It's late. You're tired. Do you know where your comic store is?
The company crossover everyone has waited for has finally come. DC Comics and Marvel Comics have joined forces to make a product so incredibly humongous and important, it will blow your socks off.
On the project are writers Peter David and Ron Marz (no special opinion, just alphabetically arranged). In the art department are pencilers Claudio Castellini and Dan Jurgens, and inkers Paul Neary and Joe Rubenenstein.
Ron Marz will do issues #1 and #3, and Peter David will do #2 and #4. Jurgens and Castellini will each draw half of every book.
Somehow the two Universes have been combined, and someone or something is manipulating our heroes to the point where they begin to fight each other. There is an important and unusual part of this crossover though. Fans will be able to determine who wins 5 of the fights.
INSTANT POWER ANALYSIS
These heroes are specimens of cellular perfection that allows for incredible feats of physical prowess. Both have lifting strength levels in excess of 100 tons. Both are extremely resistant to physical injury, possibly the most resistant in both their respective Universes, given their stature as mortal beings who are not magically enhanced or wielding the Power Cosmic.
Superman is a genetically engineered life form and derives his powers by the manipulation and conversion of solar radiation. This allows him to augment his physical nature with a wide range of electromagnetic phenomena.
The Hulks powers may have been innate and were triggered by a massive dose of radioactive exposure. He continuously emits a very low level of gamma radiation. His primary powers are his massive strength, endurance and incredible healing factor. (It is theorized that during this encounter that the Hulk will receive some sort of balancing power to augment his capabilities to offset the advantage Superman has due to his electromagnetic envelope).
SUPERMAN'S POWER BREAKDOWN
SUPERMAN: Kal-El, aka Clark Kent
Superman is a highly advanced genetically enhanced life form. Kal-El's cellular structure is more dense, resiliant and biologically more effective than human tissue and it is theorized that he could lift approximately 150 tons based in pure physical strength. His cellular structure is suffused with specialized cells whose function seems to be the storage of the radiant energy in multiple formats. One of these formats is a superdense cellular protein that can be broken down and turned back into biological energy. This protein is what powers Kal-El's long-term energy supply and is restored slowly. Unused energy from his electromagnetic field is slowly converted into this cellular protein over time.
His cellular and electromagnetic structures act as a solar energy collector that creates an energy-retentive skintight force field capable of absorbing and converting cosmic radiation (solar, radiant and electromagnetic energies). One aspect of the energy gathered by this field is that there is almost no electromagnetic waste. Superman's field recycles almost all of its radiation-generated energies. Otherwise, Superman would glow with a distinctive signature, easily detected by others, whenever he uses his powers.
This field of electromagnetic energy supplements Superman's already potent physical form. Its conservation of energy allows Superman to exert himself for extended periods and maintain his energy levels. The strength of this field is also its greatest weakness. It's permeability to certain radiation wavelengths makes Superman vulnerable to certain radiations, particularly magical energies whose chaotic electromagnetic signatures disrupt this forcefield or radiations such as Kryptonite. High energy radiations of a particular wavelength can also cause injury by overloading the field at a single point.
Superman's body also stores energy actively within his bio-cellular matrix as an energy pattern that is linked to his body's electromagnetic field. This energy is what powers most of Superman's electromagnetic capabilities such as flight, telekinesis, and heat vision. It also supplements his already potent physical strength by a factor of 1200 times or so. Between the telekinetic lifting capabilities and the physical capabilities possessed by Superman, he can conceivably lift objects weighing 100,000 tons or more. It is conceivable that he could lift more if he was completely powered and using all of his stored energies.
THE HULK'S POWER BREAKDOWN
The Hulk: aka Doctor Bruce Banner
The Hulk's cellular structure has been modified in an yet as unknown means that allows his cells to transform from his normal cellular structure to the gamma radiation emitting tissues of the Incredible Hulk. I theorize that the cells of the Hulk are actually being replaced by extradimensional living tissue in a yet as disclosed manner. This tissue is molecularly dense and correlates with normal tissues in their form and function. This tissue increases the Hulk's muscle and bone mass significantly increasing his size by a factor of 10.
