Sure, we love a good character-driven story and a plot full of twists and turns, but every now and then, it's just so fun to watch these talented and powerful fictional characters go all Rock 'Em Sock 'Em Robots on one another. While it's tough to narrow down the three we want to highlight most weeks, the latest new releases offered a handful which were clearly more than deserving of our love. First, it's Superman fighting a God. We don't need to say anything else to sell you on that one, right? Good. Moving on. Then, we check out Valiant's new series, UNITY, for some hectic action. Can one of Valiant's deadliest characters hope to survive against one of its most powerful? Last but certainly not least, you'll witness the Main Man, Lobo, try to capture Harley Quinn. Green Arrow and Black Canary are unfortunate enough to be pulled into the mess, too.
Did your favorite melee not get a mention? Well, it's possible we didn't read that issue, so be sure to make suggestions in the official Best Battles Discussion Thread from now on. We review that before writing this weekly feature and do our best to get our hands on the issues suggested!
Superman vs. Apollo (SUPERMAN/WONDER WOMAN #2)
It doesn't matter if you're a mere human of the Ruler of Mount Olympus, Superman isn't just going to stand around and say nothing as someone he cares about is treated poorly. In this case, it just so happens to be Apollo, the God of the Sun, saying rather unpleasant things to Wonder Woman. Now, Diana is obviously more than capable of standing up for herself, but Kal simply had to step in. After hearing Apollo say such cruel things to Diana, Superman gave him a stern warning: if you talk to her that way again, you're going to get hit. And seeing as he's talking to a God, Kal makes it clear that means he won't need to hold back like he usually does. The threat humors Apollo's and his response is... well, it's priceless. Go on, see for yourself.
The casual backhand sends Superman soaring a good distance before he smashes into a vat of lava. Charles Soule has a bit of fun with the script at this point and those who remember Batman and Guy Gardner's "fight" are sure to get a good laugh. But you didn't think that was the end of this fight, did you? Don't get me wrong, a one-shot fight like that is hilarious and would definitely go in the honorables section, but worthy of being highlighted? No way. So as you probably guessed by now, the Man of Steel is by no means down for the count. Once Big Blue gets back up, he has a chance to show Apollo it'll take way more than a slap to end this fight.
Yes, Superman just uppercut a rather arrogant Deity -- one so arrogant that he believed he could defeat one of Earth's most powerful heroes with a smack. So, after getting struck in the face so hard, you can bet he's going to throw a temper tantrum and lash out. We know Apollo has the strength to hurt Supes with blunt force, but this God wants to really let loose and fires a blast at the Justice Leaguer. Yup, the God of the Sun is firing an energy blast a Superman. If you know even just the bare basics of Clark's powers, you know that isn't exactly the best tactic. It's basically the equivalent of poking Bruce Banner in the eye -- you just don't do it.
We now have Superman who's been hit with the power of the sun ready to continue his throwdown with Apollo. Good luck with that, Apollo. Well, what happens next? It's not all that long (as expected since Superman is boosted), but it's quite awesome. You'll definitely want to read the issue to see what goes down and where the book is heading.
X-O Manowar vs. Harada's Forces (UNITY #1)
Aric aka X-O Manowar has freed his fellow Visigoths from an alien planet where they were being held against their will. Upon returning to Earth, Aric and his group decides to set up shop in the location that was once their homeland. But there's one little problem: that land is now Romania. As you can imagine, the powers that be aren't just going to sit back and twiddle their thumbs as an alien ship and advanced alien technology takes over a country. Hoping to avoid nuclear war and solve this on his own, the amazingly powerful psiot, Toyo Harada, has set up an elaborate mission to capture Aric. When it comes to absurdly difficult missions, there's only one person who's just right for the job: Ninjak.
While Aric's distracted and on the lookout for Russian forces, Ninjak sneaks to their sophisticated ship and sees the there's only one dude guarding it. Considering all the man has accomplished, this will be a breeze for Ninjak.
