GHOST versus IRON MAN

Unholy Ghost! (Marvel)
Where: Iron Man #239 When: February 1989 Why: David Michelinie & Bob Layton How: Jackson Guice & Bob Layton

The Story So Far...
When elusive tech company Electronica Fabrizzi jumps at the first low offer from Stark industries -- industrialist Tony Stark travels to Italy to investigate further.

Discovering his old business rival Justin Hammer behind the flagging corporation; Stark enters into an unlikely deal for the soul of a young man named Donald Gill.

Hammer has fostered Gill's burgeoning criminal career as the new ice-powered Blizzard, thwarting Stark's attempts to mentor him back to the straight and narrow. Hammer agrees to leave the boy's life for good on one condition: Stark must send Iron Man to deal with a saboteur he thought was dead: The Ghost!

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Iron Man 6 (Invincible)
Intelligence: Draw 5 (Professor)
Speed: Iron Man 3 (Athlete)
Stamina: Iron Man 6 (Generator)
Agility: Ghost 2 (Average)
Fighting: Iron Man 4 (Trained)
Energy: Iron Man 5 (Arsenal)
Total: Iron Man 31 (Super)

It's time for a tech war as our hero meets one of his most unusual adversaries!

Ghost isn't your usual, run-of-the-mill corporate terrorist! He's a completely anonymous mercenary, known to sometimes lend his services to the very corporations he ultimately aims to destroy!

The mystery of Ghost's past is guarded through his suit's ability to render him invisible to most monitoring systems, and intangible to the material world! He can move freely through most physical barriers, carrying a variety of concealed weaponry and hi-tech devices, which allows him mastery over machine systems!

This is technically the first time we're seeing Ghost in action in the Secret Wars on Infinite Earths, but he was in the area when Luke Cage and The Avengers got the drop on Juggernaut, back in Thunderbolts #150!

Ghost was recruited into the Thunderbolts black-ops team by Norman Osborn, whose "Dark Reign" was a means to consolidate military-corporate influence under one entity -- only to infect and destroy it from within! A similar philosophy that first led him to target Stark Industries asset Accutech in the employ of Carrington Pax - a Roxxon Oil executive.

You don't mess with Stark Industries without running afoul of Iron Man! The armored Avenger is, of course, billionaire industrialist Tony Stark, posing as his own bodyguard while suited in one of his most impressive inventions!

Iron Man has no shortage of technological enemies! We've seen him take on the blitzing buzzsaw of Whirlwind [Iron Man Annual #11], his modified War Machine [Iron Man #310], heavily armored Titanium Man [Iron Man #316], diabolical Doctor Doom [Mighty Avengers #10], and Soviet counterpart Crimson Dynamo [Invincible Iron Man #14]. All similar to himself in some way -- unlike Ghost!

Few opponents are able to evade Iron Man's super-strong clutches, let alone render his armor near moot! Psylocke penetrated his defenses psychically in Contest of Champions II #1, while Jesse Bedlam's mutant power to disrupt machines shut him down completely, later in the same issue.

Ghost simply isn't like the others, and although Iron Man has defeated him prior to today's featured fight, he knows all too well Ghost can evade his detection methods, and catch him by surprise! A psychological component to Ghost's assault that plays an extra role in any of their encounters!

The Tape: Iron Man Ranking: Iron Man (#3)

What Went Down...
Broadcast news of Tony Stark's tour at Electronica Fabrizzi is all that's needed to lure The Ghost into a showdown. Iron Man scans the building as he waits to spring his trap, but is surprised to find The Ghost has modified his technology to evade his sensor's detection!

The evasion method isn't Ghost's only upgrade since his last encounter with Iron Man. Raising his fist before him, Ghost reveals the ability to render objects invisible -- including a hi-tech gun!

Iron Man takes evasive maneuvers, going aerial to fly out of the path of the unexpected gunfire! He narrowly avoids every blast as Ghost unloads!

Observing the improved speed and maneuverability of Iron Man's new armor, Ghost abandons the gun in favor of his preferred methods. He becomes translucent as his body begins to disappear through the floor.

Answer Ghost's challenge -- Iron Man takes chase by blasting a hole through the floor with his gauntlets! He kicks his jets into maximum thrust in order to keep up with The Ghost, whose escape continues on the floor below. It's a trap!

The careening pursuit plays right into the hands of The Ghost, who rendered a massive piece of technology invisible! It provides an unseen wall for Iron Man to collide with -- momentarily knocking him to the ground!

Ghost approaches his downed adversary, who prepares to take advantage of their close quarters. When Iron Man thrusts his armored hand in The Ghost's direction - it passes eerily through him!

A chip attached to his armor has rendered Iron Man intangible! Worse still, the chip itself is intangible even to the man its attached to! The Ghost gloats that his nemesis is now beyond nourishment, or aid. Leaving him to a slow death.

The Hammer...
Well, that certainly got grim at the end!

I have to imagine Ghost isn't the first villain to threaten Iron Man with some form of attrition. The fact that intangibility is a prison completely out of Stark's dominion, taking away his very capacity for invention, is what gives it a unique element of psychological horror! Or at least, it would...

The reader probably has every confidence the end will be undone in the next issue! If you guessed an electro-magnetic pulse would disable Ghost's chip long enough for James Rhodes to shoot it off -- you'd be right! That type of solution was certainly my thinking when reading the issue the first time.

The only question left to answer: Does this predicament constitute a defeat?

The circumstances are certainly unusual. Iron Man isn't kayoed, or incapacitated in the traditional sense. His eventual escape from the trap in the next issue can provide only so much context for assessing the conflict, but it matters. When Ghost leaves, Tony Stark is still in full control of his faculties, and presumably his armor - the primary method of his eventual freedom (with Rhodey's assist).

Grand designs for permanent intangibility and eventual starvation don't pass the acid test, but there's more than one way to beat an opponent. Death does not victory as victory is but a temporary state.

As close as I was to calling this an inconclusive draw - Ghost does clearly walk away with his opponent taken out of the fight. Being intangible isn't in and of itself defeat, but by applying it offensively, Ghost gets the better of Iron Man. It's unconventional, but I've got to give it up to him on points!

Of course, in a much later incarnation, Ghost himself will begin to spend more time in a state of intangibility. Not that you'd say he does this without adverse effects. The later Ghost is an increasingly gaunt, eerie presence.

The later version, featured prominently in Thunderbolts, was a lot of fun, and gave the character a bit more edge than the original incarnation. There's a Psycho Mantis quality to him, for those who know their Metal Gear characters.

Fans who've now seen Ant-Man and The Wasp in theatres will know an entirely different character called Ghost, who shares trace elements of the original, in both of his memorable incarnations.

The Ant-Man films have been some of the most aggressive in changing the Marvel Comics they adapt, which might be why I fell in love with the original comic book appearances of Ghost while rummaging through back issues.

The concept is given a lot of weight right from the get-go [starting with Iron Man #219], at a time when Iron Man was surrounded by plenty of memorable foes! If you were a fan of the mid-nineties Marvel Action Hour cartoon, you'll recognize a lot of the villains active during this late slice of Layton & Michelinie. Ghost himself takes on cartoon stalwarts Blacklash, Whirlwind, and Blizzard, earlier in the issue featured today.

