DC versus Marvel_1Welcome one and all to the epic finale of Hold 322’s second annual Tournament of Heroes. As you may recall from last year’s tournament, we had a field of 64 heroes and in the end Thor was the last one standing. This year’s tournament was much different than last year’s in several ways. This year the field of heroes was only 32 to start with, not 64, and broken up into four 8 hero teams managed by each of the four chuckle-heads who host Hold 322. There were no seeds or brackets. This year’s tournament involved challenges, defenses, judges and the decisive roll of a twelve sided dice.
To better understand what that means, read on and also be sure to listen back to this and every tournament episode of Hold 322 to hear each and every round of the tournament as it happened!
This week we finally completed the tournament and crowned a new champion. Before the actual tournament matches commenced, Jeff and Thom competed against each other in a very entertaining consolation exhibition match that had Jeff’s fighter, Volstagg defeating Thom’s fighter, the 1966 TV show version of Batman. And now here are this year’s Final Four and Championship match results:

Round Four (Final Four)

Fight One: Superman vs. Doctor Fate

In both Earth 2 and our tournament, the results of this match-up were the same...

In both Earth 2 and our tournament, the results of this match-up were the same…

Even though Bob had a 3 to 1 advantage over JC going into this round, he knew he really didn’t have anyone left on his tournament team who could actually defeat the Radioactive Professor’s lone fighter, Superman. Even still, he gave it his best shot by pitting the master of magic, Doctor Fate, against the legendary Man of Steel. Thom was picked as the judge and was not only not swayed by Bob’s claims that a barrage of magical attacks would overwhelm, cripple and defeat the Last Son of Krypton, he also well remembered the Sidekick Supreme’s own blog blasting the very idea that Superman cannot overcome magic, and declared Bob to be a hypocrite… which Bob readily admitted he was being because he was just trying to win at all cost. Judge Thom sided with Superman and so did the twelve sided dice.

Winner: Superman!

Fight Two: Earth 2’s Green Lantern vs. Invisible Woman

The only Fantastic 4 member to make it to the final four, overcomes the odds once again to make it into the championship match!

The only Fantastic 4 member to make it to the final four, overcomes the odds once again to make it into the championship match!

Ultimate Bob’s last two heroes were pitted against each other in the battle of the blondes. Bob admitted he wanted Sue Storm to win because of well… boobs, but he knew Alan Scott would probably have a better chance against Superman in the final fight. Judge Jeff sided with the Invisible Woman but set the dice roll at even odds.

Winner: Invisible Woman!

 

 

 

Round Five (The Championship)

The Final Fight: Superman vs. Invisible Woman

The 2014 Hold 322 Tournament of Heroes champion!

The 2014 Hold 322 Tournament of Heroes champion!

JC came into this championship match very confident that his guy, Superman, would prove far too powerful for Bob’s gal, the Invisible Woman, even though Sue had already overcome such vaunted tournament opponents such as Alan Scott, Swamp Thing, and the Silver Surfer. Bob admitted it was weird to have to face off with and argue against his fanboy favorite hero, Superman, but he still did his best to plead his case for his surprisingly successful fighter—who just so happens to have been the very last hero taken in the pre-tournament draft. The two championship judges split their votes with Thom ruling for the odds on favorite, Superman, and Jeff voting for the true dark horse competitor, Sue Storm. A dice roll broke the tie in favor of the Invisible Woman, but a second dice roll, with the odds set clearly in the Metropolis Marvel’s favor, reversed that decision and a new champion was finally crowned, by Rao!

Winner and Champion: Superman!

 

So that’s it for this year’s tournament. Join us this fall for our first ever Tournament of Villains, and in the meanwhile, remember to keep listening to Hold 322 every Tuesday on iTunes, Stitcher and Hold 322.com! For all of us at the world’s greatest comic book podcast, this is Robert Easton wishing you a wonderfully nerdy week. Alons-y! @Robert_A_Easton

Looks like JC and his boy, Superman are getting the victory party started already.

Looks like JC and his boy, Superman are getting the victory party started already.