Good evening fight fans, have we got a doozy for you! January 18, in SQUADRON SUPREME #15, Marvel will give the readers what they have been hungering for: Nighthawk versus Hyperion! Before you place your bet in this titanic tussle, we give you the breakdown, the Tale of the Tape!

POWER
The edge here clearly goes to Hyperion. With his alien physique giving him strength and speed, his punching power can only be describe as off the charts. Nighthawk’s left hook might not be something to sneeze at, but he just cannot compete with Hyperion’s hands of stone.

FIGHTING SKILL
Despite Hyperion’s clear power advantage—or perhaps because of it—he actually does not have what is widely regarded as a skilled approach to head to head brawling. Relying on power over technique, he works mostly with brute force. Nighthawk, on the other hand, has proven time and again to be a master of open hand and weaponized combat. This fight seems to be a classic “strength versus skill” matchup.

GADGETS
Nighthawk has them, Hyperion does not. It does not get more simple than that.

RUTHLESSNESS
Anyone who has ever seen Nighthawk fight has seen a man unafraid to get his hands dirty and to deal justice via the most violent means possible. When it comes to mercy, Nighthawk seems fairly unaware of the concept. Hyperion, on the other hand, seems a bit more…conflicted on this question. When he goes there, though, he goes there, be it cutting off your head with his eyebeams or scattering your body across the airless expanse of space.

DEDICATION
Both fighters have been recently gripped by crises of conscience. We’ve seen Hyperion leave his team twice to try and find himself on the roads and small towns of the United States. Nighthawk, on the other hand, has kept his ambivalence tight to the chest, a more internal struggle. Given this, the edge seems to go to Nighthawk. He has conflicts but he keeps them on the back burner so he can really concentrate on the face smashing.

SUPER POWERS
Hyperion can fly. He can fire beams from his eyes. He appears bullet proof and blades do not pierce his skin. Nighthawk…works out.

This seems like a clear cut advantage to Hyperion, but consider this—his powers come with a rumored big weakness, one that does not just make him like a man, but rather barely able to stand, never mind fight. And if ever there existed a fighter willing to go that far, well, that would certainly be Nighthawk.

With the ongoing CLONE CONSPIRACY story arc, we take a look at some of Spider-Man’s best known enemies at their worst because, let’s face it, you never know who could make an appearance when the dead refuse to stay dead.

Or at least their clones do!

And speaking of clones, who better to start this countdown off than the clone creator himself …

#7 Miles Warren, a.k.a. The Jackal.
The Jackal made himself known not long after the death of Gwen with his knowledge of genetics and cloning – the latter which would lead him to future conflicts with Spider-Man. In particular, Warren’s willingness to play god led him to the creation of Ben Reilly and the Clone Wars saga, and later, the Spider-Island debacle, which left the residents of New York City imbued – or infected – with spider-like powers of their own. This failure to respect the natural order no doubt sets The Jackal apart as one of Spider-Man’s most powerful and brilliantly deadly foes.

#6 Dr. Curt Connors, a.k.a. The Lizard.
Often portrayed in a tragic light as one seeking a cure for his missing arm, Dr. Curt Connor only found his fate as the monstrous Lizard. Responsible for numerous crimes against humanity, Spider-Man grew to understood his friend was a danger not only to himself but others around him. And while the thought of his wife and son could usually be counted on to help draw the man out from the beast, recently, the good doctor saw his own son turned into reptilian monster as well. Could there be a more villainous act than to lead one’s own child down the same path of destruction?!?

#5 Eddie Brock, a.k.a. Venom.
The death toll for the original Venom reaches pretty high – a worthy argument for falling on this list. Yet, one of the moments where readers see Eddie Brock arguably at his worst in his career as Venom took place in one of his first days on the job when readers discovered him encroaching upon the home of Peter Parker and terrorizing Mary Jane Watson! Few things are more sacred to a super hero than their secret identity, and to have one’s private life unmasked and exposed to the world of villains might be one of the greatest threats of all.

#4 Sergi Kravenoff, a.k.a. Kraven the Hunter.
For many Spider-Man fans, J.M. DeMatteis and Mike Zeck’s “Kraven’s Last Hunt” may be one of the best story lines told to date. Not only do we see Spider-Man beaten at the hands of the greatest hunter in the world, but the black-suited wall-crawler then finds himself buried alive! For a true believer, how much worse could it be than seeing your favorite super hero buried six feet under?!?

