Making a Splash: One Order of Champions, Hold the Byrne!

Dig it, Groove-ophiles! The Champions were, indeed, at best a "B" level super-team in the Marvel Universe, but they could'a been contenders! The weird mish-mash of X-Men Angel and Iceman, Avengers Black Widow and Hercules, and the supernatural 'cycle-ridin' Ghost Rider was a puzzler for fans and writers alike t'would seem. It didn't help that the mag went through artists like Bruce Banner goes through shirts, either! Don Heck, George Tuska, Bob Hall, and John Byrne, along with an army of inkers, plied their trade in The Champions yellowing pages, but none long enough to help get a firm grip. Ah, well, besides Byrne's art, I dug Tuska and Hall's takes, too. I don't get fans who compare Heck to Tuska--to me there's a world of difference between 'em, and Tuska's beefy, action-oriented style was a-ok with moi! Since I already ran the Byrne Champs splashes here, today I'm gonna run the others--with a special surprise a the end! (Well, a surprise for the 11 of you who've never read the last ish of The Champions...)

See? I'd always wished Tuska could've been inked by Patterson or Layton, but in the end, at least they got Byrne to ink him! And just 'cause Ol' Groove loves ya, here's another full-pager by Tuska/Byrne...

No wonder they got cancelled! How rude is it to have your backs to the audience? Really!

Saturday Super Smack-Down: Dr. Doom vs the Red Skull--On the Moon!

Greetings, fight-fans! Today's battle focuses on the ultimate battle between two of the ultimate evils of the Marvel Universe, Dr. Doom and the Red Skull! In Marvel Super-Villain Team-Up #12 (March, 1977), Dr. Doom sets out to the Skull's base on the moon (here you thought this Dracula-on-the-moon set-up in the new Captain Britain comics was an innovative idea--my, my you youngsters are just not with it!) with the aide of the Shroud--you'll be hearing about him in the future--and Captain America--it's complicated, don't ask-- to put the daddy of all tail-whuppins on the Red Skull, who has dared to threaten to destroy Doom's kingdom of Latveria. Got all'a that? Good, 'cause you really don't need a whole lotta explanation to set up a big brawl between the baddest baddies in comicdom, do ya? First, here's the credits: Story by Bill Mantlo, art by Bob Hall and Don Perlin! Here come the combatants...

In this cornah--at 6' 7" and weighing 415 lbs., wearing gray armor and a green hood...Dr. Victor von Doom!

And the challengah--at 6' 1" and weighing 195 lbs., wearing purple armor and a--er--red skull--the Red Skull!

And here's the bell!


Boy, that Skull is sneaky! A rocket-sled for aerial attacks and stun mines underground! How will even Doom overcome such strategy, fans?

Wow! The Skull should've known Doom would have something up his armored sleeve! If losing his rocket-sled isn't bad enough--

OUCH! That's gonna leave a mark!!

Doom has the Skull on the ropes! He should move in for the kill, but--no, he'd rather taunt than fight! Ya better close in before he gets back on his feet, Doomsy...

For a master strategist, Skull just made a baaaaaaaad mistake! You don't burn Doom on his looks--it only makes him mad!!

Oookay! Maybe the Skull's strategy wasn't so far off the mark, fans! He's got Doom hurt and cornered! Here comes the coup de grace...

That Doom has more lives than a cat--and more gadgets than Tony Stark! The battle is back on!! Hand-to-hand, the battle should belong to Doom...

Yep! The Skull has nowhere near Doom's strength, so it's no surprise when the "hand of Doom" strikes...

Don'tcha just love it when our bashful brawlers explain what they're doing as they do it? That one was for the Department of Redundancy Department!

But, anyway... Ya reckon the Skull has some kind of shovel built into that nutty armor of his?

Guess not! And here's your winnah--DR. DOOM--by a (dare I say it?) landslide! (Ouch!)

See ya next time, brawl buffs!