There can be only one!

On a shared Earth, where all of the following characters live, two near-omnipotent beings have decided there will be a Hunt, to the last person standing-- among the best of the detectives, planners, and powerhuses of the world.

Each of the non-* characters will be informed about the hunt first, and after 24 hours, the rest will also be informed. That givces them extra time, as well as time to get hidden or set stuff in motion that they could not if the * characters were active. The hunt will begin 24 hours after the * characters are informed, so they will have some lead time as well. No one will have any prior memory for the TOC which preceded this one.

Same ground rules as the last battle-- you can ask for help, but when it comes to battle, you are on your own.

Once taken out, if not killed, any character can be an aide for any allies, just like anybody not in the TOC.

The contestants:

1. Batman
2. Lex Luthor
3. Superman*
4. Martian Manhunter*
5. Iron Man
6. Forge
7. Nick Fury
8. Reed Richards
9. Magneto*
10. Dr Doom*
11. Black Panther
12. Atom
13. Black Adam*
14. John Constantine
15. Dracula*
16. Captain Marvel (“Shazam!”)*
17. Ultimate Hulk
18. Ultimate Captain America
19. Flash
20. Dr Mid-Nite (Pieter Cross)
21. Deadpool
22. Spider-Man
23. Blue Beetle
24. Time-displaced Brainiac 5
25. The Fixer
26. Henry Pym
27. Abe Sapien
28. Venom
29. The Midnighter
30. Green Arrow
31. Deathstroke the Terminator
32. Mr Terrific (Michael Holt)
33. Prometheus
34. The Human Target

Ok, one, it's not going to be any of the big-named prep people. They're going to start out by being simultaniously attacked by all the other big named prep people, and, well, it all goes down from there...

Of course, it also has to be someone who can hurt big foes. Even if he's one of the last standing, The Human Target is in trouble if he's facing Captain Marvel or Martian Manhunter (Who also has a very good chance, he can stay out of combat for quite awhile by invisibility, intangibility, and psychic 'you didn't see me, attack *biggest threat to MM*' commands).


Hmm... I'm going to vote Brainiac 5. He's an extremely major threat in preperation, people have less files on him than anyone else here, and his devices, in addition to being more advanced than anyone else's, also pack the punch to deal with worn-down big hitters.

That's a decent choice.

I think it's certaily going to be somebody who has the ability to disappear (which I assume Brainy would be able to do), has the abilty to take down a SHW, and isn't a huge target to start.

Human Target certainly has the ability to disappear, but he can't take out a lot of these guys.

Panther is another possibility. Batman has too many ties to other members of the TOC, who could find him (such as Superman).

Deathstroke might be the guy to win, also. He'd have trouble against the heavies, but he certainly could survive the initial culling.

Im going to go with Deathstroke....hes extremely smart so you dont have to worry about someone like batman getting the 1up on him and hes fast, and if you read IC he hurt the JLA pretty good all by himself. The only person who worries me in this list is John Constantine is he going to be able to sit back and watch these guys kick the #### out of each other or is someone going to recognize him as the biggest threat here?

...good question! And one reason I induced amnesia of the TOC, since I think JOhn would go down like a sack of potatoes if some of these folsk considered him the biggest threat.

Still, some are going to ID him as a guy to look for.

Reed Richards is out, because once he knows Doom is in this contest I think he will spend his resources trying to take him out. He knows just how dangerous Doom is.

Batman would stalk the little guys and force confrontations with the big guys but will eventually fall.

In this kind of battle Lex Luthor can't do anything so he is lost.

I see Superman and Marvel being ganged up against because really that is the only way to take them out. Will it work is still up to question.

The Last ones standing I believe will be:
Superman
Marvel
Doom
Martian Manhunter
Flash
and some odd wildcard.

Of those I just see the DC heros teaming up against Doom. And then I see Marvel and Superman going at it. I think Superman will fall, and shortly after Marvel. Martian Manhunter will have too much advantage in this contest.

