HUMAN TORCH VS. NAMOR

The Human Torch, the Sub-Mariner. Fire, water. Artificial construct, force of nature. It seemed almost from the moments that they first appeared that these two were destined to clash, and clash they did. Bill Everett's Sub-Mariner and Carl Burgos' Human Torch had become Timely's biggest stars. Both were at once distrusted and revered by the (fictional) public, both were prone to outbursts of violence and destruction, and both were about to meet each other for the first time. This became Marvel's (Timely's) first ever "crossover" (as it is called in the comics), when two heroes would meet, and like so many after them, battle each other as well.

Namor had finally become fed up with the surface-dwelling people, and their disregard for sea-life, so he decided to make his feelings known. The Torch by this time had learned to control his powers, and had even joined the police force, so he could not let this powerful vigilante go unpunished. It all started in MARVEL MYSTERY COMICS #8, and was so popular, Timely extended it into the next two issues. During the battle, nothing was safe. Boats were totalled, trains were wrecked, bridges were torn assunder, tunnels were flooded, landmarks like the Empire State Building, the Bronx Zoo, and the Statue of Liberty were fair game. By the battles end, Namor (who by now had calmed down) had captured the Torch in an air-tight tube, and was left wondering what he should do to escape unscaved. The readers were left wondering the same thing. This was another Marvel standard that had been established here, the "cliff-hanger." Readers were asked, "What's your solution?" and before they could answer, they were told by Timely, "Watch for ours [solution]in the very next issue of... MARVEL COMICS!" The answer may have seemed a bit anti-climactic, having Namor's romantic intrest, police officer Betty Dean, talk the heroes down, convincing them that they had better things to do then fight each other.

Better things indeed. Namor and the Torch soon became world wide heroes as they battled Nazi troops all over the globe, together. Once again heroes in the eyes of the public, Namor and the Torch formed an uneasy truce, for they knew the Nazi menace threatened both America and Atlantis. This was not, however, the end of their mutual animosity.

THE HUMAN TORCH #5 was a sixty page epic that pitted the two heroes against one another yet again. Namor's creator, Bill Everett, once called the creation of the book, "a pretty wild weekend." This was THE superhero battle of the Golden Age. Namor (apparently under the influence another Atlantean) once again set out to destroy the surface world, this time with the armies of Atlantis at his side. He took on all of the major countries of the world, the Torch facing him at every turn. He took Spain, attacked Africa, battled over the Arctic, and went after London. Finally he was ready for his coup de grace, Namor hit New York, with a city-destroying tidal-wave that dwarfed some of the cities tallest buildings. Though Namor's rampage was soon subdued, this was not a battle soon to be forgoten.

With their greatest battle behind them, the two heroes once again turned their attention toward the war. The Japanese had bombed Pearl Harbor. Heroes, civillians and soldiers alike rallied to America's war effort. Namor and the Torch even joined up with Captain Amercia, to form the wartime team, the Invaders.

CAPTAIN AMERICA VS. THE RED SKULL

Captain America was the American ideal. He stood for life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. The Red Skull opposed everything Captain Amercia stood for. Captain America was as good as they come, Red Skull was just as evil.

The first Red Skull (as far as comic appearance, not continuity) was George Maxon. He appeared in CAPTAIN AMERICA COMICS #1, and was an American industrialist who believed in Nazi ideals, and agreed to spy for them. He died in his first appearance. In the rewritten history (don't worry, compaired to the Distinguished Compitition, Marvel did very little of this), George Maxon was just an unlucky rich guy, killed by the real Red Skull. The real Red Skull is Johann Shmidt. He was hand picked by Hitler, who claimed he could turn anyone into the ultimate Nazi, and appearently he was right. The Red Skull is the perfect soldier, general, and Nazi, and the worst thing the Allies could have ever imagined. Luckily, the Allies had nothing to worry about, they had Captain America.

Captain America and the Red Skull clashed as many times as their respective armies did. Each time they bearly escaped unscaved. By the end of the war, the Red Skull had been placed in suspended animation (he knew Hitler's plans were doomed to fail), and Captain America had fallen victem to another of his Nazi foes, Baron Zemo, and was trapped in ice floating in the Atlantic.

Inbetween Golden and Silver Ages, another Captain America faced yet another Red Skull. No matter who wore the mantle of Captian America, he was destined to face a Red Skull.

When Cap was revived in the modern age of heroes, the Skull was soon revived by his own followers. Today, the Red Skull lives in a body cloned from that of his most hated foe, Captain America. Cap himself once lived in the body of the Red Skull, when the Skull came into possesion of a Cosmic Cube (a cosmic artifact with imense power).

Captain America and the Red Skull are two sides of the same coin. One good, one evil. Neither able to completely defeat the other. Locked in the endless battle of good versus evil.

THE INVADERS

Although the Invaders are considered the most prominent super-team of WWII, they technically weren't created until the 70's. In 1975 Marvel creator Roy Thomas had the inspired idea of uniting Timely's greatest heroes in one Wartime team. His team made they're fist appearance in GIANT-SIZE INVADERS #1.

