Tuesday, March 1, 2016

THE COMING OF THE AVENGERS!


OUT OF THE BACK ISSUE BIN

Views and Reviews of Comic Books from the Past


By
John "THE MEGO STRETCH HULK" Cimino



THE COMING OF THE AVENGERS! 
MARVEL'S FIRST AND GREATEST CROSSOVER CLASSIC


Written by: Stan Lee
Drawn by: Jack Kirby
Inks by: Dick Ayers, Paul Reinman, George Roussos and Chic Stone


The mighty Avengers. Marvel Comics' greatest group of superheroes that banded together to protect mankind from the forces of evil. It sounds perfect and everything comic fans would want from reading comic-books back in 1963. But this new super-group that lived in this relatively young comic universe was unlike any that previously came before it. The characters were far more complex - full of personality and extremely volatile. So volatile in fact that one member quit the team at the end of the second issue - the second issue! Didn't heroes always get along? If that wasn't radical enough, this volatile member would come back to fight his former teammates again and again and cause a wave of destruction across the landscape (and throughout other comic titles) so devastating that the Avengers had to go looking for him and stop him - at all costs. Sound interesting? Well it was. And we can thank the masters Stan Lee and Jack Kirby for such a revolutionary concept in the world of superhero comic-books.

But despite this genius approach to storytelling: Did Stan Lee and Jack Kirby have this all planned out at the very beginning? That is the question that must be asked when talking about Marvel's very first and greatest multi-title crossover. Did they have the Hulk in the Avengers with the intention of having him quit to provide a recurring, unifying theme to the book? And did they have it in mind to bring Captain America in the story? If so, the comics involved seem too close to allow any other interpretation. Whatever the reasons might be, after Avengers #1 hit the newsstands in September of 1963 it brought forth Marvel's first long-ranged, in-house, crossover event that would become a staple for comics in later years and lay down the foundation of the entire Marvel Universe.

Looking closely at each classic issue and how the story flows, everything that made the Marvel characters distinguish themselves from the DC characters is prevalent. How they interacted and behaved with each other was light years ahead of anything any comic publisher ever thought of doing at the time. The Marvel characters had many layers to them. They were flawed, temperamental and all part of the same inherent universe. Regardless if this crossover was done by accident or not, Lee and Kirby took heroic storytelling to an entirely different level that set a precedence for all things to come and turned themselves into the greatest creative duo the medium had ever produced.

So after all this rambling, why is the origin of the Avengers the greatest crossover in Marvel history? Well, besides having Lee and Kirby at the helm at their creative peak, it had a great cast of characters involved. While just about every hero on Marvel earth at the time made an appearance, the stars of the story are as follows:

The Heroes: Captain America, Iron Man, Thor, Giant-Man/Ant-Man, Wasp, Thing, Invisible Girl, Mr. Fantastic and the Human Torch

The Outcasts: The Hulk and the Sub-Mariner

The Villains: Loki, the Space Phantom, D'Bari Alien and the Lava Men

The Sidekicks: Rick Jones and the Teen Brigade

Second, some of Marvel's most iconic moments are included; the origin and formation of the Avengers team, the Hulk quickly quits said team, the first time the Hulk and the Sub-Mariner meet up and form a hostile partnership that wages war against humanity, the remarkable return of Marvel's greatest hero - Captain America and the first meeting and team-up between the Avengers and the Fantastic Four.

Lastly, the "scope" of the story itself was just massive - especially for the time. The Hulk rampages through eight total issues and three different titles; The Avengers, The Fantastic Four and Journey into Mystery. The events that unfolded during the brute's path of destruction are unprecedented and still vibrate through the Marvel Universe to this day. This had a lot to do with the legendary storytelling ability and unparalleled dynamism of Jack Kirby. Simply put, nobody could draw it better - nobody! Kirby's bold pencils perfectly depicted the Hulk's raw power against his opposition that set the standard in epic superhero confrontations. While there have been big superhero encounters before, never did they capture the imagination of readers like "Hulk vs Thing" in Fantastic Four #25 and "Hulk vs Thor" in Journey into Mystery #112. These slugfests have become so legendary that both are still talked about today.

The coming of the Avengers is an immortal tale within the history of comics that has paved the way for all the other big multi-issue crossovers that have come after it. It remains an historic event that helped lay down the foundation of the entire Marvel Universe and defined its cast of characters forever. Today, you can clearly see its influence on all the comics and blockbuster movies that rule pop culture. Whether this was a long ranged plan by Stan Lee or not, it still made magic on a level few stories or events ever did. And nobody can argue the fact that after this story finished, readers were forever chanting "Make Mine Marvel!!!" The rest is history...



THE AVENGERS #1 (1963)


"The Coming of the Avengers!"

Loki, having been previously captured by Thor, is being held prisoner at the Isle of Silence in Asgard. His physical form may be confined there, but by means of thought projection his disembodied self travels to Earth in search of revenge. He spots Thor in his human identity of Dr. Don Blake, but resists defeating him as it would be a hollow victory compared to defeating him as Thor. After hours of searching, Loki comes across the Hulk and devises a wicked plan to entice Blake to transform into Thor. He projects a mental image of dynamite on the tracks of a nearby railway bridge. The Hulk spots the dynamite and attempts to snuff it out, accidentally destroying the bridge. Suddenly, a train appears on the tracks traveling towards the wreckage. Valiantly, the Hulk manages to hold the tracks up long enough for the train to pass safely before allowing it to collapse. Unfortunately the damage has already been done and Loki's plan was successful. 

Hours later, newspapers print articles about the Hulk being on the rampage again and a manhunt begins. The Hulk's friend, Rick Jones, reads the article with disbelief and meets with members of the Teen Brigade in order to find help to track Hulk down to find the truth. They attempt to contact the Fantastic Four but Loki interferes with the radio signal, diverting it to Don Blake. He decides to transform into Thor to help the Teen Brigade. Unknown to Loki, the radio signal is also picked up by Ant-Man, the Wasp, and Iron Man, who also travel to assist. 

Later, the Teen Brigade are disappointed that the Fantastic Four hadn't responded to their message when they finally get a reply. They inform the Teen Brigade that they are too busy with another case but have a hunch that other heroes may have received their distress call. Suddenly Thor, Iron Man, Ant-Man and the Wasp arrive. Loki realizes that the other heroes will only interfere with his plans and lures Thor away by creating a mental image of the Hulk. Upon catching up with this illusion of the Hulk, Thor attacks and realizes it isn't real, and immediately suspects Loki. He then returns to Asgard to face his brother. 

Meanwhile, Iron Man, Ant-Man and the Wasp track down the Hulk with the help of Ant-Man's ants. He is working at a circus pretending to be a robot called Mechano. They attempt to capture him but the Hulk escapes the circus by leaping away. Iron Man gives chase but the Hulk smashes his battery pack in his chest and escapes, while Iron Man repairs it.