The muscular tissue is approximately 1500 times stronger than normal human muscle tissue. At a normal rate of activity, the Hulk can lift almost 100 tons. During a prolonged or rage induced struggles take place, the Hulk's cellular performance improves significantly. There has been no known limit to this strength but, there must be a limit imposed by his cellular structure and its ability to withstand stress. An estimate would be approximately 200 - 250 tons as an upper ceiling. The cellular activity in this tissue is also phenomenal. Waste products are removed almost instantaneously.
In his gamma-radiating form, the Hulk's body is highly resistant to conventional injury and is capable of resisting a tank round. For injuries that actually penetrate his superdense physical structure, his cellular regeneration rate heals his injuries at 200 times the human norm. He has rarely ever received an injury that has had a lasting effect, and it is doubtful that any convential weaponry short of high energy plasma technology or extreme kinetic-kill weaponry would have any longterm effect. Nuclear weaponry can damage and even destroy the Hulk, if one were willing to use such weapons.
The Hulk has also made quite a collection of techniques that utilize his physical strength to its greatest advantage. He may create devastating physical shockwaves by clapping his hands. He may also generate phenomena similar to directed earthquakes by stomping his feet. He may hurl relatively small metallic objects at supersonic velocities. His leaping and landing skill is quite accurate and can be used with precision to perform devastating movement attacks. He has had quite a history of combat and has recently trained to improve his fighting techniques during his time with the Pantheon.
In his latest incarnation, it would seem that Doctor Banner has placed a kind of safety interlock on the form of the Hulk. As he increases in rage and accordingly strength, once the threshold has been reached, he will convert back to the normal form of Doctor Banner for a limited time (usually until the raging period is past). This vulnerability forces the Hulk to reason with his opponents or (or defeat them with intelligence) instead of raging at them.
THE STRUGGLE
It would seem that overall, unless there were a creative use of the surroundings on the part of the Hulk, he can be assured of a physical defeat by Superman. Superman's range of powers and long-term endurance allows him to battle the Hulk long past the Hulk's ability to withstand damage.
This is not to say that the Hulk could not harm Superman in a physical contest, The Hulk's physical strength and stamina may be superior to the natural strength levels of Superman, but with the energies derived from Superman's electromagnetic sources, he will resist damage better, last longer, utilize his strength better, fly, emit bursts of radiant energy, and overcome the Hulk's physical resistance to damage and near-instantaneous healing factor.
The Hulk's greatest advantage is the mind of Doctor Bruce Banner. With his knowledge of radiant energy physics, he might derive a way to defeat Superman, who while gifted with naturally high intelligence, has seemingly made no extra effort to harness it.
This struggle would destroy a huge area of real estate unless it were done somewhere remote. This might also give the Hulk a minor advantage since Superman would not want innocents to be harmed.
After the seventies, Batman returned to his dark and menacing roots (in Detective Comics) and became again the scourge of Gotham City. Encountering revisions of older villain as well as new more dangerous foes, the Batman was shown as a man of intense commitment and perhaps just a bit over the edge. He for a while, joined forces with the Man of Steel (World's Finest) and became for a while, clearer and brighter as if association with Superman purged him of his darkness. Batman suddenly became ubiqutous, appearing everywhere, offering advice in his take-no-prisoners tone of voice. Secretly waiting around to see if help was needed. Batman has inspired many members of the hero community because of his integrity and his fortitude and even has carte blanche from the Man of Steel himself to take him down if he ever went rogue.
He has been a member of every major superteam the DCU has ever had. He was a member of the Justice Society of Earth Two, the Justice League of Earth One, The New Justice League (briefly) and the leader of Batman and the Outsiders. In his latest incarnation, (Batman III) he has proven to be a resiliant character capable of continuing his career as the most inspirational, fearsome, non-gun using, advice giving, member of the DC Universe.
Captain America is no slouch in the longevity department having been around for 30+ years himself. Establishing himself as a hero's hero, he fought in WWII as a flagship hero and as a member of the first superhero team, the Invaders. Teamed with his (in my opinion) extremely brave companion hero Bucky, Captain America helped the American troops defend against the Axis menance. Captain America battles in WWII are abruptly ended when a bomb exploded over the Arctic Circle, killing Bucky and stranding Cap. The Super-serum coursing through his veins sent him into hypothermic suspended animation. Cap awakens many years later and creates a new superteam called the mighty Avengers. This superteam has been a flagship of the Marvel Universe for well over two decades.