Sometimes that kind of hubris in introducing a new villain is horribly misplaced, but here - it worked! Ghost is pretty instantly a memorable, credible nemesis - even though they seemingly killed him off after the first three-issue arc!

Upping the threat in this return rematch was a great way to continue developing the character. The concept really fits in with the hi-tech, corporate world Iron Man moved in, at that time. It's still American superhero, slightly outmoded by the concurrent cyberpunk of Japanese manga, but that was part of the Iron Man charm. I've always enjoyed the notion that America builds their machines big.

The Ghost design is a little generic in these early appearances. It reminds me of a non-descript action figure design. At some point, I know I was confusing a triumvirate of white villains - Ghost, Whyteout, and Slyde. Admittedly, Ghost is easily in a league above the other two.

Ghost was especially complimented by standing out from the other IM villains of the time. He looked and behaved differently from the other pure comic book super-villains, but also the usually armored techno-fiends. It was easy to embrace the update mentioned earlier, but there's a charm to this original style. I daresay the movie finds a nice balance between both, too.

I've had a lot of fun looking back at this era of Iron Man. Quintessential Marvel comics with fast, fun superhero action and melodrama. Not as smooth or punchy as it could've been, but very digestible never the less.

If you'd like to feast on more classic confrontations like this one: dive into the Secret Index to find every featured fight archived in order of publisher, series, and issue number! You can also get daily links to fights inspired by the topics of the day by following on Twitter and Facebook! A like and share is a nice way to show you care and help support the Secret Wars on Infinite Earths!

Winner: Ghost
#312 (new) Ghost
#3 (--) Iron Man

IRON MAN versus WAR MACHINE
Friends... And Other Enemies (Marvel)
Where: Iron Man #310 When: November 1994
Why: Len Kaminski How: Tom Morgan

The Story So Far...
Suffering a life-threatening condition that rendered his nervous system on the brink of collapse; Tony Stark fakes his death in order to retreat from the world, and his many enemies, in an effort to isolate himself during the pursuit of a cure.

Eventually Stark reveals his ruse to the world, but not everyone is pleased to see the playboy billionaire industrialist back among the living. After decades of struggle and servitude, including lengthy bouts as a substitute Iron Man; James Rhodes takes exception to be excluded from Stark's inner-circle of aids. Despite the industrialist's best efforts to patch their relationship, including the indefinite pledge of the War Machine armor to his partner, they are unable to reconcile.

Simmering tensions continue between the pair, eventually reaching boiling point when Rhodes finds himself in need of aid from the inventor of his damaged suit. Embittered and unwilling to put aside their differences, Stark opts to decommission the War Machine, but Jim Rhodes has other ideas...

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Draw 6 (Invincible)
Intelligence: Iron Man 5 (Professor)
Speed: Draw 3 (Athlete)
Stamina: Iron Man 6 (Generator)
Agility: Draw 2 (Average)
Fighting Ability: Draw 4 (Training)
Energy Power: Draw 5 (Lasers)


- While on a field tour to observe the effects of weaponry designed by his corporation for the United States military; billionaire industrialist, Tony Stark, soon finds himself face-to-face with the bold consequences of his actions.
Caught in a rebel booby trap, Stark suffers a near fatal wound that lodges a piece of shrapnel inches from his heart. The rebels take Stark hostage to demand he apply his genius to the design and construction of weapons built from their limited resources. In doing so, they provide Stark the means to construct a suit of armor that preserves his heart, and turns him into an invincible Iron Man!

Stark's mastery over technology allows him to bring his designs home, where the availability of rapidly upgrading technologies allow him to continue to refine the build to become increasingly mobile and efficient. Stark soon dons the Iron Man armor on a regular basis, not only as insurance against his life threatening injuries, but as an opportunity to atone for the wanton destruction delt by his weapons of death. Stark protects his secrets through the duality of a secret identity, projecting to the world the image of Iron Man as a hi-tech bodyguard.

Advancements in Stark's arsenal have advanced to a point where he has now undergone cybernetic synthesis on a genetic level. The armor now not only provides him with superhuman strength and an array of offensive weapons, but also gives Stark full wireless control over the armor and other peripheral devices, as well as access to information databases, including SHIELD resources under his control as Director of SHIELD. Iron Man remains a staple of the Avengers roster.

- When US helicopter pilot James Rhodes found himself shotdown behind enemy lines, he could never have imagined the way his life would be changed. Having just escaped the clutches of his kidnappers, an armored Tony Stark stumbled upon Rhodes in the jungle, and as Iron Man, helped aid their mutual rescue.

Promised employment as a pilot by Iron Man's "employer", Rhodes fullfilled his obligations with the US military, before taking up the offer. As an employee of Stark Industries; Rhodes developed a close relationship with Tony Stark persisting through the playboy's battle with alcoholism, and the reveal of his identity as the armored avenger, Iron Man. This relationship leads to Rhodes donning the Iron Man armor himself for extended periods, before eventually inheriting a specialist suit dubbed, the War Machine.

As War Machine; Rhodes possesses much the same abilities as Iron Man, including dramatically enhanced strength, endurance, onboard tactical systems, and advanced weaponry. Though subject to variation, the War Machine was originally idenitifed by it's increased durability and arsenal of weaponry.

The Math: Iron Man Ranking: Iron Man (#3)

What Went Down...
Having been confronted by his once best-friend [in War Machine #8], Iron Man uses a trigger word to deactivate the War Machine suit. To his surprise, the override proves ineffective, the result of one of Rhodes' few customizations in the light of a previous encounter with similar results.

War Machine springs from his back, launching into a devestating blow that topples the Iron Man with authority! Rhodes challenges Stark to take him down the old fashioned way, to which his rival seems happy to pledge the original flavoured armor. A blast of repulsor rays soon explains his indulgence.

The Mandarin secretly observes the battle with glee, factoring his own machinations into the equaton, while the two armored heroes continue to mercilessly stretch the limits of their suits.
Stark continues his assault with little forethought for the intervention of more conventional enemies, unleashing the physical brutality of the suit's strength enhancements, as well as his patented repulsor ray blasts.

Iron Man presses his dominance, taking full advantage of maneuvrable superiority to attack the War Machine in flight with a dropping kick attack. The pair battle across the Stark Industries compound, taking the battle airborne when Iron Man launches himself with a missle-like tackle!

The pair spiral around each other, heading skyward as Iron Man continues to batter the War Machine like scrap metal. Having suffered a majority of the violence, Rhodes finally turns the tables on his counterpart, returning the battle to earth with a super-charged toss!

An Iron Man-shaped crater gets a little deeper as War Machine descends earthbound, colliding with the floored Iron Man with maximum impact!
Now suddenly on the ropes, Iron Man suffers a two-pronge attack of a devestating left hook that launches him into the air, and an emotional piledriver regarding Stark's perceived betrayal with his faked death.

With a hint of regret, Iron Man reminds that he's suffered considerably less damage throught the course of the fight. A repulsor blast topples the looming War Machine, but even as the pair anticipate their counter measures, a third party enters the fray to blast them both with a focused EMP!

Bethany Cabe, former girlfriend of Tony Stark and head of Stark Enterprises security, shows on the scene to put a stop to the lunkheaded feud between the armored heroes. Her strategy pacifies the situation, but goes pear shaped when the opportunity for verbal resolution is interrupted by the arrival of the Mandarin!

