Poll: Demons
It’s time for another comic book crossover battle, and for this installment, we will travel (once again) to the very bowels of hell and back. In a prior match up, we saw the devil himself fighting for each comic book company, but today we will take demon spawns and pit them in the arena. By demons spawns of course, I mean that they are part demon and part human, or at least residing in the human world alongside us. DC comics presents Etrigan, Marvel comics sends Ghost Rider, sCrypt Comics has Satan, Image is well known for Spawn, Dante springs to action for Capcom, Hellboy is presented by Darkhorse Comics, Scorpion teleports in for Midway, and IDW’s Ghostbusters series shows us Zuul. Check out the contestants’ brief bios and vote in our poll below. If you feel there is another good choice, then please 
add them to the list in the comments section and vote “other”.
Etrigan is a demon bound to the knight, Jason Blood. Once the incantation is recited, then gone is the form of man, replaced by the demon Etrigan’s form. The demon is forced to speak in rhyme and is under the will of Jason Blood, therefore working as a force for good. Blood is a trained combatant, with an extraordinary sword wielding skill. The Demon has enhanced strength and healing, is an expert in sorcery and mystic bolts, and has some telepathy in his arsenal of abilities. Etrigan first appeared in DC Comics’ The Demon #1 in 1972.
There have been many Ghost Rider’s throughout history, and all have exhibited mostly the same abilities. The demon Zarathos bonds himself to the soul of the next chosen rider. The fallen angel is then willed by the soul of the new rider. Once the chosen soul becomes ghost rider, their appearance changes into that of a flaming skeleton. Using chains embued with hellfire, and the ability to manipulate hellfire, these are only his first line of defense. The Penance stare is his deadliest ability which makes the victim of the stare feel the pain and sin that they’ve caused others. The rider tends to ride a flaming motorcycle, but has elected other vehicles as well. A Hellfire shotgun has been used as 
well, especially in the Johnny Blaze version. In Dan Ketch’s role as the rider, he has the will to change whenever needed, but initially only came when innocent blood was spilled. Ghost Rider first appeared in Marvel Comics’ Marvel Spotlight #5 in 1972.
Satan is thought by many to be THE devil, but he is only a general in his army. He represents the demon of anger and hatred. In his true form, he is very much the way people have perceived, but his secondary form is that of a human guise. As this false human, he owns a tattoo parlor where his many piercings, filed teeth, and tattoos are intimidating to any normal passerby. When Taylor Bryant, an ex-con with a violent past, gives in to his anger, he and Satan merge. Now in the form of a large, African American man, Satan joins his brother and sister demons in order to pave way for the arrival of the true face of darkness. Satan first appears in the 2013 novel, “Devil’s Dessert” by Rick Pipito.
Because of his life as an assassin for the U.S. government, Al Simmons was sent to hell upon his death. He made a deal with Malebogia (the devil) to come back and see his wife one last time. The deal was not exactly what he expected. Now a hell spawn, Simmons vows to destroy the legions of hell with all his might. His body is made of necroplasm, which enables him enhanced abilities, strength and healing. His cape, spikes and chains act as extensions of his body, and must replenish his dark energies by feeding on the dark energy of evil. He frequently uses military grade weaponry so that he doesn’t drain his necroplasm too quickly. There have been many Spawns through history, but none as prominent as Simmons. Spawn first appeared in Image comics’ Malibu Sun #13 in 1992.
Dante was raised by his human mother after his demon father’s death. Once his mother was killed, Dante vowed to hunt demons for the rest of his life. His physical abilities far exceed that of a normal man’s, including flight, and he uses these enhanced traits alongside his 
“Ebony and Ivory” dual pistols that never need to be reloaded, as well other blades and firearms forged by his father. Dante first appeared in Capcom’s Devil May Cry in 2001.
The offspring of a demon and a witch, Hellboy was raised by the United States Army and has lived as a force of good amongst humans since the second World War. He works as an agent for a special group within the Bureau, and investigates paranormal activities. Aside from superhuman strength, healing and endurance, he carries a utility belt of sorts with military weaponry, as well as his deformed, right hand of doom. Hellboy first appeared in Dark Horse’s San Diego Comic-Con Comics #2 in 1993.
