Prelude[]
"Legend of Zelda vs Marvel"! Which humble hero and protector of the people will come out on top? Will the Triforce of Courage overpower Peter? Or is Link outmatched by the Web Crawler?
Description[]
"Link vs Spider-Man" is a What If Death Battle created by LukeTime128. It is his eighth What If Death Battle. It features Link from the "Legend of Zelda" series of video games, specifically Link to the Past and Link's Awakening, and Spider-Man from Marvel comics.
Disclaimer[]
The Link analysed in this battle is the Link from a Link to the Past and Link's Awakening, so therefore feats will be from this game alone. Though it is unclear if the Link from Oracle of Ages and Oracle of Seasons is the same Link, for the sake of argument, these Links will be excluded from this match-up.
Spider-Man is a standard comic book version, the most recognisable version, with other feats only considered provided that they do not stray too far from what is canon to the comics.
Introduction[]
Wiz: Chosen by destiny, these young, humble heroes don't let the threat of death stop them from doing what's right. Protecting the innocent, and defeating the malicious menaces that terrorise them on a daily basis.
Boomstick: They may inspire us to to great things, but we're just gonna make 'em kill each other. This one's gonna be good!
Wiz: Link, the multi-incarnate Hero of Legend.
Boomstick: And Spider-Man, the friendly neighbourhood teenage superhero. He's Wiz and I'm Boomstick.
Wiz: And it's our job to analyse their weapons, armour and skills to find out who would win a Death Battle.
Link[]
Link wakes up in the Shrine of Resurrection as a soft piano cover of the Zelda theme accompanies the scene.
Wiz: When the three goddesses, Din, Nayru, and Farore created the Zelda world, so was the Triforce, the magical relic that represents the sacred balance of the world. Composed of the magical elements of Power, Wisdom and Courage, the Triforce was forever bound to the fate of the land.
Boomstick: So when the evil king Demise threatened it all, the Triforce stepped in. Freaking glory hog...
Wiz: The three pieces of the Triforce would be forever bound to the fates of the three major figures of the ensuing conflict. The Triforce of Power was taken by Demise's reincarnation, Ganon, the King of Evil. The Triforce of Wisdom went to Princess Zelda, the reincarnation of the Goddess Hylia, the goddess tasked with protecting the realm of Hyrule.
Boomstick: And the Triforce of Courage went to the green wearing fairy boy with the cool sword - Link, the Hero of Hyrule. While Link's backstory changes ever so slightly from game to game, he's usually a young man of humble beginnings. A farmer or a young knight, for instance. But every time, he's the one who's got to save the world from a giant demon king. Because destiny's a bitch.
Wiz: After his uncle was killed trying to save the realm from the evil sorcerer, Agahnim, Link's heroic destiny was kick-started, and he set off to save the Princess Zelda from Agahnim's grasp. And while Boomstick may be right to some degree, Link's destiny comes with an few unique perks to aid him on his quest.
Boomstick: Like a sweet sword! The Master Sword is an icon for a reason. It's indestructible and can cut through basically anything, and when Link's at full health, it even shoots lasers! Not sure how taking a hit effects its power, but sure, whatever. And as if that wasn't crazy enough, Link can upgrade the Master Sword to the Golden Sword, granting him even more power than usual. But it's not like Link only needs a sword to save the kingdom. He's got more gear than anyone could possibly need! Well, I don't know about that one, chief...
Note: This Link is trained in mny standard Master Sword techniques, like the Spin Attack, Dash Attack, and Sword Beam accuracy. He's also shown proficiency in hand-to-hand combat.
Wiz: Link's weapon skills don't just translate to swordplay. He's an excellent archer, and wields Silver Arrows alongside regular ones. These holy arrows are some of Link's strongest, capable of one-shotting most demonic enemies. Even with the Golden Sword's evil sealing magic, only the Silver Arrows could defeat a full Triforce-wielding Ganon, a testament to their awesome might.
Boomstick: But who needs arrows when you can blow stuff up? Aside from regular old bombs that can blow up weakened stone walls, Link carries Super Bombs, strong enough to rip apart even the toughest of walls. And while Link doesn't normally use them for combat... yeah, I think they'd be pretty good at blowing people up.
