Issue #8: Ant-Man vs The Atom

Did ya miss us?! Well Breaking the Panels is back from vacation to give you a fight that's larger than li--ce? That's right! We got us a duel of miniature proportions in Issue #8! But don't let their small stature fool you, because they prove the age old saying that "it's not the size that matters!" In Marvel's corner we have the brilliant ant charmer: Ant-Man! In DC's corner, we have the amazing mini-hero: The Atom! Let's find out how this small scrap will pan out!

  MARVEL  

Ant-Man 

Real Name: Scott Lang

Height: 6'0" (0.5" When Shrunk)

Weight: 190 lbs.

Powers: Ability to shrink to half an inch while retain the same strength as a full size person, Uses a helmet that allows him to communicate with ants and other insects within a mile, Gauntlets allow bio-electric blasts of adjustable force
Other Known Aliases: Myrmidon

First Appearance: Avengers #181

Scott Lang isn't the first person to become Ant-man, and he certainly wasn't the last. The first Ant-man was Hank Pym. Pym, as Ant-man, was a founding member of the Avengers. Initially, Hank Pym was a brilliant biochemist who had discovered sub-atomic particles by which he labeled "Pym Particles". This is what allows him to change his size. But Pym is not the contestant here. And the obvious reason being that Pym could just easily turn into Giant Man and the fight would be over in time for him to go smack his wife around.

Scott Lang came into the Ant-Man role by breaking into Pym's lab and stealing his suit. Of course, it was for a good cause. He stole it to save his daughter, Cassie Lang. So Pym let him keep it as long as he fought for a good cause. So as it was written, he was officially dubbed Ant-Man and even earned a spot on the Avengers.

Although he spent many years as Ant-Man, tragedy struck the Avengers Mansion by Scarlet Witch that claimed a few Avenger casualties, including Lang. So soon after there became another Ant-Man, Eric O'Grady, who is rightly titled the "Irredeemable Ant-Man: The World's Most Unlikable Hero"

Ladies and Genteman (Mostly Ladies), I present two seperate panels of Eric O'Grady... Irredeemable Ant-Man

Although... even before O'Grady... there was always Hank Pym...

A bit disturbing after knowing Ant-Man & Wasp for so long...

If it helps... that came waaaaayyyyy after this...

The Infamous Hank Pymp Slap...

And I believe that is why most fans felt better with Scott Lang as a regular Avenger and as Ant-Man. So, by popular demand... Scott Lang returned thanks to the magical world of comics! The Young Avengers, including his daughter who goes by Stature now, go back in time to save him. Unfortunately when they return, his daughter Cassie is killed by Dr. Doom. So now Lang stays on the FF as a reserve member in hopes to gain revenge on Doom.

    DC     

The Atom
Real Name: Raymond Palmer

Height: 6'0 (varies: 0.0000001" up to 6'0 when shrunk)

Weight: 180 lbs

Powers: Able to shrink to varying degrees (including sub atomic level), Able to alter molecular density to whatever degree he chooses up to his full 180 lb weight, Able to glide on air currents and breezes, Able to shift all of his mass into his fists for stronger punches

Other Known Aliases: The Mighty Mite

First Appearance: Showcase #34

Ray Palmer is the superhero known as The Atom. The Atom fought crime mostly in Ivy Town, Connecticut as a hero who could alter his size and still retain the strength of his full grown self. Ray was a physics grad student who happened to stumble upon a small fragment of a white dwarf star. He sees this as an opportunity to create a shrink ray, but after harnessing the power through a lens, everything he shrunk became unstable and blew up. It wasn't until getting stuck in a cave with some friends that he took the risk of using it on himself. To his surprise, he was able to shrink and NOT blow up, while also being able to return to his normal size. And so became the origin of The Atom.

Since becoming a superhero, Atom didn't have a high profile rogues gallery of villains to fight on his own other than Ivy Town frequents Chronos and Time Pool. But after several years, he was able to catch the attention of the JLA and assist them, eventually leading to his acceptance into the superhero group. He had also had a long standing partnership with Hawkman.

Ray used his powers more for stealth in battles and even helped out the CIA in overseas missions. He was also a member of the Suicide Squad and Teen Titans. He was also inducted into the Indigo Tribe, taking on a more primitive look. There was one power he used that has become increasingly obsolete over the past few years, however. For the longest time, Atom would shrink down into a phone and travel to wherever he calls.

