Underground Fight Club: Apocalypse Showdown - Finals Results

Introduction

About two and a half months ago, we at Signs of the Times: Underground set out to publish an unprecedented blog: an interactive tournament to determine the best apocalypse survival team. We started with eight participants, who chose six random characters from pop culture or American history to pit up against unknown competition. We never revealed the names of the participants, in an effort to keep voting as unbiased as possible. We would like to reveal their names at this time, now that the voting is closed and a winner has been selected. Here are the good sports who played along with us in the first-ever Underground Fight Club:

• Team Indy: Aaron Christensen
• Team Danvers: Dan Mortensen
• Team Deadpool: Josh Eden
• Team Kaladin: Jesse Maxwell
• Team Superman: Austin Christensen
• Team Manhattan: Cody Christensen
• Team Romanoff: Suzzanne Bailey
• Team Rambo: Gayle Christensen

A huge thank you goes out to these folks for playing along and humoring us through this process.

Additionally, we want to thank those individuals who took time to vote - especially those who were thoughtful enough to explain how they came up with their decisions, telling us why and how certain teams or characters performed the way that they did.

Locations, objectives and scenarios were chosen, based on suggestions provided on Facebook, and match-ups were selected at random. Winners of each match-up were determined by the aforementioned survey results, and we did our best to write up the stories in a fictionalized way that would be fun to read, although probably not totally logical 100 percent of the time.

Unfortunately, a real-life apocalypse delayed the tournament longer than we had initially hoped, and some momentum was admittedly taken out of the sails with all the COVID-19 craziness going on, so that's too bad. But this project was too big to let fall by the wayside and, one way or another, we wanted to make sure that we saw this thing through to the end.

With no further ado, let's get it on!! Join us one last time for the final round of our Apocalypse Showdown, featuring Team Superman and Team Danvers, locked in an all-out war in an abandoned amusement park.

Finals Results

 

 

Team Superman vs Team Danvers - All-out War @ Abandoned Amusement Park

• OBJECTIVE: Eliminate the other team.
• STIPULATIONS: One team member on each team must be killed in action. The Action Star is on the brink of exhaustion for the entire battle. The Specialist exposes a flaw in the other team's plan. The Wild Card switches teams. The Idiot causes a catastrophic problem for their team.
• ADVANTAGE: Weapons proficiency
• BONUS POINTS FOR: The new Wild Card being compatible with any of their new team mates AND if anyone on the team seems like they genuinely enjoy theme parks.

It was eerily quiet as the two remaining teams marched into what would soon become the final battleground of the Apocalypse Showdown. A somber reverence came across the faces of our combatants as they remembers those who had fallen on the path to glory. In the solemn stillness, the two Wild Cards (Benedict Arnold of Team Superman and Lanfear of Team Danvers) sneaked away from their respective teams. Ill feelings and bad intentions had been festering inside of them since the minute they joined their squads, and this was the opportune time for them each to do what they do best - betray their allies. And that's how this final round began... with the two least trustworthy teammates switching sides; Lanfear joined Superman and Benedict Arnold aligned with Captain Marvel.

Without another moment's hesitation, MacGyver got to work, honing his handiwork on the various scraps of metal, wood and rubble that lie within the shadows of the abandoned amusement park. Surely, these materials could be molded into something glorious, something dastardly, something dangerous. The legendary craftsman began tinkering away...

Elsewhere, his Specialist counterpart, Bryan Mills (who was never really fond of theme parks) hustled to the top of a tower in his team's end of the park. There were plenty of places he could use as a shooter's nest, and he had just the weapons for the job. He settled in and dusted off his trusty sniper rifle, adjusting the sights as needed, and making himself comfortable.

Meanwhile, the Evil Geniuses began developing a plan of attack while the Action Stars kept watch, floating above the grim wreckage of what once was a land of recreation and enjoyment. Putting his Force skills to good use, Emperor Palpatine started to strip decommissioned thrill rides for parts, telekinetically melding the plastic and metal into an impressive fortress. He referred to it as the Death Star 3.0, and swore in his wrath that it would be better than the two previous models. Ruin also had a bold plan. With his propensity for metal manipulation, he commenced in the creation of an animatronic army - artificially bringing the park's robotic mascots to life, with the will... to kill...

Benedict Arnold felt right at home amongst his newfound friends on Team Danvers. He was appointed the commander of Ruin's animatronic alliance, and the turncoat treasonist immediately got to work, instructing the cyborg crew on attack formations and military strategies.

Lanfear, on the other hand, struggled to find the right place on Team Superman - which isn't to say that she was completely useless, but she lived in a newfound sense of paranoia, knowing that distancing herself from Austin Powers could cause... complications. The two had recently formed an unlikely bond, over the course of the team's previous battle. Lanfear had spent a lot of time around the British super-spy, healing him him of the tremendous wounds he sustained in Round 1, and she feared that the easily aroused secret agent had developed a romantic interest in her. With that terrifying theory in mind, Lanfear attempted to pitch in when and where she could, but was constantly on the lookout for Powers' peeping and prying personality.

Traversing across the wacky wasteland, Drax discovered what he believed to be an enemy bunker. He burst through the door and began tearing at his opponents' flesh, stabbing with his knives and biting into them with his jagged teeth. Aware of the ruckus, Superman swooped down to inform the green-skinned goliath that he had simply encountered a shack full of stuffed animals that were completely harmless. Dejected, but not defeated, Drax trudged back to Team Superman's HQ to rest until another threat appeared.

At long last, MacGyver's plan came to fruition. From a heap of trash and scraps, he had created a mini-gun, mounted on top of a broken-down Segway scooter, which he repaired using corn dog sticks, a rusty nail and three and a half bags of popcorn. He crafted shrapnel-like ammunition from the gravel pit located in an under-construction area of the park, and had enough bullets to fill 13 buckets that previously held carnival prizes. The only downside was that whoever mounted the Segway would essentially be on a suicide run; they'd have to do as much damage as possible while they could, but they'd have no way of simultaneously steering and defending themselves. They best they could do would be to hope for enough cover fire from their teammates to prolong the run as long as possible. The only question now was who would be willing to volunteer...

The Death Star 3.0 was nearing completion. The shrill cackle of the Emperor rained down over the amusement park like a thick fog. It was glorious - densely protected, large enough to protect the entire team at once, and with a significant laser cannon perched high and centered. Superman flew around the structure to give it a once-over. It looked good. He used his laser-vision to further strengthen and bond the metal. It looked ready to go.

Captain Marvel returned to her team after an hour of patrolling the perimeter. Ruin and Benedict informed her of their robot army and McGyver introduced his dystopian Segway of doom. The Captain asked where Austin Powers was, and no one had an answer for her. In the hustle and bustle of their battle-planning, he had somehow gone missing.

On the other end of the park, Lanfear's worst fears came true: Austin Powers had tracked her down. She spotted him through a crack in the run-down wooden fence, and could hear him breathing heavily as he watched her. Suddenly, she had an idea. She could put her astonishing beauty to good use one last time. Reluctantly, she knew what she must do. She invited Mr. Powers over for a flirtatious chat. It was a hormone-filled half hour, but when it was over, Lanfear had pried out all of the information that he knew about Team Danvers' plans - particularly about the animatronic army and the modified war-scooter. She discovered the time of the attack, the direction they'd be coming, and every other detail she thought might be important. They say that loose lips sink ships, but in this case, Mr. Powers' inability to keep a secret was about to turn the tide of this final battle. With a kiss to the cheek and a swift knee to the crotch, Lanfear put Austin Powers out of commission indefinitely.

Captain Marvel finished up her reconnaissance flight and returned to her troops. The time had come for their grand attack. She charged MacGyver with loading the mini-gun full of its asphalt-like ammunition and preparing the chariot for departure. Ruin and Benedict Arnold put their robot troops into formation. Ruin would lead the army to battle, with Arnold manning the Segway. MacGyver planned on staying back at camp, ready to repair any animatronics that took excessive damage, and Miss Danvers would keep watch from above. They still didn't know where Austin Powers was, but, quite frankly, at this point, they didn't have time to wait around. After a rousing speech from Captain Marvel, Ruin and his forces rolled out, exactly on schedule.

