Blue Beetle and The Hulk / Zatanna and Son of Satan

 

I never had much disposable income growing up, so comics that featured multiple stories always appealed to me.  This issue would have definitely had me at least flipping through it at the stands.

Blue Beetle last crossed paths with The Hulk in STF 1855...

Kingpin Vs. Bane

 

Wilson Fisk isn't physically intimidated by too many people, but this match up would be one that I would guess would give him pause.  Who wins in this battle for control of the city's underworld?

Worf Vs. Wolverine

 

Yes, Chronos has one of the most garish costumes out there.  I'm not sure which era the time villain has visited in which those striped leggings are in fashion.  Still, his mask at least has always looked cool to me and even creeped me out a little as a kid.

Cheetah Vs. Kraven the Hunter

 

Could their savagery in battle lead to passion for one another?  Stranger things have happened.

Blind Justice in: "When Destiny Calls!"

 

For the second outing featuring this team of sightless heroes, I thought that I would have them run into a member of the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants who uses a different type of vision.  But just what does she see in the group's future? Blind Justice first appeared in STF #2290...

Iron Man Vs. Brainiac

 

I am thankful today for all of the visitors to this blog who have sent feedback, comments and suggestions, and I hope that all are having a wonderful day today.  

This is another match up that has been long overdue on this blog.  The intellect of Tony Stark up against the AI evil of Brainiac seems like a natural. Let's hope his run-ins with Ultron have taught the Armored  Avenger a few tricks to use here.

Ms. Marvel and Supergirl in: "The Doomsday/Destroyer War!"

 

For the 17th Appearance of The Danvers Twins on this blog, I thought that I would put them up against two of the toughest bruisers in comics. I'm thinking that and action packed issue like this one would have to include some epic splash pages and at least one double page spread.

Spider-Man and The Guardian

 

We've seen Peter Parker put his smarts to work for various companies over the years, so why not Cadmus Laboratories?  I think its a simple set up that could lead to all kinds of fun stories.

Starman joins The Avengers

I think the Prince Gavyn Starman would have fit right in with the Bronze Age Avengers line up here.  I used to like when they would get into cosmic situations with the likes of Mar-Vell or the Guardians of the Galaxy, and his presence would provide a gateway to more epic storylines like those.  

 

Ms. Marvel and Elongated Man

 

These two look pretty good fighting together, due to the matching color costumes. I was never quite sure what purpose that scarf of Ms. Marvel's served though.  She didn't seem to be cold because she kept her legs bare, after all.  Still, it looked cool, so I didn't mind it.

The Punisher Vs. Manhunter in: "Manhattan Deception!"

 

Okay, a few days ago I was mentioning how I wondered why more heroes did not hade looser fitting sleeves on their costumes like Firestorm does - but this is going a bit too far.  Manhunter's sleeves were more than just loose, they were positively voluminous!  Perhaps he was hiding extra weapons in them?

These two previously met in STF #3081 and first crossed paths in in STF #1402...

Aqualad and Iron Man

 

An oddball pairing here but this was a case in which I noticed that I had a couple of images that seemed to go together well.  I can definitely see a story that mixes both Manhunter and Stark Tech.  Garth doesn't get enough respect, especially these days, and it would be nice to see him take center stage again.

Firestorm Vs. Dr. Doom in: "Stolen Fusion!"

 

This story is Part Two of the battle that began in STF #3044.  Looks like Ronnie Raymond bit off more than he can chew when storming Doom's castle.  Then again it looks like Victor Von Doom may have underestimated what it takes to control the power of Firestorm.  This should be interesting...

Spider-Man and The Joker

 

I loved the scene in Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker where Terry McGinness starts cracking jokes against the Clown Prince of Crime, which enrages him.  It made me think that a similar confrontation with Spider-Man would be fun to watch play out. Spidey is known for using his quick banter and humor to unsettle his opponents, and it would be cool to see the tactic used against The Joker. I remember The Joker appearing in one of the real life Batman/Spidey crossovers, but I forget if we saw a moment like that in it... Maybe I'll have to dig through the old collection to find out.

Iron Man and Starman in "Space Siege!"

 

Now that I put these two together, I wonder what took me so long, their color schemes match perfectly.  Of course, Iron Man may only just now be encountering Prince Gavyn, but earlier in his career (and on this blog), but he has met the Ted Knight version on three occasions - They battled each other in STF #3240, They joined Black Widow and Black Canary in STF #2491 and first appeared together in STF #2190... 

The Spectre Vs. The Beyonder

 

It's years away and not even the next Avengers movie on the schedule, but Avengers: Secret Wars already has plenty of rumors swirling around it.  Will the Russo Brothers return to direct, or will Ryan Coogler be tapped for that job?  Will we see the return of Robert Downey Jr. and Chris Evans?  What about appearances by Tobey Maguire, Andrew Garfield, Edward Norton, and other actors that have played Marvel heroes before?  Will the movies ending re-set the MCU completely for the phase to follow?  Will the Beyonder appear, and if so, who will play him? I think there will be plenty of speculation about all of this for while to come, but I'm not expecting answers any time soon.

The Champions Vs. The Justice League of America

 

For this Anniversary Issue, I thought I would go for a full length free for all featuring two of my favorite teams.  I'm surely not alone in my love for the JLA.  The Champions, in this their first incarnation, never quite hit it big, but I always got a kick out of the oddball line up that they had.  A super-spy, a Demigod, a possessed stuntman and a trio of mutants filled out their ranks, and I enjoyed seeing these disparate heroes find a way to work together. 

Hawkgirl and Storm

 

I'll never forget the comic in which Storm debuted her punk look with the leather outfit and mohawk. In those pre-internet days, a wild alteration in her appearance truly took readers by surprise - I remember Kitty Pryde mirroring my shock in the pages of the story. The new look didn't come completely out of nowhere, though.  Chris Claremont had written Ororo in such a way that the reader could see her desire for change.

Kingpin Vs. Lex Luthor (With Daredevil!)

 

I realized that I had yet to present a meeting between the baddest bald businessmen in comics on this blog, so it is time to rectify that oversight. (Correction! they did meet before - in STF #2556!) I don't see any way that these two would ever get along - whatever truce they strike is certain to be broken by one of them.  One town is certainly not big enough to have them both operating in it at the same time. Who do you think wins this battle?

Hawkman and Captain Britain

 

I was happy to use an image of Hawkman here by the very talented Lee Weeks.  I was able to pick up an original page of his many years back, and even got to thank him for it at a convention years later, he was incredibly nice and got a kick out of the STF Daredevil/Calvin & Hobbes t-shirt I was wearing. I gave him a business card with the Blog's address on it when he asked where I got the shirt from, so who knows?  Maybe he's checking out this entry right now.