Asterix and the Big Fight

For the film, see Asterix and the Big Fight (film).

Asterix and the Big Fight (Le Combat des Chefs)
Cover of the English edition
Date	1971
Main characters	Asterix and Obelix
Series	Asterix
Publisher	Dargaud
Creative team
Writers	René Goscinny
Artists	Albert Uderzo
Original publication
Published in	Pilote magazine
Issues	261–302
Date of publication	1964
Language	French
Translation
Translator	Anthea Bell and Derek Hockridge
Chronology
Preceded by	Asterix and Cleopatra
Followed by	Asterix in Britain

Asterix and the Big Fight (also known as "The Battle of the Chieftains" - translated from French: Le Combat des Chefs) is a French comic book story, written by René Goscinny and illustrated by Albert Uderzo, and published by Dargaud. It is the seventh story in the Asterix comic book series, and was originally published as a serial for Pilote magazine in 1964. The story focuses on Asterix and Obelix attempting to get their village's druid cured from several conditions following an accident, all while their chief prepares to do battle with a rival chief allied to the Romans.

An animated adaptation baring the same name was released in 1989, though only combining the subplot of the story with the main plot of Asterix and the Soothsayer. A second animated adaptation, focused on the story of Asterix and the Big Fight, is set to be released in 2025 on Netflix.

Plot summary

At the fortified garrison of Totorum in Amorica, Centurion Nebulus Nimbus, the camp's commander, expresses his frustration at being humiliated by the village of Gauls who continually resist Roman rule and easily defeat their legions on a regular basis. His advisor, Felonius Caucus, suggests a solution to the situation by invoking an ancient Gaulish custom known as "The Big Fight" - single combat between two Gaullish chiefs, in which the loser forfeits their entire tribe to the winner. The pair travel to Linoleum to request the aid of its chief, Cassius Ceramix, who is loyal to Rome after his tribe became Gallo-Romans to adapt to their new life. Ceramix balks at the idea, arguing that Vitalstatistix, chief of the rebels, would win with the potion of superhuman strength that his tribe use against the Romans.

Caucus decides to ease Ceramix's concern by suggesting the Romans get rid of the village's druid, Getafix. However, Asterix and Obelix come across the effort to kidnap him, and quickly move to prevent his. But in the chaos it causes, Obelix accidently strikes Getafix with a menhir, causing him to suffer amnesia and insanity. After Ceramix is made to issue his challenge against Vitalstatistix, Nimbus sends a spy into the village to investigate Getafix's situation, and is delight to learn he cannot make the magic potion in his condition. After several attempts to cure him, Vitalstatistix suggests to Asterix about securing the aid of the druid Psychoanalytix, who specializes in mental disorders. Brought back to the village, Psychoanalytix examines Getafix, but when he asks how his condition came to be, Obelix foolishly demonstrates on him with a menhir, causing him to suffer the same afflictions.

Unable to contend with the problem, as the two druids make crazy potions together, Asterix decides to prepare Vitalstatistix for the upcoming fight. At the same time, Nimbus oversees Ceramix's training but becomes concerned he and Linoleum will rebel against the Romans if he wins, leading Caucus to suggest they should send him to Rome in chains. As the fight is about to begin, Getafix accidentally makes a potion which cures him. When Asterix is sent into the village by Vitalstatistix to find Obelix, he is relieved to find him cured, though panicks when Obelix strikes him with a menhir, thinking it would cure him despite being unaware of his recovery. After Getafix is found to have been unharmed by Obelix's actions, he soon brews up the magic potion for the village, suspecting a double-cross by the Romans upon hearing about the fight with Ceramix

As the potion is distributed amongst his fellow villagers, Asterix gives Vitalstatistix the good news, who defeats Ceramix with a single blow after running him ragged by evading his attacks. The Romans soon attack the Gauls rather than accept his loss, only to be defeated with ease, forcing Nimbus to annoyingly call a retreat. After the fight, Ceramix is found to have been accidentally struck by a menhir Obelix brought with him, and now suffers from amnesia and has become courteous. Vitalstatistix declines his right to take over Ceramix's tribe, and sends him home in honour, with Linoleum returning to its Gaulish ways. Psychoanalytix also returns to his business, where, even with amnesia, he continues to be a success despite some side effects to his treatments. For Vitalstatistix, his village holds a banquet to celebrate their victory, where Obelix jokily claims he will go on a diet by eating nothing but small biscuits with roast boar.

Commentary

• In issue #260 of Pilote, which preceded the publication of the actual story, Vitalstatistix was depicted hosting a press conference (a la then French President Charles de Gaulle) to announce that Asterix and the Big Fight would be the next adventure and that he would play a leading role in it. This scene was reprinted in Asterix and the Class Act (2003) as its introduction.
• In the original French version, Vitalstatistix's opponent is called Aplusbégalix ("A plus B equals X"). In the English translation, his name of Cassius Ceramix is a reference to the boxer Muhammad Ali, formerly known as Cassius Clay, who was world heavyweight champion when the story was written. Vitalstatistix's strategy of wearing down his opponent ('rope-a-dope') and his victory dance (the Ali shuffle) is a parody of Ali's style.
• When a Roman envoy is sent to inform Ceramix that "Getafix has been disposed of", he is told that Ceramix is "inspecting Professor Berlix's school for modern languages": a play on Maximilian Berlitz and his International Language Schools.
• In the scene in which an amusement park is set up, one ride is called the 'Slavic Mountain'. This is a pun on the French name for roller coaster, "Russian mountain". A book store called "W. H. Smix" can be seen in the same scene, which is a pun on the chain W. H. Smith. In the same panel is a tent with a sign: "Menagerix — See The Fabulous Animals"; and a billboard outside of this tent has a picture of the Marsupilami, a famous Belgian comics character.
• Where Psychoanalytix's nurse introduces the conditions of his patients to Asterix and Obelix, one appears to believe he is Napoléon Bonaparte, which mystifies everyone as the story is set in 50 BC.
• In this album Vitalstatistix's (as yet unnamed) wife appears for the first time, fussing over him when he is preparing to meet Cassius Ceramix.
• The "menhiring" subplot was reintroduced three decades later in Asterix and the Actress.
• Captain Redbeard and his crew of pirates do not appear.
• Two chiefs locked in single combat where the winner gains control of both sides' domain and subjects displayed by Vitalstatistix and Cassius Ceramix is shown again in Asterix and the Great Divide but this time by Cleverdix and Majestix.

Film adaptation

An animated film bearing the comic's title was released in 1989. However, the plot is in fact closer to Asterix and the Soothsayer; only the subplot involving Getafix's amnesia is retained from the Big Fight.

A new adaptation is set to release on Netflix in 2025.

Reception

On Goodreads, it has a score of 4.14 out of 5.

External links

• Official website
• On archive.org