Captain America experienced a revival in the seventies under the capable hands of Jack Kirby who teamed him up with The Falcon. Together, they tackled the likes of super-organizations AIM and Hydra. Captain America is considered to be the hero's hero. For a brief period, Cap lost faith in himself and took on the appellation of Nomad, to seek out and find himself. Despite his lack of real superpowers, other than his superb and perfect physical condition, Cap has managed to prevail against any number of superior opponents. This has led others to admire his tenacity, ability and his integrity. Cap has also been a leader of men and a nurturer of companion heroes. He has lead Bucky, the Falcon, Nomad II, Diamondback, Jack Flag and the Spirit of the USA to becoming better heroes.
Cap has experienced several periods in his life that have tried his patience and his spirit, including the loss of the name Captain America. The Captain was born while the government worked out who it wanted to replace Captain America. The Superpatriot was chosen but determined to be too unstable and unreliable for the job. Captain America later returned to his position as icon to heroes. The Super-Patriot later became known as US Agent.
There has been a period of unrest in Captain America's own books for quite a while now due to the loss of the superserum that gave Cap his abilities and retarded his ageing process, but with the transfusion from the Red Skull who has a cloned body of Captain America, the Captain seems to be settling in for another long run as the most beloved, tenacious, powers.
PHYSIOLOGICAL BREAKDOWNS
Steve Rogers has the most advanced physiology known to humanity. This is due, in part, to the serum administered to him in his youth and his years of physical training. The serum caused a metagenic explosion in Steve Rogers body enhancing tissue, bone and muscle growth. His basic DNA was enhanced and improved his body to allow him to perform at the peak of human capacity. His aging process also seems to have slowed but not stopped. This may be due to a more perfect cellular replication resulting in seeming longevity.
He may bench press approximately 800 pounds. He is able to outperform any Olympic level athlete that has ever lived and has nearly perfect coordination and balance. His body processes wastes extremely efficiently and he may perform at peak levels far longer than most athletes. He may briefly reach running speeds a high as 35 miles per hour. His vision and hearing are perfectly acute and his reflexes allow him to perform acrobatic feats impossible for normal gymnasts. Captain America maintains an intensive physical training schedule to maintain his cutting edge abilities. His unique physical attributes have allowed him to master several different fighting styles and incorporate them into his acrobatic fighting style.
Bruce Wayne maintains the physical stature of a man in perfect physical condition. Batman constantly trains his physical abilities, strength, agility, reflexes and coordination until they reach mythical proportions for a human. Starting at a very young age, Bruce Wayne conditioned his body with physical regimes such as strength conditioning, martial arts, yoga and biofeedback. These years of intenstive training have allowed him to become and remain one of the most physically capable men on Earth.
He may bench press approximately 725 pounds and is the near-equal or equal of the world's best athlete in any Olympic event. Mastering a large number of the most dangerous martial arts disciplines on Earth, he is considered to be one of the best (if not the best) martial artist in the DC Universe.
Batman is a ruthless combatant and fights with an unothodoxed mixture of styles that incorporate techniques from other cultures, mixed with the weapon styles of his uniform. These include batarangs, razor-wings and grappling lines. Batman is also an accomplished night fighter and is capable of fighting in an obscured or poorly lit environnment.
TRAINING PROFILES
SUBJECTIVE AGE: CAPTAIN AMERICA (Steve Rogers) should be minimally 28 - 34.
a) Cap gained his powers in 1940 at age of 16. Served for 4.5 years (20.5).
b) Went into suspended animation before the end of World War II.
c) Marvel time flows at about 1/3 of the rate of normal time.
d) The Marvel Silver Age of Heroes started in 1955 (Fantastic Four) (our time)
e) By that reckoning:40/3= 13 years have passed since then.
f) Cap re-emerged only a few years after the start of the Silver Age.
