Mycomicshop's Comic Blog

Greetings from the Odinson,

The last few weeks the Odinson has pitted the Rogues of the DC Universe against the Rogues of the Marvel Universe.  I did not realize the can of worms I would be opening.  I heard from friends, family, co-workers, and even you, the sweet, clean Lone Star Comics customers, about how wrong I was in so many of my decisions.  It turns out that fanboys are just as passionate about their villains as they are about their heroes.  I guess I should have made my point clear from the beginning.  This was not a popularity contest.  I did not make my decisions based on what villains I liked better.  If that were the case, Captain America’s Rogues would have defeated Flash’s, but they didn’t.  It was which group of thugs I thought would win a no holds barred throw down. 

Do I think the Joker is one of the greatest villains in the history of comics?  Absolutely.  Do I think he can defeat guys like Doctor Octopus, the Lizard or Carnage in battle?  No.  That’s not taking anything away from the Clown Prince of Crime or, as one critic put it, underestimating him.  That’s just how I see it going down.  Also, a lot of you are being very dismissive of the New Teen Titan’s foes.  If anybody is being underestimated, it’s this group which includes an immortal cleric that bathes in the blood of his enemies, a nigh-omnipotent demon god, and an evil super soldier that has handed Batman his own teeth.        

Now, I’ll be the first to admit that a few of the tussles were pretty one-sided.  Thor’s Rogues were just way too much for Wonder Woman’s.  And it probably wasn’t fair to pit the Hulk’s foes, a group comprised mainly of muscle-heads and strong guy henchmen, against the likes of Lex Luthor and Brainiac.  So, I’m here to rectify it all.  Going down right now is the super villain battle to end all super villain battles.  A Royal Rumble of Evil, if you will.  The Odinson Presents:

Rogue War: Bonus Round: Rogues of the Marvel Universe vs. Rogues of the DC Universe

Admittedly, I had a little help on this one.  I was sent a video on YouTtube titled: Marvel vs. DC: Villains, which I encourage everyone to check out.  It is on the same lines as what I was going for in these columns.  I really liked the intriguing match ups this person came up with so those are the match-ups I’m going to use to decide once and for all whose Rogues Gallery is the most sinister – Marvel’s or DC’s.  However, I did have to move a few of the contestants around because as tough as I think Bane is, he’s just not in the Juggernaut’s league.  Now, without further ado… 

Let Mortal Kombat begin!

Thanos vs. Darkseid – Winner: Thanos.  Now it’s a party.  Right out of the gate Marvel and DC’s two biggest baddest villains go at it.  Truly this is an epic battle, and a very evenly matched one.  It probably comes down to whether or not Thanos can survive an assault by Darkseid’s Omega Beams, and I believe that he can.  In the end, Thanos edges out the dark lord of Apokalips.  Darkseid may have destroyed New Genesis, but Thanos killed half the Marvel Universe with a snap of his finger.

Apocalypse vs. Brainiac – Winner: Brainiac.  Another intriguing match up right off the bat, but Brainiac can bring solar powered Kryptonians to their knees and it takes a Herculean effort from the world’s greatest super hero to defeat him every time he shows up.  Apocalypse really hasn’t made any leeway in the world-conquering front and he’s been at it for what, 5,000 years?   

Kingpin vs. Lex Luthor – Winner: Lex Luthor.  Wilson Fisk is a criminal mastermind that has carved out an empire in the underbelly of New York City.  He is a physically imposing man whose strength (perhaps the greatest that can be achieved without the help of a super soldier formula) and fighting ability can give pause to the super ninja Daredevil and the augmented strength of Spider-Man.  But Lex Luthor is the smartest man alive.  He has bigger fish to fry, namely a big blue boy scout, and Fisk is just in his way.  

Black Cat vs. Catwoman – Winner: Catwoman.  For all intents and purposes, these two femme fatales bring the same skill sets to the battlefield, except Felicia has the power to bring bad luck to others.  However, the deck has been stacked against Selina her whole life.  A little bad luck won’t deter her. 

Baron Zemo vs. Prometheus – Winner: Prometheus.  Baron Zemo is crafty and physically proficient, but Prometheus once single-handedly brought the JLA to its knees, not to mention the ability to download anybody’s fighting skill into his brain.  Perhaps Taskmaster would have been a better opponent.

Norman Osborn vs. The Joker – Winner: The Joker.  What happens when bat-S crazy meets bat-S crazy?  Utter chaos.  Norman may have goblin strength, a million deadly gadgets, a genius level intellect, a billion dollar corporation and a small army of super villains at his disposal, but the Joker has Smiley Gas.  And if you’re gonna go, go with a smile. 

Enchantress vs. Poison Ivy – Winner: Enchantress.  Well, since seducing each other is out of the question (or is it? Hmm), this battle comes down to physical attributes (I know, I know, the picture almost paints itself, he-he).  Amora is an immortal and Ivy just can’t match her physical strength and magical powers. 

Red Skull vs. Two-Face – Winner: Red Skull.  This would be, without a doubt, the most down and dirty street fight ever seen.  They may even beat each other sane.  Harvey is one tough customer, but the Red Skull is in a cloned body of Steve Rogers and has been scheming and plotting since before Two-Face was born. 

Venom vs. Clayface – Winner: Venom.  Physically, I’m really not sure there is anything either of these guys can do to injure the other.  In the end, Venom is just stronger and the symbiote he wears as a second skin is a devious little critter and would probably edge him into the win column.

Red Hulk vs. Solomon Grundy – Winner: Red Hulk.  Solomon Grundy is huge, strong, and scary, he may have even been born on a Monday, but unless your name is Superman, Thor, or Silver Surfer, then you aren’t beating a Hulk.

Deadpool vs. Deathstroke – Winner: Deathstroke.  I know there are a lot of Merc with a Mouth fans out there, but come on, Wade is just ridiculous and Slade does not suffer fools.  Deadpool maybe able to heal from any wound but by the time he finishes gathering up all the pieces the Terminator has hacked off him, the contest will be over. 

Super Skrull vs. Amazo – Winner: Amazo.  Sorry, the combined powers and abilities of the Justice League trumps the combined powers and abilities of the Fantastic Four.  Superman by himself can defeat Marvel’s First Family (see Fantastic Four #249).  Now if Super Skrull had Reed Richard’s intellect that might be something.

Doctor Doom vs. Ra’s Al Ghul – Winner: Doctor Doom.  This is an epic mini series in the making.  Ra’s Al Ghul is a weapons master with the resources of a criminal empire under his command and pseudo immortality that gives him a century’s worth of experiences and knowledge to draw from, but nobody beats Doom, nobody.  Doctor Doom is arguably the smartest man alive, a creator and innovator of super science and a practitioner of magic whose skills in the arcane fall somewhere just below the Master of the Mystic Arts himself.  Victor Von Doom is the super hero of the super villain community.  He wins, period.

Mandarin vs. Sinestro - Winner: Sinestro.  The Mandarin is powerful, but he has demonstrated in the past cracks in his psyche, whereas Sinestro is seemingly cold and unaffected.  Sinestro’s will power is indomitable. 

Loki vs. Felix Faust – Winner: Loki.  Faust may be an archmage of the highest order and able to fool the World’s Greatest Super Heroes with magic, but Loki has been playing tricks on the gods and titans for eons.  