Ruin's troops marched through the deserted "Cool Zone" and over the defunct splash pad. Around the rusted carousel and past the empty corn dog stall. There, in the distance, was Team Superman's base. Ruin raised a ghoulish arm and commanded the robots to halt. Benedict Arnold rolled to a stop on the armored Segway, his trigger finger itching and ready to go. This was it: the final attack. As Ruin prepared to lead the charge, a piercing noise rent the air and one of the animatronic soldiers fell to the ground, sparks flying from its metal cranium. Four hundred yards away, high atop a ride formerly known as the Tower of Dread, Bryan Mills smiled and reloaded his sniper rifle.

How did Team Superman know about the attack? How could they possibly have been prepared? Without another moment's delay, Ruin lowered his hand, shrieking like a banshee, and urging his battalion to attack with all their might. Like a horde of feral wolves, the park mascots rushed forth. With a gleeful yell, Benedict Arnold unleashed a barrage of bullets from the Segway's makeshift mini-gun. Arnold made effective use of the delightfully accurate firearm, mowing down any semblance of his former team's defenses, plowing a path toward the Death Star 3.0. The soldiers clambered ahead, attempting to dodge the pot shots being taken by Bryan Mills. Occasionally, a robot would fall at the hands of the over-protective father, but nonetheless they pressed onward.

Suddenly, out of nowhere, Drax the Destroyer pounced out from a dark alleyway, finally able to dig his daggers into something worthwhile. Furiously, he tore into the steel and wiring of Team Danvers' mini battalion, joyously severing limbs and separating parts. Sniper shots continued to rain down in tandem, much to the terror of Benedict Arnold, whose cybernetic cushion was crumbling.

Desperately, Arnold put the pedal to the metal, as it were, hoping to gain ground on Team Superman. When the Segway was close enough, he swung it wide to the right and cranked his sights toward the sky, focusing his fire to the top of the tower. Within a few seconds, a shot grazed the shoulder of Superman's sniper, taking Bryan Mills to the ground. With one enemy downed for the moment, Arnold rotated the Segway back to the left, hoping to find Drax before he could take down any more robots. But as soon as the revolutionary soldier saw the hulking green mass of his target, it was too late - Drax leapt from several feet away, landing right on top of the scooter. With two slashes of his swords, it was over - one swing cut the mini-gun in half and the other ended Arnold's life, with a stab to the heart.

Sensing that Team Danvers' plan was on the brink of failure, Ruin changed his tactic. He used his metal manipulation to lift all of the robots into the air, and he flung each and every one of them at Drax, burying the Guardian of the Galaxy under a heap of squirming steel.

From high above the action, Superman saw that his ally was in trouble. He also noticed that Ruin's army was all jumbled together in the same spot. He had a decision to make: was it worth potentially sacrificing Drax's life to destroy the bulk of Team Danvers' attacking force? Krypton's Favorite Son impulsively signaled to Emperor Palpatine to fire up the Death Star's laser cannon. Meticulously, the leader of the Sith moved his gun into position, aiming it right at the android army and their ghastly commander, and began to charge the laser.

 

The cannon would take a moment to heat up, as was typically the case with such weapons of dastardly destruction. Palpatine cackled as he imagined the mayhem. Then something caught his eye, high in the air. It streaked across the sky like a meteor, burning bright in the air and gaining ground each second. Palpatine outstretched his arms, prepared to shoot down whatever it was with his Force-lightning, but the object was moving too quickly for the Emperor to get a decent shot. Finally, he knew what it was that was hurtling itself toward the Death Star 3.0 - it was the flaming figure of Captain Marvel!

With the strength of a thousand raging feminists, Carol Danvers thrust her cosmic fist through the glass windows protecting the dark lord, crushing her way through the armored walls and defensive barriers compiled by Team Superman's Evil Genius. It was swift, it was sweet, and it was certain. The Death Star 3.0 collapsed instantaneously. Up flew Captain Marvel, having grabbed Palpatine by his cloaked neck, swooping high into the atmosphere and pummeling the disfigured geriatric repeatedly in the face. With a final left cross that would have made Floyd Mayweather proud, she sent Emperor Palpatine plummeting back down to earth. Thirty seconds later, his elderly body crashed into the planet's crust, completely lifeless.

Furious at the loss of his second-in-command and the failure of another Death Star, Superman took matters into his own hands, zooming down to the mechanical mountain of Ruin's android army. One by one, he peeled them off of Drax, flinging them at Captain Marvel. She was able to dodge or shoot down most of the projectiles, but a few of the robots connected, causing her to spin out of control and frantically float back down to the battleground. Drax, having freed himself, scaled a nearby wall and jumped high into the air. He lurched with his might and threw one of his daggers at Captain Marvel, hitting her in the leg and causing additional distress to the descending diva. Bryan Mills, with his wits finally returning, propped himself up on his good shoulder and took a shot at Captain Marvel. The bullet ripped through the air, grazing her in the neck and causing her to wail in pain as she continued to fall.

Superman grounded himself behind Ruin and used his icy breath to freeze Ruin's ethereal frame, then grabbed Drax by one arm and a leg, spinning him like a cyclone and whipping him into the frozen body of Team Danvers' phantasmic prodigy, smashing the demon into a million fragments.

With a thunder-like thud, Captain Marvel crashed onto the pavement, weak and wounded from her tragic fall. Soon, she found herself surrounded by Superman, Drax and a wounded Bryan Mills. Lanfear was not far behind, a sly smirk on her face - she being an essential part of thwarting her old squad's hopes. It was all over but the crying for Team Danvers, as they say.

Back at Captain Marvel's headquarters on the other side of the park, Angus MacGyver stood all alone. He realized that, at this point, with nobody on his team having returned to the base, things were not looking good. Wisely, he decided to look for a way out. Although he had never piloted one before, MacGyver knew that his team's TARDIS was stationed behind a few damaged buildings. He pried open the door, stepped inside and honestly had no idea what to do next, but he had a stick of gum, a box of 24 toothpicks and a notebook with a few scribbled-out equations in it, and he figured he'd find a way to make things work.

Superman helped Captain Marvel to her feat and extended his hand as a sign of respect. Carol Danvers dejectedly reached out and shook it. Superman squeezed it with his superhuman strength, which made Danvers flinch slightly. She knew that this battle was over. A loud whirring noise radiated through the air. Bryan Mills recognized the sound from a TV program his family once watched. He explained that it was the sound of Doctor Who's TARDIS taking off. It must have meant that someone on Team Danvers was able to escape the battle to safety. Superman smiled, released Captain Marvel's hand, and he and his team watched her limp off into the distance.

Triumphantly, Superman, Bryan Mills, Drax and Lanfear scaled the top of the castle-themed ride in the middle of the park. Once atop the structure, they raised the flag of Krypton to the top of a crooked pole and exhaled deeply as it waved in the wind.Victory was theirs. Tey outlasted seven other teams and could, at long last, claim apocalyptic supremacy for eternities to come.

They heard the call, they were ready to roll, and they had finished the job once and for all.

RESULT: TEAM SUPERMAN DEFEATS TEAM DANVERS

 

 

THE END

Underground Fight Club: Apocalypse Showdown - Round 2 Results

Our Apocalypse Showdown was rolling until a real-life apocalypse struck! For weeks, people around the world ransacked grocery stores to hoard all the toilet paper they could get their grubby little hands on. Panic and uncertainty abounded and actual things that were really happening delayed the production of our Round 2 results. Please forgive us. Somehow, we think you'll understand the struggle. Anyway, now that things have relatively settled down and Walmart shelves are beginning to look normal again, we've got a couple more stories for you to enjoy. Let's get to it.

As always, remember that a full breakdown of teams, characters, strengths and weaknesses can be found here.

Round 2 Results:

When last we left our intrepid teams,Team Manhattan and Team Superman had ventured into the mysterious depths of Sherwood Forest, and Team Indy prepared for a triple-threat match against the wounded-yet-determined Team Romanoff and  Team Danvers. It's time to find out what happened next.