Back in Asgard, Thor asks permission from Odin to meet Loki on the Isle of Silence to question him. Odin accepts but warns that he cannot interfere between the two brother's quarrel. As Thor sets out across the Sea of Mist he is attacked by Loki's traps. First, he narrowly escapes tangle roots that threaten to drag him down into the depths. Next, a volcano erupts releasing volcanic gas globules capable of sapping the strength of any god. Thor manages to evade these by diving into the sea. On the island, Loki spots Thor's empty boat and wonders with disbelief if Thor has already been defeated. Suddenly, a giant water spout appears in front of him as Thor emerges from the sea to face him. He throws his hammer at Loki, only to have it deflected by a hastily-made ice shield. Loki calls upon a Rock Troll, which begins to drag Thor beneath the ground. At the last moment, Thor uses his hammer to summon lightning which dazzles the troll, causing it to relinquish his hold. Thor angrily swings his hammer at Loki, who has created multiple mental images of himself to confuse him. Thor counters this by spinning his hammer fast enough to blow all the figures away, revealing the true Loki. Soaking up the magnetic flow from the earth with his hammer, he captures Loki via magnetic attraction and takes him back to Earth to clear the Hulk's name.

On Earth, Iron Man, Ant-Man and the Wasp continue to pursue the Hulk to an auto factory in Detroit. After battling back and forth Thor appears with Loki to clear Hulk's name. Suddenly Loki makes himself radioactive forcing the heroes to retreat. Luckily, Loki stands over a trapdoor and Ant-Man's ants trigger a switch, dropping him into a lead-lined tank. Upon celebrating their victory, Ant-Man and the Wasp point out how well they could work as a team, and that they should work together in future. The Wasp decides they should call themselves the Avengers, and everybody agrees.

And thus is born one of the greatest super hero teams of all time! Powerful! Unpredictable! Brought together by a strange quirk of fate, the Avengers are on the march, and a new dimension of is added to the Marvel Galaxy Of Stars!













THE AVENGERS #2 (1963)


"The Avengers Battle... the Space Phantom"

Iron Man, Thor, and the Hulk are awaiting Ant-Man and the Wasp in Tony Stark's library so they can begin their meeting. There is already tension among the ranks of this new super-team as Thor and Hulk bicker. Before anything can come of it, Ant-Man and the Wasp make a sudden entrance, seemingly appearing out of nowhere. Ant-Man, (now using the name Giant-Man) explains by showing the team his new size-changing capsules.

Elsewhere, the Space Phantom arrives on Earth, under the guise of a fragment of meteorite. He plans to destroy the Avengers so that his race can invade the planet. He takes the appearance of a passerby, sending him to Limbo. 

Later, the Space Phantom (under the guise of the passerby) approaches the Avengers Mansion. He is spotted by the team and the Hulk goes to investigate. The man takes the Hulk off-guard and assumes his form, sending him to Limbo in place of the man. The Phantom (this time under the guise of the Hulk) returns to the team and taunts Iron Man and Thor, causing a small ruckus and heightening the tensions in the team before leaving. Outside, he spots the man he replaced earlier trying to warn everybody and decides to cause more havoc as the Hulk. The Space Phantom/Hulk is approached by his friend Rick Jones, who convinces him to escape before the police arrive. Rick realizes something is wrong with the way the Hulk is acting and the Phantom reveals himself. The Space Phantom/Hulk arrives at one of Tony Stark's operations plants and destroys a new experimental anti-missile defense weapon. Iron Man is told the news and faces off against the Hulk. Iron Man proves to be too much for him however and the Phantom flees by taking the form of a passing wasp, leaving a confused and dazed Hulk to appear. However, Iron Man and the Hulk continue to battle.

Meanwhile, Rick Jones communicates with Giant-Man and explains the situation to him and the Wasp. They catch up with Iron Man and Hulk and break up the fight. The Space Phantom, still in the form of a wasp, attacks the Wasp and flees to a nearby factory. After aiding the Wasp, Giant-Man is taken by surprise by the Space Phantom and sent to Limbo. This time the Wasp and the Hulk saw it happen and know this "Giant-Man" is fake. They battle and Iron Man eventually catches up only to be replaced and sent to Limbo. But the Hulk catches the Space Phantom in the act yet again and the newly-returned Giant-Man teams up with the Hulk to fight the fake "Iron Man."

Across town, it is revealed that the Wasp left to search for Thor. She finds him with the help of Dr. Donald Blake and the duo race back to the factory to assist the rest of the team. The Wasp shrinks down and damages the mechanism of the Iron Man suit and Thor creates a thunderstorm, causing the armor to rust. In a final desperate attempt to succeed, the Space Phantom decides to take Thor's form. Unfortunately for the Phantom his power only works on mortal beings and it backfires, sending him to Limbo instead. After the battle, the Hulk expresses his sadness at his recent treatment in the team and decides to quit.







THE AVENGERS #3 (1964)


"The Avengers meet the Sub-Mariner"

At their next meeting, the Avengers decide they need to find the Hulk before he causes more trouble. Iron Man uses his image projector device to communicate with the Fantastic Four, Spider-Man, and the X-Men to ask if they have spotted him, but he has no luck. Thor comes up with the idea of asking Rick Jones to help find the Hulk. They contact him and Rick sets out into the desert to an area where he could be.

A short while later, Rick discovers the Hulk and coerces him to a cave they had used in the past as a refuge. There, Rick operates a machine that transforms the Hulk back into Bruce Banner. While asleep, stressful thoughts cause Banner to revert to his Hulk-state and escape. Rick Jones contacts the Avengers, alerting them to the situation and they travel to the desert to stop him. After a brief battle, the Hulk escapes onto a passing train. After laying low, he reaches the sea and is eventually taken onto a ship on the brink of exhaustion. 

Under the sea, Namor, the Sub-Mariner watches the scene. After the Hulk leaves the ship the Sub-Mariner meets him on a small island. After a short fight where the Hulk dominates on land and Namor in the sea, Namor suggests they team up and fight the humans together, as they each bear a grudge against humanity. They form an uneasy alliance and issue a challenge to the Avengers to battle at the Rock of Gibraltar!

The Hulk and Namor use old World War II weaponry to attack the Avengers, but Iron Man deflects the shells with his repulsor rays. Namor disables Iron Man by firing an emery dust pellet at him, clogging up the joints in his armor. Thor holds the savage duo at bay with Mjolnir while the Wasp finds a tank of oxygen, which is used to blow the dust away and bring Iron Man back into the fight. The Avengers chase their enemies through the tunnels. Namor plans to use an old air raid siren he has converted into a weapon, but is caught by Giant-Man and thrown at Iron Man. Namor will then smash Iron Man's battery pack and attack Thor. The Hulk joins the Sub-Mariner in his struggles with the Thunder God as he attempts to lift Thor's hammer but is unable to do so. At that moment, the stress causes the Hulk to change back into Bruce Banner when Namor needs his help the most, and is forced to flee. Namor, without help from the Hulk, is quickly outmatched and narrowly escapes into the ocean.

 




JOURNEY INTO MYSTERY #112 (1965)


"The Mighty Thor Battles the Incredible Hulk!"

This issue is actually a retroactive chapter in this crossover event, appearing nearly a year after the conclusion to the story. This slugfest is widely considered an absolute masterpiece and easily one of the greatest in the history of the medium.

While flying through the city, Thor happens upon two groups of teenagers arguing over the who is the stronger between Thor and the Hulk. Interested in the debate, Thor lands to see what all the commotion is about, and they ask him if he knows who is the stronger of the two. Thor recounts for them his last encounter with the Hulk that had taken place in Avengers #3. He goes into a part of the story that was not previously recorded.

