supporter on Patreon. In addition to

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Winner: MODOK
#132 (+254) MODOK
#627 (-179) Abomination

COLOSSUS versus CHAMPION OF THE UNIVERSE

And They Shall Call Him... Champion! (Marvel)
Where: Marvel Two-In-One Annual #7 When: 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 of multiple galaxies! Enter: Proja - Promoter Supreme!

Charged with signing worthy opponents to challenge The Champion of the Universe; Proja sees big box office potential in a main event match between Thing and his client!

Madison Square Garden is the only arena in the world that could stage the once in a lifetime title bout, but you can't have a main event without an undercard! The Champ welcomes the challenge of some of Earth's most powerful defenders, but his pugilistic code swiftly eliminates Thor and Hulk from defending their planet.

Sasquatch did his best to test The Champ's ring awareness with brains and brawn, but with the Alpha Flight strongman knocked out it's now time for Colossus to test the mettle of the alien boxer!

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Champion 7 (Omnipotent)
Intelligence: Draw 2 (Average)
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 seemed evasive in the opening bouts, disqualifying Thor and dodging Hulk with a pair of technicalities, but finally established some much needed credibility when he knocked out Sasquatch!

This time The Champ welcomes the challenge of one of Sasquatch's old sparring partners -- Colossus: the mighty mutant with skin of organic steel!

Like other opponents Colossus poses a simple question of strength, stamina, and tenacity. The spirit is almost certainly willing, but despite his status as an X-Men powerhouse, he has a bit of a patchy record against other heavyweights.

Colossus famously came off second best in the barroom brawl with Juggernaut in Uncanny X-Men #183, got kayoed by a precision blast from Nimrod in Uncanny #194, and met a similar fate fighting a tech-assisted Apocalypse in #295.

He's still considered a relatively young man, finding his way in the world at the time of this battle, which takes place in the same year he was turned against his teammates to unsuccessfully fight Dracula in X-Men Annual #6, and dumped down the side of a butte by DC's Deathstroke during the Teen Titans crossover!

Despite all this, Colossus is not without his triumphs. In X-Men #113 he defied the magnetic influence of Magneto with hard hitting results, and years later will crush Breakworld warrior Ord in Astonishing X-Men #5.

This bout also takes place after his well known stand against Shi'ar Imperial Praetor Gladiator, who also outclassed him in strength and durability. Could that have been the perfect preparation to cause an intergalactic upset? Let's find out!

The Tape: Champion of the Universe Ranking: Champion of the Universe (#118)

What Went Down...

While opportunistic men attempt to capitalize on shrinking odds against the planet Earth -- one of its youngest bright sparks has already stepped into the ring!

The Champion welcomes the gleaming Colossus to the bright lights of Madison Square Garden with a haymaking left that sends him flying across the ring!

The metal mutant is only stopped when he slams into an adjacent turnbuckle!

Trapped in the corner, he has nowhere to go as The Champion closes in to deliver an unrelenting barrage of high-impact body blows!

Spittle escaping his mouth is the only sign of the agony radiating through his body as Colossus stoically absorbs every punch with stubborn determination!

Despite his valiant refusal to succumb to the pain, Colossus has no response for the merciless sequence of blows that rock his body!

The referee has little choice but to call for the bell.

Colossus drops silently to his knees as The Champions' punches cease. His slumped body unable to carry itself from the ring, he awaits a stretcher as the remaining challengers watch-on, impressed with his steely resolve.

The Hammer...

Any doubt about Champion of the Universe's legitimacy melts away as he annihilates Colossus in a single page of pulse pounding action!

It was a particularly brutal bout, leaving little opportunity for Colossus to strike. Was there something in particular about the young mutant that set The Champ off, or did his prior bout with Sasquatch simply remind him not to take Earth's mightiest mortals lightly?

If this were an X-Men Annual, perhaps it would be Colossus who made the final stand, but we're in the pages of Marvel Two-In-One, where The Thing will inevitably be the star to face the final challenge, and make the bravest challenge.

It's a suitable distinction between the two characters and their similar arcs, paid homage by Thing as Colossus is stretchered out after the match, and he remarks to the only other remaining competitor: "The kid did 'imself proud! Lasted almost a full round! Hope he ain't hurt too bad!"

We tend to think of Colossus as the unbreakable X-Man always there to face down the strongest obstacles, but in those early days he was still a young man, mildly unsure of himself, and coming in to his powers.

DeFalco's script makes a note of the "armored youth", emphasizing the distinction, and providing something of a companion piece to the similarly overwhelming odds of his ill fated showdown with the cosmic Gladiator during the Dark Phoenix saga. A legendary battle that's been on my To Do list for too long!

Colossus is an interesting study and I'm eager to look at more of his combat history, but we're also building up our casefile for The Champion, who now enters the Top 100 ranks with today's win!

It's a result that's beginning to reflect his status within the cosmic pugilistic ranks of the Marvel Universe -- but I wonder how far he will go. His next opponent is the suddenly topical Avenger standing with Thing [above] - Wonder Man. Then we'll move on to the main event that made this issue famous!

