What WAS the Comic Battle of the 20th Century? Part 4 - The Thing vs. The Hulk!

Continuing my 12-part series reviewing comic books that claim The Battle/Fight/Bout/Showdown of the Century on their covers. Today's battle---

The Thing vs. The Hulk! First presented in Fantastic Four #25, 1964. By Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. Inks by George Roussos

WHY ARE THEY FIGHTING?
Our story opens in the grand tradition of Stan Lee penned books where everyone in a panel is saying something. Mr. Fantastic is yelling, "Ben! Come back!" Ben's on the the wall. I can't help but feel there is a better way to leave.

Regardless, Mr. Fantastic has an antidote that will change Ben-Grimm-the-Thing back into Ben-Grimm-the-Human. But Ben ain't having it. He's afraid his girlfriend, Alicia, prefers him as the Thing. Gather from that what you will.

Suddenly the blind Alicia shows up with a newspaper. Looks like the Hulk’s on the loose!

We join the Hulk and he’s ranting about how much he hates his alter-ego, Bob Banner. (Yep. Bob Banner.) He also hates the Avengers. Hate hate hate.

It’s interesting that, besides the paper clipping, the only thing Bruce Bob had in his pockets was a pipe and matches. I’m not sure what he’s been smoking. Something to calm him down perhaps. Tossing it all aside, Hulk begins his jumping journey to New York City! Meanwhile in the Big Apple, Mr. Fantastic collapses!  As he attempts to find a cure for Ben’s Thing ailment, he’s gotten sick while messing with viruses. That’s some sloppy science, Dr. Richards.

Johnny Storm, the Human Torch, takes off in the Fantasticar intent on returning with a doctor. He however encounters the Hulk wrecking havoc, and attempts to put a stop to it. The Hulk makes quick work of him.

The Thing and the Invisible Girl soon arrive. Sue doesn't last long either. It’s now just the Thing and the Hulk. Time for the main event! (Btw, if the Thing fails, the army’s going to drop an ATOMIC BOMB on the Hulk.)

HOW EPIC IS THE BATTLE?
It’s on!

The Thing and Hulk break a lot of things; a warehouse, a bus, the pavement, a dock, a boat, the Washington Bridge. However, I think it’s most notable when Hulk gets his hands on the Thing and this happens—

It was this very moment, when I saw the building wagging to and fro, that I thought, “Hey! Maybe this IS the Battle of the Century!”

At one point, Mr. Fantastic decides to join the noble fight, but instead lapses into a coma.

Wow. That panel's just begging for new dialog.

Sorry. I sometimes distract myself. The battle continues and the Thing manages to wrap Hulk up in bridge cables! Has he won?

Nope. He tuckers out and takes a beating.

Wait! He’s up again!

Whaaaat?! Continued Next Issue? Welcome to the Marvel Age of Comics! Well, the next issue’s cover doesn’t say “The Battle of the Century”, so I’m not reading it.

…….

Okay, I read it. Spoilers. Rick Jones throws an “emergency gamma-ray treated capsule which Banner gave (him) months ago” into the Hulk's mouth. He turns back into Dr. Banner. Whether it’s Bob or Bruce, I’m not sure.

WHO WINS?
The Hulk. The Thing fights him more in issue #26, but it’s Gamma-Ray-Capsule Rick who ends the battle.

BONUS!
I love this panel from issue #26.

It’s a bit goofy, and it’s also one of the few times Stan kept his words off Jack Kirby’s art.

IS IT THE BATTLE OF THE CENTURY?
Until Fantastic Four #25, I’ve considered the Human Torch/Sub-Mariner fight to be the battle of the century. Both their fight and the Hulk/Thing battle took place partially on the Washington Bridge. I haven’t consulted it, but I’m pretty certain the bridge would say the Hulk/Thing fight was the bigger battle. I’m going with that.

The Battle of the Century - The Thing vs. The Hulk, Fantastic Four #25.

At least as of 1964.

Come back Wednesday for Part 5. The battle of the sexes! The Thing vs. Thundra!

What WAS the Comic Battle of the 20th Century? Part 1

In the 20th century, there were several comic books that claimed "The Battle of the Century" on their covers. It recently occurred to me since that 100 years is now behind us, we can clearly look back to decide which truly was the Battle of the Century, and call everyone else a liar.

What constitutes the Battle of the Century? To me, it's mainly one or two things. The combatants have to both be at the top of their game, and/or the battle itself has to somehow be epic. As I did my research, I didn't limit it to only the word "battle." I also included "fight, "bout" and "showdown." It's all good. I did, however, want the extravagant claim to appear on the book's cover.

I found twelve comics that made that claim. I'll be posting every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday until I've covered all twelve in chronological order.

Let's get started! First up, The Human Torch vs. The Sub-Marnier! Originally presented in Marvel Mystery Comics #9, 1940. Story by Bill Everett, Carl Burgos and John Compton. Art by Bill Everett and Carl Burgos.

Admittedly, I'm already breaking my own rule. This comic does not state "Battle of the Century" on its cover. It's on the splash page. However, this may be the first comic to make the claim, so I'm giving it a little grace.

WHY ARE THEY FIGHTING?
Namor, the Sub-Mariner, has vowed to destroy the human race. The Human Torch has recently joined the police department. As Namor attempts to wreck the Washington Bridge, the Human Torch arrives to stop him. I think I’m going to have to side with the Torch on this one.
 

HOW EPIC IS THE BATTLE?
Namor soon retreats to his winged submarine to grab an air tank. He immediately returns to the surface and quickly blows out the Torch’s flame.

