Spring Road Super Review: Wizard

Showing posts with label Wizard. Show all posts

Prelude to Pearl Harbor?: prescient panels in Top Notch Comics #1 (DEC 1939)

While reading some Golden Age comics for the speculative Friday Fights series, I was struck by this panel from Top Notch Comics #1 (DEC 1939)

Top Notch Comics #1 (DEC 1939)

Those who know their history will recognize that this story was published a full two years before the Japanese did, in fact, bomb the U.S. fleet at Pearl Harbor (i.e., Dec. 7, 1941).

I don't think it's much of a stretch to assume the fictional "Jatsonians" are a stand-in for the Japanese. The in-story depiction of the Jatsonians only furthers that presumption:

Why point any of this out? Well, as you may know, recent decades have witnessed a flare up in the debate surrounding what FDR knew (or had reason to suspect) the Japanese were planning.

After 16 years of uncovering documents through the Freedom of Information Act, journalist and historian Robert Stinnett charges in his book, Day of Deceit, that U.S. government leaders at the highest level not only knew that a Japanese attack was imminent, but that they had deliberately engaged in policies intended to provoke the attack, in order to draw a reluctant, peace-loving American public into a war in Europe for good or ill. In contrast, historian and author Stephen Budiansky (see his book, Battle of Wits) believes that such charges are entirely unfounded and are based on misinterpretations of the historical record. (Stinnett, R. & Budiansky, S. (2003, JAN 30). "The truth about Pearl Harbor: a debate." www.independent.org)

My question is, if the scenario of a Japanese/Jatsonian attack on Pearl Harbor was realistic enough to have made its way into the story-line of a publication for children two years prior to the actual attack, doesn't that seriously blunt the claim that "no one could have anticipated" the attack?

FNF (Quarterfinals): M1 result and M2 combatants

Quarterfinals, Match 1 results

This is a fight where I the setting makes a lot of the difference. Both heroes have an impressively broad range of abilities/powers. The Wizard's, however, are uniformly explained within the referenced comic (Top Notch #1) as being the result of his "super-brain." The Black Crow, in contrast, is mystically-powered by the Earth Spirit.

Since this fight is taking place in an undersea cave "full of great mystical power," I just can't see how the Black Crow wouldn't have an obvious advantage here. My judgment: Black Crow is going to the semis!

FNF (Round 2): M2 result and M3 combatants

Round 2, Match 2 results

Despite being a fan of Cutthroat, by popular acclaim--and I honestly can't disagree--he gets his clock cleaned by the old-timer Wizard! But really, I don't care how sharp your knife is, when you're going up against a guy who can casually swing around yard arms from a 19th century sea-going vessel, you're just out of luck. Wizard wins!

FNF (Round 2): M1 result and M2 combatants

Round 2, Match 1 results

As befits moving to the second round, this match was really difficult to call. In terms of straight-up hand-to-hand combat, I think you've got to give the win to Miss Melee. After all, in her referenced adventure (Miss Melee #1) she single-handedly takes down a small army of ninjas!

However, in his referenced adventure, Black Crow gets the better of two super-powered individuals both of whom have pretty fierce hand-to-hand combat skills (i.e., Spider-Man and Puma).

Despite subsequent stories which depict Miss Melee executing some impressive chi-powered feats, that's not really depicted in MM #1. Spectacular Spider-Man #192, in contrast, shows Black Crow making generous use of his mystic powers.

Since the specified location (i.e., a vacant rugby pitch) doesn't seem to grant any particular benefit to one combatant or the other, I'd have to assume that Black Crow would come out the winner. BC moves to Round 3!

Round 1, Match 3 results

Last week's fight turned out to be a pretty simple affair to decide. Nighthawk's first (text-only) story depicts him possessing at least potentially superhuman strength (e.g., he rolls a "huge boulder" over the entrance to a cave) and endurance (e.g., he performs the boulder trick after having pursued a Nazi airplane on foot!).

Unfortunately, the fight parameters specify that we're looking at Night Hawk (Nope, not a mistake. The spelling of his name changes from the first story to the second) as he was depicted in All New Short Story Comics #1. By this time, wealthy playboy Jack Filan has become a lot more human. While he possessed no powers, Night Hawk was very strong and acrobatic.

Unfortunately for Night Hawk, however, he just doesn't demonstrate enough battle savvy to take down Cutthroat. Despite the fact that Daniel Leighton (Cutthroat) had no superpowers either, he did carry a range of weaponry other than his fists--chief of which was his adamantium-edged blade.

Furthermore, the principle appearance of Cutthroat we're supposed to be consulting (Captain America #395) depicts him as the lone-survivor of a free-for-all to the death between a skilled ninja (Deathstroke) and a super-powered brawler (Mangler).

Finally, given the fact that this fight breaks out on a playground, I think it's more than safe to assume that if Cutthroat could just take out Night Hawk on the basis of sheer fighting ability, he'd just seize a kid as hostage and force the hero's submission to save the child's life.

Sorry, Jack, but there's no other plausible outcome than: Cutthroat Wins!

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Round 1, Match 4

This week's fight brings our first non-human competitor as DC's Detective Chimp takes on the Golden Age Wizard by MLJ.

Detective Chimp as depicted in Day of Vengeance #3 (Aug 2005)

Background on Detective Chimp

Wizard as depicted in Miss Liberty #1 (1944)

Background on Wizard

Setting

This fight takes place in a riverside city, interwoven into a majestic old-growth forest. The vast majority of buildings have been built with many natural elements to keep in line with the forests.

The skyline is littered with impressive skyscrapers and there is no place on earth with anything like this. Technology thrives here. New cultures have left their mark. What historically was a city of few cultures has grown into a large melting pot and it's this that unites the 5 million people to this day.

It's this multicultural identity that has truly left its mark. Hundreds of food carts, gastropubs and clubs offer a plethora of culinary choices and those who feel hungry for something else can enjoy concerts, musea, musical activities or one of the many other recreational venues.