Match-up A: Team Manhattan vs Team Superman - Strategic Warfare @ Sherwood Forest

• OBJECTIVE: Build a tree house fortress and launch a successful assault on the other team.
• STIPULATIONS: The Specialist must provide the blueprint for the structure. The Evil Genius doesn't like the plan. The Sacrificial Lamb must die.
• ADVANTAGE: Military experience, Construction
• BONUS POINTS FOR: Easily providing or producing fire.

Through the heavy mists of the fabled forest, Team Manhattan and Team Superman picked out their ideal locations for construction - just hidden enough for safety, but just close enough for combat. Immediately, Daryl Dixon began piecing together a plan for his team's hideout; his years of makeshift construction during a zombie apocalypse had served him very well. The structure provided plenty of areas for snipers to take out the opposition, and it was heavily fortified near all the entrances. He smiled to himself, pleased with his work. But then, protruding out of the shadows, arose another building - the handiwork of Bryan Mills, who had a particular set of skill saws that tremendously aided his efforts. Quickly and efficiently, Team Superman's Specialist put together an impressive edifice, high atop the trees, under the watchful eye of Emperor Palpatine, who was used to overseeing these types of complex construction sites. Determined, however, Daryl and his partner, Lex Luthor, continued hammering, sawing and strengthening their tree house until it stood exactly equal to Team Manhattan's. It was a sight to behold, surely.

From a military perspective, Team Superman had a major advantage, with Benedict Arnold, Palpatine and Drax the Destroyer, who had all seen many a fight in their day. The same could not be said, unfortunately, for the likes of Nacho Libre and Nancy Pelosi, on the other side of the battlefield. The aspiring pro wrestler and the Speaker of the House were, quite simply, liabilities from the onset. With a guitar in hand, Nacho attempted to sing away his fears, while Pelosi scrambled to come up with a passive aggressive tweet to send in her final moments, but it was too late. They looked to the sky and saw an incoming missile, launched by Team Superman's Total Tank, and... well... that was the last thing they saw at all.

The tank continued to blast a barrage of ballistics toward Doctor Manhattan and his squad, but not every shot was accurate. One errant attempt helped Team Manhattan obtain fire, which Daryl Dixon put immediately to use, igniting his crossbow arrows and zipping them into the lofty tree branches of his opponents, ultimately catching Team Superman's fort ablaze. Dixon and his crew began to whoop and holler. Their cries of exultation carried across the forest and frightened poor Mrs. Peacock. Unsure of what to do, she dropped her drink, threw her hands in the air and began to run about, screaming at the top of her lungs. The timing of this was incredibly poor; she ran out to the front gate of the tree house just as a flaming crossbow arrow reached the doorway. The entry lit on fire rapidly, and the ignited straw and brush spread fast. Mrs. Peacock was trapped - fatally so - but the was war, Peacock! Casualties were inevitable. You can't make an omelette without breaking a few eggs. Every good cook will tell you that.

The playing field had been narrowed, with deaths on each side. Benedict Arnold continued to blast away in the Total Tank, causing massive destruction to Team Manhattan's fortress. On the other side, Loki joined in with Daryl Dixon, launching flaming projectiles at their opponents. Lex Luthor joined in, too, donning his armored suit and loading up his laser cannons. The terrifying trio burned much of the area surrounding Team Superman's headquarters to the ground. Palpatine shot lightning from his fingertips as Drax ran, knives out, toward No Man's Land. Bryan Mills provided tactical support from behind a barricade.

With all of their teammates occupied, Superman and Doctor Manhattan floated high above the battle ground, meeting in the air half-way between the bases. Ultimately, it would come down to this. Which leader would reign supreme in a hand-to-hand battle of brawn and strength? A fist fight commenced, with each Action Star landing massive blows. Slowly, but surely, however, Superman gained the upper hand, using his superhuman strength, along with well-timed uses of his heat vision, to beat down the blue-skinned brainiac. One punch at a time, Kal-El pummeled his counterpart. As Manhattan lost strength, Superman was able to heave his deteriorating body into the surrounding treetops, scratching, whipping and tearing at his aqua-toned flesh. After several minutes of mayhem, Superman grabbed Doctor Manhattan by the shoulders and commanded him to submit. Reluctantly, aware of his impending defeat, Manhattan cried "uncle," knowing that it was the only way to spare his life and protect his remaining teammates. Superman unclenched his fist and slowly drifted back down to the ground. The gunfire ceased and the wounded soldiers that remained realized that the fight was over.

Team Superman regrouped, thankful that their teamwork had paid off, at long last. Dejected, defeated and dismayed, Doctor Manhattan, Lex Luthor, Loki and Daryl Dixon limped off into the shadows, enveloped by the fog, never to be seen again. After taking a moment to heal, Superman rallied his troops, for he knew that somewhere, on the other side of the proverbial bracket, there was one team left standing in their way of ultimate apocalypse supremacy. They'd just have to wait and see who it would end up being...

RESULT: TEAM SUPERMAN DEFEATS TEAM MANHATTAN

 

Match-up B: Team Romanoff vs Team Indy vs Team Danvers - The Escape Plan @ Airport

• OBJECTIVE: Be the first team to repair a decommissioned airplane and escape the location.
• STIPULATIONS: Only two members of the team can work on the plane. The Idiot does not understand what's going; one team member must spend the entire battle explaining it to them. The Sacrificial Lamb must die.
• COLLATERAL DAMAGE: C-3PO and every member of Team Romanoff and Team Danvers were injured in Round 1.
• ADVANTAGE: Mechanical, Vehicle expertise
• BONUS POINTS FOR: Hijacking another team's plane.

When last we left Team Romanoff and Team Danvers, they were crawling from the wreckage of a decimated food truck lot, with each of their members gravely injured. They were met but a victorious Team Indy, hot on the heels of their Round 1 victory at the Frozen Lake. All three teams knew that there was only one plan now - to escape the area via a nearby airport - but it was going to take a fight to get there.

Team Indy rushed to the asphalt arena with a frenzied fervor, hoping to capitalize on the near-exhaustion of their opponents. The sudden violence confused Luis, who had a plethora of questions that he demanded be answered before he could join in. With all other members of Team Indy focused on the action, Catwoman was forced to stay back with Luis and the salvaged scrap heap once known as "C-3PO," taking her out of the picture for the beginning of the brawl. Indiana Jones turned to encourage his team on to battle, but to his surprise, he couldn't find Joker anywhere. He must have taken off at some point. Nevertheless, the fight was heating up, and Indy and Ethan Hunt (both skilled hand-to-hand combatants) were ready to get down to business.

Team Danvers was forced to formulate a strategy on-the-go. Thankfully, Lanfear was able to put her healing powers to good use, slowly but surely restoring energy to her squad. Quickly, she replenished the health of her strongest teammates - Captain Marvel, Ruin and MacGyver. Those three joined in the fracas while Lanfear reluctantly stayed back, tending to the "owwies" sustained by Austin Powers. In what would later be seen as a major mistake, Lanfear attempted to sustain her healing of the International Man of Mystery while simultaneously trying to disguise herself as a protection. However, this caused an unpredictable surge of power to spark from her body over to Boromir, who sat nearby. The unexpected adrenaline that coursed through Boromir's veins was too much for him to handle. He stumbled forward, into the center of the parking lot, dazed, confused and unable to control his mortal frame. Knowing that there was not much else that he could do, the once-great warrior fell to his knees, light emanating from his eyes and mouth, his arms outstretched, and his body exploded into skeletal shrapnel, blasting out towards the competition. Boromir was gone, and it was a bit of a dramatic sight, but after all one does not simply die in the Underground Fight Club. He sacrificed himself for the greater good of his team.

