“Congratulations! You’ve won at least a thousand dollars.” Spears smiled at Sarra-Bournet, greeting him at the table. Sarra-Bournet opted to take the odd initiatives after winning the roll. He was the first to recruit a character as well, attacking directly with Falcon on turn 2.

Captain America, Steve Rogers joined Falcon on turn 3, and Spears burst out laughing. “Ohhh, that is sexy.” He started singing a high-pitched cover of “Nobody Knows The Trouble I’ve Seen.”

“Can . . . you make him stop singing, please?” asked Sarra-Bournet of the head judge. “It’s really horrible.”

“Aww, that’s just mean!” Spears grinned. Falcon and Cap wrecked Growing Man and play moved to turn 4. The endurance totals were 39 to 48, in Sarra-Bournet’s favor.

Spears recruited Kang, Master of Time, while Sarra-Bournet’s ranks were joined by Golden Archer. Spears flipped Kang Kross-roads and discarded for Master of Time’s effect. Hawkeye, Leader by Example hit the KO’d pile. Growing Man attacked Falcon, who was bumped up by his own effect as well as Captain America. This resulted in a double stun. The Master of Time then attacked with a power-up, attempting to take down Captain America. Quinjet gave Cap a pump, and Kang was powered up yet again, but Heroes in Reserve brought him down. Golden Archer was free to attack directly, and Falcon and Growing Man were knocked out. Spears regretted making the attack with Kang, and verbally decried it.

Next turn Sarra-Bournet recruited Nighthawk, while Spears brought down Kang, Ultimate Kang. “I’ll team them before I screw something up,” said Sarra-Bournet, flipping A Day Unlike Any Other to share affiliations between Avengers and Squadrom Supreme. Golden Archer attacked Master of Time (thanks to Nighthawk), but Spears exhausted him for Game of the Galaxy! Sadly, neither player hit any doubles, so all that resulted was a two-way stun. Kang, Ultimate Kang then smacked Nighthawk, and Captain America reinforced. Golden Archer was knocked out cold, as was Kang, Ultimate Kang.

Spears recruited Kang, Lord Kang, and Amenhotep emerged on Sarra-Bournet’s side. Spears smashed him, fighting back and bringing the game to 14 to 20. At the end of the turn it was Nighthawk and Amenhotep versus Kang, Master of Time and Kang, Lord Kang.

Sarra-Bournet recruited Hank Pym ◊ Goliath, and Spears made a shocking move. “I would like to neither set a resource, nor recruit a character.” It was bewildering.

Amenhotep attacked Kang, Master of Time, again due to Nighthawk’s leadership. Hank Pym then attacked Kang, Lord Kang, and Spears revealed why he had not played any cards! He played one power-up, then another. He dropped his third and final in-hand card, The Time Keepers, and the three pumps plus the active Kang Kross-roads kept Lord Kang on the board! Goliath stunned back! Lord Kang then smashed Nighthawk, and the endurance totals were 4 to 7, in Spears’s favor!

“THANK YOU LORD KANG!” He hooted. “That was SO the only way I was going to win!” Spears was elated.

Next turn he drew into Arcanna and recruited her, again leaving himself with no hand. Sarra-Bournet recruited Albert Gaines ◊ Nuke, and it was Arcanna, Kang, Master of Time, and Kang, Lord Kang against Hank Pym ◊ Goliath, Amenhotep, Nuke, and Inertia. Lord Kang and Master of Time team attacked to take down Goliath, and Arcanna took down Nuke. Sarra-Bournet reinforced, but he was already at -9 and had no way of recovering the game he had so dominated in the earlier turns.

Dave Spears made quite an incredible comeback to win game 1!

Sarra-Bournet opened game 2 with Hank Pym ◊ Ant Man, while Spears dropped Kang, Rama Tut. Ant Man attacked directly and play quickly moved to turn 2.

Wasp joined Ant Man, both of whom sat out in the open. Spears smashed Ant Man with Kang, Wasp stung him back, and turn 3 began.

Falcon hit the field next and Sarra-Bournet boosted him to fetch Nighthawk. “Aww, don’t get that guy! That guy wrecks me!” Spears laughed. Sarra-Bournet pushed all his characters to the front.

Spears recruited Kang, Kang Cobra, and the Avengers team attacked him directly for 10 endurance. Kang Cobra smacked Wasp, and Kang, Rama Tut attacked Ant Man, knocking him out.

Power Princess, Zarda joined the Kang Klub and Sarra-Bournet labored over his recruit decision. “Play Captain America.” Spears grinned mischievously. “That’d be hot.”

Sure enough, Sarra-Bournet had to recruit Captain America, Steve Rogers. He formed up in an L around the Cap, Falcon got big, and Spears started figuring out his attacks. “I feel like you’re gonna wreck me this turn, but let’s see.” Kang, Kang Cobra attacked Wasp. Sarra-Bournet checked his set resources and used Heroes in Reserve to get the stun back with three reservists! The score was 31 to 42, and Power Princess attacked Captain America. United We Stand hit Falcon to bump Captain America up to an 8 ATK, and Spears chuckled lightly, mildly chagrinned. He had no response and Power Princess went down. Falcon lost the bonus from Cap’s leader status and Kang, Rama Tut took advantage of that fact by stunning him. Sarra-Bournet kept Captain America, Steve Rogers while Spears kept Power Princess and Kang, teaming up with Behavior Modification Device.

