Honorable mention 1: 9 points
   Thor #2 Thor vs Destroyer: Dan Jurgens, JRjr  June 1988

Honorable mention 2: 8 points
    Nova #11 Nova vs Sphinx: Marv Wolfman, Sal Buscema April 1977

Honorable mention 3: 7 points   G. I. Joe #21 Snake Eyes vs COBRA: Larry Hama, Steve Leialoha  December 1983

Honorable mention 4: 6 points
   Avengers #100: Roy Thomas, Barry Smith  March 1972

Honorable mention 5: 5 points
   Infinity Gauntlet #4: Jim Starlin, Ron Lim, George Perez August 1991

Honorable mention 6: 4 points
   Captain Carrot #14: Zoo Crew vs Just a Lotta Animals E. Nelson Bridwell, Scott Shaw, January 1983

Honorable mention 7: 3 points
    Losers Special vs Nazis Kanigher/Hunt, Glanzman, Esposito  June 1985  

Honorable mention 8: 2 points   GI Combat #277: Haunted Tank vs Nazi's  Kanigher/Glanzman  February 1985

I'll try for some Honorable Mentions:

1. JLA/JSA and the New Gods vs the forces of Apokolips, JLA #185. The teams and the rebel children of Apokolips bring a grand assault on Darkseid and his forces, especially Granny's orphanage. When Granny flees and runs into Barda, you know she isn't going to survive...



2. Thor #281: Thor vs the Forgotten One-The Forgotten One comes back to Olympia and opens a can of whoop ass on everyone, Thor included. The original hero has returned!

3. Warlord #50-Travis Morgan vs Deimos- They battled since the start, with Deimos rising from the dead more than once. Deimos stole Travis' son and aged him to adulthood and forced Morgan to fight him, to the death (it was a clone). He has Morgan's older daughter, Jennifer, a prisoner. A demon has restored Deimos to his full form (he had his head chopped off, but, the demon restores him) Morgan leads an assault on Deimos' castle, only to be met with Atlantean weaponry (laser cannon). Deimos has no sorcery, thanks to the demon's trickery and learned that his mindf@#$ of Morgan (the fighting his own son) was also a trick, as the child was cloned then spirited away. Deimos is desperate to kill Morgan; but, he is a fighter. With .44 Automag in one hand and broadsword in the other, he hacks, slashes and shoots his way towards Deimos. demos flees, Morgan pursues. Wolves have Deimos trapped, Morgan saves him and tends his wounds, so he can kill him. When Deimos awakes, he puts gun to his head (which would leave a greasy spot and little else) and then decides to leave him to the wolves, who are seen attacking him, as Morgan rides off, finally free of Deimos' evil.

4. Strange Tales #167-SHIELD vs the Yellow Claw. SHIELD brings the climactic fight to Yellow Claw and his Flying Fortress, as SHIELD agents storm into the base and bring the war to Yellow Claw's door. Fury follows him through hyperspace and battles the Yellow Claw hand-to-hand, with the ultimate reveal being one hell of a shocker. Steranko gave us a 4-page multi-gatefold interior that has still never been equalled.

5. Legion of Super-Heroes (1984) #5-LSH vs LSV-The Legion of Super-Villains has conquered Orando, home of Princess Projectra, enslaved her people and moved it out of the universe. Karate Kid is dead, at the hands of nemesis Kid, who could mimic his powers. Princess projectra leads the fight to retake Orando and claim vengeance on the LSV and claims Nemesis Kid as her own. A massive battle rages. Lightning Lass faces her older brother, Lightning Lord and defeats him. The LSH is fully reunited and bring the entire weight of the Legion on the LSV. Projectra corners Nemesis Kid and attacks him with her illusions. His pwoers make him immune to her terrors; but, it is all a ploy to get close to him. She reminds him that her people were wizards and she reaches out and snaps his neck, showing her true power. She frees her people, retakes her throne and resigns from the Legion to lead her world. Epic end to one of the best storylines, outside the Great Darkness Saga.

6. Legion of Super-Heroes (1980) #294-Legion vs Darkseid. Darkseid stands revealed as the dark force that has been attacking across the universe, stealing magical objects, adding to his power. he has enthralled the entire planet of Daxam and moved it to orbit a yellow sun, given the entire planet the powers of Superman and Mon-El. They are unleashed as his super-powered death troopers. A child has been pulled through the timestream by the last wizards of the universe, to save them. Darkseid seems unbeatable, then, a Mother Box pings. The child is Izaya, the Highfather, who brings his full adult power against Darkseid and turns one of his henchmen into its true form: Orion. Father and son battle. The Legionnaires take out the Daxamites, with the help of the Heroes of Lallor and the Wanderers. Darkseid defeats the faux Orion, then finds himself attacked by the combined might of Superboy and Supergirl. Darkseid finally capitulates and gives the Legion their victory, then escapes through a boom tube to elsewhere, telling them that there is a price for robbing a god of his dream (a price that will retroactively give the universe Validus).

HONORABLE MENTION - #16 TO #20

16. BATMAN VS. THE JOKER
Detective Comics #476 - "Sign of the Joker!"

By Steve Englehart, Marshall Rogers and Terry Austin
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17. THE HULK VS. The ABOMINATION AND THE RHINO
The Incredible Hulk #171 - "Revenge!"

By Steve Englehart, Gerry Conway, Herb Trimpe and Jack Abel



This one is impressive in its simplicity. The Abomination and the Rhino have taken over the Hulk Buster Base and they are holding most of the supporting cast hostage as they wait for the Hulk to show up so they can get their revenge against old Jade-Jaws. He shows up and they fight a lot.

The idea is a lot better than the execution, but the set-up allows Hulk-Master Trimpe to do what he does best - Big Dumb Monsters Fighting! And the end of the fight gives it a lot of extra points. Hulk decided it's a dumb fight and steps out of the way just as the Horn-Nose and Bump-Head are charging him … and they knock each other out!

This story went on to even greater fame as a 45 rpm record packaged with a comic book!
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18. DOCTOR MANHATTAN VS. OZYMANDIAS
Watchmen #11 - "Gaze On My Works, Ye Mighty …"

By Alan Moore and Dave Gibson



I love the sheer audacity of merely human Ozymandias taking on Doctor Manhattan with his scheme to save the world. And he outthinks him at every turn, even after miscalculating the doc's ability to reform his atoms again. It's a cat and mouse game with a very overconfident cat and a very intelligent mouse.

World's smartest termite, indeed.
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19. BULLSEYE VS. ELEKTRA
Daredevil #181 - "Last Hand"

By Frank Miller and Klaus Janson
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20. CEREBUS VS. THRUNK
Cerebus #80 - "Causality Casualty"

By Dave Sim and Gerhard