I'm sure by now, Ray's thinking "Stupid Cell Phones..."

His success with his earliest love, Jean Loring was great for several years, but ended in divorce due to her focus on her law career and Ray's focus on being the Atom. But during the days of Blackest Night, Ray turned into an emotional wreck due to Hawkman and Jean.

THE BATTLE

AS MOST LIKELY TO SEE IN A COMIC ISSUE

It really doesn't matter who gets home turf on this battle. Both heroes venture into a world that most superheroes never even see. So both combatants start out at less than an inch high. Even though they fight at this size, both are using the same strength of their normal size. So... why bother shrinking in the first place? Because that's the whole point of the battle! Anyone can go out and get into a street fight, but who can do that to where the street is bigger than the Sahara compared to them?!

Let',s for comic's sake, say the fight goes a little something like this. Scott Lang is relaxing and gets a phone call from his house phone in the kitchen (because I know it would stretch reality to believe that someone still has a wired phone, but Scott does in his kitchen, ok?). He picks up the receiver and before he is able to say "Hello" his jaw receives an invisible punch from none other than, Ray Palmer, the Atom! Before Scott falls to the floor, he presses his Pym Particle activator and shrinks  down to become Ant-Man, so now he is the same size as Atom. Now the real fight between them begins. Now the only of these two fighters that has extensive training in fighting is Atom with some Judo. Also Atom possesses the advantage of being able to shrink to subatomic size. Where Ant-Man holds his distinguished advantage is in his ability to control insects to fight with him.

Now the fighters are shrunk down to half an inch and prepared. Hand to hand combat naturally favors toward Atom as he shifts his weight into each punch he throws at Ant-Man. Ant-Man can hold his own in a fight, but not near to the experience of Atom. He adjusts his helmet to call ants to aid and from seemingly no where, they appear in hordes. Atom crushes as many as he can, but eventually gets overwhelmed. As the ants get Atom in their grasps, he shrinks smaller to escape. Ant-Man is way above the chaos as he is riding on the back of a flying ant.

Atom is unable to reach him as Ant-Man flies above his army of ants. And when Atom gets distracted by the seemingly endless wave of insects as they close in on him, Ant-Man swoops in to take his shots. He also uses his gauntlet stingers to shoot blasts of energy as Ray is trapped. Now, ants can carry up to 20 times their own body weight, and it's hard to imagine how hard it is to break free from an army of them with Ant-Man constantly jumping in and out to get some beat downs and blasts in. So Atom grows to the height of around six inched to squash some of the ants. At this point, the only advantage that Atom can get over Lang is that he can escape the ants and kill most of them. But what happens when Ant-Man calls in the air patrol? 

Swarms of flying ants enter through the window and pick up Atom. Now Atom can still escape there grasps and adjust his size to glide down onto Ant-Man as he catches the right air current. Atom lands on Ant-Man's ant and the two engage in a fight in mid air among the flying ant. Atom wins the bout as he is far more skilled at combat. But as he is about to fling Ant-Man off, Ant-Man places a disc with Pym Particle gas on Atom's belt. This ensures that with the instability of the molecules in the Pym Particles that he can not change from half an inch. So Atom throws Ant-Man off of the flying ant, and Lang takes him down with him. The two land on the carpet and as they stand up to face each other, they see that they are in a clear circle with ants all around the perimeter. Scott smirks and just reaches up to the side of his helmet to adjust the frequency. He gives a nice little nod and wave as Atom is carried off by hundreds of ants. Don't worry though. Ant-Man told them not to eat him.

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THE WINNER: ANT-MAN

While Atom totally had the superior fighting skills, in the event that these two mighty minis would ever duel, the obvious choice would be Ant-Man due to his extra ability of being able to use ants and insects to gain advantage. While it was Scott Lang as Ant-Man, this outcome seems the most reasonable as to how he handles the situation as an individual. Sure, Ant-Man, whether it was Pym or Lang, was always more of a team than a loner. But given an isolated situation, which we have seen at times, if a fighter with the same ability challenges, Ant-Man holds his own. Atom is no push over by any means. Looking at the Ant-Man lineup, Hank Pym would have just easily beat Atom in seconds because he has a lot more capability with the Pym Particles allowing him to become Ant-Man... Giant Man... Yellowjacket... Goliath... Wasp... or whatever name of the week he comes up with whenever he's not stuck in a lab creating a robot that eventually ends up eradicating the human race. And Eric O'Grady... well. He would have won, too. The battle would have been similar, but the outcome would probably have meant Ray's death because unlike the first two Ant-Men... O'Grady is ruthless and without moral. Seriously... he shrunk down and punched a guy in the juggular and was flooded to the ground by the blood gushing out. So of the three, Scott Lang seemed the obvious choice and he is crowned our victor.