TRAINING: CAPTAIN AMERICA
Cap went into active duty in 1941. He was probably 16. Physically active for 3.5 years. Became active again 10-12 years ago. Maintained intense physical activity for 10 years. Experienced a total time of approximately 2 years convelesencing due to injuries and temporary loss of super-serum potency.
TRAINING: BASIC (2 years)
Steve's basic military training should have been very easy for him. His heightened coordination and reflexes should have made short work of it.
a) Basic small arms and rifles of the period.
b) Basic martial arts: A commando mixture of karate, judo and aikido
c) Advanced martial arts: Commando mixture of nerve strikes and fatal takedowns.
d) Swimming and endurance training.
e) Parachuting, demolitions, scuba
f) Military vehicles: trucks, cars, motorcycles, small aircrafts
g) Social manipulation and leadership training
TRAINING: ADVANCED (1.5 years)
His later military training probably included increased strength training:
a) Because no one realized just how much stronger than normal he was.
b) Gymnastics and acrobatic training to harness that superior strength.
c) Practice with physical projectile weapons - his new shield in particular
d) Practice missile deflection techniques, personal and at range.
AFTER HIS RE-EMERGENCE (10-12 years)
Captain America joined the Avengers and used a Stark-designed training facility.
a) He could hone his gymnastic and acrobatic skills to perfection
b) trained 4 - 6 hours a day, every day possible
c) Computer-assisted weight training and exercise
d) Combat simulations with robotic combatants and other Avengers.
e) Continued advanced training techniques, with emphasis on agility and
shield use.
f) Received training in computer use and world wide communication protocols
g) Vehicle training: gliders, personal flight sleds, and Avenger Quinjet piloting.
h) Use of personal powered armor and systems.
SUBJECTIVE AGE: BATMAN (Bruce Wayne) should be minimally 28 - 34.
a) DC's timeflow is erratic due to Universal disturbances - Crisis and Zero Hour.
b) Bruce's parents were killed (DC time) approximately 20 years ago.
c) Bruce was approximately 10 years old when his parents were killed.
d) Since this is the third Batman (there was a Golden Age Batman and a Pre-Crisis Batman as well), it is even more difficult to track the actual age of this Batman.
e) An estimated time for Batman (III) active would be 8-14 years with about 2 years total time out due to basic injury convalesence and recovery from a recently broken back.
TRAINING: BATMAN; BEGINNING Ages 10 - 15
a) Bruce began his physical and mental conditioning when he was 11.
b) Began intense physical training and weight lifting at age 12.
c) Trained in the US for various martial arts for 3 years.
d) Gained degrees in criminal science, forensics, computer science, chemistry and engineering.
e) Became 1st and 2nd degree black belt in Karate, Judo, Jujitsu, Aikido.
f) Trained and became proficient with all small arms and basic vehicle operations.
TRAINING: ADVANCED Ages 15 - 20
a) Studied commando style operations with small mercenary units.
b) Left US to further study martial arts under specialized masters.
c) Reached peak of physical strength around 20 years old.
d) Other skills: knife throwing, escrima, melee weapons mastery, body control.
e) Other skills: disguise, diverse environmental training, combat driving, savate
f) Other skills: security systems, illusion/sleight of hand, blind fighting
f) Became the Batman for the first time around the age of 20.
TRAINING: CAREER Ages 20 - Present
a) Expanded forensic and medical sciences
b) Expanded computer and engineering sciences
c) Expanded disguise and weapon/device sciences
d) Expand device pool, improve vehicle designs
e) Use of personal powered armor and systems.
f) Continual physical training in Batcave facility.
g) Database creation on underworld crime bosses, rogue's gallery foes and other supers.
h) Expanded melee weapon techniques
g) Improved material sciences for body armor and micro-machinery
WEAPONS
Captain America uses only one weapon today. This weapon is his virtually unbreakable shield composed of an unknown adamantium and vibranium alloy. This alloy allows the shield to be virtually unbreakable, resistant to almost all known forces save those that can directly affect its psionically interlaced lattice structure. The shield is approximately 3 feet wide and bears an aerodynamic shape suited for throwing.
The sheild possesses several unusual features that make it an excellent defensive weapon. The center of the shield is thicker than the edges and is better suited to absorbing vibration and forces directed at the bearer of the shield. The vibranium mixture in the shield absorbs and dissapates the vibration/force energy in an undisclosed or undiscovered manner.