Wiz: Link carries a magically-enhanced Boomerang to stun enemies, fire a Hookshot to grapple onto objects and swing around, and crush opponents with his Magic Hammer. These tools are more commonly used for exploration, with Link relying on the Golden Sword for combat. Despite this, Link is an excellent puzzle solver, and is more than smart enough to creatively use his tools to gain the upper hand in a fight.
Boomstick: And we haven't even scratched the surface yet! Link isn't just a fighter, he's a magician! Thanks to the Fire and Ice rods, Link can shoot fireballs or freeze enemies with ease! And while Link's bombs are awesome, thanks to the Bombos Medallion he can blow up basically everything on-screen without them! Wait, then why does he need bombs in the first place?
Wiz: That's the weird part? Not the Magic Powder that can transmutate enemies into slime?
Boomstick: ...Good point. That just gives me shivers... imagine waking up one day and realising you got turned into jelly...
Wiz: Well, since we brought up medallions, the Ether Medallion can summon a giant bolt of lightning that can fry anything in sight and freeze any survivors... somehow. And the Quake Medallion summons and earthquake, moving the earth to defeat foes on the ground.
Boomstick: ...Oh sorry, Wiz. I'm still caught up on the jelly thing...
Wiz: (groans) Whatever. Thanks to the Cane of Somaria, Link can create blocks to obstruct enemies, and the Cane of Byrna creates an indestructible forcefield that destroys objects on contact.
Boomstick: Whoa! Sounds broken! Shame that all these powers run off a limited magic supply, though, so Link has to make every attack count. Luckily though, Link carries some magic medicine to heal himself and restore magic. But unsurprisingly, this also comes in limited supply.
Wiz: But Link's equipment isn't offence-only. With the Mirror Shield, he can reflect most projectiles. With the Red and Blue Mail, he reduces damage taken by 75%. With the Titan's Mitt and Power Bracelet, he can lift incredibly heavy objects. And with the Pegasus shoes and attached Roc's Feather, he can dash at super speeds and leap high into the air.
Note: The Hero of Legend doesn't have any particular strength or speed feats without his equipment. It is reasonable to scale him to previous Links however, who have been empowered by the Triforce of Courage, though his physical strength is not outstanding without the Titan's Mitt, which can lift objects in the tens or even hundreds of tonnes, and boulders which are likely heavier.
Boomstick: And then there's my favourite: the Magic Cape, which makes him completely immune to all damage and also makes him invisible... with enough magic power to keep the thing going.
Wiz: With all these tools and powers, this Link is one of the series' strongest. He's resisted existential erasing from the Wind Fish, defeated a Triforce-empowered Ganon, and is considered one of the most experienced and powerful Links of all. He can evade laser projectiles and lift enormous boulders weighing in the thousands of tonnes with the Titan's Mitt.
Boomstick: Hell, this Link can match Ganon in raw strength! For the record, in his weaker Bat form, Ganon could smash through the Pyramid of Power's walls with total ease! You know the Super Bombs Link has? Those are the only other objects that can break these walls, and even then there needed to be a weakness in the wall for it to collapse. And Ganon just busted clean through it!
Wiz: Link has also battled the Wind Fish's Shadow Nightmare. This Nightmare could subdue and restrain the Wind Fish, who's power sustains the existence of Koholint Island. Which is... you know... an entire island
Boomstick: Damn! So long as he keeps his equipment under control, this Link is practically unstoppable. Could this be the strongest Link we've ever seen?
Wiz: Probably. But none of these compare to Link's ultimate power - his unstoppable courage and desire to help those in need. Link has saved countless lives over the years, and he will stop at nothing to ensure the safety of the people.
Link pulls the Master Sword out of the pedestal in the Lost Woods, thrusting the blade into the air.
Spider-Man[]
Spider-Man swings from the New York rooftops as a rock remix of the original Spider-Man theme plays.
