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From: gasarch@harvard.ARPA (W* I* Gasarch)
Newsgroups: net.comics
Subject: Good Matchups
Message-ID: <279@harvard.ARPA>
Date: Wed, 31-Jul-85 15:23:04 EDT
Article-I.D.: harvard.279
Posted: Wed Jul 31 15:23:04 1985
Date-Received: Fri, 2-Aug-85 21:26:28 EDT
Distribution: net
Organization: Aiken Computation Laboratory, Harvard
Lines: 40

Natural Matchups
	Most superheroes have a `natural' counterpart, to list a few:

Captain America - Red Skull
Superman - Lex Luthor

	Criteria for being the natural counterpart are roughly,
in my humble opinion
1) Appears in alot of issues
2) Appears in anniversary issue
3) Well Matched in terms of abilities
4) Has been involved in at at least one rather interesting plotline
5) Really deeply despises the hero
6) Has not appeared in other comics, or at least not often

	Using these as a guide, thought not rigorously,
I give a partial list.
Those marked with a (?) are characters I don't know that well,
though I can't really say I know the others that much better. 
Any commentary or addtions please mail
to me at gasarch@harvard.arpa or gasarch@harvard.uucp.
I will post a more complete list and commentary later

1) Superman - Lex Luthor
2) Captain America - Red Skull
3) Fantastic Four - Dr. Doom
4) Daredevil - Bullseye
5) Iron Man - Mandarin (?)
6) Thor - Loki
7) Hulk - Leader
8) X-men - Magneto (up until issue 150) 
9) New Mutatants - Hellions (Too early to tell, but is a logical choice)
10) Giant Man/Wasp - egghead (?)
11) Flash - Reverse Flash (All members of the Rouge Gallery would be about tied)

	I'm having a hard time with Spiderman, Batman, and the Avengers.
With the Avengers its tempting to say Ultron, but aside from his origin,
he really isn't that interesting.  Spiderman might have Doc Ock, but
he's fought Captain America and Iron Man.  Batman has fought so many
villians its hard to say, maybe the Joker.