Featuring: Iron Man
Release: July 8, 1965
Cover: October 1965
12 cents
Story: Scribbled and scrawled by: Stan Lee
Illustration: Doodled and dawdled by: Don Heck
Delineation: Battered and blotted by: Mickey Demeo
Lettering: Mumbled and jumbled by: Sam Rosen
12 pages
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| Tales of Suspense #69, Story B | Reading order | Tales of Suspense #70, Story B |
| Tales of Suspense #69, Story B | Tales of Suspense | Tales of Suspense #70, Story B |
That tone in her voice… I never heard it before!! It’s like she really cares! No matter what happens to me now… that makes it all worth it!
Here we go. Forget the space race. The real question is who can build the better fighting suit of armor. America of the Soviet Union. It’s on!
We get a recap that just samples panels from last issue.
Iron Man’s armor is more than capable of standing against Titanium Man’s onslaught. It’s Tony Stark’s heart that may be unable to take the strain.
Like in boxing, there are breaks between rounds. They get the first after 15 minutes.
Iron Man desperately needs a transistor stolen by the Countess. When he has to return to the fight, he asks Happy to get it.
Happy and Pepper were introduced 25 issues earlier, and the series has done essentially nothing worthwhile with them. Tony went from being a playboy dating socialites all over the world to pining over Pepper, his employee, while believing they can’t be together because he has heart problems, and people with medical conditions can’t have love. Happy loves Pepper, and she seems torn between him and Tony. They have spent the last 25 issues repeating this status quo.
This is Happy’s big moment. In an act of heroism, he runs on the battlefield, risking his life to get Iron Man the device he needs. He also seems to have finally figured out the true connection between Stark and Iron Man.
As Happy dies, he talks to Iron Man, knowing he’s Tony, and finally seems to realize that Pepper does love him after all.
Rating: ★★★☆☆, 57/100
Significance: ★★★☆☆
I read this story in Iron Man Omnibus vol. 1.
Characters:
- Iron Man/Tony Stark
- Titanium Man/Commissar Bullski
- Countess Stephanie de la Spirosa (Spiroza last issue)
- Pepper Potts
- Happy Hogan
- Senator Byrd
Story notes:
- Titanium Man’s arsenal used during fight: impulse rays, radar rings, power sapper beam, molecule scrambler ray.
- Titanium Man after propaganda victory.
- Iron Man’s left boot damaged by minefield.
- Countess steals transistor from Tony’s hotel lab.
- Iron Man needs his device, but realizes Stephanie stole it. He sends Happy to get it.
- Happy begins to suspect truth about Stark and Iron Man.
- Iron Man fires proton gun.
- Ray hits Happy.
| Previous | #406 | Next |
|---|---|---|
| Tales of Suspense #69, Story B | Reading order | Tales of Suspense #70, Story B |
| Tales of Suspense #69, Story B | Tales of Suspense | Tales of Suspense #70, Story B |
Don Heck might not have been great at designing aliens, but he was one of the best when it came to desgining femmes fatales.