Wiz: High school student Peter Parker was a fairly modest and quiet boy, studying science while living with his aunt and uncle following his parents' death. Living in New York City, Peter excelled at school, though social life was another story
A kid trips Peter up as he's walking down a bus, causing him to fall on his stomach.
Boomstick: Hehe, take that, nerd. But anyway, Peter wouldn't be a total loser for long. After a visit to public nuclear science exhibition, Peter was bitten by a radioactive spider. Though he wasn't bothered at first, after dodging a speeding car, Peter noticed his experience had given him superhuman attributes.
Note: It has been suggested in-story that Peters powers weren't a result of the spider's bite, but these have also been debunked in-story, with Peter himself stating that though both are possible, he doesn't believe that these theories are necessarily true.
Wiz: Though Peter was quick to gain fame from his new powers, Peter's life was changed even further when he failed to stop a robbery, believing that it wasn't his responsibility. As a result, his Uncle Ben was killed due to his negligence, forcing Peter to undergo a change of perspective. He decided that thanks to his newfound powers, it was his duty to use them to protect the innocent as a superhero.
Boomstick: Though the world would mock Peter Parker, the timid teenager, it would marvel at the might and heroic virtue... of Spider-Man!
Wiz: Thanks to his radioactive powers, Spider-Man has an extremely powerful physical form. He can easily swing a 3-ton wrecking ball or lift a giant truck. He's even strong enough to knock a T-Rex out cold with a single punch. He's also an excellent martial artist, developing his own Way of the Spider style to counter most traditional martial arts and make the most of his abilities.
Boomstick: That's so metal! And he's just as fast too, able to easily outrun cars and move faster than the eye can track. But his main deal is his reaction speeds, all magnified to infinity and back by his awesome Spider-Sense.
Wiz: The Spider-Sense acts as a precognition ability that alerts Peter to immediate dangers. As its name implies, the Spider-Sense is actually an additional nervous sense within the body, linked to Peter's natural kinesthetics. As a result, so long as a threat is detected, Peter can dodge basically anything, unless he deliberately overrides his own senses.
Boomstick: And since Peter's super speedy reflexes are supposedly forty times greater than a normal human's, he's not exactly easy to hit. Hell, he can dodge freaking lightning!
Wiz: His radioactive biology also gives him access to superhuman durability, enough to tank a point-blank missile strike, excellent agility, and an enhanced immune system. But Peter doesn't rely exclusively on physical prowess to overpower his villainous foes.
Boomstick: As a Spider-Man, Peter used his super brainy science skills to make himself some spider silk to shoot down the bad guys! And that stuff's crazy - it's just as tough as steel! Well, on paper. Even The Thing struggles to break out, and it can restrain The Hulk!
Wiz: Spider-Man's suit is also a product of his excellent engineering, providing light armour, holding a Batman-style utility belt and allowing use of one of his extra powers - climbing up walls. Though the suit does not protect particularly well against bullets or stabbing weapons, his powers have also granted him a slight healing factor that enables him to survive serious wounds.
Note: Spider-Man has created other suits for extreme situations, but cannot summon or call on them in the heat of battle. Even so, many of them do not enhance his abilities much more than the standard suit does, with few exceptions.
Boomstick: Spidey carries all sorts of helpful equipment with him for beating crime, like UV scanners, but also has extra clips of webbing, trackers, and radars. He's used tools that melt metals and freeze water, too. Peter likes to be prepared for any situation, and with his super smarts, he can come up with a plan to take down just about anyone.
Wiz: But even with his excellent equipment and marvellous powers, Spider-Man's greatest power is his nigh-unstoppable willpower. He will fight until he drops, be it death or exhaustion, and will never turn and run. His personal moral code motivates him to overcome absurd odds and accomplish feats of incredible potency.
Boomstick: With his heroic integrity, Peter has joined multiple superhero teams, like the Avengers and the Fantastic Four...five... whatever. But hey, why wouldn't they want him? Spider-Man can overpower Rhino, stop a jet plane from landing, and lift large amounts of debris at his absolute limit. Considering Spider-Man's statement of the debris being equal to a locomotive in weight, and considering the time period of the comic's plot, he must be lifting around 160 tons!
