The War, And The Warriors!

 

What do we know about the man named Gladiator?

Well, we know he's not the only Gladiator in Marvel's stable:

But unlike these others, Kallark--the Gladiator who's fiercely loyal to the Shi'ar Empire--is not of Earth (and really has no interest in Daredevil or the Russians, unless they attack the Shi'ar--in which case it's their funeral). His primary role is as the point man for his Emperor or Empress, a warrior who also takes his place when necessary as the powerful praetor of the Shi'ar Imperial Guard.

As for his powers, you can pretty much see them on display when he swoops in and takes on the Fantastic Four while in pursuit of a group of Skrulls, an attack which has the famous team scrambling for a defense--until Reed Richards figures out exactly what makes Gladiator tick as a super-foe.

No doubt Gladiator has seen his share of battle in the service of his empire--but ever since he appeared on the Marvel scene, readers were likely anticipating when Gladiator's might would be tested against another warrior who shows loyalty to his realm and who stands resolute against those who would endanger the lives he protects. That moment finally arrives some thirty years in the future (which if we're going by publication date would make it around 2020, coincidentally enough), when the mighty Thor and the invincible Iron Man join the Fantastic Four on a mission--and the decision is made to surreptitiously drop in on a Shi'ar weapons depot in order to make off with the equipment they need to stop the threat of Galactus. Little do they know, however, that their activities have been detected by the telescopic vision of one who sees their incursion as a threat--a man who races to the scene to see that the infiltrators pay the ultimate penalty for their actions.  (In other words, Gladiator will be the first to tell you that he's empowered to act as both judge and executioner.)

And yet, were Gladiator not possessed of off-the-scale self-confidence, perhaps even he would have hesitated before charging in and taking down the God of Thunder--the one being who would interpret his attack as an affront which cannot stand.

With the lines now clearly drawn as far as Thor is concerned, just what do you think will happen next between these two? Well, Thor could rationally but firmly demand an explanation from his sudden attacker... or...

Right you are.

And yet, despite the issue's cover proclaiming that "This Is The Big One!", the battle only progresses so far before one of the FF breaks it up. (And just as they were squaring off. A shame to let all of that posturing go to waste.)

It would take over a decade for these two to face each other once more, in an extended battle that would truly test their mettle against one another. Only this time, the power of Thor is now wielded by the mortal, Eric Masterson, who is learning about his strengths and weaknesses as the Thunder God on the job--a heck of a time to face a far more seasoned warrior who isn't inclined to grant his foe a shred of mercy.

(A recycled cover pose which may ring familiar.)

This dust-up takes place during Operation: Galactic Storm, where the Shi'ar and Kree empires are at war, and the forces of Earth strive to keep both at bay. To that end, an Avengers delegation led by Captain Marvel heads to the Shi'ar homeworld in order to convince its government to keep their intergalactic war from spilling over into the Milky Way galaxy; but on the way, they're struck by tremors from a Shi'ar settlement under attack by the Kree, which draws Gladiator to the scene where he assumes the Avengers are actually Kree and acts accordingly.

And after warming up on Wonder Man, there's an obvious choice as to who next enters the fray to put a halt to Gladiator's aggression.

In spite of this issue's showcase presentation, there are circumstances here that may require the reader to exercise a certain measure of suspension of disbelief at witnessing this battle's end result. We learn during this crisis that both Wonder Man and Gladiator agree on one thing: Though Masterson strives to live up to Thor's legacy, he's out of his depth in terms of his experience in the field, even when taking into account his power and abilities. The one thing Masterson does have going for him is that he has observed his power being wielded by the real Thor often enough to know what he can draw on in a fight--and thus far, his determination has allowed him to hold his own and even prevail against those he's come up against. Whether that will be enough to offset what Gladiator brings to the table remains to be seen.

Of course it's never a good sign when your teammates throw in the towel before you volunteer to take on the one they're talking about:

(A shame Reed apparently didn't mention in his little report the means by which he defeated Gladiator. Does he want the Avengers to guess how he did it?)

To his credit, Thor makes the same overtures to Gladiator as Wonder Man did, as far as the Avengers' peaceful intentions--words which again fall on deaf ears, since Gladiator continues to believe that these people are either Kree or fight on their behalf. Also, when it comes to the security of the Shi'ar, this man evidently has no moral code as far as weighing the lives at risk, a factor which the outraged Masterson responds to as any Avenger might.

During this battle as well as his previous encounter with the real Thor, there's been no evidence of what Reed discovered was a vital manifestation of Gladiator's power: his psionic capability to appear to be doing something as opposed to what he was actually doing. Instead, Gladiator's actions couldn't be more direct--trading blow for blow, power vs. power. As for Masterson, he's showing surprising resilience against this foe, considering the beating he's taking; but with the arrival of another Avenger, the Living Lightning, he sees a way to gain the advantage, as well as the initiative to bring this battle to an end.

A decisive win against Gladiator, purely on a might vs. might basis. Nor is this warrior's humiliation complete, given how easily Thor summarily dismisses him. Hopefully it will occur to Gladiator that Thor granted him a reprieve from death that Gladiator wouldn't have extended to his foe.

NEXT:
Nine years later, Gladiator and Thor meet in battle again--for the first time!
(It's going to be hard to explain.)