Marvel Super Hero Contest of Champions
| Contest of Champions | |
|---|---|
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| Publication information | |
| Publisher | Marvel Comics |
| Schedule | Monthly |
| Format | Limited series |
| Publication date | June - August 1982 |
| Number of issues | 3 |
| Main character(s) | See Text |
Marvel Super Hero Contest of Champions is a three-issue comic book limited series published from June to August 1982 by Marvel Comics. The series was written by Mark Gruenwald with art by John Romita, Jr. and Bob Layton.
Contents
Publication history
This series was significant as it was Marvel's first published limited series. An unrelated five issue limited series published in 1999, Contest of Champions II, is a sequel in title only.[1]
Plot
An Elder of the Universe, the Grandmaster, challenges a hooded female called the "Unknown"—eventually revealed to be Death—to a game for the life of his fellow Elder, the Collector (killed by the cosmic being Korvac in the title Avengers).[2] The pair decide to use various superheroes from Earth as pawns, the goal being to collect the four pieces of a prize called the "Golden Globe of Life." A victory for the Grandmaster's team means the Collector may be resurrected, while a loss indicates the character must remain dead.
The Grandmaster's team consists of Captain America, Talisman, Darkstar, Captain Britain, Wolverine, Defensor, Sasquatch, Daredevil, Peregrine, She-Hulk, the Thing, and Blitzkrieg.
Death's team consists of Iron Man, Vanguard, Iron Fist, Shamrock, Storm, Arabian Knight, Sabra, Invisible Girl, Angel, Black Panther, Sunfire, and the Collective Man.
Although the storyline depicts a tie and the Grandmaster's team is written as being successful, Death advises that the Collector can only be resurrected if the Grandmaster takes his fellow Elder's place in the Realm of the Dead, with the character agreeing to the terms. International heroes Blitzkrieg (Germany); Collective Man (China); Defensor (Argentina); Peregrine (France); Shamrock (Ireland); and Talisman (Australia) debut in the series, and each issue contained a catalogue of all featured heroes and was the prototype for the publication the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe.[citation needed]
An Avengers Annual eventually reveals that this was a ruse perpetrated by the Grandmaster as he is able to steal Death's powers and then via another deception forces the entity to banish all Elders from her realm, effectively making them immortal.[3]
Bibliography
- Contest of Champions Vol. 1 #1-3
- West Coast Avengers Annual #2
- Avengers Annual #16
Contest of Champions (2015)
In the aftermath of Secret Wars, the Collector and Grandmaster put in motion another Contest of Champions. They use the remnants of Doom's Battleworld as their base of operations which becomes known as the Battlerealm.[4]
In other media
Television
- A version of the Contest of Champions storyline was adapted in Fantastic Four: World's Greatest Heroes. In this version, the Grandmaster pits the Fantastic Four against their worst enemies: a group consisting of Ronan the Accuser, Impossible Man, Annihilus, and the Super-Skrull. In the end, the Thing defeated Ronan the Accuser and saved Earth from destruction.
- A variation of the Contest of Champions was adapted in its self-titled four-part season three finale of Ultimate Spider-Man. As opposed to the comic book storyline, Spider-Man teams up with the Avengers, New Warriors, the Agents of S.M.A.S.H., and Collector to save Earth from the Grandmaster. In "Contest of Champions" Pt. 1, Spider-Man teams up with the Collector, Iron Man, and Hulk against the Grandmaster, Wendigo King, Molten Man, and Kraven the Hunter. In "Contest of Champions" Pt. 2, he teams up with Captain America, Red Hulk, and Iron Fist to battle the team of Blastaar, Sandman, and Ymir in a game of capture the flag. Later in the episode, Spider-Man teams up with Black Widow, Power Man, and Skaar against Zzzax, Doctor Octopus, the Absorbing Man. In "Contest of Champions" Pt. 3, Spider-Man teams up with Agent Venom, Iron Spider, and Thor against Annihilus, Terrax, and Attuma in a subway. Spider-Man conspires with Agent Venom and Iron Spider to create Life Model Decoys to fool the Grandmaster whilst the three head to his ship and save the trapped superheroes. Unfortunately, the Grandmaster's team of Annihilus, Terrax, and Attuma defeated Earth's remaining heroes (notably Hawkeye, She-Hulk, A-Bomb, and Thor). In "Contest of Champions" Pt. 4, Spider-Man convinces the Grandmaster to have a winner take all rematch. In the end, Spider-Man defeats the Grandmaster and saves Earth from destruction.
Video games
- A version of the Contest of Champions storyline was adapted as an online MMORPG in December 2014.
- The comic book was adapted into a 2014 fighting game for Android and Apple iOS] with a similar title called Marvel: Contest of Champions.
Miscellaneous
- Scott Lobdell began submitted stories for Marvel, based on these characters for short stories in Marvel Comics Presents.[5]
Collected editions
- Avengers: The Contest (Contest of Champions #1-3, West Coast Avengers Annual #2, Avengers Annual #16)
