Top Ten Superhero Fight Scenes

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The resurgence of super hero movies has reached an all-time high and the studios are giving us plenty to cheer about.  Our favorite characters are fighting their arch nemesis night after night, and we are left to cheer for their victories and mourn their defeats. With the greatest special effects available at their disposal, some of our heroes have had memorable battles with their opponents.  We have decided on which of these primal events is the most exciting, and have come up with a list of the top ten superhero fight scenes of all time.   The Hulk's warm-up fight with Thor didn't make the list in the top ten, but the scenes that did make it are worth turning the page"¦

  • Blade vs. Frost

(Blade, The original movie, 1998)

Blade fought the villain known as Deacon Frost in the final fight scene.

Blade fought the villain known as Deacon Frost in the final fight scene.

The first Blade movie was cutting edge, ruthless and original.  The fight scenes were exciting and down to earth.  Part of what made audiences pour out to see this film was the actor who was chosen to play the main character, and his renowned skill with martial arts.  The final fight between Blade, Deacon Frost and an army of roughly 100 thugs was legendary.

When you consider the state of special effects back in 1998 as opposed to today, the idea that Blade cut the bad guy in half and he pulled himself back together was cool for that time.  The final roundhouse kick that sends the last syringe filled with the anti-serum sailing into Frost's forehead was an epic move that will never be forgotten. For these reasons, this scene from Blade lands at #10 on our list.

  • Thor vs. Loki

(THOR, the original movie, 2011)

Thor walked over to the fallen Loki and placed his hammer on his chest in contempt

Thor walked over to the fallen Loki and placed his hammer on his chest in contempt

The first movie featuring the Thunder-God was a smashing success.  The story stayed very close to the original comic and for that, it was widely accepted by Marvel fans.  The movie had some nice special effects and introduced some new characters, but the writing and the emotion that huddled behind it was the reason that this fight lands on our list at #9.

The struggle between brothers who are competing for their father's approval is pulled straight from classic literature. The battle between Loki and Thor however, goes much deeper.  As the brief but meaningful battle wages, Thor gains the upper hand.  He walks over to the fallen Loki and places his hammer on his chest.  The legend says that only Thor can lift his hammer, so Loki is left helplessly trapped underneath the mythical weight.

That scene is so skillfully played out that Thor's contempt for his brother is palpable.  Thor's decision to destroy the bifrost linking the different worlds to Asgard however, is the pinnacle of the warrior's sacrifice.  He gives up the ability to return to his lady in order to prevent the genocide of the frost giants.

  • Wolverine vs Lady Deathstrike

(X2: X-Men United, 2003)

Lady Deathstrike gave Logan all that he could handle during their fight scene.

Lady Deathstrike gave Logan all that he could handle during their fight scene.

It wouldn't be a list of the best fight scenes without including the Wolverine!  Unfortunately for old man Logan, this fight scene featured him taking most of the punishment instead of dishing it out like usual.  The villain, Lady Deathstrike, is a mutant like Wolverine.  She has a healing factor that works much like his own and she has been endowed with similar adamantium claws.  This scene demonstrates all of her acrobatic abilities and fighting skill, but it also showcases Wolverine's unwillingness to engage in fighting with a woman, even one who is skewering his ribcage.

This scene ends with an adamantium bath gone awry, as Wolverine fills up his enemy with the molten version of the strongest substance in the Marvel Universe.  For examining the depth of our hero's character as well as delivering a sweet action sequence, this fight scene lands at #8 on our list.

  • Spider-Man vs The Lizard

(The Amazing Spider-Man, 2012)

The battle between Spider-Man and Lizard was epic, especially the scene in the music room

The battle between Spider-Man and Lizard was epic, especially the scene in the music room

The Amazing Spider-Man marked the return of the wall crawler to the big screen with a new face under the mask.  Andrew Garfield gave our hero a younger countenance than his predecessor Toby Maguire, who basically drove the franchise off a cliff in Spider-Man 3.  This movie also marked the entrance of a new villain.

Spider-Man and the Lizard waged an epic battle throughout Peter Parker's high school.  They destroyed the music room, the chemistry lab and utterly decimated a couple of toilets.  The use of Spider-Man's webs as weapons introduced another aspect of the character that was previously not highlighted.  Opening him up for additional action scenes as the movie went on.

The effects that brought the Lizard to life were top notch, as the audience felt like DR. Connors really became a giant iguana.  The battle goes back and forth and is actually believable in the way that the sequence flows. Too bad the second installment of the Garfield saga was so disjointed that they pulled the plug.  This scene lands at #7.