Mystique vs. Harley Quinn – Winner: Mystique.  Now, this one is almost too close to call.  What wins out, unpredictability and a devil-may-care natural born killer or the ice cold, calculating steady hand of an assassin?  I could go either way on this one, but in the end, I’m going with the shape-shifter.

Ultron vs. Metallo – Winner: Ultron.  Ultron is the deadliest killer robot ever conceived.  He makes the Terminator look like a Care Bear.  Anything that can send shivers up the spine of the mighty Thor is going to win, period.

Mr. Sinister vs. Black Hand – Winner: Mr. Sinister.  Even at his best (Blackest Night), Black Hand was little more than a flunky.  People like the Marauders, Sabretooth, Dark Beast and the Sugar Man call Mr. Sinister master.

Lady Deathstrike vs. Cheetah – Winner: Lady Deathstrike.  Cheetah has great speed and strength and is as feral as they come, but Lady Deathstrike is a cyborg killing machine that on several occasions has fought and nearly killed Wolverine, the baddest dude on the planet. 

Mephisto vs. Neron – Winner: Mephisto.  Nobody out-devils the devil.   

Exodus vs. Black Adam – Winner: Exodus.  Now this showdown is truly delicious.  Black Adam is a super man whose physical power rivals the strongest beings walking the earth.  But the powers of Exodus are seemingly without end, or limit.  This is an extremely close one, but the mental abilities of Exodus edge him past Teth-Adam.

Mole Man vs. Penguin – Winner: Mole Man.  The Penguin is a tricky little sucker but Mole Man actually knows martial arts not to mention he has an army of Moloids and an island full of giant monsters under his command.

Bullseye vs. Deadshot – Winner: Deadshot.  Without a doubt, this is the quickest showdown on the list.  While Bullseye is fumbling for a deck of cards or reaching for a dagger, Deadshot has already put one right between his eyes.

Goblin Queen vs. Circe – Winner: Circe.  The inexperience and fragile psyche of the Jean Grey clone would wilt to the power of a witch that has been causing trouble since the The Odyssey.

Sabretooth vs. Grodd – Winner: Grodd.  Because of his healing factor, Sabretooth would last longer than most, but if Grodd doesn’t tear him limb-from-limb with his gorilla strength then he’ll melt Creed’s brain with the power of his mind. 

Juggernaut vs. Doomsday – Winner: Doomsday.  The Earth will shake when these titans clash.  Cain Marko is the earthly avatar of a crimson god and notoriously unstoppable, but Doomsday is the engine of destruction that killed Superman.  Good brawl, Doomsday wins. 

Bane vs. Crossbones – Winner: Bane.  Crossbones is a deadly assassin and strong fighter, but for all his skill, he is still just the Red Skull’s henchman.  Bane is stronger, faster, and smarter.

Hela vs. Silver Banshee – Winner: Hela.  Silver Banshee may be able to incapacitate Superman with her wail, but no way does she defeat a dark power that can even make the All Father shutter. 

Moonstone vs. Star Sapphire – Winner: Star Sapphire.  Pretty evenly matched, but in the end, Moonstone probably just gets recruited, given a violet ring and becomes an ambassador of love in the DCU.

Kang vs. Chronos – Winner: Kang.  No way does a guy that has single-handedly fought Earth’s Mightiest Heroes to a standstill get defeated by a guy dressed like Chronos.

Radioactive Man vs. Chemo – Winner: Chemo.  Radioactive Man is six feet six inches tall.  Chemo is one hundred feet tall.  Chemo steps on Radioactive Man, fight over. 

Titania vs. Giganta – Winner: Titania.  Though not quite as strong as Wonder Woman, Titania is in that league.  TKO.

Lizard vs. Killer Croc – Winner: Lizard.  The Lizard is smarter, faster, and stronger than Croc.  Croc’s wrestling prowess will allow him to get in some good shots, but in the end, the Lizard will out reptile Croc.

Madame Masque vs. Talia – Winner: Talia.  Pretty similar origins and skill sets, but the daughter of the Demon is just a step above the daughter of Count Nefaria.

Whirlwind vs. Zoom – Winner: Zoom.  Zoom is too fast and too smart, but Whirlwind is just fast enough to get in some really nasty cuts and stabs. 

Hobgoblin vs. Scarecrow – Winner: Hobgoblin.  Sorry, Crane, but there just isn’t anything you can concoct with your fear gas that is scarier than a madman the flies around on a glider, a lunatic with goblin strength, a bag of deadly gadgets and weapons who cackles like a madman while dropping pumpkin bombs on his prey.

Black Mamba vs. Cheshire – Winner: Cheshire.  These two sultry women are probably immune to each others’ poisons and toxins.  Black Mamba can create illusions, but Jade is one of the deadliest fighters alive. 

Mysterio vs. Abra Kadabra – Winner: Mysterio.  In the worlds of fiction there are many practitioners of tricks and illusions, but even among his peers, Mysterio is the Master of Illusions.

Scorpion vs. Copperhead – Winner: Scorpion.  Scorpion’s tail can smash a cement wall into powder.  Besides, he’d just use his super human strength to tie the contortionist into a knot and toss him into the Hudson River.

Blizzard vs. Mr. Freeze – Winner: Mr. Freeze.  Remember that scene from Bastard when Dark Schneider pulled off the impossible and defeated a fire elemental with a fire spell?  Well, Victor Fries’ heart is so cold that he would freeze Blizzard where he stood and shatter him into a thousand little pieces.

Puppet Master vs. Mad Hatter – Winner: Mad Hatter.  Coin flip.  Who gets their mind-controlling in play first?  My money is on the slightly younger, slightly more spry guy.

Absorbing Man vs. Parasite – Winner: ????  This is the most intriguing match up on the list.  By the gods, what would happen if Crusher Creel and the Parasite met?  Whatever the outcome it can’t be good.  This one is a draw.

Total:  Marvel 21 wins/DC 20 wins AND 1 tie

Now that was a close contest.

So there you have it, 42 no holds barred throw downs to decide just who is the most sinister and feared Rogues Gallery in the Comic Book Omniverse.  Disagree with any of the outcomes?  Did your favorite villain not make the list of elite?  Do you have a different take, maybe better match-ups?  Let me know.  

This is Odinson bidding thee farewell     

Greetings from the Odinson,

The tally is all tied up at: Marvel 2 / DC 2

Without further ado, it’s time for the Championship Round…

Rogue War Part 5: The New Teen Titans’ Rogues vs. the X-Men’s Rogues

The Fearsome Five – This group is comprised of quintessential super villains.  They are selfish, arrogant, dangerous and powerful.  Doctor Light is a lunatic with the power to control and project energy.  Gizmo is a diminutive genius and master of tech.  His gadgets are as limitless as they are deadly.  Shimmer possesses the uncanny ability to transmute matter, and her brother, Mammoth, is a hulking strongman that can give even the mythic strength of Wonder Girl and the mechanical strength of Cyborg a run for their money.  But far and away the most dangerous member of the Fearsome Five is Psimon, a villain that can kill with but a thought.  With powers and abilities that counter and in some cases surpass anything the Titans have to offer, this group of villains always poses quite a challenge for our heroes.

