In this feature, I examine comic book fights that were particularly notable in the wrong side winning (or at least that the fight wasn't won the "right" way). This really isn't a big deal, of course, as it doesn't really matter if the "wrong" person won a fight. But it's fun to talk about!
If you want to suggest a fight for future inclusion in this feature, drop me a line at bcronin@comicbookresources.com. Don't suggest a fight in the comments!
This week, based on about a dozen suggestions, I'm featuring the time that the Black Cat kicked Sabretooth's ass...
As always, the first page we look at their power levels and on the second page, we look at the fight itself.
Also, as always, we answer the age-old question - "How did they do when they fought Spider-Man?"
For a while there, Black Cat had "bad luck powers." When she had "bad luck powers," she was a threat to Spider-Man. But when she doesn't, she isn't. He could have beaten her pretty much any time during their first real battle in Amazing Spider-Man #195 (by Marv Wolfman, Keith Pollard and a bunch of inkers). He even kicked her butt while literally fighting her with only one good arm...
In Spectacular Spider-Man #116 (by Peter David, Rich Buckler and Bob McLoed), we learn that Sabretooth was trained as a killer by the mysterious Foreigner...
Say...wasn't Foreigner created by writer Peter David? You don't say!
Anyhow, he goes to take out the Black Cat, but Spider-Man gets in his way and Sabretooth gets his ass kicked so badly you'd think that the Wasp was in town...
Okay, anyhow, Sabretooth was introduced as an Iron Fist villain...
And he eventually fought against Iron Fist AND Power Man, along side his partner in crime, the Constricter. Sabretooth and Constricter, the REAL dynamic duo!
He actually only went after Black Cat because he and Constricter stopped being buds and Iron Fist and Power Man disappeared.
A couple of issues before he fought Black Cat, she gained new powers instead of her bad luck powers. She gained night vision and enhanced agility. But she did not gain super strength and she was still beaten soundly by the Foreigner...
Right after the fight we're going to spotlight between Sabretooth and Black Cat (like, RIGHT after it), Sabretooth made his way to Uncanny X-Men where he became Wolverine's greatest nemesis...
And he has given Wolverine a hard time ever since.
But how did he do against the Black Cat?
Remember, it is important to note that Sabretooth was much less famous at the time, but still, he held his own against Iron Fist, so this is still kind of embarrassing (and I'm not talking about Black Cat's bizarre mid-80s shoulder pads)...
Suffice it to say that I don't think a Black Cat without bad luck powers should be able to kick Sabretooth's ass that easily.
Claremont hated this fight enough that he planned to reveal that all of Sabretooth's fights before he met the X-Men were actually weaker clones created by Mister Sinister, but he never got around to it (read more about it in this old Comic Book Legends Revealed).
Okay, folks, if you want to see a particular fight spotlighted, drop me a line at bcronin@comicbookresources.com!