Iron Man Run Part 7

If you don't understand Pepper Potts' relationship with Tony Stark and Happy Hogan, just stick around for ten minutes; it'll change. In the last set of stories, it looked like Pepper was firmly in Tony Stark's corner, but in Tales of Suspense #89, he saves both her and Happy from being killed by an overloaded crane and:



Where's the gratitude? At any rate, Stark realizes that Hogan has won this round and consoles himself with the international playboy routine for a few pages before the story really gets started. The Mysterious Melter (last seen in an Iron Man story in ToS #47) escapes from prison and captures Stark, ordering Tony to make a smaller version of his melting gun, which now can melt anything, including human flesh. When Tony's finished, the Melter turns the ray on him, but fortunately he survives because of the armored chestplate under his shirt.

Meanwhile the cops have arrived, so the Melter battles it out with them in the parking lot. Tony quickly changes into his original Iron Man suit, not wanting to risk taking the time to go back to his office and get the modern armor. At first this seems a crucial mistake, as his old armor just isn't quick and nimble enough to avoid the Melter's blasts. But Tony has sabotaged the gun and it quickly overloads, making it possible for the Melter to be taken into custody.

There is an amusing sidebit with Tony's many girlfriends getting in the way of the police:



The next issue is a one-off with The Crusher, a steroid-crazed freak from Cuba whom Iron Man blasts with a ray that makes him too heavy for the Earth's crust to support. (Why do I get the feeling he'll pop up in a Mole Man story?)

But the big news in this issue comes on the personal front:



In the following issue we get a brief mention of Tony's childhood:



The fact that he has a dissolute gambler as a cousin hinted that Tony came from money, but this is the closest we've come to getting any further details.

Iron Man is in Vietnam, and in the story he agrees to help out the US Army with a local villain:



The warning is that the guy's named Half-Face and considered the local equivalent of Tony Stark. But they should have told him that the weapon Half-Face is working on is one that Iron Man has faced before:



The new, improved Titanium Man proves too much for Iron Man and it is only by feigning death that he manages to survive long enough for Half-Face to send TM on a new mission. The US bombers are approaching legitimate military targets in North Vietnam, but Half-Face plans a propaganda coup for the commies:



Iron Man thinks, "For the sake of my country--I've got to stop him!" It's kind of interesting that he doesn't phrase it, "For the sake of those peaceful villagers--I've got to stop him!" I have to admit it feels strange to be criticizing a Marvel character for excessive patriotism; one would certainly rarely do that these days.

Anyway, as Iron Man and Titanium Man are battling, Half-Face is horrified to discover that the village he has ordered destroyed includes his wife and child. As Iron Man saves them, Half-Face decides to change sides and work against the communists in his country.

Comments: This was getting towards the end of the anti-communist stories; both DC and Marvel largely avoided mention of Vietnam as the battle over the war raged on the home front from 1968-1972. I was pleased to see a resolution finally of the Happy/Pepper/Tony love triangle. Senator Byrd also drops his demand that Stark reveal Iron Man's secrets during these issues as well, and we see a mysterious stranger gain entrance to Tony's factories in the final issue, a foreshadowing of a new long-running character in the series.

We are nearly to the end of the Tales of Suspense Iron Man stories; only five more issues to go!

Iron Man Run Part 6

We pick up again with Tales of Suspense #84. Tony Stark is set to tell all to a Senate committee, when we are suddenly reminded of what makes him different from other heroes; that he's secretly an invalid. After he collapses during his opening remarks:



Note again the layered characterization of Senator Byrd. He may at times be an antagonist in the plot, but he's not a villain. Overall I find him a much more nuanced and sophisticated version of J. Jonah Jameson.

Anyway, they open Stark's shirt and discover his metal chestplate (although, conveniently for the plot it's not the distinctive yellow and red armor of Iron Man). Still some reporters make the obvious connection and in the hospital later, Tony denies that he's Iron Man. He was all set to admit it, but after his heart attack he's changed his mind.