The Hammer...
When it comes to superheroes, you don't always get a clear cut resolution to a fight. In such circumstances it's up to the experienced discretion of the Infinite Wars judges to determine whether a fight be deemed a draw, or awarded on points. The latter is the case here, with Iron Man having held a dominant control throughout the fight, despite an aborted conclusion. No thanks to Bethany Cabe!

For those of you wondering what went down between IM, War Machine, and the Mandarin, you should scoot over to our review of Iron Man #312! Or, if you're too lazy to do that, rest assured that all any troubled relationship really needs is the healing intervention of an insane, mystic, technophobic, ecological terrorist!

This lagging entry into our month of Iron Man provides an interesting bridge between the developing interplay between Tony Stark and James Rhodes in the feature film; and the tumultous relationships experienced by Tony Stark in the pages of Marvel comics over the past few years.

PR and distracting mini-series have managed to gradually smooth over some of the malice felt toward the Iron Man character, post-Civil War.
Well documented was the divide in the Marvel Universe that, though not necessarily intended, painted a politically reactionary Stark as the antagonist to Captain America's ideaological rebel. Stark was arguably in the right, certainly from a real-world perspective, but never the less, you couldn't argue that the management of situations went considerably pear-shaped, even if only taking into account the fatalities of heroes like Black Goliath, and Cap himself.

Agree with the politics or not, we've discussed previously the notion that the volatile turn in Stark's relationship with his fellows (like Captain America), and the absorbed perspective from which he approached the situation, was not at all out of character. In the case of his rivalry with War Machine, I dare say it was Stark who had the emotional high ground, but I think this is just one of many back issues that lend weight to the theory that Iron Man has always been a self-absorbed user.

More pertinent to the point is the backstory between Rhodes and Stark, which includes Iron Man's character-defining battle with alcoholism, and his reliance upon, and abuse of his friendships. As by extension of his alcohol abuse, Stark has long had a penchant for pulling supporting characters into his problems with a self-important gravity.

Splinters in the Rhodes/Stark relationship go back quite a ways, dealing certainly with issues of inadequacy in the former. Division between the characters, however, never struck me as quite as real as after Stark faked his death.
Given that the industrialist was isolating himself to cure a life-threatning condition, it's difficult to fully relate to Rhodes' reaction, but when you consider the unnerving decades of dedication and servitude Rhodes had shouldered, the emotional response at least benefits from the weight of that history.

Like steps from a pamphlette, Stark attempts to smooth the situation over by buying off his friend, but it's not to be.

I do wonder how these relationships will evolve for the flim version of the characters. While the subject didn't seem to be particularly prominent, director Jon Favreau didn't particularly shy away from the prospect of a poignant onscreen battle with alcohol for Robert Downey Jr. One wonders if the inherent distance between the film versions might lend to a similar breakdown and physical confrontation. Fanboys certainly know to expect Terrence Howard in the armor sooner or later, with the film telegraphing such intentions with wanton regard for the fourth-wall.

I think one of the most intriguing struggles for these films will be the balance between suspension of disbelief, and the continued consistency of the Iron Man franchise. While there are plenty of IM villains to go around, most tend to revolve either around the juxtaposition of the fantastic to IM's technology, or flatout knock-offs that pit tech V tech -- something already achieved with Iron Monger.
If indeed another armor war is to feature, you'd have to think it should carry some sort of additional weight, like an internal rivalry between Stark and Rhodes.

I'm a big War Machine fan, and it's nice to come back to the character!
I haven't been reading Avengers: Initiative, but I'm sure for those of you looking to get more of the character, it's nice to know it's out there. I certainly hope the character can be reintegrated into a more prominent role in the Marvel Universe, akin to the titular role he held during this period of comics.

I wouldn't argue against War Machine's role as an Initiative trainer, but I do have a special affection for the superhero side of these characters. What can you do?

The Fight: 5 The Issue: 5

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IRON MAN versus TERRORISTS
Extremis: Five of Six (Marvel)
Where: Iron Man #5 When: March 2006
Why: Warren Ellis How: Adi Granov

The Story So Far...
A top secret process designed to reprogram genetic coding of human DNA has been stolen by American terrorists. Hell bent on exacting revenge for familial deaths and perceived wrongs by federal authorities; a young man named Mallen undergoes the Extremis process to turn himself into a living bio-tech weapon.

In an effort to fight fire with fire; Tony Stark submits himself to his own genetic reprogramming. The process cocoons Stark, forcing his mind into a dream state that recalls resonances with his original rebirth from industrialist, into the golden avenger: Iron Man.

Long ago technologies protected him from a potentially lethal piece of shrapnel working it's way toward his heart. As attonement for his life as a decadent weapons manufacturer, Stark continued to use his armor for the greater good, becoming a cold vision of justice. This time, however, the pursuit of justice will sacrifice Tony Stark's humanity as he emerges more machine than man...

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Iron Man 6 (Invincible)
Intelligence: Iron Man 5 (Professor)
Speed: Iron Man 3 (Athlete)
Stamina: Iron Man 6 (Generator)
Agility: Iron Man 2 (Average)
Fighting Ability: Iron Man 4 (Trained)
Energy Power: Iron Man 5 (Lasers)


- While on a field tour to observe the effects of weaponry designed by his corporation for the United States military; billionaire industrialist, Tony Stark, soon finds himself face-to-face with the bold consequences of his actions.
Caught in a rebel booby trap, Stark suffers a near fatal wound that lodges a piece of shrapnel inches from his heart. The rebels take Stark hostage to demand he apply his genius to the design and construction of weapons built from their limited resources. In doing so, they provide Stark the means to construct a suit of armor that preserves his heart, and turns him into an invincible Iron Man!

Stark's mastery over technology allows him to bring his designs home, where the availability of rapidly upgrading technologies allow him to continue to refine the build to become increasingly mobile and efficient. Stark soon dons the Iron Man armor on a regular basis, not only as insurance against his life threatening injuries, but as an opportunity to atone for the wanton destruction delt by his weapons of death. Stark protects his secrets through the duality of a secret identity, projecting to the world the image of Iron Man as a hi-tech bodyguard.

Advancements in Stark's arsenal have advanced to a point where he has now undergone cybernetic synthesis on a genetic level. The armor now not only provides him with superhuman strength and an array of offensive weapons, but also gives Stark full wireless control over the armor and other peripheral devices, as well as access to information databases, including SHIELD resources under his control as Director of SHIELD. Iron Man remains a staple of the Avengers roster.

- In the 1963 origin for Tony Stark's Iron Man; the industrialist found himself the guest of Vietnamese communists. Stark was tasked with the objective of designing weapons from scrap salvaged by the enemy. Instead he was able to save himself from a fatal wound, while also fashioning a powerful suit of armor with the use of his patented micro transitor technology.

Flash forward to 2006 where Warren Ellis introduces one of many spins on the original Larry Lieber/Stan Lee origin. This time drawing upon contemporary conflicts in Afghanistan, Stark's kidnappers become faceless Afghani terrorists. Otherwise; Stark's relationship with fellow hostage, Yin Sen, and the sentiments of the nationalistic march of violence through the enemy remains the same.