Wiz: He can also evade lightning, keep up with Captain Marvel's movement speed (though the situation makes this scenario a little dubious) and can consistently move at mach speeds. He can survive attacks from the likes of Venom and Carnage, the former of whom can lift 200 tonnes in a weakened state and the latter of whom can effortlessly rip through the human body.
Boomstick: Are we sure he's just got spider powers? It feels like there's some secret Superman powers hidden in there somewhere. How would that work, did he get bitten by a crazy rabies-infected Superman or...?
Wiz: Well, Spider-Man's power is not unstoppable. Even after joining the Avengers, he usually doesn't get to do a lot of heavy-lifting against galactic threats, especially not without his other armours. While his willpower allowed him to resist extremely powerful mental attacks, he still has his limits, and his tendency to push himself beyond them can land him in serious trouble.
Boomstick: If his Spider-Sense gets overwhelmed, he can't really do a whole lot, and he's weak to anti-spider Ethyl Chloride sprays for... I'm sure a very good reason.
Wiz: Spider-Man still doesn't let his weaknesses get him down. His witty mid-fight banter may make it seem as though he's not taking things seriously, but to Peter Parker, nothing is more important than his responsibility to protect the innocent. And he's certainly got the great power to do so.
Spider-Man: People see me and think they're safer. But it's not really me they're seeing. Probably for the best - knowing everything hinges on a guy from Queens sounds as scary as it feels. No pressure, right?
Pre-Fight[]
Wiz: All right, the combatants are set and we've run the data through all possibilities.
Boomstick: It's time for a DEATH BAAAAATTLE!!
Fight![]
The rushing traffic of New York City as the Christmas deadline approached created a new kind of chaos for Spider-Man to deal with. Loud horns of cars and vans that were trying to work their way through the cut-throat traffic played an orchestrated anthem that rang through the skyscrapers that Parker swung from. Peter scoffed at the impatience of the common man - if they hasd any idea how his Christmas was shaping up.
Spider-Man: Geez, can't these guys just take a break? I just had to try and find Aunt May a gift and now people are picking fights in restaurants? Come on, man...
Spider-Man swung toward his destination. It's not like he could walk away or anything - more crime has been starting up over the last couple of days and gangs are fighting for dominance all over Brooklyn. Peter couldn't help but be suspicious of even the smallest crimes. Last time he stopped an arms trade, he found people smuggling laser cannons and demonic swords and he wasn't letting anything like that get near the citizens of New York. It was his duty, after all. His responsibility.
Peter swung onto a nearby radio tower overlooking the penthouse restaurant and scanned the area, but what he saw was not what his Spider-Radar had reported. He saw several standard gunmen, all equipped with rifles, all bearing the mark of Kingpin's gang. All dead.
The only exception was a young man in green, who stood in the centre of the bodies. Wielding a sword that Peter didn't recognise, but also didn't look like anything from this world. It radiated with a cyan light, as its wielder turned to notice Peter across the gap between the skyscrapers.
Spider-Man: Hey, did you do this? What did they ever do to you?
Link was undeterred by his foe's bizarre appearance. This world made no sense to him, but it was clearly far from Hyrule. He awoke to find himself in the vicinity of these people pointing their strange weapons at him, and he was forced to kill them. And by the looks of things, his fight was far from over.
Spider-Man: What's up with the whole Peter Pan get-up? Is this the standard for bad guys now? Eh, I've seen worse.
Peter looked at his opponent's face, who simply glared at him with a serious expression, not reacting to his quips.
Spider-Man: Ah whatever, I'm more of an Aladdin guy.
Spider-Man wasted no time in getting the drop on his opponent. Literally; leaping high into the air over Link and aiming his Web Shooters. Neither had any idea what they were getting themselves into, but they saw no other way...
Fight!
Peter's first shot struck Link's shield and the friendly neighbourhood Spider-Man tried to pull backward to disarm his foe of their defence. However, Link saw the move coming and pulled first, and harder, slamming Peter face-first into the ground. Spider-Man's Spider-Sense alerted him to Link's next attack, leaping upward and trying to thrust his sword through his opponent's back.