Ninja, Hanzo Hasashi, was murdered at the hands of his bitter rival, and brought back from the Netherrealm as one of the dead’s demons. This revenant covers his skull face in his yellow ninja garb, and has not only kept his highly trained combat technique, but has also 
gained the ability to conjure fire. From the palm of his hand he can also project a sentient spear to pierce an enemy and drawn them to him. Even death cannot keep Scorpion at bay. He first appeared in Midway’s Mortal Kombat in 1992.
Zuul is a demon demigod known as the Gatekeeper to Gozer. The demon takes control of Dana Barrett in an attempt to bring about the Destructor. She has the ability to hover in midair, and once 
transformed into the Hell Hound form, she has horns, claws and fangs, as well as other unknown abilities. Zuul represents IDW comics, but first appeared in Ghostbusters the movie in 1984.
Cast your vote below (click on the link) for your favorite “demon among us”, and feel free to add your own. Results coming in a few weeks.
Poll: The Most Shocking
The next round of our comic book battles is upon us. Black Lightning zaps in for DC Comics, Electro shocks the Marvel Comic world, Herakles brings his Zeus bolt in the sCrypt Comics universe, The god Raiden thunders into the battle for Midway, and Elle Bishop stuns the Heroes universe of webcomics.
If you are new to our battles, it is simple. All you have to do is check out the info provided for each character (we encourage you to look further into each one as well) and then cast your vote at the poll below for who you believe will win this fight. If you believe that another character should be included, we put an “other” vote in there. You can check that and add a comment to let us know who you think should be in there. Here we go:
Jefferson Pierce is a key player in the DC universe. He was born with electrical abilities that (once he reached teenage years) enabled him to generate force fields, fly, and emit powerful electrical currents. Coupled with his skilled martial arts abilities, he fights for the side of good as “Black Lightning.” His first appearance was in Black Lightning #1 in 1977
Maxwell Dillon was repairing a power line when a freak accident mutated his dna. Suddenly, he was able to fly, control, and emit electricity. As the villain Electro, Dillon has proved to be a threat time and again in the Marvel Universe. His first appearance was in The Amazing Spiderman #9 in 1964.
Before the Greeks took pride in their Mythology, a man named Herakles (no picture available) was considered the strongest willed of the land. His bravery and natural ability to overcome normal human limitations made him a force with which to be reckoned. When his father, Zeus, presented him with a special rod, Herakles used the Zeus bolt to capture lightning from the sky and char his dark brother’s abominations. Herakles and his Zeus Bolt first appeared in “Bones At Breakfast” the novel in 2011. 
As the protector of Earthrealm, the god of thunder, Raiden even gave up his immortality to become a contender in the Mortal Kombat Tournament. His abilities enable him to summon lightning, use the loud effects of thunder, and teleport in the form of electricity. His first appearance was in Mortal Kombat the video game in 1992, and later appeared in Midway comics.
Elle Bishop made her way into webcomics after debuting in the show, Heroes. She has the ability to generate electricity and use it down to a molecular level. Often giving in to her emotions, Elle is not someone to be taken lightly. Her first appearance was in the show Heroes in 2007.
So there you have it. Who do you believe would come out victorious in this struggle?
Poll: Master of The Dirt
For our first comic book battle poll of 2013, I figured we’d be a little more down to earth (see what I did there?). Like all of our battles, we encourage you to vote at the bottom. The results of the vote will determine our victor. If you feel there is some other character that would fit in this fight, then by all means, click “other” and mention who your vote is for.
Now to get to it. For Marvel Comics, Sandman steps forward. DC has Clayface in their corner. sCrypt Comics brings Barbas to the fight. And Midway makes Tremor step forth. This battle will determine which comic book company has the superior king of the earth.
William Baker, aka Flint Marko, was exposed to irradiated sand in a nuclear testing facility as he escaped from prison. The result gave him a body that fused with sand. This gave him the ability 
to change shape, control the sand around him, Manipulate his mass and density and enhanced his strength and endurance. Sandman first appeared in The Amazing Spiderman #4 in 1963.
Next up is Clayface. Though there have been various clayfaces throughout the comics, for this battle we are going to use the Matt Hagen version. Hagen was a treasure hunter who stumbled upon a pool of protoplasm, which gave him temporary abilities. Later replicating the process to be more permanent. This has given him a body composed of living mud with the ability to change shape, manipulate and divide his body, and shift his voice. The original (Karlo) Clayface first appeared in Detective Comics #40 in 1940, while Hagen’s version came later in 
Detective Comics #298 in 1961.