The Math: Iron Man Ranking: Iron Man (#4)

What Went Down...
Having survived the donning of his crude magnetized armor; industrial futurist, Tony Stark, applies the remaining shield of his metallic new skin. The bulky, gun-metal grey armor is the product of Stark's genius, for which he was kidnapped. Though a resourceful lot, the terrorist kidnappers were foolish to leave him with tools and salvaged scrap.

The Iron Man emerges from his den, expressionless but vocal in his march.
The terrorists, armed with their weapons, turn on this bizarre automaton, seeking reprieve from it's lumbering wrath. Their bullets are meaningless to a golem of war. Their shower, ungrateful for the beast they have sponsored into being.

Run, scream, and die, do these once brave warriors.
The Iron Man fires beans of destruction from his fingertips -- the very micromuntions the terrorists had demanded. Still more hopelessly flood to claim victory over the monster of their own making. Still more die for their assault.

The Iron Man proves unappeased by the blood of his attackers.
Vengeful is this shining knight who marches through the terrorist camp, exacting his revenge with the bathing warmth of a flame thrower. He is merciless in bringing destruction to those who would purvey such acts on others.

Iron Man's ironic stampede is paused momentarily by rounds fired from a jeep, powerful enough to dent his impressive exterior. Feeling the heat, Iron Man unleashes his secret weapon, a powerful beam from his chest battery that tosses the jeep like a toy into a magnificent explosion.

Iron Man stands triumphant.
Dead, the people he was supposed to save.

The Hammer...
So marks a rather dramatic start to our overdue coverage of Iron Man!
If you're just joining us you might like to remember that the month started with the blockbuster release of Iron Man: the movie in cinemas worldwide. The film has already gone on to gross several hundred million dollars, and continues to receive acclaim that puts it in the esteem of the respected, Batman Begins.

Iron mongers might like to scroll back through Invincible Iron Month to find a peppered release of materials, including our catalogue highlights of villainous battles and Avengers commitments in the Cover to Cover; as well as the newly initiated Smash Hits, featuring music from Black Sabbath.

Fans of the film will probably find this entry fairly familiar. Despite openly drawing on influences of popular casting calls of the time, (Tom Cruise), Adi Granov digitally paints a revised origin that seems more like a storyboard for trailers, than an issue of the forty year old comic (as of this month!).

Movie makers openly acknowledge the influence of this new origin, with Adi Granov close the project contributing production artwork and design.

Warren Ellis, notorious for questionable work ethic on commision projects, puts in a solid showing on Iron Man. While the title doesn't quite devolve into rambling techno-babble, it does boast a hi-tech revamp that remains with the character today. Extremis; the name of a nano-technological bio virus designed to use the healing centres of the human body to reprogram and rebuild, and the title of the storyarc; serves a conventional six-issue arc that pits Iron Man against a new type of terrorist -- one from within!

The metaphorical struggle not only presents a less prominent face of terrorism - that of disgruntled Americans - but also sees the enemy borne from technology developed on Stark's dollar. The sum of these parts make for a thoroughly compelling and modern approach to superheroics and "the golden avenger."

It's no small wonder that Jon Favreau and the men behind the Iron Man feature film would draw upon this savvy modern story. It merges the requisite fantasy of the superhero genre with socio-economic and ethical concerns that are very relevant to today's state of affairs, touching upon not only the politics of war, but the ever-related subject of futurism and environment.

Iron Man has polarized fans over the past few years as a result of his political campaign against the notion of the masked mysterman. Tony Stark's Superhero Registration Act saw the character rise to Director of SHIELD in the absence of a rebel Nick Fury, while also positioning him as antagonist in the Civil War struggle with his freedom-touting rival, Captain America.

A background commentary on the ideals of American society subtly pitted America's dreams (Captain America), against the reality of their hopes (Iron Man), in what was an undeniably compelling concept, in spite of execution.

Tony Stark's complexities as a self-made hero and icon of the establishment makes him one of the most compelling heroes in the Marvel pantheon. Robert Downey Jr sinks neatly into a representing role that demands as much of character as it does the physical trials of being a superhero. These qualities, though resting dependently on America's military-industrial complex, and the self-serving swagger of a decadent playboy, make Iron Man an appealing character to readers/viewers worldwide.

The film, and Extremis, both do well to encapsulate elements of the realism and intrigue of the character. Like a Batman, or Spider-man; Iron Man possesses a versatility of concept that opens up connotations of these super-serious contemporary struggles, while also lending the notion to laser-firing toys, action adventures, espionage tales, and the wacked out world of the cyberpunk genre.
It's with regret, then, that we actually stop to think about the Iron Man catalogue, and the range of nemesis no doubt being considered for sequels.

We already know of potential crossovers with old sparring partner, the Hulk, as well as the concept of an Avengers megamix, but what of stories closer to Iron Man's core? Sadly, on paper iconic villains like the Mandarin, Fin Fang Foom, Titanium Man, Crimson Dynamo, Whirlwind, and the Living Laser just don't ring true for modern, film-going audiences.

Sure, just as Iron Monger was able to rise to the challenge of big screen arch-nemesis, most of these concepts have more than enough moxxy to be developed into something salvagable. Favreau himself discussed potential to develop the Mandarin into a corporate foil, drawing inspiration from the early 1990's era, but still, the concepts seem to demand so much more tweaking than rivals.

It's probably this divide that's held Iron Man from the upper crust of superhero iconography as long as it has. It seems the future of the character comes from internal struggles, as well as the modern-cues of SHIELD's counter-terrorism role, among other comparable concepts (Hydra? AIM? HATE?).

It seems tragic, yet ironic, that this titan of superhero industry would be so incapable of producing sufficient enough change that his villains would provide a big screen vehicle as obvious as Ra's Al Ghul, Joker, Green Goblin, or Magneto.

I leave you with just one previously discussed solution, and hope you've enjoyed this look at the most recent success of Iron Man. With any luck we'll be taking a look back to much earlier in the shellhead's career soon, but in the mean time, look forward to another thematic inclusion in the Iron Month Smash Hits! You almost certainly won't see this one coming, but it's food for thought!

The Fight: 4 The Issue: 6

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WHIRLWIND versus IRON MAN
The Awesome Origin of Mrs. Arbogast (Marvel)
Where: Iron Man Annual #11 When: 1990
Why: Carrie Barre How: Steve Ditko

The Story So Far...
Injured in a warfield, Tony Stark is forced by terrorists to design weapons of mass destruction. With a piece of shrapnel lodged inches from his heart, Stark instead builds a suit of armor capable of maintaining the life threatening metal whilst also turning him into an invincible Iron Man!

Iron Man returns with Stark to the United States, where he employs the superhero identity in an effort to atone for the violence purveyed by Stark Industries weapons. Posing as his own hi-tech bodyguard, Stark soon becomes a golden beacon of justice, trusted and adored by the public and government alike, earning him founding status with Earth's mightiest heroes - the Avengers.

Though many of Iron Man's greatest enemies would emerge through corporate malfeasance against Stark Industries and it's playboy executive; Iron Man's status as an Avenger would also earn him his fair share of villains. Once such fellow is Whirlwind, who's taken the fight to Stark Industries, where his battle with Iron Man threatens to unhinge Tony Stark's search for a new secretary!