Spider-Man barely rolled out of the way of the strike as the Master Sword plunged into the ground, the floor cracking around the impact. As Link withdrew the blade of evil's bane, Spider-Man closed the distance and punched Link across the face, staggering him. Peter capitalised on the opportunity, striking Link with several punches and launching him into the air with an uppercut. More webs were shot, grappling Link's legs as Spider-Man continued his assault in the air, landing a kick to the stomach before spinning the Hero of Legend around his body and slamming him into the ground. Link struggled to recover as Spider-Man landed in front of him.
Spider-Man: This is your last chance kid! Give up!
The Spider-Sense captured Link's retaliation to this offer, as Spider-Man flipped over the Magical Boomerang that was tossed his way. However, being suspended in the air meant he was open to Link's follow up - being smashed back into the ground with the Magic Hammer. Peter fired more webs from his arms, entangling Link's legs again, and then grabbing another table with his webs, tossing it toward the Hero of Legend, who was unable to dodge as he was knocked flying across the floor.
Spider-Man jumped onto a stone column to gain a height advantage, as Link switched weapons to accommodate his foe's new strategy, pulling out the Hero's Bow and preparing an arrow.
Spider-Man: Oh hey, it's Robin Hood! Say hi to the Sheriff for me!
Dodging Link's first arrow was nothing to Spider-Man, easily flipping over the projectile and trying to land a kick on Link's head, only to be shot in the shoulder bu another arrow. Peter powered through the pain and his attack was able to stun Link, allowing the Web-Head to grab Link by the tunic and toss him through the air. Using his webs to throw a nearby lamp, Spider-Man's attacks added to Link's momentum, throwing him off of the building.
Link had to think fast, and that he did; using the Hookshot to grab onto the opposing building to slow his descent to the ground. He was luckily able to keep hold of his bow, but given his foe's speed, he doubted it would be of much help.
Spider-Man: Hey, no fair! That's my thing!
Peter leapt off of the building after Link, gliding down to intercept his descent. Link saw his opponent's attack and threw his Magical Boomerang again to halt it. The plan was successful, as the boomerang struck Peter in the chest before he could dodge, stunning him and causing him to fall down onto the hard alleyway floor below, as Link releases the Hookshot and lands more gracefully on the ground.
Spider-Man was shaken from the impact - both from the floor and the boomerang - but he knew he had to move now, as Link pulled out the Cane of Somaria. The Spider-Sense alerted Peter, as he was barely able to roll to the left as a giant block landed where he once was. As Link went to summon another block, Spider-Man took advantage of his opponent's strategy, lifting up the giant block.
Spider-Man: Hey buddy! You dropped this!
Tossing the enormous magic block onto his foe, Peter was confident in his victory, only for the block not to actually touch the floor, as Link held up the giant block with his Power Bracelets. Placing the block in front of him, Link used the Roc's Feather to jump over the block, hurling a Bomb at the Web-Head.
But the Spider-Sense wouldn't allow it, as another web shot caught the bomb and tossed it back at Link. The Hero of Legend was launched into the air, but wasted no time in pulling out the Fire Rod to try and incinerate Spider-Man. Fireballs were launched from Link's new weapon as the Hookshot was used to swing along the alleyway.
Spider-Man pulled a manhole cover from the floor with his webs and used it to block the fireballs, paying attention to Link's movements and waiting until he reached the peak of his swing. When the moment came, Peter threw the manhole cover and destroyed the Hookshot's chain.As Link fell, Peter closed the distance and kicked Link in the back and launched him into the busy street.
Link was hit by a speeding car and rolled along the floor, badly hurt. Before he could use any more of his weapons, however, he was entangled with tens of webs, encasing him in a giant ball of web fluid that was stringer than steel. Even with his immense strength, Link was immobilised.
The New York traffic started panicking and trying to flee the scene of the fight, fearing for their lives, as Spider-Man prepared to finish his immobilised foe. But Link wasn't going to give up yet, as he struggled and writhed around in his web prison.
Spider-Man: It's over. I won't let you get away!