If you'd like to hasten the process, sponsor another character spotlight, or just encourage our ever expanding project -- you can become a supporter on Patreon! As a thank you you'll receive additional updates, materials, customizable article typs, and my eternal gratitude.

Secret Wars on Infinite Earths has always been free and features more than 650 battles and has ranked over 1,000 characters! You can find them all by diving into the Secret Archive for a complete index of featured fights ordered by publisher, series, and issue number.

You can get daily links to superhero smackdown inspired by the topics of the day by subscribing on Twitter and Facebook. Be sure to like, fave, and share posts, and keep your eyes peeled for the week's top trending battles every Sunday!

Winner: Champion of the Universe
#72 (+46) Champion of the Universe
#437 (-2) Colossus

QUICKSILVER versus PROFESSOR X

Mortal Coils (Marvel)
Where: Uncanny X-Men #306 When: November 1993

Why: Scott Lobdell How: John Romita Jr

The Story So Far...
The funeral of Illyana Rasputin is interrupted with the return to Earth and Xavier's School by Magneto! The former New Mutants teacher has again taken up arms against homo-sapiens, declaring his intent to lead an army of Acolytes against humanity, with a final invitation for any loyal mutant to join he and his cause!

The escalation inevitably triggers world powers to initiate their Magneto Protocols to bar the Master of Magnetism from Earth itself, but it can only delay the inevitable as Magneto reaches a new apex in power and fervor, arming his Avalon space satellite with Shi'ar weapons stolen during his time with the X-Men.

Knowing the stakes are too high to allow his old friend to pursue a deadly manifesto unchallenged; Charles Xavier steels himself for a final confrontation between his X-Men and the mad revolutionary, recruiting Magneto's son -- Pietro Maximoff, Quicksilver -- for a final sparring session in the Danger Room. Preparation for a war that will decide the fate of all of humanity!

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Quicksilver 2 (Athlete)
Intelligence: Professor X 5 (Professor)
Speed: Quicksilver 6 (Mach Speed)
Stamina: Quicksilver 6 (Generator)
Agility: Quicksilver 2 (Average)
Fighting: Quicksilver 3 (Street Wise)
Energy: Professor X 6 (Mass Destruction)
Total: Quicksilver 22 (Champion)

Quicksilver's super-human speed means he dominates any physical struggle with Professor X, but does the master telepath's command of the mind mean he need never lay a finger on even one as stubborn as the son of Magneto?

On the subject of the speed of thought: BBC Science Focus Magazine reports that some well-insulated nerves in the brain are estimated to transfer information at 120 metres per second, with awareness of sensory stimuli gained in as little reaction time as 50 milliseconds -- or faster.

Quicksilver was never quite as fast as The Flash, but according to the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe Deluxe Edition #10 (published in 1986), Pietro Maximoff's top speed is 175mph -- a number that's only been increased as he's gone through various different phases in the decades since.

For a mind as acutely trained as Charles Xavier's, it's conceivable that his speed of thought, and reaction time, would be equal to or higher than most human peaks, but the same could be said of Quicksilver, whose movements must be governed by drastically heightened perception and mental processing.

Speed is Quicksilver's greatest weapon, but his temperament is often swift to anger, and his impulsiveness has led him to rush into a string of defeats.

Black Bolt proved the speed of an awesome sound could catch up with him in Vision and Scarlet Witch #10, while simple anticipation allowed Apocalypse to put a fist in his path in Uncanny X-Men #295, and DC's Robin, a rope-towing batarang, in Unlimited Access #3.

Most damning of all was an early encounter with the X-Men, when Jean Grey used the power of her mind to pluck a young Quicksilver off his feet and give him a good shaking. Professor X isn't known for using telekinesis, but it makes a case for psychic interference mitigating the speedster.

The Professor also isn't typically considered a field combatant, but in today's sparring session he's in war-mode, preparing for an epic confrontation with Magneto! The only way to draw any real conclusions is to see what happened!

The Tape: Quicksilver Ranking: Professor X (#418)

What Went Down...

In an instant the metal floor of The Danger Room falls away and reality is remade around two waiting combatants. The Shi'ar technology casts the pair into a void of space, where Charles Xavier can float equal with his weightless opponent.

The Professor reaches out with his formidable mind to communicate with Pietro Maximoff telepathically, but finds the psychic blur of a man as swift as Quicksilver!

Pietro passes through sensations of awe at the experience, reluctance to fight, and respect for Xavier's self-test in rapid succession. He throws a devastating punch -- sending Professor X reeling through space!

Xavier reaches out to catch an asteroid and pulls his body to a stop.

Beast announces a one minute warning from the control room, and Professor X vows to reveal a few tricks that will turn the tide of battle. His enjoyment of the combat simulation leaves Beast and Bishop a little unsettled.

Quicksilver arrives to encourage Xavier to admit to his weaknesses, but is himself caught by surprise when The Professor seizes upon his arrogance to blind him with a handful of space rock!

