Ok, I'll admit first up I stole this idea from the Star Wars Official Magazine. They have a two page spread every issue where they take two characters and put them up in a fight together then decide who wins. So, I shall be continuing that tradition in Joss Style.
River Tam vs. The Operative
River: Intuitive, gifted and nuts. A child prodigy, she excelled at anything her hand touched. From physics to dance, she was one smart chick until Blue Sun [yes, the unexplored corporation I like to think of as Joss's verson of Yahell] duped her. Then, they and the government turned her into a formidable psychic assassin. More about 'Was River Tam Psychic?' later. They rearranged her brain, trained and refined her into someone who could kill with just a thought. No, not like a mutant.
River Tam vs. The Operative
River: Intuitive, gifted and nuts. A child prodigy, she excelled at anything her hand touched. From physics to dance, she was one smart chick until Blue Sun [yes, the unexplored corporation I like to think of as Joss's verson of Yahell] duped her. Then, they and the government turned her into a formidable psychic assassin. More about 'Was River Tam Psychic?' later. They rearranged her brain, trained and refined her into someone who could kill with just a thought. No, not like a mutant.
VS
The Operative: Well, we don't know much about his history but the first time we meet him, he's a pretty nasty killer. Very into Bushido and samurai swords. I winced when the guy was impaled by his own sword off camera. This guy makes Spike lusting after Buffy look like a platonic wet dream the way he goes after the Tams. Single minded, focused and fanatical, he kills all who get in the way of his goal. The guy has little remorse and unlike River, kills actively and possibly might get off on it. [well, thats my opinion.]
Similarities: Both were trained by the same people, both can kill very inventively and both are gifted with seemingly powerful abilities. River is 'psychic', the Operative is an expert at sword play. Both are exclusively learnt in anatomy and physiology. Gotta love the nerve cluster strikes. And both are completely NUTS!
Winner: River, by a mile. If they ever met in combat, River could wipe the floor with him. Why? Because while the Operative is trained, River is instictive. The Operative is only able to fight in ways he was taught. River's unpredictability and empathy allow her an improvisation that would win. Plus, she pwns him.
Next Fight's Opponents: Jasmine vs. Illyria [pre Timebomb].
