Tintin's Top Ten: Best AVX rivalries

 

Tintin's Top Ten

Best AVX Rivalries

 

Welcome to a new tintin's top ten countdown. Now most people will be asking, where are the weeks comic previews? Well this past week really hasn't had as many as 10 comics worth getting or heck even worth previewing, the weeks biggest comic is one Batman Incorporated issue detailing a certain Robin's final appearance (for the foreseeable future). What I am going to do, is mix up the 3/4 comics worthy of this weeks with next weeks big releases. 

Onto the meat and bones. Today, I though I would start the 50th anniversary feature for the big A and X, with a dual countdown on the ten biggest Avengers VS. X-Men rivalry. Don't worry, this isn't about last years mega but dull comic book event AVX but rather a look into the long time franchises and the inner rivalries they have had boiling for long. So enjoy the countdown.

10. and 9. Scarlet Witch vs. The Avengers/Scarlet Witch vs. X-Men

Name: Wanda Maximoff

Relationships: Magneto (father), Quicksilver (brother), Polaris (step-sister), Vision (ex-husband), Wiccan and Speed (sons) 

Affiliation When Rivals: Avengers

Current Affiliations: Avengers Unity Division

Affiliations: Brotherhood of Evil Mutants, Avengers, West Coast Avengers, Defenders, Force Works 

Rival Teams: Avengers, X-Men,

Other Rival Individuals: Magneto, Rogue, Vision, Cyclops...heck possibly everybody.  

 

Best rivalry moment: Scarlet Witch wipes out most mutants in House of M

Worst rivalry moment: She backtracks her attacks and with Hope revives mutants in Avenger vs. X-Men. 

Okay so this ones a cheat, since not only is it two rivalries but it isn't individual rivalries. Still no one in the Marvel Universe, has done more damage to these teams. In fact current paths that the X-Men and even the Avengers follow is due to the ramifications of the actions caused by Wanda Maximoff. 

 

Scarlet Witch deciding to remove all mutants, hence causing M-Day. Mutants until 2012 would number among 14 million.

There is a lot of confusing back history regarding the character, all that is important is that Wanda Maximoff is the daughter to notorious villain turned anti-hero Magneto and twin sister to Quicksilver. She was married to the android avenger and had children (imaginary). Eventually the need to find her lost children and the influence of the entity (that resurrected them) within her causes madness and that is where her struggles with the Avengers begins.

Wanda is an Omega level (highest order of a) mutant, with reality warping powers. She can as easily defeat every super hero in the Marvel Universe (heck even in DC) with her powers. In fact, she nearly as well killed all the Avengers and caused them to Disassemble. Her involvement in Marvel Comics first big event Avengers:Disassembled, was the beginning of a roller-coaster time for the Avengers team. In terms of sales, Avengers would go on from here to becoming the premier Marvel book in favor of The X-Men. 

In the MU she ended up destroying the Avengers mansion, killed Hawkeye and her husband Vision. Her off the wall craziness and attacks would eventually effect the Avengers trinity (Thor, Captain America and Iron Man) leading into their own personal crisis. Avengers from here on would go through a new team with fan favorites Wolverine and Spider-Man, full blown superhero Civil War, Iron Man taking over SHIELD, Hulk coming back from space and declaring war on the Illuminati, a Skrull (shape-shifting aliens) invasion that was years in the making, Norman Osborn (Green Goblin) taking over as SHIELD director and assembling his own Avengers, then to Osborn breaching but failing to take over Asgard, Captain America becoming SHIELD director, war against Odin's brother and finally the big face off with the X-Men. All this a snowball effect due to Wanda's mind going bonkers. But while the Avengers faced these threats, died and came back to life, X-Men and mutants at whole were the ones who truly suffered.