The Brotherhood of Evil – This is another group of super villains that really takes the Titans to task.  The Brotherhood is comprised of some of the deadliest super-powered mercenaries in the DCU.  Their leader, The Brain, is a former scientist that after his body was destroyed in an explosion had his super mind placed within the cold confines of a robotic shell.  He shares a romantic relationship with Monsieur Mallah, a super intelligent ape that will do anything to please the Brain.  One of the scariest villains on the roster has to be Plasmus, a walking mass of molten lava that can melt his enemies with but a touch.  The witch Phobia can make a person’s biggest fear come to life.  Warp can teleport himself and others great distances, making him and his cohorts very hard to detain.  And the sinister Houngan uses his voodoo dolls to cause all sorts of problems for his foes.  This group is vicious, merciless, and never to be taken lightly.       

Brother Blood – This sorcerer is the head of the Church of Blood, a powerful organization of zealots secretly bent on world domination.  Highly resistant to pain and injury, Brother Blood is able to withstand all the Titans’ most powerful attacks and even single-handedly engage them in combat.  He once brainwashed Dick Grayson and turned him against his friends.  With his own mystical might and the resources of a growing religion by his side, Brother Blood has proven to be one of the Titans’ most tenacious adversaries.     

Trigon – The original Teen Titans had disbanded, but the mystic Raven learned of Trigon’s plot to take over the Earth dimension.  So, after failing to recruit the Justice League, she reunited the Teen Titans to stop him.  But Trigon is no mere flesh and bone super villain to be pummeled and put in jail for his crimes.  Trigon is a demonic god that is the immortal embodiment of evil.  His powers seemingly know no limits and his rivals are few.  But what makes the Titans’ feud with this monster hit even closer to home than most is the fact that Trigon is Raven’s father.  It’s his demonic heritage that she struggles to keep in check on a daily basis.  It’s probably safe to say that Raven has some severe daddy issues.   

Blackfire – Now this is another villain with ties to our heroes.  Blackfire is the vicious, conniving and malevolent sister of Starfire.  Where Starfire is bright, brave, and selfless, Blackfire is corrupt, devious and selfish.  Blackfire once almost orchestrated the end of the universe by bringing back the goddess X-Hal.  During the Rann/Thanagar War she murdered Hawkwoman.  She’s a despicable woman with little to no redeeming qualities whatsoever.  She’s almost the perfect super villain.  But that title is reserved for the next name on this list.   

Deathstroke the Terminator – If Captain America were a bad guy, his name would be Deathstroke.  Slade Wilson was already a renowned gun for hire and world class assassin before an experiment turned him into something more.  Now able to access 99% of his brain, Slade’s physical speed, strength and endurance have been augmented to super human levels.  He’s an expert in all forms of armed and unarmed combat and he’s a master strategist.  After his son, Ravager, met his end fighting against the Titans, Slade took up his son’s contract with the clandestine secret empire known as the HIVE.  He used the mentally unstable mutant Terra to infiltrate the team of heroes to learn their secrets and destroy them from the inside (see The Judas Contract).  So dangerous is this guy that he has beaten the Batman in a fight, fought the Justice League to a standstill, and gotten the upper hand on the X-Men.  But Slade is a complicated man.  Sometimes he’ll even fight side-by-side with the heroes of the DCU, as he did in Panic in the Sky.  He’s a merc through and through, the consummate professional.  If the price is right and he takes the job, odds are the target is pushing up daisies.  Slade Wilson is Deathstroke the Terminator, the most dangerous man in the DC Universe.      

The Titans’ Rogues Gallery rounds out with:  Cheshire, Thunder and Lightning, the Disruptor, the Gordians, the Branx, and the Titans of Myth.
 
Juggernaut – The unstoppable one makes yet another Rogues Gallery list.  He’s thrown down with the Incredible Hulk, the Mighty Thor and the Amazing Spider-Man, but what makes him a major player in the ranks of the X-Men’s arch foes is that he has ties to the team.  Cain Marko is Charles Xavier’s stepbrother, and Cain has always held a grudge against his mutant brother.  Then one day he was empowered by the Crimson Jewel of Cyttorak and now he has set out to even the score.  His strength rivals the mightiest beings on Earth and his durability is legendary.  Nothing short of a mental assault can ever really bring him down.  Though not truly evil, Cain Marko is a petty and selfish man.  Alongside his erstwhile partner in crime Black Tom Cassidy, the malevolent brother of Banshee, Marko has established himself as one of the most notorious super powered criminals in the Marvel Universe.    

Mister Sinister – Mister Sinister is a master of genetics and has seemingly unraveled the secrets of immortality.  His genius in the field of genetics rivals that of even the High Evolutionary.  He orchestrated the Mutant Massacre by sending his Marauders, a group of deadly mutants and mercenaries that included Wolverine’s arch foe Sabretooth, to murder the Morlocks, homeless mutants that lived in the sewers of New York City.  Sinister was a major player during the Inferno and for years he has manipulated and pulled the strings in the lives of Scott Summers and Jean Grey.  Sinister is a very dangerous adversary because he always seems to be two steps ahead of everyone else.   

The Hellfire Club – Publicly the Hellfire Club is an exclusive club for the rich and famous with branches all over the world.  Its members include Tony Stark, Brian Braddock and Roberto da Costa.  However, unbeknownst to the rest of the world, deep in the shadows a secret cabal known as the Inner Circle plots and schemes for more power and eventual world domination. The most well known members of the Inner Circle are Sebastian Shaw the Black King, Emma Frost the White Queen, Selene the Black Queen, Harry Leland the Black Bishop, and Donald Pierce the White Bishop.  These diabolical arch villains have brought the X-Men to the brink on several occasions.  The Inner Circle is even responsible for awakening the Dark Phoenix and the mass production of the Sentinel robots.  Over the years due to infighting, some members reforming and joining the side of angels, and some members dying, the Hell fire Club has seemingly lost some of its steam.  But the Odinson knows it won’t be long before an organization like this resurfaces once more to challenge our heroes like never before.

Sentinels – As the fear of mutants grew for mankind, a solution was devised by the scientist Bolivar Trask.  He created Master Mold, the Sentinel on which all others are based.  The Sentinels are 50-foot tall robots designed to hunt and either capture or destroy mutants.  They are quite dangerous as they can adapt to battle situations and varying powers.  One of the most dangerous Sentinels is the super Sentinel known as Nimrod.  This machine has come back to the past from the Days of Future Past timeline to destroy the X-Men.  So powerful is this robot that it even defeated the Juggernaut and so dangerous is he that rarely will he ever be defeated by the same method twice.  Nimrod has merged with Master Mold to create the ultimate Sentinel Bastion.  Bastion is an Omega Class threat that will stop at nothing to destroy all mutantkind.       

Apocalypse – This 5,000 year old mutant despot has the knowledge and the power to challenge for control of the world.  Able to manipulate his own molecules, Apocalypse can transform, augment, and change himself into any shape, size or weapon he needs in order to destroy his enemies.  Even arch fiends like Mister Sinister, Dracula and the High Evolutionary fear and respect Apocalypse.  Through the use of super science, Apocalypse has the ability to awaken great power in others, but at the cost of their souls.  This is how he creates his infamous Four Horsemen.  Even heroes are not immune to his manipulations.  Both Angel, Wolverine and the Hulk have fallen under the thrall of En Sabah Nur.  Apocalypse is an immortal and even death cannot stop his coming, only delay it a while longer.      