The shield has defied destruction at the hands of foes, with incredible superhuman strength, such as the Hulk or Count Nefaria. However, along the edges of the shield, when thrown the vibratory energies allow the shield to be bounced off of several surfaces and with sufficient skill even to return to the thrower. In this case the vibranium does not hinder or absorb the force of the throw once it hits a target. Captain America has used his shield to defend against attacks of all sorts and it has even deflected weapons as powerful as Mjolnir in combat. In desperation, Cap has even used the shield as a kind of shock absorber and directed his fall into the shield to prevent serious injury.
Cap also wears body armor that has the appearance of layered scale or chainmail. It was designed by Stark International and mimics his previous costumes in appearance. This mail is bulletproof against anything up to a .45 caliber firearm and is designed to be fire-retardant and waterproof as well.
Batman has no singlular weapon of choice, instead he relies on a bevy of devices to supplement his needs at any time. With proper preparation, Batman carries a wide assortment of support devices. The most common are: An infrared flashlight used in conjuction with his infrared lenses in his cowl, a short-term rebreather, a remote access vocal command processor for his computer and communications, a powerful laser cutting torch, smoke and tear gas grenades, batarangs and razorwings for attack, a grapnel line for swinging and tying up foes and a glider cloak that can be used to glide short distances or remove momentum from a fall. He also carries a small forensic kit for detective work and a series of lockpicks and security skeleton cards for simple to advanced security locks.
Batman wears a suit of superlight ballistic fibre proof against low to medium caliber firearms. His cowl is armored and his cape is also bulletproof, fire retardant and water resistant. Batman also possesses a number of other suits that he can tailor to his needs. He also possesses a suit of powered armor.
THE STRUGGLE
I am actually not going to be able to come right out and say who is the most effective fighter between these two. Given the longevity of both characters and their incredible amounts of active fighting time, I am not so sure there can be anything other than a draw. In terms of ruthlessness, Batman has an edge, but if the stakes were high enough, Captain America could easily find himself as ruthless as need be. I think that Batman's very intense and highly offensive nature would give him the edge.
I must make mention of the Captain's slight physiological advantage as well as his superior defensive weaponry. I do not feel that this will give him an overwhelming edge against the (in my opinion) superiorly trained martial artist that is the Batman. I think that terrain shall make a big difference in this battle, since Batman functions best when he can work the illusions of appearance and disappearance best. The city is his battleground, and in it, I think he will be almost impossible to beat. The Captain however is the archtype of the Defender and fighting a defensive battle is possible almost anywhere. He may defeat Batman simply by waiting and wearing him out.
In good conscience, I simply cannot pick one over the other. If I were forced to pick I could choose either for different reasons. My conclusion: Draw.
My conclusion (if forced to choose only one) Captain America because of his superior physiology and defensive weaponry. The Captain has been fighting a defensive battle all of his life.
My conclusion (if forced to choose only one) Batman because of his supreme dedication to combat and offensive capabilities.
Storm, whose career has not been as long as Wonder Woman's is no less distinguished. She started as a inner city pickpocket in Cairo. When she reached puberty, she believed herself to be an African weather goddess, dispensing rain to beleagured villagers. Later, joining the X-men, her weather powers made her a cornerstone of the team. Always thinking of the welfare of others, she dueled Calisto for the leadership of the Morlocks to offer them a better life. After the Mutant Massacre of the Morlocks, she now shares leadership of one of the most powerful and effective fighting teams in the Marvel Universe, the Uncanny X-men.
In this battle, I am hard pressed to chose who would win. I give the battle to Princess Diana because of her superior physiology and fighting abilities.
INSTANT POWER ANALYSIS
Princess Diana was forged from clay by her mother Hippolyta and imbued with life from the Gods of Olympus, each giving her an aspect of themselves. These powers include a high order of superhuman strength and resistance to damage, incredible physical beauty, psychic resiliance and the power of flight. Trained into her adulthood as an Amazonian warrior, she knows few peers in the realm of hand-held melee weapons or unarmed combat strategies.
