A REVIEW OF IRON MAN PAST: Tales of Suspense #76 BY "FREE" STEVE CHUNG Iron Man's doing well at the box office so far. For those just meeting shellhead for the first time in that film, we're presenting some classic Iron Man tales from times past to let you know, and remind long time fans, just why Tony Stark and his armored alter ego, deserve the accolades and praise. Up today is a thriller from Tales of Suspense #76 that teased "Here Lies Hidden...The Unspeakable Ultimo!"
Happy Hogan has been transformed into the mindless Freak via the application of Tony Stark's Enervation Intensifier machine. In an attempt to return him to normal, Shell-Head must apply full-intensity, but a power feedback drives Iron Man to his knees, with The Freak at his heels. If he does not continue his task, his friend will not be cured, and he may lose his own life in the bargain. (How did "Enervation Intensifier" get past The Comics Code?)
Mere moments before he reaches the Golden Avenger, the Fearsome Freak begins to slow his stride, and the rays from the Enervator strike him. Iron Man strives to remove his armor, which has begun to glow red-hot from the feedback, and sees that his plan is working. As Shell-Head struggles to stay awake, a battle is also taking place within the body of the frenzied Freak, whose profile blurs and soon reshapes itself back into Happy Hogan.
Happy is out cold, while Tony Stark succeeds in removing his armor before the smoldering armor would have been his tomb, then presses his left hip pod to activate the magnets, which causes his boots to contract, then recalls how his friend now knows his secret from the battle with The Titanium Man!
With his armor now stored within his attache case, Tony sees to Happy, and seeks to bring him back to consciousness, regardless of the risk to his own secret identity, knowing that as the millionaire industrialist, he'd be no match for his foes, and would have to wear his armor 24 hours a day!
While Happy revives, Tony remembers how his friend succeeded in bringing him the weapon he needed to win the battle against The Titanium Man, and also recalls how his friend was injured in the battle. Happy knew who the man behind Shell-Head's mask was. Now awake, it's Tony's turn to be surprised when he learns that Happy Hogan has lost his memory.
When Tony calls him "Happy," Hogan wonders why he has such a ridiculous name? THUMP! As Happy turns to the sound of men seeking to break down the door to the factory, Tony knows that it's Senator Byrd, armed with determination and a subpoena. Entering, the Senator sees that both the Freak and Iron Man have gone, leaving Tony Stark in their wake. He serves the summons for the millionaire industrialist to come to Washington and testify under oath about the truth about Iron Man. Standing closer, Byrd sneers as he sees how red Stark's eyes are from what he assumes was partying.
Pepper Potts is silent, but her gaze and mind is on Tony Stark, and how he's changed. She wonders how she could have ever loved him, while Tony tells her to take care of Happy while he's away with the Senator. Tony knows that Pepper believes him to be unfeeling, and wishes that he could tell her the truth, but there's no time. In the factory, Happy strives to remember, while Pepper offers her help, and wonders what happened to the Freak and Iron Man? Ten seconds have past since that exchange. The people in the police car look up into the night's sky to see a dark mass of clouds and strange flashing bolts.
The police car is caught in the shimmering light, which pulses as if alive, and has stopped the engine. In exactly three seconds, the vehicle and those inside have vanished from sight.
Shifting to Red China, within the castle of the Mandarin, he who wields the many rings has caught the prize he has sought. He turns to find General Yen and his troops, who have come asking for his aid in the Red Army. Mandy is less than pleased at being sought out for work, and presses a button which causes a shower of giant hailstones to shower towards the troops.
Only General Yen is left and both soldiers beg for mercy, stating that they have been following another's orders. They are given leave by the Mandarin, who states that he serves no nation, and will soon have all the world beneath his heel. Their departure means the dawning of his power on the masses of mankind. Turning back to his console, the Mandarin completes his task. Half a world away, the police car reappears in a flash of light, and inside, Senator Byrd learns that there is one less millionaire playboy in their midst.
Tony Stark finds himself caught in the grip of a disturbance in the space-time continuum, and knows that only a super-intellect could have accomplished this feat. Soon, the owner of said brain appears before him. The millionaire industrialist can only wonder why the Mandarin has sought him out and learns that it was originally Iron Man who was being sought on the multidimensional trans-scanner. When he could not be found, his employer was deemed a suitable substitute. Since The Golden Avenger has been the only one to defeat him in the past, it is suitable that his foe be represented in the form of his employer, to watch helplessly as this scheme is enacted. It is his greatest creation who is to be released. It is Ultimo who will enable The Mandarin to enslave mankind. He envisions having Iron Man in his power, cowering helplessly in his wake.
The Mandarin still feels the pain when Shell-Head punched him in the jaw, but yearns to deliver a solid karate chop to the Golden Avenger. When Tony asks about Ultimo, the Mandarin zaps the attache case from his grasp, figuring that it may be booby-trapped with explosives. It is sent through the window via the power of one of his rings! Now, Tony Stark is unable to become Iron Man, while the Mandarin activates the lever to bring Ultimo to life, and out on the countryside. A long-dormant volcano erupts with the emergence of a gigantic figure. As Ultimo takes his first steps, Tony's attaché case sinks deeper and deeper in the moat of the Mandarin's castle. With much at stake, and the characters in their places, this adventure is about to be continued.
The creative team for this story were Stan Lee, Adam Austin, Gary Michaels, and Sam Rosen.
A fine story written by Stan Lee, who drops us in the climax of the previous issue with the Fearsome Freak to be dealt with, while the Mandarin waits in the wings with his rings. Adam Austin and Gary Michaels were none other than Gene Colan and the late Jack Abel, the team supreme of 1966 when this issue came out.
Both the Unspeakable Ultimo and the Freak are men or monsters of very few or no words at all.
The events in the castle of the Mandarin shows why these places tend to have few visitors and why villains tend to remain undisturbed.
Posts: 20900 | From: PA | Registered: Aug 2002
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Aah... The Freak! I've no complaints about him artistically (especially as he was created by Gene Colan), but he was a writer's crutch on Shell-Head's book during the 60's & 70's. I remember at least three Freak stories, and each had the exact same plot. Tony experiments with the technology that created the Freak, knowing of its terrible consequences. Still, he convinces everyone that he knows how to avoid re-creating the Freak. He performs the experiment, and whaddya know? The Freak is back, and Shell-Head has to try & stop his rampage & revert him to normal, all the while moaning that he feels responsible for this... Y'think?!
With reckless mad scientists like Stark back then, it's a wonder how there wasn't a Super-Human Registration Act during the Nixon administration!
Posts: 53 | From: Madison, WI 53704 | Registered: Jun 2001
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