At the end of the Avengers debacle, Magneto took his daughter away. When news breaks of the Avenger and X-Men deciding to kill her, Quicksilver urges her to alter reality. She changes reality into a mutant ruled world with her family at the top, some heroes discover this and in the end Magneto kills Quicksilver. Her father's mistreatment towards her and her brother cause her to say three words 'No More Mutants'. Thus began the trials of an extinct species, her main rivalry would be with Cyclops. Cyclops moves on to become the leader of his people, eventually surpassing both Magneto and Xavier. His troubles of control and bid to save mutant kind eventually has led him to a path where some think him a hero others a villain. Wanda causing the end of mutant kind led to the militant turn that Scott Summers has been going through for the past decade.

Wanda has been currently absolved of her crimes, helping the first mutant born since M-Day resurrect mutant kind. Wanda is now part of Avengers Unity Division (a team of classic Avengers and X-Men). Even then some heroes totally hate her while others are wary of her powers, she may be a hero on the surface but deep within Wanda is the danger someone can possess if left unchecked. 

8. Daken vs. Wolverine

 

Name: Akihiro

Relationships: Wolverine (father), Itsu (mother), X-23 (pseudo-sister)

Affiliation When Rivals: Dark X-Men, Brotherhood of Evil Mutants

Current Affiliations: currently deceased

Affiliations: Dark Avengers, Dark X-Men, Brotherhood of Evil Mutants

Rival Teams: X-Men, Uncanny X-Force

Other Rival individuals: X-23, Gambit

Best Rivalry Moment: Daken frees his father from SHIELD custody. He does this for his own reasons, and before freeing Wolverine he stabs him in the same manner that Daken's own mother died.

Worst Rivalry Moment: Wolverine murders Daken. Both envision the life they could have had, one where the two and their mother/wife lived happily ever after.

Name: James 'Logan' Howlett

Relationships: Thomas Logan (father), Dog Logan (brother), Itsu (ex-wife)

Affiliation When Rivals: X-Men, X-Force

Current Affiliations: X-Men, Avengers, Avenges Unity Squad, Staff of Jean Grey School

Affiliations: X-Force, SHIELD, XSE, Alpha Flight, Weapon X, Department H, New Avengers

Rival Teams: X-Men Extinction team

Other Rival individuals: Cyclops, Spider-Man, Hulk

So this is another tricky one. Basically Daken is the villainous son of X-Man Wolverine. That however does not exclude this rivalry as their first big confrontation occurred when Daken was posing as Wolverine in Norman Osborn's Dark Avengers team. With the death of his real mother and manipulation by Romulus including a trouble childhood, Daken becomes a threat especially for Wolverine. Logan on the other hand has vainly tried to redeem his son and eventually fails once he murders him.

You can consider this a Wolverine rivalry but eventually Daken was part of the Dark Avengers, his visibility rose while his rivalry with his father came to new heights. Eventually though the disbanding of the Dark Avengers would send the villain to bring forth his own Brotherhood of Mutants in a battle against Wolverine and his black-ops team; Uncanny X-Force. The final issue resulting in Daken's death and the reveal that he and his father longed for a happier life together. Tragic, somewhat AVX, and eventually a blood soaked rivalry.


7. Black Panther vs. Namor the Submariner

 

Name: T'Challa

Relationships: Storm (ex-wife)

Affiliation When Rivals: Avengers, King of Wakanda

Current Affiliations: New Avengers/The Illuminati, King of Wakanda

Affiliations: Avengers, Defenders, Fantastic Four

Rival Teams: X-Men Extinction team, Atlantis

Other Rival Individuals: Storm

Best Rivalry Moment: Namor uses his Phoenix power to destroy Black Panther's country Wakanda. Leaving Wakanda devastated, it causes T'Challa to sever ties with his X-Man wife Storm.  

Worst Rivalry Moment: Black Panther allows Namor to come to his home as part of an Illuminati meeting after the attacks. Black Panther only threatens Namor, where a normal reaction would be to kill him. 

