Clayton vs Gaston (preview)

Media dissection: Birth of A Nation vs. The Butler (preview)

After 400 years have passed, the scars of slavery continue to plague humanity, leaving a stain on American history. Initially, filmmakers tackled the subject to open up a dialogue and provide a visual representation of historical accounts, however; the medium has become oversaturated with an abundance of movies that perpetuate an "uncle tom" stereotype and celebrate the breaking of a black man's rebellious spirit. As a result, films like the Butler receive a hefty amount of praise despite it's underwhelming message that fails to inspire those who watch the movie.

Nicktoons vs. Carton Network series preview

Coming this Spring, Nicktoons will faceoff against characters from  Cartoon Network in my next versus series where I analyze their combat skills and abilities to determine who would win in a hypothetical battle.

Media Dissection: Sequels & Reboots

Disney Versus Battles: Kerchak vs. Mufasa

                                                                       Character bios

Kerchak: Once a proud father and loving husband of Kala, Kerchak was the leader of a small troop of gorillas that lived in the African jungle. As a father, Kerchak spent most of his time bonding with his son, maintaining the happiness of his family, however, their happiness is shattered when the infant wanders off at night and is attacked by a rogue leopardess known as Sabor. Desperate to save their son, the couple rush to find him, but Sabor manages to grab their infant, eventually killing him in the process. Devastated by the death of his newborn, Kerchak became cold and bitter, viewing anything outside the group as a potential threat to his family's safety. As the couple began to mourn the death of their child, Kala hears the cries of an orphaned baby and discovers an abandoned tree house. After rescuing the child, Kala is attacked, however, she manages to escape. Despite her husband's disapproval, she raises the human, naming him: Tarzan.

Several years later, Tarzan's family is a attacked by Sabor. Kerchak defends the troop against her assault, but she manages to gain the upper hand after scratching his chest and biting his arm. As the gorilla lies helpless on the ground, Tarzan rescues Kerchak from his death. Near the end of their confrontation, the jungle king emerges victorious after killing his murderous adversary. As a result, Tarzan earns Kerchak's respect. Not long after his victory, the jungle king meets a trio of explorers who educate him on the subject of other humans in society in exchange for access to the gorillas in his troop. Angered by the appearance of humans, Kerchak becomes violent and slams Tarzan into the ground. As he regains his composure, the Wildman places his father in a choke hold, pinning Kerchak to the ground. Because of this, Tarzan was banished from the troop.

After Tarzan leaves his family, one of the explorers named Clayton betrays the Wildman's trust bringing back a group of men to capture the gorillas in his troop. Despite his best efforts, the poacher fails to succeed when Kerchak, and his son manage to free their family from captivity. As a result, Clayton grabs his shotgun and opens fire on the jungle king. Kerchak rushes to his aid, however; Clayton fires another round, fatally wounding the troop leader. Eventually, Kerchak loses his life after succumbing to his injuries.

Mufasa: Born as the heir of King Ahadi and Queen Uru, Mufasa was a courageous lion who ruled over The Pride Lands. After the birth of his son; Mufasa, began teaching Simba about the circle of life, training him to take his place as king. As a result, his jealous younger brother; Scar, hatches a scheme to over throw him and rule his kingdom. Once it's discovered that Scar missed Simbas's presentation ceremony; Mufasa, enters the lion's den in order to chastise his brother for his insolence. As the king continues to scold his brother, Scar turns his back and walks away, stating he might attack Mufasa if he turned his back on him. A few months later, Mufasa travels to the Pride Lands to show Simba around his kingdom. As the pair continue their journey, the lion king teaches Simba how to pounce and forbids him from entering the Elephant Graveyard. After being manipulated by his uncle Scar, Simba disobeys his father by traveling to the Elephant Graveyard, but is ambushed by three hyenas.