In Thor's recounting of the events, he and the Hulk are separated from the Avengers and the Sub-Mariner during their battle. Realizing the Hulk's great strength, Thor asks Odin to lift the enchantment that forces Thor to change to Donald Blake after being kept from his hammer for sixty seconds so he can pit his strength against the green-skinned brute. Odin grants Thor's wish, giving him five minutes free of the enchantment that binds his power to his hammer. However, it makes Thor's hammer vulnerable to damage and able to be picked up by anybody, which causes the Hulk to attempt to destroy it, keeping Thor on the defensive during the battle.

During their savage slugfest the integrity of the cavern the two Super-Heavyweights are fighting in caves in, covering the Hulk with tons of rock. About that time the five minutes Odin granted Thor are up. Thor smashes through the rubble to continue his fight but discovers that the Hulk had already escaped. Thor attempts to follow the brute but cannot find a trace of him. The test to see who is the strongest is inconclusive. Thor rejoins his comrades and battles Namor until the Hulk arrives again to resume their fight (and the story continues into the final moments of Avengers #3).

Thor stops his story there explaining that there is nothing more to tell, and explains that he has no proof that he is stronger than the Hulk and therefore won't make such a claim and flies off. Meanwhile elsewhere the Hulk turns his thoughts to Thor as well wondering when next they'll meet again.
 







THE AVENGERS #4 (1964)


"Captain America Joins... The Avengers!"

After escaping his battle with the Avengers in Avengers #3, Namor angrily continues his search for his missing people. He eventually finds his way to the North Sea, where he discovers a tribe of Eskimo people worshiping a dead man frozen in a block of ice. Still angry at humanity Namor approaches the Eskimos, causing them to flee as he throws the ice block into the water. It drifts away, slowly beginning to thaw.

By chance, the Avengers are in the area in their undersea craft. They spot the figure in the water and Giant-Man pulls him in on board. Upon inspection they notice that he wears the clothing of long-lost World War II hero Captain America. Suddenly, he awakens and in a fit of panic and confusion charges at the Avengers before realizing his surroundings and calming down. Iron Man asks the mystery man who he is and the Avengers are skeptical when they are told that the man is indeed Captain America. After a brief demonstration of his ability they quickly change their minds. 

Captain America explains his last memories: He speeds towards an experimental plane on a motorcycle with his sidekick Bucky. Unknown to the duo, the plane had been sabotaged by the Nazi agent Baron Zemo. Bucky manages to get on board while Cap slips and falls from the plane. The last thing he remembers is the plane exploding with Bucky on it as he falls through the sky into the frozen waters off Newfoundland. 

Back in the present day, the Avengers have docked in New York City and are greeted by a crowd of journalists looking for interviews about their recent battle with Sub-Mariner and the Hulk. Suddenly, a camera flash goes off and turns the team into stone. The journalists think it is a publicity stunt and leave. Aboard the sea craft Captain America awakens and exits onto the dock. He also spots the statues but dismisses them as statues made to honor the heroes. Cap finds the modern world very unusual and alien but manages to find his way to a hotel

Later, Cap is awoken by a vision of Bucky but it is revealed to be Rick Jones. He has been following Cap's trail across town looking for clues as to the Avenger's whereabouts. They team up to solve the mystery and begin by examining photos taken at the dock. Cap discovers one of the photographers carrying what looks more like a weapon than a camera, and Rick sends his Teen Brigade to search around the city to find the mystery man. Eventually Captain America finds the man in question and approaches him. His gang overhears his entrance and a fight breaks out. Cap easily defeats them despite being heavily outnumbered, and exposes the leader as an alien. The alien, a member of the race called the D'Bari alien species, explains that his spaceship crashed into the ocean and the Sub-Mariner promised to help him return to his planet if he turned the Avengers to stone. Captain America offers to help the D'Bari if they reverse the stone effect on the Avengers and he complies, freeing the Avengers once again. 

In his castle, the Sub-Mariner angrily observes the scene and plans another tactic to defeat the Avengers. As if by luck, a troop of his Atlantean Elite Guard pass nearby and Namor rallies them to his side.

Back on land, the D'Bari leads the Avengers to the area where his ship is stuck on the seabed below. After Giant-Man and Iron Man attach a camera to the ship's hull, Thor manipulates his hammer causing a torrent of magnetic waves that wrench the ship free.

Soon Giant-Man and Captain America are suddenly attacked by Namor and his elite guard, sending them into the water. Namor duels with Iron Man, slowly gaining the upper hand. The Wasp flies in to distract Namor, giving Iron Man time to recover. Namor's elite guard plead for aid against the mighty Thor, who is making short work of them. Thor deflects the Atlantean's weapons back at themselves, scattering the soldiers. Namor now battles one-on-one against Thor.

Meanwhile, under the water, Giant-Man is enslaved by a massive net. However, he manages to escape by taking a shrinking capsule before he suffocates. He emerges near to Iron Man, and they take care of the remaining Atlantean elite guard. Namor again attempts to take Thor's hammer from him, to no avail, and soon has to deal with Giant-Man and Iron Man as well. Captain America watches on, trying to get a feel of what sort of team the Avengers are. The fight is brought to a standstill when some of the Atlanteans reveal a hostage - Rick Jones! With his uncanny reflexes, Cap leaps in and frees Rick and the fight begins anew. Suddenly an earthquake strikes the island and the Sub-Mariner leaves, believing the Avengers to be consumed by it. Little does he know, the tremors were actually caused by the launching of the D'Bari spacecraft. The Avengers watch the D'Bari leave and then decide to officially offer Captain America a place on the team, and he readily accepts. Nearby, Rick looks out on the ocean deep in thought, torn between his loyalty to the Avengers, and his fear of knowing that the Hulk will be out for revenge since they replaced him. 










FANTASTIC FOUR #25 (1964)


"The Hulk Vs. the Thing"

This adventure now crossovers into another comic where the Hulk is now on the hunt for Rick Jones and his revenge against the Avengers. In this issue, Stan Lee billed the Hulk fighting the Thing as the battle of the century and he was right. This slugfest changed the face of comic-book battles forever and has become the standard of which all the others are measured by.

Reed Richards has once again created a formula he believes will cure the Thing. However this time Ben is uninterested in a cure because his girlfriend Alicia Masters loves him the way he is. When Reed presses the issue, the Thing destroys the beaker containing the cure, much to Reed's frustration. When Alicia later arrives she informs the group of the latest news about the Avengers manhunt for the Hulk. 

Meanwhile, in the New Mexico, the Hulk flees from the authorities. With a cordon surrounding the area the Hulk forces some truck drivers to stow him in the back of their truck. As he sleeps the Hulk reverts back to Bruce Banner and when the truck is later stopped at a check point Banner flees into the desert. Banner seeks shelter in a nearby cave, hoping that he can find Rick Jones and get some help. Unfortunately the stress causes him to transform into the Hulk once again who then seeks shelter in his cave. Elsewhere the Avengers and Rick Jones search nearby wreckage for clues to the Hulk's whereabouts. As their search turns up nothing, the Hulk learns that the Avengers have replaced him with Captain America and decides to get revenge against them; the Hulk then leaps off to New York City to face them.