Meanwhile, in the far corner of the parking lot - and searching for a temporary shelter - was Team Romanoff, which collectively scrambled for a way to recover from its Round 1 battle. Knowing that they were physically outmatched here, Black Widow knew that her number one recourse at this point would be to find a way out of there. She scanned the horizon for available aircraft carriers. Far in the distance, she she spotted three ships: a private jet, an aircraft carrier and her team's vehicle of choice - the Serenity. She needed a way to get her team over to their spaceship, and quickly. Jonathan Pine plotted out the quickest path to the runway as Natasha took potshots at members of Team Indy and Team Danvers. He thought he was onto something, and he called for his team to get moving. Rocket Raccoon pulled out his biggest guns and hopped up on top of an overturned food truck. The "trash panda" yelled at his team to get moving. He'd gladly provide cover. Olivia Octavius used her artificial appendages to her advantage, covering lots of ground in very little time. She was the first to reach the Serenity, and she put her genius-level intellect to good use, preparing the ship for take-off as quickly as possible. With Jar Jar Binks having sustained grave injuries in the previous round, he was lagging considerably behind. Romanoff called for her muscle, Jayne Cobb, to assist the Gungan across the parking lot and tarmac. Extremely disgruntled, Jayne slung one of Jar Jar's elastic arms around his neck and the unlikely duo limped their way to the ship.

Captain Marvel flew high above the action, blasting her photon-cannon arms down at the parking lot, sending vehicles sky high. The flying feminist was wreaking havoc with her superpowers. Knowing that he wasn't doing much good in his current, junky state, C-3PO came up with a plan. He pulled Catwoman and Luis close to him and whispered his final words: "Throw me." Catwoman and Luis paused for a moment, unsure what their droid companion meant, but then nodded in unison, knowing what needed to be done. They grabbed the robot by his metallic arms and legs, and heaved him with all their might at Miss Danvers. Of course, Captain Marvel saw this coming, and she blew him to bits way before the astromech reached his target. However, it provided enough of a distraction that Catwoman was able to whip Carol's ankle and yank her back down to the ground. Catwoman lunged up and began to claw Captain Marvel in a literal "catfight." Ruin saw the scuffle and rushed to aid his team leader. Indiana Jones and Agent Hunt were hot on his heals, fist flying. Luis watched in horror as the fight began to move north, toward the airport. Cautiously, he followed, as did Lanfear and Austin Powers, who healed as they moved.

The progress of that mini-battle stalled, though, when Rocket Raccoon broke out his biggest machine gun. He laughed maniacally as he fired at the brawling members of Team Indy and Team Danvers. When the two teams realized that they now had a common enemy, they quickly braced for cover behind scraps of concrete and metal, pausing their fight and creating a temporary alliance. Realizing what was about to happen, Rocket nervously glanced over his shoulder to ensure that the rest of his team had safely reached the Serenity. RAT-TAT-TAT! RAT-TAT-TAT-TAT! The raccoon continued to fire away, knowing that these could very well be his final moments of life. As he watched Jayne and Jar Jar stumble their way onto the ship, Rocket got a crazy look in his eye - the look of a mammal possessed. He reloaded his gun one final time and screamed with primal rage. He leapt high into the air, down into the rubble below, his gun blazing in the humid air. Instantaneously, Team Indy and Team Danvers joined forces to take out the Guardian of the Galaxy in a fit of violence that would have made Thanos proud. Within a few seconds, Rocket's gunfire had gone silent and an eerie silence fell across the land.

Suddenly, a noise gradually filled the air: the sound of whirring jet engines. Slowly, the surviving members of Team Indy and Team Danvers peered over the wreckage to see something neither team thought possible - Team Romanoff was escaping in their spaceship. Majestically, the Serenity lifted off into the air above the battlefield. But then something happened - the engines sputtered. The ship began to spin in an unnatural circle... and then the ship exploded! It fell from the sky with a horror unseen since the Hindenburg of days gone by. The teams watched in terror and awe as they realized that Team Romanoff had just been eliminated. A hideous, chill-inducing cackle rent the air. Doctor Jones pulled up his trusty binoculars to see what was happening. On the ground next to the flaming heap that was the Serenity was a shadowy figure, leaping in the air with joy, howling with pleasure. It was Joker! Unbeknownst to the rest of his team, Joker had sabotaged the Serenity with explosives while everyone else was busy fighting. For good measure, Gotham's Biggest Problem took a rocket launcher and blew up the private jet. Only one plane remained.

Indiana and Captain Marvel glanced at each other, stunned. Then, after a momentary pause, Team Indy and Team Danvers broke out into a mad dash toward the airport. There was no more time for fighting. This had purely evolved into a struggle for survival. Ethan Hunt sprinted ahead of the competition (he was very good at running), shoved Joker out of the way and began to work on the cargo plane, making sure it was in working order. He figured his team had a good chance of escaping. He knew that Indy could fly a plane, at least, although he was unsure whether the team leader knew how to land. After a brief inspection and a few minor fixes, it looked like the plane was ready to take off.

As the rest of the combatants arrived at the runway, Joker run up to Indy, asking whether the Action Star saw the explosive mayhem. Indy insisted that this was no time for conversation and hurried his way toward the cargo plane. One by one, the remaining fighters arrived at the plane. A few hasty punches were thrown as the teams attempted to gain the upper hand. Catwoman hurried onto the plane, making three members of Team Indy safe and sound. Captain Marvel and MacGyver were there, too, Ruin and Lanfear scuffled on board, and, finally, Austin Powers was on board. More shoving, lots of shouting. Things were getting tense. Confounded, but not entirely surprised, Indy put his head in his hands and grumbled, "Where's Luis?!"

Indy and Ethan dejectedly looked outside the plane to see Luis and Joker sitting in the A-Team Van, chatting about the day's crazy adventures. Indy turned back around to see Captain Marvel charging a photon blast, right in his face. Unwilling to have his face melted off like so many Nazi henchmen before him, Indy knew that this would be an appropriate time to cut his losses and accept an unfortunate defeat. With their hands in the air, Indy, Ethan and Catwoman backed slowly off of the plane, conceding the victory to Team Danvers. Once the way was clear, MacGyver closed the hatch in the back of the plane and flew the plane off to safety, setting up an Apocalypse Showdown with Team Superman.

RESULT: TEAM DANVERS DEFEATS TEAM INDY AND TEAM ROMANOFF

Updated Playoff Brackets:

Finals Match-up:

Team Superman vs Team Danvers - All-out War @ Abandoned Amusement Park

• OBJECTIVE: Eliminate the other team.

• STIPULATIONS: One team member on each team must be killed in action. The Action Star is on the brink of exhaustion for the entire battle. The Specialist exposes a flaw in the other team's plan. The Wild Card switches teams. The Idiot causes a catastrophic problem for their team.

• ADVANTAGE: Weapons proficiency

• BONUS POINTS FOR: The new Wild Card being compatible with any of their new team mates AND if anyone on the team seems like they genuinely enjoy theme parks.

***

Team Overview/Guide:

 https://sottunderground.blogspot.com/2020/02/underground-fight-club-apocalypse.html

Underground Fight Club: Apocalypse Showdown - Round 1 Results

Before we get to the results of Round 1, remember that a full breakdown of teams, characters, strengths and weaknesses (including updated images) can be seen by clicking here.

Round 1 Results:

The first round of our Apocalypse Showdown is in the books, and it was a real barn-burner, with a couple match-ups going right down to the wire! The action from the first four match-ups sent shock waves through the battleground, with ramifications that will be felt all the way through the semi-finals and championship round. Let's take a look at the results.

Match-up A: Team Manhattan vs Team Deadpool - Turf War @ Golden Gate Bridge

• OBJECTIVE: Be the first team to plant a flag at the top of the bridge.
• STIPULATIONS: The Evil Genius' plan backfires. The Action Star must come up with an alternative. The Wild Card must be the team member that plants the flag. No flight or teleportation allowed.
• ADVANTAGE: Agility
• BONUS POINTS FOR: Violence, Destruction, Mayhem

Frustration abounded to begin this battle, as the strategies laid out by Lex Luthor and John Doe backfired before either team could put gears in motion. Each Action Star was able to piece together an alternate plan for their team. Deadpool's ideas were stupid, yet simple, and his team was able to gain some momentum - with a maximum amount of mayhem. We are talking a lot of explosions along the way. Doe was completely cooperative with the plan, despite the inherent disappointment he felt when his original ideas fell flat. Luthor reluctantly fell in line with Doctor Manhattan's plan, which involved destroying a good portion of Team Deadpool's turf and having Loki virtually clone himself as a distraction.

