Opportune happy snap, or marketing gone mad? You, reader, be the judge. The large green man on the left is Master Chief. The short, old man on the right? Less popular. He's Australian Prime Minister John Howard, looking decidedly undersized (and a little apprehensive) stacked next to humankind's saviour.

The pics were taken at a youth centre in Epping, Sydney, where the PM had just donated a 360 bundle to the kids there. Then proceeded to hog the controller all night as he whupped them on Halo 3, calling one unfortunate 11 year-old a "cockface" before being led away by concerned minders.