As Ninjak works behind the scenes, Harada has a very expensive and seemingly formidable team (named Unity) heading in to defeat X-O Manowar. The team has trained excessively for this sole purpose, but one can never truly be prepared to face a warrior wearing the galaxy's most powerful armor. Before they can even get their feet on the ground, Aric blasts two apart and makes very short work of what's left of the team.
Now that all of those threats have been disposed of, Aric quickly sets his sights on Ninjak. The two have clashed before and, thanks to his skill, technology and tactics, Ninjak was barely able to survive. Now he has this insanely powerful being heading right for him once again and in a compact area, too. Needless to say, what happens next is far from ideal for the dangerous assassin.
Thanks to his hologram and sword, the thunderous punch isn't quite as damaging as it could have been. But what can the man possibly do to elude Aric once again, especially after suffering such a blow? Trust us, you'll want to pick up UNITY #1 to see not only what happens next, but all of the greatness which leads up to it.
And yes, it's new reader friendly, so have at it.
Lobo vs. Harley Quinn, Green Arrow & Black Canary (INJUSTICE: GODS AMONG US ANNUAL #1)
Lobo travels to Earth to take on Superman, but the Main Man bit off a little more than he could chew in this case. This alternate version of Big Blue doesn't play all that nice, and he promptly shows Lobo this is a fight the bounty hunter won't win. Superman, however, has use of Lobo: he wants him to find Harley Quinn. She's been on the run ever since Joker nuked Metropolis and tricked Superman into killing Lois Lane. When Superman found Joker, he put his hand through the clown's chest. So yeah, you can understand why the female villain has been laying low. Lobo heads off to find Quinn and doesn't have much trouble at all. Upon finding her, the physical aspect of the fight goes exactly how you'd expect.
Let's backtrack for a moment. The only payment Lobo wanted for this gig was one of those spiffy power pills. For those unfamiliar with this universe, it gives a regular person a massive boost in their physicals -- so much that they can even contend with Superman to some degree. Got it? Okay, back in the present now. Lobo's bringing Quinn back to Superman via his bike, but Quinn snags the pill and, as expected, takes it. She jumps off the bike, and now that she's a powerhouse, she of course survives the fall. Feeling this new sense of power, she has some fun running through buildings for a bit, but eventually, the cosmic bounty hunter catches up with her. He then makes the mistake of punching her in the face. You see, Quinn's done with abusive relationships and Lobo just crossed the line big time. Sporting super-strength of her own, Harley gives Lobo a hit he won't forget anytime soon.
While Lobo's momentarily down, Quinn makes a break for it and heads to the one man she thinks she can trust: Green Arrow (if you want to know why, we strongly recommend reading #5 of the ongoing. It's great and you're welcome). Quinn smashes into the The Quiver Arrow Cave and it's not long before Lobo catches up. What can Oliver do against such a powerful foe? Shoot him in the eyes, that's what! And while the big bad can't see, Black Canary steps up to the plate and hits him with the devastating canary cry.
Does the Main Man give up? Does the trio escape? Can they even find a way to defeat Lobo? Let's just say the fight does reach a conclusion and it's quite twisted. What happens after that is even better, too. Do yourself a favor and read this issue.
Honorable Mentions
- X-Men vs. Sentinels (X-MEN GOLD #1)
- Superior Spider-Man vs. Stunner (SUPERIOR SPIDER-MAN #21)
- Wolverine's tactical mind vs. X-Men (X-MEN GOLD #1)
- Different time versions of Batman vs the Clock King (LI'L GOTHAM #22)
- Captain America vs. the North Korean Army (DEADPOOL #19)
- Darkseid's forehead vs. a cigar (INJUSTICE: GODS AMONG US ANNUAL #1)
- Thor vs. Elf Rum (THOR: GOD OF THUNDER #15)
What are your top 3 fights from this week? Share them with us below! Also, don't forget to make nominations every week in the official thread or tell Gregg via Twitter.
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