Tune in next time for Issue #9 where we will test the limits of each universe's fastest men!

         THE TALLY SO FAR:

MARVEL: 5                                     DC: 3

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Issue #7: Iron Man vs Cyborg

Here we are, reared and ready to go as we blast our way into Issue #7 of Breaking the Panels! Two highly competitive men who tend to augment themselves with the latest state of the art technology to give themselves an edge. In Marvels corner, we have the Invincible Iron Man! In DC's corner we have the cybernetic Teen Titan, Cyborg! Better hope they both came fully charged!

  MARVEL  

Iron Man

Real Name: Anthony Stark

Height: 6'1"

Weight: 225 lbs.

Powers: Extreme Intelligence; Industrial and Engineering Genius; Skilled Businessman; Expert Tactician; And possesses an array of powers whdisorienteding the Iron Man armor including: Superhuman Strength, Superhuman Speed, Flight, Energy Conversion Power Recharge, Self-Contained Life-Support System & Environmental Protection, Energy Absorption, Magnetism, Artificial Intelligence, Sensor Systems, Invisibility, Holographic Decoys, Override, Enhanced Durability, Energy Shield, Repulsor Rays, Unibeam, Lasers, Pulse Bolts, Energy Blade, Pulse Barrage, Nanobots, Freon Stream, Smart Missiles, Missile Box, Monobeam, Mini-gun, Gauntlet Mini-canon, Tri-beam, Multi-beam, Pentabeam, Omnibeam, Hyper-velocity Impact, Plasma Discharge, and Regenerative Systems

Other Known Aliases: Golden Avenger; Director Stark; Shellhead

First Appearance: Tales of Suspense #39

Tony Stark... If ever there were a superhero billionaire playboy in the comic industry, this one stands apart from the others. Why? He's a douche. Sorry, but he is. The guy has an ego problem that you wouldn't believe. And no matter how noble he feels his intentions are, they always tend to screw up something. Iron Man was the product of his extreme genius and engineering. He was the leading manufacturer of military weapons for the U.S. government with his company Stark Industries (now Stark Resilient). After being captured in Vietnam, he was badly wounded in the kidnapping and had tobwear an electromagnet to keep shrapnel from entering his heart. He escaped his captor by creating the Mark I Armor. Having upgraded his armor once back, he became a national hero as Iron Man and also became one of the first founding members of the Avengers. The rest is Iron Man history... until it seemed that Stark liked the drink a bit much...

Forcing his loved ones to deal with his alcohol problem, his "charm" doesn't end there. After many years as an Avenger, he decided that since the government instituted that all super heroes should be registered, Tony hopped right on board and even upped the ante as he volunteered to hunt and track down unregistered heroes (most of them his closest friends and allies who had trusted him for years). But not only THAT... this "genius" got with the most brilliant minds on Earth and decided, "Hey... since we can't control the Hulk, let's just blast him off to some distant planet and let them deal with it." I won't go into too many details on that one... but World War Hulk is a story arc that i suggest EVERYONE read. So then they make Tony the new director of S.H.I.E.L.D. (until the government disbanded S.H.I.E.L.D. and Tony decided to give control over to Norman Osborne to H.A.M.M.E.R....) Seriously... for a genius... he's not that bright. But he is a force to be reckoned with!

     DC     

Cyborg

Real Name: Victor Stone

Height: 6'6"

Weight: 385 lbs.