Name: Namor 

Relationships: Namora (cousin), Namorita (cousin/niece), Captain America (war time Ally), Susan Storm (liking), Atlantis (subjects)

Affiliation When Rivals: Phoenix Five, X-Men Extinction team, King of Atlantis

Current Affiliations: New Avengers/Illuminati, King of Atlantis

Affiliations: X-Men, Phoenix Five, Dark X-Men, Defenders, Invaders

Rival Teams: Avengers, Fantastic Four, Wakanda

Other Rival Individuals: Human Torch (Jim Hammond), Reed Richards, Captain America

So, Namor is a former villain of The Fantastic Four and for long has been their reluctant ally. He is the current ruler of the underwater kingdom of Atlantis, his like Marvel's own Aquaman but less useless and clothed.

Black Panther is the first ever black superhero, he precedes Luke Cage, Falcon and Green Lantern (John Stewart). He is the king of a fictional African country called Wakanda and the current leader of The underground cabal known as the Illuminati. He is a former heavyweight member and leader of The Avengers and one of the greatest minds in the Marvel Universe. 

While essentialy these two have never been big rivals, the events within Avengers vs. X-Men crossover comic book led to their undying hatred towards each other. Possessed by the power of Phoenix and coaxed by Emma Frost, Namor went onto destroy Wakanda with a massive tsunami. His actions put him in the path against Black Panther. Once the only man who welcomed T'Challa during his marriage (with Storm) tour, Namor became a fugitive and enemy of the African country. 

Their rivalry is fresh and has been shifted onto the pages of New Avengers, where Black Panther is the lead character. The two have yet to get into a full blown fight which is disappointing. Jonathan Hickman (the writer of the series) is known to build long standing narratives, so expect these two to go from boiling emotions to escalating tensions soon. Anyhow being kings from the two most prominent fake places in the Marvel Universe, they were destined to fight each other. 

6. Iceman vs. Spider-Man

Name: Bobby Drake

Relationships: Kitty Pryde (girlfriend), Mystique (ex-girlfriend), Polaris (ex-girlfriend), Human Torch (best friend), Beast (best friend), Spider-Man (best friend)

Affiliation When Rivals: None

Current Affiliation: X-Men, Staff of Jean Grey School

Affiliations: X-Factor, Defenders

Rival Teams: X-Men Extinction Team

Other Rival Individuals: Cyclops (ex-friend)

Best Rivalry Moment: Spider-Man faces the original X-Men for the first time. While essentially a big fight against the whole team, both Bobby and Peter start to wisecrack against each other showing their vague similarities.

Worst Rivalry Moment: Their actually friends!!!

Name: Peter Parker

Relationships: Iron Man (ex-boss), Iceman (best friend), Captain America (father figure), Human Torch (best friend)   

       Affiliation When Rivals: None

Current Affiliations: Avengers

Affiliations: New Avengers, Future Foundation, Marvel Knights, Fantastic Four

Rival Teams: Sinister Six

Other Rival Individuals: Hulk, Wolverine, Avengers (due to current status quot)

So these guys are actually friends, but come on, which friends have never been competitive rivals. Both are the wisecracking dudes with complex inner problems and actually in reality are nerds. They've never actually been at each other's throats but have always had this friendly rivalry that goes on. With Human Torch (Johnny Storm), they complete a trio of best friends who are always looking to pull each others legs. In fact Spider-Man and Iceman have starred in the classic Spider-Man and Amazing friends cartoon together. Here's to a nice rivalry, a true friendship. 

