20 year-old Mark Vasquez took second last year at Shonen Jump Orlando, capturing one of the first-ever copies of Crush Card Virus. He’s playing to represent Earth2Comics in Pembrook Pines, Florida. His opponent, Brendan Hubster, hails from West Hartford, Connecticut. At 14 years of age he’s undefeated with Gadgets.

Vasquez opened with Elemental Hero Stratos, searching his deck for Destiny Hero – Disk Commander. He activated Destiny Draw, discarded Commander, and drew two, setting two to his back row. Hubster summoned Red Gadget, searched his deck for Yellow Gadget with its effect, and added it to his hand. He set a card to his back row and ended. In the end phase, Vasquez brought back Disk Commander with Call of the Haunted to draw two!

But Hubster flipped Trap Dustshoot in Vasquez’s draw phase, revealing the Waffle’s hand of Raiza the Storm Monarch, Zaborg the Thunder Monarch, Card Trooper, Heavy Storm, Pot of Avarice, and two Phoenix Wing Wind Blast. He sent Raiza back to his opponent’s deck. Vasquez summoned Card Trooper, sent Raiza the Storm Monarch, Lightning Vortex, and Cyber Dragon to the graveyard to boost its ATK, then ran over Red Gadget. Stratos attacked directly, Commander went to defense, and Vasquez set two more cards to his back row.

Hubster summoned Yellow Gadget next turn, searching out Green Gadget. He didn’t attack, instead just setting three cards to his back row. Next turn Vasquez tributed Disk Commander for Zaborg the Thunder Monarch, and when Hubster flipped Torrential Tribute he chained Solemn Judgment to negate it! Zaborg blew away Yellow Gadget with its effect and Hubster conceded, eager to move to game 2.

“I drew really well there,” admitted Vasquez.

“I drew terrible,” replied Hubster, who didn’t look confident in his hand from turn 1 on. Both duelists sided, with Vasquez finishing and presenting his deck first.

Hubster opened game 2 with Neo-Spacian Grand Mole, a set spell or trap, and a shake of his head complemented by a humble smile. He didn’t seem to like his odds this time either. Vasquez tore into him with Heavy Storm, used Reinforcement of the Army to get Elemental Hero Stratos, and then, to make things even worse, special summoned Cyber Dragon. He summoned Stratos next, searched his deck for Fear Monger, then attacked with Cyber Dragon — attacking with Stratos instead would have let him reuse Stratos’ effect for another free card next turn, so Hubster was puzzled. It was a decision that would pay off in the long run. Both Grand Mole and Cyber Dragon were bounced, Stratos attacked directly, and Hubster was up.

Smashing Ground destroyed Stratos, Hubster set a spell or trap, and then summoned Neo-Spacian Grand Mole. He didn’t attack. Cyber Dragon hit play next turn, followed by Card Trooper, and the Trooper sent Cyber Dragon, Treeborn Frog, and Destiny Hero – Malicious to the graveyard, an amazing pair of lucky hits! Cyber Dragon attacked Mole and Card Trooper swung direct. Grand Mole attacked over it next turn and Hubster set another spell or trap.

Vasquez special summoned the Dragon again next turn, bouncing it and Grand Mole before setting a monster. Hubster tried to attack next turn with Hydrogeddon, but Enemy Controller turned it to defense mode to stop the attack. Next turn Vasquez brought back his Treeborn Frog, tributed it for Zaborg the Thunder Monarch, and destroyed Hydrogeddon. Zaborg attacked, but Hubster deflected it with Enemy Controller. Vasquez set a spell or trap while singing to himself: “I smell another Hydrooooo . . .”

Hubster did indeed summon another Hydrogeddon next turn. It attacked Vasquez’s face down Disk Commander; Hubster pulled another, and didn’t attack with the second. He activated Lightning Vortex in main phase 2, discarding Jinzo to do so. Vasquez activated Call of the Haunted to try and bring back Disk Commander, but Hubster’s peculiar attack decisions were suddenly made clear; he chained his own Call to bring back Jinzo! Jinzo hit the field, and his effect negated Vasquez’s Call of the Haunted, depriving him of his Disk Commander.

Vasquez activated Pot of Avarice next turn, shuffling back five of his monsters including Treeborn Frog — not a big issue, since Call was locking it out of the game anyway. He started running some numbers, holding Brain Control. Deciding not to go for game, he activated it, took one Hydrogeddon, and ran it into the other. A set monster ended his turn.

Hubster summoned Neo-Spacian Grand Mole, attacked, and bounced Vasquez’s set monster and Jinzo hit directly. Hubster set a spell or trap card, Vasquez special summoned Cyber Dragon, and then removed one Malicious from his graveyard to bring out his second in defense mode. He tributed Malicious for Zaborg the Thunder Monarch, destroyed Jinzo, and both his monsters attacked directly for game!

Mark Vasquez defeats Brendan Hubster and moves on undefeated!