In the early years of World War II, the Allies greatest heroes banded together to fight for freedom against the Nazi menace. It began as America's Sentinel of Liberty Captain America and his young ally Bucky uncovered a plot by Nazi-sympathizers in America to try and recreate the experiment that produced America's Super Soldier, this time, for the Third Reich. They had managed to attack one of the few surviving scientists aware of Operation: Rebirth (the program that created Cap) Dr. Anderson, and Captain America and Bucky were not about to let them get away with that.

Arriving at the hospital that held the injured Dr. Anderson, Cap and Bucky learned that the Nazi Colonel Krieghund had used a memory-draining super-villain named Psyphon to gain Anderson's knowledge and use it to create their own powerful super soldier, to be called Master Man. Anderson tells them how the Human Torch and Toro found the compound where Colonel Krieghund was conducting his experiment, just in time to see the newly awakened Willie Lohmer, now known as Master Man, and confront him. He shrugs off their combined power, but the ensuing battle sets the laboratory ablaze. Finally of course, the Torch and Toro managed to escape with the wounded Dr. Anderson in tow.

After learning of all that had transpired Cap and Bucky hooked up with the Torch and his sidekick to find Master Man, and stop him before he can do any more damage. At Chesapeake Bay a British battleship was being torn apart, by hand, by Master Man. Fortunately for the British crew, hidden among them was the Sub-Mariner, who discarded his disguise and attacked Master Man with all of his strength. Just as before, our heroes efforts have little effect on the villain. As the heat from the burning vessel began to dehydrate Namor, his strength quickly left him. Just as he was about to be overcome by his enemy, his occasional allies arrived to aid him in his struggle.

United, Captain America, Bucky, the Human Torch, Toro, and the Sub-Mariner went into battle against the now overwhelmed Master Man. Before the battle can come to it's natural conclusion, Master Man was recalled by his own master, Colonel Krieghund. Fleeing his pursuers, Master Man trashes cars and other property in an effort to evade them, but in the end, the heroes succeed in defeating their enemy.

As the Torch and Namor fall into old form, and begin bickering, and Cap tries to bring order, they are interrupted by a voice from behind. Winston Churchill had witnessed the preceding struggle, and suggested that the heroes remain united as a team, to fight on behalf of the Allies, and become Invaders of enemy territory where ever it may lay. And so was born, the Invaders.

The Invaders continued to fight throughout the war, eventually creating a "home team" in the Liberty Legion, and after the war, members of both teams united to for the All-Winners Squad.

(special thanks to Jeff Oakes!)

THE LIBERTY LEGION

When Roy Thomas created the Invaders, he sent the Free-World's greatest heroes off to war. He quickly realized that this left America's home front poorly defended against attacks from within. To remedy this problem, he created the Liberty Legion. The Liberty Legion first appeared in MARVEL PREMIERE #29 (although their origin is stretched through Invaders #5-6 and Marvel Premiere #30), and they were a hit (okay maybe not, but hey, the Golden Age had some goofy characters)! Among their ranks: The Patriot! The Red Raven! The Thin Man! The Whizzer! Miss America! The Blue Diamond! Jack Frost! (see? I told you)

Captain America. The Sub-Mariner. The Human Torch and Toro. The Allies greatest assets... now under Nazi control! The Red Skull had captured the Invaders and placed them under his thrall, only Bucky escaped unscaved. He knew he was no match for the combined might of the Invaders (then again, was he even a match for any of the Invaders?), so he set out to recruit heroes to aid him in his plight. Bucky found a fellow patriotic hero, named appropriately enough, the Patriot, and then radioed other heroes that might be of help. Over restricted airspace, the Red Raven (a human raised by winged offshoots of the Inhumans) fought bravely against airborne Nazis, until he finds himself over powered. To his side rushed the Thin Man (a... well, he's a thin man okay?), who commanded the Nazi's to land. The pair quickly go to the side of our two patriotic heroes as soon as their call is heard. Elsewhere, the Whizzer (a really fast guy in a yellow suit that got his powers from mongoose blood, I couldn't make this stuff up!) was racing a speeding train to prevent the Nazi's plot to wreck it. His mission accomplished, he finds America's greatest female hero, Miss America (she's strong, she flies, she's keen), and the two quickly argue (you know they're made for each other) but are broken up by the arriving Bucky, out to find more heroes (it takes a lot to take out three heroes and a sidekick). At the same time, Professor Marrow (psst... he's secretly the Blue Diamond, and has hard skin) finds his lecture interrupted as shrouded Nazi's barge in to disrupt his speech (those darn Nazi's are everywhere), but he quickly takes care of them. Soon after he hears a radio report on everything else that occurred and besides to join the brave bunch. Now, as the assembled heroes gather and make ready their plans, an assassin stalks them from the shadows. But they needn't fear, for Jack Frost (he's cold, get it?) was on hand to freeze the assassin's hand, and gun. And thus the Liberty Legion is born! Oh, and they succeed in stopping the Invaders.

The Liberty Legion continued fighting the good fight throughout the war. In peacetime, members the Whizzer and Miss America (by this time an item) helped form the All-Winners Squad with surviving members of the Invaders. Years later, many of the Liberty Legion met with sad fates, others have stories yet to be told.

(special thanks to Jeff Oakes!)