The Shrike runs a gauntlet

[Guest MarvelFan15]

Let's see how tough the Shrike is. The Shrike must get past these opponents in this order. After each match, the Shrike is fully repaired (if it took damage) for the next battle. All of the Shrike's opponents are in their prime.

 

 

Wonder Woman

– Straight up battle. Diana and the Shrike's speed have been equalized (this also means no time manipulation for The Shrike). Diana is allowed her bracelets, her lasso, and her sword (as seen in Kingdom Come).

 

 

Iron Man

– Tony must build a suit to help him defeat the Shrike. He has the help of Reed, Pym, Banner, Doom, The Leader, High Evolutionary, Uatu, Apocalypse, Lex Luthor, Batman, Superman, and Braniac. Their resources include Celestial tech, Watcher tech, and Kryptonian tech. They have as much time to build it as necessary. The Marvel/DC prep team is in the standard Marvel multiverse, which should be considered separate from the Hyperion Universe.

 

All information Tony and co. receive is from the Hyperion Cantos series and tie-ins.

 

 

Zatanna

-Zatanna is allowed one spell before the battle begins. This spell can be spoken verbally or written in blood for maximum power. The spell can be used for defense or offense. The Shrike is allowed full time manipulation only directly at the moment the spell is cast and afterwords, not before.

 

 

Pre-Crisis Supes

-Straight up battle. Supes is allowed all his pre-crisis resources (Ex. Phantom Zone projector). Supes can BFR himself, but only to gather resources; once the particular resource(s) is gathered, Supes must return to the battlefield (if time traveling, at the moment the battle started).

 

 

Nico Minoru

– Like Zatanna, Nico is allowed one spell before the Shrike can act. Same restrictions apply to The Shrike as in its battle with Zatanna.

 

 

Doctor Strange (Classic/ Sorcerer Supreme)

-Doctor Strange has three days of prep, and has read the Hyperion series. He starts in the Marvel Multiverse. The Shrike starts out the battle ignorant of its opponent.

 

 

Hulk w/ Uni-Power

-The Uni-Power has chosen Hulk to do battle with the Shrike. Shrike cannot travel to a time before Hulk had the Uni-Power.

 

 

Kuurth, Breaker of Stone

--The Shrike must somehow stop Kuurth from doing something very harmful to spacetime. This is Kuurth with the dual enchantments from Cyttorak and from The Serpent. The Shrike cannot manipulate time to travel to before the battle started. Kuurth's objective is to walk for five miles, whereupon space and time will implode at the end of his journey.

 

 

Thanos

--Thanos decides to capture the Shrike and bend it to his will. Thanos has 30 days of prep for the initial assault. The Shrike has foreknowledge of Thanos and his planned assault, but not the Titan's specific preparations. Shrike cannot time travel before the battle is to take place.

 

 

Darkseid

-Darkseid is aware that the Shrike is set to come to Apokolips sometime in the undetermined future (two full days). Darkseid is allowed prep to defend his planet against the killing machine. The Shrike cannot travel in time before the preparations take place.

 

 

God Emperor of Mankind

- The Shrike appears before the God Emperor instead of Horus. The GEoM is surprised, but has read the Hyperion series. Straight up battle. Shrike cannot time travel to before the fight is to take place.

 

 

Molecule Man (current)

- MM is aware that the Shrike is after him. The Shrike can attack whenever it wants to. MM is allowed to set up defenses for himself. Shrike cannot time travel to before the battle is to take place.

 

 

Doctor Manhattan

-Straight up battle. No restrictions.

 

 

The Sentry

--Sentry is in full command of his powers. No restrictions.

 

 

Council of Reeds

--The Council of Reeds has decided to take down the Shrike for the lulz. Less of a straight up match and more of a cat-and-mouse game. Can the Shrike avoid being captured/killed? The Council of Reeds also includes the 616 version. The Shrike is unaware of the Council's plans. The council is allotted an indefinite amount of prep, both for reconnaissance and assault.

 

 

Mephisto

--Mephisto was just about to finish a deal with another sucker when the Shrike suddenly ran off with the person and impaled him upon the Shrike's tree of pain. Mephisto must now manipulate events in the physical universe to deter the Shrike from ever killing again, or to outright destroy the Shrike. Can Mephisto succeed?

