Invincible Iron Man #211: Review

Oct 1986

Howard Mackie, Alex Saviuk

Story Name:

“Seeing the Light

Review & Comments

Rating:

Invincible Iron Man #211 Review by T Vernon (December 12, 2016)

Comments: Living Laser previously caused trouble for Iron Man in IRON MAN #152-153 (though an editor's note claims it was #154). He will be back for an extended stay in issues #258 and following.

Review: Very nice issue with the artists going above and beyond in portraying the Living Laser in his less substantial form. Rhodey wallowing in self-pity for the first half of the issue gets a bit annoying but he sorts himself out by the end and I hope this is the last of his whining.

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Synopsis / Summary / Plot

Invincible Iron Man #211 Synopsis by T Vernon

Iron Man is in space investigating a malfunctioning satellite when he is overwhelmed by a brilliant burst of colors followed by a beam of light shooting toward Earth. He returns to the space station where Rhodey and Clytemnestra talk it over with him until Tony recognizes the marks of the Living Laser, who apparently overloaded and exploded on their last meeting....

Bethany Cabe is in Germany seeking her drug addicted husband Alex. She is accosted in the street by a gang of punks and kicks the crap out of them and takes off. Moments later she finds Alex and demands he sign divorce papers; Alex declines and hurries off....

The light beam has been traced to Southern California and Tony suggests that Rhodey take the shuttle back there and check it out in the Iron Man armor. Rhodey, who has been wallowing in self-pity for most of the issue, angrily refuses. Tony apologizes and says he will take care of it himself. Returning to Earth, Rhodey has second thoughts, realizing he didn't do too bad of a job as Iron Man and decides to suit up....

In Southern Cal, the light beam lands near a drunken derelict and resolves itself into the Living Laser. The bum offers him a drink but the bottle slips through LL's hands and he realizes something is wrong, he can't solidify. Police arrive and LL disintegrates their guns and escapes though a wall....

Bethany finds Alex but the gang of punks from earlier has given him an overdose and he is dead....

Iron Man (Tony) locates Living Laser and offers to help him but the villain blames Shellhead for his condition and there is a fight. The Laser's powers have increased; Iron Man lures him into the sky but he is at the mercy of his more powerful foe. Rhodey arrives in the armor and provokes LL into chasing him until Tony comes back with something to stop the villain: a pair of mirrored cupolas. The Iron Men each take one and trap Living Laser inside....

After a sad vigil at Alex's graveside, Bethany tracks down the punks who killed him with the police in tow....

Epilogue: Tony drops off Living Laser with Hank Pym, hoping he can find a way to restore him to normal. After this latest exploit as Iron Man Rhodey is now confident that he can face anything....