Magneto – He is the mutant Master of Magnetism and arguably the most powerful mutant on the planet.  When they were younger men, Magneto and Professor X were friends and fought side-by-side for mutant equality, but now they are on opposing sides.  Xavier wants to co-exist and live peacefully with humans, and Magneto wants to rule them.  The X-Men have been standing in his way since their very beginnings.  I’ve talked at length before about Magneto.  So epic is his story and so complicated is this character that there is not enough space in this column to fit it all in.  Magneto has been both bitter enemy and stalwart ally to the X-Men, the latter of which he is currently.  But how long before a disagreement sets him and the X-Men on opposing sides once again?  Magneto believes mutants are the rightful rulers of planet Earth and whether it’s alongside the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants or his Acolytes, he will stop at nothing to see his dream come to pass.

Extinction – The biggest threat that the Children of the Atom face is extinction.  In the aftermath of M-Day, the mutant population in the world went from millions to 198 in an instant.  The X-Men aren’t just fighting to protect the world from evil, they are fighting for the very survival of their race.   

The X-Men’s Rogues Gallery rounds out with: The Brood, Mystique, the Blob, Arcade, Fenris, Omega Red, Onslaught, Deathbird, Sauron, the Savage Land Mutates, Zaladane, Garokk, Unus the Untouchable, Crimson Commando, Super Sabre and Stonewall, the Vanisher, Mesmero, William Stryker, the Shadow King, and the list goes on and on and on and…

WINNER: The X-Men’s Rogues

Though the Titans face off against the ultimate super villain in Deathstroke, an uber arch fiend like Brother Blood, and the immeasurable power of the demon lord Trigon, the Children of the Atom face threats on that level as well, and then some.  Their Rogues Gallery is seemingly endless and the numbers of their enemies grow everyday.  When over half the world fears and mistrusts you and the other half wants you dead, you tend to make a lot of enemies.  Bottom line, the X-Men’s core group of adversaries is every bit as diabolical as the Titans’, and with the layers foes like Magneto, Sinister, and Apocalypse bring to the table coupled with their sheer numbers, the enemies of Marvel’s Merry Mutants stand victorious.    

Rogue War Total: Marvel 3 / DC 2

Both Marvel and DC have classic Rogues Galleries and heroes of any universe would have their courage tested and be pushed to their physical limits when they are confronted by such masters of villainy.

Recommended Super Villain Reading: Bring on the Bad Guys; Super-Villain Team-Up; The Killing Joke; Darkseid vs. Galactus: The Hunger; The Secret Society of Super-Villains; Doom; Lex Luthor: Man of Steel and Magneto: Testament.

This is Odinson bidding thee farewell     

Greetings from the Odinson,

The debate to determine whose heroes have the most dangerous adversaries - Marvel or DC – continues!  Last week the immortal adversaries of the Mighty Thor made short work of the foes of Wonder Woman. 

This puts the tally at: Marvel 2 / DC 1

Now on to the next bout…

Rogue War Part 4: Flash’s Rogues vs. Captain America’s Rogues

The Rogues of Central City and Keystone City are the Blue Collar villains of the DCU.  Because they are so organized, they are extremely dangerous.  Plus, the Rogues can say something that not many other Rogues Galleries can - they’ve actually killed their nemesis (see Flash: Fastest Man Alive TPB Vol. 1-2).  Sam Scudder is the master of illusion known as Mirror Master.  He is probably the most elusive of the Flash’s enemies.  He possesses the ability to travel through any reflective surface, and his reflection in the mirror can affect the material world.  Mirror Master is a mercenary through-and-through whose services are available to the highest bidder.  However, through their common hatred of the Flash, Mirror Master and most of the Rogues on this list have formed a powerful friendship.  This bond is what makes the Flash’s Rogues more dangerous than most.  

The Pied Piper is a tricky adversary.  Just like his namesake, the Pied Piper uses a magical flute to entice and persuade people to do his bidding.  Though a strong willed individual may resist, what makes him even more villainous is the fact that he can distract the Scarlet Speedster by putting so many other innocent bystanders in jeopardy.  The Weather Wizard uses stolen super-science that enables him to control the weather.  He can create thunder storms, flash floods, tidal waves, tornadoes, and all manner of chaos to keep the Crimson Comet busy while he pulls off his heists.  Captain Cold is easily one of the most complex villains in comics.  He has been the bitter enemy of the Silver Age Flash, Barry Allen.  He has both tried to kill and he’s saved the life of the Post-Crisis Flash, Wally West.  He is the de facto leader of the Rogues of Keystone City.  Captain Cold can be ruthless and understanding, forgiving and murderous.  He uses guns that that can freeze objects solid.  Captain Cold was also an undoubted standout in the classic 1970s cartoon Challenge of the Super Friends. 


Then there’s George “Digger” Harkness, a.k.a. Captain Boomerang.  He developed an uncanny ability to use boomerangs as weapons.  Coupled with the fact that he uses an arsenal of tricked up boomerangs that range from explosives to razors, Digger became one of the Flash’s deadliest and most enduring Rogues.  Even when he was imprisoned, the Captain’s distinct talents were put to use by the government sponsored undercover super-villain team, the Suicide Squad.  Digger is ruthless, cunning, and without conscience.  Because he is known as a back-stabber, Captain Boomerang’s teammates in the Squad always cast a wary eye his way. 

Vandal Savage has walked the earth since the dawn of mankind.  Much like Dracula, Vandal Savage is a most dangerous adversary because he has centuries of experience on his side.  Through the ages he has seen countless heroes come and go and he is still here.  Savage possesses a genius level intelligence, he is stronger and faster than an ordinary man, and his fighting prowess has been perfected over centuries of training.  But his most dangerous asset is his immortality.  Long after the JLA, JSA, Teen Titans, and even the Legion of Super-Heroes are gone, Vandal Savage will still be around to cause trouble. 

Take the power of Professor X, add to it the savagery of a beast and the cunning of a villain, and you’d get Gorilla Grodd.  He hails from a secret civilization of highly advanced gorillas.  But while the rest of his kind is peaceful, Grodd is bent on world domination.  He is a visually wonderful creation.  One of my all time favorite Grodd moments is the 2-page spread from Flash #178 that reveals the destruction and devastation he has left in his wake.  Grodd is physically and mentally one of the most dangerous super villains in the DCU.  

But no villain has plagued the Scarlet Speedster or had more of an effect on the Flash’s life than the Reverse Flash.  There have been three incarnations of this Rogue.  The first Reverse Flash, the Rival (see Flash Comics #104), battled the Golden Age Flash, Jay Garrick, and has since returned to plague the heroes of today.  The second Reverse Flash, Eobard Thawne, was a criminal from the future who as Professor Zoom fought the Silver Age Flash, Barry Allen.  With powers on par with the Flash’s own, Eobard battled Allen for years until the Flash accidentally killed him, an act that ended Allen’s career as a hero (see The Trial of the Flash).  The current Reverse Flash is simply known as Zoom.  Hunter Zolomon actually started out as Wally West’s friend, but a terrible accident took his ability to walk.  When the Flash refused to travel back in time to prevent the accident, Zolomon set out to do it himself.  Another accident involving the cosmic treadmill (a device used by Flash to travel the timestream) damaged Zolomon’s sanity and granted him time-shifting powers that allow him to rival the Flash’s super speed.  Zoom has made it his personal mission to make the Flash a better hero through the use of pain and suffering. 

