The recent hoo’d-win threads make inspired this thread. In the Doc Savage versus Remo Williams case, it’s not hard to forecast the winner of such a fight (Savage if there’s prep time, Remo if not), but it requires plot contortions for them to fight in the first place; they’d have to be manipulated into it or mind-controlled. Contrariwise, it’s less certain who’d win the super-spy bout but easy to imagine them being at cross-purposes and one deciding the other has to be eliminated.
Which brings me to the thread question: what fictional heroic characters (from different universes, natch) are guaranteed to get into a death-duel within seconds of meeting? Contrariwise, which characters are likely to hit it off immediately and will never get into a fight without improbably plot contortions or mind control?
For automatic throw-downs, I’ll name the post-Crisis Wonder Woman and any version of [bHercules** — but particularly the Marvel Comics version. He’ll meet her, ogle her boobs, and try to get her into the sack; the second she hears his name, she’ll decide to relieve him of the burden of his testicles. She’d be likely to do that with *any[i/] Herc, actually, except maybe the Kevin Sorbo iteration.
For automatic best buddies, I’ll nominate Lazarus Long and Garak from Deep Space 9. Neither is especially hot-headed, and it wouldn’t take long for them to start competing to see who can weave the bigger web of lies.
Races that claim to be the Supreme Life Form or Master Race have an especially bitter hate for all those OTHER pretenders. So for example the Draka and the Nietzscheans, or the Daleks and the Borg, would make a highly entertaining fight for anyone safely on the sidelines.
Ingold Inglorion of Barbara Hambly’s Darwath series and Obi Wan Kenobi as instant friends. Both of them Zen survivors, both of them tough as old boots.
I think Marvel had this problem a lot with it’s Marvel Team-Up series, which was usually Spider-Man plus some other superhero. There were a lot of plot contrivances for a universe where you could get a super power by being scalded with coffee. Too many times, Spidey ended up fighting someone for little reason other than the editor thought it would make for cool splash panels.
I’m not so sure of that. The Borg occasionally spend too much time in the explorations phase of assimilation. Daleks tend to go for the kill almost immediately, and seem to be fairly immune to most technology when prepared. I hope the Borg have some serious field containment devices ready.
I don’t think they would. It would rather be a matter of two Alphas, shooting snide remarks at each other and constantly trying to get one up on the other one.
There’s only room for one charming rogue in every group.
For a species whose tag line is exterminate, they sure take their bloody time. Link to youtube.
I like the scene in Empire strikes back when, on Bespin, Han Solo doesn’t hesitate even for a second before pulling out his blaster and shooting at Darth Vader.
Not to promote other websites but there is a great website for comic book fights with rules and what not. It’s a little snarky at times but very newbie welcoming.
Appreciate the literary reach here, but this is just… wrong. The two would despise each other!
Superparanoid Daniel would see Hannibal as a snotty intellectual looking down on him. Lector would find Plainview’s treatment of, well, everyone as unforgivably rude.
It would be like the Spanish fighting the Aztecs. The Aztecs fought to capture sacrificial victims, all their field tactics were designed to that end. The Spanish, like most nations, fought to kill.
There have been Gandalf v. Dumbledore threads in CS; the consensus is that Gandalf would clean Dumbledore’s clock. But if they met, they would probably hit it off – two Good Wizards fighting the good fight against Dark Lords and mentoring brave young achievers.
But Kirk and Sheridan would be instyfriends! (Especially as Sheridan is a one-female-humanoid man and not the kind to compete with Kirk for the xenopussy.)