Powers: Cybernetic Enhancements integrated into his body which grant him: Super Strength, Super Speed, Super Endurance, Super Durability, Computer Interface, Infrared and Telescopic Eyepiece, Integrated Weapons that include: Lasers, Grappling hooks, Winches, Sonic Disrupters, Electric Shockers and can change his arm into different guns  

Other Known Aliases: Cyberion Technis; Omegadrome

First Appearance: DC Comics Presents #26

Vic Stone was a young teen who had a promising future ahead of him, if not for his dad, of course. Vic excelled at everything that he loved, but that just didn't seem good enough for his father. After an intense argument, an explosion blasted most of Vic away while in his father's lab. Doing what he thought was best for his son, he put the latest in cybernetic enhancements to augment Vic into the aptly named Cyborg. Hating his new "enhancements", this only further distanced him from his father. So in order to cope with his new identity, he did the most sensible thing. He joined a bunch of other kids on the super hero team: Teen Titans. Learning to control his functionality better and constantly upgrading his tech, Cyborg has a vast array of weaponry disposed at his fingertips (literally!). But as the enhancements grew, his humanity remained all but lost.

THE BATTLE
AS MOST LIKELY TO SEE IN A COMIC ISSUE

I see this fight as a pissing battle between who has the latest tech. It's like two kids fighting over their Apple vs Android smartphones, if those phones shot lasers that could melt your face off.

Stark is in his latest armor (normal armor. Not Deep Space or Hulkbuster or anything built for one specific purpose) Cyborg has all the latest upgrades through S.T.A.R. Labs. Once again we have a battle where one hero can fly (Iron Man) while the other is grounded (Cyborg). Iron Man has his repulsors, Unibeam, rockets, lasers, pulse beams and an array of other various beams, lasers and smart missiles tucked away in his armor. Cyborg has his main arm cannon, lasers, rockets, grappling hook and sonic disruptors. Not to mention that one punch from either of these guys in their gear is strong enough to crush a car.

As this battle begins, Iron Man is airborne while Cyborg stays mobile on the ground. Each opponent can take a hit from each others blasts, but Iron Man is easier to dodge the attacks from the air. Cyborg blasts Iron Man with his cannons and Iron Man answers with his repulsor blasts. Cyborg changes both hands into plasma laser cannons and shoots Iron Man down to the ground.  Once grounded, Cyborg begins to beat down Stark in an attempt to bust in his armor, but doesn't even make a dent. Iron Man then initiates his suit's AI (Not Jarvis because Jarvis is a butler, not a computer program) to analyze Cyborg's tech for weaknesses. He targets the leg joints with some pulse bolts and drops him down to his knees.

Iron Man regains his control and takes to the air again. Cyborg blasts him with another powerful laser shot, but Iron Man evades and  flies toward him peppering him with repulsor shots. As Iron Man gets closer, Cyborg grabs his arm and slings him down onto the floor. Iron Man converts all power to his chest arc to utilize a powerful Unibeam blast which sends Cyborg through the air.

As Cyborg lands, Stark flies toward him. Furious, Cyborg unleashes more plasma bolts. For a time, the fight continues as both heroes just shoot at each other attempting to gain more momentum towards the other. Eventually, Cyborg disperses his sonic disruptors to attempt to jam up Iron Man's programming. Iron Man easily auto-tunes the frequency for the suit to override any external interference. Iron Man then propels himself towards Cyborg for a Rocket Punch. Vic dodges the punch, and grabs Iron Man. To escape, Iron Man releases a Pulse Barrage and shook him off. As Cyborg is disoriented, Iron Man raises his hands and shoots him with a few powerful repulsor blasts that led up to a powerful Unibeam attack from his chest arc again. This sends Cyborg flying through the air once more, but he is caught by Iron Man.

"LISTEN KID, IF YOU WANT TO PLAY IN THE BIG LEAGUES, YOU'VE GOT A LOT OF GROWIN' UP TO DO. NEXT TIME YOU WANT TO FIGHT, SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT WITH PEPPER." said Iron Man as he began to twirl Cyborg around in the air before he sent him flying towards the coast. "HMM... I'M SURE HE'LL BE OKAY."

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THE WINNER: IRON MAN

Like "Invincible" Iron Man wasn't a big enough tip off?? As big of a tool as Tony Stark is, you can NOT doubt his ability to stay ahead of the curve and keep the latest tech on his armor. Whatever Cyborg can dish out... it just isn't enough to take down the Armored Avenger. Vic... Just be glad he didn't have on his Hulkbuster suit!!

Tune in next time for a brand new installment! After a long hiatus, Breaking the Panels Vol. 2 will release Issue #8, where we will have a "small" fight with some highly intelligent mini-heroes!