Xavier throws himself at Quicksilver with a diving tackle and accuses Pietro of making the same mistakes as Magneto: seeing only an opponent's weaknesses instead of their strengths!

Quicksilver breaks the hold and trades punches with Xavier, slamming the training gauntlet into The Professor's back, while absorbing a body blow.

The speedster reminds an increasingly motivated Xavier that he need not adopt Magneto's callous tactics, or abandon his moral core, to defeat the Master of Magnetism.

Professor X reflects on Magneto's past with the X-Men and his School for Gifted Youngsters. He supposes its time he tries his friend-turned-enemy's way.

Beast announces time is up on the training exercise as gravity returns to normal and the hi-tech metal walls of the Danger Room return to view.

The Hammer...

As you may have surmised from the cover: Uncanny X-Men #306 is essentially a spotlight issue for Archangel. It was released the month after the fateful final battle of X-Men #25, which means we already knew the outcome of the Fatal Attractions main event, which today's sparring session was preparing for.

Magneto and the Fatal Attractions crossover struck suddenly, which didn't leave a lot of time for exploring the depth of each characters' reactions.

Doubling back to Xavier's pre-fight preparations gives us further insight into the underlying philosophical push & pull of Magneto having tried things Xavier's way in the past [see also; New Mutants vs Hellfire Club] -- now urging him to walk (or wheel) a mile in his shoes.

Knowing exactly how far Professor X will have gone to defeat Magneto gives his training with Quicksilver an extra sense of foreboding.

Lobdell punctuates the Professor's script with uncharacteristic terseness, while the deep set eyes of John Romita Jr's pencils made Xavier's every grim and spiteful stare from beneath his brow stay with me all these years. Everything is a little bit off. From Xavier kitted up in the Danger Room, to his bitter resolve and dirty tactics. This is not the Professor who dreams of peaceful coexistence between fellow men. By hook or by crook, he readies for war.

This combative addendum is particularly interesting when viewed through the prism of Onslaught: the 1996 follow-up that adapted Xavier's decision -- to psychically obliterate Magneto -- into a malicious new persona that threatened the entire Marvel Universe.

As much as the act of sterilizing Magneto itself; this sparring session feels as if it reveals the philosophical feathering that allowed the deadly hybrid entity of Onslaught to grow within Xavier's psyche. The malice he buried, later personified and expelled, bearing a likeness of the man whose lingering mind he stole.

It's also a nice moment for Quicksilver.

He cannot wholeheartedly represent Xavier's dream, but he provides a proxy for the Professor's own integrity. Their sparring is as much combat of the body as it is the mind -- and who better to provide a sounding board than Magneto's son?

I always thought Pietro was brushed aside a little too easily in X-Men #25. He could've been a central figure in the dramatic peak of Magneto's antagonism, but I also sometimes forget how adequately their relationship was addressed. How many times does a son really need to be skewered by his father? We get it.

Of course, they did have subsequent meetings, when Quicksilver returned to his father's gravitational pull under circumstances I would describe as 'conventional', at least to other mediums.

Their regrouping was underscored by the unspoken hint of resignation that comes from returning a character to the simplicity of their circumstances some forty years prior. Ultimately, Quicksilver's separation from his roots was integral to his development. A character who ran a strange slalom through Avengers, Fantastic Four, Inhumans, and X-Factor, becoming a more interesting hero for it.

A tad arrogant, but at his most heroic, Quicksilver is perhaps at a definitive peak at this moment, sternly preparing Xavier for the ultimate battle with his father, in a series that began with the mutant speedster on the other side of the fight.

Plus: that blue & yellow X uniform with the zero-gravity training gauntlets looks pretty freaking cool. I know he ditched similar accessories in a funny costuming gag in X-Factor, but this one hits.

I don't mean to over inflate the significance of today's battle. It's ultimately a five page post-script to a far better known, and more consequential battle, but it has been on my mind all these many years, and I'm pleased to be talking about it with you, and making it part of our record.

Good comics aren't just about the big, staged set pieces everybody already knows about. It's these interesting little character pieces and asides that are the real glue that bind these books together, and make them interesting to read.

This result won't help Quicksilver get off the bottom of our rankings, but it's another interesting piece of his journey. I'm sure we'll find our way to talking more about that, and the Archangel conflict that's the real thrust of this issue.

If you'd like to help make that possible I'd be thrilled if you'd consider becoming a supporter on Patreon. Along with the heartiest of thanks for helping me exist, patrons will receive additional updates, tangents, and options for customizable sponsored content, including featured fights, Top 10 Spotlights, and more.

Secret Wars on Infinite Earths has featured well over 650 battles and ranked more than 1,000 characters! Find 'em all by diving into the Secret Archive for a complete index in order of publisher, series, and issue number. Or, just follow links throughout each post to discover more from your favourite topics!

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Winner: Inconclusive (Time Limit Draw)
#415 (+3) Professor X
#1024 (--) Quicksilver