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 we feature a fight that I think someone suggested but I can't find their name anywhere (so if you suggested this fight, be sure to pop in in the comments section to get your credit!). In any event, the fight is the famous (infamous?) Luke Cage/Doctor Doom "Where's my money, honey?" fight.
I'll admit, it amuses me greatly to be able to feature this story again, as I've already spotlighted it as an I Love Ya But You're Strange AND as an Abandoned an' Forsaked. Now it's for the Wrong Side!
As always, the first page spotlights their power levels and the second page examines the fight itself.
Also, as always, how did they do against Spider-Man?
Luke Cage first fought Spider-Man in Amazing Spider-Man #123 (by Gerry Conway, Gil Kane and John Romita) and while Cage puts up an admirable effort, he is just out-classed...
They fight later on, and the same thing happens until Spider-Man convinces Cage to listen to him and trust that Spidey is no murderer (it's kind of funny, Spider-Man clearly is outclassing Cage, but the whole point of Cage's appearance is to help promote his new title, so Conway has Spider-Man throw in a "we're too evenly matched for either of us to ever truly win"...uh, no, Spidey, you kicking his ass all over the place makes it pretty clear that you WOULD eventually win)...
Spidey and Doom first fought in Amazing Spider-Man #5 (by Steve Ditko and Stan Lee), where Spider-Man acquits himself well, but Doom looks like he is about to win when the Fantastic Four show up...
Many years later, they fought again in Amazing Spider-Man #350 (by David Michelinie, Erik Larsen and Randy Emberlin) and again, while Spider-Man handles himself well, it looks like Doom would eventually win in their battle...
So if Doctor Doom can defeat Spider-Man, what hope does Luke Cage have against Doom? Well, I suppose it depends on whether Doctor Doom's armor can survive being punched a lot in one spot....
On to the fight!
Again, I've featured this fight before for I Love Ya But You're Strange (because it is hilariously awesome) and Abandoned an' Forsaked (as Dwayne McDuffie later retconned the story), but I'll quickly recap it. Luke Cage does some work for Doctor Doom in a previous issue (he doesn't know it is for Doom until the end of the issue) and Doom stiffs him. So, in Hero for Hire #9 (by Steve Englehart, Billy Graham and George Tuska) to get his $200, Luke borrows the Fantastic Four's million dollar rocket to travel to Latveria to get his money. He encounters Doom, and then (after the classic line, "Where's my money, honey?") the fight begins...
You can clearly see what Englehart was going for - he wanted to give Luke a fluke victory. I'm totally down with that idea. I am cool with a writer coming up with some way for Cage to defeat Doom, but "punching him a bunch in one spot?" Come on, that's just silly. That never occurred to the Thing in all the years leading up to this issue? "Just punch him a lot in one spot." I love how Doom even shouts about it, "I prepared for everything! Except getting hit a bunch of times in one spot!"
Okay, that's it for this week! Thanks for the suggestion, whoever sent it in! Everyone else, feel free to send in suggestions for future installments to bcronin@comicbookresources.com!