Flash’s Rogues Gallery rounds out with:  The Trickster, Heat Wave, Doctor Alchemy, Abra Kadabra, Murmur, Peekaboo, Inertia, Kilg%or, Speed Demon, Blue Trinity, the Golden Glider, Kobra, Shade, and the Black Flash.

Now over in the 616, my boy Captain America faces different kinds of foes.  Long before Cobra there was Hydra.  Hydra is an underground criminal organization bent on world domination.  Their origins date back to World War II.  Their members are completely loyal to the cause.  It is not known how many people belong to Hydra but their numbers are enormous.  Like the mythical beast from which they take their name, Hydra has the uncanny ability to regroup after every defeat and come back stronger than before.  They have agents in every corner of the world, every sector of life, including domestic and political, and their identities are a secret.  Notable members are Baron Wolfgang Strucker, Mentello, the Fixer, Viper (Madame Hydra), the Silver Samaria, the Red Skull, Gorgon, and Spider-Woman (Jessica Drew).  

AIM (Advanced Idea Mechanics) is a criminal organization made up of scientists bent on world domination through the use of science and technology.  AIM was originally an offshoot of the earliest incarnation of Hydra.  In the decades since World War II, AIM has established itself as a force whose deeds and aspirations rival that of Hydra’s own.  AIM is responsible for the creation of the Super-Adaptoid, the Cosmic Cube, and MODOK (Mental Organism Designed Only for Killing).  MODOK is a genetically altered human with a diminutive body and an abnormally large head.  Able to support his head through the use of cyborg implants, MODOK possesses vast super-human intelligence and psionic powers of the mind.  In recent years AIM has developed the MODOK Squad, a group of zombie-like soldiers powered by powerful cyborg implants designed to combat super humans. 

The Serpent Society is a secret society of super-villains whose costumes and powers are based on snakes.  Founder Seth Voelker, a.k.a. Sidewinder, was inspired by the previous snake-themed group, the Serpent Squad, and set out to form an organization to help him seize power and amass great wealth.  The members of this group are as eclectic as they are deadly.  Cap’s dealings with them have been harrowing, and the Sentinel of Liberty is always put to task when dealing with this enemy.  For a time, a member of the Society, Diamondback, inspired by Cap, actually turned good and was Captain America’s erstwhile partner and love interest.  Much like Hydra or AIM, it is not known when or where the Serpent Society will strike, but one thing is for sure...they will, and it will be on a grand scale.  Notable members are Sidewinder, Anaconda, Asp & Black Mamba, Bushmaster, Cobra, Cottonmouth, Death Adder, Rattler, Puff Adder, and Rock Python. 

One of the Odinson’s personal favorites is Batroc the Leaper.  Georges Batroc is a former member of the French Foreign Legion.  He is a master in the martial art known as savate, a combination of western boxing and karate.  He is a costumed mercenary with a reputation for getting the job done.  For some heists Batroc employs extra muscle, the assassin Zaran and the South American cutthroat known as Machete.  Whether alone, or with his Batroc’s Brigade, Batroc the Leaper has plagued the Sentinel of Liberty on many occasions.  He has even managed to get the upper hand on the good Captain a few times.  Batroc is not an evil man.  He is the quintessential professional and does not take life needlessly.  Batroc is an “honorable bad guy.”  Honorable, but dangerous, and Cap has learned that Batroc is definitely not an adversary to be taken lightly.

Not much is known about the mysterious merc known as Crossbones.  What is known is that he is a hulking soldier whose strength and fighting prowess rivals even Captain America.  He is a master hand-to-hand combatant and adept in the use of knives, explosives, and firearms.  He is the perfect weapon, and it should come as no surprise that he is the bodyguard and number one henchman of Captain America’s greatest enemy – the Red Skull.  He is a cold-blooded killer, but Crossbones’s loyalty to the Red Skull is unwavering.  He follows the Skull’s every order with unflinching efficiency.  Crossbones is courting his employer’s daughter, Sin.  They have become the Marvel U’s version of Bonnie and Clyde, or rather Mickey and Mallory from Natural Born Killers. 

Baron Zemo is a name that has haunted Captain America’s dreams since the days of World War II.  There have been two men to bear the name.  First, Baron Heinrich Zemo plagued Cap in WWII.  He was a Nazi sympathizer and ally to the Red Skull; he orchestrated Captain America’s greatest defeat.  It was while trying to foil Baron Zemo’s attempt to destroy the American Capitol that Bucky, Cap’s teenaged partner, was killed (though that has been proven false in recent years) and Cap was lost to the arctic depths of the ocean not to be heard from again for many years.  Heinrich met his demise in a final showdown with the Sentinel of Liberty years later when his Masters of Evil battled the Avengers.  Heinrich’s son, Helmut Zemo, took up the mantle and the quest for vengeance against his father’s hated enemy.  At first Helmut called himself the Phoenix and attempted to drown the good Captain in a vat of Adhesive X, the very substance that scarred his father.  He would have succeeded, too, if it had not been for the Falcon.  Later, as Baron Zemo, Helmut orchestrated Captain America’s second greatest defeat.  Helmut assembled a small army of super-villains, raided and took control of Avengers Mansion, and forced a captured Captain America to watch as the brute Mr. Hyde beat and torture the Avengers’ butler, Jarvis (see Under Siege).  In recent years Helmut assembled the super-team, the Thunderbolts.  The Thunderbolts, originally former members of Helmut’s Masters of Evil, planned to use their identities as heroes to take over the world. 

If there was an ultimate embodiment of evil, then the Red Skull would be it.  During World War II the Red Skull was Adolf Hitler’s ultimate enforcer and deadliest fighter.  This villain became even more dangerous when he was reborn into a cloned body of Steve Rogers himself.  The Skull’s clashes with Captain America are legendary.  If not for the stalwart Sentinel of Liberty, the Red Skull would have conquered the world time and time again.  Once when the Skull obtained the ultimate power of the Cosmic Cube, Cap was barely able to overcome the madman’s plot for world domination.  On a few other occasions the Skull has obtained ultimate power and actually conquered the world.  He once high-jacked the S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier and got hold of the launch codes to the US nuclear arsenal.  In Red Zone, this arch villain once released a deadly chemical agent over Mount Rushmore and even the Mighty Avengers were barely able to contain the devastation.  The number of lives this monster has destroyed is too high to count.  The Red Skull did the one thing that not even Doctor Doom, Lex Luthor, or Loki have ever accomplished.  He orchestrated the demise of his greatest enemy (see Death of Captain America). 
 
Cap’s Rogues Gallery rounds out with: Mr. Hyde, Count Nefaria, Scourge, the Hate-Monger, Flag-Smasher, Armadillo, Machinesmith, Yellow Claw, Baron Blood, Blue Streak, Porcupine, Doctor Faustus, the Watchdogs, Red Guardian, Master Man and Warrior Woman, the Serpent Squad, the Tumbler, and Protocide.

