Contest of Champions

This book is AWESOME!!! In 1982, Marvel put together all of the company's heroes to create a Contest of Champions. The purpose of the contest is for the Grandmaster to challenge Death herself. The two entities pick twelve representatives from different countries each. Grandmaster choses Captain America (USA), Talisman (Australia), Darkstar (USSR), Captain Britain (England), Wolverine (Canada), Defensor (Brazil), Sasquatch (Canada), Daredevil (USA), Peregrine (France), She Hulk (USA), Thing (USA), and Blitzkrieg (Germany). Death choses Iron Man (USA), Vanguard (USSR), Iron Fist (USA), Shamrock (Ireland), Storm (Kenya), Arabian Knight (Saudi Arabia), Sabra (Israel), Invisible Girl (USA), Angel (USA), Black Panther (South Africa), Sunfire (Japan), and Collective Man (China).The first battle pits Daredevil, Darkstar, and Talisman against Invisible Girl, Sunfire, and Iron Fist. Daredevil wins. The second battle pits Captain Britain, She Hulk, and Defensor against Iron Man, Sabra, and Arabian Knight, Arabian Knight (who is one of those obscure heroes) wins. The third battle pits Thing, Wolverine, and le Peregrine against Angel, Black Panther, and Vanguard. Thing wins. The fourth battle pits Captain America, Sasquatch, and Blitzkrieg against Storm, Collective Man, and Shamrock. Shamrock wins, although the Grandmaster declares victory.This exciting story introduces us to foreign heroes Talisman, Sabra, Defensor, Arabian Knight, Peregrine, Collective Man, Blitzkrieg, and Shamrock, as well as features Avengers (Captain America, Iron Man, Black Panther, and She Hulk), Fantastic Four (Invisible Girl and Thing), lawmen (Daredevil and Iron Fist), X-Men (Wolverine, Storm, Angel, Sunfire, and eventually Captain Britain), Alpha Flight (Sasquatch) and even the forgotten Soviet Super Soldiers (Darkstar and Vanguard). We even see some cameos from other Marvel heroes (Ajak, American Eagle, Ant-Man, Aurora, Banshee, Beast, Black Bolt, Black Knight, Black Widow, Blue Shield, Brother Voodoo, Captain Ultra, Captain Universe, Colossus, Crimson Dynamo, Crystal, Cyclops, Dazzler, Devil Slayer, Doc Samson, Doctor Druid, Doctor Strange, Falcon, Firebird, Gargoyle, Gorgon, Guardsman, Havok, Hawkeye, Hellcat, Hercules, Hulk, Human Torch, Iceman, Ikaris, Jack of Hearts, Jocasta, Ka Zar, Karnak, Living Mummy, Machine Man, Makkari, Medusa, Mister Fantastic, Mockingbird, Moon Knight, Moondragon, Night Rider, Nightcrawler, Nighthawk, Northstar, Paladin, Power Man, Professor X, Quasar, Quicksilver, Red Wolf, ROM, Scarlet Witch, Sersi, Shaman, Shanna the She Devil, Shooting Star, Shroud, Snowbird, Son of Satan, Spider-Man, Spider-Woman, Sprite, Stingray, Sub-Mariner, Tamara, Texas Twister, Thor, Three-D Man, Tigra, Torpedo, Triton, Union Jack, Ursa Major, Valkyrie, Vindicator, Vision, Wasp, Werewolf by Night, Whizzer, Wonder Man, and Yellowjacket). Too bad Spidey did not make the cut.

I remember when the Contest of Champions was first released as a 3-issue comic. It paved the way for Secret Wars. It was clear and to the point: Grandmaster and Death place a wager. If the Grandmaster's team wins, Grandmaster regains his lost brother the Collecter. If Death wins, Grandmaster gives up his life. Both sides choose 12 heroes, and go at it. It introduced a whole new group of heroes, and it was fun all around....