         THE TALLY SO FAR:

MARVEL: 4                                     DC: 3

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Issue #6: Hawkeye & Mockingbird vs Green Arrow & Black Canary

 Breaking the Panels brings you a very Special Edition for Issue #6! This one goes out for all the happy couples hating on other happy couples. Here we shall see what happens when Date Night gets deadly as we pit two archers and the loves of their life in a battle royale sure to pierce hearts and possibly break a few (with some precisely aimed arrows, of course). In Marvel's Corner, we have the purple clad Hawkeye with his lovely ex-S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent, Mockingbird! In DC's Corner, we have the Green Arrow accompanied by the stunning former Birds of Prey member, Black Canary. It's safe to say that these couple's don't need to bring any more protection!

  MARVEL  

Hawkeye

Real Name: Clinton F. Barton

Height: 6'3"

Weight: 230 lbs.

Powers: World-Class Archer and Marksman; Excellent reflexes and hand-eye coordination; Highly trained unarmed combatant; Uses a Bow with a variety of arrows and special "trick" arrows

Other Known Aliases: Marksman; Ronin; Goliath

First Appearance: Tales of Suspense #57

Clint Barton is the best marksman with a bow. At a young age when his drunk dad wrecked with his mother in a car accident, he and his brother, Barney, are sent to an orphanage. After no luck of being took in by any families, the Barton brothers run away to the circus. Clint gets taken in by the Swordsman then later trained in archery by Trick Shot. After a falling out and all that junk (apparently they were criminals! Gasp! Surprised? You mean the Carnies weren't outstanding citizens?!) Clint goes all solo act in another carnival and takes the name of Hawkeye: The World's Best Marksman! After some shows, he witnesses Iron Man save some people and just gets it in his head that... meh... that seems like a good idea! So he dons a costume and tries to be super hero Hawkeye, only to be immediately branded as a villain. After some misunderstandings, he gets his name cleared up and has been a recurring member of the Avengers from the early beginning!

Mockingbird

Real Name: Barbara "Bobbi" Morse

Height: 5'9"

Weight: 135 lbs.

Powers: Highly trained in Martial Arts and hand-to-hand combat; Excellent gymnist; Trained in the art of Espionage; Excellent marks-woman; Uses two battle staves that can also screw together to form one large bo-staff.

Other Known Aliases: The Huntress; Agent 19

First Appearance: Marvel Super Action #1

Bobbi Morse started out as a S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent acting as ambassador of sorts for Ka-Zar, a Savage Land resident, who watched over the land. As Agent 19, she helps Ka-Zar in fights and leads him through modern cities when he needs to travel for whatever reason. Eventually, she drops the Agent and becomes Huntress. But after a while, she gets put behind as Ka-Zar falls for a more jungle-savvy woman. Bobbi is just left with her S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent lifestyle, which she soon discovers was in danger of corruption. Taking on the identity of Mockingbird, she investigates and is hunted down as a villain by S.H.I.E.L.D. Agents. After finding the corrupt division officer responsible, she is nearly killed as she takes him down, but is took under Nick Fury's care, from whom she had originally got her extensive agent training.

Love works fast between these two. After Mockingbird investigates Cross Technological Enterprises for suspicious activity, She runs into Hawkeye, who was working as Security for them. The pair eventually team up to take down the company and they immediately fall in love with each other. The marriage wasn't too far into the future. They were frequent Avengers together and even led some branches such as the West Coast Avengers for quite some time. The couple had a few twists here and there, but not even death (literally) could seperate them.

     DC     

Green Arrow

Real Name: Oliver J. Queen

Height: 6'2" 

Weight: 195 lbs.

Powers: Master Marksman with a Bow; Master of Martial Arts; Master Swordsman; Uses a Custom Bow

Other Known Aliases: Emerald Archer; Ace Archer; Battling Bowman; Ollie

First Appearance: More Fun Comics #73

Ollie Queen grew up idolizing the fictional character, Robin Hood. He took many archery lessons and was very good at it. But as the years pass, and the death of his parents drew on him, he was taken into the family fortune through his uncle. All grown up, Ollie was your typical millionaire playboy (drunk). Until one day he fell off his yacht and survived by only holding on to a prop bow to float on. After he reached an island, known as Starfish Island, he soon realized that he was screwed unless he could adapt. He honed his skills to perfection using the prop bow to hunt with. After months of self training and adapting to survive he escaped via smugglers. He returned to his home, Star City, with a taste of adventuring and heroism. Donning the green outfit, he became the Green Arrow. After losing his fortune, he quickly turned from heroic adventurer JLA member to political activist. He has had a path of hardship that he's overcome and has even frequently teamed up with his good friend Hal Jordan, the Green Lantern. He is currently the best archer in the world, a recurring member of the Justice League and the mayor of Star City.