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Iron Man 6 (Invincible)
Intelligence: Iron Man 5 (Professor)
Speed: Whirlwind 5 (Super)
Stamina: Iron Man 6 (Generator)
Agility: Whirlwind 3 (Acrobat)
Fighting Ability: Iron Man 4 (Trained)
Energy Power: Iron Man 5 (Lasers)


- David Cannon, a lifelong tearaway and thug, would elevate himself to the status of career criminal when he discovers he is a mutant capable of achieving fantastic speeds. He develops his powers through a variety of schemes that benefit from his speed, before debuting in the guise of the Human Top, an identity swiftly foiled by the likes of Giant-Man and the Wasp!

Upgrades in Cannon's arsenal would allow him to become the armored menace, Whirlwind! In this guise he would continue his long running feud with Hank Pym, developing an obsession with the hero's ex-wife, and Cannon's foil, the Wasp. A desire for revenge keeps Whirlwind in constant conflict with the Avengers, lending to his many memberships with groups such as the Masters of Evil.

Whirlwind is capable of moving at incredible speeds, allowing himself a means of propulsion, by which he commonly launches himself as a human missile. Also in his arsenal is a suit of armor equipped with wrist-mounted blades, and projectile weapons. His armor also provides greater defense and proection from his own wanton attacks.

- While on a field tour to observe the effects of weaponry designed by his corporation for the United States military; billionaire industrialist, Tony Stark, soon finds himself face-to-face with the bold consequences of his actions.
Caught in a rebel booby trap, Stark suffers a near fatal wound that lodges a piece of shrapnel inches from his heart. The rebels take Stark hostage to demand he apply his genius to the design and construction of weapons built from their limited resources. In doing so, they provide Stark the means to construct a suit of armor that preserves his heart, and turns him into an invincible Iron Man!

Stark's mastery over technology allows him to bring his designs home, where the availability of rapidly upgrading technologies allow him to continue to refine the build to become increasingly mobile and efficient. Stark soon dons the Iron Man armor on a regular basis, not only as insurance against his life threatening injuries, but as an opportunity to atone for the wanton destruction delt by his weapons of death. Stark protects his secrets through the duality of a secret identity, projecting to the world the image of Iron Man as a hi-tech bodyguard.

Advancements in Stark's arsenal have advanced to a point where he has now undergone cybernetic synthesis on a genetic level. The armor now not only provides him with superhuman strength and an array of offensive weapons, but also gives Stark full wireless control over the armor and other peripheral devices, as well as access to information databases, including SHIELD resources under his control as Director of SHIELD. Iron Man remains a staple of the Avengers roster.

The Math: Iron Man Ranking: Iron Man (#5)

What Went Down...
While secretarial applicants mill about in the Stark Industries offices; outside an aerial showdown is going on between Iron Man and armored villain, Whirlwind! The pair make their presence felt when they careen toward the office, smashing through the window in a spectacular tangle of armored fists!

A disgruntled Whirlwind takes the upperhand as the battle moves inside and he channels the vengeful rages of countless defeats at the hands of other Avengers! While Whirlwind pushes his dominance with the threatening leer of wrist mounded buzzsaws, one of the secretarial candidates shows tremendous dedication to clerical work by attempting to protect threatened paperwork!

Reluctant to unleash his repulsor rays with a civilian nearby, Iron Man attempts to evade his foes assault with unconvincing results.

Suffering the mutant speed and agility of his opponent, Iron Man looks for an intellectual edge in the fight. While Iron Man grapples with a lunging Whirlwind, Mrs. Arbogast is once again summoned to fullfil her secretarial duty, this time to answer Mr. Stark's phone! A seemingly insignificant feat, but just as Mr. Stark's desk falls before Whirlwind's buzzsaw blade, Mrs. Arbogast makes her move!

Stunned by the disarming affects of an unexpected phone call -- Whirlwind is a sitting duck as Iron Man charges in with the safely contained energy of a gauntlet fist! With a mighty swing, the invincible Iron Man scores his first successful hit against the mutant menace -- a knock-out blow!

"I'm sorry, you'll have to try your call again later from behind bars!"

The Hammer...
Yesterday we talked a little bit about the importance of characters in superhero comics, and it's in follow-up to that that I take great pleasure in inducting the 485th character into the Infinite Wars cumulative rankings! Sure, he's initiated with a loss, but hey, he's not called the invincible Iron Man for nothing! [With the all important assist coming from Mrs. Arbogast, of course!]

Now, just in case you're wondering, yes. Iron Man had a word with Mr. Stark on his way out, and told him to forget about interviewing any of the other applicants. Afterall, why interview someone who's already started work? So ends another dubious chapter in Mr. Anthony Stark's on-going adventures, because let's be honest... Given his reputation, it's hard to imagine Stark ever passing up some skirt for an old woman in a pink blazer and bow-tie. At least, not sobre...

Lately we've been talking a bit about the importance of characters and characterization; [Phantom #1, Superman/Batman #43]; and given the many recent misadventures of Iron Man, it's probably a particularly pertinent subject heading into a mainstream feature film (in May).

You would've had to have been living in a cave to have missed hysteria surrounding Marvel's polarizing franchise event, Civil War, wherein Iron Man leads a renewed case for superhero registration after a New Warriors reality TV show results in the deaths of hundreds of school children. The situation cast Iron Man as antagonist, and revived 1950's flavoured issues of mistrust in the superhero community and the desire to see them unmask as an act of good faith. Further attached were conotations of responsive law making, and issues of privacy and freedom, setting Captain America up in staunch opposition to Iron Man's corporate takeover of civil liberties. Thus; the Superhero Civil War.

Fans were quick to attack Civil War's writers [chiefly; core title wordsmith and Infinite Wars favourite; Mark Millar] for failing to properly depict characters, like Iron Man, who they now felt resembled something closer to a villain than one of Earth's mightiest heroes. From here, assumptions are perpetuated by the online community, and Iron Man continues to suffer the indignities of his actions even a couple of years after the event, and in the lead-up to mainstream exposure.

I suppose there are two issues to raise here.
On one hand, we question whether or not Iron Man's actions ever truly deviated from what should be expected of the character. On the other, a much broader question that connects to the on-going topic, of whether or not characters and characterization are of particular importance.

I think my stance on the latter has already been answered.
In the last review, we talked about the greater context of the issue reviewed, and justified it's general insignificance in terms of character investment. This is something we alluded to with a character like Steel Serpent, whose significance is rivalled only by the number of appearances he's made, but only lends to the potential and allure of the character. Steel Serpent makes for a particularly good example, given the way Matt Fraction [and Ed Brubaker] have been able to build upon that character's brief history as an enemy of Iron Fist.



Top 25 Shell Heads#1 Spider-man (Marvel)
#2 Batman (DC)
#3 Hulk (Marvel)
#4 Iron Man (Marvel)
#5 Captain America (Marvel)
#6 Daredevil (Marvel)
#7 Steel (DC)
#8 Hawkman (DC)
#9 Red Hood (DC)
#10 Dr. Doom (Marvel)
#11 Robin (DC)
#12 Nightwing (DC)
#13 Warmachine (Marvel)
#14 Wonder Woman (DC)
#15 Nova (Marvel)
#16 Black Widow (Marvel)
#17 Black Panther (Marvel)
#18 Lethal (DC)
#19 Destroyer (Marvel)
#20 Zauriel (DC)
#21 Crimson Dynamo (Marvel)
#22 Dr. Polaris (DC)
#23 Captain Atom (DC)
#24 Franklin Richards (Marvel)
#25 Superboy-Prime (DC)

The Infinite Wars Rankings
rate these as the top armored
heroes, but they haven't all
kept their shells. Got opinions?
Drop a comment!I feel there's a tendency in comics to strive to over justify the medium with efforts to tell very contrived and singular stories. Though the Watchmen and Dark Knight Returns out there do well to portray a matrue filter of the superhero genre, they fail to really represent one of the exotic charms of the medium, which is, of course, it's long running history and prospect for continuous growth within the canon.