Spider-Man shot out some more webs from his arms, preparing to throw Link once more. But before they hit, Spider-Man's Spider-Sense alerted him to a threat he definitely didn't expect. The ground shook, as Link's escape plan kicked in, the Quake Medallion glowing beneath the mound of webs.
The concrete ground of New York ruptured, blocking Peter's attack and destroying the floor around him. Though the Web Crawler was able to climg out of the chasm before he could be dropped into it, he couldn't keep track of Link with the moving floor. Instead, Peter turned his attention to the remaining cars, realising that the earthquake was putting all of their lives in danger. The moving earth dropped some rubble on the cars and swallowed some pedestrians beneath it, as Peter stared in horror, unable to do anything to save them with the sheer power of the earthquake, until the quake stopped, and the quiet street haunted him.
Finding Link in the ruin of the street was easy enough - a cyan beam struck from the heavens, and Link absorbed the power of the Triforce into the Master Sword. The blade was glowing with a golden, holy light as it became the Golden Sword. Link glared at his foe, who, beneath the mask, glared back.
Spider-Man: You... You did this! These people... their blood is on your hands!
Spider-Man dashed through the ruined street, trying to punch Link again, only for the Hero of Legend to charge and unleash a Spin Attack. Peter dodged the attack, back-flipping away and lifting a giant block of concrete debris, using all of his strength to hurl the block at Link. Stopping his Spin Attack, Link equipped the Bombos Medallion, channelling his magic power into a giant explosion that pulverised the giant block.
Peter grew desperate, using his webs to try and disarm an approaching Link of the Golden Sword, only for the blade of evil's bane to cut right through them. Realising that range wouldn't help him, Peter tried to shoot more webs from his arms, only to realise he's run put of fluid. Pulling out more canisters from his utility belt and reloading, the Spider-Sense alerted him to Link's attack, dashing toward him with the Pegasus Boots, with Spider-Man barely dodging a sword thrust.
Peter grabbed the blade by the hilt and tossed it away, using the surprise factor to overwhelm Link. His foe disarmed, Spider-Man's rage took over, as he began pummelling the Hero of Legend into the ground. The first three blows landed, but Lin k blocked the rest by quickly drawing the Mirror Shield. But the Web Crawler didn't stop there, using his webs to entangle the shield and pulling it away.
Link couldn't react to the next few headshots Spider-Man landed, each punch sending agony through his skull. Link caught Peter's arm with his own, only to find himself covered in webs again. Spider-Man was determined to end the fight now, hurling the web-covered Link into the air once more.
More webs connected the ball Link was held in, attaching his immobile body to several skyscrapers. Peter unleashed a Maximum Spider-style series of blows, striking Link with his arms and legs as he leapt from building to building, screaming in fury. Link desperately tried to escape the webs, but was unable to do so as Spider-Man's strikes sent agony throughout his body.
The Web-head ended his combo by launching himself high above Link, preparing to stomp down on his trapped opponent and end the fight, using all that remained of his strength to kill Link.
His bloodlust and anger were so great, he ended up ignoring the Spider-Sense's activation.
Peter's final blow was interrupted by a blast of lightning, striking him in the back and launching him off-course for the final blow. The lightning from the Ether Medallion surged into the Golden Sword, disintegrating the webs. The Web Crawler hit the floor hard, part of his suit had been badly damaged from the lightning blast. This attack was far stronger than anything Electro had ever managed to hit hi with, and Peter realised his power was far outmatched by his opponent's. Lying in agony on the floor, Peter looked around at the wreckage - he had failed his duty to protect the innocent, unable to fulfil his promise.
Spider-Man: Sorry...Ben...
Peter's body was i too much pain to move, even with the Spider-Sense trying to force his body out of the way of Link's attack. The Ice Rod froze over Peter's body as his eyes closed beneath the suit, accepting his fate. With the strength of his Power Bracelets, Link threw a Super Bomb next to his frozen opponent. The battle had been hard, and he regretted having to put innocent people's lives at stake but this was a battle for the fate of Hyrule. And he had won.
