GANG WAR: These 1-v-1 Fights Absolutely Have To Happen Before Marvel’s Street-Level Crossover Event Ends

Warning: Contains SPOILERS for Marvel Comics’ ongoing Gang War event! Marvel Comics’ latest street-level crossover event Gang War is one that has literally rocked the mecca of superhero activity in the Marvel Universe to its core. New York City is a battleground, and the many gangs that secretly run the criminal underworld are tearing it apart, trying to get their piece. And the worst part? The superheroes trying to stop them are acting just as much outside the law as the crime bosses themselves.

Gang War is something of a sequel to Devil’s Reign, as the ramifications of Kingpin’s initial absence and previously implemented legislation set the stage for the current conflict. As mayor, Wilson Fisk made being a superhero in the city illegal. While Mayor Luke Cage is working to repeal that, it’s still something that is currently in effect during Gang War. This means that, no matter which side one is on, this is a war fought by criminals only, which offers nearly endless possibilities for epic matchups. Before Gang War is done, here are the 10 one-v-one fights that absolutely have to happen!

10 Hobgoblin vs Peter Parker’s Spider-Man Would Be the Perfect Callback

GANG WAR: Fantasy ‘VS’ Matchups: ROUND 1!

At the very start of Gang War, the Hobgoblin was immediately labeled as one of the more pressing threats to the city. So, when the team of superheroes (consisting of Peter Parker’s Spider-Man, Miles Morales’ Spider-Man, Elektra’s Daredevil, Spider-Woman, and She-Hulk) decided to split up, Miles went after Hobgoblin right away. While he did an amazing job at neutralizing the threat, the Gang War is far from over, meaning there’s still time for Peter Parker’s Spider-Man to face off against a villain he hasn’t seen in quite some time, despite the fact that Hobgoblin is a classic rogue.

The fight itself would be epic, as it always is when Spider-Man takes on a ‘Goblin’, but more than that, it would be nostalgic. Hobgoblin has a long history with Peter Parker, so when an opportunity comes up for them to go at it once again, Marvel should absolutely take advantage of that – and there’s no better opportunity than a street-level crossover event like Gang War.

9 Prowler vs Kingpin Could Be the Ultimate Payback Fight

GANG WAR: Fantasy ‘VS’ Matchups: ROUND 2!

This fight would be recognized by the wider fandom as the ultimate ‘payback fight’, not because of anything specific that happened in the comics, but in a more meta sense. The film Into the Spider-Verse is perhaps the greatest Spider-Man film ever made, and in it, the Kingpin kills the Prowler right in front of Miles Morales. Every Spider-Man fan felt that crushing blow that came with Prowler’s death in that movie, and Gang War has a chance to give the fans an incredibly satisfying matchup.

Gang War showed Wilson Fisk return to his previously abandoned life of crime momentarily, but his presence alone is enough to drag him into the larger fight at hand. If Kingpin found himself standing opposite the Prowler, then the ultimate meta payback fight could ensue – and it absolutely should.

8 Tombstone vs She-Hulk Would Be a Battle Between Two Titans

GANG WAR: Fantasy ‘VS’ Matchups: ROUND 3!

Tombstone and She-Hulk are easily the two biggest heavy hitters in this conflict, so – naturally – they should absolutely fight each other. At the moment, the two are actually on the same side, as Tombstone is working with Spider-Man and his allies to stop the other raging crime bosses from destroying the city. However, Tombstone is a known super-villain and gang leader, which means he can flip back to villainy faster than one can blink. And if/when he does, Tombstone and She-Hulk need to have a hard-hitting brawl.

Sometimes certain matchups just make sense, and while these two aren’t particularly notable enemies, their powers complement each other perfectly. She-Hulk is an unstoppable force, and Tombstone is an immovable object – and fans deserve to see which one will win.

7 Scorpion vs J. Jonah Jameson Would Be Hilarious Karma

GANG WAR: Fantasy ‘VS’ Matchups: ROUND 4!

Scorpion was shown fighting Miles Morales in his Gang War tie-in book, while J. Jonah Jameson was spotted as a reporter on the streets of New York City covering this conflict, meaning these two ‘old friends’ are prepped for a reunion. While this wouldn’t be a particularly exciting fight, seeing as though Scorpion is a Spider-Man-level super-villain and J. Jonah Jameson is a regular human, it would be fun to see karmic justice at play during Marvel’s most recent event, as it would be the perfect callback to Jameson’s first encounter with Scorpion.

Scorpion was introduced in Amazing Spider-Man #20, and after he went after Jameson and was subsequently stopped by Spider-Man, J.J. printed a news story in the Daily Bugle about how he – J. Jonah Jameson – defeated Scorpion, without any mention of Spider-Man. Well, if Jameson did it once, he can surely do it again, making this hypothetical matchup a hilarious example of karma at work.

6 Luke Cage vs Shotgun Would Test the Limits of Both Their Strengths

GANG WAR: Fantasy ‘VS’ Matchups: ROUND 5!

Shotgun is a relatively unknown member of Marvel Comics’ villains catalog, but he has played a major role in Gang War so far. Using his specialty firearms, Shotgun was able to put down Tombstone, throwing him into a coma that nearly resulted in his death with a single blast. So, if he could be that effective against someone like Tombstone, how would Shotgun fare against Luke Cage?

