I did a post a while back asking all of you out there what your dream battle would be and who would be in it. After talking to a friend of mine, we broke into a full blown debate about the outcome of a battle between the Amazing Spider-Man and Wolverine. That being said, I now present to you the very first installment of the Awesome Arena!

Let’s take a look at the two competitors, shall we?

Combatant #1 - Spider-Man:

Background:

Orphaned as a young boy and left with his aunt and uncle to raise him, Peter Parker became somewhat of a science geek at school. Picked on constantly, Parker never really had many friends because of his nerdy lifestyle. During a science experiment in high school, Parker was bitten by a radioactive spider which gave him it’s proportionate strength and an advanced early warning system, also known as a spider-sense. Using his scientific brain, Peter built a set of web-shooter bracelets that would allow him to swing around the city of New York and use his powers to help others.

Powers (Wikipedia.org):

• Superhuman strength, agility, reflexes and equilibrium
• Ability to cling to most surfaces
• Precognitive Spider Sense
• Synthetic webbing

Weaknesses:

May not be considered the greatest fighter in the Marvel Universe. His only major weakness is that he can be shot or stabbed like any normal person. He also must switch cartridges in his web shooters as they have a limited supply.

Combatant #2 - Wolverine:

Background:

As part of the Weapon X program, Logan’s bones were coated with adamantium as he had shown to have an incredible healing factor, he was the perfect subject for said program. After several tests, Logan was deemed too unstable for the program and escaped soon after. Logan was then recruited by Professor Charles Xavier and added to his roster of X-Men.

Powers (Wikipedia.org):

• Regenerative healing factor
• Superhuman senses, strength, stamina, agility, and reflexes
• Adamantium-laced skeletal structure with retractable claws
• Resistance to telepathy
• Expert martial artist

Weaknesses:

He’s extremely stubborn and very short-tempered. Anything magnetic would render Wolverine almost completely useless. Also any mutants, like Magneto, who can manipulate metal objects with their minds have a huge advantage over him.

The Fight:

I’m thinking that this one would come down to setting. In an open environment, Spider-Man would be able to attack Logan from afar and render his claws fairly ineffective. That being said, a close quarters fight would definitely not bode well for the webhead. My money would be on Spider-Man and his intelligence outwitting Wolverine’s abilities. This isn’t to say that Logan wouldn’t even be a challenge for Spider-Man, I just think that in the end, Spidey would probably come up as the victor. That is, if he could contain Wolverine’s healing factor.

The ball is in your corner, POA reader! Who do you think would take this fight? How would the fight play out? In your opinion, do you think that the location would play a factor in the outcome of the fight? If you’ve got something you’d like to contribute, please leave a comment. I’d love to hear your input!

Also, keep your eyes peeled for future installments of the Awesome Arena. If you’ve got a pair that you’d like to see duke it out in the arena, let us know by sending us an email!

Result: Spider-Man defeats Wolverine in this exhibition match.

Voting is currently closed!

Edit 01.25.08: In a creepy turn of events, it turns out Marvel is actually releasing a What If? Spider-Man vs. Wolverine at the end of January. I seriously had no idea that this was coming out but maybe we’ll have our answer when this issue hits shelves.