Bronze Age Babies: And Now for Something Completely Nerdy...

Thursday, December 11, 2014

And Now for Something Completely Nerdy...

Doug: I saw this on Twitter a few weeks ago. I'm sure it's been discussed across the Internet in the past, but I don't think we've ever broached the subject on this blog. Really, it's such an awesome topic for pondering that I don't know why we haven't gotten to it. So without further ado, see the image below and pick a side!

18 comments:

William said...: This is something they used to do in Wizard Magazine back in the day. They'd take two characters and speculate on who would win in a showdown.

Some of the ones I remember were Darth Vader vs. Darth Maul, Green Goblin vs. The Joker, and even Batman vs. Jack Bauer from 24. The article was always accompanied by an illustration like the one you've presented here. It was a lot of fun. I miss magazines like Wizard and ToyFare.

Now that being said, I'd have to go with Vader in this instance. If it came down to it, he could just use the power of the force to crush Doom like a tin can inside his own armor. (And no fair saying it was just a Doom-Bot).; December 11, 2014 at 6:49 AM
MattComix said...: I'm still amazed at how Hollywood for all it's vaunted effects magic has utterly failed at putting a live-action Dr. Doom on screen.

If you can make Darth Vader, you can make Dr. Doom.

As for this fight, I would say that Victor would have trouble battling against the Force. On the other hand he could use the Time Platform to send Vader back to meet his younger whinier self from the prequels.

"Noooooooooooooooo."; December 11, 2014 at 7:17 AM
Doug said...: It would be a service to mankind if Doom did indeed mop the floor with Hayden Christensen.

On the other hand, the Vader we saw in the Star Wars and Empire was a baaaaaaaad man... He was definitely on Doom's level in the category of malevolence.

Would love to see Doom come up with something to counter the light sabre.

Doug; December 11, 2014 at 7:36 AM
Humanbelly said...: Matt, I'm going to risk my fanboy cred and offer that the Doom costume/armor in the can't-avert-your-gaze Corman FF film was a refreshingly faithful adaptation of the comic book design. The actor inside it, however, clearly had no idea how to inhabit it or trust how it came across on film, and gave the most horrible, unintentionally comic physical performance you're likely to ever come across. (The Thing costume/gear was also surprisingly effective, given the budget level of the film--).

Y'know, "on paper" Doom would appear to be almost hilariously over-matched by Vader. Vader, of course, was the muscle that kept an entire galactic ("Far, far away") empire at heel. Doom's aspirations have generally been global in scope.
Except. . . except. . . Doom has never met a level of power he didn't yearn for and scheme to usurp. Lest we forget, he did once upon a time (in our galaxy right here) manage to throw a rope on and channel the power of the Beyonder himself. Vader has always struck me as being capable of enormous hubris, whereas Doom the Underdog is probably just about as dangerous opponent as anyone could ever face.

I'm a-goin' with Doom for the upset (sort of like the Giants in their last couple of SuperBowls. . . ).

HB; December 11, 2014 at 9:13 AM
Karen said...: DOOM!! I'll take brains over brawn any day. If Doom can figure out how to usurp the power of the Silver Surfer, or take out the whole Fantastic Four, he'll have no problem against a telekinetic cyborg.

(I love ya Darth but that's the way it goes, son.); December 11, 2014 at 11:15 AM
J.A. Morris said...: Vader wins with the forcechoke...unless Doom has an Ysalamiri!; December 11, 2014 at 11:28 AM
Humanbelly said...: (. . . and the rasping, elderly Anakin is reduced to whimpering into his respirator, having been summarily dismissed w/out so much as a Howdy-do or Have-an-Apple by young Karen. . . )

HB; December 11, 2014 at 11:29 AM
Edo Bosnar said...: Doom, definitely: since he's also a sorcerer and not just a scientific genius, he'd probably find a way to tap into the dark side of the Force, so there goes Vader's main advantage.
Also, since - as I said - he's a scientific/technical genius, he'd probably devise (or steal the blueprints from Reed Richards) a light shield to deflect light saber blows. So there goes Vader's other advantage...; December 11, 2014 at 12:46 PM
Humanbelly said...: And Vader's a cyborg.
One word:

Nanobots.