The two Idiots, Nacho Libre and Joey Tribbiani, were of little to no consequence in this match-up. They spent most of the time rough-housing and wrestling each other, much to the annoyance of Nancy Pelosi, who took her copy of Doctor Manhattan's plan and ripped it to shreds in passive-aggressive fury. On the other side, Miss Trunchbull spent the entirety of the fight looking for children, grunting and bench pressing cars.

Meanwhile, Specialist Daryl Dixon perched himself half-way up the bridge, where he could have the best vantage point for taking pot shots at the opposition with his crossbow. Smart Hulk preferred to avoid physical conflict and crouched low behind a pile of rubble and debris, calculating his team's chances of survival.

The vanguard of decoy Lokis began to scale the bridge, appearing to use agility to the benefit of Team Manhattan. Distracted by his Wild Card counterpart's carbon copies, criminal mastermind Keyser Soze (who spent much of the match hiding from opponents and allies, alike), took a spear to the back from Loki's true form, putting Soze out of commission during key stretches of the turf war. It was then that the Asgardian Trickster rejoined his virtual duplicates in their ascent up the steel structure.

Loki continued to climb, painstakingly so with each additional step, as Doctor Manhattan kept watch from the far end of his side of the bridge. Luthor called in an air strike, which Deadpool greeted with a wink to the camera, a flurry of profuse profanity and the comedic wave of a white flag. Triumphantly, Loki reached the pinnacle of the scenic overpass, sauntered across a narrow catwalk and stuck an Asgardian flag firmly into its accompanying standard. Victory belonged to Team Manhattan on this day, and they gazed thoughtfully, yet triumphantly, across the bay as they awaited news regarding their second-round opponent.

RESULT: TEAM MANHATTAN DEFEATS TEAM DEADPOOL

Match-up B: Team Kaladin vs Team Superman - Supply Raid @ University Campus/Soccer Stadium

• OBJECTIVE: Raid the university for supplies. Set up a base of operations in the stadium. Launch a successful attack on the other camp.
• STIPULATIONS: Teams must fight off a horde of zombie frat boys. The Idiot refuses to step foot on campus and must remain at the stadium.
• ADVANTAGE: Stealth
• BONUS POINTS FOR: Team loyalty, School spirit

One of our most tightly contested match-ups took place on the University Campus and at its neighboring Soccer Stadium, and this battle came right down to the wire. The teams each split into two groups: one to focus on raiding the school for supplies and one to set up camp in the stadium. Each Idiot, for one reason or another refused to step foot on campus, so Sokka and Drax remained behind as central figures in putting together their corresponding bases. Although Drax was upset about being tasked with such manual labor, his brute strength did prove to be extremely helpful while assembling makeshift structures. Eventually, the teams were able to get their camps up and running, but that was just the beginning of their troubles...

Elsewhere, Team Kaladin breached the walls of the University, thanks to a thoroughly thought-out plan led by Professor Moriarty, whose years of experience in the scholastic field helped him know just where the most valuable supplies would be kept throughout the building. Smartly, Moriarty and Mystique used their cunning to trick Superman into arriving at the wrong school by hacking their opponents' GPS systems, causing a serious delay for the Man of Steel. Thankfully, due to his superhuman speed, Superman was quickly able to correct the issue and arrive at the intended destination without losing too much ground. Upon arrival, expert tracker Bryan Mills led the charge for Team Superman. He had a particular set of skills, you see; he would find the supplies, and he would collect them. Once each team had gathered a sufficient amount of necessities, they made their way back to the Soccer Stadium, where they were greeted by a most unexpected surprise.

A horde of zombie frat boys had breached the southern entrance to the arena and had begun attacking the two enemy bases! The teams had no choice but to work together to take down the undead party animals. With Kaladin Stormblessed and Chuck Norris watching the southeast quadrant and stab-happy Drax and the returning Bryan Mills defending the southwest bleachers, the teams fought in a beautiful symphony of violence to cut down the intruders. Team Kaladin's Idiot, Korg, attempted to assist, but realized that the frat boy he had been fighting was actually already dead, so that wasn't great. Sokka and Mrs. Peacock watched nervously, through the gaps in their fingers, from behind sandbags. Sokka waved a school flag in support, with Mrs. Peacock screaming all the while. Emperor Palpatine floated ominously above the action, zapping his Force Lightning on occasions that he thought would be beneficial to him, while showing his school spirit by cackling, "Do it!" to urge on the fighters.

At long last, the frat boys were defeated. The two teams shared a moment of triumph together, shaking hands and congratulating each other on their successful University raids. But then it dawned on them - there was another objective! They needed to launch a successful attack on the opposing base of operations! They had completely forgotten! At this point, they didn't feel like killing each other, after all they'd been through together. It hardly seemed fair. But just then, at that moment, an explosion erupted from within the fortified tent of Team Kaladin. Panic and terror crossed the face of Kaladin and he realized what had happened. The smoke cleared, a figure emerged. During the battle with the frat boys, one member of Team Superman had been missing in action. He'd slipped away unnoticed. The shadowy frame of the ultimate turncoat, Benedict Arnold appeared. The infamous military mind had infiltrated Team Kaladin's base and blown up their communications devices and radio tower, sneakily securing a Round 1 victory for Team Superman.

RESULT: TEAM SUPERMAN NARROWLY DEFEATS TEAM KALADIN

Match-up C: Team Rambo vs Team Indy - Save a Dying Teammate @ Frozen Lake

• OBJECTIVE: One medical kit lies in the center of the lake. Retrieve it and provide medical aid to The Sacrificial Lamb, who is dying.
• STIPULATIONS: No vehicles or flight abilities can be used. Any form of violence cracks the ice. One member of the team must stay with The Sacrificial Lamb at all times.
• ADVANTAGE: Medical, Agility
• BONUS POINTS FOR: Singing songs from the "Frozen" soundtrack to distract the opponent.

The next match-up took us to a Frozen Lake, where two teams sought medical aid for a perishing team member. The two Sacrificial Lambs, C-3PO and Elizabeth Warren lie on the brink of their respective mortality, along the banks of the water. The struggle to retrieve a single medical kit was on! But the pack was stranded in the center of the lake, and that ice was perilously thin.

One ally from each team decided to stay with their wounded warrior for the duration of the battle. Sensing that his weight would be too great for the fragile surface of the pond, and realizing that the frigid temperatures would work to the detriment of his motors, Megatron angrily stayed with the failed presidential candidate. On the other side of the lake, Luis was incredibly pleased to know that he'd have a captive audience to tell all of his fantastical stories to, so he parked The A-Team Van beside the decommissioned droid and began to recap his latest and greatest tales at breakneck speed.

It only took a moment for the teams to realize that any form of violence caused the ice to crack. This greatly annoyed Rambo and The Joker, both of whom were hoping that their match-up could be won through elaborate gunplay. With the two most violent members of each team effectively sidelined, an unlikely hero emerged: Barney Rubble put his experience with prehistoric environments to good use to lead the way for Team Rambo. Unfortunately, the limited dexterity of his teammates, the elderly Q and the wheelchair-bound Dr. Loveless, crippled his efforts and their progress stalled. Equally perturbing was the fact that Luis ran out of stories to tell C-3PO, causing him to resort to singing songs from "Frozen II" to keep morale up. The sound carried across the lake, and it was incredibly obnoxious.

Working from the other beach, Team Indy methodically inched their way across the lake. Indiana Jones took the initiative, as traversing dangerous spaces was one of his favorite pastimes. Flanked by two quick and agile partners, Catwoman and Ethan Hunt, they made short work of the journey, easily reaching the center of the ice. In elation, The Joker lit the fuse of a stick of dynamite and tossed it into the air. However, he miscalculated the length of the fuse, and the explosive landed on the lake, rolling a few feet inward before blowing up with a loud bang. The rest of Team Indy gasped, in shock that their Evil Genius could do something so careless. Within moments, the surface of the water began to fracture, creating large gaps between miniature icebergs. Catwoman fell momentarily into the chilled resevoir, but the sharp thinking of Indiana Jones came through in the clutch. With a flick of his wrist, he used his bullwhip to pull the feline felon out of the lake safely.

