User blog comment:Tomahawk23/Wolverine Vs. Alex Mercer/@comment-75.105.60.134-20121228010221

I was just thinking about this one the other day. There are a lot of different superpowers in the mix, particularly on Mercer's side. Thumbs up, by the way, on taking the arena and weapons available within it into account.

Wolverine's skeleton gives him the edge in close combat. Mercer is faster and stronger than Wolverine, but his ability to do lasting damage to Wolverine is limited by the adamantium skull and ribcage protecting his most vital organs. Mercer could go between his ribs, or through an eye socket, but Mercer may underestimate Wolverine's healing abilities, and fail to finish him off after a seemingly fatal blow. Wolverine, on the other hand, isn't going to stop until he's sure Mercer isn't getting back up.

Mercer does have more natural weapons at his disposal, true, but only blade and claws pose much of a threat to Wolverine. Hammerfist and musclemass would likely fail to put a dent in Wolverine's defenses, and while whipfist gives Mercer a longer reach, he still needs to put Wolverine down before he can heal himself, instead of assuming the fight is over.

Available weapons include assault rifles, grenade launchers, and missile launchers. Wolverine would have the advantage here as well. Mercer might have the memories of people he's consumed, but Wolverine has real-life experience. Remember that Specialist Cross made for a dangerous opponant against Mercer, even before he infected him with the parasite. Someone who "is the best he is at what he does" should never be underestimated, no matter how much combat experience his opponent may have.

I don't believe Mercer could consume Wolverine, because of Wolverine's immune system. He's proved immune to Brood assimilation and (in the 90's cartoon, anyway) the Phalanx and the techno-organic virus. Whatever method Mercer uses to consume someone will probably prove similarly ineffective.

While both combatants have staying power, Wolverine has been around a lot longer than Mercer and no one's figured out a way to kill him and make it stick, while in Prototype 2 Mercer is killed by James Heller.

My vote? It's Wolverine, bub. (snickety-snakt, snickety-snakt)