Featuring: Iron Man
Release: January 10, 1967
Cover: April 1967
12 cents
Stan Lee and Gene Colan
Inked by: Fearless Frank Giacoia
Lettered by: Adorable Artie Simek
12 pages
| Previous | #655 | Next |
|---|---|---|
| PRELUDE | Sub-Mariner #35 | |
| Tales of Suspense #87, Story B | Reading order | Tales to Astonish #90 |
| Tales of Suspense #87, Story B | Tales of Suspense | Tales of Suspense #88, Story B |
They must never reach the surface!
Stark had his factory evacuated for his experiments, so fortunately nobody else was inside when Mole Man sank it beneath the ground. Except maybe some unconscious Commie spies we seem to have forgotten about. And it turns out Pepper had snuck back in because she was worried about Tony.
“You little fool!” says Iron Man. “I’ve now got a female’s safety to worry about!”
“At least your make-up isn’t smudged!” he adds reassuringly.
Pepper seems unconcerned that she doesn’t find Tony, the one person she expected to be inside. Iron Man assures her Tony is safe.
Iron Man fights a dragon. That’s cool.
Oh. It’s a mechanical creature meant to look like a dragon. Less cool. We know Mole Man has all kinds of real underground monsters at his command.
“The Mole Man is one of the most dangerous beings of all!” No, Iron Man, he really isn’t.
In the end, Stark’s factory is destroyed. But he can afford to rebuild.
This is the end of this arc. The Captain America story at the end of this comic begins a new arc. So we will pause here, and check in on Namor and the Hulk before returning to Captain America.
First, I’d actually like to go back to the 1950s to meet Namor’s nemesis Byrrah.
Actually, first let’s take a peek at this month’s bulletin.
Mostly random office gossip and some bragging about the success of their TV shows. The most interesting item to me is the welcoming of Johnny Verpoorten to the team as an “art associate”. We’ll be seeing him doing some inking work soon, I think.
Rating: ★★☆☆☆, 39/100
Significance: ★★★☆☆
Characters:
- Pepper Potts
- Iron Man
- Mole Man
Story notes:
- Mole Man’s army is in the millions; virtually brainless, blindly obedient.
- Mole Man intends to take possession of the surface world.
- Pentagon will send troops down, but Iron Man wants to stop them, as they’d have no chance against the Mole Man. Iron Man sends message to not engage.
- Pepper captured by Subterraneans.
- First two buildings captured by accident, so Mole Man returned them. The goal was Stark factories to get the Earth-digger.
- Earth-digger not perfected, so Mole Man sets off an explosion trying to use it. Stark’s factory is destroyed, but he can afford to rebuild.
- For some reason, Iron Man decides not to mention Mole Man to authorities, and blame the whole thing on his own failed experiments.
| Previous | #655 | Next |
|---|---|---|
| PRELUDE | Sub-Mariner #35 | |
| Tales of Suspense #87, Story B | Reading order | Tales to Astonish #90 |
| Tales of Suspense #87, Story B | Tales of Suspense | Tales of Suspense #88, Story B |