Trained as a leader of warriors, Princess Diana is an excellent tactitian and strategist as well.
Ororo Monroe derives her abilities from her superior mutant physiology.
Mutants are a subspecies of Humanity, whose powers are derived from experimentations performed by the Celestials, a star-spanning race, millions of years ago. Since puberty, Ororo has developed the ability to tap into the earth's electromagnetic bio-aura to perform a wide range of weather-based feats, such as lightning generation, intense wind bursts and reducing the temperature in a microclimatic environment. Ororo is also an accomplished physical specimen, who has been trained in martial arts combat from Wolverine and Psylock. She is an accomplished strategist and has helped develop tactical manuevers for the X-men during her time as a member.
WONDER WOMAN'S POWER BREAKDOWN
Wonder Woman: Princess Diana of Themyscria, daughter of Hippolyta.
In the DC Universe, Wonder Woman is considered to be one of the most powerful women alive today. She has few equals among women, Maxima of the Justice League and Big Barda, wife of Mister Miracle being two of her peers.
TRAINING
Diana was raised from her moment of creation to be the greatest warrior that Paradise Island ever created. She is an extremely capable martial artist, trained since childhood, in the ways of ancient hand to hand warfare with a wide variety of weapons from various ages. Highly skilled with almost any weapon ever made, Diana specialized in the use of the bow and the javalin. Because of her martial training, she is able to hold her own against opponents of superior physical strength. She has stood toe-to-toe with Superman and the God of War, Ares. She is also an accomplished strategist and tactitian, trained in the arts of leadership and persuasion. She has proven to be a compelling leader, with the ability to convince those who follow her to brave any peril, no matter how insurmountable the odds. Diana is also possessed of incredible courage, confronting foes such as Kalibak and Darkseid as well as against various monsters of myth and legend.
PHYSIOLOGICAL
Diana possess a number of powers stemming from her creation by the Olympian Gods. She possesses super-strength on an order that almost no man-made barrier can even slow her down. She may dead lift 75 tons easily and can throw an average car, a quarter of a mile. Her skin is so damage-resistant that medium to high caliber automatic weapons fires bounces from her rarely causing serious injury.
When confronted by weapons of greater potency, she may, using her heightened reflexes, bounce attacks off of her near-indestructible bracelets, given to her by her mother. Her super-human reflexes can be used to dodge small arms fire and even laser fire. Her divine gift of flight allows her to fly at speeds of up to seven miles per second or 25,000 miles per hour (fast enough to reach escape velocity), when she chooses to go all out. Diana's super-human physiology allows her to run and jump at levels far greater than an the best Olympic-level athlete. She may reach running speeds of up to a mile and a half a minute. Gifted with incredible physical beauty, Diana of Theymescria is nearly a goddess herself and a worthy of the appellation, Wonder Woman.
WEAPONS
Diana has only one real weapon these days and that is her Golden Lasso. Made of an unknown golden metal, the Lasso is approximately 150 feet long and has successfully restrained Superman, Ares and Hades within its coils.
It seems to be under the telekinetic control of Diana and she has used it upon occassion as a means of subduing or restraining opponents. It has over the years been claimed to have special powers that force anyone within its coils to tell the truth, but that has not been substantiated.
She for a time held the Gauntlet of Atlas, a specialized gauntlet that increased her strength even further. This device was given to Artemis, the recently-deceased Wonder Woman to allow Artemis to successfully be able to engage the physically superior Diana in hand to hand combat. Diana took the Gauntlet from Artemis after she was killed by the White Magician. Diana then used the Gauntlet to kill the White Magician. The location of the Gauntlet after the death of the White Magician is unknown. Diana does not currently seem to be in possession of it.
STORM'S POWER BREAKDOWN
STORM: aka Ororo Monroe
In the Marvel Universe, there are few women with the amazing abilities and breadth of effect that Ororo Monroe possesses. She has been likened to a goddess on occassion, and her powers definitely seem to bear this out. Her peers in power include Susan Richards of the Fantastic Four, Megan of the European X-team Excaliber, and Crystal of the Avengers.
