Invincible Iron Man #148: Review

Jul 1981

David Michelinie, John Romita Jr.

Story Name:

Siege!

Review & Comments

Rating:

Invincible Iron Man #148 Review by T Vernon (August 19, 2015)

Comments: Caliguerra looks like it should be Spanish for “hot war,” which may be appropriate.

Review: Nice little political tale with some fairly simplistic anti-revolutionary rhetoric. The odd part is an uncharacteristically suspicious Captain America wanting assurance that American interests will not be compromised, a more right-wing sentiment than was usual at the time. But it was “morning in America” with the start of the Reagan years and it looks like the issue’s creators were less than overjoyed—even when they agreed with Reagan’s positions on the subject. Or I could be reading a more cynical tone into the story. Anyway, this done-in-one tale has the requisite thrills (a Quinjet breaking into small pieces) and humor (the invincible Iron Man terrorizing the villain’s cowardly gang with his superior weaponry). And I want a helicopter/RV!

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Synopsis / Summary / Plot

Invincible Iron Man #148 Synopsis by T Vernon

In the Central American nation of Costa Diablo, a military junta has overthrown the government and the rebel leader Caliguerra leads his men to seize control of the local branch of Stark International and take away the manager Ricardo Pruz….
Meanwhile, Tony Stark gets the news while on a camping trip to the Canadian Rockies with Yvette Avril (and Jarvis to do all the hard work). Tony and company climb into the RV which coverts into a helicopter and they head back to Long Island. From the office, Tony calls a government official who tells him they can do nothing about the coup in Costa Diablo for political reasons. Feeling that his staff is his responsibility, he formulates a plan and shares it with Rhodey, Vic Martinelli, and Artemus Pithens. As Iron Man he borrows a Quinjet from the Avengers, assuring Captain America that his plan will not compromise American interests….
Entering Costa Diablo’s airspace, the Quinjet is bombarded by magnetic waves and shakes to pieces. Iron Man jets out to the falling debris and heads through a waterfall for the secret entrance to the Stark office. He moves though the building, overpowering the guards and locates the hostages where they are being forced to work in the development lab. Again Shellhead quickly takes out the remaining guards; the staff tells him that the manager Ricardo Pruz is being held captive at the Presidential Place. He escorts the freed workers to the airport where Rhodey flies them to safety after Iron Man wrecks the magnetic cannon. Arriving at the palace, Iron Man destroys another cannon but a tank fires an electric cable around him; the hero grabs the cable and hurls the tank into the forest. Dodging Freon pellets and a rocket launcher, the Golden Avenger enters the dictator’s quarters to find that Caliguerra is only a figurehead; Pruz is the real leader of the revolution, using Stark money to finance it. There is nothing to be done, and Iron Man departs, a warning on his lips….
Epilogue: Two days later, Tony Stark learns that Ricardo Pruz has been declared an enemy of the people and executed in Costa Diablo….