Welcome to the Third Quarterfinals Round of The T-Rex Beat Down: March Madness with Tyrannosaurs! Join us every day through April 2nd as eight fearsome tyrannosaurs fight for the world T-Rex championship title!

T-Rex Beat Down is a co-blogging series presented in partnership with The LongBox Graveyard.

Today’s brutal saurian contenders: Jack Kirby’s Devil Dinosaur and Trax, the Telepathic Tyrannosaur! We invite you to cast your own vote for your favorite in this match. Will your favorite dominate – or end up as dino-burgers?!? We’re about to find out!

But first: Survey Results! Yes, Survey Results are in from our first two Rounds: So far, 67% of respondents picked Loner as a favorite over Gwangi. Loner fans, we will see him again in the Semi-Finals! You wrote that Loner has “heart, character,” and “an advantage in bite size and force.” Gwangi supporters unanimously shouted, “Ray Harryhausen!”

100% of respondents favored the T-Rex of Skull Island over Old One Eye from 2000 AD. Wow! Skull Island fans, we love ya! Here’s a sample of your responses: “Old One Eye is good, but Kong Rex was one of the first and one of the best!” “They don’t play on Skull Island!” “He lasted on an island with Kong for years… Bad ass enough for me.” Feel free to send Old One Eye your hate mail and pelt her with Diplodocus dung from the stands – it only makes her fight harder!

Now, on to today’s main event! As our two terrible tyrants approach the arena of carnivorous carnage, let’s get The Tale of the Tape:

Trax (Tyrannosaur Mentalis):

Trax appeared in Brain Boy #6 in 1963. He possesses telepathic powers to read both animal and human minds, and hypnotic powers to ruthlessly control those minds! Ruler of the Late Cretaceous with nine others like him, Trax survived the ice age to be resurrected by atomic weapons testing. He proceeded to destroy radio communications, enslave all the locals, and begin his evil master plan: enslaving all humans like cattle to feed his hideous children! On the downside, Brain Boy took him out by thinking him to death.

Let’s look at how Trax’s super-intelligence ruled the Cretaceous:

Devil Dinosaur:

Jack Kirby created Devil Dinosaur in 1978. Permanently tattooed red by a fire in his youth, Devil Dinosaur possesses a nearly-human intelligence. He used his reptilian brian to destroy aliens and giant ants through planning, not just his considerable physical force. His powerful fighting skills include high-jumping and kicking hard enough to punt a triceratops. On the downside, his proclivities for fighting and ruling render him reckless in the face of dangers he doesn’t fully understand. He is rarely seen without his companion Moon Boy, who was not allowed on for the ride in this fight!

Let’s have a view of Devil in action:

And there’s the starting bell!

Let’s go to the ring for the Play By Play!

As the contestants circle, Devil Dinosaur remembers what Moon Boy told him before the fight: don’t look Trax in the eye! Trax’s hypnotic powers have led many a dinosaur to its doom. Devil plans to feint and then leap at Trax to deliver a crushing kick – but misses! He lunges again – and misses!

Trax knows he has this round under control. He can read Devil’s mind, therefore knowing everything the red dinosaur plans. All he has to do is wear Devil down, and then exert his hypnotic power before delivering a killing blow.

Devil pauses, unsure how to defeat an opponent who seems to know exactly where he will strike next. Looking his opponent over for a sign of weakness, he chances to meet Trax’s terrible gaze. “Yes, Devil,” roars Trax. “Feel your will slipping away! You are mine to control!”

Devil struggles as Trax menacingly approaches him. His mind begins to slip away. The slobbering jaws of his foe open before him as he stands transfixed. But if Trax can read Devil’s thoughts, then victory lies not in Devil’s super intelligence, but with his killer instinct!

Retreating from his forebrain, Devil plunges into the black waters of his tyrannosaurid unconscious. As Trax moves in for the kill, Devil strikes from a ferocious place no one can control!

The surprise attack locks the two monsters in close combat, whirling and slashing their huge jaws! Devil’s fighting skills prove savagely superior to Trax, who spent the late cretaceous hypnotizing his way to victory. Devil slashes at Trax’s face, lacerating one hypnotic eye. Devil cannot stop to think, or his moves will be telepathically apprehended. He simply attacks again and again – without thought or reason!

Trax bellows his pain. “NNYYAARRRGGGHH!!! Damn you, Devil!” Trax’s big, deliberate brain becomes a disadvantage against the unreasoning red fury ripping and tearing at his body. Trax whips his tail; but, Devil instinctively leaps over it, smashing into Trax and taking him to the ground.

Devil stomps and stomps at Trax’s skull until the concussive bludgeoning renders that big telepathic brain totally useless. As Trax lies stunned, Devil bends down to rip mouthfuls of meat from Trax’s face and throat until he is sure his opponent is dead.

He reaches his powerful jaws to the sky and roars his victory. There can be only one ruler of this quarterfinals round – and it is Devil Dinosaur! Moon Boy races onto the field and embraces his big red buddy.

ROUND THREE WINNER: Devil Dinosaur!

Come back tomorrow for ROUND FOUR: Satanus vs. The T-Rex from Jurassic Park!