Contest of Champions (2015) 1

*"Well, here's a **tip**, "Joe." Next time, disable the unibeam **first**. **Nice** or **not nice**, there is no **try**."*
—Iron Man[src]

**The Life I've Left Behind Me**/**L'avenir, C'est Moi** is the first issue of the *Contest of Champions* comic book. It was released on October 7th, 2015.

## Short Summary

### **The Life I've Left Behind Me**

Outlaw, the British Punisher, Iron Man, and Gamora team up to fight in the first phase of the Contest. After winning, the "Red Team" meets up with The Collector, the organizer of the Contest, and the Maestro, the Red Team's Summoner.

## Long Summary

### **The Life I've Left Behind Me**

Neil Hibbs is out shopping when he thinks he hears his real name — Nigel Higgins — being called out, and he drops his groceries. He reaches for his gun until he remembers it's not on him. Neil explains that he "doesn't **do** guns, not anymore". We see that it was just Neil's neighbor, Mary, saying hi. Mary helps Neil with his groceries, then tells him about the quiz tomorrow night; a meat platter goes to the team with the best name. As Mary and Neil part ways, a shadowy figure (who was the one that called Neil by his real name) can be seen.

Later, Neil is with his cat, Frank. Neil asks Frank if he wants to watch *Jurassic Park*, since it comes on later. Frank meows, but then Neil hears a sound, and investigates it. Neil, while looking at his suit, explains through thought bubbles that "years ago, something **bad** happened", and that his family was killed. As a result, he became "Outlaw, the British Punisher".

Outlaw puts on the suit and walks out to challenge whatever made the noise. However, he is ambushed by a Summoner. Before Outlaw can realize what's going on, he is placed inside a crystal.

Outlaw wakes to find himself in a strange place. He sees a dinosaur before being approached by Venom. Outlaw tries shooting Venom, but Venom simply spits out the bullets, complaining that they taste like detergent. Outlaw explains that the "mercy bullets" — made of hardened gel — "put people **down**", but that the bullets are non-lethal. Venom tells Outlaw that he is in the wrong place for mercy before he is stabbed from behind by Gamora (who simply mutters "I agree."). Gamora, assuming that Outlaw is on their side (and that, for his sake, he had better be), tells Outlaw to aid "the man of iron" while she fights with Venom.

Outlaw is at first confused until he sees Iron Man being beaten up by Joe Fixit. Outlaw, realizing what Gamora meant, throws a stun grenade at Fixit, blinding him. Before Fixit can figure out what happened, Iron Man defeats Joe with a unibeam blast.

As Outlaw is helping Iron Man up, the two are found by Moon-Boy, Agent of Hydra and Devil Hydrasaur. Outlaw shoots Moon-Boy with one of the "mercy bullets". Iron Man asks Outlaw if it was "a good idea", and Outlaw responds that it seemed like one at the time, but as Devil Hydrasaur approaches them, Outlaw says that now he's not so sure, then complains that it's the story of his life. Gamora states that Outlaw should count himself lucky that "the story goes **on**" before stabbing Devil Hydrasaur through the head, effectively killing it.

A voice states that all members of the "Yellow Team" have been defeated and that the "Red Team" has won the match. Gamora asks if this is a game before the three are surrounded by a blue energy, which Iron Man deduces is some kind of teleport. The voice says that Outlaw is a main contestant, to which Outlaw asks why before Iron Man realizes he was right; the group has been teleported to The Collector, Maestro, and Guillotine. The Collector says that he and Maestro have brought them here to fight — and possibly die — in the Contest of Champions.

Meanwhile, in Seoul, South Korea, White Fox is ambushed by the Three Moons Gang. As she defeats the gang, White Fox is informed of the death of her colleague Gun-R. White Fox states that when the Summoners sent their demons to South Korea to murder their national heroes, they made a mistake in not starting with the White Fox.

### **L'avenir, C'est Moi**

In October of 1793, Jean Desmarais was escaping persecution from former friends who thought him to be a "counter-revolutionary". Before they could find him, however, Jean found a mystical sword, named La Fleur du Mal. The sword promised him protection from his enemies, in exchange for swearing a blood oath. Thus, Jean Desmarais became the first of many to fight under the guise of "Guillotine". The curse carried through his descendants; Franchot Desmarais in 1832, Aurore Desmarais in 1872, Yves Desmarais in 1895, Odette Sauvage in 1944, Alexis Sauvage in 1980, and now Jeannine Sauvage.

Jeannine looks on as the Imp Prince is arrested. Inspector Marc Joubert shouts out to Guillotine, telling her that "whether you are **vigilante** or **crimelord** or **both**", she has no place in Paris and that he will find her. La Fleur du Mal urges Jeannine to kill Joubert, but she refuses, given that Joubert is doing his job and that he is her fiancé. However, La Fleur du Mal simply states that Jeannine "can get **close** to him, then **kill** him", as the sword is "thirsty". Jeannine shouts that she will do whatever she wants with La Fleur du Mal before she is abruptly attacked by a Summoner. La Fleur du Mal ends the story by muttering, "Oh... good."

## Variant Covers

Mark Bagley variantLeinel Yu variantRon Lim variantKabam Gabriel Frizzera variantDan Brereton variantJohn Tyler Christopher variantDenys Cowan variantBlank variantSkottie Young variant
## Trivia

* *L'avenir, C'est Moi* roughly translates to "The Future, It is Me" from French.
* The names of the ten players in the Hall of Legends (the first ten people to beat the Realm of Legends) are all mentioned.

## Navigation

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