Near the climax of their confrontation, Mufasa rescues his son after defeating all three of his attackers in combat. After his minions fail to kill his nephew, Scar enlists the aid of Shenzi, Banzai, and Ed for a new plan to steal Mufasa's thrown. As the hyenas wait for their signal, Scar lures Simba into a trap and orders the trio to scare a large group of Wildebeest, causing them to start a stampede. Meanwhile, the king's trusted advisor, Zazu, reports the sighting of an unusual migration of a wildebeest herd. Not long after his report, Scar tells Mufasa that Simba is trapped in a gorge with the Wildebeest. As a result, the lion king heads for the gorge in order to save his son. Upon his arrival, Mufasa catches Simba right before he fell off of a branch, however; the lion king suffers an attack by one of the Wildebeest. Despite his injury; Mufasa, manages to reach a ledge and brings his son to safety.

As the king attempts to climb the ledge; Mufasa gets pulled into the stampede. Before he is trampled by the herd, Mufasa manages to escape after leaping to a nearby cliff. As the king struggled to reach the top, Mufasa begs his brother for help, but he falls to his death after Scar betrays him and throws the lion into the stampede.









                                                             Combat skills/ weaponry

Kerchak: Much like a wrestler in his prime, Kerchak  heavily relied on brute force, using his strength and size to overwhelm his opponents, employing a series of grapples, tosses, and body slams, in addition to strangle holds: choking enemies into submission. Although he possessed an overwhelming offense, the troop leader's defenses left little to be desired. In combat, Kerchak does not possess any melee weapons, using his fist and fangs to pummel his opponents.

Mufasa: As a lion, Mufasa is an apex predator, stalking his prey through the use of stealth, developing a strategy to kill his adversaries with the element of surprise. In live combat, Mufasa battles enemies with animalistic aggression, using his strength, size, and speed to overwhelm his opponents. The lion king possesses razor sharp claws, which are strong enough to cut through flesh. Mufasa also possessed incredibly sharp fangs.






Edge: In combat, both animals have displayed a considerate measure of skill, proving to be formidable opponents, however; the lion king was much more experienced in battle. Although Kerchak appears to have better showings against Tublat in The Legend of Tarzan, and Sabor in the animated feature: Tarzan, Lion's are naturally more aggressive and Mufasa managed to outsmart a Buffalo named Boma, in the novel: A Tale of Two Brothers. The lion king also defeated a group of hyenas. In terms of their weaponry, Kerchak's fist are not as lethal as Mufasa's claws or his fangs. Despite his possession of incredible strength to guide his fist, the lion king's weapons provide him with more options to eliminate his enemies. As a result, Mufasa get's the edge in combat skills and weaponry.












                                                                       Powers/ abilities

                                                                            Kerchak




Strength- Kerchak possesses a massive amount of physical strength and is capable of lifting full grown men. In his first appearance, Kerchak was strong enough to slam Tarzan into the ground with one hand, in addition to pinning Clayton to the ground. The troop leader also managed to out wrestle another gorilla named Tublat.


Speed- Much like his real life counter parts, Kerchak is very fast and is capable of reaching speeds in excess of 20 miles per hour.


Agility- In combat, Kerchak is not particularly agile. Due to his size and weight, Kerchak has trouble out maneuvering smaller opponents.


Durability- Kerchak displayed an impressive measure of durability. In his first appearance, the troop leader managed to endure a bite from Sabor's fangs and cuts from Sabor's claws. Kerchak was able to sustain a decent amount of damage from Tublat in The Legend of Tarzan.




                      

                                                                            Mufasa




Strength- As a lion, Mufasa has displayed an incredible measure of physical strength, defeating a trio of Hyenas, in addition to carrying Simba through a herd of Wildebeests, leaping several feet in the air to rush his son to safety. The lion king also managed to scale a cliff after nearly being trampled in a stampede.


Speed- The lion king is fast enough to chase a herd of Wildebeests, keeping pace with the animals showing no signs of fatigue. On average, lions can reach speeds in excess of 50 miles per hour.


Agility- Mufasa is very agile and was capable of dodging a large group of Wildebeests in the middle of a stampede.


Durability- Mufasa possesses a high level of durability. Before his death, the lion king managed to sustain a massive amount of damage, tanking several hits from a herd of wildebeests and was able to survive the encounter after nearly being trampled in the stampede.