Regularly produced entertainment has an association with poor quality, which certainly remains a topic prevelant to today's comics, but isn't necessarily representative of even the average issues of a superhero comic book series.

One looks to this review's Iron Man Annual back-up story, which incidentally includes the declining work of Steve Ditko, as a model for the utterly disposable in superhero fiction. To the benefit of the point I hope to make, some of you are going to have at least eagerly scrolled through the panels provided, demonstrating the potential intrigue of any chapter in a character's history. This is comics! This is the fiction in action!

One need only look around the blogosphere any Bastille Day to observe the currency so-called inconsequential issues command. Sure, everyone mills around for the weekly comic review, but it's lesser known issues, ten years and older, that really bring something special to the table: the characters.

The medium is well and truly at the age now where the harsh truth of the power of the character will become self-evident. The recent deaths of Steve Gerber and Dave Stevens will tragically not be the last. Comics are slowly entering an age where it's most public legends; the 1960s progenetors of the Modern Age; are reaching their twilight years, and the legacy of the characters they helped create and define becomes more important.

As new readers become increasingly distanced from that old guard, question of the importance of characterization becomes increasingly filtered.
Longtime readers will know I have a healthy distain for the reluctant and frightened reading habits of today's readers. I joined comics in my childhood with little regard for the 'sequential nightmare.' Quite happy to randomly spot back issues and out-of-sequence chapters, I was more interested in the joy of the tri-colour characters, and their on-going exploits.

On reflection, I suppose characterization has always been as important to me as the characters, because it's there that I found my constant. Modern readers, with their many peculiarities, seem to be more concerned with the trinkets of storytelling rather than the investment in what makes these stories enduring.

Stan Lee describes the creation of Iron Man as a challenge to present an establishmentarian war monger as a likeable hero. This comes off the back of the Korean War, and directly connects the hero to growing unrest in Vietnam, which fast leads to one of the United States' darkest periods.

Lee [and Lee's brother and early IM writer; Larry Lieber] weren't stupid, but while they quickly distanced Iron Man from his involvement in military weapons manufacture, they never really removed that facet from the character!

Over the decades Tony Stark has gone through various identities of corporate enterprise and public service, often representing facets of justice mutually beneficial to the public and corporate sectors. If Captain America embodies the selflessness of super heroism and the American ideal, Iron Man has always been the flipside, and arguably more representative of America's reality.

The conceptual strokes of each character are broad enough to easily justify their motives. As 'the dream', Cap represents ideals of freedom arguably long since forgotten in the USA, and a strength built on spirit and determination, more than the 'lightning bolt' that gave him his powers. Tony Stark, on the other hand, is a more realistic depiction of corporate powers gained from the economic destruction of others, and the use of technological shortcuts that do the hard work for him.

Though not always an admirable fellow; Stark typically does his best to balance his own interests with a sense for the greater good. As seen in Civil War, the edict of the alcoholic remains intact, remorseful after the fact.

One could argue Stark's perspective has always been skewed toward his own experience. Tony Stark is probably one of comics' rare examples of a hero who's debatably dragged an entire support network into his own gravity, rather than having overwhelming support of volunteers.

Having successfully lived with a public identity, it's not unreasonable to think Iron Man would inflect his own perception on the situation. The superhuman registration act, a response to public outcry in the wake of disaster, is also in keeping with Stark's corporate sense for quick fix solutions.

We're letting the original question get away from us, but I think we've been successful in highlighting, through Iron Man, two perspectives.
What some fail to appreciate is that rules and boundaries imposed within fiction are what contribute to the strength of stories, and consistency within those parameters are key to maintaining and enjoying characters for years to come. Of course, as with Iron Man, we're reminded how much traits of humanity are crucial to a character like this, and therein we recognise the potential for many outcomes and opinions, even from one individual.

We're running long, so I'd better wrap this one up!
I hope everyone enjoyed a great Easter! Annual events like Easter are always a great landmark for a person to reflect on the past. Have your traditions or attitudes to Easter changed at all? How consistent is your characterization?

The Fight: 3 The Story: 3

If reflecting on the past only leads you to heartbreak, try this one on for size: A standard twenty-two page comic today costs $2.99 - a tag I cannot possibly afford to pay. Measure that against Marvel's sixty-four page 1990 annuals, which were just $2 even! Oh the humanity!!! Fortunately, the Infinite Wars Amazonian Gift Shop is always on hand to provide you with a good deal. Hey! With Amazon's prices you not only save a buck, but also buy yourself a piece of mind, knowing that karma will smile upon you for supporting your favourite comics blog! Now that's a reason to make a benevolent return from the dead!

THE MANDARIN versus IRON MAN
Hands of the Mandarin Part 6 of 6 (Marvel comics)
Where: Iron Man #312 When: January 1995
Why: Len Kaminski How: Tom Morgan

The story so far...
Iron Man and War Machine are forced to put their growing differences aside, and team together with the other members of Force Works to face The Mandarin at the very height of powers.

In possession of the mystic Heart of Darkness, The Mandarin has summoned elemental avatars to aid him in his war on technology. More powerful than ever, the Heart of Darkness allows him to create an anti-technology field of energy that is expanding ever more outward from his base in Hong Kong.

Also in possession of Century's mysterious Parallax weapon, the Mandarin sits poised to rule the globe in a time of fear and confusion. Only Iron Man and Force Works can put a stop to his terror, but can the tech hero withstand Mandarin's might? Or is this the end of the era of the invincible Iron Man?

Previous Form:
Iron Man (#4): Victories against Diablo, Hulk, Captain America, She-Hulk & Titanium Man.
The Mandarin: Has not yet been featured on the site.

Tale of the tape...
Strength: Iron Man 6 (Invincible)
Intelligence: Iron Man 5 (Professor)
Speed: Iron Man 3 (Athlete)
Stamina: Iron Man 6 (Generator)
Agility: Iron Man 2 (Average)
Fighting Ability: Iron Man 4 (Trained Fighter)
Energy Powers: Mandarin 6 (Mass Destruction)


In all the entries we've had over the year and a half of Infinite Wars, I think this might be the most one sided tape we've ever broken down. It's actually really quite surprising how statistically removed the two characters are, given than Mandarin fairly comfortably holds the title of arch-nemesis to Iron Man.

Unlike a lot of more classically archetypal arch-villains; Mandarin represents much less of a reflection to Iron Man, resonating more as the opposite end of the scale. Their dramatic tensions, which manifest themselves quite literally in some stories (such as this one), are the theories of the [super]-natural versus the technological.

The Mandarins power rings are alien in origin, but represent the more metaphysical and super natural version of any kind of alien technology. This is in stark [hah!] contrast to Iron Man's powers, which are entirely self-sufficient, terran in origin, and produced by the will of human engineering.