Barbas is a being from a time before mankind, when angels and demons ruled the planet. As the demon of Pestilence, Barbas has the ability to raise the dead from the earth, and replace lost body parts with those of others. The demon can command the earth to shape at will, and uses its minerals to help mend any lost or damage body. Barbas first appeared in “Flesh And Leftovers” (The novel) in 2010, while in graphic novel form first appeared in “Flesh And Leftovers: Zombie Incidents” in 2010.
Tremor may not be well known outside of the Mortal Kombat universe of comics and games, but he is a 
heavy contender as well. As a member of the Black Dragon Clan, this ninja has a muscle mass that many believe is because of his hardened abilities. He can create earthquakes, channel rocks through him as a projectile, and even summon magma to emit fireballs. Tremor first appeared in Mortal Kombat: Special Forces in 2000.
Well, there you have it. The masters of earth control have spoken. Which is your favorite in this battle? Which do you belive would win? Cast your vote below, and stay tuned for the results in a couple of weeks.
Poll results: Scarred face and psyche
A surprising result in our comic book battle polls has taken place. Midway comics has their focus primarily in the Mortal Kombat universe, but that hasn’t placed a hindrance on their characters. Marvel on the other hand lost big. Jigsaw didn’t stand a chance as he was beaten out by DC, Darkhorse, and sCrypt by Two-Face, Darth Vader and Marcus the Stalker respectively. With 50% of the entire votes, Kabal was the overall winner for Midway.
Thanks again for voting in our poll, and stay tuned for our next comic book battle.
Scarred Face and Psyche poll
There are some men in comics who just can’t seem to show their faces in public. Even if they did, you wouldn’t want them around because their minds are just as scarred as their faces. Who are these men? DC Comics has Two-Face, Marvel Comics has Jigsaw, sCrypt Comics has Marcus (artwork by Dan Pipito), and Midway has Kabal. Below will be a brief summary of each character, and then a poll. Vote for who you think would win in a battle or add a character that you feel I should have included. Have fun and enjoy!
District Attorney Harvey Dent was a man who worked to keep the justice system truly just. That was until he had half of his face scarred for life. There are variations on his origin throughout the years, but the most common one would be that he had half of his face blown off in an explosion. Always a man who struggled with his inner demons, this tragic event forced his split personality to take over. Two-Face uses a coin to decide which half (Harvey Dent or Two-Face) would act in the decision. If he was flipping for you, you wouldn’t want to see tails, or you’d most likely be dead. He first appeared in Detective Comics #66 in 1942.
Billy Russo was a professional hitman and criminal for the Maggia crime family. As one of the 
very few people to survive being on the Punisher’s hitlist, Billy was thrown through a pane of glass head first. After barely surviving, he had a surgeon stitch his face back together like that of a jigsaw puzzle. As Jigsaw he is one of the most violent mob criminals ever to grace the pages of a comic. He first appeared in The Amazing Spiderman #162 in 1976.
Marcus was a vampire in medieval times. He had no special abilities, other than his need for blood, and tendency to maim his victims. As he chased a woman through the forest, he was stopped by a young boy (who later grew to be King Arthur.) The boy threw a bucket of mined silver into Marcus’ face. It horribly scarred him, and forced him into hiding. When he emerged a month later, he 
earned the nickname the Stalker. From the shadows, he would follow his victims and toy with them until entire kingdoms were killed for pleasure and food. He first appeared in the novel “Blood, The Second Helping,” and his first graphic novel appearance was in “Blood, The Second Helping: Legends Of Vampire.”
As a former member of the criminal organization known as the Black Dragons, he tried to turn his life around and serve for the greater good. When the evil emperor Shao Kahn invaded earth, Kabal barely survived. Now he needs a respirator to breathe, and hide his horribly scarred face. Originally, he reverted to his Black Dragon roots after the attack, but who knows what the future will bring. Just don’t cross his path if he is armed with his hook swords; he won’t hesitate to gut you from face to feet. He was first introduced in Mortal Kombat 3.
So there you have it. Four men who you don’t want to have as your enemy or your friend. Cast your vote below, and spread the word.
sCrypt Publishing 