 

 Spider-Man and Iceman from Spider-Man and his Amazing Friends

5. Red Skull and Magneto

 

Name: Johann Schmidt

Relationships: Sin (daughter)

Affiliation When Rivals: Acts of Vengeance super-villain team, Nazi Germany

Current Affiliation: None

Affiliations: HYDRA, AIM, Exiles, Kronos Corporation, Nazi Germany 

Rival Teams: Avengers, Avengers Unity Division, X-Men or Mutants in general

Other Rival Individuals: Captain America, Wolverine, Professor Xavier

Best Rivalry Moment: Magneto buries Red Skull in a crypt during Acts of Vengeance

Worst Rivalry Moment: The fact that Magneto and Red Skull considered teaming up during Acts of Vengeance

Name: Max Eisenhardt/Eric Lensherr

Relationships: Scarlet Witch (Daughter), Quicksilver (Son), Polaris (Daughter), Professor Xavier (Best Friend/rival), Rouge (ex-lover)

Affiliation when Rivals: Acts of Vengeance super-villain team, Holocaust survivor

Current Affiliation: X-Men Extinction team

Affiliations: X-Men, Brotherhood of Evil Mutants, Hellfire Club, Acolytes

Rival Teams: X-Men, Avengers, Nazi Germany

Other Rival Individuals: Iron Man, Professor Xavier, Wolverine, Cyclops

Respectively two big villains of the best leaders from each team (Cyclops and Captain America). While Red Skull has always been a thorn to the Captain and at times to the Avengers, Magneto has been a staunch villain and ally for the X-Men. At one point both the X-Men and Avengers leaders would have been the biggest difference between the villains, idealistic and honorable but now those same leaders also are similar; Cyclops is or has become a new age Magneto while recently Red Skull nearly made Cap realize how they both want to go back to the simpler time.

This rivalry on the other hand, stems back from the World War 2 days. Red Skull was the right hand man to Adolf Hitler while Max Eisenhardt was one of the Jews rounded up as part of the Holocaust and one of it's survivors. Though there would be no record that the two met, in an origin mini-series for Red Skull it was revealed that a young Schmidt saw Eisenhardt cleaning at a store, he looked at him with disdain. 

The two's big confrontation would come during the Acts of Vengeance event where Loki would form a team of super-villains who had never really fought the Avengers. Magneto would join after leaving his post as headmaster of Professor Xavier's school while Red Skull would also join. Eventually history came up and Magneto buried the Skull in a crypt. There haven't been many face-offs between the two but rather their affiliations that make them the most arch rivals among villains. Currently a 1943 clone of Red Skull tried to manipulate the Scarlet Witch into removing mutants (again) using her hatred for her father. 

4. Captain America vs. Cyclops

 

Name: Steve Rogers

Relationships: Iron Man (best friend), Sharon Carter (girlfriend), Wolverine (WW2 ally)

Affiliation when Rivals: Avengers, Avengers Unity Division

Current Affiliations: Avengers, Avengers Unity Divisions

Affiliations: New Avengers, Avengers, Invaders, Illuminati, Secret Avengers, SHIELD, US Army

Rival Teams: Masters of Evil, X-Men Extinction Team, Cable and X-Force

Other Rival Individuals: Iron Man, Namor, Wolverine

Best Rivalry Moment: Cyclops after being incarcerated actually remarks that he was right about the Phoenix birthing mutants back, turning fan and Marvel Universe public perception in his favor

Worst Rivalry Moment: Cyclops sympathizes with Captain Americas situation during the superhero Civil War. 

Name: Scott Summers

Relationships: Jean Grey (ex-wife), Emma Frost (ex-girlfriend), Havok (brother), Professor Xavier (father figure), Wolverine (ex-friend), Cable (son), Rachael Summers (daughter), Hope Summers (pseudo-granddaughter)

Affiliation when Rivals: X-Men Extinction team, Phoenix Five

Current Affiliations: X-Men Extinction team

Affiliations: X-Men, X-Factor, X-Force

Rival Teams: Avengers, X-Men,  Avengers Unity Division

Other Rival Individuals: Wolverine, Beast, Havok, Mr Sinister 

This is a fresh rivalry that has been brewing since the end of House of M and the reduction of mutants by Wanda. Cyclops has been characterized since then as the leader of his people and a bad-ass militant fighter. His attitude towards Captain America was borderline respectuful, at one point hatred when Captain America decided to absolve Scarlet Witch's crimes while the X-Men wanted her in their custody. 

