Countdown the Top 10 best fights, throw-downs, and battles in comic book history.
10. Thing vs. Hulk (Fantastic Four (1961) No. 25)
Back when characters crossing over to other titles didn’t happen on a regular basis, Marvel gave fans a doozie of a clash when they put the Fantastic Four’s ever lovin’ blue-eyed Thing against the green goliath, Hulk. Usually ending in a ‘draw’, we all know who the real winner here was, and it wasn’t the king of Yancy Street.
9. Superman vs. Doomsday (Superman (1987) No. 75)
The big blue Boy Scout finally met his equal (and then some) in a battle that ‘killed’ one of the world’s most popular characters. Superman gave his all trying to stop a rampaging Doomsday, and failed. We’d never look at the Man of Steel the same way again.
8. Spider-Man vs. Morlun (The Amazing Spider-Man (1999) No. 30)
Spider-Man has one of the deepest rogue’s galleries in all of comics. Green Goblin, Doctor Octopus, Venom, Carnage, Kraven … But it was a lesser-known villain that took Spidey to the edge. In one of the most brutal, epic fights ever, Morlun was every bit Spider-Man’s equal. It was a fight that had readers feeling every punch.
7. Sentry vs. Ares and Thor (Siege (2010) No. 4)
Arguably the most powerful character in the Marvel Universe, Sentry finally went full blown nuts during Siege, ripping Ares in half. Although the God of War was no match for him, the God of Thunder was. Thor ended Sentry’s madness when no one else could.
6. Invincible vs. Omni-Man (Invincible (2003) No. 12)
Bloody and personal, Image Comics’ Invincible was faced with learning that his father wasn’t who he thought he was and tried to stop him in a fight that spanned multiple issues. Physically and mentally Invincible took a beating that set the tone of the series for years.
5. Avengers vs. JLA (Avengers / JLA (2003))
In what should have been a fight for the ages, this DC vs. Marvel throw down was decades in the making, but ultimately failed to deliver … at least in the storytelling department. George Perez’s art? Another story altogether. This fight makes the list on the strength of seeing some once in a lifetime match-ups drawn by a master of the medium.
4. Elektra vs. Bullseye (Daredevil (1964) No. 181)
In one of the most brutal, bloody battles ever, ninja assassin Elektra fell to Daredevil’s arch nemesis Bullseye. On paper, maybe an equal fight. As told by Frank Miller? Bullseye solidified his status as one of the most vicious killers and villains in the Marvel Universe.
3. Batman vs. Superman (The Dark Knight Returns (1986) No. 4)
Frank Miller knows how to stage a great fight. One of the most classic and influential stories on this list, The Dark Knight Returns also features one of its single greatest battles. An aging Batman squares off against the DC Universe’s most powerful hero, Superman. A mismatch, right? Think again.
2. Wolverine vs. Sabertooth (The Uncanny X-Men (1978) No. 212)
Old friends? Old enemies? Father and son? Who knows anymore, but one thing is certain — every time Wolverine faced off against Sabertooth the claws were coming out. Savage, and usually to the (edge of) death, these mutants have the longest running feud in comic book history.
1. Civil War (Civil War (2006))
Hero versus hero in an idealogical battle that cost both sides heavily, Marvel’s best ‘event series’ also featured some of its best all-out battles, cumulating in a Captain America against Iron Man showdown that didn’t end the way anyone would have thought. The battles that took place during Civil War drew lines and changes the landscape — in a real way — of the Marvel Universe for years. Whose side were you on?