 

 

Odin

--Odin is taking a stroll across Earth when the Shrike randomly shows up and starts killing people. Can Odin stop him?

 

 

Dormammu

--The Shrike has been teleported to Dormammu's realm, and starts to kill the inhabitants of the Dark Dimension. Dormammu decides he's had enough of the Shrike's shiz, and decides to take him out.

[Guest Ruinus]

The only ones I can say with some certainty is the Wonder Woman and God Emperor of Mankind fight, where he kills them easily. Well, he kills the GEoM easily, since even with his speed equalized to WW he can still cut her easily.

[Guest MarvelFan15]

Hence why I gave her the indestructible bracelets and likewise indestructible lasso.

 

Can the Shrike morph to use more than just two limbs to attack with?

[Guest Djgambrell]

Hence why I gave her the indestructible bracelets and likewise indestructible lasso.

 

Can the Shrike morph to use more than just two limbs to attack with?

Yes he can have four and has a large blade in his chest.

[Guest Ruinus]

This is one of the book covers, so unless Wonder Woman finds some way to punch a guy made out of knives she's gonna have a hard time.

 

[kainboa]

There's also the fact that technically the Shrike doesn't actually move fast as in super-speed, it manipulates time, to achieve the same general result.

 

so with Wonder Woman and its speed being equalised, it's actually capable of moving faster than it normally is.

 

I know that this isn't what you had in mind, but I figured I needed to slightly explain how it's "super-speed" works.

[Guest sirmethos]

Actually it's a bit of both, it has both extreme speed, and time manipulation. + it can travel through "The Void Which Binds" at will, which enables it to instantly 'teleport' to anywhere and anywhen.

 

 

The only real 'error' I can see here, is that there hasn't been accounted for the objective of The Shrike, in most of these fights.

 

The Shrike is an artificial being, an goes after its objective with single-minded determination. If killing you is not a part of its objective, and you don't get in its way/interfere with its objective, then you're pretty safe.

 

For example: "The Shrike appears before the God Emperor instead of Horus." If killing the GEoMK is not part of its objective(or its actual objective) then it would simply disappear again, leaving the Emperor confused, and whichever actual target it's going for, dead.

 

There also isn't any kind of time frame on the battles, in which case it can at best be a stalemate. Since an attack from The Shrike, if you actually by some miracle manage to survive, causes the Merlin Sickness. I.e. aging backwards. That means that PC-Superman for example, who is.... say 30-35 years old. Now has 30-35 years left to live, regardless of whatever else happens.

 

Another thing that hasn't been accounted for, is the UI, which created The Shrike and 'controls it', at least to the point of having given it its programming/personality, and its objectives. The Shrike is never 'surprised', since the UI is omniscient(and from the future). This means that, for the various 'tech' and magic battles, where people are building machines to catch/defeat it, or casting spells, The Shrike goes into the battle already knowing what kind of preparations its opponents have made.

 

 

In Hyperion(The Rise of Endymion), The Shrike was eventually defeated, because it was part of its programming that it had to lose/die at the hands of Khassad(Khassad's personality is what was later, in the future, used as the model for the mind/personality of The Shrike). Which means that unless that specific part of its programming has been changed for the purpose of any specific fight/gauntlet, The Shrike will, at worst, get a temporary loss, while another temporal copy of The Shrike continues its work.

 

 

It's an interesting Gauntlet, but primarily shows lack of knowledge about the character.

[Guest MarvelFan15]

The only real 'error' I can see here, is that there hasn't been accounted for the objective of The Shrike, in most of these fights.

 

What's the objective of most Rumbles fights? To defeat opponents.

 

You now know what the Shrike is set to accomplish.

 

 

"There also isn't any kind of time frame on the battles, in which case it can at best be a stalemate."

 

 

A stalemate? For every single fight?

 

"Since an attack from The Shrike, if you actually by some miracle manage to survive, causes the Merlin Sickness. I.e. aging backwards. That means that PC-Superman for example, who is.... say 30-35 years old. Now has 30-35 years left to live, regardless of whatever else happens."

 

 

See? This is an example of a fight that doesn't end in a stalemate.