Back at the Baxter Building, Reed suddenly collapses while working on an experiment and Johnny Storm is sent out in the Fantasticar to fetch a doctor. Along the way he spots the Hulk trashing the streets and flames on to face the Green Goliath. The Torch is no match for the Hulk, and is quickly defeated and his flame smothered. As the news of the Hulk reaches the Baxter Building, Reed tells Ben and Sue to deal with the Hulk instead of him, leaving them to worry that his sudden illness is grim and their leader might die. When they arrive at the scene Johnny is still fighting a losing battle against the Hulk. Sue protects her brother with her invisible force field, but soon passes out from the strain. That's when the Thing steps in for a rematch against the Hulk (they first locked horns in Fantastic Four #12). As the Thing and the Hulk battle it out throughout the city, Reed tries to leave his bed to help the team, but finds that his malady has made him too weak to do anything. Ben and the Hulk's battle take them out into the Hudson River and onto the George Washington Bridge. The ongoing battle exhausting him, Ben tries to get a reprieve by trying to bind the Hulk in one of the bridge's tension cables. 

Meanwhile, Sue returns to the Baxter Building with a doctor and the prognosis is grim: Reed has been afflicted by an unknown virus, likely from his own experiments and all the doctor can recommend is bed rest. Meanwhile, the Hulk breaks free from the cables and unmercifully pounds the Thing thus defeating him and moves on, seeking to get his revenge against the Avengers. Left behind, the Thing picks himself up and follows after the Hulk, intent on stopping him even if it kills him. 



 





FANTASTIC FOUR #26 (1964)


"The Avengers Take Over!"

Following his defeat while battling the Hulk, the Thing manages to pull himself back up and start the fight anew as an army of soldiers and reporters watch on. Watching this on television is Mr. Fantastic who tries to go into action but is still too weak from his illness to do anything. Out of concern Sue calls for an ambulance and hands over the formulas that Reed had been working on so the doctors can try to cure him. Also at the hospital is the Human Torch who has been patched up following his failed battle with the Hulk. Realizing that the Hulk is still out on a rampage, Johnny flames on and heads back out into battle despite the fact that his is injured.

He catches up to the Thing and the Hulk who are still brawling and tries to lend Ben a hand. When the Hulk swats the two away, the soldiers step in by firing a mortar shell at the Hulk, but he easily deflects the shot. Johnny is winded after the conflict and Ben tells him to stay put while he continues on after the Hulk. As he plods along, Ben shrugs off an attempt by reports to interview him. Meanwhile, the Hulk has retreated into the subway where he hijacks a subway train to ride it toward Avengers Mansion. When he arrives there, he finds that the Avengers are already home waiting for him and a battle breaks out. The Hulk steamrolls into the heroes and grabs Rick Jones and then flees the scene, unaware that the Wasp is following him.

Back at the hospital, the doctors have succeeded in formulating an antidote that instantly cures Reed. The Fantastic Four then regroup and head out to try and stop the Hulk once and for all. They spot the brute on the street as he is stunned by the Wasp who is using her Wasp's sting inside his ear. Distracted, the Hulk is ambushed by the Avengers and the Fantastic Four at the same time. However the two groups are uncoordinated and get into each others way. During the confusion, the Hulk manages to leap onto a nearby construction site. After a brief squabble about who is best suited for stopping the Hulk, both the Avengers and the Fantastic Four agree to work together. This time the two teams attack the Hulk and a battle royal for the ages breaks out. In the ensuing chaos, Rick manages to toss a gamma-ray treated capsule into the Hulk's mouth. This triggers a transformation back into his alter-ego as he falls into the Hudson River trying to get rid of the clusters of ants all over his body. It's Bruce Banner who surfaces from the water and is swept away by the current. 

In the aftermath of the battle Rick is commended for his bravery and the Avengers and Fantastic Four part ways as newfound allies. A happy ending, not quite...









THE AVENGERS #5 (1964)


"The Invasion of the Lava Men!"

The Avengers return to Tony Stark's home and assess the damage that the Hulk caused to it and reminisce about their previous battle with the brute. Soon each Avenger parts ways and goes back to their daily life. After a few days mysterious shock waves begin causing accidents all across the city. The Avengers gather together and discover the shock waves are coming from the Southwestern part of the country and they go to check it out.

It is discovered that the Lava Men are trying to push a giant 'living rock' to the surface of the earth, where it will explode and destroy all human life, leaving it free for the Lava Men to inhabit. General Ross and the U.S. Army are on the scene and try and decide what to do about it. Bruce Banner will show up still dazed at the previous events that have recently transpired when he was rampaging as the Hulk. Ross orders Banner to inspect the mountain and he discovers that it's radioactive. Just before Ross decides to ring it with missiles the Avengers intervene and handle the situation. As they crack into the mountain and travel underground, the Lava Men start to fight back. 

Back on the surface Bruce Banner begins to unexpectedly change back into the Hulk. While the brute surveys the area he can hear the Avengers - his sworn enemies. This causes him to go into the mountain and once the Avengers see him a fight breaks out. At this time Thor goes after the Lava Men and attacks them and eventually convinces them to go back into the center of the earth.

Knowing that the mountain will detonate at any second, the rest of the Avengers lure the Hulk to the only part of the rock that is safe to hit without it destroying everything. They trick the Hulk into hitting this portion of the rock and with his extreme power the rock is destroyed by an implosion which causes only minor damage to the surface of the earth. After the debris clears, Thor returns to the other Avengers as the Hulk is once again missing. Bruce Banner is seen nearly unconscious a short distance away being helped by Betty Ross and scurried away. The issue concludes when the Avengers receive a condition-red signal from the Teen Brigade - this adventure ends while another begins - such is the life of the Avengers.








HERO ENVY REPORT CARD
Story: 5
Art: 5
Action: 5
Flow: 5
Reread Factor: 5
Overall Grade: 5
(Grading numbers 1 thru 5, with 5 being the highest)


Agree, disagree? Let's hear it fanboys!


OTHER "OUT OF THE BACK ISSUE BIN" REVIEWS
AVENGERS #164, 165, 166 (1977)


John Cimino
John Cimino is a Silver and Bronze Age comic, cartoon and memorabilia expert that runs a business called "Saturday Morning Collectibles." He buys, sells, appraises and gives seminars on everything pop culture, so if you got something special, let him know about it. He contributes articles to ALTER EGO, RETROFAN, BACK ISSUE and THE JACK KIRBY COLLECTOR from TwoMorrows Publishing, runs the Roy Thomas Appreciation Board on Facebook and has appeared on the AMC reality show Comic Book Men. He also represents some of comicdoms biggest stars and brings them to a Comic Con near you. John likes to think he's the real Captain Marvel, people just don't have the heart to tell him he's just an obsessed fanboy that loves to play superheroes with his daughter Bryn. Contact him at johnstretch@live.com or follow him on Instagram at megostretchhulk.

www.heroenvy.com

Friday, January 1, 2016

SUPERMAN VS HE-MAN



SUPERMAN VS HE-MAN

THE DEFINITIVE WRITE UP ON THE BATTLE TO PROVE WHO'S REALLY THE MOST POWERFUL MAN IN THE UNIVERSE!



By

John "THE MEGO STRETCH HULK" Cimino
  and
James Eatock

 
Just who is the true Master of the Universe?