As Team Rambo watched dejectedly from the sidelines, Team Indy hurried to break out the medical kit to save their irritating cyborg friend. To their relief, all it took was some liquid bandages, some nuts and bolts to patch C-3PO back up, practically good as new. It was nothing Agent Hunt hadn't done a million times before. It was a landslide victory for Team Indy in Round 1, but how might the responsibility of lugging around a damaged companion affect them moving forward? Time will tell.

RESULT: TEAM INDY CONVINCINGLY DEFEATS TEAM RAMBO

 

Match-up D: Team Romanoff vs Team Danvers - Food and Resource Scavenging @ Shopping Mall/Food Truck Lot

• OBJECTIVE: Gather enough supplies to survive one week. Be the first team to steal from the opposing team.
• STIPULATIONS: All mall entrances are protected by gates with advanced locks. The Action Star must befriend a wandering loner.
• ADVANTAGE: Infiltration, Charisma
• BONUS POINTS FOR: Winning a food fight with the opponent.

The last stop on the first round of this apocalyptic tour of destruction was an abandoned Shopping Mall and its adjacent Food Truck Lot, where two super squads squared off for food and resources. The problem was that the resources were inside the mall, and all the entrances were locked. It was a race to get inside the complex, and mechanical masters Olivia Octavius and Angus MacGyver were ready to answer the call. Octavius whipped out some of her patented, high-tech gadgetry to break a lock for her team. Mere seconds behind, MacGyver fashioned a key out of a toothpick, a thread from his flannel shirt and some spittle to unbolt the lock for his gate.

Into the mall rushed Octavius, Wild Card Jayne Cobb and Specialist Jonathan Pine. They gathered supplies from clothing stores, snagged some bartering goods from behind a jewelry counter and grabbed some cash from the tills of mall carts. Cobb made sure to check for any ammunition lying around, but with the way security is in shopping malls these days, he was sorely disappointed. Nearby, Macgyver and his Wild Card Lanfear scrambled to round up frozen food from the food court and melee weapons from the sporting goods department. MacGyver also gathered a few knick-nacks that he thought might come in handy later, including a napkin dispenser, the legs from a wooden stool and the leaves from a fake plant. Meanwhile, Team Danvers' Idiot, Boromir, attempted to explain that one does not simply loot a shopping mall, but to no avail. Each team successfully gathered resources to last them much longer than the prerequisite seven days.

Watching vigilantly outside the mall, Natasha Romanoff, known better by her associates as "Black Widow," knew that she was tasked with befriending a wanderer. She was in luck, for a man who looked to be in his early 20s could be seen a short distance away, muttering to himself. The super-spy approached the man, who appeared to be whining about school being indefinitely cancelled. He was also concerned that he had not seen any of his frat brothers in several days. With a flip of her hair, she explained that she had been in a sorority of sorts, back in the day. She batted her eyelashes at him and told him that everything would be fine. He'd see his friends again soon, she promised. He asked for her number. She gave him a fake, comprised of nine random digits. Then she kissed him on the cheek and sent him on his way. Mission: accomplished.

Bored, Carol Danvers (or "Captain Marvel," as you may know her) sat outside the mall, high atop a food truck. Why her team chose to send a man to do a woman's job was beyond her. Surely, Lanfear could have gotten into the mall alone; why send MacGyver, too? Seemed like a waste. She began target practice, shooting her photon cannon blasts at empty beer bottles across the way. Deadly accurate. In the distance, she heard the roar of an approaching motorcycle. Within moments, a biker had reached the spandex-clad heroine. He was looking for a bite to eat, but Danvers didn't like that one bit. Her team needed this food, and badly. The biker spoke to her in a tone that only a sexist man could - condescending, rude... it made him sound like a pig and reminded her of the time trolls review-bombed her first movie. Disgusting. He mocked her haircut and spit at her feet. With one simple punch, she spun the man's head clean around, knocking him completely unconscious, clinging to life. Then she stole his clothes and his bike, along with all the cash in his pockets. It wasn't quite "befriending" him, but she figured taking all of his earthly possessions was good enough for now.

When she returned to the Food Truck Lot, she found the two Idiots, Jar Jar Binks and Austin Powers conversing with each other. Things started off friendly enough, but when Jar Jar said something that the International Man of Mystery didn't agree with, the shagadelic Brit poked his head inside one of the food trucks, grabbed a days-old apple pie and slung it into the face of the jibberish-spouting Gungan, yelling "YEAH, BABY!" for good measure. Without warning, Rocket Raccoon hopped on top of a dumpster and started spraying ketchup and mustard out of condiment bottles, laughing maniacally as he did so.

It was at this point that the Shopping Mall teams returned with their backpacks, bags and resource crates. They spontaneously dropped the supplies and joined in on the food fight, knowing that the almighty Bonus Points were at large for the team who won this little scuffle. Things were really getting out of hand, when Team Danvers' ghostly Evil Genius, Ruin, appeared, full of rage and bad intentions. Ruin conjured his propensity for metal manipulation and lifted every single food truck into the air. The trucks began swirling ferociously around the frightened competitors. With a ghastly shreik, Ruin sent the vehicles plummeting to the ground. The damage was undeniable. Every single member of both teams was stunned, staggering and physically injured. The air was still, not a sound was being made, aside from the grunting of recovering fighters. Then, out of the silence, came the resounding crack of a whip. All eyes gazed upon the source of the commotion, and when the chaos had settled, Natasha Romanoff and Carol Danvers had no doubt who had arrived. It was none other than Indiana Jones and Team Indy, and they were ready for a fight.

RESULT: TEAM ROMANOFF AND TEAM DANVERS FIGHT TO A DRAW - TO BE CONTINUED IN ROUND 2!

Updated Playoff Brackets:

 

Round 2 Match-ups:

 

Match-up A: Team Manhattan vs Team Superman - Strategic Warfare @ Sherwood Forest

• OBJECTIVE: Build a tree house fortress and launch a successful assault on the other team.
• STIPULATIONS: The Specialist must provide the blueprint for the structure. The Evil Genius doesn't like the plan. The Sacrificial Lamb must die.
  
• ADVANTAGE: Military experience, Construction
• BONUS POINTS FOR: Easily providing or producing fire.

 

Match-up B: Team Indy vs Team Romanoff vs Team Danvers - The Escape Plan @ Airport

• OBJECTIVE: Be the first team to repair a decommissioned airplane and escape the location.
• STIPULATIONS: Only two members of the team can work on the plane. The Idiot does not understand what's going; one team member must spend the entire battle explaining it to them. The Sacrificial Lamb must die.
• COLLATERAL DAMAGE: C-3PO and every member of Team Romanoff and Team Danvers were injured in Round 1.
• ADVANTAGE: Mechanical, Vehicle expertise
• BONUS POINTS FOR: Hijacking another team's plane.

 ***

Team Overview/Guide: https://sottunderground.blogspot.com/2020/02/underground-fight-club-apocalypse.html

Underground Fight Club: Apocalypse Showdown

Overview, explanation and context:

In the event of a global apocalypse, you need a good team. Who hasn't sat around constructing fantasy survival teams at least once or twice in their life? Signs of the Times: Underground has come to make those fantasies a reality in a brand new undertaking known as "Underground Fight Club."

We recently asked eight people to construct an apocalypse survival team to battle for the ultimate supremacy in a playoff-style tournament, but we laid down a few guidelines.

1. First and foremost, we did not specify the type of apocalypse at hand - not a zombie apocalypse, nuclear strike or viral outbreak - this was simply meant to be a generic survival team, ready for whatever came next.
2. Each team would need to fill six specific roles, including at least one male, one female and one non-human. Those roles were as follows:
• The Action Hero: a fictional hero or real person known for their fighting and/or survival skills
• The Evil Genius: a fictional villain known for their intelligence
• The Wild Card: a fictional hero or villain or real person known for being devious, dishonest or disloyal
• The Specialist: a fictional character or real person known for having a useful talent or skill
• The Idiot: a fictional character or real person known for being stupid or annoying, or for making mistakes
• The Sacrificial Lamb: casualties are inevitable, and this character will be the first to go
3. We specified that no teams could use the same character, and we were forced a couple times to ask participants to provide alternate responses.
4. We had each team appoint a famous vehicle for transportation purposes.
5. Each participant chose a team color and gave a team slogan - neither of which will likely have any sort of impact on the competition
6. We indicated that any locations, stipulations or objectives for the tournament may be added at a later time.