The big blow out came during the Avengers vs. X-Men event. Captain America was against the Phoenix power and wanted Cyclops to hand it's soon to be host; Hope Summers to the Avengers. Cyclops replied no and told the Captain to walk away. Soon enough the war began. 

Two men who closely resemble each other changed by their perception of the World, one who is an icon and was worshiped the other who is an original member of a group and species that is feared and hated. Cyclops at one point even sympathized with Captain America's situation during the Superhero registration act and the Marvel Civil War. Captain America on the other hand was to busy to help out the X-Men and mutants after the loss of million of their species due to Wanda's actions. He remarks that maybe he and the Avengers have not done their part for Charles Xaviers dream, and thus forms the Avengers Unity Squad. This rivalry will grow stronger as Cyclops goes on with his new mutant revolution eventually colliding with Captain America and his brother Havok's Avengers team.

3. Spider-Man vs. Wolverine

Name: Peter Parker

Relationships: Iron Man (ex-boss), Iceman (best friend), Captain America (father figure), Human Torch (best friend)   

Affiliation When Rivals: Avengers

Current Affiliations: Avengers

Affiliations: New Avengers, Future Foundation, Marvel Knights, Fantastic Four

Rival Teams: Sinister Six

Other Rival Individuals: Hulk, Avengers (due to current status quot)

Best Rivalry Moment: Whenever Spider-Man cracks a joke and Wolverine gets annoyed

Worst Rivalry Moment: None in particular

Name: James 'Logan' Howlett

Relationships: Thomas Logan (father), Dog Logan (brother), Itsu (ex-wife), Daken (son)

Affiliation When Rivals: Avengers

Current Affiliations: X-Men, Avengers, Avenges Unity Squad, Staff of Jean Grey School

Affiliations: X-Force, SHIELD, XSE, Alpha Flight, Weapon X, Department H, New Avengers

Rival Teams: X-Men Extinction team

Other Rival individuals: Cyclops, Daken, Hulk

Not the best of friends or the worst of rivals. Wolverine and Spider-Man have been the two most popular superheroes ever, their collisions are frequent at time and really hilarious. Once upon a time they were considered loners (even if Wolverine was an X-Man), they were two of the many heroes who teamed up to form the New Avengers after the disassembling of the former team at the hands of the Scarlet Witch. Regularly playing the comedic duo. 

Even then Logan knows that Peter is a true ally and a person he can count on to being a hero. Thier biggest team up occurred in the wacky Jason Aaron mini-series Astonishing Spider-Man and Wolverine, where the two were at constant odds but fighting together against villainous Mojo.

2. Rogue vs. Ms Marvel

 

Name: Anna Marie

Relationships: Mystique (foster Mother), Nightcrawler (step-brother), Gambit (ex-boyfriend), Magneto (ex-lover)

Affiliation when Rivals: Brotherhood of Evil Mutants, X-Men

Current Affiliations: X-Men, Staff of Jean Grey School, Avengers Unity Division

Affiliations: X-Men, XSE, Brotherhood of Evil Mutants

Rival Teams: Freedom Force, X-Men Extinction Team

Other Rival Individuals: Mystique, Scarlet Witch, Dazzler (at one point)

Best Rivalry Moment: Rogue absorbs Ms Marvel's powers and psyche permanently causing her anguish for the next few decades and causing Ms Marvel to be de-powered and lose hope for a long time.      

Worst Rivalry Moment: Fighting for her sanity, Rogue found help with the psyche of Carol Danvers. Man these heroes cannot hold a grudge when someones in danger.