Back when I was a kid and obsessed with He-Man and the Masters of the Universe like every red-blooded boy during the mid-80s, I can fondly remember seeing a copy of DC Comics Presents #47 at a friends house in his cupboard. As I thumbed through the issue, I became totally mystified at the fact that Superman actually met He-Man in a comic book -- and could you believe -- they even fought each other! Needless to say, my young mind was totally blown away as I never would forget that legendary encounter. Fast forward a little more than 30 years later and DC Comics releases the 6-issue limited series DC Universe vs. Masters of the Universe in 2013 -- and just like that -- I was transported back to my youth with my mind totally blown again when I saw it on the comic racks. That's when I knew it was time for me to honor this match up, this awe-inspiring comic book confrontation that had left such an impression on me. It was time for The Definitive Write Up on "Superman vs He-Man"!!
Superman teaming up with He-Man in the comics totally blew me away as a kid.

When doing the research for this intriguing write up, I decided to take it a step further. While I'm an expert at comic book history (no doubt), I'm a little flat when it comes to the history of He-Man and the Masters of the Universe. So, to give my readers the high-levels of exhaustive and accurate research they expect from my blog, I recruited my fellow Facebook friend and resident Masters of the Universe cartoon expert; the bearded disco-inferno men have come to call -- James "Busta-Toons" Eatock! This is the perfect guy to fill in those gaps and take the readers through the pathways of Eternia without any of us getting lost. So I'm gonna thank you right now Mr. Eatock for taking time out of your hectic schedule and helping me out (not to mention putting up with my constant nagging) and giving this write up some instant credibility to the He-Man community. 

Okay, enough with the Orko-like babble, let's get to the good stuff...

Superman; real name Kal-El was rocketed away from the doomed planet Krypton as an infant by his father Jor-El. Arriving on Earth, the child was taken in by Jonathan and Martha Kent, who raised him as their own child. As Kal grew older, he discovered that due to this solar system's yellow sun, he had gained almost unlimited powers, of flight, speed, strength, endurance and enhanced senses. The name "Superman" was given to him by the reporter Lois Lane, with whom he would come to love and work with at the Daily Planet in his civilian identity as Clark Kent.

Superman carries the utmost respect of any superhero the world has ever known and has become the standard all the others are measured by. He lives by the traditional moral values instilled in him by his foster parents. He is often pictured with a sense of unbounded idealism mixed with restraint provided by his sense of fairness and compassion for others. He is a man with an incredible depth of feeling, often struggling with the differences between the right answer and the practical one. Devoted to promoting "truth, justice, and the American way", Superman has proved time and time again that he is a true hero, capable of whatever bravery or self-sacrifice is necessary to right a wrong or save a life. He is above our common human character flaws; he doesn't feel greed, prejudice, resentment or bias.

While he is one of the most popular and powerful superheroes ever created, Superman is without any doubt the most important. Being the archetype superhero character model for all the others, his relevance and entire comic book-mythos are without equal. "This looks like a job -- for Superman!"

Superman is the greatest hero the planet Earth has ever known.

He-Man; real name Prince Adam is known as the most powerful man in the universe. He uses his great strength to protect Castle Grayskull from all those that seek out its power, and foil the various deadly schemes and machinations of the Evil Lord of Destruction, Skeletor. He continuously displays both the dignity and honor that his duty demands. Whilst his physical strength is without equal, he also possesses great wisdom and a deep rooted sense of morality. In the field of battle, he often seeks resolution and compromise before resorting to violence. He once stated that he only fought when he had to, and that each time he fought, he hoped it would be the last. He-Man is a testament to the strength and endurance, both mentally and physically, that a true hero possesses.

He hails from the planet Eternia which is said to be at the center of the universe. It is a unique planet that balances sorcery and magic with some of the most advanced science and technology in the galaxy. Lush forests, unforgiving jungles, expansive deserts, and deadly regions of ice are just a few of the wondrous locations that exist within the light and dark hemispheres of the planet, with Castle Grayskull standing as the most magical and secret-laden of them all. "By the power of Grayskull!"

He-Man is the greatest hero the planet Eternia has ever known.

What makes Superman and He-Man so comparable and special is not just the fact that they possess untold levels of power that could shatter whole mountains at will, but that they are both truly worthy possessors of that power. They are proud, noble spirits that will protect those who are in need no matter what the cost. Almost invincible god-like figures that truly understand how precious and fragile life is and it's this understanding that earns them such great admiration by their peers and great disdain from their enemies.
 
No matter the odds, Superman will stand up to any challenge that threatens mankind and defeat it.

It's this intrigue that has also made "Superman vs He-Man" such a fascinating match up. Fans couldn't help but ask, Who was truly the most powerful man in the Universe? What would happen if Superman and He-Man ever faced off against each other? Could Superman's super-powers overcome the magic of Castle Grayskull? And DC Comics teaming up with Mattel, Inc. gave them what they wanted with the release of DC Comics Presents #47 (1982) where the two heroes met in a clash for the ages. But the most interesting aspect of the fight was not the action and power displays, but that there was a friendship formed almost instantly between them due to their moral codes and general outlook on life.

He-Man continually turns back the threat of Skeletor and his evil minions to protect the secrets of Castle Grayskull.

So when these two face off and slug it out, it's a little depressing for me. Superman and He-Man are two good guys that should always be on the same side fighting for what is right. Although they would be manipulated into combat with each other by the evil Skeletor, somehow they knew deep down they shared a common bond. How could they not? They were the ultimate superhero of their universe! So when all the formalities and plot-twists were over and Superman and He-Man finally joined forces and cut loose on the dastardly villains, I cheered them on! Hey, isn't this why we love them and the magic of comic books?

Superman and He-Man make a tremendous force for good, they should always be teaming up rather than fighting it out.

Okay, enough with the background. Now that you know who these two super-studs are (like you didn't beforehand) and what this encounter means to me, let's see how they match up in a head-to-head comparison...



TALE OF THE TAPE



Name: Superman 
   
Height: 6’ 3” 
   
Weight: 225lbs

Real Name: Kal-El, adopted as Clark Joseph Kent

Origins: Comes from the planet Krypton. Gained powers from Earth’s lighter gravity and yellow sun.