PHYSIOLOGICAL
Storm possess the strength and agility of a near-Olympic level athlete that engages in intensive physical exercise and training. Her mutant physiology also seems to render her immune to the extremes of weather that her powers subject her to. She seems comfortable in temperatures below freezing (32 F) to temperatures as high as 125 F. She has been trained as an accomplished thief, lockpick and pickpocket and has widened her skills to include sophisticated security systems as well.
Storm is an excellent martial artist and has been trained in armed and unarmed styles of combat by the X-men's training computer, housed in the Danger Room, and by the martial arts training of Wolverine and Psylocke.
Storm is an superb tactician, especially where the X-men are concerned, and has help create many of the combat strategies in use by the X-men today.
MACRO-CLIMATIC EFFECTS
Ororo Monroe is a mutant with the ability to manipulate Earth's electromagnetic aura and potentially control the weather at a large scale. Storm's powers function at two discrete levels. The first level is an area-effect electromagnetic level which is used to control weather over a wide range. Storm may create any kind of weather over an area of seven to fifteen miles.
She may change weather from one type to another, the greater the difference, the more difficult and time consuming the change.
With these changes she may generate hurricane or tornado force winds (150-300 miles per hour), powerful bolts of lightning that she may target, and induce rapid freezing or the creation of percipitation at any level she wants. Areas that are lacking in moisture, such as deserts hinder her efforts and she normally restricts herself to smaller or even microclimatic events in these areas.
Storm's most potent weapons are by far the lightning discharges that she draws down from cloud cover. Lightning arcs of this nature have the potential for well over a million volts of electricity and have been used to destroy the powerful mutant hunting robots known as Sentinels. Linked with galeforce winds, almost any structure targeted by this lightning can be destroyed.
MICRO-CLIMATIC EFFECTS
The second level is at an atomic or molecular level and is short-ranged in its effects. The abilities possessed by Storm to control weather do not quite adequately explain her abilities to create microclimatic events that can take place within an area as small as a room. This may be better explained as a limited form of molecular telekinesis that manifests itself as weather-like phenomena.
This better explains her ability to freeze a specific subject and not damage any other target in the area. It explains how she creates micro-storms and mini-cloud bursts even when there is not an ample supply of water in the atmosphere. She may even generate ionized pulses of electrical energy that appear as lightning. These pulses lack the potential of the storm created bolts but are powerful enough to destroy a large vehicle such as a station wagon or small truck.
Molecular Telekinesis also explains how she is able to fly and generate lift without so much as disturbing a sheet of paper in a room. She may also create powerful bursts of wind to carry human-sized opponents away. These winds have speeds as high as 175 miles per hour. She may also carry aloft others within her wind envelope and may do so for up to an hour without noticable fatigue. Storm may fly at speeds up to 600 miles per hour for approximately 3 hours before fatiguing greatly and needing to rest.
THE STRUGGLE
These two combatants, at first glance, are like many of our combatants, completely mismatched. Wonder Woman's distinct physical superiority makes her the obvious favorite over Storm. But at a closer level, perhaps it would not be as one-sided as it appears.
Storm has a wide range of abilities that she could use to keep Diana at bay, or restrained. This would definitely be an ariel battle so that Storm could make the most use of her macro-climatic capabilities. Buffeting Diana with strong winds and keeping her off-balance would definitely be in character for Storm. With multiple lightning discharges and cascades, Wonder Woman would be hard pressed to fend off such a diverse and well-coordinated attack.
Wonder Woman will, of course, make use of her superior flight speed and resistance to injury to bring the battle to Storm. The problem is that Wonder Woman is so much stronger than Storm, that one good hit and Storm is probably going to be out of it. Her problem will be getting close enough to deliver that one good hit.
I can even see this taking another tack. Both of these women are athletes and accomplished warriors. Perhaps a decathalon of events, culminating in a martial duel to some agreed upon terms or point system. This might actually even the odds, just a bit, in Storm's favor. This battle will not go to the strongest but to the smartest. I give a slight advantage to Diana, because of her ability to take punishment and to dish it out. But I would not count Storm out. She stayed an X-man when she had no powers. That takes real guts, and real ability. She just might be able to pull this one out too.
Judgement: Diana
A close call no matter what circumstances take place. Both women are simply too competent for it to be otherwise.