WINNER: Flash’s Rogues

Of all the match-ups, this was by far the hardest for me to decide.  Guys like the Red Skull and Baron Zemo are so arch in their schemes and master plans that they always seem to be three steps ahead of everyone else.  But in the end, the Flash’s Rogues are just too organized and there just really isn’t anything Hydra, AIM or the Serpent Society can throw at Captain Cold and his gang that they can’t handle.  Vandal Savage is every bit as diabolical as the Red Skull and in the end Cap’s foes just don’t have anything that can handle a beast like Grodd or an abnormal foe like the Reverse Flash.  As the number one Cap fan, this one hurt, but it’s how I see it.

Rogue War Total: Marvel 2 / DC 2

The competition is all tied up!  The Heavyweight Champion of Villainy will be presented next week when the brotherhood of evildoers that plague DC Comics’ next generation of heroes square off against the mutant foes of the Children of the Atom. 

This is Odinson bidding thee farewell     

Greetings from the Odinson,

The 5-part column debating whose heroes have the most dangerous adversaries - Marvel or DC – continues!  The Rogue War kicked into overdrive last week when the enemies of the Last Son of Krypton edged out the Gamma-Powered monsters that tangle with the Hulk. 

This evens the tally at: Marvel 1 / DC 1

Now on to the next bout…

Rogue War Part 3: Wonder Woman’s Rogues vs. Thor’s Rogues

In the Pantheon of Super Heroes, other than save maybe Hercules, there are no heroes more entrenched in mythology than the Amazing Amazon and the mighty Norse god of thunder.  Diana Prince is an Amazon from the island of Themyscira and her origins and powers stem from the Greek Gods themselves.  Dr. Donald Blake is a crippled mortal who when he strikes his walking stick on the ground, in a blinding flash of thunder and lightning, is transformed into Thor, son of Odin, defender of the eternal Realm of Asgard, and protector of the Realm of Earth.  Thor and Wonder Woman are larger than life heroes with unimaginable power and courage.  So it should come as no surprise that their foes are every bit as legendary as they are.

When listing the greatest enemies of Wonder Woman, there is only one place to start – Cheetah.  Though there have been many versions of this villainess – Golden Age Cheetah, Silver Age Cheetah, Post-Crisis Cheetah, and Modern Day Cheetah - one thing has always remained the same…she is one of the Amazing Amazon’s deadliest adversaries.  At her scariest, Cheetah is a feral foe with super human speed and strength and a lust for blood.  She’s a foe that pushes Diana to her physical limits and tests the Amazon’s courage.  Doctor Psycho on the other hand challenge’s the DCU’s greatest female super hero in a whole other fashion.  This diminutive little madman possesses powers of the mind.  He uses telepathy and illusions to baffles his victims, but his most dangerous asset is his uncanny ability to enslave others with his mind.  Doctor Psycho’s psionic power set challenges Wonder Woman in ways that make her superior physical strength useless.   

There can be no deadlier adversary than one that can kill with but a look.  Diana has crossed swords Medusa and her Gorgon sisters on several occasions and every time barely manages to escape with her life.  Medusa is one of the most feared creatures in the history of storytelling.  Once a beautiful woman, she was cursed by the goddess Athena when she lay with Lord Poseidon in a temple dedicated to the goddess.  The curse rendered Medusa’s features so horrible that to look upon them would turn any living creature to stone.  Wonder Woman has had to make great sacrifices when facing an enemy this dangerous, even once blinding her own eyes to prevent herself from meeting her foe’s petrifying gaze.    

Giganta is mad scientist that can rapidly and greatly increase her size and strength.  I remember her most from the Saturday morning cartoon of my youth – Challenge of the Super Friends, a classic series pitting the Justice League of America against their greatest foes, the Legion of Doom.  This giantess has battled Wonder Woman both by herself and as a member of such criminal organizations as the Injustice Gang, the Secret Society of Super Villains, and Villainy Inc. 

Few foes have ever pushed Diana to her limits the way Circe has.   Circe is a witch from myth and legend of enormous power.  She is the very same Circe that once held the Greek hero Odysseus captive in Homer’s The Odyssey.  Proving to not only be one of Wonder Woman’s greatest enemies but one of the most dangerous Rogues in the DC Universe, the immortal Circe once ignited a War of the Gods, a plot to turn all the Pantheons of the Heavens against one another in her bid for ultimate power.  It took the concerted effort of all the heroes of Earth and divine intervention to finally defeat the witch.          

But Wonder Woman’s number one Big Bad has to be the god of war himself – Ares.  This devious arch foe has manipulated, deceived, and plotted against Diana almost since her birth.  Because Diana and the Amazons are representatives of peace, they are a glaring opposition to one whose sole purpose is war and chaos. Physically Ares is more powerful than Diana and as an immortal with a millennia worth of experience, he is also her most dangerous foe. 

Wonder Woman’s Rogues Gallery rounds out with:  Silver Swan, Genocide, Achilles, Hades, the Minotaur, Devastation, Dr. Cyber, Osira, Villainy Inc., and Maxwell Lord.

Meanwhile, over in the Marvel Universe, the mighty Odinson has his mettle tested on a daily basis against foes like The Wrecking Crew.  The Wrecking Crew are the everyman super villains.  When construction worker and all around dirt bag Dirk Garthwaite was imbued with Asgardian magic he became the powerhouse known as the Wrecker.  After his first encounter and subsequent defeat by Thor, Dirk, using his crowbar, the magical conduit for his power, divided his divine might evenly among him and three buddies.  Wrecker was joined by Thunderball, Piledriver and Bulldozer.  These beefy, bone-breaking bad guys have gone on to make a career of becoming a thorn in the side of the Thunder God and his allies, the Avengers.

The Absorbing Man has already made an appearance in this contest last week as part of the Hulk’s Rogues Gallery.  But that’s just how dangerous a guy like Crusher Creel, empowered by Asgardian black magic, is.  He can make not one, but two Rogues Galleries.  He possesses the uncanny ability to absorb the properties of anything he touches, thus absorbing its strength or power.  He even once threatened the very throne of Asgard by absorbing the nigh omnipotent Odinforce.  Not to be out done, but the thunder god’s battles against the Incredible Hulk are the stuff of legend.  These two titans have engaged in some of the most epic battles in comic book history.  It is the great debate…who’d win if these two fought?  When it comes to super-human strength these two are at the top of the list.  Even though the Thunder God can move mountains and tear the earth asunder with his bare hands, the madder the Hulk gets, the stronger the Hulk gets.  So far there seems to be no limit to the strength he can amass.  The Hulk may be the “strongest one there is” but the Prince of Asgard is second to none when it comes to courage, cunning, and fighting skills honed over the course of a millennia.  In divine power he is second in his pantheon only to the nigh omnipotent Odin, King of the Aesir.  Plus, Thor wields a weapon (his mystic mallet, Mjolnir) that has given the Celestials and even the mighty Galactus pause.  When these two clash it is always a classic. 

Odin, King of the Norse Gods, knew that the space deities known as the Celestials would someday return to pass judgment on planet Earth (see The Eternals Saga).  In preparation for this coming Odin created the Destroyer.  The Destroyer is an eight-foot-tall armored engine of mass destruction.  It is a lifeless construct that is powered by human, or divine, souls.  The Destroyer’s strength rivals that of even mighty Thor.  It is impervious to harm.  The Destroyer has even withstood the powerful blows of Mjolnir.  The Destroyer can fire immensely powerful blasts of force from its hands and its stare can disintegrate matter.  Easily one of the Odinson’s most deadly adversaries, the Destroyer actually succeeded once in killing Thor.  The Destroyer is the one opponent that even the Thunder God has never truly defeated.  What else can you expect from a creature that is empowered with the Odinforce and was intended to do battle with the Celestials? 