#3 Dr. Otto Octavius, a.k.a. Doctor Octopus.
With Dan Slott at the web-covered helm for going on seven years, no villain stands out more than Otto Octavius for his nefarious – and mostly successful – scheme to swap bodies with Peter Parker for almost a year and a half! And with his recent appearance in “The Clone Conspiracy,” who knows if he’ll reach even higher heights – and sink to even lower depths – to come out on top?

#2 Norman Osborne, a.k.a. The Green Goblin.
There are two moments in the life of Peter Parker and Spider-Man’s lives that defined him for the decades to follow and the death of Gwen Stacey would be one of those two times thanks to Norman Osborn. Of course, the Green Goblin terrorized Spider-Man on numerous occasions but the introduction of lasting death shocked both Parker and readers into realizing the cost of the costume was more than expected.

And, of course, this leaves us with the greatest of all Spider-Man’s enemies…but if not Norman Osborne than who could it be???

#1 Peter Parker, a.k.a. The Amazing Spider-Man.
Let’s face facts: Peter Parker’s greatest enemy is himself. Not only has his infamous “Parker Luck” left his personal life in shambles, we cannot forget that Peter himself set in motion the circumstances that both led to the death of Uncle Ben and his life as a costumed super hero. While many benefited from the wall-crawler’s choice to fight for what’s right, one need only look to the Stacy family and others as proof that the price of being Spider-Man can prove costly. And that’s not even looking into the troubles his clones have created over the years …

Peter Parker’s life stands as one marked by tragedy and triumph, but perhaps more so by tragedy. Chief among those moments touched by the fickle finger of fates revolves around the brief but bright light of Gwen Stacy, whom some call Peter’s one true love. Gwen returns to the land of the living in AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #23, out January 4, to challenge the wall-crawler like nothing before.

Peter first met the bright young woman at Empire State University, a fellow student who impressed the hero in AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #31. Romance between the two grew slowly at first while they dated others and the young man dealt with personal problems, but they ultimately began seeing only each other. 

Amazing Spider-Man (1963) #31

• Published: December 10, 1965
• Added to Marvel Unlimited: November 13, 2007
• Penciller: Steve Ditko

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Gwen’s father, Captain Stacy of the police, saw something in Peter and also in Spider-Man, a happy situation for the web-slinger until Stacy’s untimely death in AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #90, during one of Doctor Octopus’ rampages through the city. As he lay dying, the captain revealed to Peter his knowledge of his dual identity, and blessed his relationship with his daughter. 

Amazing Spider-Man (1963) #90

• Published: November 10, 1970
• Added to Marvel Unlimited: November 13, 2007
• Penciller: Gil Kane
• Cover Artist: Gil Kane

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Unfortunately, Gwen blamed Spider-Man for her father’s death and in AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #93 flew to England to live with relatives, unsure of Peter’s motives behind his apparent distancing of himself from her. In reality, the young hero allowed his costumed alter-ego to come between him and Gwen, as well as the growing threat of the Green Goblin, his supreme arch-enemy. Gwen returned to America in AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #98 at a turning point in Spider-Man’s war with the Goblin, an unfortunate turn of events despite the young lovers’ reunion. 

Amazing Spider-Man (1963) #98

• Published: July 10, 1971
• Added to Marvel Unlimited: November 13, 2007
• Penciller: Gil Kane
• Cover Artist: Gil Kane

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The wall-crawler’s adventures continued, including bouts with super villains, the growth of four extra arms, and his friend Harry Osborn’s growing dependence on drugs. Gwen and Peter preserved the storms together until the unspeakable occurred: the kidnapping of Gwen by the Green Goblin.

Spider-Man rushed to save Gwen in AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #121, but a standoff with his foe on top of the George Washington Bridge resulted in the young woman falling to her death. In a rage, Peter searched for the Goblin and brought him down in AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #122, but too late for Gwen Stacy. 

Amazing Spider-Man (1963) #122

• Published: July 10, 1973
• Added to Marvel Unlimited: November 13, 2007
• Writer: Gerry Conway
• Penciller: Gil Kane

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Life continued for Peter Parker, though forever changed. Gwen’s death altered the fabric of his existence, as well as that of her friends, including Mary Jane Watson. Peter ultimately moved on, but his heart would be eternally entwined with the sweet memory of his lost love.

Spider-Man met several clones of Gwen over the years, beginning in AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #144 and causing him both exhilaration and anguish, but in the end none of them could ever truly replace the original. 

Amazing Spider-Man (1963) #144

• Published: May 10, 1975
• Added to Marvel Unlimited: March 18, 2013
• Writer: Gerry Conway
• Penciller: Ross Andru
• Cover Artist: Gil Kane

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