Black Canary

Real Name: Dinah L. Lance

Height: 5'7"

Weight: 130 lbs.

Powers: Master of Martial Arts; Brilliant Strategist and Tactician; Canary Cry (a sonic attack able to damage and stun enemies.) She can mimic sounds to generate any sound she desires; Causes Sonic Disruption  

Other Known Aliases: 

First Appearance: Justice League of America #220

Dinah Lance isn't the first to become the Black Canary, but she certainly has given the family tradition a long lasting impression. The original Black Canary was her mother, who disapproved of her wanting to follow in her footsteps. Well being the rebellious teen that she was, she trained behind her mother's back with Wildcat and a few other Justice Society members. Utilizing her fighting skills, she also discovered that she had a super power that caused solid objects to shatter and disoriented opponents when she screamed. Dubbed as the Canary Cry, she made great use of her power as she donned a blonde wig and took on criminals as the Black Canary. She has been a member of the Justice League but really found her rhythm when she befriended Oracle and joined the Birds of Prey, where she fought alongside many super heroines before leaving years later.

Green Arrow and Black Canary first met once he joined the Justice League of America. Eventually they ended up falling for each other and even teamed up to battle. After several years as Justice League members, they both moved to Seattle to open up Sherwood Florist (yes... really). Green Arrow had proposed to her once, but was initially rejected as they had different views at first. Ollie wanted children, as well. But after a harsh battle, Black Canary was severely injured and lost her ability to Canary Cry and also her ability to bear children. This led to some distance between the two, which became worse when Green Arrow was raped (yes... really) by Shado while he was unconscious. Shado had a son and forbid Green Arrow from having anything to do with him. This led to further tension between the couple.

THE BATTLE
AS MOST LIKELY TO SEE IN A COMIC ISSUE

It's hard to pit just one on one and see who comes out on top. But adding two more combatants in the mix can easily change the course of a fight. It's a Marvel vs DC match unlike any we've analyzed before. Tag team fight, anything can happen. Let's go!

Hawkeye & Green Arrow matched up are about as even as you can get when pairing rival comic's doppelgangers. The only thing that one may have more of the other is pride and hubris. Mockingbird & Black Canary are a little more mismatched. Bobbi has her set of skills. Her S.H.I.E.L.D. training makes her a dangerous adversary to anyone, even super humans. She is also very lethal with her batons. Black Canary has a bit of the same skill set, but not as extensive martial arts training as Mockingbird. What really tips the scale in Dinah's favor is her super ability, the Canary Cry. But as we all know, Mockingbird has bested many super powered villains in her day.

Hawkeye leads off the fight with an arrow shot at Ollie, only to have it met by one of his own arrows. Mockingbird rushes at Black Canary, kicks off the side of the building and foot meets face as she lands a swift right dropkick. Composing herself, Black Canary jumps back up to combat stance. Mockingbird screws her staves together to form a bo-staff. The two begin a fight of dodging and punching, with Mockingbird getting a couple hits in with her staff. Mockingbird then sweeps her by the feet, and then is about to bring her staff down onto her face, but Canary gives a yell and the sonic blast pushes her back into the wall.

Green Arrow and Hawkeye have just been stalemating as each arrow is either dodged or met with an answer of their own, with each archer running about the battlefield trying to find sweet spots as they keep answering one's offensive arrow with the other's defensive arrow. But Hawkeye breaks this routine and reaches deep into his quiver for an Adamantium Arrow. Green Arrow tries to shoot one of his regular arrows, but it is split in half as Hawkeye's arrow goes straight through and pierces Green Arrow's shoulder. As Ollie pulls it out, he hears a whir as Hawkeye's Bola Arrows come right behind the last shot. Bound by the ropes, Green Arrow struggles to free himself, but as Hawkeye draws another arrow (probably an explosive tip to seal the win), Black Canary breaks away from her fight with Mockingbird and attacks from behind to disorient Hawkeye, leaving her the chance to free Ollie.