Edge: In terms of strength, Mufasa has displayed an impressive amount of physical strength, beating multiple enemies in combat, however; Kerchak is much stronger, tossing opponents that weigh from 200-400lbs. Despite the lion's potential, gorillas are naturally stronger and Mufasa hasn't been able to achieve the same measure of physical strength. When it comes to speed and agility, Kerchak is pretty quick, but due to his size and weight the troop leader lacks a sufficient measure of mobility, causing him to have slower reflexes. In contrast, the lion king is faster and far more agile in his movements. As previously stated: Mufasa is fast enough to chase a herd of wildebeest and was able to dodge them in the middle of a stampede. Kerchak isn't able to reach that level of speed. When it comes to their durability, both combatants have shown they're capable of enduring a great deal of punishment in combat, however; Mufasa has a high tolerance for pain that far exceeds Kerchak's physical limitations. Mufasa gets the edge in powers/ abilities.



Verdict: In a contest to determine which animal reigns supreme as ruler of the African wild, a fight between these animals would come down to Mufasa's speed and durability versus Kerchak's strength and ferocity. This fight will take place in the west African jungle. There will be no prep time. The fight begins when Mufasa leaps from the bushes to attack his opponent. As the big cat struggles to out wrestle Kerchak, the troop leader manages to knock him off balance, tossing the lion into a tree. Mufasa springs back into action and launches another assault.

Kerchak immediately swings his arms forward, but the lion king evades his attack. After dodging a series of strikes, Mufasa uses his claws to pierce the flesh of Kerchak's stomach. As the gorilla writhed in pain, Kerchak smacks the lion with the backhand  of his fist. Mufasa shrugs off the damage and regains his composure. As the fight continues, both combatants stare each other down. In a matter of seconds, the ferocious lion rushes towards his opponent. Using his massive strength, the troop leader grabs Mufasa's arms, but the lion king bites him on the shoulder and slices Kerchak's face with his claws. As the gorilla is brought to his knees, Mufasa rips through Kerchak's flesh, killing him in the process. I declare, Mufasa, king of the Pridelands, the victor.




In a fight between animal versus animal, Kerchak is one of the strongest fighters in the Disney universe, using his brute strength to pummel his enemies into submission, however; Kerchak's lack of mobility limits the gorillas combat effectiveness, causing  him to struggle with opponents who are faster and smaller. In contrast, Mufasa is a ferocious hurricane that is capable of outmaneuvering opponents who are big or small. Another factor contributing to Kerchak's loss would be his durability. Despite putting up a decent fight against Sabor, it only took two hits to bring Kerchak to his knees. Because of this, Kerchak wouldn't be able to endure the might of Mufasa. As a result, Kerchak loses this match-up.

Coming soon...

Maleficent vs. Ursula

Character Bios

Maleficent: Born as a dark fairy in the Forbidden Mountain; Maleficent, lived in a ruined castle at the top of the mountain's peak. As a result of her isolation, Maleficent  ruled her kingdom with an iron fist, harnessing her dark magic, and plotting schemes against King Stefan. During a ceremony celebrating the birth of Princess Aurora; three good fairies named: Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather arrive at the castle to bless the child with gifts. However; Merryweather, loses her chance to bless the child, when an outraged Maleficent appears in the throne room. Angered that she wasn't invited; Maleficent, places a curse on the King's daughter, stating: before the sun sets, she will die on her 16th birthday after pricking her finger on the spindle of a spinning wheel. However; Merryweather, managed to reduce the curse to a deep slumber. After fifteen years have passed, Princess Aurora's 16th birthday finally arrives. As a result; Maleficent, sends her pet raven Diablo to find her after punishing her minions for their failure to capture the princess. During his search, Diablo discovers that the princess is living in a cottage in the woods with the three Good fairies, posing as a girl named "Briar Rose".

Once the princess returns to the castle, Maleficent waits until Aurora is alone and lures her to a spinning wheel. Ceasing the moment at hand, Maleficent  uses her hypnotic powers to convince Aurora to touch the spindle. As a result, the princess falls to the ground after pricking her finger. Shortly after the princess is motionless on the floor, Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather discover they have failed to protect Aurora when Maleficent mocks them and reveals her lifeless body right before their eyes. As the fairies tend to the king's daughter, the mistress of evil travels back to her castle, ordering  her minions to wait in the cottage and capture Prince Phillip. Upon his arrival, Phillip is then ambushed by Maleficent's henchmen and brought back to her castle's dungeon. Not long after his capture, Maleficent visits the prince, taunting him with knowledge of Aurora's condition, stating: he would be free to exit her domain within a hundred years in order to wake up the princess with a kiss. As the Prince struggles to break free of his chains, Maleficent vanishes from the dungeon and heads to her tower to get some sleep.

After the Good Fairies discover Phillip's hat in the cottage, they soon realize that Maleficent had him kidnapped and head to the Forbidden Mountain. Using their magic to melt the dungeon lock, the fairies rescue the prince from his captivity, arming him with two enchanted weapons: the sword of truth and the shield of virtue. As the Prince makes his daring escape, Maleficent's goons begin to attack. Dodging  the bulk of their assault, Phillip manages to flee from the castle with the Good Fairies. Due to the commotion caused by the prince, Maleficent emerges from her slumber. Angered by the current state of events, the mistress of evil began shooting lightning from her staff, in addition to conjuring a forest of thorns, however Phillip still manages to escape. During the final battle between the mistress of evil and the heroic prince; Maleficent transforms into a fire breathing dragon. Near the climax of their confrontation, Phillip stabs Maleficent with the sword of truth, ending her life in the process.

Ursula:  Once a respected member of King Triton's royal sea court; Ursula, was banished from the underwater city when it was discovered she planned to overthrow his kingdom. As a result, Ursula began to practice dark magic and established herself as a beacon of hope to unfortunate Merpeople, making business deals and propositions, claiming she can make their dreams come true as long as they are able to complete their task. In the following years, the sea witch spent her time spying on Triton's family, waiting for her chance to exploit their weaknesses and take the king's throne. When the king's youngest daughter; Ariel, falls in love with a human prince named Eric; the power-hungry sea witch orders her minions to lure the child to her lair. During Ariel's visit; Ursula, offers her a chance to become a human for three days. Once Ariel manages to receive the kiss of true love from Eric, her transformation into a human would become permanent, however; if she fails to succeed, the mermaid would become bound to Ursula for all eternity. In order to complete the agreement, Ariel learns she must give up her voice. As a result, the mermaid agrees and allows her to collect her voice.


After Ariel signs the contract and becomes a human, Ursula orders her minions to ruin the mermaid's chance of kissing Eric. Once Ursula realizes Ariel might succeed in obtaining her happiness, the power-hungry sea witch transforms into a beautiful human named Vanessa. With the aid of her dark magic; Vanessa, placed Eric in a trance and forced him to marry her. During the wedding; Ariel's seagull companion named Scuttle, manages to stall the ceremony when he invites a few of his friends to crash the party. Amidst the chaos of Scuttle's interference; the necklace worn by Vanessa, which held Ariel's voice, was broken; as a result, the mermaid's voice returned to it's owner. Before the couple were able to kiss, Ariel is transformed back into a mermaid and Ursula returns to her original form. As the guests begin to panic, the sea witch kidnaps her adversary's daughter. Not long after her escape; the sea witch is confronted by an angry King Triton. Once Ursula reveals her true intentions; Triton is forced to sacrifice his freedom in order to save his daughter, however; Ursula turns him into a polyp.

Once Ursula has stolen the Trident, a furious Ariel attacks the sea witch for her cruelty, but she retaliates by throwing the little mermaid into a rock. As the fight comes to an end, Ursula prepares for the final attack, however; Ariel is saved by Eric after he shoots the sea witch in her arm. After ordering her minions to capture the prince, Ursula attempts to kill him with an energy bolt. Due to Ariel's interference; Ursula misses her target and kills her henchmen in the process. Because of this, the power hungry sea witch seeks vengeance on the little mermaid, using her powers to magically alter her size in the form of a giant. As a result of her new powers, Ursula summons a deadly storm in order to eliminate her enemies. As the couple tries to escape; Ursula, traps Ariel in a whirlpool, declaring herself as: "ruler of the ocean". Before releasing her most destructive blast; the sea witch loses her life after she is impaled by Eric's boat and struck by lightning.




                                                                  Combat skills/ Weaponry

Maleficent: Maleficent wields a magical golden scepter made of Birchwood surmounted by an engraved lotus, baring a glowing crystal orb. As a dark fairy, Maleficent developed her skills in the dark arts, practicing a number of combative abilities in addition to casting powerful dark spells. In battle, the mistress of evil uses incredibly strong dark magic to overwhelm her opponents with an onslaught of mystical energy. Maleficent is also capable of transforming into a fire breathing dragon.

Ursula: In the midst of combat, Ursula wielded the Trident: a three-pronged magical spear made of pure gold. In her base form; Ursula is capable of casting a variety of spells, however; most of her powers lack a combative application and are heavily dependent on a contract. Although her experience in combat is limited; Ursula managed to wield the destructive power of the Trident. In battle, Ursula uses powerful magic to manipulate the weather. The sea witch also possesses the ability to alter her size.




Edge: In terms of their combat skills, both women have displayed an impressive amount of skill in the use of magic, however; Maleficent has much more experience in combat having trained herself in  offensive and defensive techniques. Despite the sea witch holding a similar level of experience in dark magic, prior to stealing the Trident; Ursula hasn't shown any combative abilities. When it comes to their weapons, both combatants used very powerful objects;  Maleficent's staff provides her with a variety of magical abilities while the magic in Ursula's trident is much more destructive. The question regarding which weapon is superior comes down to quantity versus quality. Although the trident has a superior destructive capacity; the spear has never been capable of producing a sufficient measure of defense and has only been capable of manipulating the ocean as well as the weather.  Maleficent's method of fighting in addition to her use of the golden scepter prove to be more practical and effective. Maleficent gets the edge in combat skills and weaponry.







                                                                   Powers/ abilities












      

    
                                                                        Maleficent





Strength- In her base form, Maleficent possesses an average level of strength and hasn't shown any significant feats in terms of striking power. As a dragon; Maleficent's, physical strength increases to a superhuman level.


Speed- Currently, Maleficent's maximum speed is unknown, however; Maleficent is capable of reaching superhuman speeds during flight and has displayed an aptitude for teleportation, using her powers to transport herself from one place to another with ease.


Agility- Despite having a plethora of magical abilities at her disposal, Maleficent is not particularly agile.


Durability- In her dragon form, Maleficent is virtually indestructible. The only force capable of penetrating her skin is enchanted items or weapons.


Pyrokinesis- Maleficent possesses the ability to manipulate a massive amount of fire and is capable of using it for offensive and defensive measures.


Electrokinesis- With the aid of dark magic, Maleficent is capable of producing a celestial storm at will, delivering a maelstrom of lightning bolts to devastate her opponents.


Flight- Maleficent is capable of achieving flight by transforming into an orb of magical energy. In this form; the mistress of evil, can move at superhuman speeds. It is currently unknown how fast she is able to fly.


Chlorokinesis: During her battle with Prince Phillip; The mistress of evil, managed to create a forest of thorn bushes that were extremely large and durable. The only objects that are able to penetrate the branches, are enchanted items, such as the Sword of Truth.


Dragon form- In her final battle, Maleficent transformed into a large, fire breathing dragon. In this form; the mistress of evil, is capable of breathing acid green fire that can melt solid stone with ease and is strong enough to knock enchanted items out of it's owner's hands. Maleficent also possesses superhuman strength in her dragon form. As a dragon, the mistress of evil is immune to fire and conventional weapons.












                                                                          

                                                                            Ursula





Strength- In her base form; Ursula, hasn't displayed any impressive feats of strength. After the sea witch absorbs the energy of the Trident, her strength increases to superhuman levels. It's currently unknown how much damage she can cause in terms of striking power.


Speed- When it comes to her speed on land or in the water; the power-hungry sea witch, is very slow in her movement due to her weight and tentacles hindering her performance.


Agility- Ursula has never been depicted possessing any form of agility in combat.


Durability- Much like her strength, Ursula's durability is greatly increased in her giant form, however; she is not indestructible. Unlike Maleficent; the power-hungry sea witch, can be harmed by conventional weapons. With enough force from a large object; Ursula's skin can be penetrated.


Energy bolts-Due to the power held in the Trident; the sea witch is able to shoot her enemies with destructive energy bolts. Each ray of energy has enough force to break through solid stone with ease.


Water manipulation- Ursula possesses the ability to control the ocean, causing massive tidal waves and hurricanes, in addition to creating whirlpool's in order to drown her opponents.


Transmutation- In her base form the sea witch has the power to transform merfolk into polyps if they fail to complete a deal. No matter how strong the person may be; once the contract has been signed; Ursula, can easily turn a client into a polyp.


Size shifting- With the aid of the Trident, Ursula is capable of altering her size, transforming into a giant.


Metamorphosis- Ursula has displayed an ability to transform into a human after mixing potions. It's currently unknown whether she can take the form of anything outside her human appearance, or if she's capable of producing extra abilities with the aid of her potions.





Edge: In terms of their physical abilities, both combatants are said to have superhuman strength based on the size and mass of their final forms, however; neither villain has been shown using their strength in combat, which makes it seem impossible to determine who is the stronger fighter. If we compare them based on their size and mass, Ursula is larger than Maleficent and given her massive weight; the sea witch is potentially stronger in terms of striking force. When it comes to speed and agility, Maleficent has the ability to move faster than Ursula, due to her mastery of teleportation. Despite Ursula's gigantic appearance, Maleficent's dragon form possesses a higher level of durability and is immune to conventional weapons, unlike her adversary who was impaled by a boat during her final battle. Due to her pyrokinetic anilities, Maleficent has enough power to burn the sea witch, however; Ursula's command over the ocean is stronger, possessing enough force to douse her flames. When it comes to energy manipulation, both combatants are seemingly equal, however; Maleficent can produce a larger amount of lighting without any apparent effort.

Due to the trident's limitations, Ursula hasn't been able to produce more than one stream of energy bolts at a time. Although Ursula is capable of turning merfolk into polyps; this power has only worked through the use of a contract. Maleficent's mastery of chlorokinesis would be useless against an opponent  who battles in the ocean. Ursula's ability to transform without the trident is heavily dependent on magic potions; none of which are combative in nature. Due to the circumstances of this fight; Maleficent's ability to fly gives her a significant advantage. When  it comes their final forms; Maleficent is much more durable, possessing a higher level of energy projection with her acid fire. Despite Ursula's superior strength and size, the mistress of evil has far more advantages in terms of physical combat. Maleficent gets the edge for powers and abilities.








                                                                         Verdict


After analyzing their combat skills and abilities, it's clear a fight between these villains would come down to magic versus magic. This fight will take place on neutral ground with 70% land and 70% water, in addition to several small towers floating in the water. There will be no prep time. Once the fight begins; Maleficent shoots a bolt of lightning, but Ursula counters her attack with an energy bolt. As the fight continues the villains clash in a duel of energy vs lightning, deflecting and blocking each other's moves. After their powers collide for the last time; Ursula summons a hurricane to kill maleficent. Before the hurricane reaches her tower; the mistress of evil, teleports behind the sea witch and causes a thunder storm to distract her. As Ursula turns to block the attack; Maleficent transforms into a dragon. Once the storm is over the sea witch launches a stream of energy, which is then met by the power of Maleficent's acid fire. As their energies clash, Maleficent's fire quickly over powers the sea witch, knocking the trident out of her hands. Desperate to survive; Ursula grabs the dragon by the throat and prepares for her final attack. Maleficent bites the sea witch with her venomous fangs, causing her to open her hand. As a result; Maleficent unleashes a massive amount of fire, melting Ursula in the process. I declare, Maleficent mistress of evil, the Victor.

• In a duel of magic versus magic, Ursula is a powerhouse utilizing the destructive force of the trident, however; she lacked a sufficient amount of combat experience and was far too limited in her scope of abilities. As a result, the sea witch was painfully predictable in her movements. In contrast; Maleficent practiced a variety of combative abilities, applying each method in a strategic manner to overwhelm her opponents. Ursula's lack of versatility in addition to her predictable method of fighting, caused her to lose this match.