Given a long enough time span, any group of pop culture geeks put in a room together will inevitably bring up the question of fights. From the outside, it seems silly, but whenever a question begins with the phrase “who would win in a fight between” there’s a fascinating dynamic at work. On one level, it serves as an ice breaker—who someone might pick as the victor can tell the other members of the conversation a lot about that person. On a slightly deeper level, it gives superfans the chance to test their rhetorical might, making arguments that might seem absurd using arcane corners of canon to justify their choices.
These types of conversations have been had for years in bedrooms and comic shops, and they continue today online. There’s an entire subgenre of fan film devoted to this premise, with internet producers developing short films that pit heroes against each other, often including blow by blow commentary to justify the decision that were made. Just about anyone you can think of has been pit against just about anyone else, and that’s not likely to change anytime soon. Not even in the wake of what might be the most epic fantasy hero battle of all time.
An animated video has popped up from ArtSpear's Toon that pits just about every hero you can think of against each other in ten minutes of hyperviolent absurdity - the kind that could no doubt fuel these types of conversations for months to come. Batman, Superman, Deadpool, Rey, Neo, Optimus Prime and Indiana Jones all make an appearance - and that’s just scratching the surface.
Like any example of this kind of discussion, the video is all in good fun. Here, it’s taken to extreme levels with sight gags and in jokes that are sure to delight members of most fandoms (there’s a bit where multiple characters played by Harrison Ford face off against each other that’s particularly delightful). Match ups you might never have imagined are shown here, though taken to absurd levels.
Still, it’s fun to watch, especially considering how accurately portrayed the characters are. Real powers, abilities, and skills are taken into account and they’re put together beautifully, in ways both humorous and character appropriate. It’s hard to quibble over what we didn’t get in the face of all we did. And, like all “who would win in a fight between” questions, we are forced to look at characters in a different way to see how they might win or lose against other opponents.
Ultimately, like most things on the internet, this is a welcome distraction. While you might disagree with the ultimate champion (it does seem to hinge on the current pop cultural zeitgeist) they do make a good argument for their last hero standing. Even if you think they’re wrong, the ten-minute journey to get there is worth every second.
Source: ArtSpear's Toon [via JC Video Games]