Satan, on 10 August 2013 - 07:57 PM, said:
Alright, fine! I'll be the oddball! Again!
The question has two parts, both which demands considerations: How would each of them protect you and how would the other eight get at you? By pure, deductive reasoning, there should really only be a contest between two contenders: Darth Vader, as you all seem to like so much, and the Predator. Why? Because the have INTERSTELLAR SPACE SHIPS! Have one of those spirit you away would automatically put you out of reach for the other seven. If it was a question of who would come out in single combat, it'd be a lot harder to decide. But it's not. It's about who can keep the others from getting to you.
At first I was with the rest of you. Darthy is clearly the most badass for pure power. He can command planet destroying weaponry. His space ship armada is a power beyond what any of the others can muster (unless Hellboy goes all horny on us, of course). And that's before you count in his power over the force. If it was a dick measuring contest, his would probably be the smallest of them all. Unfortunately, his also notoriously bad at hide and seek. The Star Wars movies documents fairly well how easy it is to hide from the Empire. Nevermind that he can destroy planets, if he doesn't know which planet you are on that little trick becomes useless. And it will become useless if Preddy is the one to protect you. If ever there was a hide and seek champion, it was Anne Frank. But a very close second was The Predator. For fuck's sake, both he and his ship has cloaking! He doesn't even have to try! He'd just flip a switch and we'd cruise to a planet with a good climate that isn't an historical hunting ground for slightly too big a prey. Vader would spend the rest of his days blowing up planets willy nilly and the rest would stomp their feet back on earth (given that Vader hasn't blown it up yet).
This also works the other way around. Darth, never the most conspicuous of men, would not be hard to find in a galaxy and it is embarrassingly easy to sneak aboard one of his ships. Predators - hunters extraordinaire - would be in, slit my throat, and out again before my body had hit the floor. There's no way Vader would be able to hold them off forever. He'd have to be with me all the time. Like, ALL THE TIME! When I'd go for a poop, there he'd be, watching me, with that heavy breathing of his. Going to bed? There he'd be, tortuously breathing in your ear until you fall asleep. Having a morning shower (yes, maccy, a morning shower)? Be prepared to be grossed out when he takes his armour off! The second he'd take his eyes off you, the Predators would strike.
You can keep your Vader. I'll have The Predator protect me, thank you very much.
I did initially think this at first but the majority of predators weapons are bladed hand to hand weapons or moderate projectiles as well as a shoulder mounted energy cannon. All of these can be countered by lightsaber plus force. Darth Vader, when it comes down to it, is a master of hand to hand combat aswell as a solid counter to the type of projectile the predator would use.
Based on your own argument of ships rather than me and Darth Vader sat on my couch waiting for this lot to turn up and make a mess of my scatter cushions id still go with Darth. The only Predators we see have fairly small ships that can cloak which I admit is better for escaping but as you point out Vader could destroy the planet you were on. Plus, by your very own arguement, these people have massively different resources at their disposal. Darth Vader is the second in command of a galactic empire whereas as the predator would be a lone wolf style hunter. Now no doubt he could get aboard a star destroyer, or even a Death Star, without too much trouble but hed probably be detected by Vaders force sense. An unknown alien species, not exactly known for its subtlety in any film usually involving borderline ritualistic killings of subordinates, would probably kill a few woefully inaccurate storm troopers. In other words Darth would know he was coming and could act accordingly using the resources at his command. If the Storm Trooper failed, which they almost certainly would, and it came down to Darth and Predator you have to go with Darth for the reasons I mentioned. He'd either see the projectiles coming, even that fancy net thingy thats unbreakable, and counter them with dodging or lightsaber or even blocking that shoulder cannon ala Lando's dining hall. Toe to toe with Darth being able to use force projectiles and the fact hes fully encased in armour that would provide some protection to the small projectile darts the Predator uses it would come down to Lightsaber vs giant metal claw thingy that the predator unsheaths from his arm. In that battle the lightsaber would win, in the same way it would win over wolverine.
As for Dolmens argument that running away seem like the right option and Amphs argument that some of the character on there arent used to space travel but could hijack merchant ships Vader is still your best bet. Running away with the entire galactic empire at your protectors command might sound alot more conspicuous than hiding on a jungle planet with a cloaked predator but it isnt really. How would the Predator, or any of the others, know what ship you were on. With Vader theres a chance of him picking up his target with the force, but the predator has to go looking. His senses can be fooled by a 40 year old bodybuilder in some mud lying down 5 feet away.
As for amphs arguement of other hijacking merchant ships id have to say there inexperience in space flight and conventions would have them running afoul of the galactic empire. But even if they were able to somehow get on board they would be detected much earlier than predator.
Terminator- Would only have the weapons of the time at his disposal as hes been sent back and thus is would be easily dealt with by the technology of the time. If he somehow got close to me and vader sat on the death star ironically playing space invaders then hes shown him self to be a fairly sluggish hand to hand combatant in T2 and would be sliced apart by Vader.
Batman- If he could get on board then he would be detected in the same way as predator thus losing his most useful tool of stealth. Even if the waves of Stormtroopers didnt get him, and we know they wouldnt, then his weaponry is similar to the Predators, kinetic bladed weapons that could be parried or forcestopped by Vader. Hes is also not tooled for wet work rather for disorientation so would have to get close to kill me. Any other close quarters methods of disorientating (Flashbangs, Gas Pellets, Darth Vader repellent spray if this is Adam West) would be countered by Vaders helmet blocking it all and regulating his breathing.
Wolverine- Couldnt sneak anywhere and would be cut in half by Vader or forcestopped like Magneto does to him in every xmen film ever. Thrown into space.
Hellboy- Again not subtle couldnt sneak in and get the job done. Force of numbers thrown into space.
Judge Dredd- Just a guy with a multi tool pistol. Easily dealt with.
Marv- Just a guy
Robocop- While identifying himself Vader would simply claim to be a top ceo of Omni Consumer Products and while Robocop was checking vader would force steal his gun.
These people would never get onboard however so Predator is the only threat.
Yes I am off work today with too much time on my hands
This post has been edited by Jean-Claude Van tiam: 11 August 2013 - 09:16 AM