Surtur is the demonic ruler of the fiery realm of Muspelheim.  He is an ancient creature whose origins go back to the universe’s primordial beginnings.  His power is unrivaled in all the Nine Worlds.  Many times he has tried to ignite the flames of Ragnarok and every time Odin and the gods of Asgard have stood in his way, albeit barely and not without great sacrifice.  Odin himself has sacrificed his own life, twice, to topple this fiery titan.  However, it’s the Midgard Serpent that poses an even greater threat to the Son of Odin.  This leviathan is the sea creature of legend.  This is the beast that haunted the dreams of countless sailors from the days of yore.  Jormungand, the Midgard Serpent, is said to be so massive that the length of its body coils and wraps around the entire Earth.  Thor has encountered, bantered, and battled this monster on several occasions.  It is prophesized that the Midgard Serpent shall be the Odinson’s last opponent.  It is foretold that on the day of Ragnarok Thor shall battle and slay the great serpent, take ten steps, then fall dead, succumbing to the serpent’s poisonous bite.  Never was this depicted more beautifully than in Walt Simonson’s homage to this great battle in Mjolnir’s Song.  
 
No list like this would be complete without Loki.  Loki is the God of Evil and half-brother to the mighty Thor.  For millennia this trickster has plagued both the denizens of Midgard (Earth) and fabled Asgard.  Not blessed with the Odinson’s great strength, Loki was able to become the Thunder God’s rival in power by studying the ways of sorcery.  It was because of the threat of Loki that Earth’s Mightiest Heroes banded together to form the Avengers.  Loki is directly and indirectly responsible for some of the most dangerous criminals walking around today (the Absorbing Man and the Wrecking Crew).  He was the architect of the Acts of Vengeance.  He’s actually once conquered Asgard.  He orchestrated Ragnarok, the end of days.  Loki is truly one of the most dangerous evil doers in the Marvel Universe.  He is so manipulating and sneaky that even the God of Thunder never knows when and where this arch fiend will strike next.  Long live Loki, the Prince of Lies!  
 
Thor’s Rogues Gallery rounds out with:  Ulik, The Enchantress and Skurge the Executioner, Mangog, Ares, Pluto, Mephisto, the Celestials, Ego the Living Planet, the Crusader, Hela, The Forgotten One, the Grey Gargoyle, Set, Juggernaut, Karnilla, Kurse, Lorelei, Radioactive Man, Zarrko the Tomorrow Man, Fafnir, Malekith, Replicus, Perrikus and the Dark Gods, Ymir, Thanos, Desak the God Killer and Galactus.

WINNER: Thor’s Rogues

I have to say, when I started this contest, with how closely these two heroes were both related to mythology, I thought that their foes would make the best sport.  But once you get past Wonder Woman’s Big Bads (i.e. Cheetah, Circe, Ares, ect.), her Rogues quickly descend into the spare category.  Meanwhile, even after Thor is through rumbling with adversaries like Crusher Creel, the Destroyer and Loki, he still has earth-shakers like Mangog, Juggernaut, Kurse, and Hela to weed through.  And the most telling fact of all is that Ares is Wonder Woman’s greatest adversary, while on Thor’s list Ares only makes the Honorable Mentions.  This was, without a doubt, the most one sided battle in the contest.  That’s my bad.  Hopefully next week will be more competitive.

Rogue War Total: Marvel 2 / DC 1

The competition continues next week when the Crimson Comet’s Blue Collar Rogues square off against the fiendish foe of the Sentinel of Liberty. 

This is Odinson bidding thee farewell     

Greetings from the Odinson,

Last week I started a 5-part column debating whose heroes had the most dangerous adversaries - Marvel or DC?  I called this little experiment The Rogue War.  First up it was the diabolical Rogues of Batman vs. the sinister Rogues of Spider-Man.  A case can be made for either side, but, in the end, it is Spidey’s foes that proved victorious.  Though the Caped Crusader faces off with some of the scariest and most dangerous criminal minds in comics, it is Spider-Man’s personal connection to most of his foes and the sheer breadth of power they bring to the table that tips the scales in their favor. 

The tally stands at: Marvel 1 / DC 0

Now on to the next bout…

Rogue War Part 2: Superman’s Rogues vs. the Hulk’s Rogues

The Man of Steel is the world’s greatest super hero, so it would stand to reason that he would face the world’s greatest threats.  One such threat is the grotesque abomination known as the Parasite.  In Pre-Crisis continuity he was Raymond Jensen, and he got his powers when he came into contact with radioactive debris that Superman brought back from outer space.  In Post-Crisis continuity he is Rudy Jones, a man manipulated by the Lord of Apokolips into becoming the new Parasite.  The Parasite is especially dangerous because his body absorbs the energy and strength of anyone he comes close to.  If the Parasite absorbs too much energy from someone they die.  Even Superman must use extreme caution when dealing with this enemy. 

Mister Mxyzptlk is more a nuisance than villain.  Mxyzptlk is an imp from the Fifth Dimension.  He vexes the Man of Steel because he possesses the ability to alter reality.  With a snap of his fingers he can turn downtown Metropolis into Candyland.  Mxyzptlk’s ability to alter reality and teleport just out of Superman’s reach makes him nearly unbeatable.  The only way he can be defeated is by tricking him to say or read his name backwards.  This banishes him back to his own dimension, earning Superman the victory, for thirty days anyway. 

General Zod was the greatest military mind on planet Krypton.  However, Krypton was a planet of peace.  So what is a man-of-war to do when there are no wars to be fought?  Zod chose rebellion.  He lost.  For his crimes Zod, along with his fellow conspirators Non and Ursa, were banished to the Phantom Zone.  This allowed Zod to escape death when Krypton was destroyed.  Now he plagues the son of Jor-El in the present.  Zod is dangerous because under Earth’s yellow sun he has all of Superman’s powers, plus he and his cohorts outnumber Kal-El three to one.  One can never overestimate a keen military mind.  

Bizarro is the “Reverse-Superman.”  He is as strong as Superman, but his thinking is backwards.  Hello means bye, up means down.  And heroic deeds on Bizarroworld can take on a whole new meaning.  Sometimes Bizarro wants to help, but his backwards way of thinking can put normal (or sane) people in harm’s way.  Other times he is a tool that is manipulated by others to be used against the Man of Steel.  Whether he’s an alternate universe version or failed clone of Superman, Bizarro is both one of the funniest and scariest villains on this list. 

Darkseid is the undisputed Lord of the dark planet Apokolips.  He is a dark god whose ultimate goal in life is to find the meaning to the Anti-Life Equation.  Armed with strength that rivals Superman’s, his immeasurably powerful Omega-Beams, immortality, and an unnerving patience that could only have been honed over millennia of scheming, Darkseid has proven to be one the greatest threats in the DCU. 

