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 |
No. of issues | 3 |
Main character(s) |
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Creative team | |
Written by | Mark Gruenwald, Bill Mantlo, and Steven Grant |
Artist(s) | Bob Layton |
Letterer(s) | Rick Parker, typeset |
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.
This series was significant as it was Marvel's first published limited series.[1] Contest of Champions brought forth the idea of a major event affecting the Marvel Universe; it introduced crossovers before the concept of multi-title crossovers was even conceived.[citation needed]
An unrelated five issue limited series published in 1999, Contest of Champions II, is a sequel in title only.[2]
Publication history
The story was intended to be a celebration of the 1980 Summer Olympics held in Moscow, and depicted Marvel superheroes engaging in competitions. The plan was scuttled when the United States refused to participate in the summer games, as a protest against the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in late 1979. The comic was already mostly-complete, so Marvel published Contest of Champions two years later, with a reworked storyline that avoided any connection to the Olympics.[3]
Plot summary
An
The Grandmaster's team consists of
Death's team consists of
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]
In 2015
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.[5]
Contest of Champions (2015)
In the aftermath of
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 Ronan the Accuser, Impossible Man, Annihilus, and the Super-Skrull. In the end, the Thing defeats Ronan and saves Earth from destruction.
- A variation of the Contest of Champions was adapted in the 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, the New Warriors, the Agents of S.M.A.S.H., and the Collector to save Earth from the Grandmaster and his army of supervillains. Ultimately, Spider-Man and the Collector defeat the Grandmaster and saves Earth from destruction.
Film
- In Sakaar. In the film, Thor is forced to do battle with the Hulk in the contest.[7]
Video games
- The comic book was adapted into a 2014 fighting game for Android and iOS with a similar title,
Miscellaneous
- Scott Lobdell began submitting stories for Marvel, based on these characters for short stories in Marvel Comics Presents.[10]
Collected editions
Title | Material collected | Published date | ISBN |
---|---|---|---|
Avengers: The Contest | Contest of Champions #1–3, West Coast Avengers Annual #2, Avengers Annual #16 | June 2010 | 978-0785145066 |
References
- ^ Bickham, D. R. "Contest of Champions: Marvel's DEADLIEST Games, Explained: Over three titanic series, the greatest heroes of the Marvel Universe have come to blows in several Contests of Champions," CBR (APR 01, 2020).
- ^ Contest of Champions II #1–2 (September 1999); #3 (October 1999); #4–5 (November 1999)
- ISBN 978-1465455505.
- ^ Avengers #175 (September 1978)
- ^ Avengers Annual #16 (1987)
- ^ Contest of Champions vol. 2 #1–10
- ^ Trumbore, Dave (18 April 2017). "'Thor: Ragnarok': Director Taika Waititi's Cameo Revealed". Collider.
- ^ "Marvel's Contest of Champions Comics and Games – A History". superheroreviews.com. 24 July 2016.
- cnet. Retrieved 12 June 2019.
- ^ mahalodotcom (17 September 2011). "Ask Scott Lobdell, DC Universe Comic Book Writer, Anything!" – via YouTube.