 

"Another thing that hasn't been accounted for, is the UI, which created The Shrike and 'controls it', at least to the point of having given it its programming/personality, and its objectives. The Shrike is never 'surprised', since the UI is omniscient(and from the future). This means that, for the various 'tech' and magic battles, where people are building machines to catch/defeat it, or casting spells, The Shrike goes into the battle already knowing what kind of preparations its opponents have made."

 

 

Interesting. So, the Ultimate Intelligence is omniscient even from the perspective of other universes?

 

 

"In Hyperion(The Rise of Endymion), The Shrike was eventually defeated, because it was part of its programming that it had to lose/die at the hands of Khassad(Khassad's personality is what was later, in the future, used as the model for the mind/personality of The Shrike). Which means that unless that specific part of its programming has been changed for the purpose of any specific fight/gauntlet, The Shrike will, at worst, get a temporary loss, while another temporal copy of The Shrike continues its work."

 

 

Again, it's a rumbles fight. Its current objective is going to be to find a way to win.

 

 

"It's an interesting Gauntlet, but primarily shows lack of knowledge about the character."

 

 

 

Not everyone has had a chance to read the Hyperion series.

 

A rundown on each fight would be appreciated.

[Ivan]

The one fight that seems interesting to me is Doc Manhattan, because of John's pan-temporal nature a confrontation between physical bodies may be totally meaningless.

[Guest skadoosh]

I agree, how would the Shrike deal with someone like Manhattan, who could simply reform if cut to pieces, even by blades that cut down to a planck?

[Guest sirmethos]

"What's the objective of most Rumbles fights? To defeat opponents.

 

You now know what the Shrike is set to accomplish."

 

Congratulations, by giving The Shrike that kind of 'free' objective, you've pretty much given him the win in most of the fights. Since simply "to defeat the opponents." does not(again) set any time frame on the fight, or on when the objective has to be accomplished. Keeping in mind The Shrike's ability to instantly travel to anywhere and anywhen, The Shrike can simply choose the path of least resistance. I.e. appear moments after the birth of each character and kill them. Or travel to the future when the opponent is old and feeble, and kill them at that point in time.

 

As I said time frame.

 

 

"A stalemate? For every single fight?"

 

Yes, to use my example with PC-Superman. There is no time frame/time limit on the fight. Since The Shrike, regardless of whatever else happens, has given PC-Superman a lethal blow(giving him the Merlin Sickness), Superman will die as a direct result of the actions of The Shrike. I.e. essentially die at the hands of The Shrike. Superman might have destroyed The Shrike, or sent it into retreat. But 30-35 years in the future, Superman is dead. With no time limit, that makes that fight a stalemate(assuming that Superman somehow managed to destroy The Shrike), or more likely, an eventual win for The Shrike(since it has not been programmed to die at the hands of PC-Superman, it would retreat before it was destroyed).

 

 

"Interesting. So, the Ultimate Intelligence is omniscient even from the perspective of other universes?"

 

Is there a particular part of "omniscient" that you didn't understand?

 

 

"Again, it's a rumbles fight. Its current objective is going to be to find a way to win."

 

Again, with no time limit on the fights, all The Shrike has to do, is land a single blow on the opponent, then move on to the next, knowing that the enemy will die from the Merlin Sickness.

 

 

"Not everyone has had a chance to read the Hyperion series."

 

It is possible to ask questions about characters, or do research. Instead of creating matches with unknown characters. That is the things that leads to bad characterization, bad responses from people who actually like the characters that have been used(and misrepresented), and in an actual match, pulls down the match rating.

 

Not everyone has read a comic where Hulk appears either, and when those people create a match with The Hulk, they get flack for it as well.

 

 

"The one fight that seems interesting to me is Doc Manhattan, because of John's pan-temporal nature a confrontation between physical bodies may be totally meaningless."

 

Mostly agreed. I can't remember of Doc. Manhattan has any way of countering the Merlin Sickness. If he doesn't, then The Shrike would only need to land a single blow. If he does, then it starts becoming something like a chess match.

 

Manhattan's weakness is that he has people he cares about, that can be used for leverage. While The Shrike doesn't have any real weaknesses.