This dichotomy means the two are considerably more versatile in their fields than their other. Iron Man represents the superior physical adversary, while the Mandarin controls X-factors like the various energy constructs and phenomena produced by his rings, as well as the summoning of beasts and minions such as Fin Fang Foom [as seen in Iron Man #271].

The tape would have you believe this is all Iron Man, but the strength of Mandarin's entry on that final stat -- energy powers -- makes him more than a worthy adversary!

The Math: Iron Man (Super Class)
The Pick: Iron Man

What went down...
The Mandarin casts his horrible visage above the terrified citizens of Hong Kong, as Iron Man and the members of Force Works stand amidst the carnage and destruction of the city.

The gleeming red and yellow knight of technology leaves his teammates behind to take to the skies, swearing to defend the modern era against Mandarin's desires for an age of darkness. The Mandarin is unimpressed, declaring himself cast by destiny to destroy all Iron Man represents and stands for.

Iron Man offers up a taste of technology's powers, firing all guns blazing at the ghostly representation of his arch-nemesis. Mandarin scowls at Iron Man's feeble attempts, channeling his own energies through his apparition to send the golden avenger plummeting Earth-bound into the wreckage of Hong Kong.

Failing beneath the massive energies he wields, Mandarin becomes dazed, not yet the master of his godhood. He uses the last of his immediate power to use Century's Parallax staff to teleport himself to the safety of his castle lair, before collapsing from exhaustion.

Tony Stark reconvenes with his teammates to strategize. He eventually seeks out the aid of Su Yin, a scientist who very nearly had a hand in his death thanks to the invention of a techno-organic virus. The virus now makes the basis of the artificial nervous system that sustains his mobility, but Stark puts the scientists available to work to develop it as a potential weapon against the Mandarin.

Force Works do battle with the elemental Avatars, before Iron Man arrives in the streets to do the unthinkable -- he surrenders!

Before the US Agent's objections can give away the gambit, Iron Man pleads for the Mandarin to free his people in exchange for his peaceful surrender. Delighted by the submission, he gladly has his Avatars snatch his foe, and teleports them back to his castle.

Inside the castle, Tony Stark finds himself the victim of the Mandarin's anti-technology field that renders his suit little more than a glorified tin costume.

The Mandarin illustrates some connection with his reality, exercising caution in accepting Iron Man's surrender. Iron Man plays the understanding foe, agreeing he too would procede with suspicion, knowing fullwell of his own deception.

Iron Man claims that when he was blasted from the sky by the Mandarin's god-like power, he reached an epiphany. He claims he was humbled, and faced the realization that he had dedicated his life to technology under the illusion of being it's master, all the while truly being little more than a slave.

Despite the glimmer of truth in his words, Anthony Stark is unable to convince the Mandarin with mere words. Iron Man compells him to lift the unlocked visor on his helmet, and allow him to see the truth that lies within his eyes.
"Yes. I shall. As I said before, I would see your face -- when you DIE!"

With Tony Stark's face revealed to him, the Mandarin slaps it with the backhand of his green fist. Convinced of a great ruse, the Mandarin prepares to do away with his enemy once and for all, but without warning, he chokes on his words.

As Mandarin begins to feel the effects of the ruse, Iron Man reveals the techno-organic virus infecting and aging him laced the faceplate he so eagerly opened.

Desperate, the Mandarin reaches out to his Avatar, Deluge, but the agent of the Heart of Darkness burns at his tainted touch, crumbling to ash and a smouldering mask. Withering and aging, the evil sorceror crawls toward the Heart of Darkness, making one last plea for salvation for his servitude.

The Mandarin's techno-infected hand meets with the mystic object, resulting in a reaction of epic proportions. Science and sorcery collide, hurling the great energies of the Heart of Darkness out of the castle, and into the night sky. It leaves Iron Man, alone with the Parallax staff, and a world of technology.

The hammer...
Originally I expected to skip over much of the middle bits, but since it all fell into place, I'm going to give this one to Iron Man and the assist to Force Works. Victorious over Mandarin and his Avatar henchman.

You'll notice, if you've been following Marvel Ultimate Alliance Mondays, that there's a substantial number of villains I've skipped over, by now. For the most part that's because I either don't have any of their battles in my feeble collection, or at the very least, nothing of significance. Which strikes me as somehow odd as I reflect on my lifelong investment in the medium, and more importantly, the characters.

The same could be said of The Mandarin, who, despite being among the most enduring villains in the Marvel universe, makes maybe three appearances in the entirety of my collection. Which just seems pathetic! Still, I suppose it's avoided serious storage issues through my youth...

Big things lie on the horizon for The Mandarin!
Aside from appearing in Ultimate Alliance, the character has just featured in the DTV animated Iron Man movie, and is also fixing to fullfil the same role in the live-action vehicle of the same name! If casting is anyone other than Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa, that will be an impressive feat for a character that seems so unlikely to make it to the screen in the tech-heavy world of the Iron Man universe. Granted, filmmaker Jon Favreau has been quite forthcoming about the corporate take on the character, familiar to readers from the early nineties.

Looking closer to the material in this particular issue, you can see highlighted a Tony Stark who has not only been fighting an on-going rivalry with his former friend, James Rhodes (aka War Machine), but is also abrasive and dismissive of his teammates during battle. Which is the kind of characterization that has garnered Civil War a great deal of criticism.

I suppose that remains one of the more interesting facets of the Iron Man character. Tony Stark, to varying degrees, has always represented something less than mainstream in the hero department. Stan Lee cites the character as an initial effort to make a character who was inherently unlikeable - likeable.
In that respect he and brother Larry succeeded undoubtedly, working with the unpopular topics of establishment supporting weapons manufacturers.

The superficial qualities of the weapons-making industrialist playboy have continued to be a conceit of the character, but it's fair to say lying under the radar has remained the edge of a character designed to rub people up the wrong way. Perhaps the great irony of it all is that in the case of Civil War, Tony Stark was arguably the man who was in the right!

With a movie on the horizon it will be very interesting to see if the character can redeem himself as he did during and after this particular issue, and patch the wounds caused by his betrayal. Unless of course, that original edge of antagonism is what will set Iron Man apart from the other heroes present in the box office...

The Fight: 3 The Issue: 4

IRON MAN, BLACK WIDOW & CRIMSON DYNAMO versus TITANIUM MAN
Triangle (Marvel comics)
Where: Iron Man #316 When: May 1995
Why: Len Kaminski How: Tom Morgan

The story so far...
With the Cold War well and truly behind America, Stark Industries finally succeeds in efforts to open an industrial park in Russia. Good news for Stark, but not so much for resurrected Soviet Super-Soldier, Boris Bullski aka the Titanium Man.

With the Black Widow by his side, Iron Man finds himself in a fight for his life, while Russian military scramble to recover and put an end to this political nightmare.

In their desperation, the Russians turn to a former villain and ally of the Titanium Man - General Valentin Shatalov - the sixth man to wear the armor of the Crimson Dynamo. Thus, with hopes for a future Russia, they send their soldier into battle -- but whose side will he be on?