Luke Cage has recently taken on a new vigilante persona in order to hide his identity – he is the mayor of New York City, after all. Therefore, Mayor Cage is definitely in the fight, and Shotgun is an unwitting henchman of Madame Masque (who’s arguably the main antagonist of this whole event). Their paths should inevitably cross, and if they do, then Luke Cage’s potential fight with Shotgun would be the ultimate test of both their strengths.

5 Viper vs Elektra’s Daredevil Would Pit the Deadliest Villain Against the Deadliest Hero

GANG WAR: Fantasy ‘VS’ Matchups: ROUND 6!

Elektra has actively been holding back her desire to kill those who truly deserve it while she’s taking on the legacy of Daredevil. However, this is war, and one of the worst opponents on the battlefield right now is Viper. Viper and her army of Hydra agents are currently tormenting Spider-Woman, but this crossover event means that every hero can fight any other villain, and Elektra’s Daredevil may be needed to put Viper down for good.

Not only would Daredevil be doing Spider-Woman a favor by eliminating Viper, but she’d be semi-obligated to do so. Viper is a high-ranking leader of Hydra, which has a long-standing history of working with the Hand – Elektra’s sworn enemy. By killing Viper, Daredevil wouldn’t just be helping her team during Gang War, she’d also be weakening one of this world’s most extreme evils.

4 Miles Morales’ Spider-Man vs Shang-Chi Would Be the Ultimate Test of Miles’ Training

GANG WAR: Fantasy ‘VS’ Matchups: ROUND 7!

Peter Parker was famously trained in martial arts by Shang-Chi, and then he went on to help train Miles Morales in the ways of being Spider-Man. Plus, more recently, Miles Morales has been training with Colleen Wing and Misty Knight, who are exceptional martial artists rivaling the skills of Iron Fist himself. Basically, Miles Morales is the ultimate pupil, and Shang-Chi is an established master, so it would be interesting to see the outcome of their potential matchup.

Right now, Shang-Chi is technically the leader of one of the gangs fighting it out in Gang War, but he’s promised to maintain neutrality while protecting his territory without attempting to expand. However, with the ever-changing tide of this conflict, Shang-Chi and Miles Morales’ Spider-Man could very well end up on opposite sides of this war, at which point Miles’ training (a fraction of which Shang-Chi was directly responsible for through Peter Parker) would be put to the ultimate test.

3 Moon Knight vs Madame Masque’s Assassin Would Be Gang War’s Bloodiest Battle

GANG WAR: Fantasy ‘VS’ Matchups: ROUND 8!

Moon Knight made a brief appearance at the start of Gang War fighting alongside Miles Morales, but has since been relatively silent. Now, it’s time for Moon Knight to come out of the shadows, as there’s a new player in Marvel Comics’ villains catalog who might just be one of the deadliest right now. This villain is shrouded in mystery, as she doesn’t even have a name yet. All fans know is that she’s an assassin working exclusively for Madame Masque, and Elektra herself compared her to the likes of Bullseye – which is especially chilling, as Bullseye once killed Elektra.

The buildup for the climactic battle of Daredevil vs this assassin has been a steady presence in this entire crossover. However, this particular villain may be too much for just one hero to handle. So, if Elektra needs someone to take on this assassin in her stead, it should absolutely be Moon Knight, as his level of brutal justice matches this assassin’s threat-level perfectly.

2 Spider-Woman vs Beetle Could Be Enough to End the War

GANG WAR: Fantasy ‘VS’ Matchups: ROUND 9!

Beetle is the daughter of Tombstone who’s currently fighting in the Gang War alongside known super-villains for the sake of maintaining her father’s territory in his stead. While she was originally just a morally questionable vigilante, Beetle has seemingly made the jump straight to villain, with the fact that she won’t kill being her only saving grace. However, she recently made a plan to use Hydra weapons to win the Gang War – weapons Spider-Woman is actively trying to keep off the streets in her tie-in book.

Beetle seems to think that she’s still on the side of the heroes, but every decision she’s made has only been for the benefit of her father’s villainous legacy, actively perpetuating the Gang War as a result. And now, Beetle is meddling with Spider-Woman’s mission, meaning Jessica Drew might be forced to take Beetle down herself, which could actually be enough to effectively end the war with a single one-on-one matchup.

1 Madame Masque vs Shang-Chi Would Be the Ultimate Match Between Two Masterminds

GANG WAR: Fantasy ‘VS’ Matchups: FINAL ROUND!

While Beetle may think she’s Madame Masque’s ultimate opponent in the Gang War, the truth is that Shang-Chi is the real threat to Masque’s plans. Madame Masque starts the Gang War, as she hopes to take over all of New York City – including Shang-Chi’s territory. Meanwhile, Shang-Chi is refreshing his studies on the Art of War, and is actively maneuvering in the background of this war to ultimately come out on top.

Eventually, these two masterminds will be forced to face off against one another, not necessarily on the battlefield as warriors, but as brilliant tacticians leading their respective armies.

Marvel Comics’ Gang War is scheduled to conclude in March 2024, but before the final issue is printed and the conflict is resolved one way or another, these 10 one-v-one matchup fights absolutely have to happen!