Iron Man in 1965

This year, we roll into an extended storyline where Stark is too scared to remove his costume, as it is connected to supportive machinery and he fears that his heart will give out. This brings us to a new temporary status quo where Iron Man is a full time hero, Stark disappears for a while, and both Potts and Hogan become suspicious of Iron Man’s motives.

Stark also temporarily fakes his death. When he comes back, he commits to giving Pepper Potts the cold shoulder, so she can turn her attentions to Happy Hogan.

I don’t consider the storyline particularly effective or interesting. Stark as a billionaire industrialist, pumping his own tech into his superhero exploits, is a fun enough concept. There’s also little in the way of developmental forward motion.

There is a small, yet entertaining arc toward the end of the year, though. The US and USSR set up a neutral battlefield and let Iron Man and Titanium Man battle it out for supremacy. Titanium Man cheats, Happy is seriously wounded, and one of Stark’s old romantic interests plans some subterfuge. It’s a good break from the usual “supervillain-of-the-month” stuff.

I will add, though, that I really like the split book concept that Tales of Suspense introduced this year. With Captain America getting de-iced and returning to the Marvel pantheon, Iron Man gave up half his book each month. Frankly, I think many of the Marvel characters from this era could have benefitted from it (*cough* Thor *cough*).

Another thing I’ve noticed: when Stark is alone and pulls off his mask, the colorist uses a muted blue color in the panel. It effectively expresses that Stark is alone, even when surrounded by people just a few feet away.

Rating: