Sunday, September 9, 2012

THE TOP 5 GREATEST BATTLES OF THE SUB-MARINER


THE TOP 5 GREATEST BATTLES OF
NAMOR, THE SUB-MARINER


By
John "THE MEGO STRETCH HULK" Cimino


THE SUB-MARINER
Created by: Bill Everett  First Appearance: MOTION PICTURE FUNNIES WEEKLY (1939)

Namor McKenzie "The First" is the King of Atlantis and is the original "hotheaded" personality in the Marvel cast of characters from the late-1930s. He is extremely arrogant, charismatic and majestic and knows full well that he is quite capable of defeating just about any opponent in the Marvel Universe (he makes this very clear to everyone around him). He grew up with a strong sense of pride and due to his abilities and royal heritage (and to a lesser extent an imperialistic attitude towards the surface world) Namor feels he is leagues above any man. And if they just so happen to be in a relationship with a female he desires, it would be their honor to let her be "courted" by him. Despite his gall, Namor is quite the ladies man in which women have always been captivated by and have eagerly desired his "royal-hand" (he has had Sue Richards, Lady Dorma, Emma Frost and Marrina as just some of his conquests). 

The Sub-Mariner is also an impetuous fellow. Despite his advanced age he retains brash, aggressive tendencies bordering on reckless. Perhaps this is an offshoot of his longevity… he looks young, and acts like he did when he was young. He is very moody (although this has been explained by his physiological dependence on air and water that results in manic-depressive mood swings) and becomes angered very easily, unable to think clearly and logically. These "swings" are often unpredictable and almost always involve passionate positive or negative feelings. Regardless, they make him a perfect warrior on the battlefield (or under the bed sheets).

During his early years he had a major distrust for the surface world that constantly polluted and destroyed his waters. Eventually, Namor realized he had to put aside his hatred for humanity for the good of his people and banned official acts of war against them. He even grudgingly began using his superhuman abilities in defense of the surface world, but first and foremost, he was the monarch of Atlantis. As such, he was beholden only to his subjects because despite his temperament, Namor is also very noble, proud, honorable, intuitive, dedicated and loyal. In present times, he has been a member of the X-Men, Defenders and Avengers (among others) that truly show his dedication to the world and his willingness to protect it. 

But whether you were a friend or foe, if you didn't show Namor the proper gratitude or respect, your very life would be a stake. Yes, fanboys, the Sub-Mariner is that intense and that feared. He is one of the most powerful beings in the world and only a fool would challenge his powers, especially beneath the seven seas (just ask him). And being a "little-bit" edgy makes Namor a favorite among the most intense fighters in the Marvel Universe (he isn't nicknamed "The Savage" for nothing). With a huge reputation and the battle-cry of "IMPERIOUS REX!" Namor has challenged just about anybody who could flex a muscle, had the gall to question his authority or tried to claim to have a bigger... errr... ego(?) than him. As a result, the King of Atlantis can never be ignored. So here are his 5 greatest battles that defined him and turned him into a legend.



5.) THE INCREDIBLE HULK #118 (1969)


Writer: Stan Lee  Art: Herb Trimpe
"Hulk vs Sub-Mariner" was a rivalry that was always intense, brutal and full of ego. Namor always hated that he was considered only a "close second" to the Incredible Hulk in physical strength. Although he respected the Hulk's immense power, he considered himself the stronger and more powerful when he was wet or beneath the sea. And even though they were unstable allies that mistrusted the humans, they always had this bitter rivalry between them. So when Lady Dorma finds Bruce Banner unconscious floating in the sea, she takes pity on him and puts him into her ship while giving him a 24-hour air tablet so he can breathe freely under the water. Now Dorma will take Bruce down into the sea for medical attention, not realizing that she has just brought the Incredible Hulk to Atlantis. When Namor finds out about this (by Mistress Fara who is jealous about his relationship with Dorma) he flies into a rage looking for the human and unexpectedly finds himself confronted by the Hulk!! 

They fight back and forth with Fara dying in the process from the wreckage (as she was trying to kill Dorma). At the end, Namor and the Hulk collide into each other hurling each combatant back countless fathoms. Namor eventually gets his strength restored by the waters and manages to stop himself and spots the Hulk's limp body rocketing out of the sea. Namor will then swim after the Hulk and surprisingly finds a passed out Bruce Banner instead. Namor will then turn around and go back into the waters as Banner is beneath his notice. 

Was Namor now considered the most powerful being on Earth because he was able to take the impact while the Hulk could not? The question still remained unanswered, but this fight proved how truly powerful Namor was when he was beneath the sea and he shouldn't be considered a "close second" to anybody.


4.) THE HUMAN TORCH COMICS #5 (1941)


Writer: Carl Burgos  Art: Carl Burgos and Harry Sahle

Namor and The Human Torch have teamed up and fought each other so many times during the Golden Age that it's hard to keep count. It was the definitive rivalry on "Water vs Fire" that readers couldn't get enough of. But despite all their classic fights, this incredible issue gave the readers their greatest and biggest slugfest ever!! And what is even more amazing than the fight itself was the fact that this monstrous 60 page comic was fully completed by the writers and artists in just THREE DAYS!!!

As the Sub-Mariner nears Atlantis, he comes across a sea battle between Allied and Axis forces. Knowing that this will endanger his people, Namor enters the fight and sends both sides fleeing. In the aftermath of the battle, the Sub-Mariner dives down into the ocean and inspects the carnage that the conflict has wrought. Entering an underground shelter, Namor is reunited with his mother Princess Fen. Fen informs him that various undersea races are now meeting to decide how best to deal with the surface dwellers war. He meets with a woman named Rathia. She suggests that they all rally their forces together to wage war on the surface world and take it over. She convinces Namor to support this move, using her female seduction and playing on Namor's ego by suggesting that he would be a great leader of the entire world. Namor then contacts Casey and finds out where he will be covering the war. When Casey responds that he is covering the Russo-German front, Namor sends him a warning to avoid that region. Finding it suspicious, the Human Torch and Toro go to investigate for themselves. As the two heroes fly to Russia, Casey arrives in Moscow where he steals a soldiers uniform so he can sneak onto the front line and get a first hand account of the battle. To his surprise both sides are suddenly swept up in a massive whirl pool that floods up from the nearby water. Casey almost drowns along with the soldiers, but is rescued by the Torch and Toro. 

With the conflict ended, and a new danger presented Casey is reassigned to London while the Human Torch and Toro decide to seek out their sometime ally the Sub-Mariner. Meanwhile, Namor is happy over his first strike against the undersea dwellers and Rathia plays up his ego again. When Namor spots the Torch and Toro coming to visit him, Rathia tells him that a conqueror has no friends only pawns, and so the Sub-Mariner decides to try and recruit the Torch and Toro as allies. Sweeping the flaming duo up in a whirl pool and taking them below the sea, Namor offers them a part in his conquest of the entire world. The two heroes ultimately refuse to aid him, and Namor floods the room with water. While the Human Torch manages to escape, Toro is captured. Rushing to the surface, the Torch flies over both Germany and Russia and attempts to warn them of Namor's pending attack. Both sides of the conflict dismiss the Torch's warning as an enemy trick. The Torch decides to return to London to try and get Casey to put the word out hoping the press will have a better job warning the world of Namors threat. 

Along the way, the Torch stops in Africa and warns Ka-Zar of the potential threat of floods in his region. As the Torch rushes off to London, Ka-Zar begins building a massive ark to protect his animal friends from any flooding. Meanwhile, the Torch's warning reaches the presses and it spreads across the world. The Patriot brings the news to the President of the United States who agrees to mobilize US troops to deal with the coming crisis. While the Torch meets with the British Prime Minister for troops that he can lead in a strike against Namor's undersea kingdom. However, in attempting to tunnel their way through the ground, they are easy targets by the Sub-Mariner who uses his whirlpool device to flood the tunnel. The Torch has no other choice but to save himself and seal the tunnel so that Namor does not use it to invade Britain. Going after Namor, he confronts the undersea monarch in his hide out and the two fight it out. However the fight is cut short when Rathia arrives and douses the Torch's flame. The Torch is then easily overpowered and locked in a water filled cell. The Torch is then fed drugged food that bends his will to Namor's cause. 

With the Torch as his slave, Namor sends him to prove his loyalty by destroying Allied forces before mobilizing a massive undersea army to launch a full out attack on the surface world. While down below, Toro -- who has been locked in a water filled room since his capture earlier -- has started to become delirious thanks to the onset of pneumonia. Namor has the Torch's young side kick taken out of his cell and placed in medical care. That night as the conflicted Namor struggles with the guilt of Toro's position and his desire to rule the world, Toro awakens and in his impaired mental state manages to escape. Toro makes it as far as the British coast where he is found by a soldier and taken to a hospital. 

Meanwhile, Namor and his legion attack the British post on the Gibraltar. The invasion is a complete success and eventually the soldiers stationed there surrender to Namor's forces. After attacking British naval ships and Nazi U-Boats, Namor then activates one of his whirlpool devices to flood Africa. Thankfully, Ka-Zar and his animal friends are spared from drowning thanks to the ark he had built earlier. The Torch has meanwhile been sent to melt glaciers near Russia, causing massive flooding in the area. While Hitler plots to change his tactics, unconcerned with the sudden freak floods the Torch snaps out of his mind control. Free from Namor's control, the Human Torch stops the continued flooding from the area and then is contacted by Casey who tells the Torch that the United States is threatened by the melting of glaciers in Canada. The Torch rushes off and stops this flood as well and briefly clashes with the Sub-Mariner, however when Namor begins to lose the battle he flees. 

Learning where Toro is located, the Torch pays a visit to his injured sidekick and offers to bring him to New York to get away from the bombings going on in London. Toro however is inspired by the bravery of the British people and decides to remain in London to recover. Meanwhile, Namor's campaign against the surface world continues as his forces attack and flood Nazi Germany, and easily over powers their army. However when the Human Torch arrives, the Sub-Mariner and his forces retreat. They head toward the United States, sinking British fleets along the way and activate one of their whirlpool devices to flood New York City. The Torch arrives and minimizes as much of the damage as possible, and in battling Namor within the Statue of Liberty convinces Namor that he is fighting a lost cause and that Rathia will eventually betray him and take over. Realizing the folly of his ways, Namor decides to give up his aggression against the surface world and stop his attacking army. When Namor rushes off to confront Rathia alone, the Torch soon catches up with a specially pipe that sucks the water away from him allowing him to turn on his flame underwater. The two destroy the last of the whirlpool devices and capture Rathia and forcing the undersea army to surrender. 


3.) THE SUB-MARINER #8 (1968)



Writer: Roy Thomas  Art: John Buscema and Dan Adkins

During the '60s and '70s nobody did a better job fighting against both of Marvel's legendary man-monsters; the Incredible Hulk and the Ever-Lovin-Blue-Eyed-Thing than the "Savage" Sub-Mariner did! He was just as brutal and tenacious as either of those brutes and had many epic battles with them that laid the foundation of the Marvel Universe during the Silver Age. These slugfests are what truly gave Namor his reputation, proving that he could stand up to any Marvel Super-Heavyweight no matter how big, how durable or how strong and still be victorious! When Namor fought either the Hulk or the Thing it was always an event with a lot of ego and destruction involved. 

When Namor and Diane Arliss nurse Lady Dorma back to health. Namor tells her of another woman he loved, Betty Dean, whom he met decades ago and she had convinced him to fight against the Nazis in WW2. Meanwhile, the Thing is hired to deliver Destiny's Helmet of Power to Washington. Namor intercepts him because he's concerned that its power is too much for anyone to handle. With Namor being already distraught over Dorma and the Thing always ready for a scrap, it doesn't take long for both guys to go at it. Their battle rages back and forth with both combatants being evenly matched. Soon Namor will use guerilla tactics and ambush Thing by hurling an electrical generator at him and hurting him badly for the first time in the fight. While Namor goes in for the kill, an older Betty Dean appeals to Namor to end the carnage. Namor then leaves to dispose of the helmet with the Thing knowing he lost the scrap on a TKO but feeling like he won due what just happened. This fight is another classic among the Silver Age and enhanced the legend of the Sub-Mariner (as well as the Thing) into the consciousness of the readers.



2.) TALES TO ASTONISH #100 (1968)





Writer: Stan Lee  Art: Marie Severin and Dan Adkins

With the Incredible Hulk being considered the most brutal and relentless slugger in the Marvel Universe, the Savage Sub-Mariner goes all-out to prove he can match the Green Goliath and be his equal in every way. Under the control of the Puppet Master, the Hulk attacks and has a legendary battle with Namor! This fight rages all over the city and beneath the sea with both combatants going back and forth. At this point in the fight, a raging-mad Hulk will go toe-to-toe with a wet Namor on land and gets the better of the Sea-Prince. Namor must now fly to the air and take a breather after the brutes brutal onslaught.

As Namor recomposes himself, he stands ready and tactically brings the Hulk to the beach were he drags the fight under the water again so he can gain the advantage. The Hulk now fights awkwardly as he tries to muster up his last ounce of strength to resist the control of the Puppet Master. Namor will take this advantage to put the Hulk in a whirlpool and even though the Hulk breaks free from this, Namor greets him with a punch to the face that sends him back into it. The Puppet Master is soon caught in a big wave that will destroy his lab and release the Hulk from his control. When Namor finds the Hulk again, he finds Bruce Banner washed up on the shore unconscious. The Sub-Mariner would soon leave back into the sea as Banner is beneath his notice. 

Once again, Namor proves his mettle as he goes one-on-one with the Hulk and comes out looking incredible and proving that although the Hulk is the most powerful being on the surface, he is the most powerful beneath the sea. This fight easily stands as one of the most brutal battles of the Silver Age and made "Hulk vs Sub-Mariner" a legendary match up.
 


1.) TALES OF SUSPENSE #79, 80 and TALES TO ASTONISH #82 (1966)







Writer: Stan Lee and Roy Thomas  Art: Gene Colan, Jack Kirby, Jack Abel, Gary Michaels and Dick Ayers

This three-part epic slugfest ranks as not only Namor's greatest battle, but one of the greatest battles in all of Marvel history!! What also makes this fight so interesting is the legend behind the making of this comic book. Artist Gene Colan drew the first two issues and then only the first two pages in the final issue before coming down with the flu. Stan Lee had to scramble to make the deadline and asked the King of Comics Jack Kirby to finish the art to the story. The 10 pages that Mr. Kirby did in such a short amount of time is a true testament to the man's unmatched skill! What readers got to witness was an absolute genius piece of work that was the pinnacle of superhero action at its finest. Tales to Astonish #82 (and this entire 3-issue saga) is another example that made the Silver Age the greatest age in Comic history.

Following his battle against the Mandarin and his creation, Ultimo, Tony Stark has returned to the States to find that his factories have been closed, his accounts frozen, and himself with a warrant for his arrest for refusing to appear before a Senate committee to reveal the secrets of the Iron Man armor. Hiding, in the dark street, Stark soon finds that his chest plate is almost out of power and that he needs to recharge it or risk his heart failing him once again. Caught in a bind, Stark rushes to Pepper Potts' apartment but finds that she isn't there, just as his chest plates power runs dangerously low. Changing to Iron Man so that the built in power supplied could temporarily recharge his chest plate, Stark then seeks the aid of Happy Hogan to find that he isn't home either. With nowhere else to go, and low on power, Iron Man begins considering turning himself over to the authorities, however while he is near the harbor thinking this over, he finds himself attacked by Warlord Krang who appears near the shore in a Atlantean sub with Lady Dorma in tow. He attacks Iron Man hoping to kill the hero, however Lady Dorma prevents this, giving Iron Man the chance to blast the sub and force it to submerge. 

With his armor damaged and his power supply running dangerously low, Iron Man is forced to break into his own lab in order to recharge and repair himself. While he's there he is suddenly visited by the Sub-Mariner who proclaims that this is Iron Man's finish. During their fight, Iron Man proves to be at a great disadvantage to the Atlantean monarch and so he locks himself in a lab in order to repair his damaged armor and recharge himself. Iron Man finally repairs his armor, recharges to full power and opens the door to take on Namor, only to find that he is gone. Just then the police, Pepper Potts and Happy Hogan arrive to find out what's happening. There Iron Man tries to explain to the police that he was attacked by the Sub-Mariner.

Meanwhile, Namor had fled because his strength was weakening and so he flew to the nearest source of water to replenish his powers. Now at peak strength, Namor once again charges off to get revenge on Iron Man. Eventually they face off with both combatants at full power, Iron Man gains the upper-hand against Namor because he thinks that Iron Man is still weakened. After some major blows, Namor is back into the fight and both heroes go back and forth causing a ton of property damage. Soon the police arrive on the scene and prepare to attack. Noticing this move, the Sub-Mariner turns his aggression's on them, sending the officers at bay. While shouting threats warning the officers from striking him again, Namor is distracted long enough for Iron Man to jump him from behind. As Namor and Iron Man struggle again, the monarch's keen eyesight allows him to spot Warlord Krang's submarine out at sea. Breaking off from the fight, the Sub-Mariner dives back into the ocean and swims after his hated enemy Warlord Krang. With the battle over, Iron Man leaves the scene as well.


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

Check out other "TOP 5 GREATEST BATTLES OF..." here:


Captain Marvel (SHAZAM!)

Spider-man

Wolverine

Batman

The Thing
http://hero-envy.blogspot.com/2012/11/the-top-5-greatest-battles-of-thing.html

Superman
http://hero-envy.blogspot.com/2012/12/the-top-5-greatest-battles-of-superman.html

Thor
http://hero-envy.blogspot.com/2013/03/the-top-5-greatest-battles-of-thor.html

Iron Man
http://hero-envy.blogspot.com/2013/05/the-top-5-greatest-battles-of-iron-man.html

Juggernaut
  http://hero-envy.blogspot.com/2013/12/the-top-5-greatest-battles-of-juggernaut.html
 
The Avengers
 http://hero-envy.blogspot.com/2014/10/the-top-5-greatest-battles-of-avengers.html 

Hyperion
 


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, August 17, 2012

THE TOP 5 GREATEST BATTLES OF WOLVERINE



THE TOP 5 GREATEST BATTLES OF
WOLVERINE



By
John "THE MEGO STRETCH HULK" Cimino


WOLVERINE
Created by: Roy Thomas, Len Wein and John Romita Sr.  First Appearance: THE INCREDIBLE HULK #180 (1974)

The core of Wolverine's character revolves around his mystery. Logan (his real name is James Howlett) doesn't remember much of his past life or his influences yet he still carries a distinct persona. This persona is centered around instinct. He is a man who defines himself as a fighter. He doesn't shy away from fights and he doesn't take kindly to anybody getting in his way. This gives him very anti-social traits that make it difficult for him to form relationships and make friends. As a result, he is a loner who often does his own thing.

Chief among this aspect of his psychology is his anger. Because he is so driven by instinct, he is quick to anger and has little aversion to violence or taking damage. His mutant Healing Factor can heal him from nearly any wound and because of this, he is much more prone to fighting and violence. Couple this with his animal instincts, heighten senses and Adamantium-laced skeletal structure with claws that can cut through just about anything, he becomes almost predatory in nature, ferociously seeking out his enemies while protecting those that are close to him.

While the effects of the "Weapon X" project on his body (and mind) cannot be understood by most. Through the painful processes of Adamantium bonding and memory wiping, this process further robbed him of his humanity and he became very much like the "Wolverine" that identifies him. His ability to escape and resist the Weapon X manipulation process highlight his powerful desire to not be controlled, which can be both a natural reaction and an extension of his loner persona. His predatory character also helps push him to seeking vengeance on those who wrong him rather than run away. The more he is treated as an animal, the more enraged he becomes. It shows in his distinct "berserker rage" where instinct nearly completely takes over and his violence drives him even further into madness. 

However, while Logan has many anti-social traits and predatory instincts, he is not without humanity or honor. A major strength of his character is that while he is constantly being ripped away from everything that makes him human, he still retains it. In many ways joining the X-men reflects his desire to rebuild what was taken from him. It shows that while he's often adverse to relationships, he will still respond to those who reach out to him and have an unyielding loyalty to them. These are the traits that make him such a reliable teammate and one of the most respected heroes on Earth.

Wolverine is also without a doubt one of the most intense and tenacious fighters in the Marvel Universe -- which has also lead him into some of the most classic, most brutal and most referenced battles of all time, bar none! Many of his fights are so legendary that they are credited as some of the major moments that moved the industry from the Bronze Age of Comics (1973-1985) into the Modern Age (1985-present) where characters generally became darker, violent and more psychologically complex. And those memorable scraps are ranked here in this write up! So without further ado, here are the ol' Canucklehead's 5 greatest battles ever and see for yourself why he's the best at what he does, and what he does isn't very nice...



5.) THE UNCANNY X-MEN #173 (1983)



Writer: Chris Claremont  Art: Paul Smith and Bob Wiacek.
Wolverine is looking for the Silver Samurai who plans on killing Mariko Yashida, his half-sister and Wolverine's fiancée. Their father was a crime lord, and the Silver Samurai wants Mariko dead so he can control that empire. Wolverine invited the X-Men to Japan for their wedding, only for everyone but Storm to be poisoned by the Silver Samurai. Rouge shows up and she and Wolverine infiltrate Nabatone's estate to find him dead. Rogue flies in, grabs the whole gang of ninjas, including their leader, and tosses them aside; Viper orders her ninjas to kill her, while she looks for Silver Samurai. Wolverine finds and challenges the Silver Samurai and engages in a brutal, bloody battle which results in him breaking Samurai's arm. As he readies his claws from the killing blow, Mariko begs him to spare her half-brother. Viper pulls a gun on Mariko and Wolverine, demanding they let the Samurai go. The Samurai faints right as Wolverine and Mariko make a run for it. Rogue throws herself into the ray’s path before it hits them. Rogue causes the gun to overload, but suffers life-threatening injuries. Viper uses her ring to teleport herself and the Samurai away. Wolverine forces Rogue to absorb his power to heal and saves her life.

4.) WOLVERINE #4 (1982)


Writer: Chris Claremont  Art: Frank Miller and Josef Rubinstein

Shingen sends The Hand after Wolverine, but he defeats and arrests every ninja that was sent after him. Meanwhile Mariko doesn't know what to do, she loves Wolverine but her father Shingen made her marry Noburu Hideki, and now she knows that they both are ruthless bad guys. Eventually Wolverine enters the fortress, and his friend Yukio helps him in his quest by killing Noburu. Soon Wolverine faces Lord Shingen one-on-one (who has already defeated and dishonored Logan in the past) in his dojo. Torn between his love for Mariko and his honor and obligation, both warriors engage in a bloody fight to the finish. Despite taking some major damage, Wolverine finally manages to defeat Shingen by popping his claws into the drug lord's face. Mariko enters the room and gasps, her father dead on the floor. Traditionally, since Wolverine killed her father, Mariko is honor bound to be Wolverine's enemy and kill him, but alas, she decides that her father was a disgrace to the family name and brought dishonor to the family sword. Wolverine fought for what was right until the bitter end, regardless of cost, and therefore is worthy of the sword. All obstacles now out of the way, Wolverine and Mariko finally embrace each other. 


3.) THE UNCANNY X-MEN #133 (1980)




Writer: Chris Claremont  Art: John Byrne and Terry Austin

Without a doubt, this is one of the most iconic Wolverine issues ever, and the one most responsible for cementing him as the fan favorite, breakout character in the title. While Wolverine had a few "cool" moments to shine since issue #94 as a background character. It wasn't until issue #109 that he really started moving into the forefront of the X-Men stories and began capturing the reader's imagination. Whether you think it was because of Chris Claremont's writing, John Bryne's art, Terry Austin's inks or a combination of all three, Wolverine just kept getting better and better. Like his silent take down of a guard in the Savage Land in issue #116, his off panel escape from Alpha Flight in issue #121 and his rising from the sewers in issue #132  saying, "Okay suckers -- you've taken your best shot! Now it's MY TURN!" (which is one of the most iconic images and cliff-hangers in comic-book history). But issue #133 features the extensive of all those moments, as Wolverine takes on a group of Hellfire Club mercenaries and mounts a rescue operation all by himself. Thrusting him into the spotlight for the first time! It put Wolverine onto the path towards becoming not only the most popular X-Men character, but arguably, the most popular character at Marvel. 

In the issue, Hellfire Club mercenaries are searching the basement to confirm Wolverine's death when he suddenly emerges from the shadows and attacks them. Quickly dispatching of the mercenaries, Wolverine intimidates the fourth into surrendering before pressing him for information about the Hellfire Club (this was another truly iconic moment for the Wolverine-mythos and comic book history because never had a "superhero" in comic books used such methods to scare a villain). Wolverine was becoming this new type of more darker and violent hero who would go to extreme methods to get the job done. It was such a bold new concept that readers couldn't help but jump on the Wolverine bandwagon and express to even non-comic book readers how cool this character was. Wolverine truly was the forerunner of the "anti-hero" that ushered in the Modern Age of Comics and this issue was the beginning of it.
 

2.) THE UNCANNY X-MEN #212 and 213 (1986/1987)





Writer: Chris Claremont  Art: Rick Leonardi, Alan Davis, Dan Green and Paul Neary

Wolverine stalks through the Morlock tunnels looking for survivors of the Mutant Massacre. As Wolverine searches through the tunnels, he finds nothing but dead bodies. Eventually he's attacked from behind  by Sabertooth who's looking for a fight. In the feral mutant's hands is the Morlock's Healer. Seeing that the healer is still alive, and could be a help in healing the others, Wolverine goads Sabretooth into dropping his victim and starting up a scrap. However, while Sabretooth is interested in slaying Wolverine, Logan is only interested in saving the Healer. Managing to get close enough to the man he is trying to save, Wolverine collapses part of the tunnel, putting a barrier between him and Sabretooth. Picking up the healer, he rushes off with him in his hands to take him back to the others. (The story continues into issue #213) Psylocke scans the Mansion perimeter until she detects someone on the property. When she tries to scan their mind, she is overpowered by their psi-shields. The intruder turns out to be Sabretooth, who had already overpowered Rogue and broken into the mansion. He now attacks Betsy, who temporarily sends him reeling with one of her "psycho-blasts", but not before Sabretooth has savaged her arm with his claws. Betsy dares him to follow her as she runs further into the mansion, leading him away from the infirmary and the patients inside. 

After Sabretooth follows Betsy up onto the mansion's roof, the two two of them crash through the roof of Storm's attic, where Betsy tries to fend him off with Storm's knife. Her losing battle is interrupted by the arrival of Storm, Callisto, Magneto and Wolverine who wants to finish up what they started in the previous issue. He goes one-on-one with Sabretooth in one of the most intense and vicious scraps ever seen in comics up until that point. Before Magneto can use some improvised bonds to subdue Sabretooth, Psylocke explains about the psi-shields that are protecting Sabretooth and suggests they allow her to try and probe his mind while he's distracted by his fight against Wolverine. This works, allowing Betsy to probe Sabretooth's mind and learn who the secret leader of the Marauders is. When she tells Wolverine this, the two combatants have made it near the lake that is at the edge of the mansion. With the other X-Men coming to help Wolverine take Sabretooth on, the feral mutant dives into the lake, with Wolverine following after him. Sabretooth however manages to escape, and Psylocke says he cannot be detected. While "Wolverine vs Sabertooth" was a great rivalry, this two-part story made it a legendary one.


1.) THE INCREDIBLE HULK #340 (1988)





Writer: Peter David  Art: Todd McFarlane

Without a doubt the legend and reputation of Wolverine went into the mythic realm of godlike after this comic hit the stands. For this battle is not only his greatest and most famous fight ever, but it is also one of the greatest fights ever... period! Never before did two heroes engage in a scrap so fierce and brutal that it left readers in total awe. The legend of this issue became so renowned that it made the "Hulk vs Wolverine" rivalry one of the greatest and most intriguing in comic book history. Even the cover became such an iconic image that many consider it one of the greatest ever.

I must admit, this comic was so hyped-up by comic fans that it made Wolverine the toughest character in the Marvel Universe. Now Logan was always a really tough scrapper -- but the toughest?? Yup, because after this fight, Wolverine became an unstoppable wrecking machine who could take on any opponent and any amount of damage given to him. He was now known as the guy who essentially killed the Hulk and stood toe-to-toe with him. Well, what fans didn't realize was that this was the weaker and far less durable "Gray" Hulk. Sure, this version of the Hulk was extremely powerful in his own right, but nowhere near the levels of the green "Savage" Hulk who knocked out Wolverine with a glancing blow back in their first fight in The Incredible Hulk #181 (1974). But creators couldn't help jumping onto the Wolverine-bandwagon and bring him from a mid-level, street-tough hero, into the realm of the Super-Heavyweights who could stand with anyone in the Marvel Universe including the Juggernaut, Thanos, Gladiator, Hyperion, Thor and now even the green "Savage" Hulk himself. Wolverine may find it difficult to beat these big guys, but he has no problem going one-on-one with them and taking everything they can dish out... really?? This is when I believe the true character of Wolverine was forever ruined because now almost nothing could knock him out, stop his claws from cutting through them and he could heal from just about anything with his out of control Healing Factor. Yup, Wolverine is the poster boy for what popularity can do to a character, especially if they get popular enough to become a company icon. This fight will always remain a mixed blessing; it is a standard in comics that took superheroes scraps to a whole new level, but it also remains a curse for what it did to a character that I used to love and made him much more powerful than he was ever truly intended to be. All hail the death of the Wolverine!!! Long Live the Wolverine!!!!

The "Gray" Hulk, Rick Jones and Clay Quartermain travel in a van and are lost in a snow storm. The Hulk gets restless and goes out to get some fresh air and find food. He leaps into the air and accidentally hits a plane. The plane starts falling and it's rescued by Rogue from the X-Patrol. When they land Wolverine picks up the Hulk's scent and notices that it's different from the one he remembers. When Wolverine finds the Hulk he notices that the Hulk has gray skin instead of green and his attitude is much more crueler than he remembers. At first Wolverine doesn't want to fight but the Hulk pushes and goads him until Wolverine loses control and starts to savagely attack! Wolverine actually wins the first battle, by hacking away at the brute's chest and leaving him lying down, with his guts all opened (this is the moment that forever changed how any comic fan would view Wolverine and show what his claws are capable of). But due to the Hulk's amazing healing factor, he stands up again and continues the fight. Both savages go nuts and engage in a back and forth blood-fest (that both seem to enjoy) until Clay Quartermain splits them up and puts an end to the fight. Wolverine feels guilty that he lost control and succumbed to one of his berserker rages because he thought he had changed. The Hulk let's him know about it and laughs at him while leaping off. Now Logan wishes he had a cigar.


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



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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.

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