Also, here is a thought, once the first person with Prep attacks MM he will know the contest because he will have searched his mind. Once that happens he is a Super Heavy Weight with Prep time, as he can disappear and plan what to do next.

and if you read IC he hurt the JLA pretty good all by himself.

But only two of that group had any powers (mostly lightweights, plus Flash and GL who just were sloppy), and only took 'em down temporarily. He lost that fight, after all, and Prometheus has done even better against a stronger JLA team.


Plus, I don't think he can handle Reed, Doom, Brainy, etc., in pretty much any circumstance.


Ignatz_Mouse's mention of Black Panther I think is pretty good. He's an excellent preparer, and isn't as hands-on as Deathstroke (thus, not exposing himself to traps, defenses, and people too strong for him). BP can figure his way to a victory over some pretty tough foes, but if Deathstroke's weaponries can't hurt someone, his only hope is for someone else to take them out.

Spak: Everybody gets at least 24 hours prep, the little guys get an extra 24 in advance of that. Sorry if that wasn't clear.

I vote for Atom. Obviously he can use his natural power to avoid most of the confrontation. And in essence that gives him additionaly prep time. He'll definately isn't a "big traget" of power, so he wouldn't be on anyone's hit first list. The few left, he'll have some cool ways of disposing of them with all this additionaly time on his hands.

Well i think Deathstrokes biggest advantage is he isn't a SHW....people are going to overlook him at the start for sure, if you have Superman and Deathstroke charging at you who do you think is going to get your full attention? At first i think Martian Manhunter is going to surprise alot of these fighters by taking out a couple of the big guns but when people see this he is going to get gangbeated severly. With the prep time Slade is going to figure out how to make it to the end and i don't think there is going to be a powerful enough person left to take him out.

Superman.


He's the most powerful, and he has plenty of allies who can help him here--Batman being the biggest. (Yes, they would work together. There are no 2 people on the list more likely to team up than those 2.)

I'll go with Ultimate Hulk.

In the last issue, he proved to be extremelly tough (surviving a full 1 megaton blast, while being not fully transformed and about 10 feet away from the bomb)

I think he has the raw strenght to fight anyone of them and once he starts to fight, he will just get stronger, madder and in the case of Ultimate Hulk, hornier. I see him outlasting and smashing his way to victory.

If this breaks down to good guys vs bad guys, the bad guys are screwed they are 2 few.... Doom and Black Adam are the only SHW's and the good guys have MM,Superman,Captain Marvel,Ironman etc.

But Deathstroke not only isn't a SHW physically, he's not one in prep either. He's a master at taking others by surprise, but he's not in the level of several others.


Plus, there's pretty much no-way for him to take a whole bunch of the people here, period. Superman, the Atom, Dr. Doom, etc..



That's, in large part, why I say Brainiac. In a fight, with his tech he's a MW/HW, not drawing too much notice, but in 48 hours he can put together as much stuff as Reed but with more time to do it in. He has both a reasonable amount of power and is one of the prep SHW, with the added bonus that, unlike Deathstroke who several people won't overlook (like Batman, anyone in the JLA or JSA, etc.), no-one has detailed files on him. No one.

I vote for Atom. Obviously he can use his natural power to avoid most of the confrontation. And in essence that gives him additionaly prep time. He'll definately isn't a "big traget" of power, so he wouldn't be on anyone's hit first list. The few left, he'll have some cool ways of disposing of them with all this additionaly time on his hands.


Ray Palmer's always fun, isn't he?


People I see taking him: Reed and Brainiac have the detection equipment, as well as maybe Forge and Doom. J'onn can with psychics, John can with magic.


And he'll have trouble taking out a few of the physical SHWs who'll have at least equal trouble doing the same to him, but that's pretty much it.

I saw Constantine just goes and hides out at a bar - goes "deep underground" - until there's only one person left standing...and then blindsides the poor sap.