By Marc Strom
The Avengers have beaten every villain, would-be world conqueror and maniacal time traveler unfortunate enough to cross their path, but can they possibly hope to defeat…themselves?!
With the inhabitants of the Skrull ship crashed in the Savage Land revealed as the '70s counterparts of some of Marvel's greatest heroes, we imagined what it would look like if some of the New and Mighty Avengers had to battle their past selves…and trust us, the results ain't always pretty!
After we picked our winners, we asked SECRET INVASION editor extraordinaire Tom Brevoort to chime in with his take before the super shootout hits the stands on May 7 with the release of SECRET INVASION #2!
You ready, True Believer? Then grab your popcorn and catch a ringside seat for our predictions on the biggest battles three decades in the making!
Luke Cage
We Say: Just imagine this for a second: "New" Luke Cage, walking down the street, stumbles across '70s Cage with his
tiara and yellow shirt. Confronted with the reality of his past fashion errors, New Cage becomes paralyzed with horror, leaving him open to the beating of the century. No contest.
Our Winner: '70s Cage
Brevoort Says: "New Luke wins, assuming he can stop laughing at what his younger self is wearing long enough to lay the smack down."
His Winner: New Cage
Ms. Marvel
We Say: '70s Ms. Marvel could throw down back in the day. Sure, she doesn't have the experience that New Ms. Marvel
does, but she makes up for it with raw power. After a close match, the more youthful Carol Danvers' optimism would giver her a slight edge over her present day counterpart.
Our Winner: '70s Ms. Marvel
Brevoort Says: "New Ms Marvel has the edge in terms of powers and experience. Unless Old Ms Marvel is Binary, in which case New Ms Marvel is toast."
His Winner: New Ms. Marvel
Wonder Man
We Say: Simon Williams really hasn't changed much since the '70s, and we love him for it. Still living the life of a super heroic celebrity, Williams even recently
donned a costume similar to his '70s duds—though mercifully sans gold necklace this time around. If the two came face-to-face, they'd probably just pummel each other for a while, realize the futility of their battle, and then go out for a night on the town together.
Our Winner: Tie
Brevoort Says: "Tie game. Neither version has any appreciable advantage."
His Winner: Tie
Wolverine
We Say: In the bloodiest of these battles, Wolverine lays into himself in full
berserker mode—after all, why hold back against someone you know you can't kill? Unlike Wonder Man's match, the Logans don't know when to say quit. Perfectly matched in every way, the battle stretches on long after all the others have ended, with neither Wolverine able to claim a clear victor.
Our Winner: Neither
Brevoort Says: "Old Wolverine wins—he's younger and not exhausted from appearing so many places."
His Winner: '70s Wolverine
Iron Man
We Say: Both Iron Men take to the skies, launching repulsor ray against repulsor ray…except New Iron Man has the added advantage of, y'know, thirty years
worth of technological innovations. Plus, with his Extremis-enhanced armor, New IM would barely even have to think about the fight. He could easily catch up on some e-mail while knocking his counterpart down for the count.
Our Winner: New Iron Man
Brevoort Says: "New Iron Man wins. This is like a modern jet fighter battling a prop plane."
His Winner: New Iron Man
Hawkeye/Ronin
We Say: While '70s Hawkeye might have all sorts of fancy arrows, today's Clint Barton, under his new alter ego of Ronin, has nothing but his fists, his wit and a pair
of nunchucks. While Hawkeye falls back on his bow and arrow, Ronin manages to stealthily sneak too close for his weapons to be effective. After years more experience in hand-to-hand combat, Ronin lays Hawkeye down for the count.
Our Winner: Ronin
Brevoort Says: "Old Hawkeye wins. He's got a bow, while Ronin has nunchucks, so Old Clint's got it all over his modern self in terms of range."
His Winner: '70s Hawkeye
Jessica Jones
We Say: Do not mess with a mother scorned. '70s Jessica, decked out in her Jewel costume, might have her act together a little more, but New Jessica's got one
major advantage over her counterpart: a bouncing baby girl. With her daughter as motivation, Jessica manages to climb her way out of the quagmire into which her life has devolved and pwn her '70s counterpart.
Our Winner: New Jessica
Brevoort Says: "Old Jessica wins, as she's less far along in the ongoing shame-spiral that is her life."
His Winner: '70s Jessica
Who do you trust? Learn more about Secret Invasion now at Marvel.com/SecretInvasion! Also, read the SECRET INVASION PROLOGUE in Marvel Digital Comics Unlimited and watch the Secret Invasion animated short!
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