Ollie and Dinah regain their composure once more. Hawkeye draws another trick arrow with a sonic emitter. He had hoped to subdue Canary with her own tricks. The arrow pierces between the couples heads on the wall behind them, but as soon as the emitter starts to screech, Black Canary just silences it. She mimicks the same frequency and shouts it back toward Hawkeye and Mockingbird. Mockingbird falls to her knees unable to withstand the noise, while Hawkeye tries his best to keep composure and aim straight forward. Knowing an explosive arrow would never make it through the sonic waves, he tries a regular arrow, but it is, of course, met swiftly by Green Arrow's own shot.

Green Arrow then seeks to take advantage of the couple's disadvantaged state by pinning Mockingbird to the ground with two arrows in the arms. An outraged Hawkeye pulls an Adamantium Arrow out and sinks it right into Ollie's bow, breaking it in half. Green Arrow throws the pieces aside and rushes at Hawkeye  to engage in close combat, but is pierced in the thigh by an arrow of Hawkeye's. He doesn't go down immediately, as he gets close enough to use his other leg to kick Clint down to the ground.

Hawkeye regains his balance, tosses Ollie down to the ground and pulls up his bow. He draws another arrow as Green Arrow starts back up. Before he can line his shot, Black Canary cries yet another sonic blast at such a high frequency that it busts Hawkeye's bow. Green Arrow then sweeps Hawkeye to his feet. He grabs Clint's quiver and takes out an explosive arrow, activates it, and sticks it back in with the rest of them. He tosses the quiver into Hawkeye's arms, grabs Black Canary and runs as quickly as he can as the explosion takes out the rest of the alley.

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THE WINNERS: GREEN ARROW & BLACK CANARY

Let's face the facts. The archers were very evenly matched. The fight between them could last for quite some time. But the addition of Black Canary was a huge gamechanger in their favor with her Canary Cry. The women were also equally matched if not for her super power. It's hard to know how long this battle would have lasted if she had her power taken away. It wouldn't be all that shocking to see Hawkeye and Mockingbird come out on top, it's that close of a matchup. But being as it may, the combination of Green Arrow and Black Canary proves too much for the Avenger and his S.H.I.E.L.D. spy.



Tune in next week for Issue #7, when enhanced power armored heroes blast away at each other!

         THE TALLY SO FAR:

MARVEL: 3                                     DC: 3

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Issue #5: Sif vs Wonder Woman

Breaking the Panels? More like Breaking the Bust-line, amiright?!! Heyyy-oooo! High-Five?.. Why do I keep getting this cold glare from my girlfriend? Ohh... Anyways, back to business! Who's ready for a womanly beat down?! This week we put too strong willed goddess warriors into the arena together... Let's see what comes out of this one as we meet two women that can beat up any man and still remain a comic fanboy's fantasy! In Marvel's corner, we have the Shield Maiden of Asgard, Sif! In DC's corner, we have the Amazon princess Wonder Woman!

  MARVEL  

Sif

Real Name: Sif

Height: 6'2"

Weight: 425 lbs.

Powers: Superhuman Strength, Speed, Stamina, Durability; Skilled Swordsmanship; Trained Warrior Goddess  

Other Known Aliases: Lady Sif

First Appearance: Journey into Mystery #102

Sif is an Asgardian Shield Maiden who is one tough warrior. Too say the least. Deemed by Odin to become Thor's mate, she initially was put off as Thor sought after Jane Foster for some reason. I mean, c'mon Thor! LOOK at Jane Foster! Then look at Sif!

Who do YOU think can wield a sword better?!

And it's not just about the looks, but if you were a near immortal God of Thunder, what logic is there in staying with a mortal who will probably die---- oh yea... she did. So soon after Thor and Sif DID eventually fall in love with each other and it felt as if it were just meant to be. However Sif didn't take too lightly that Thor favored Midgard (Earth) over Asgard. She tried living with him there (several times), but it just wasn't as high class for her. She preferred the majestic realm of Asgard. So if ever there were an attack on Asgard, you best believe that Sif would be there with her enchanted sword swinging through the air. She is a highly trained warrior and deadly with a blade, and an Asgardian force to be reckoned with. Mephisto's Realm hath no fury like a Sif scorned.

     DC     

Wonder Woman

Real Name: Diana of Themyscira

Height: 6'0"

Weight: 130 lbs.