Strangely enough, for all of its vast scope and scale and successful conquest-- the tech that anchors Star Wars' Galactic Empire already seems kind of quaint, doesn't it? Very macro and bigger-is-betterer. Industrial Revolution extrapolated way the heck out. I feel like it would be terribly vulnerable to things like computer attacks, microtech, and even biotech threats. Marvel always embraces those kinds of speculative things as soon as some scientist posits them at all-- so Marvel (Doom) wins again!

HB; December 11, 2014 at 1:19 PM
MattComix said...: @Humanbelly. I more or less agree with you on the Corman films Doom. I would've darkened the green on his outfit, maybe some other tweaks but yeah, a Dr.Doom that looks like Dr. Doom. What a concept!

Thing a little less so yet something about that suit I still like better than the make up used for Michael Chilkis. I think it's mainly that the Corman suit at least made an honest attempt at recreating Ben Grimms distinctive forehead.; December 11, 2014 at 1:46 PM
Edo Bosnar said...: And I have to say, I'm so glad we're finally discussing something nerdy around here. I was getting so tired of all the hipster fare ... :P; December 11, 2014 at 2:30 PM
William Preston said...: Say, who used to run those online X vs. X battles? I'm thinking around 1995. They'd pose a conflict, people would submit narrative descriptions of how the battle would go, and the guys (I think it was guys) who ran the site would talk about what they'd received and then, if I recall correctly, run a winning entry in its entirety. (Or would they cobble a battle together from various entries?)

Anyone else remember that?; December 11, 2014 at 7:12 PM
Anonymous said...: It's funny how similar these two are, and I'm not talking about their armour. Both men suffered tragic events brought about by their own hubris which resulted in them becoming scarred both physically and psychologically. Both carry a deep grudge against the supposed architects of their downfall (Reed Richards and Obi-Wan Kenobi) and both men are symbols of oppression, one in Latveria and one in the Galactic Empire. I'm sure there are other parallels which can be drawn, but it's great to see them pitted against each other, the Monarch of Latveria vs the Sith Lord!

- Mike 'Darth Doom' from Trinidad & Tobago.; December 11, 2014 at 8:58 PM
Rip Jagger said...: Vader bah!

Doom wins!

Rip Off; December 11, 2014 at 11:54 PM
Anonymous said...: Doom: armor with a devastating array of high-tech weapons (cf, for example, Iron Man 149-50), super-strength from armor's endo-skeleton (enough to go hand to hand to hand with Iron Man)super-genius level intellect, knowledge of sorcery

Vader: Laser sword, telekinesis, cyborg body with low level super-strength (about enough to one hand neck lift a grown man)

Doom wins easily

trajan23; December 12, 2014 at 5:20 PM
The Prowler said...: Echoing Dino-Mike's theme, I think both men are eerily similar. Both men are a melding of man and machine, faith and science, and both tragically scarred by the loss of their mothers. Where I think the differences lie are in the men themselves. Vader is the Empire's champion whereas Doom is Doom. He bows his knee to no man. Yet, Vader, much like Arthur's Galahad, God's Michael, Grant's Sherman, Kennedy's Kennedy, is the Empire's right hand. The power of the throne, if you will. Doom's fight would not be a battle with Vader, but a war with the Empire. It would not end until Doom reign's supreme. If there would be one flaw, and I dare to even utter the words, Doom would use the cloning technique to make copies of himself. And much like the Kahns of old, the world would burn with the fire of their battles.....

(Oh to sail away, to sandy lands and other days Oh to touch the dream, Hides inside and never seen into the sun the south the north, at last the birds have flown the shackles of commitment fell, in pieces on the ground).; December 12, 2014 at 10:23 PM
Karen said...: Prowler -"Achilles' Last Stand'? Nice, very nice.; December 12, 2014 at 11:31 PM
Joseph said...: Spidey Super Stories #31 equated Doom to Vader. Tough as it is, I gotta think that Victor Von would prevail over Vader.

Both are virtually powerless without their armor (ego not withstanding). Blasting from his palms from farther away, Doom would overcome the Force to be the victor (pun totally intended).; December 14, 2014 at 2:13 AM