Marvel vs. DC: the games

Which superhero game is right for you? Marvel Ultimate Alliance or Justice League Heroes? Look no further

Words: Raymond Padilla, GamesRadar US

Story

Okay, this is where it gets really personal. As in mano y mano...or in this case, scribe vs. scribe. Swinging his mighty pen for justice is Dwayne McDuffie, author of the hilarious Damage Control mini-series and script writer for several episodes of the Justice League and Teen Titans cartoons. Marvel's mastermind is C.B. Cebulski, a strong writer that's mostly known as an editor for numerous Marvel books. If you aren't familiar with the narrative of either game, beware! Spoilers are about to ensue.

Marvel Ultimate Alliance: Doctor Doom has gathered an all new Masters of Evil in a plot for world domination. At his side are Baron Mordo, Loki, Ultron and tons of second-tier baddies used as underlings. Eventually Doom steals the power of Odin, turns his back on his fellow evildoers, reshapes Earth in his image and threatens to do worse to the universe. He also rips off one of Colossus' limbs, showing that he detests Russians, as many people have speculated. The whole thing feels like a massive, epic adventure that features more characters than a George Perez cover.

Justice League Heroes: Brainiac has the League on a wild goose chase, filling the heroes' time with Grodd, Queen Bee, The Key and tons of generic minions. All the while he's on a quest for ultimate power, which is promised to him by a mysterious rock (who the hell listens to a rock?). The speech-enhanced stone turns out to be Darkseid, trapped in a mystical prison. After tricking Brainiac into freeing him, Darkseid trounces his benefactor, reshaped the Earth in his image, gets trounced by the League and once again becomes a pet rock. Despite the galactic enormity of his evil, the flat plot and dialogue make Darkseid feel as threatening as the mold growing in your refrigerator.

The Winner: Cebulski kicks the crap out of McDuffie in this skirmish, giving Marvel Ultimate Alliance another win. This one was a bit surprising since McDuffie is the more accomplished author. Perhaps Cebulski followed Doom's lead and absorbed his rival's writing powers.

 
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