There are so many great opponents we could have selected for Deathstroke, our latest Character of the Week, but for our latest match, we wanted to shine the spotlight on a popular character that isn't from the Big Two: Hellboy. Anung Un Rama's an extremely tough combatant, so to make sure the fight is as balanced as possible, we gave Slade Wilson his impressive gear and armor from The New 52. But was that enough to earn the victory? According to the voters, this is a fight Slade probably isn't going to win.
56% sided with the demon from Dark Horse and 39% supported the mercenary. Only 5% thought this was too close to call and has the potential to go either way.
So, why'd Red take the victory over Slade? First and foremost, keeping Hellboy down for the count is easier said than done. He has a thoroughly effective healing factor and his durability and pain tolerance are commendable. Whether it's a stab, slash, kick or punch, it's more than likely Hellboy will endure and remain in the fight. On top of his general toughness, his Right Hand of Doom and Good Samaritan are worth taking into account. Yes, Slade's swift and his New 52 armor is ridiculously impressive, but he's certainly not unbeatable and eventually these attacks could begin to take a toll.
Now, this isn't saying Hellboy is going to have an easy victory. While he's impressively resliant, it's worth noting that Deathstroke likely has a good edge in speed, tactics and skill. This means he's going to be landing more hits -- it's just a matter of if they add up enough or if Hellboy's able to take them and press on. Still, no matter who you're rooting for, this is a brawl that many of us would likely pay to witness!
The Comic Vine community has been discussing this melee since Monday, so let's see what a couple of them have to say about it.
Floopay
"Strength and Durability are Hellboy's advantage in strides here. That, paired with his healing factor, gives him an amount of damage soak that will be INCREDIBLY difficult for Deathstroke to bypass.
However, lets be objective here. Hellboy is fast, agile, is a gifted hand to hand fighters, a great swordsman, and a decent marksman. That being said, speed, skill (all around), intelligence, and agility all go to Slade Wilson here.
I have no doubts Deathstroke can hurt Hellboy, and I have no doubts Hellboy can tag Deathstroke. That being said, it's going to take a lot more on Deathstroke's part to actually put Hellboy in a position where he's both hurt AND feeling it, and most of that damage is NOT going to last. On the other hand, Deathstroke's damage soak, and healing factor are nowhere near the same caliber. Even with the superior skill, speed, agility, intelligence, and arsenal, Deathstroke is going to have an extremely difficult time doing lasting damage against Hellboy.
I, personally, am leaning towards Hellboy. While I have no doubts Deathstroke will tag Hellboy FAR more often than Hellboy will tag Slade, I firmly believe Hellboy's blows will be a lot more meaningful than Slade's. To top it off, Hellboy has an indestructible right arm that will nullify blow against it, and Hellboy uses that thing as a shield."
Cable_Extreme
"Very interesting battle.
For the break down stat wise they are pretty close, with Hellboy coming out on top with sheer strength, however Slade shouldn't be taken lightly since he is sporting multiton strength due to his nth metal armor.
Speed wise, Slade should come out on top, he has speed blitzed armed mercs, reacted to gunfire, and manhandled new 52 Hawkman due to his speed.
Durability wise, I'll say Slade has this as well, the reason why is due to the nature of their weaponry. I see this fight coming down to hand to hand in which Slade's armor is exceptionally effective at stopping concussive force (aka punches, explosions etc) which due to Hellboy's arm, is right up Slade's alley in soaking damage, especially after watching his fight with Lobo. Hellboy has amazing concussive force durability as well, but due to the nature of Slade's weaponry (promethium sword) he will be able to use it and get piercing damage which is a completely different type of durability. So Slade respectively gets the edge in durability due to their offensive abilities even though their durability is pretty similar.
Now for the fight, I see Slade's tactical ability to really help in this situation. He hasn't really prepped as much as his pre 52 counterpart, but his on the job tactics is still pretty strong. He has done stuff like create a EMP blast while fighting legacy in a submarine by connecting his sword to a nuclear reactor to get past his shields. I see that Hellboy will try and use his strength advantage this match to overwhelm Slade, but due to Slade's speed advantage as well as his ability to soak Hellboy's punches and weaponry, Slade should come out on top."
Agree? Disagree? Feel free to continue the debate below! Also, is there someone you want to see Deathstroke battle next? You're welcome to make suggestions below or share them via Twitter. Keep your eyes on the homepage for more Slade Wilson goodness throughout the month of July!
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