The Joker is the ultimate psychopath, a brilliant but insane villain who finds humor in others’ misfortune. He doesn’t have a single superpower – he just knows how to push all the right buttons. The Green Goblin is also insane, but has a few more gadgets up his sleeve. For him, it’s Halloween every day as he rides around on a flying scooter throwing “pumpkin bombs.” Winner: The Joker. He was already a pretty versatile bad guy, but Heath Ledger’s performance of him in The Dark Knight put him over the top as the best comic book villain ever.
Contest #102: Obsidian (DC) vs. Venom (Marvel)
Obsidian is the mentally unstable son of the original, World War II era Green Lantern – the one who wears red and whose weakness is wood, not the one who wears green and whose weakness is the color yellow. (Uh… just trust me on that…) He has the power to merge with his shadow and send tendrils of it out to envelop people, among other things. Venom is one of Marvel’s most interesting villains, even though it was portrayed horribly in Spiderman 3. It is an alien symbiote that merges with its host, forming a kind of black, skin-like covering. Once attached, the creature enhances its host with special powers. Oh, and turns the host evil. Winner: Venom.
Contest #103: Poison Ivy (DC) vs. The Enchantress (Marvel)
Poison Ivy is a botanist supervillain who can control plants. She can also use plant toxins to hypnotioze men and bend them to her will, The Enchantress is one of Thor’s Asgardian kin, who – among other things – uses magic to bend men to her will. Winner: Poison Ivy.
Contest #104: The Riddler (DC) vs. Arcade (Marvel)
The Riddler is a crook who seems less interested in getting rich than in leaving elaborate but solvable riddle clues that allow Batman to ultimately thwart him. Arcade is a crook who seems to only be interested in creating elaborate, carnival-ride-like death traps for heroes to ultimately escape from. Winner: The Riddler.
Contest #105: Black Manta (DC) vs. Mole Man (Marvel)
Black Manta is one of Aquaman’s arch-nemeses, a man with a super-powered diving suit and an irrational desire to conquer Atlantis. Mole Man is a man who fled underground from the world that he perceived had betrayed him, periodically returning with a horde of subterranean goons to try to conquer the surface and exact his vengeance. Winner: Black Manta. His ellipsoidal diving helmet is much cooler than Mole Man’s thick 3D-glasses look
Contest #106: Cyborg Superman (DC) vs. Ultron (Marvel)
Cyborg Superman is a villain who is half machine and half organic replica of Superman. (What did you think he would be?) When Doomsday (temporarily) killed Superman, Cyborg Superman claimed to be the real deal and cuased all kinds of mischief. Ultron is a bad Skynet prototype: a virtually indestructible robot originally built by Hank Pym (Ant-Man) to aid humanity, who instead decided to destroy it. Winner: Ultron.
Contest #107: Harley Quinn (DC) vs. Crossbones (Marvel)
These are two of the better recent additions to DC and Marvel’s rogues galleries. Harley Quinn is a disciple of the Joker who dresses like a harlequin jester and uses her expertise in psychoanalysis to create chaos. Crossbones is a disciple of the Red Skull who dresses like a member of Slip Knot and uses his military expertise to create chaos. Winner: Harley Quinn.
Contest #108: Two-Face (DC) vs. Sebastian Shaw (Marvel)
Two-Face is a former respectable district attorney who was driven mad by an accident that left him scarred on half of his face. Having turned to crime, he prefers to leave a lot to chance – flipping a coin to make crucial decisions, such as, for example, whether he’ll let someone live or die. Sebastian Shaw, portrayed by Kevin Bacon in the new X-Men: First Class movie, is a mutant who absorbs kinetic energy to increase his own strength. On the surface, he is a respectable businessman, but secretly he’s the head of the Hellfire Club, a secret organization seeking world domination. Winner: Two-Face.
Contest #109: Professor Zoom (DC) vs. Speed Demon (Marvel)
An evil version of the Flash, Professor Zoom (also known as the Reverse-Flash) has been a constant thorn in his counterpart’s side. Speed Demon (also known, unfortunately, as the Whizzer) is pretty similar but less of a fixture in his universe. Winner: Professor Zoom.
Contest #110: Mr. Mxyzptlk (DC) vs. Loki (Marvel)
Mr. Mxyzptlk is a magical imp from another dimension who shows up periodically just to give Superman trouble. The only way to banish this Great Gazoo prototype back to his own dimension is to make him say his own name backwards. (“Kltpzyxm,” in case you’re wondering. Simple, eh?) Loki is Thor’s adopted brother who harbors a huge chip on his shoulder against his sibling. The “God of Mischief,” a master of magic, shows up periodically just to give Thor trouble. Winner: Loki. He wins this contest hands down, even before Tom Hiddleston’s winning portrayal in Thor.
Round eight score: A big leap for DC, but not quite enough – DC 7, Marvel 3. Cumulative score: DC 54, Marvel 56.
Next: the thrilling conclusion!
green goblin bombs joker to dust.
ReplyDeletevenom body snatches obsidian.
enchantress barbecues poison ivy.
the riddler riggs arcades base of operations into one big death trap.
black manta burys mole man.
cyborg superman serves ultron the moment he switches on.
crossbones shows a demonstration to harley quinn of what happens if you annoy slipknot, it didn't end well for harley quinn.
two-face decides sebastian shaws fate, tails, you lose.
speed demon dies before he knew he had to fight zoom.
loki teaches mr. mxyzptlk never to have such a stupid name again.