Home Base: Metropolis

Nicknames: Man of Steel, Man of Tomorrow, Man of Might, Action Ace, the Kryptonian, Big Red S, Big Blue, The Greatest Hero of Any Age, Champion of Truth, Justice and the American Way

Powers: Superman possesses extraordinary superhuman powers. His body acts as a living solar battery that absorbs yellow-sun rays, with these rays he is granted; super-strength, super-invulnerability and super-endurance; making him one of the physically strongest and most durable characters in the DC Universe. He also possesses super-speeds; allowing him to move, react, run, and fly at speeds of nearly a hundred miles per hour to speeds far greater than the speed of light. Super-breath; ability to inhale and exhale huge volumes of air with great force, capable of extinguishing large fires and moving heavy objects such as cars. This also allows Superman to hold his breath for hours in airless environments. The release (exhalation) of highly compressed air through his pursed lips causes it to drop radically in temperature. This is usually referred to as "Freeze Breath", and can cool objects to sub-zero temperatures and freeze air moisture solid. Super-senses (including hearing, smelling, tasting, touching); his sight is the most well-rounded of his senses as he has greater accuracy to detail than humanly possible. This sense also includes the ability to see EM frequencies invisible to humans, such as radio transmissions, infrared light, the bio-electric aura which surrounds all living things, even in pitch-black darkness. Offshoots of this power include Telescopic Vision; which allows him to "zoom in" on far away objects, sometimes hundreds of miles away. Microscopic Vision; which allows him to zoom in on objects that would normally be too small to see, like those on a cellular or molecular level. X-Ray Vision; the ability to see through solid objects, usually with the exception of lead. Heat Vision; ability to emit solar energy from his eyes. Usually resembles bright red or orange laser-like beams, which may be invisible at low temperatures but extremely bright at high ones. The effective range of his beams are hundreds of feet. In addition varying the beam width, height, and intensity, Superman has demonstrated a high degree of skill and accuracy in manipulating his beam. He is able to use this power with surgical precision and at microscopic levels. Since the power can be used invisibly, Superman often takes advantage of that to perform tasks subtly without needing to get into costume. In some cases, these beams can also be used to produce great concussive force rather than heat and have been known to rupture steel plates and pulverize rock. He also possesses regeneration (when absorbing yellow sun rays into his body) and longevity as well as having a super-mind and memory.

Weaknesses: Kryptonite; Superman is most vulnerable to green Kryptonite, mineral debris from Krypton transformed into radioactive material by the forces that destroyed the planet. Exposure to green Kryptonite radiation nullifies Superman's powers and immobilizes him with pain and nausea; prolonged exposure will eventually kill him. The only substance on Earth that can protect him from Kryptonite is lead, which blocks the radiation. Lead is also the only known substance that Superman cannot see through with his X-Ray VisionHe is also vulnerable to most forms of magic, red-sun rays (which weaken him considerably), and just about anything from Krypton

Favorite Expressions:  Great Krypton!”, ” Great Scott!”, ” Up, Up and Away!”, “This looks like a job for Superman!”




Name: He-Man
   
Height: 6' 2"
   
Weight: 286lbs

Real Name: Prince Adam of the House of Randor

Origins: Born to King Randor and Queen Marlena of Eternia, and later imbued with the power of Castle Grayskull.

Home Base: Eternia

Nicknames: The Most Powerful Man in the Universe, Champion of Eternia, Protector of Castle Grayskull

Powers: The power of Castle Grayskull that flows within He-Man has bestowed him with immense superhuman strength. In times of intense physical stress He-Man's adrenaline level escalates, causing a corresponding escalation in strength. This is not accompanied by an additional gain in mass, but does appear to promote increased levels of energy efficiency, which has enabled him to lift Castle Grayskull itself, and even move one of Eternia's two moons out of its orbit. His great strength also increased his physical durability from which he is able to sustain tremendous punishment and recover at an incredible rate. All of He-Man’s bodily functions are at the peak of human efficiency. Notably, his body eliminates the excessive build-up of fatigue-producing poisons in his muscles. As a result He-Man also has superhuman agility, speed, endurance, and reaction time superior to any other humanoid being on Eternia. He is also a superbly skilled warrior, highly proficient in both hand-to-hand combat and swordsmanship. He possesses high levels of intelligence (especially in the field of science) and wisdom. He-Man also has the ability to telepathically reach out to the Sorceress and certain other members of the Heroic Warriors. 

Weapons: He-Man sometimes uses an axe and shield but his main weapon is the legendary Sword of Power (also referred to as the Power Sword). This magical sword's sole purpose is to act as a conduit to channel the power of Grayskull, the source of which is said to exist within the abyss that surrounds Castle Grayskull, transforming Prince Adam into He-Man. Occasionally, He-Man uses the sword to fire blasts at his enemies, deflect rays fired at him, and slice through objects. The Sword of Power is also shown to be indestructible; able to resist melting point temperatures and the most powerful spells of magic. Due to He-Man's attitude towards violence, he rarely ever uses the sword in battle unless it's absolutely necessary. He-Man's harness was fashioned by the Sorceress of Grayskull from Coridite (a rare powerful crystal containing tremendous energy), and added to He-Man's already incredible power.

Weaknesses: Although He-Man is physically highly durable, he is still susceptible to stun beams and sleep gas.

Favorite Expressions: "By the Power of Grayskull!", "I have the power!", "In today's story..."



THE SLUGFESTS





The comics listed in this section are each time Superman and He-man have squared off, had arguments and fought each other. I will also explain each encounter in detail. Unfortunately, all fights and situations are not always so clear cut and I've tried my very best to be fair, objective and unbiased about the outcome of each battle. A "MATCH UP" is considered a round within a fight or face off confrontation. Since situations can be erratic in the story, there can be multiple outcomes between opponents in each fight. I will continually list each "MATCH UP" with a result and tally it. A "MATCH UP" will only result in a "WIN" if the losing character is rendered unconscious, teleported away against their will or immobilized in such a fashion that they are only freed by the other combatant or an ally. There may even be cases when a character gets a victory due to interference of their teammates, partners, etc. This may not be a definitive "WIN" but it will still be tallied against the losing opponent and explained so. When a character gets an "EDGE" result, they had the advantage at the end of the fight but the opponent may still be conscious or fighting on, so it will not be tallied against him. A "DRAW" result means no one was victorious during that encounter. A "NONE" result means there was no way a logical result could be given in that confrontation or situation from the two characters facing off and this can occur for a number of reasons and will be explained in the text. And finally, an "UNKNOWN" result means the ending of the fight was never shown so a definitive result cannot be given. At the end, I tallied up the totals so you can come to your own conclusions and be the judge to see who holds the overall edge in this legendary battle.



DC COMICS PRESENTS #47 (1982)

 

"From Eternia--With Death!"

 

In the Royal City of Eternia, Prince Adam continues to take his training with Man-At-Arms too lightly. His unorthodox approach to the challenges given, exasperate Man-At-Arms, who walks out in a snit. Prince Adam's good-natured jocularity wins him no admiration from Teela, his royal bodyguard, either. In Metropolis, Clark Kent purposely takes a fall to maintain his charade of being oafishly clumsy. An act Kent keeps up to protect his secret identity. Prince Adam, along with his talking tiger, Cringer, take respite within a tavern. Soon enough, Prince Adam's irreverence lands him in a brawl. Teela is quick to step in and end the conflict before it can truly come to blows. Spying a falcon silhouetted against the moon, Prince Adam and Cringer ditch Teela, racing for the Cavern of Power. There, Prince Adam and Cringer are mystically transformed, by the Sorceress, into He-Man and Battle Cat, protectors of Eternia. The Sorceress has summoned He-Man and Battle Cat to once again deal with the looming threat of Skeletor. Standing outside of Castle Grayskull with Beastman, Skeletor once more seeks entry. Raising his power sword above his head, Skeletor strikes the door of Castle Grayskull with all his might. The force of the impact opens a dimensional rift to Earth.