Name: Major Carol Danvers

Relationships: Jessica Jones (best friend), Spider-Woman I (best-friend), X-Men (allies), Captain America (respectful allies), Captain Marvel (namesake/ally/mentor), Nick Fury (ex-boss), Iron Man (ex-boss), Wolverine (allies/friends)

Affiliation When Rivals: Avengers

Current Affiliations: Avengers

Affiliations: USAF, NASA, SHIELD, Avengers, Mighty Avengers, New Avengers, Starjammers

Rival Teams: Masters of Evil, Shiar Galactic Empire

Other Rival Individuals: Mystique

Finally we come to the rivalry that created this article (of course with number one as well), Rogue actually made her first appearance as a villain that absorbed Ms. Marvel's powers in retaliation of the imprisonment of the Brotherhood and her foster mother Mystique. 

Ms. Marvel resisted eventually causing her psyche and powers to permanently transfer onto Rogue. She would go into coma and wake up later powerless, soon her friendship would strike with the X-Men since she was an ally of Wolverine. By then she would aid them in a space battle against the Brood and become a powerful hero known as Binary. 

After some time with the X-Men, Rogue would arrive seeking aid in controlling her powers. Danvers decided to leave when she felt Xavier was not fair to her by taking in Rogue, Wolverine and other X-Men would be against Rogue until she saves him in battle.

Rogue would continue on with the X-Men. At one point Danvers psyche would trade persona with Rogue, the two would share Rogue's body until Carol kept on changing Rogues things to her taste eventually causing friction. Years later she would go through the Siege Perilious, granting her a new life. Rogue would lose her powers and Carol's psyche temporarily. 

A disembodied psyche of Danvers would then help her, eventually escaping to the Savage Land. Rogue would there face a Ms Marvel zombie created by the Shadow King. It would be years later when Rogue and Ms Marvel would then face off in the Avengers Vs. X-Men event. 

1. Wolverine and Hulk

 

Name: James 'Logan' Howlett

Relationships: Thomas Logan (father), Dog Logan (brother), Itsu (ex-wife), Daken (son)

Affiliation When Rivals: Department H, X-Men

Current Affiliations: X-Men, Avengers, Avenges Unity Squad, Staff of Jean Grey School

Affiliations: X-Force, SHIELD, XSE, Alpha Flight, Weapon X, Department H, New Avengers

Rival Teams: X-Men Extinction team

Other Rival individuals: Cyclops, Daken

Best Rivalry Moment: Wolverine bursts out of Hulk stomach after having been eaten by him. He proceeds to slash through Hulk and kills him for having killed his family. This is in the dystopian future from Old Man Logan

Worst Rivalry Moment: Hulk and Wolverine fight their future selves in A+X team-up series

Name: Bruce Banner

Relationships: Red She-Hulk (ex-wife), Red Hulk (ex-father in law), She-Hulk (cousin), Hercules (friend), Iron Man (friend), Namor (friend), Dr Strange (friend)

Affiliation When Rivals: None

Current Affiliation: Avengers. SHIELD, Secret Avengers

Affiliations: Avengers, Defenders, Hulkbusters, Warbound

Riaval Teams: Offenders, US Miltary, SHIELD...basically everyone

Other Rival Individuals: Iron Man, Red Hulk, Thor, Thing

As with Rogue, Wolverine made his debut against his biggest rival; The Hulk. It's actually kind of weird that Wolverine is more of an Avengers member than Hulk has ever been. The two began fighting when Wolverine (an operative of Department H) was sent to prevent Hulk and another monster Wendigo from causing carnage in Canada.

From then on, as teammates or individuals; Hulk and Wolverine have never gotten along. Even in the distopian future where Red Skull and other villains including Hulk have taken over, Wolverine is the only man standing. Here he was telepathically manipulated into killing the X-Men and thus vowed to never use his claws until Hulk and his family kill his family. This prompts a last showdown between Hulk and Wolverine.

While they barely face off anymore, Hulk and Wolverine have never looked each other in the eye and will always be at odds.

So these are the top ten rivalries. As I continued the article I realised how hard it was to find single rivalries that had sustained for long, this is not because the two sides are friendly with each other but rather because X-Men till NOW! have been distant from the rest of the Marvel Universe.

'Nuff Said

Aneesh Raikundalia