Previous Form:
Iron Man (#4): Iron Man has a string of victories against; Diablo, Hulk, Captain America, & She-Hulk.
Black Widow (#117): The Widow was among the pro-registration heroes during Civil War.
Crimson Dynamo/Titanium Man: Neither of the armored Russians have previously been featured on the site.

Tale of the tape...
Strength: Titanium Man 6 (Invincible)
Intelligence: Iron Man 5 (Professor)
Speed: Black Widow 3 (Trained Athlete)
Stamina: Titanium Man 6 (Generator)
Agility: Black Widow 4 (Gymnast)
Fighting Ability: Black Widow 5 (Martial Artist)
Energy Powers: Iron Man 5 (Lasers)


Alright, I'm running behind schedule once again, and there's a lot to get through, so I suppose here is as good a place as any (as opposed to all those other places we usually begin...).

For anyone wondering, we're dealing with mostly originals here.
This is the resurrected Boris Bullski-Titanium Man at this point, and the Black Widow featured is the always lovely, always deadly, always Russian about the place -- Natasha Romanova.

As the tape shows, despite being equally rated with his armored counterparts, Titanium Man excells in the field of strength and durability. At the heart of his bulk is a lack of technology, which required much larger mechanics along the lines of the earliest 'refridgerator' suits of the Iron Man armor.
That said, this appears to have come with great capacity for physical strength, and that's definitely got to be recognised.

In the numbers game, the advantage goes to the good guys, who number not only Black Widow, super-spy extraordinaire -- but also the pairing of two suits of armor in Iron Man and this sixth incarnation of the Crimson Dynamo.
While it may not be reflected in the armor's capabilities, I probably rate this as the slickest and most attractive suit of crimson armor. While that will win it points with the fashion judges, it gets no points for originality. Tres derivate~!

But more to the point, the combined abilities of the two suits of armor should spell defeat for the Titanium one. The nature of the beast (and materials used to make his suit) make it possible for Titanium Man to turn the tables, but statistically it just shouldn't happen.

The Math: Iron Man, Black Widow & Crimson Dynamo
The Pick: Iron Man, Black Widow & Crimson Dynamo

What went down...
We begin our story with our invincible hero in the menacing clutch of the Titanium Man, as the villain threatens to break him in two!
Fortunately for Mr. Stark, the Black Widow is on hand to swoop in to the rescue and do more than the translating she was paid for: like kick some tin can ass!

With Titanium Man on the back foot, the former Russian spy reintroduces her comrade to the pain of the Widow's bite, firing her blast directly into the base of the Titanium Man's helmet.

The attack serves only to further enrage the Titanium Man!
With Iron Man being whipped around like a ragdoll, Black Widow is left to play the agility game, leaping to avoid the attacks of her countryman while Iron Man rights himself for a second pass.

He thunders in, jetting head-first into his adversary like a human torpedo.
The attack still doesn't manage to fell the bulky Russian, leaving Iron Man to take energy blasts.

The nimble mechanics of the Iron Man armor allow him to slink between the beams with relative ease, despite taking a hit initially. Stark berates Widow for getting involved, despite being grateful for the save, and punctuates his ability to take Titanium Man down, plummeting atop the aforementioned feet-first with devestating results.

Iron Man comes around to finish the job, but Black Widow intervenes, insistent upon talking Bullski down, perhaps even relating to his dated ideals on some level.
At that moment, ruby blasts rain down from the sky, signalling the entrance of the man we're here to acknowledge:

The Dynamo informs Iron Man of his jurisdiction, and orders him to stand down to allow him right to deal with the Russian matter. Iron Man, not content with leaving the battle, reenforces his claim with the threat to Stark property.

Titanium Man begins a sermon of distain for the foreign interference, but to his surprise he is abruptly shushed by his countryman. Though the Crimson Dynamo voices similar distaste for the capitalist tendencies of their government, he declares his allegiance to the country as it is, and not as he or the Titanium Man would have it be.

Titanium Man is not so easily convinced.

TM runs through the Dynamo, and swats him out of the air with an unforgiving fist!
Like the attack he suffered moments ago, Titanium Man brings the entirety of his armor's weight down upon the comparably diminutive suit of the Crimson Dynamo, squashing him between he and the Earth.

The Dynamo continues to try to reach out with a calm voice of reason, lamenting that their efforts of the past [Ramont 4] were futile and foolish. However, this only strengthens the Titanium Man's resolve, and harshens the blows of his bulky gauntlets.

Iron Man makes the save, charging from behind with a stiff shoulder.
As Titanium Man turns to meet his attacker, the Black Widow strikes again with the blast of her sting, and yet again Titanium Man turns, this time struck by a blast from the Crimson Dynamo!

Betrayal comes from all sides as Titanium Man finds himself the victim of a combined triple threat of pooled attacks. Though they serve to rattle his cage, the Ruski super-soldier is still able to swat away the opposition, and with one final jet blast, make an escape.
"Though you are all against me, I shall never surrender!"

With the damage of the battle having taken it's toll, Iron Man is unable to follow the fleeing Titanium Man, turning instead to find the Black Widow nursing a floored Crimson Dynamo. Though badly hurt, he has served his country valiantly.
As a mark of respect, Tony Stark strips Shatalov of the Dynamo armor, and swares a resolution for the people of Russia.

The hammer...
Magneto was mad! Titanium too! And the Crimson Dynamo picked up the victory along with Iron Man and Black Widow.

We've been doing this for two months now, and honestly, I have to admit it's been probably that long since I played the Marvel: Ultimate Alliance video game, so the relevence of each of these character's appearances is starting to dissipate.
I went with a Crimson Dynamo appearance that I had handy, and was interested in. As I mentioned in the tape, this has got to be the best looking Dynamo design, even if it's similar to IM's.

Fortunately for us, the game features Shatalov in the armor, so I didn't have to cheat my way through this one. There have been something like seven or eight different men to wear the armor, so as you can imagine, it can make sending evil Christmas cards difficult come December in Latveria.

If the accompanying image shows nothing else, it's that Tony Stark is living the life of the ultimate action figure.

If you switched out the helmet, I guess this design harkens back to the Centurian armor worn in the eighties. Or maybe that's just a really lazy observation because of the red and silver colour palette.

Speaking of armor, the first official images have been leaked from the set of the 2008 Iron Man feature film. It appears to be a shadey image of the first model of Iron Man armor, bulkier and unrefined than he will ultimately appear in the majority of the film, or at least we've been led to believe.

I've noticed a lot of people blindly speculating that it's War Machine, presumably because they're unfamiliar with the original bullet grey 'refridgerator' suit, or because they're blissfully unaware that the metals used probably don't come red and yellow.

Either way, amaze your friends with the knowledge that one of the earliest certainties revealed by director Jon Favreau was the fact that the movie will feature a fast track through the graduating design processes.
This fits neatly with the tweaked origin developed by Warren Ellis and Adi Granov during the Extremis storyline, that featured a scaled down version of the original armor.

If you're wondering where I'm going with all this, it's nowhere fast.
Once again we find ourselves a few updates behind, and I must apologise for that. There's been a massive influx of hits, and we've just hit 10k, so a big thanks to all the people all over the world visiting.

Some big things coming, but until then, I've gotta get some sleep! Cheers!

The Fight: 4 The Issue: 4.5

NEXT WEEK: Swing your arms from side-to-side. Come on, it's time to go do the MODOK!