[Guest force_echo]

Congratulations, by giving The Shrike that kind of 'free' objective, you've pretty much given him the win in most of the fights. Since simply "to defeat the opponents." does not(again) set any time frame on the fight, or on when the objective has to be accomplished. Keeping in mind The Shrike's ability to instantly travel to anywhere and anywhen, The Shrike can simply choose the path of least resistance. I.e. appear moments after the birth of each character and kill them. Or travel to the future when the opponent is old and feeble, and kill them at that point in time.

Right, because it's not like anyone it's fighting has the exact same ability. I'm guessing the Shrike starts somewhere too, which means a good number of the time travelers he's going up against can do the same thing.

[Guest skadoosh]

I can't remember of Doc. Manhattan has any way of countering the Merlin Sickness. If he doesn't, then The Shrike would only need to land a single blow. If he does, then it starts becoming something like a chess match.

 

Manhattan's weakness is that he has people he cares about, that can be used for leverage. While The Shrike doesn't have any real weaknesses.

 

Manhattan no longer ages, and he doesn't have a human body, plus, his powers allow him to reform from being completely destroyed, among other things, so i don't think the Merlin Sickness would affect him. Also, i'm assuming any loved ones, or anyone other than the two combatants, are not present during these fights, not that Manhattan cares about them enough to distract him from a fight as important as this.

[Guest MarvelFan15]

Stuff methos said.

 

Congratulations, by giving The Shrike that kind of 'free' objective, you've pretty much given him the win in most of the fights. Since simply "to defeat the opponents." does not(again) set any time frame on the fight, or on when the objective has to be accomplished. Keeping in mind The Shrike's ability to instantly travel to anywhere and anywhen, The Shrike can simply choose the path of least resistance. I.e. appear moments after the birth of each character and kill them. Or travel to the future when the opponent is old and feeble, and kill them at that point in time.

 

Simple enough to me.

 

 

 

 

"Yes, to use my example with PC-Superman. There is no time frame/time limit on the fight. Since The Shrike, regardless of whatever else happens, has given PC-Superman a lethal blow(giving him the Merlin Sickness), Superman will die as a direct result of the actions of The Shrike. I.e. essentially die at the hands of The Shrike. Superman might have destroyed The Shrike, or sent it into retreat. But 30-35 years in the future, Superman is dead. With no time limit, that makes that fight a stalemate(assuming that Superman somehow managed to destroy The Shrike), or more likely, an eventual win for The Shrike(since it has not been programmed to die at the hands of PC-Superman, it would retreat before it was destroyed)."

 

So, not every single fight, then?

 

 

 

 

"Is there a particular part of "omniscient" that you didn't understand?"

 

Details work better than condescension. An example of the UI having knowledge from outside its own universe would be helpful.

 

EDIT: Also, character abilities can be denied. The Shrike's foreknowledge is an ability denied it in the battle involving the Council of Reeds, which came before the OP amendments, by the way.

 

 

 

 

"Again, with no time limit on the fights, all The Shrike has to do, is land a single blow on the opponent, then move on to the next, knowing that the enemy will die from the Merlin Sickness."

 

Fair enough.

 

 

 

 

 

"It is possible to ask questions about characters, or do research. Instead of creating matches with unknown characters. That is the things that leads to bad characterization, bad responses from people who actually like the characters that have been used(and misrepresented), and in an actual match, pulls down the match rating."

 

I've read about the Hyperion Cantos before, and was going with what I'd remembered.

 

 

 

 

"Not everyone has read a comic where Hulk appears either, and when those people create a match with The Hulk, they get flack for it as well."

 

The Hulk is a cultural icon, appearing in more mediums than just comics, and with the average characterization of a three-year-old having a tantrum. In comparison, the Shrike and the series it belongs to is far more obscure.

 

If someone misrepresents the basic Green Goliath, I'd be pretty impressed.

 

 

 

 

 

"Mostly agreed. I can't remember of Doc. Manhattan has any way of countering the Merlin Sickness. If he doesn't, then The Shrike would only need to land a single blow. If he does, then it starts becoming something like a chess match.

 

Manhattan's weakness is that he has people he cares about, that can be used for leverage. While The Shrike doesn't have any real weaknesses."

 

Going back in time and killing Doctor Manhattan as a human would probably work, after all is said and done.

 

--

 

I've also amended the OP for certain fights for clarification.

[Guest MarvelFan15]

OP updated.

[Guest Shoggoth breeder]

bump

[Guest Shoggoth breeder]

Resurrected