Investigating the rift, Superman is drawn though to the planet Eternia by an energy tendril. Believing Superman to be Castle Grayskull's protector, Skeletor and Beastman attack. The three men struggle against one another, until a powerful mystic bolt from Skeletor's sword, sends Superman hurtling off towards the horizon. Discovered by He-Man and Battle Cat, they quickly become allies and team up with to oppose Skeletor. Joined in route to Castle Grayskull by Man-At-Arms, the heroes assault the Lord of Destruction. Using his sorcerers might, Skeletor enchants Superman, commanding him to battle against He-Man. As the two heroes lock into combat and match each other blow for blow, it is Superman that eventually bests He-Man and drops the Champion of Eternia with a mighty punch. Skeletor then commands Superman to batter his way into Castle Grayskull. Though compelled to obey Skeletor's commands, Superman still wields enough independent will to use his heat vision to liquefy the ground beneath Skeletor's feet. Trapped within the cooling rock, Skeletor's concentration turns to freeing himself from Superman's ersatz prison. Freed from Skeletor's mental domination, Superman grabs Skeletor, carrying him up into the sky. The arch-fiend then uses another spell to teleport away. Superman briefly regroups with He-Man, Battle Cat, and Man-At-Arms, before flying back through the dimensional rift to return home.
RESULT: WIN: SUPERMAN

TALLY: MATCH UPS: 1  SUPERMAN: 1 - HE-MAN: 0

Since this issue was the very first appearance of He-Man and the Masters of the Universe characters in a comic book (although they appeared in comic form in the mini comics that came with the figures), I spoke with DC Comics Presents #47 writer Paul Kupperberg to see if he had any requirements from Mattle, Inc. before he used them in his story. This is what he had to say:

"Nope, no requirements. Mattle, Inc. came to DC with boxes of prototypes of the toys, before they hit the market, with the names and basic relationships between characters worked out. Beyond that, they didn't have much in the back story and told me to make up whatever I wanted for the rest, none of which they changed, as far as I can remember."




DC UNIVERSE VS. MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE #2 (2013)

"Justice Denied" 
 
Madame Xanadu's shop is under attack by evil magical projections, and John Constantine attempts in vain to prevent the monstrous rats from tearing him and his companions to pieces. Unfortunately, the magic that they were created from is not of this world - it is from Eternia. Evil-Lyn recognizes it, and helps by combining the magic of this world with the magic of  hers, and together, she and John dispel the projections. While Evil-Lyn and He-Man are merely myths for John, he is a myth on their world as well. Even so, the threat of Skeletor, who has found his way to this Earth, is all too real.

He-Man, who has recently been reunited with his mother, Marlena, is curious as to what she is doing in this strange new world. She explains that she was born here. She had been an astronaut. Her ship crossed the dimensional veil, crash-landing on Eternia, where she met King Randor and fell in love. If Skeletor hadn't rewritten her memories and stranded her on her home-planet, she'd still be with Randor today. He-Man admits that his own memory was similarly wiped thanks to Skeletor's use of some kind of "Skull of Power". However, he had not come to Earth to find her. He and Teela joined forces with Evil-Lyn to retrieve Skeletor and use his power to defeat Hordak. Marlena warns that Skeletor will not be too happy to see Evil-Lyn, though. After all, he has taken up with a new woman: Black Alice. Not to mention that the pair are working together to drain the earth of its mystical life-force.

Elsewhere, on the Justice League Satellite, the Justice League is surprised to have their base intruded upon by Skeletor himself. Unfortunately for Superman, Skeletor is aware of the Kryptonian's weaknesses, and uses magic to attack. With the rest of the League's attention, Skeletor explains that he needs minions, and he feels they will do just fine.

Meanwhile, on Eternia, the remaining Masters of the Universe trace the origin of residual mystical readings to Evil-Lyn. This begs the question: did Prince Adam and Teela go with Evil-Lyn of their own volition, or were they tricked? With the aid of a Horde Dimensional Transponder, Man-At-Arms traces Evil-Lyn's energy signature to find out where the prince and his daughter were led.

John Constantine leads He-Man and company to the Batcave, hoping that Batman would be there to help them, but the caped crusader is absent. Suddenly, an incoming teleport brings Batman and one of Skeletor's evil monsters back to the cave, still locked in battle. Using his Power Sword, He-Man comes to Batman's rescue, though he is not so grateful for it. John admits that it was his plan to come see him in the Batcave, because lives are at stake, but they have little time to talk, as Superman appears, under the influence of Skeletor's magic. Though Batman attempts to get Kryptonite to protect himself, he and the others are all beaten out of the Batcave, and forced to contend with the rest of the Justice League, who have also been tainted by magic.

The League focuses on capturing the magicians among their prey, but Skeletor has informed them that He-Man is their real threat, so Superman turns his attention to him. Fortunately, He-Man is strong enough to hold his own against Superman. Realizing the extent of Superman's powers He-man has to take extreme measures and thrusts his Power Sword straight into Superman's chest (to everyone's horror). The magic that controlled the Justice League quickly fades, as Superman collapses, and their horror increases when they realize that the Man of Steel is dead. Luckily for everyone, it is later revealed (in issue #4) that the Superman He-Man killed was a magical facsimile created by Skeletor.  




 


RESULT: NONE 
(While it is true that He-Man got the "win" in this encounter, it cannot be considered a "definitive" victory because it wasn't the real Superman he defeated. But props should still be given to He-Man due to this Superman facsimile being just as powerful as the genuine article.)


MATCH UPS: 2  SUPERMAN: 1 - HE-MAN: 0 




INJUSTICE VS. MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE #3 (2018)

"City of Darkness" 
 
Damian Wayne (as Batman) and his team of the Injusticeverse recruits He-Man and his companions to help them fight against Superman's dictatorship of Earth. As they make an assault on Superman's watchtower, He-Man is able to break through due to his magic. After they defeat the Suicide Squad,  they find Bruce Wayne held captive inside the tower. As Orko tries to free him, they are attack by Wonder Woman and Skeletor. But just before He-Man gets into the mix, he is bathed in heat vision by Superman who flies in and attacks him. Fight continues in the following issue...








INJUSTICE VS. MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE #4 (2018)

"The Ultimate Battleground" 
 
He-man recovers from Superman's ambush heat vision attack due to the magical Kryptec battle armor, which heals him. They battle back and forth in a HUGE slugfest with He-man understanding that there is no humanity left within Superman so he has to kill him in order to save the planet. Almost succeeding, Superman uses Brainiac's machine to take control of He-man's armor and cause him tremendous pain. But the magic of Grayskull overcomes the control and then He-man hits Superman with a tremendous punch that hurts him badly. With Superman down and struggling to get up, He-man unexpectedly turns back into Prince Adam. Superman takes this moment of hesitation by swooping in and grabbing Adam by the neck. Now Batman, Teela and Orko plead with the Man of Steel to let the prince go. Fight continues in the following issue...











INJUSTICE VS. MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE #5 (2018)

"The Vengeance of Skeletor" 
 
While Superman is holding Prince Adam by the neck and is squeezing the life out of him, the Sorceress will telepathically contact Adam about the threat of Darkseid on Eternia. He relays the message to Superman about the Lord of Apocalypse and that he has not only stolen the spirit of Castle Grayskull, but has the Anti-Life Equation as well. Zantanna will then tell Superman it was Darkseid and Skeletor's plan to have him fight He-Man so they could attack Eternia. In a rage, Superman tosses Adam aside and attacks her but stops once he sees the error of his ways and the danger at hand.