Pepper once again is all lovey-dovey:



Happy, having recovered from his amnesia, now remembers that Tony Stark is secretly Iron Man. When he learns that the media are reporting the rumors to that effect, he tries on one of Tony's Iron Man costumes to quell the talk. Although he performs somewhat ineptly, he is successful enough to fool the Mandarin, who transports him to China.

Tony must go after him, but after checking himself out of the hospital, we see him creating stronger armor. And we see that he appreciates Senator Byrd's trust in him:



I like the characterization there a lot. Iron Man then rides a rocket to China, and interrupts the Mandarin just as he is about to execute Happy. Iron Man and the Mandarin battle it out, and in the end, a missile that the latter had sent towards the USA is diverted by Iron Man to return to the Mandarin's castle, destroying it and with it the villain as well. Fortunately Happy has already been saved.

In Tales of Suspense #87, Iron Man faces one of Marvel's more ubiquitous villains of the 1960s, the Mole Man. Stark is working on a new earth-boring machine, but when several buildings disappear into the ground spontaneously, the public begins to mutter that perhaps he is behind it. But when his factory is sucked hundreds of fathoms underground, Iron Man discovers who's really responsible. Unfortunately Pepper was in the factory as well, which means that she's ready for hostage duty.

The Mole Man plans to use the earth-borer to launch the invasion of the surface world he's long planned (since FF #1, actually). But he doesn't realize that the machine has not yet been fully tested, and it explodes as Iron Man jets with Pepper out of the subterranean area.

Comments: A good set of stories with strong characterization; what's not to like? Well, for starters, the battle with the Mandarin only lasts a few pages. And there's still the annoyance of realizing that Pepper's returned affection for Tony Stark was never explained. But aside from those problems, this is another solid run of stories.

Iron Man Run Part 5

Picking back up again with Tales of Suspense #79, Tony Stark is wanted by the police for failing to appear before Senator Byrd's committee (because he was teleported to the Mandarin's palace instead). Now that he's back he's weak and needs a recharge, but neither Pepper nor Happy are at their homes. But in the meantime, Warlord Krang and Lady Dorma (who have lost their blue skin) appear in a nearby submarine.



Iron Man manages to drive them away, but ironically this enrages the Sub-Mariner, who had been trailing them but is unable to catch up with Warlord Krang's ship. So they have the obligatory Marvel hero fight:



Fortunately for Iron Man, Subby never read any of the Br'er Rabbit stories. Iron Man beats the Sub-Mariner for now, but the latter goes back to water to recharge his powers and:



Say what? A crossover into the Sub-Mariner feature in TTA? Arrgggghhh! Okay, I'm going to assume that they had some more battling to do but eventually kissed and made up.

In TOS #81, Tony is prepared to go to Washington to appear before Senator Byrd's committee and reveal his secret identity. Here's a reminder how much things have changed since 9-11:



I can remember showing up at airports with ten minutes to spare and still making the flight. Anyway, Tony decides to fly to Washington as Iron Man, rather than taking a plane. Meanwhile, in the Soviet Union, the communists have modified the Titanium Man's armor to make it stronger and more powerful. So TM decides to take this opportunity to attack Iron Man. He is sent to the US in a missile that arrives just as Iron Man reaches DC and:



The battle takes place in the next two issues. At first Titanium Man has the upper hand but when Pepper and Happy arrive in Washington, TM realizes that Pepper means something to him, and threatens her:



Well, that ticks Iron Man off royally and (after rescuing Pepper), he fights with renewed determination. Meanwhile, elsewhere, folks are watching on TV:



Reading from Left to Right, President Lyndon Baines Johnson and Secretary of Defense Robert S. McNamara. Oddball tidbit: McNamara's middle name was "Strange" (his mother's maiden name). Iron Man defeats the Titanium Man, who hopes to get away in a Soviet sub, but learns there is no room for second place among the commies:



Happy recovers his memory during the battle, but Pepper apparently loses hers:



Say what? Tony's absence during the first Titanium Man's battle with Iron Man was a big part of what turned Pepper off on him, and there's been no reconciliation since, but he misses the second battle and suddenly Pepper's all lovey-dovey towards him? What happened to her affection for Iron Man?

