Today in Comics History, January 17: Happy birthday, Muhammad Ali!

Born on this day in 1942: professional boxer, heavyweight champion of the world, and the G.O.A.T. (and that's not "goat" as in the Charlie Brown sense): Muhammad Ali!

Ali's been in so many comic books it'd be a lonnnnnnng post to show them all (not that that ever stops me), but in this case, let's look in on a wonderful moment from one of the greatest comics of all time, a little thing called All-New Collector's Edition #C-56, but which you 'n' I know better as the gigantisized Superman vs. Muhammad Ali!


from All-New Collectors' Edition #C-56 (DC, March 1978), story by Denny O'Neil, script and pencils by Neal Adams, inks by Dick Giordano, colors by Cory Adams, letters by Gaspar Saladino
That's not really doing justice to this image or giving you the full grandeur of it. Picture that image as a double-page spread of a treasury edition, twenty inches wide! Wow!

And, as long as we're here, let's revisit a popular feature on this blog where I show you a spread of the boxing match between the Man of Steel and the Greatest of All Time. Now tell me...can you find...Muhammad Ali?

cover of All-New Collectors' Edition #C-56 (DC, March 1978), layout by Joe Kubert, pencils by Neal Adams, inks by Neal Adams (?) and/or Cory Adams (?), logo design by John Workman
(Click top picture to GOAT-size)
Say, Superman, did you ever learn your lesson from Ali?


from Action Comics #904 (DC, October 2011), script by Paul Cornell, pencils and inks by Axel Giménez, colors by Brad Anderson, letters by Rob Leigh
Happy birthday, Champ.

Saturday Morning Cartoon: I Am the Greatest!

I Am the Greatest!: The Adventures of Muhammad Ali (1977), Saturday morning TV cartoon featuring the voice of Muhammad Ali as himself

G.O.A.T.

So: who is the greatest fighter in the DC Universe? Why, it's this man (hint: not the guy in blue and red):



Panels from All-New Collectors' Edition #C-56: Superman vs. Muhammad Ali (1978), plot by Denny O'Neil, script and pencils by Neal Adams, inks by Dick Giordano and Terry Austin, colors by Cory Adams, letters by Gaspar Saladino

That's the Greatest Of All Time, the Champ, the former Cassius Clay, Mister Muhammad Ali, TKO'ing Superman in one of the greatest comics of all time,. Superman versus Muhammad Ali. (To be fair to the Supester, they were fighting under a red sun.) But any man who can knock out the Last Son of Krypton has got to be considered one of the DCU's mightiest warriors of all time. That's why this little stuffed bull was very disappointed that the deus ex machina of "Blackest Night" wasn't Muhammad Ali punching the livin' daylights out of all those Black Lanterns. Now that would be an uncontested victory, folks!

On the other hand, the Muhammad Ali of the Marvel Universe...? Eh, he ain't so tough:


Panels from Iron Man #145 (April 1981), co-plot and script by David Michelinie; breakdowns by John Romita Jr.; co-plot, finishes, and inks by Bob Layton; colors by Roger Slifer; letters by Joe Rosen

Man oh man, a Muhammad Ali that shies away from a fight with Iron Man? That's not the real Muhammad Ali. That's why I think Iron Man #145 is the first appearance in the Marvel Universe of the Skrull replacement for The Greatest, which explains why you didn't see him out there punching Skrull warships through the Baxter Building in Secret Invasion.

Y'all know I'm the biggest little Marvel fanbull around. But here's one argument that I'm gonna have to give the DC Universe the trophy belt on: they have the best Muhammad Ali in all the multiverse.