Namor then drags the Torch underwater to his “Aerial Sub”. Namor wins in four pages!

But wait! Namor accidentally loses control of an air hose (which powers his engine) and it hits the Torch. Not only does it revive the Torch, it also surrounds him with an air bubble! And, like a fart in a bathtub, it starts to float to the surface. Namor tries to stop the bubble, but he can’t!

Ladies and Gentlemen-- The Sub-Mariner, Lord of the Seven Seas, unable to pop an air bubble.

The bubble bursts as it reaches the surface. The Torch is free, on fire, and the battle continues on land. Soon, Namor has jumped into a water reservoir for a refreshing dip. The Torch (somehow) covers the reservoir with flame, trapping Namor. Namor immediately starts to suffocate because of the water’s chlorine content. He passes out.

The Torch wins!

No wait! Unfortunately, the Torch can’t see Namor through the flames and doesn’t know his predicament. So, he contacts the Army and asks them to bomb the reservoir. (Yes, they are actually trying to kill each other.) The American Army successfully drops an American bomb on the American reservoir. This, of course, blows Namor out of the water and saves him from suffocation.

As the fight begins anew, I discover something I never knew about the Sub-Mariner— He has a Sprinkler System!

WHO WINS?
After more shenanigans, Namor eventually slips a “translate case” over the Torch. This isn’t really a win however. Every time Namor lifts the case to kill him, the Torch has enough air to burst back into flames.

Suddenly, Betty Dean appears. She is described as Namor’s “only human friend.”  I present the searing, nail-biting conclusion below--

Dispute settled! There's touching and everything. It's actually quite sweet.

They then say their pleasant goodbyes.

IS IT THE BATTLE OF THE CENTURY?
Let’s see—Both the characters were relatively well-known, there’s collateral damage, and it appears the fight lasted most of a day. Plus, in 1940, I suspect no one else had yet made the claim, so I’m going to say, “Yes!” At this point in the 20th century, it is the Battle of the Century!

Come back Wednesday for Part 2! Li'l Abner vs. Daisy Mae!

Animated Comic Cover-- Kirby Style!

I've animated comic book covers in the past, but I recently realized I've never done a Kirby cover! That seems wrong. So, today is the day I remedy that.

Fantastic Four #51, art by Jack Kirby and Joe Sinnott...

My friend Rich should like this one.

Rejected Spider-Man Origin Cover

Not really. Did you know it's Spider-Man's 50th anniversary! For years, I've heard people mention that if Spider-Man does whatever a Spider can, then he would shoot web out his butt. I recently noticed that if you switch the places of Spider-Man and the Thug on AF #15 (his first appearance) you essentially have the poses you need to make this concept work...

Yes, it's a filmsy reason for me to draw it, but a friend of mine thought it would be funny, so here we are.

Tigra vs. The Super Skrull!

 Today, I have another cover appearing on Covered Blog. I did a recreation of a classic Jack Kirby cover (classic to me, at least)...

 

In my version, Tigra's getting ready to take action, but it may be too subtle. See my version below, or see it on Covered Blog. Click to enlarge...

 

Did you notice that Super Skrull's arm gets whiter as it stretches? ...just like some plastic does when you bend it. Yep. Doing things like this is how I amuse myself.

A Few More Animated Comic Covers

See my other animated covers here. This time, I had the urge to work on a modern comic cover, so I picked the beautiful Daredevil #7, by Paolo Rivera...

Daredevil put me in such a peaceful mood, I then decided to try my hand at a Calvin and Hobbes collection cover, The Days Are Just Packed...

Finally, I give you Batman #15, from 1943. Original cover by Jack Burnley...

More Animated Comic Covers

I've been incredibly busy over the Holidays, but I did manage to animate a couple of old comic covers.

First up, Nick Fury, Agent of Shield #4, from 1968. Original cover by groovy Jim Steranko. It feels like it should be accompanied by music...

Next, what's more fun than an old Lois Lane cover? Animating an old Lois Lane cover! Here's Lois Lane #29, from 1961. Original cover by Curt Swan/Stan Kaye. (And no, I didn't change any content in the situation.)

(And don't ask me what the situation is. I've never read the book!)

The Avengers' Secret Santa

Just finished some art for Comics Alliance this last weekend. It's a fake cover concepted and written by Chris Simms. Below is my B&W work. Can you find what I consider an error? (Well, aside from the fact I forgot to sign my name, and I made the swastikas backwards. [I did that because I really didn't want to draw real ones.]) I fixed it before it posted on CA. I'll tell you the answer in the comments section.

Now head on over to CA and check out the fully colored version..!

Animated Comic Covers!

I'm not an animator, but I still thought it would be fun to animate some famous comic book covers. Amazing Spider-Man #33...

Batman: The Dark Knight Returns #1...

Okay, this next one isn't famous, but it was screaming to be animated. Justice League of America #6...

And finally, Iron Man #128...

Strange Going-Ons

I hadn't recreated a cover for Covered Blog in a while, so when Josh Blair presented an interesting concept, I thought it sounded fun! He suggested four people interpret a different cover from Marvel Collector's Item #4.


Four of us did! The art was created by (clockwise from top left) Michael Nelsen, Anthony Vukojevich, Josh Blair and me! You can also see it officially over at the Covered Blog site. (Or right here...)


My little cover was a redo of Strange Tales #111.


Of course, I had to cover up most of it with this magical gentleman.


Look, his hands are saying "I love you," right before he wraps you up with the indestructible Crimson Bands of Cyttorak.