The Incredible Hulk VS Wolverine from The Incredible Hulk #340 (1988)

Hulk/Wolvie scraps never disappoint. There was the first one (1974), but for pure, unadulterated violence, I choose this one as it would make even the most violent UFC fighter cringe:

9. Grimjack vs Butcher Boy

by John Ostrander and Timothy Truman
Grimjack #2 May 1984

In this corner the current Champeeeeeeen of the heavyweight title of Cynosure: Buuuuuuuuuuuutcher Boy. And in the contenders corner: the baddest man in the whole damn town...Jooooooooohn "Grimjack" Gaunt!

Our man Gaunt goes into a bare knuckle dust up on behalf of a boy hoping to save his father. Grimmer strips down and opens up the festivities quick and strong knocking big ol' Butcher Boy on his duff. OF course that only pisses of the champ and he wails away on Johnny Gaunt and leaves him on the mat in under 2 minutes a hurting and aching his achy breaky body and heart. Gaunt is pretty much dog food at this point and ready to give it all up when staring into the crowd he sees the old man with his boy looking on. Grimmer swallows his pain, digs deep inside himself and miraculously rises up and gives as good as he had gotten and batters butcher boy into the mat and wins the match. Grimjack walks away head high knowing he has done his good deed and reinforcing his reputation as one bad muthah: watch yourself, Hey, I'm talking about Grimjack baby!

With only a few short stories and a 1st issue under the belt, this 2nd issue helps to explain in depth the character of Grimjack and why he is such a feared force in Cynosure. A lot of heart, soul and agony in this one which also helps to further set up and explain the "world" of Grimmer for new readers. This is big, bold, bloody and painful fist fighting like it would have been in the days of John L. Sullivan! There is a grit to Gaunt that exudes tough, mean, ornery and bad ass yet touched with a spirit of honor and caring, which makes Grimjack such a memorable character and why I adored him from the very start! He is lethal and deadly with a sword,gun or rifle and yet more than ready and willing to go old school bare knuckle if and when necessary. Don't mess with the Grimmer...

9. The Deadly Dozen vs the Nazis
Combat Kelly #9


Combat Kelly and his Deadly Dozen was always a ripoff of the Dirty Dozen. And if you've seen that movie, you know it doesn't end well for most of the characters. Still, the final issue of Combat Kelly was shocking, and must have been like a bucket of ice water in the face of any kid who read it when it came out.

The story: Combat Kelly and his best gal have both been captured by the Nazis, who are keeping them inside a European fortress. So the Deadly Dozen mount a rescue operation to save them. What ensues is an issue-long running battle between, well, everybody.

By the end of the story, the entire Deadly Dozen has been wiped out in the raid, as are the Nazis, including their evil leader, a sadistic surgeon who was performing medical experiments on Kelly and his girlfriend. Kelly and the girl survive, but she has been horribly maimed in the process, with both of her legs rendered useless and disfigured, not to mention the severe emotional trauma. As for Kelly himself, he's a broken and bitter man who has become completely disiullsioned with war. In the final scene of the series, he bitterly tells his superior officer that he's done fighting, and essentially quits the army. Then it ends, with Kelly presumably about to be hauled away for a court martial.

!

Number 9 is from The Golden Age #4

The Golden Age (aka JSA: The Golden Age, when collected in a trade), was a 4 issue prestige mini-series, part of the Elseworlds line (though it wasn't pitched as such) that featured the post-War JSA and other mystery Men. Hitler is dead and everyone is back to their lives. We learn that it wasn't the Spear of Destiny that kept superpowers out of the war; but, a Nazi called Parsifal, who had the ability to negate super-powers. That left special secret operatives, like Tex Thompson, the Americommando, and Paul Kirk, aka Manhunter. Thompson killed Hitler and is now a hero. He becomes a senator and introduces a program to create a superman for the Atomic Age. The guinea pig is Dan Dunbar, aka Dynamo, who becomes the Dynaman. Thompson preaches about patriotism and the threat of Communism and demands that heroes sign loyalty oaths to the government. Alan Scott is facing pressure over employees with liberal beliefs, at his media company. Paul Kirk also returns home; but, in secret, with killers hunting him.

The story culminates in issue 4, where the secret behind those hunting Manhunter is revealed, as well as Tex Thompson's real agenda. The entire hero population, including the JSA, Captain Triumph, Liberty Belle, Johnny Quick, and a young Captain Comet face off against the immensely powerful Dynaman. The fight is epic; imagine if Superman fought the JSA. No one seems capable of stopping him, even green Lantern...



The death toll is high and the casualty list long. While the heroes fight Dynaman, Manhunter fights Tex Thompson...



James Robinson was at his height, in his writing talent. Paul Smith did his best work, adapting his style to a mix of Alex Raymond, Lou Fine and Reed Crandall; the quintessential Golden Age artists. The fight is brutal and some heroes side with Thompson and Dynaman, either due to deception (Atom) or due to loss of humanity, in the case of Robotman.

If there is one weakness in the issue, it is an early sight gag, involving Madame Fatale and the Fiddler, which began James Robinson's homophobic jokes about the character (also used on in the first issue of the JSA series).

This fight is truly epic, with ebbs and flows to the battle, before the climax.

# 9. DC Comics Presents # 29 (1981) Len Wein, Jim Starlin, Romeo Tanghal



As mighty as Superman is, the Spectre has game and The Man on his side