Comments: A solid series of issues with only a few missteps. I do wish that Stan had been more consistent with the Pepper/Tony relationship.

Next: Tony Stark testifies before Congress!

Iron Man Run, Part 3

The last post took us up through Tales of Suspense #64, so we'll pick up with #65. This is a battle between the old Iron Man and the new Iron Man, as a crook manages to steal Tony Stark's new armor, forcing him back into the old suit.

After another one-off against Sub-Mariner foe Attuma, Tony faces the former Count Nefaria, known now as the Dream-Maker, because he can project his enemies into dangerous nightmares, like this one:



His dreams can be deadly as well. So Iron Man faces a gantlet of many of his old foes, even Gargantus, the robot from outer space. In the next issue, Count Nefaria blackmails Tony's ne'er-do-well cousin Morgan into attempting to drive Stark mad with hallucinations, but Iron Man again saves the day.

ToS #69 begins a longer tale involving another communist version of Iron Man, this time called Titanium Man. His origin is very similar to the Crimson Dynamo; he's an aggressive communist who dreams of taking over the reins of the Soviet Union after defeating Iron Man. He issues a challenge for a battle in a neutral country, to be televised worldwide. Tony's initially reluctant as his heart's been giving him problems, but Senator Byrd puts pressure on his to accept the challenge.

One oddity; Tony agrees to go along to the foreign country, bringing Happy and Pepper with him. But this seems to be a boneheaded mistake as they of course spend a good deal of time while watching the battle remarking on how Tony's not around to see the main event.

Iron Man soon realizes that he needs more power to defeat the Titanium Man. There's a transistor back at his hotel room, where he quickly flees after the first round of the battle is over. Unfortunately, an old flame named the Countess has stolen it from him:



Iron Man tells Happy Hogan to track down the Countess and get back the transistor. He does so, but not before the battle begins again. Happy is not willing to wait for the round to end, so he ventures onto the battlefield and gets hit by a ricochet.



As you can see, he's also figured out that Tony Stark is Iron Man. With the extra transistor power he makes short work of Titanium Man. Meanwhile Happy is undergoing emergency surgery and (not surprising), Pepper's quite frosted that Tony is not there to maintain a vigil at his side (as he has to recharge after the battle).

This creates an oddball situation in that now Pepper respects Iron Man, but not Tony Stark, especially when he explains his absence:

Iron Man Run, Part II

My previous post on the Iron Man run in Tales of Suspense took us up to issue #49.

In #50, we get the first meeting of Iron Man with one of his principal enemies; the Mandarin. We also get the first look at the new Pepper:



And of course, at this point, Tony starts doing the classic Marvel, "If only I dared tell her that I love her," bit. Meh. At least Happy's reaction shows that he cares for the real Pepper. And as the series develops, Pepper gets less and less antagonistic towards Happy, and even begins dating him, although at first it seems mostly a ploy to try to make Tony jealous.

One other oddity of the series around then. It seems like anytime Stark had to go someplace, Pepper would ask if she could come along, but Tony would say no, then Happy would ask which car he should drive and Tony'd say, I'm driving. And yet, these two remained extremely loyal to Stark.

During a brief period where Iron Man is forced to keep his entire uniform on to prevent dying of a heart attack, Stark leaves orders that Iron Man is to be in charge during his absence. This leads to some weird scenes like this:



You don't see a superhero in full costume sitting behind a desk with his feet up very often. We also get quite a bit less of the Tony Stark, international playboy routine around then. It really never made much sense; how frisky can you get with a metal chestplate under your shirt?

The hit or miss quality to the villains continues. The Scarecrow, from ToS #51 is definitely a miss; he's a former "rubber man" in a sideshow who takes up crime with the aid of some trained crows. On the other hand, ToS#52 introduces the Black Widow, a long-running and terrific villainess who later became a heroine. The Unicorn makes his first appearance in #56, while Hawkeye debuts in #57.