  • Batman vs Bane

(The Dark Knight Rises, 2012)

The battle between the Caped Crusader and Bane kept very close to the comic storyline

The battle between the Caped Crusader and Bane kept very close to the comic storyline

The third installment of the Christian Bale Batman Trilogy featured the villain Bane as the Dark Knight's arch nemesis.  This version of Bane presented him in a much more sinister light than in the comics.  He was a planner, a thinker, a plot weaver and a rebel with a cause.  The fight scene between the two was extremely well done.  Unfortunately for Batman, it also adhered closely to the comic book version, ending with Bane snapping Batman's spine.

Fans of the Dark Knight will scream that this isn't placed higher in this list, but the gaps in the story and the cracks in plot that led us up to this point were enough to knock it down a few pegs.   This scene lands at #6.

  • Spider-Man vs Doctor Octopus

(Spider-Man 2, 2004)

The fight scene on the train is a turning point in the series, as Peter's identity is revealed

The fight scene on the train is a turning point in the series, as Peter's identity is revealed

In the sequel to the original blockbuster, Spider-Man 2 was well planned and well-acted, it just didn't have an ending that was worthy of the movie up until that point.  But that didn't stop an incredible give and take between the web-head and Doc Ock.  The mechanical arms were believable and fascinating, as the story and the CGI passed the realism test.

Smashing buildings, webs flying, arms swinging, and all sorts of damage surrounded this fight between the adversaries.  It was filmed beautifully and was one of the crowning achievements of the movie.  This fight scene lands at #5 on our list. 

  • HULK vs Abomination

(Incredible Hulk, 2008)

The Incredible Hulk movie was the first time that the Hulk said his signature line on screen

The Incredible Hulk movie was the first time that the Hulk said his signature line on screen

This fight scene marked a slew of first time events on the big screen for this character.  It was the first time that these two mammoths got to go toe to toe, it was the first time that Bruce banner was somewhat in control of the green beast, and it was the first time that the Hulk got to utter his famous catch-phrase, "Hulk Smash!"

The gamma radiation acts a lot like the super soldier serum, in that it magnifies the person that lies within.  In this case, Blonsky is already evil and envious, and it comes out when he becomes the abomination.  The Hulk uses weapons, makes boxing gloves out of a sports car, and actually shows his humanity in the end by not killing his foe when he has the chance.  This one lands at #4.

  • Superman vs General Zod

(Man of Steel, 2013)

Superman's old enemy General Zod threatens Earth in the movie Man of Steel

Superman's old enemy General Zod threatens Earth in the movie Man of Steel

This fight scene was big.  It marked a turning point.  It was the end of the Superman that adorned the comic books and lunch boxes, and the beginning of the compromised soul that would someday help found the Justice league.  This fight ends with one of the most dramatic superhero scenes in movie history.

Faced with allowing the deaths of an innocent family or killing his adversary with his bare hands, Superman comes to a moral crossroad that impacts his life forever.  Amid all of the crashing buildings, heroic posturing and morality lessons, there is a serious moment of soul-searching that takes place within our hero.  He realizes that you cannot always protect the innocent without spilling the blood of the guilty.  Bravo Superman.  This amazing scene lands at number 3 on our list.

  • Captain America vs Winter Soldier

(Captain America 2: The Winter Soldier, 2014)

Steve Rogers had no idea that the enemy he was facing was his former best friend

Steve Rogers had no idea that the enemy he was facing was his former best friend

Loyalty, honor, country, dedication, courage; these words still mean something, to some people.  Captain America is the embodiment of that ideal, as a symbol and a hero.  The battle between Cap and the Winter Soldier was exciting to watch for the sake of the action alone, as the two adversaries fought each other valiantly.  The stunt work and CGI were superb, as each scene got better and better.

The underlying notion behind the fight between these former friends was the belief that Captain America held that he would rescue his friend's soul, or die trying.  The fight includes scenes from the Falcon swooping around the screen and some good ground work by the Black Widow.  The small ensemble adds to the drama, and the fight is worthy of this placement at number 2.

  • Spider-Man vs the Green Goblin

(Spider-Man, the original, 2002)

Spider-Man faced his most deadly foe in a fight to the death in the original Spider-Man movie

Spider-Man faced his most deadly foe in a fight to the death in the original Spider-Man movie

The movie that started it all will always gain an advantage over the others in contests like these.  Prior to the original Spider-Man movie gaining the success that it did, there was no thought of any kind of Marvel Universe gracing the big screen, let alone a set of movies just to introduce various characters from the Avengers.  This movie made all of that possible.  His fight scene helped.

The Green Goblin and Spider-Man wage war against one another in this epic face-off.  Each utilizes his training, his powers, his technology and his wits.  In the end, it is Peter Parker's spider-sense that gives him warning to jump out of the way of the Goblin's armed glider.  He who lives by the sword, dies by the sword.  This fight scene was the finale to the movie that made all other fight scenes possible, and it deserves to rest here, at #1.

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