Turning away from the bomb, Link spun the Golden Sword in his hands, before sheathing it behind him, walking away as the Super Bomb detonated behind him.
K.O.
Link left the scene, but had no idea how to get back to Hyrule. Where was he, anyway? Last thing he remembered, there were tons of dark creatures with yellow, glowing eyes running rampant in Hyrule, and a volcanic eruption at Death Mountain, before he was magically transported here. Link used the Triforce of Courage, trying to ask the goddesses for help to take him back to Hyrule.
Analysis[]
Boomstick: Awh... that was nice... so much explosion...
Wiz: Peter put up a valiant effort, and certainly held multiple advantages in this fight. On paper, one could argue that he could render Link's arsenal useless via disarming him with his webs. With that in mind, this fight came down to the difference in brute force, and sadly for Spider-Man, Link had him outclassed.
Boomstick: Don't get us wrong, Spider-Man was certainly faster. With his super reactions and Spider-Sense, he's reacted to lightning and hypersonic projectiles before, and his sheer reaction speed alone could let him dodge a lot of Link's attacks, who's reaction speeds have never been shown reaching this level. But even then, he wasn't so fast that Link couldn't keep up and eventually score a fatal blow.
Wiz: Especially since Link's very versatile arsenal let him counter basically all of Peter's option. The Golden Sword's power was certainly capable of dealing fatal damage to the Web-head, and his medallions dealt far more damage than Spider-Man was going to be able to survive with little effort.
Boomstick: And the Power Bracelets were some of his most helpful tools, lifting giant objects weighing just as much or even more than the 160 tonnes that pushed Peter to his limit. Hell, Link's gone head-to-head with a Triforce-powered Ganon, and he's definitely stronger than Peter!
Wiz: This was the same Ganon as the one from Ocarina of Time, who could surpass and even defeat the Hero of Time. This Link could lift giant granite pillars weighing over 1000 tonnes. With this in mind, Peter was far outclassed in raw physical strength.
Note: Peter has strength feats that are inconsistent with his other feats, such as holding up the Daily Bugle. The panel doesn't present the scene in an easily measurable way, and it's unclear how much weight he actually lifted, or for how long. Since Spider-Man has been overpowered or struggled greatly with much weaker weights, this feat was excluded.
Wiz: And as far as durability was concerned, Link's armour was clearly superior. The armour provided from his rings alone would allow him to survive a lot of Peter's blows, but the indestructible Mirror Shield greatly limited Peter's options to bypass his defence.
Boomstick: But Spider-Man was super smart, and could easily find away around a lot of Link's tools and defences. Problem is, he'd have to not get hit by his weapons first. Even with the Spider-Sense, it's still up to Peter to assess and dodge the threat, since the nervous reaction isn't an automatic one. Less like blinking, more like realising that you just drank soda instead of beer. Freaking con artists...
Wiz: Even though Peter's webs have restrained the Hulk, they still weren't indestructible. And with Link's smarts and versatile arsenal, it wasn't long before he found some way out. On the other hand, it's not like Spider-Man had many reliable counters to Link's Quake or Ether Medallions, since even if he dodged or survived the initial blast, the aftershock was still a problem.
Boomstick: And that's not even mentioning the Cane of Myrna or the Magic Cape. Being invincible is a pretty easy way to win most fights, after all. Yeah, Peter was pretty smart, but there was no way he was countering weapons that literally have no counter. And even though his willpower would let him keep fighting until the end, all Link needed was one good sword swing to stop him.
Note: It is plausible that Spider-Man could stall Link until he ran out of magic power, but then Link could still create opportunities to recover it with potions. Not being able to use magic wouldn't change the outcome in any significant way, as Link still has a solid statistical advantage over Peter.
Wiz: Spider-Man's heroic resolve and superhuman might pushed Link to his limits, but the Hero of Legend equalled and surpassed him tenfold. Both are icons for a reason, and could overcome tremendous odds, but only Link has shown the power to literally slay the immortal.
Boomstick: Peter was a legend, but he got tangled up in his failure.
Wiz: The winner is Link.
Next Time Haiku[]
For Queen and country
Guns fire in search of glory
The name? You know it