Invincible Iron Man #182: Review

May 1984

Dennis O'Neil, Luke McDonnell

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Story Name:

Deliverance

Review & Comments

Rating:

Invincible Iron Man #182 Review by T Vernon (April 18, 2016)

Comments: Conclusion of the subplot about Tony's drinking problem. Brief cameos by Captain America, Thor, Hawkeye, Falcon as they return from SECRET WARS. Future comics writer Barry Dutter has a letter in the mail page. I don't know what becomes of the baby; is it ever mentioned again? Does anyone out there know?

Rob adds:-
The Marvel Wiki tells us that Gretl's baby will make 1 more appearance in #200, as part of finishing off the whole drunk Tony/ Rhodey as Iron Man/ Obadiah Stane story.

Review: A grim and intense character study takes over the superhero comics for this issue and the result is a heavily personal story on the temporal salvation of Tony Stark. The mounting snow, his helpless search, the unheeded advice of the pawnbroker, Tony's bitter reverie about his Iron Man identity, and the many silent panels build the suspense until the moment of crisis comes. Poor Gretl; in a story like this she would be doomed. The final bitter detail: the cynical gravedigger who accords her no respect, even in death. If there is only one flaw in the issue, it's the fractured continuity: Gretl only learned she was pregnant in issue #179; from the main story it is clear that only a few days have gone by so...she didn't know she was pregnant until she was nearly to term? Alcohol really does mess with your head. Also most of the snow is already gone from Central Park in what seems like only hours after the storm but that's a minor quibble in view of that huge error just mentioned.

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Synopsis / Summary / Plot

Invincible Iron Man #182 Synopsis by T Vernon

As a major blizzard batters Manhattan, Tony searches desperately for the missing Gretl; he pawns his overcoat and passes up a chance at shelter to purchase an expensive bottle of wine to celebrate the “end of living.” Sinking deeper into sorrow and self-pity, he wanders through the mounting snow, awaiting his end. Now Gretl finds him and tells him her baby is coming. He tries to get her somewhere safe but the snow is too much and they seek shelter in a doorway. Tony delivers the baby, a boy, and Gretl dies; Tony wraps the baby in his suit coat and it is in this position that police officers discover them later and rush them to the hospital. The baby is healthy and Tony has a fifty-fifty chance....
Suddenly in Central Park, all of the missing superheroes emerge from the alien structure and heads their separate ways. Iron Man (Rhodey) want to test his new additions. He fires at a hillside and the blast is greater than he was thinking. Returning home, he meets with Morley Erwin who tells him Tony is in the hospital. Rhodey wonders if any part of Tony' malady was his fault but Tony awakens and tells how keeping Gretl's baby safe made him realize that his own life was precious; now he admits he needs help....
Epilogue: A week later Tony Stark is released from the hospital, ready to reclaim his life....

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