The dreaded Nighthawk swept down onto Sarra-Bournet’s side of the table, but Spears confidently recruited Kang, Ultimate Kang. Captain America attacked Kang, Rama Tut, and Spears responded with Game of the Galaxy. Neither player hit anything, but Sarra-Bournet lost a 7-drop and a 6-drop to the bottom of his deck. Spears bumped Kang, Rama Tut back to his hand, targeting itself to prevent the massive breakthrough that would have resulted from the attack. Cap readied and Sarra-Bournet rethought his plan, sending Nighthawk into Power Princess for the easy stun. Kang, Ultimate Kang then socked Nighthawk with a power-up. Captain America reinforced but Nighthawk went down!

Spears controlled the initiative for turn 6. “Sooo . . . we think you’re going to miss your 6-drop . . .” He recruited Hawkeye, Leader by Example, and then filled the turn with Kang, Rama Tut. He formed up with Hawkeye protecting (and leading) Kang, Ultimate Kang, adjacent to Power Princess. Spears was very happy with the possibilities for the turn when, sure enough, Sarra-Bournet missed his 6 and recruited Amenhotep.

Kang, Ultimate Kang laid out Nighthawk, and Power Princess smashed Captain America. He was reinforced by a discarded Hank Pym ◊ Goliath! So much for missing that 7-drop. Hawkeye attacked Amenhotep to trade stuns, and the endurance totals were 16 for Spears and 15 for Sarra-Bournet. Kang swung for 1, and that was the turn!

Next turn Sarra-Bournet brought out Hercules—he obviously had the three reservists needed for Hercules’s effect since he’d revealed several earlier in the game. Spears looked as if he might be in trouble. He was devoid of a 7-drop himself, and spent some time weighing out his different options. He settled on recruiting Tempus and exhausted Kang, Rama Tut for Framistat, attaching it to the new arrival. He then formed up with Kang, Ultimate Kang protecting Power Princess and Tempus protecting Hawkeye, Leader by Example. He maligned the decision to give Framistat to Tempus almost immediately, but eventually settled on the+3 ATK option.

“I have the sinking feeling I’m going to screw up,” confessed Sarra-Bournet.

“Well, that’s ok, since I already did.” Spears really wasn’t happy with the Framistat placement.

Sarra-Bournet started looking at his options. “You can always send Hercules into Kang,” offered Spears helpfully. “Worst I can do is return him!” His opponent didn’t fall for it.

Amenhotep attacked Tempus, and Might Makes Right gave him a total of 14 ATK. Spears activated Tempus to move Power Princess into the hidden area behind Kang, Rama-Tut in response, also moving Tempus himself. Hercules put his fist clean through Hawkeye and then readied as Sarra-Bournet revealed three reservists. He attacked Kang, Rama Tut, and Spears reinforced with Power Princess (though he didn’t need to). Nighthawk and Kang, Ultimate Kang remained ready but Sarra-Bournet passed.

Spears surveyed the field. “So what do I have to do? 17?” He eyed Nighthawk. “There’s 5 right there . . .” He ran a few numbes, hopeful. “Ahh well, I can’t make this one.” He gave up and scooped.

Spears opened the third and final game, and both players passed for turn 1. Sarra-Bournet played Falcon on turn 2 and attacked directly, but Spears replied with Kang, Kang Cobra on the following turn. His opponent recruited Wasp with a V-Wing, and Kang and Falcon traded off before she attacked Spears directly.

Golden Archer joined Sarra-Bournet’s team yet again, and he formed his characters into an L, protecting Wasp with Falcon. Spears recruited Kang, Master of Time and ditched Power Princess for its effect. Sarra-Bournet team attacked directly, reducing Spears to 30 endurance, and Kang, Master of Time, powered by a Windstorm smashed Wasp. Cobra took out Falcon, knocking him clean off the board into the KO’d pile.

Kang, Ultimate Kang filled the role of Spears’s 5-drop, but was met by Nighthawk. This time the L protected Golden Archer. Ultimate Kang attacked Nighthawk with two power-ups. Heroes in Reserve again came to Sarra-Bournet’s rescue to make the stun, rendering Nighthawk’s ATK a 12 to Kang’s 11 DEF—Sarra-Bournet secured the double stun. Kang, Kang Cobra attacked Golden Archer with Repulsor Ray, Golden Archer burned Spears in response, and a double stun again resulted. Master of Time finally attacked Wasp. A Day Unlike Any Other teamed up Sarra-Bournet’s characters, and Wasp went down. He was left with Nighthawk to Spears’s Kang, Ultimate Kang and Kang, Master of Time. Scores were 19 to 21, advantage to the Canadian.

He missed his 6-drop, though, and instead recruited She-Hulk, Gamma Bombshell. Spears needed to make a decision—he had both Tempus and Kang, Lord Kang in his hand. He settled on Lord Kang, and formed up with Ultimate Kang protecting him.

She-Hulk, Gamma Bombshell attacked Kang, Master of Time. Spears activated him for Game of the Galaxy yet again. A single power-up threatened to stun She-Hulk back, so Sarra-Bournet replaced a resource to use her effect and make her invulnerable. Spears took 7 while his opponent took nothing. Nighthawk did not attack and went down to an attack from Lord Kang. Goliath reinforced. Ultimate Kang then attacked directly, bringing the game to 12 to 7 in favor of Spears.

Sarra-Bournet drew for the next turn, examined his hand, and scooped before offering the handshake to Spears. “No drops,” he explained with a smile.

Dave Spears moves to the finals to confront Michael Jacob!