The tournament - strengths, weaknesses, battle scenarios and bonus points:

Once the participants provided their teams, we jotted down notable strengths and weakness for every character that will be helpful in determining winners for each round of the playoff. We have not included the names of the people who created the teams, in an effort to make voting be a strategic choice instead of a popularity contest.

Based on suggestions provided in Facebook comments over the past week, locations and objectives have been selected and paired up as stipulations for each battle. The scenarios were assigned randomly to the playoff bracket before team match-ups were determined.

Each match-up includes advantages and bonus points. The advantage hints at characteristics or skills that might benefit a team while attempting to complete the given objective. For instance, if the task is to break out of prison, a lock-picking would  be a beneficial skill to possess. Additionally, each round offers bonus points for completing a side quest during the battle. The bonus points mean absolutely nothing and ultimately might not affect the outcome in any way. We're just messing around with some of this stuff, folks.

Ideally, those who take the survey to vote for winners will consider the strengths and weaknesses of each team before making a decision. This blog should be used as a companion guide to the surveys that are sent with each new round of the playoff. Follow-up blog posts will be published with full results and analysis from each round.

How do I play?

Links to the surveys for each round are posted at the bottom of this blog! The only answers that are required are your name and your winner for each round. Any creative thoughts you put into the optional questions are greatly appreciated and will help us tell a fun story once the results come pouring in. Thanks in advance for your time, your effort and your answers!

The teams:

With all of that in mind, let's meet the eight magnificent teams for the first-ever UNDERGROUND FIGHT CLUB:

TEAM INDY (Aaron Christensen)

• The Action Star: Henry "Indiana" Jones, Jr.
• Known from: Indiana Jones movie franchise
• Notable strengths: Archaeology/procurement of artifacts, teaching, notoriously handy with bull whip, high success rate against Western European enemies
• Notable weaknesses: Snakes, women, landing planes
• The Evil Genius: The Joker
• Known from: The Dark Knight
• Notable strengths: Criminal mastermind, fares well when improvising, seemingly impervious to physical pain, very persuasive leadership
• Notable weaknesses: Psychotically unpredictable, clinically insane
• The Wild Card: Catwoman
• Known from: Batman: Arkham video game franchise
• Notable strengths: Cat-burglary, agility/stealth, flirtatious personality, occasionally heroic
• Notable weaknesses: Sporadic moral compass, often lets romance get in the way of goals
• The Specialist: Ethan Hunt
• Known from: Mission: Impossible movie franchise
• Notable strengths: Espionage, infiltration, gadgetry, excellent driving skills, great runner and rock climber
• Notable weaknesses: Infrequently fooled by disguises, periodically incapable of protecting teammates
• The Idiot: Luis
• Known from: Ant-Man, Ant-Man & the Wasp
• Notable strengths: Attention to detail, burglary, infiltration
• Notable weaknesses: A bit long-winded
• The Sacrificial Lamb: C-3PO
• Known from: Star Wars movie franchise
• Notable weaknesses: Socially awkward, very slow, consistently loses parts/limbs
• Transportation: The A-Team Van
• Known from: The A-Team

Round 1 Match-up: Team Indy vs Team Rambo - Save a Dying Team Member @ Frozen Lake
Round 1 Result: Won vs Team Rambo

Round 2 Match-up: Team Romanoff vs Team Indy vs Team Danvers - The Escape Plan @ Airport
Round 2 Result: Lost vs Team Danvers

TEAM DANVERS (Dan Mortensen)

• The Action Star: Captain Marvel
• Known from: Marvel comics
• Notable strengths: Superhuman strength, flight, energy manipulation
• Notable weaknesses: Internet trolls/review-bombing
• The Evil Genius: Ruin
• Known from: Mistborn book series
• Notable strengths/weaknesses: Mind control, ability to create/destroy sentient life, can control and manipulate metal
• Notable weaknesses: Has no physical body, unable to affect the world directly
• The Wild Card: Benedict Arnold (Defected from Team Superman)
  
• Known from: American history
• Notable strengths: Military strategy, espionage, great at playing both sides
• Notable weaknesses: Patriotism
• The Specialist: Angus MacGyver
• Known from: MacGyver
• Notable strengths: Master of improvisation and gadgetry, superior knowledge of mechanics, tremendous ability to escape tight spots with limited resources
• Notable weaknesses: Has a mullet, prefers non-violent conflict resolution
• The Idiot: Austin Powers
• Known from: Austin Powers movie franchise
• Notable strengths: Sense of humor, espionage
• Notable weaknesses: Questionable taste in fashion, gullibility, highly susceptible to being hit in the groin
• The Sacrificial Lamb: Boromir
• Known from: The Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring
• Notable weaknesses: Played by Sean Bean, extremely meme-able
• Transportation: The TARDIS
• Known from: Doctor Who

Round 1 Match-up: Team Danvers vs Team Romanoff - Food and Resource Scavenging @ Shopping Mall/Food Truck Lot

Round 1 Result: Fought Team Romanoff to a draw

Round 2 Match-up: Team Romanoff vs Team Indy vs Team Danvers - The Escape Plan @ Airport

Round 2 Result: Won vs Team Indy and Team Romanoff

Finals Match-up: Team Superman vs Team Danvers - All-out War @ Abandoned Amusement Park

Finals Result: Lost vs Team Superman 

TEAM DEADPOOL (Josh Eden)

• The Action Star: Deadpool
• Known from: Deadpool movie franchise
• Notable strengths: Self-awareness, gunplay, practically invincible
• Notable weaknesses: Potty mouth, easily distracted, not someone you can bring home to Mom
• The Evil Genius: John Doe
• Known from: Se7en
• Notable strengths: Highly intelligent, skilled at manipulating law enforcement
• Notable weaknesses: Fundamentally pessimistic and immoral
• The Wild Card: Keyser Soze
• Known from: The Usual Suspects
• Notable strengths: Extremely elusive, keeps identity well-hidden
• Notable weaknesses: May or may not actually exist
• The Specialist: Smart Hulk
• Known from: Avengers: Endgame
• Notable strengths: Superior intelligence, unmatched strength, decent chef
• Notable weaknesses: A bit more passive than his previous, angrier self
• The Idiot: Joey Tribbiani
• Known from: Friends
• Notable strengths: Good friend, ladies man, knowledgeable about any topic that begins with the letter "V"
• Notable weaknesses: Simple-minded, immature, does not share food
• The Sacrificial Lamb: Agatha Trunchbull
• Known from: Matilda
• Notable weaknesses: Heartless, has no friends, can be overcome by large groups of children
• Transportation: Ecto-1
• Known from: Ghostbusters movie franchise

Round 1 Match-up: Team Deadpool vs Team Manhattan - Turf War @ Golden Gate Bridge

Round 1 Result: Lost vs Team Manhattan

TEAM KALADIN (Jesse Maxwell)

• The Action Star: Kaladin Stormblessed
• Known from: The Stormlight Archive book series
• Notable strengths: Natural leader and protector, has a constant desire to help all people, extremely lucky
• Notable weaknesses: Suffers from depression and hopelessness
• The Evil Genius: Professor James Moriarty
• Known from: Sherlock Holmes franchise
• Notable strengths: Genius-level intellect - particularly in math and science, capable of organizing elaborate crimes, decisively ruthless and malicious
• Notable weaknesses: Lacks dexterity, poor physical combat skills, not good with heights
• The Wild Card: Mystique
• Known from: X-Men comics
• Notable strengths: Shape-shifter, accelerated healing
• Notable weaknesses: Cannot mask scent, does not absorb powers/talents when assuming a different appearance
• The Specialist: Chuck Norris
• Known from: Walker Texas Ranger, The Expendables, The Way of the Dragon
• Notable strengths: Martial arts expert, all-around action superstar
• Notable weaknesses: Jokes stopped being funny several years ago
• The Idiot: Sokka
• Known from: Avatar: The Last Airbender
• Notable strengths: Great ability to adapt, reasonably adept in hand-to-hand combat, loyal to friends and allies
• Notable weaknesses: Constantly sarcastic and immature, typically the least skilled member of any group
• The Sacrificial Lamb: Korg
• Known from: Thor: Ragnarok
• Notable weaknesses: Lacks killer instinct, not good at online gaming
• Transportation: The Millennium Falcon
• Known from: Star Wars movie franchise