Powers: Superhuman Strength, Speed, Stamina, Durability, Reflexes; Flight; Enhanced Senses; Ability to Commune with Animals; Master Combatant, Tactician and Strategist; Wields: Indestructible Gauntlets, Lasso of Truth (a Lasso that forces victims caught within it to tell the truth about anything), and her Boomerang Tiara; Pilots an Invisible Jet

Other Known Aliases: Princess Diana

First Appearance: All Star Comics #8

Wonder Woman was the first child born on Paradise Island in the three thousand year history that the immortal Amazons lived there, she was the daughter of Queen Hippolyta. For those that didn't know, the Greek goddesses drew forth the souls of all women who had been murdered by men. One soul was left behind, the one that would be born as Diana, who would later become Wonder Woman. The Amazons were pretty much shut ins from everyone else, then realized, hmm.. maybe we should send an ambassador of sorts out into "Man's" world. So they held a contest, and naturally Diana won (who participated against the will of her mother). So they gifted her with her outfit, a golden lasso, unbreakable bracelets and an invisible jet. 

And forever changed women's portrayal through comics (and nerd's weirdest role playing fantasies)

After some notable achievements through her own series, she is also a founding member of the Justice League of America. She's had a few romantic instances with Kal-El as well. Not to be taken lightly, the introduction of this character has long stood as a symbolic mark that women have just enough (if not more in some cases) of a right to be a comic legend and super hero icon.

THE BATTLE
AS MOST LIKELY TO SEE IN A COMIC ISSUE

As Lady Sif prepares to leave Asgard, she readies herself for a quest of fulfillment. She crosses the Bifrost Bridge into Midgard. Rumors had spread of a land secluded of man. Sif longed to seek out this race of women to prove herself worthy of her peers, as an Asgardian ever always quests for new challenges. Her investigation leads to a beach. A lone woman stands awaiting her. "I am Princess Diana of Amazon. You can call me 'Wonder Woman'. If you seek the land of Themyscira, you have wasted your time. Turn back, or prepare for battle." Sif unsheathed her sword and smirked.

This battle begins as most do, both opponents showcasing their strength. As far as strength and stamina go, both are evenly matched. Sif has her sword and shield, while Wonder Woman has her lasso and gauntlets. The biggest advantage is Wonder Woman's power of flight. This gives her the upper hand at keeping distance, though this fight will mostly be grounded close quarters combat.

Sif would attempt attacks with her sword, but every swing is met with a block by Diana's gauntlets. Wonder Woman's attempt at using her lasso is met with Sif's shield and sword.

Wonder Woman flies high in the air above and starts to build momentum attacks. The swiftest of flying kicks would send Sif through the air at a great distance. Lucky for her, she is skillfully trained to dodge and counter. She sees this opportunity to make her miss and get some shots in. While highly probable that could happen, it won't go on for long as Wonder Woman will get some return hits. This fight is close and starting to wear on each fighter.

Sif returns to sword combat as Wonder Woman continues to counter each strike. She takes flight to escape any chance of Sif landing a fatal hit. She takes her tiara off and tosses it at Sif trying to cut her. As she throws, she flies toward her as fast as she can. With great speed, she flies around Sif and throws her off guard. Sif swings her sword and Wonder Woman seizes this opportunity to block with her gauntlets and disarming Sif of her sword. While disorienting her opponent, she takes her Lasso of Truth and, with as much resistance as Sif gives, ties her up. Sif can not break free.

"Lady Sif of Asgard. You have fought honorably. Though you could not best me, I find you worthy of our people. Let us battle no more, for we are better utilized as allies. I can sense your feelings, and I know that you feel disgraced, so I shall prove to you your worth. Let us go now. I will allow you to visit Themyscira. However, you must take me to this realm you call Asgard, as I wish to see of such a glorious land that such brave warriors hail from." Sif smiled. Wonder Woman untied her. "Aye, Woman of Wonder. You shall have an agreement." 

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THE WINNER: WONDER WOMAN

Sif fought valiantly and bravely... however she was slightly overpowered by Wonder Woman. Diana had a few more advantages over her. Her weapons were far more superior to utilize to gain a step up, while as Sif had just her sword and her brute strength to fight with. Each warrior woman has gained quite a bit of respect for each other, however Wonder Woman wins this battle.

Tune in next week for a VERY special Issue #6! We are releasing a special edition of Breaking the Panels when we have a COUPLE'S fight between cupids and their love birds!

         THE TALLY SO FAR:

MARVEL: 3                                     DC: 2

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