RESULT: EDGE: SUPERMAN
(I couldn't give Superman the "win" in this encounter because even though he had Prince Adam at his complete mercy when the power of Grayskull faded, it was Zantanna's words that ultimately ended the fight.)

MATCH UPS: 3  SUPERMAN: 1 - HE-MAN: 0 




INJUSTICE VS. MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE #6 (2019)

"The King of Castle Grayskull" 
 
Superman possesses Darkseid's Soul Syphon, the Spirit of Castle Grayskull and the Anti-Life Equation. In essence, he has now become an all powerful god. He wants Prince Adam to guide him through the nexus so he can fix his past mistakes and hopefully save Clark Kent's soul before he became what he is today. Adam agrees as Superman sees billions of different realities and outcomes but they always end with something he couldn't control. Now understanding how to use the Orb of Power, Superman will use the Spirit of Grayskull along with the Anti-Life Equation to save everyone in every reality whether they want it or not. But one thing is certain, Prince Adam must die. As Superman grabs Adam by the neck, Adam is mentally transported to the Rock of Eternity where the wizard SHAZAM bestows him with his power. Saying the magic word, Adam is transformed into SHAZAM and breaks free from Superman's grip. Now enhanced by the Orb of Power and with the magic of SHAZAM, Adam destroys Superman once and for all.




  
 RESULT: WIN: HE-MAN

FINAL TALLY: MATCH UPS: 4  SUPERMAN: 1 - HE-MAN: 1



"SUPERMAN VS HE-MAN" FIGURE SET (2009)

A deluxe figure set released that showcased the Super-Heavyweight slugfest that is "Superman vs He-Man." It was the first released (and most wanted) set in a line that showcased classic DC characters pitted against Masters of the Universe characters that were exclusive to Toys R' Us. This figure set can range anywhere between 80.00 and 200.00 dollars on the secondary market or eBay auctions.

Front card

Back card


THE END??

In 4 official match ups, Superman and He-Man are tied 1 to1. But after reading these battles in the comics (especially DC Comics Presents #47) some "absolutes" have been made very clear when you compare them head-to-head. It's plain to see that as powerful as these combatants are Superman is the physically stronger, more durable and faster of the two. Add in all his other vast array of powers and it's pretty obvious that Superman will win this match up the majority of the time. One might think that he should win this fight every time if it's straight up -- but I think those who come to that conclusion take He-Man's powers too lightly.

While He-Man is a very close second in physical strength, he has 2 major advantages over the Man of Steel that he brings to the table; his fighting ability and the Sword of Power. He-Man has been trained to be the greatest warrior on Eternia, his hand-to-hand and weapon skills are a match for even the greatest warriors in any comic universe. Combine those skills with his physical attributes and He-Man is a tremendous force. Superman on the other hand was spawned from the farms of Kansas and while he has developed great hand-to-hand combat skills that incorporate his greater strength and speed in his own right, it still doesn't match up to the battle-tested skills of He-Man. The other advantage is an even greater one; the Sword of Power! It is composed of pure magic from Castle Grayskull and is totally indestructible. And what's one of Superman's major weaknesses other than Kryptonite? Magic. Reading DC Universe vs. The Masters of the Universe #2 and Injustice vs. Masters of the Universe #4, it's clear as day what damage this weapon can do to Superman. It not only has the potential to humble him, it can actually "KILL" him as well and that's something Superman has to be very prepared for. Once He-Man realizes the harm that the Sword of Power can bring to Supes, all bets are off.


How physically strong is He-Man? Just ask Supergirl.

He-Man is an unparalleled warrior highly trained in the arts of combat. He will have to use his greater skills in hand-to-hand combat and warfare to gain an advantage over the Man of Steel.

But He-Man's greatest chance against Superman is his Sword of Power. Since it's totally indestructible and composed of pure magic from Castle Grayskull, it can cause Superman great harm and even...death.

It's inevitable that fanboys will make their arguments on who they think should win this match up. But truth is, no matter what advantages each combatant has over the other, Superman is still the superior overall. He has way too many options for victory and if he manages to get the Sword of Power away from He-Man, there is not much he can do against the onslaught the Man of Steel has waiting for him. Supes just has to be careful getting to it because like I said before, He-Man has the superior fighting skill-set and he will use it wisely when he is faced against such a powerful foe.

There is no doubt that Superman is superior overall and will win this slugfest against He-Man the majority of the time with his strength, durability, speed and vast array of super-powers.

So in the end, I don't think anyone really doubted that Superman wasn't "The Most Powerful Man in the Universe" despite what He-Man brought to the table against him. But truth be told, both of these champions are at the top of the food chain when it comes to the Super-Heavyweights of fiction. There are not many obstacles they cannot overcome with just their will and fortitude alone. And most importantly, they inspire all those around them. Superman and He-Man are better off fighting together vanquishing the evil forces that plaque their worlds because they make such an unstoppable force for the righteous and they share the same perspective on preserving the sanctity of innocent life. For that, they will always be the standard of what real heroes should be...




Agree? Disagree? Let's hear it fanboys!!


Check out other "DEFINITIVE WRITE UPS" here:

Jack Kirby vs Alex Toth
http://hero-envy.blogspot.com/2013/06/jack-kirby-vs-alex-toth.html

Superman vs Captain Marvel
Thor vs Ulik
Hulk vs Thor
Hulk vs Hercules
Hulk vs Sub-Mariner

Hulk vs Thing


  Authors:


   John "The Mego Stretch Hulk" Cimino
John Cimino is a Silver and Bronze Age comic, cartoon and memorabilia expert that runs a business called "Saturday Morning Collectibles." He buys, sells, appraises and gives seminars on everything pop culture, so if you got something special, let him know about it. He contributes articles to ALTER EGO, RETROFAN, BACK ISSUE and THE JACK KIRBY COLLECTOR from TwoMorrows Publishing, runs the Roy Thomas Appreciation Board on Facebook and has appeared on the AMC reality show Comic Book Men. He also represents some of comicdoms biggest stars and brings them to a Comic Con near you. John likes to think he's the real Captain Marvel, people just don't have the heart to tell him he's just an obsessed fanboy that loves to play superheroes with his daughter Bryn. Contact him at johnstretch@live.com or follow him on Instagram at megostretchhulk.



 James Eatock
James Eatock (www.jameseatock.com) has worked officially on the He-Man brand since late 2001 when he was hired to provide the writers of the 2002 cartoon relaunch with a series guide to the original show. Since then he has written a published Encyclopedia comic about He-Man (in the style of the old Marvel Universe Handbooks), produced and performed commentaries on many He-Man DVDs, and has contributed both credited and uncredited to many articles about the most powerful man in the universe. He has also worked officially on the Ghostbusters brand and wrote a story for IDW. Since 2007 he has self-published cereal:geek magazine (www.cerealgeek.com), a glossy 100 page publication dedicated to the cartoons of the 1980s, and during that time published the Unofficial Cartoon Guide to He-Man and the Masters of the Universe. Currently he creates and produces content for Dreamworks' He-Man YouTube channel (www.youtube.com/heman), as well as working on Dark Horse's Masters of the Universe books; He-Man and the Masters of the Universe: A Complete Guide to the Classic Animated Adventures (2016) and the He-Man and the Masters of the Universe: A Character Guide and World Compendium (2017).