BHOC: IRON MAN #126

Quietly and without fanfare, IRON MAN had become one of the most reliably entertaining comics in the Marvel line. This was all down to the efforts of the creative team, writer David Michelinie, penciler John Romita Jr., and inker and co-plotter Bob Layton. It was also a reflection of the changing times; Micheline and Layton tapped into the growing zeitgeist of the approaching 1980s, the “Me decade” in which greed was declared to be good. In that environment, it was easier for readers to embrace the wealthy and hedonistic Tony Stark as an aspirational figure. The team also upgraded Stark’s world, pushing it further in the direction of a 007 movie, with larger-than-life corporate villains and plenty of espionage and intrigue atop the super heroics. Perhaps more centrally, they immediately began showcasing their lead character as a powerhouse, as unstoppable as his descriptor “invincible’ had previously only implied. Up to this point, most creators had spotlighted the vulnerability of Tony Stark, with his weak heart and dependency on gadgetry to get things done. These creators instead emphasized Tony’s intelligence and can-do spirit–in particular in this multi-part storyline.

As we saw last issue, Iron Man’s armor had been impounded by the authorities after a deliberate outside influence had caused its repulsor rays to fire during a photo-op, killing the ambassador of Carnelia and framing the Armored Avenger for the crime. On his own, Tony Stark trained up on self-defense with Captain America, and then he and his buddy pilot Jim Rhodes set out to track down the culprit responsible for compromising his Iron man armor. So the book had suddenly veered into being akin to one of the buddy comedy cop movies that proliferated the 1980s, which was pretty fun. At the close of last issue, having come close to locating the party responsible, Stark and Rhodes were overwhelmed by the mercenary squad employed by the mysterious “Hammer”. As this issue open, we learn that Rhodey has been left behind, while Hammer’s men have made off with Tony Stark himself.

And in fact, the issue kills three pages on an extended recap of the events of prior issues that have brought the story to this point. I don’t know that eating up so much territory was warranted–possibly the creators felt like new readers were jumping aboard mid-stream and wanted to give them a fighting chance of understanding what was going on–but it did allow for some visuals of Iron man in action in an issue that was otherwise almost entirely focused on Tony Stark unarmored. When we do cut back to Tony, he’s been ushered into the office of Justin Hammer, the architect of his recent troubles, who introduces himself as Stark’s secret competitor. Hammer has corporate holdings all over the world, and little concern for international law. Hammer shows off his operation to the captive Stark, admitting that his massive computer systems were able to override Iron Man’s control systems on multiple occasions. The death of the Carnelian ambassador has allowed Hammer’s holdings to take possession of an important development contract in Carnelia that was meant to go to Stark International.

Hammer’s goon squad also relieve Stark of his locked briefcase, in which he’s been carrying his spare suit of Iron Man armor. So far, they haven’t been able to override the locking mechanism and gain access to the contents of the case, but it’s only a matter of time. At an opportune moment, using the self-defense techniques that Captain America schooled him in, Stark breaks a guard’s clavicle and makes a run for the outskirts of Hammer’s compound, in tending to lose himself in the woods beyond. But climbing the retaining wall, Tony is stunned to learn that the compound isn’t on dry land at all. Rather, it’s an enormous ship, practically a floating island, and far removed from any nearby land. There isn’t anywhere that he can escape to.

After a brief interlude with love interest Bethany Cabe, we return to Tony, who’s been imprisoned in a high class cell. He’s suffering what we’ll come to know in a few short issues as an alcoholic’s cravings, but his guard tells him that he’s not permitted any booze–that Hammer wants him sobered up. Tony has been provided with a pitcher of water to quench his thirst, though–and he uses it to put together a makeshift trap using a broken table lamp. Luring his guard into the room, Tony electrocutes him with current carried through the water and makes a break for it again.

Stark makes his way back to the room containing the computer system that compromised his armor’s control, which also happens to be where his briefcase is being kept. Using some basic 007-style gadgetry and his own courage and fighting spirit, Tony breaks into the room and dispatches the couple of guards and scientists stationed there. Then he blows up the computer. In the meantime, we also learn that Hammer has been financing the activities of any number of super-villains, providing them with tech support and infrastructure in exchange for a share of their take. So there’s a small army of super-villains on the island base, all of whom Hammer sends to check out the source of the computer explosion along with his own security force. Tony Stark is clearly outnumbered and outguned.

Which leads us into this great final moment of the issue. Tony’s taken the opportunity to don his spare set of armor, and when Hammer and his army of thugs and villains arrive at the lab, Iron Man dramatically explains that he’s already gotten Stark to safety and destroyed Hammer’s ability to compromise his technology. And now he’s going to beat the ever-lovin’ crap out of every last one of the bad guys Hammer has brought with him, before finally turning his attention to Hammer himself. It’s a dramatic declaration, and one that Shell-head will make good on in the next issue. But even here, the sense of confidence with which this moment is delivered sends a very clear signal: this isn’t the Iron Man who would often run out of power or be stricken with heart palpitations in the midst of a conflict. This is a very different, much more kick-ass Iron Man, who is more than a match for anything the world can throw up against him. The stand-off here was undeniably cool and made readers salivate for the payoff next month. Romita and Layton are in perfect synch here visually as well, and Iron Man had rarely looked this sleek and metallic and just plain cool.