Comic Co-op

Much prior to the PS3 and online gaming, in fact, even before the Internet and the television, there was a common interest that kept a lot of teenagers busy - comic books. Even though comics are a less chosen form of entertainment today, no one can take away the fact that that's where the legendary heroes like Spiderman, Black Panther, Wonder Woman, Scarlett Witch, and many more came into being. Don't worry, this isn't a blog entry, nor is it a futile effort to sell my collection of comic books. I recently saw a new trailer for an EA game called Army of Two, a game that will test one's skill as a team member. The trailer showcases how one team member helps another to overcome obstacles. It made me wonder, if the same could be done with super-heroes - two very competent heroes put together in a game that is well designed. Even though there have been many games based on super-heroes, none of them have been exceptional. Marvel has released two games in their "Ultimate Alliance" series, the games although well received, still lack punch.

I am listing a few combinations of super-heroes from both, Marvel and DC comics, and one from India that I believe would make a great force, and at times even an indestructible one. Let's see if these combinations impress you, or can you think of better ones?

Batman - Captain America

The two belong to different universes, but most comic book veterans would agree that they are both excellent leaders, strong, skilled, as well as resourceful. Playing co-op with these two would be a great experience. Captain America boasts of superhuman strength and agility; and as for Batman, he is the most skilled mortal ever. One can demolish a tank with his bare hands, and the other can form a battle strategy to defeat an army within minutes. Maybe he should have had 300 Spartans behind him, no offense to King Leonidas. I believe this would be the ultimate combination of strength and intelligence in a game.

Thor - Hulk

What does an out of control, raging, maniac of a super hero need? Well, he needs help from a God. I guess that's why Thor - the Norse God of thunder and the mighty Hulk are a great team. The Hulk is often regarded by most people as a deadly killing force who can take on an entire team of super heroes if he wanted to. In case you didn't know, the Hulk is one of the most powerful beings in comic book history. His strength increases with his anger; the angrier he gets, the more dangerous he becomes. He doesn't belong to any side and just roams around from place to place in search of redemption. Thor on the other hand is a God, and has sworn to protect earth from humanity and its selfish mistakes. I remember one particular issue when the Hulk and Thor go one on one with each other. They stood at the same spot arm-locked with each other, testing each others strength. I believe these two would make a very powerful combination.

Wolverine - Shaktimaan

Wolverine is my second-most favorite superhero after Batman, and I want him teaming up with Shaktimaan because the combo will be outrageously funny. What I mean is, Shaktimaan has been portrayed as a very mild-mannered super-hero who doesn't loose his cool; putting him along the likes of Wolverine is just asking for trouble. Wolverine is the most agile mutant ever and his abilities as a destructive force make him a grave threat to the enemies. A league apart from most super-heroes, Wolverine will hardly leave any scum for Shaktimaan to clean up. Wolverine's indestructible skeleton and his razor sharp claws give him the attributes of an animal who's out to prey, yet he is vigilant enough to evade enemy traps. His teaming up with Shaktimaan, who has abilities like flying and super strength, will probably make a good combo.

The Thing - Flash

The fastest man on the planet joining hands with one of the strongest mortals makes sense, doesn't it? Flash can outrun anything, and The Thing can demolish anything; Flash is witty, while The Thing is gritty; Flash is always on the move, The Thing hardly ever moves; so all in all, they do make a good team. From a gamer's perspective, I think it would be rather awesome to be able to run like the Flash and to be able to demolish like The Thing. I know, there are more than a few games featuring The Thing, yet none of them are good enough. Both put together in a co-op game will be pretty wild, but I guess the level designers will have to go through hell to design a campaign for these two.

Superman - Mr. Fantastic

The man of steel, invincible Superman teaming up with the smartest superhero will spell doom for the villains. This is a very interesting combination as it brings together the strongest man alive with a man who can solve any scientific propaganda. Considering Superman, regular missions in space for a Mr. Darkseid (his nemesis) with a little help from Mr. Fantastic, Superman could have a much easier life. Again, making them both playable together will require skill and effort, and also luck.

Johnny Storm or The Human Torch - Spiderman

I remember playing a game called The Ultimate Spiderman, a decent game with some very cool concepts. One of the concepts was "Spidey racing" with Johnny through the city. I've always imagined what it would be like to be able to play with these characters in co-op level design. I guess both their abilities will be fun to play with as there can be many possible combinations. I hope some competent game company decides to put them both together in a game that's designed to be fun. This is just a small effort to reach out to comic book fans all over. We all want our favorite super heroes as playable characters and although Marvel: Ultimate Alliance does give us some options, I personally believe that we can get a much better experience.