Round 1 Match-up: Team Kaladin vs Team Superman - Supply Raid @ University Campus/Soccer Stadium
Round 1 Result: Lost vs Team Superman

TEAM SUPERMAN (Austin Christensen)

• The Action Star: Superman
• Known from: DC comics
• Notable strengths: Unparalleled physical strength, superhuman hearing and speed, impeccable morality
• Notable weaknesses: Kryptonite, "whipped" by Lois Lane, hardcore mama's boy
• The Evil Genius: Emperor Palpatine
• Known from: Star Wars movie franchise
• Notable strengths: Highly persuasive, excels at mid-range combat, legendary Force-user
• Notable weaknesses: Hideously ugly, very bad track record in important battles
• The Wild Card: Lanfear (Defected from Team Danvers)
• Known from: The Wheel of Time book series
• Notable strengths: Master of disguise, astonishing beauty, insatiable lust for power, good with animals
• Notable weaknesses: Vastly inflated opinion of self, actively betrays allies
• The Specialist: Bryan Mills
• Known from: Taken movie franchise
• Notable strengths: Expert tracker, crack-shot with firearms, incredible stamina, highly protective of family
• Notable weaknesses: Holds a grudge, likely has serious legal troubles
• The Idiot: Drax
• Known from: Guardians of the Galaxy, Avengers: Infinity War
• Notable strengths: Skilled will daggers/swords, blind rage makes him a very good fighter
• Notable weaknesses: Metaphors, stealth
• The Sacrificial Lamb: Mrs. Peacock
• Known from: Clue (1985)
• Notable weaknesses: Social awareness, bad at keeping secrets, once blackmailed for being "thoroughly un-American"
• Transportation: Total Tank
• Known from: The Santa Clause

Round 1 Match-up: Team Superman vs Team Kaladin - Supply Raid @ University Campus/Soccer Stadium

Round 1 Result: Won vs Team Kaladin

Round 2 Match-up: Team Manhattan vs Team Superman - Strategic Warfare @ Sherwood Forest

Round 2 Result: Won vs Team Manhattan

Finals Match-up: Team Superman vs Team Danvers - All-out War @ Abandoned Amusement Park

Finals Result: Won vs Team Danvers

TEAM MANHATTAN (Cody Christensen)

• The Action Star: Doctor Manhattan
• Known from: Watchmen
• Notable strengths: Immortality, flight, shape and size manipulation, subatomic perception and control, clairvoyance
• Notable weaknesses: Highly unpopular public figure, lacks free will, tachyon fog obscures his view of the immediate past and future
• The Evil Genius: Lex Luthor
• Known from: Justice League animated TV series
• Notable strengths: Level 12 intellect, solved the Anti-Life Equation, good with technology, shrewd businessman with nearly limitless resources
• Notable weaknesses: Egotistical, prone to being double-crossed by partners, terminally ill from Kryptonite poisoning
• The Wild Card: Loki
• Known from: Thor movie franchise, Avengers
• Notable strengths: Master of manipulation and deceit, exceedingly mischievous, astral projection/shape-shifting
• Notable weaknesses: Suffers from intense sibling rivalry and jealousy, often overthinks plans
• The Specialist: Daryl Dixon
• Known from: The Walking Dead
• Notable strengths: Crossbow sharpshooter, proficient in hand-to-hand combat, skilled hunter, some experience in post-apocalyptic government
• Notable weaknesses: Suffers from PTSD, occasionally disappears without telling anyone, not a terrific "people person"
• The Idiot: Nacho Libre
• Known from: Nacho Libre
• Notable strengths: Moderately skilled professional wrestler, somewhat talented musician, has "eagle powers"
• Notable weaknesses: Suffers from delusions of grandeur, has feelings for a nun
• The Sacrificial Lamb: Nancy Pelosi
• Known from: American politics
• Notable weaknesses: State of the Union addresses
• Transportation: The Magic School Bus
• Known from: The Magic School Bus

Round 1 Match-up: Team Manhattan vs Team Deadpool - Turf War @ Golden Gate Bridge

Round 1 Result: Won vs Team Deadpool

Round 2 Match-up: Team Manhattan vs Team Superman - Strategic Warfare @ Sherwood Forest

Round 2 Result: Lost vs Team Superman

TEAM ROMANOFF (Suzzanne Bailey)

• The Action Star: Natasha "Black Widow" Romanoff
• Known from: Avengers movie franchise
• Notable strengths: Espionage, hand-to-hand combat, stealth, constantly changes hairstyle
• Notable weaknesses: Is the least popular person at work, didn't get a stand-alone movie after her character had been killed off
• The Evil Genius: Olivia Octavius
• Known from: Into the Spiderverse
• Notable strengths: Science, metal manipulation, skillfully utilizes four extra, mechanical limbs
• Notable weaknesses: Potential mental instability, needs to start using stronger passwords
• The Wild Card: Jayne Cobb
• Known from: Firefly, Serenity
• Notable strengths: Weapons expert, reliable mercenary, nearly fearless, impressively popular in some regions
• Notable weaknesses: Occasionally deterred by self-imposed honor code, is known to place self-interest above group welfare, wears an ugly hat
• The Specialist: Jonathan Pine
• Known from: The Night Manager
• Notable strengths: War veteran, excels at infiltration, combat expert, decent marksman
• Notable weaknesses: Falls in love with the wrong type of women
• The Idiot: Jar Jar Binks
• Known from: Star Wars movie franchise
• Notable strengths: Quite frequently does good things on accident, harbors decent relationships with political figures
• Notable weaknesses: Infinitely annoying, frequently uses made-up words
• The Sacrificial Lamb: Rocket Raccoon
• Known from: Guardians of the Galaxy, Avengers: Endgame
• Notable weaknesses: Itchy trigger finger, irrational temper
• Transportation: The Serenity
• Known from: Firefly

Round 1 Match-up: Team Romanoff vs Team Danvers - Food and Resource Scavenging @ Shopping Mall/Food Truck Lot
Round 1 Result: Fought Team Danvers to a draw

Round 2 Match-up: Team Romanoff vs Team Indy vs Team Danvers - The Escape Plan @ Airport
Round 2 Result: Lost vs Team Danvers 

TEAM RAMBO (Gayle Christensen)

• The Action Star: Rambo
• Known from: Rambo movie franchise
• Notable strengths: Special Forces soldier, unmatched war-survival skills, firearms expert
• Notable weaknesses: Suffers from PTSD, uses violence to solve problems, often acts recklessly and disregards orders
• The Evil Genius: Megatron
• Known from: Transformers franchise
• Notable strengths: Believes in victory by conquest, will attempt anything to achieve goals, skilled with power weapons, frequently resorts to the use of a disguise
• Notable weaknesses: Often feared by subordinates, arrogant yet cowardly, plans lack subtlety
• The Wild Card: Dr. Arliss Loveless
• Known from: Wild Wild West
• Notable strengths: Former soldier, charismatic political leader, knowledgeable in war strategy and tactics, throws lavish parties
• Notable weaknesses: Amputee, permanently confined to a steam-powered wheelchair, wanted for many crimes, often betrays those who trust him
• The Specialist: Q
• Known from: James Bond movie franchise
• Notable strengths: Gadgetry, science, technology
• Notable weaknesses: Old age, prefers to stay in the lab
• The Idiot: Barney Rubble
• Known from: The Flintstones
• Notable strengths: Loyal husband/father, hard-working employee, decent bowler
• Notable weaknesses: Easily pushed around by others, limited physical capability
• The Sacrificial Lamb: Elizabeth Warren
• Known from: American politics
• Notable weaknesses: Other politicians
• Transportation: The Oscar Meyer Weinermobile
• Known from: American pop culture

Round 1 Match-up: Team Rambo vs Team Indy - Save a Dying Teammate @ Frozen Lake
Round 1 Result: Lost vs Team Indy

***

LET'S GET READY TO RUMBLE!!!

Round 1 Results

Round 2 Results

Finals Results