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Contest of Champions #3

Aug 1982
Bill Mantlo, John Romita Jr.

Story Name:

Chapter 4 Third Contest: Siege In the City of the Dead! Chapter 5 Fourth Contest: Struggle in the Jungle! Chapter 6 Winner Takes None!


Synopsis

Contest of Champions #3 synopsis by Peter Silvestro
Rating: 3 stars
Synopsis by Pedro

Two contests have already been waged. The winners were Daredevil, agent of the Grandmaster… And the Arabian Knight, agent of the Unknown. Two contests remain yet to be played. The Grandmaster needs to win both of them to acquire the Golden Globe to restore life to his immortal brother. As for the heroes, many have the feeling that no matter which omnipotent wins, Earth will lose. Angel, Black Panther and Vanguard meet Le Peregrine, Thing, and Wolverine in “Siege in the City of the Dead!” While Captain America, Blitzkrieg, and Sasquatch tackle the team of Collective Man, Shamrock, and Storm in “Struggle in the Jungle! Thing and Shamrock win, giving victory to the Grandmaster. After the Unknown, revealed as Death revives the Collector, all heroes are sent back to Earth.



Synopsis by Peter Silvestro

For Round Three the scene switches to China: the Unknown’s Team, Black Panther, Angel and Vanguard versus the Grandmaster’s Wolverine, Thing, and Peregrine. Wolverine attacks the Black Panther in the city of terra-cotta warriors, startling his foe with the violence of his attacks. Peregrine and Angel engage in an aerial duel while the Thing and Vanguard test their strength against each other. The Thing and Angel come out on top and the Wolverine/Panther fight is a draw. Wolverine’s senses detect the quarter of the Golden Globe and Thing unearths it. Round Three goes to the Grandmaster.

Round Four switches to the jungles of South America as Grandmaster’s Captain America, Sasquatch and Blitzkreig face off against the Unknown’s Storm, Shamrock and Collective Man. Blitzkrieg finds his lightning powers no match for Storm who controls the elements. Collective Man surprises the massive Sasquatch with his strength derived from his collective countrymen. The agile Cap and Shamrock play a game of cat-and-mouse among the trees with the Irish heroine claiming the prize. The final round goes to the Grandmaster.

The champions are retuned to the arena, the Golden Globe of Life is reassembled and the Grandmaster claims his prize: the resurrection of his brother, the Collector. Talisman enables Invisible Girl by the power of dream-time to unmask the Unknown as Death herself. Death then reveals the detail she neglected to mention: the Collector can be raised only if a being of equal power chooses to die in his place. The Grandmaster agrees to sacrifice his life, and when the reborn Collector realizes what has happened vows to get even with Death; she proposes a game…. The heroes are safely returned to Earth but it will be a long time before they feel like playing games.

Grandmaster’s Team: Captain America, Talisman, Darkstar, Wolverine, Captain Britain, Sasquatch, She-Hulk, Daredevil, Thing, Defensor, Le Peregrine, Blitzkreig.

Unknown’s Team: Iron Man, Shamrock, Iron Fist, Storm, Arabian Knight, Angel, Sabra, Invisible Girl, Sunfire, Black Panther, Collective Man, Vanguard.


 

Review / Commentaries


Contest of Champions #3 Review by (February 16, 2010)
Other characters appearing in this comic: Vanguard, Peregrine, Blitzkrieg, Storm, Shamrock, Collective Man, Captain Britain, Talisman, Defensor, Sabra, Arabian Knight, Sunfire.


Contest of Champions #3 Review by (March 15, 2010)
Part three of a three-part miniseries; originally planned as a single MARVEL TREASURY EDITION. Many heroes, including Hulk and Thor, appear only in group scenes. And yes, you’re not imagining it: the authors forgot Shamrock was on the Unknown’s team and the contest should have ended in a tie; a later two-part Avengers tale was created to correct the error.

Grandmaster’s Team: Captain America, Talisman, Darkstar, Wolverine, Captain Britain, Sasquatch, She-Hulk, Daredevil, Thing, Defensor, Le Peregrine, Blitzkreig. Unknown’s Team: Iron Man, Shamrock, Iron Fist, Storm, Arabian Knight, Angel, Sabra, Invisible Girl, Sunfire, Black Panther, Collective Man, Vanguard.


> Contest of Champions comic book info and issue index

Elektra

Excelsioring your collection:
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Holy smokes, Batman!
(The Boy Wonder)

John Romita Jr.
Pablo Marcos
Don Warfield
Ed Hannigan (Cover Penciler)
Additional Credits
Letterer: Joe Rosen.

Characters

Listed in Alphabetical Order.

Angel
Angel

(Warren Worthington III)
Beast
Beast

(Henry Phillip McCoy)
Black Panther
Black Panther

(T'Challa)
Captain America
Captain America

(Steven Rogers)
Collector
Collector

(Taneleer Tivan)
Daredevil
Daredevil

(Matt Murdock)
Darkstar
Darkstar

(Laynia Petrovna)
Grandmaster
Grandmaster

(En Dwi Gast)
Invisible Woman
Invisible Woman

(Sue Storm)
Iron Fist
Iron Fist

(Danny Rand)
Iron Man
Iron Man

(Anthony Stark)
Sasquatch
Sasquatch

(Walter Langkowski)
Scarlet Witch
Scarlet Witch

(Wanda Maximoff)
She-Hulk
She-Hulk

(Jennifer Walters)
Storm
Storm

(Ororo Munroe)
Thing
Thing

(Ben Grimm)
Vanguard
Vanguard

(Nicolai Krylenko)
Wolverine
Wolverine

(James Howlett)
Wonder Man
Wonder Man

(Simon Williams)