We see continued indications that politicians in Washington are getting impatient with all the attacks going at Stark's defense industry plants. Indeed, Stark's facilities or weaponry are targeted in ToS #52, #53, #54, #55, #56, #57, #59, #60, #61 and #63. In #66, the political opposition gets a name:



Senator Byrd? Now as it happens, there was a Senator Byrd at the time the story was written, and he's still there (in fact he's the longest-serving senator in US history). Byrd first appeared in ToS #46 as an unnamed senator.

Overall, this is a strong era for the character, with some excellent villains and some interesting plots. Don Heck's artwork, while never of the quality of Marvel's two star artists (Kirby and Ditko) is capable; I particularly like this splash:

Iron Man Run

As I have mentioned in the past, I had a friend in high school who collected the Marvels, while I focused mostly on the DCs (except for Spiderman). However, we also did "temporary" swaps where he'd pick out twenty of my comics to read and I'd borrow a score of his.

So I did read a lot of the Iron Man and Tales of Suspense issues back then, and greatly enjoyed the character. But with incomplete runs I never really got a chance to read through a whole bunch of these. So today I thought I'd rectify that. Rather than do single issue reviews for these (at least for now), I just want to talk about general impressions.

Tales of Suspense #39-44. After an excellent start with the debut story, Iron Man wandered around in a daze for the next five issues. No continuing supporting characters were introduced, nor were any continuing villains. Iron Man battles a neanderthal robot from outer space. Iron Man battles a mad scientist named Dr Strange. Wrong Dr Strange. Iron Man battles the commies. Iron Man battles the Kala, Queen of the Netherworld (who never returned as far as I know in the Silver Age, although she did come back in the 1970s). Iron Man goes back in time and meets Cleopatra. Pretty humdrum stuff.

Tales of Suspense #45-49. Things pick up quite a bit here. We meet the major backup characters in #45; the alliteratively-named Happy Hogan and Pepper Potts. Hogan, a washed-up fighter, saves Tony Stark's life when he crashes his racecar. Happy, so-named because he never smiles, is immediately smitten with the boss' new secretary, but she's got her own dreams:



Now that's actually pretty different; making the love interest cute as a button but not drop-dead gorgeous makes Pepper more interesting, especially since we've seen the glamor dolls that playboy Tony has been dating. And Happy and Pepper settled in as the constantly squabbling backup duo, almost like the comic relief characters found in so many Golden Age series:



In #46, Stan finally found the right style of villain for Iron Man in the Crimson Dynamo. The following issue introduced the Melter, another important Silver Age villain. Stark began to hear complaints from the government due to constant sabotage by the communists; this creates the "guilty even if he's innocent" peril that Spiderman endured at the hands of J. Jonah Jameson and the Hulk due to General Ross. If there was one thing that Stan could do, it was to create long-term headaches for his major characters.

In Tales of Suspense #48, Steve Ditko redesigned the Iron Man uniform from a bulky, golden-colored armor to the reasonably tight-fitting red and gold outfit that we all know and love (although there were some changes yet to come). The actual manufacturing job is the usual gorgeous Ditko of the 1960s:



Here's the revised product:



The radio antenna didn't last long but aside from that Iron Man's costume is not far from finished.

In #49 we get more Ditko plus an X-Men crossover featuring the Angel:



The story is just okay. The Angel, while flying over one of Stark's plants, is turned evil by an explosive missile that was being tested. He and Iron Man battle it out but in the end the Angel's good nature overcomes his bad side. But the art is really a treat.

Overall comments: Stan struggled at first with most of his characters and Iron Man was no exception. One of the major differences between DC and Marvel at this point was that DC's characters were well-thought out and planned while Marvel's were more seat of the pants. But Stan was more willing to tinker with his heroes to improve them slightly. This is similar to the way the DC heroes of the Golden Age had developed and it results in more dynamic characters.

The five issues from 45-49 are really where the series starts to gather steam.