Brainiac is a cold and calculating machine.  Obsessed with finding knowledge and assimilating all organic life under his rule, Brainiac has been a thorn in the side of Superman for many years.  This diabolical villain is responsible for shrinking the capital city of Krypton, Superman’s homeworld, and holding its inhabitants hostage in a bottle to be studied like lab rats.  Brainiac has gone through many incarnations, but none scarier than his truly robotic one seen in the months leading up to Crisis on Infinite Earths.  The post-Crisis Brainiac once took over the battle planet known as Warworld and attempted to annihilate Superman’s adoptive planet.  It took an army of Earth’s heroes to thwart the villain’s plans.   

The next villain on this list is so monumentally threatening that his very name means the end of days.  He is a creature born out of experiments to make the perfect killing machine.  He is a nigh-unstoppable juggernaut fueled by rage and possesses a wanton desire to destroy.  He has fought and defeated the Justice League, DC’s premiere super-team.  He stood toe-to-toe with Superman, the greatest super-hero of all time.  It was a battle so epic that the Last Son of Krypton had to sacrifice his own life to win.  But every time he is defeated he regenerates and comes back stronger, smarter, and deadlier than before.  What else can you say about a monster called Doomsday? 

Nobody challenges the Man of Steel more than Lex Luthor.  Arguably the smartest man alive, Luthor, much like other great villains, if not for certain events in his life, could have been Superman’s greatest ally in the pursuit of justice.  Instead, jealousy and arrogance forever pit this mad genius against the Man of Steel and the rest of the DCU.  He once schemed his way into the White House and presided over the most powerful country in the world.  It took the combined prowess of DC’s greatest heroes, Superman and Batman, to take him down.  The scariest thing about Luthor is that much like all megalomaniacs, he truly believes he’s right.  As far as he’s concerned, Superman is the bad guy, and the world would be a better place under Luthor’s rule. 

Superman’s Rogues Gallery rounds out with:  Solomon Grundy, Metallo, Toy Man, Mongul, Titano, the Kryptonite Man, Vartox, Cyborg-Superman, Gog, the Galactic Golem, Bloodsport, Amazo, Silver Banshee, Terra-Man, Livewire, Superboy-Prime, and Atlas.


The Incredible Hulk is the mightiest mortal to ever walk the earth, so it should come as no surprise that his Rogues Gallery is made up of some of the biggest bruisers the Marvel Universe has to offer.  There are few in the world that can rival the Hulk’s strength, even fewer that can push him to his physical limits.  The Juggernaut is just one of the foes.  Cain Marko is the earthly avatar of the dark god Cyttorak.  He is immeasurably strong and totally impervious to pain and injury.  The Juggernaut has battled the X-Men, Spider-Man, and even the mighty Thor to standstills.  His only weakness is a mental assault, but his mystical helmet protects him from such an attack. 

Crusher Creel, a.k.a. the Absorbing Man, empowered by Asgardian black magic, is easily one of the most dangerous men walking the earth.  He possesses the uncanny ability to absorb the properties of anything he touches, thus absorbing its strength and power.  He can become as hard and strong as steel, as elusive as liquid, or as deadly as fire.  Crusher’s battles with the Hulk, Thor, Spider-Man and the Avengers are the stuff of legend.  His girlfriend, Titania, is a powerhouse whose super-human strength rivals that of the She-Hulk.  Rarely will you find a more universally feared super-villain in any universe.  His only weakness is that he isn’t the smartest guy around.  And it’s his lack of intelligence that usually leads to his downfall. 

The U-Foes are the evil Fantastic Four.  Their origin is similar to the FF’s but the way they chose to use their gifts is much different.  There’s the gaseous Vapor, a vixen with the ability to turn her body into poisonous gas.  X-Ray is intangible to the touch, but he can project dangerous levels of radiation.  There’s the monstrous Iron Clad who can mentally increase his great strength along with his mass, and finally their sinister leader, the cold, calculating Vector.  He possesses the ability to repel objects away from him with deadly force.  With next to no redeeming qualities (they are selfish, cowardly, petty, and ruthless) these four have plagued the Hulk for years.          

If the Hulk were the evil monster that the majority of the world thinks he is, he would be the Abomination.  Emil Blonsky was a Russian spy during the Cold War.  When infiltrating a US military installation he was bombarded with Gamma Radiation and given powers and abilities like the Incredible Hulk.  The Abomination is more grotesque looking and naturally stronger than the Hulk.  The Abomination is one of the few beings alive that has actually single-handedly defeated the Jade Giant.  The only thing that gives the Hulk an edge against such a powerful adversary is that the madder the Hulk gets, the stronger the Hulk gets.             

The Leader is probably the most dangerous foe the Hulk has ever faced.  Samuel Stern was an average labor worker who worked in a top secret government facility.  But on the day he was exposed to some radioactive material his intellectual and mental prowess increased to super-human levels.  He possesses a genius level intelligence that rivals that of Reed Richards, Victor Von Doom or Tony Stark.  He has the ability to use his mind to take control of weak-willed people.  And he has an army of clones, androids, mutants, henchmen, and super-weapons at his disposal.  The Leader has come close on several occasions to actually destroying the Hulk.  No one has challenged the Jade Giant the way the Leader has, and no villain has had a bigger impact on the Hulk’s life than the Leader has.  

Marvel Super-Heroes have always been a thorn in the Hulk’s side. What do the Fantastic Four, Avengers, Sub-Mariner, Daredevil, Spider-Man, Thor, Silver Surfer, Hercules, Doc Samson, Wolverine and the X-Men, Machine Man, Jack of Hearts, the Inhumans, Captain Marvel, Soviet Super Soldiers, Alpha Flight, Rom, Iron Man and Doctor Strange all have in common?  They’ve all felt the crushing blows and unparalleled anger of the mightiest mortal to ever walk the earth.  When you are a monster by nature you draw the attention of a super-hero community that believes they have humanity’s best interest in mind.  They’ve even conspired against the Hulk and twice exiled him, once to another dimension (Hulk in Exile) and another time to deep space (Planet Hulk).  Needless to say, this didn’t sit well with the Jade Giant, and when he returned he expressed his disappointment in the heroes of the Marvel U in a very special way – World War Hulk!   NOTE: The Marvel Heroes, though they had to be included in the list, will be excluded from the decision-making process for victory, because they would tip the balance of the scales too far in the Hulk’s favor. 

Hulk’s Rogues Gallery rounds out with:  Rhino, The Harpy, Shaper of Worlds, Half-Life, Tyrannus, the Hulk-Hunters, the Hulk-Busters, Bi-Beast, Mr. Hyde, Glorian, Wendigo, Gremlin, Moonstone, Zzzax, High Evolutionary, MODOK, Hammer and Anvil, Maestro, and the U.S. Army.

WINNER: Superman’s Rogues

The Incredible Hulk is the strongest one there is and he faces a bevy of monstrous foes with the collective power to crack the moon in half, but the foes the Man of Tomorrow must face are on a whole other level.  Take away the Shaper of Worlds, MODOK, and the Leader and most of Hulk’s foes are henchmen types.  Though it would be pretty sweet to see a Juggernaut/Doomsday throw down and what would happen if the Absorbing Man, Half-Life and Parasite ever met, in the end, a group of Rogues led by Lex Luthor, Zod, Brainiac, and Darkseid would prove victorious over the Jade Giant’s cast of strongmen. 

Rogue War Total: Marvel 1 / DC 1

The competition continues next week when the fiendish foes of the Amazing Amazon take on the immortal adversaries of the god of thunder. 

This is Odinson bidding thee farewell