Invincible Iron Man #29: Review

Sep 1970

Mimi Gold, Don Heck

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Story Name:

Save the People, Save the Country

Review & Comments

Rating:

Invincible Iron Man #29 Review by T Vernon (March 6, 2013)

Review: Fill-in issue between two regular writers is an enjoyable if undistinguished tale. Iron Man fights a giant robot? Small-scale Latin American revolution (seriously, how big is this country?)? Cheap pathos in killing a kid only to have him turn up unharmed on the last page? More Iron Man fighting a giant robot? Chic Stone’s inking gives Don Heck’s usually light pencils a more substantial (and shadowy) look which suits the story.

Comments: Tony ends the story agonizing that he doesn’t have a cause to fight for; this would be more convincing if he weren’t a member of the, y’know, Avengers. Even if he was inactive at this time, he could always go back.

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Synopsis / Summary / Plot

Invincible Iron Man #29 Synopsis by T Vernon

While sailing in the Caribbean, Tony Stark encounters a drifting boat containing several castaways suffering from exposure. Their leader, Maria, explains that they are revolutionaries from a Latin American nation which is under the tight control of the Overseer, a huge computer which oppresses the people by means of its ever-present surveillance cameras. Their attempted coup failed and the group managed to escape in the boat. Tony drops them off at the nearest friendly port then decides to visit the downtrodden nation–as Iron Man. Landing stealthily on the island, Iron Man tracks down the control center, dodges a few traps, and confronts the Overseer, a massive malevolent computer. Shellhead attacks but finds the digital dictator is fully able to defend itself, and the battle is joined. The Overseer then sends out his huge robot warrior, Myrmidon, which gives the Golden Avenger a hard time, since it can ably return blow for blow. Outside, the people become aware that all is not well with their overlord and rise up but are contained by the soldiers. Santo, Maria’s kid brother, is blasted by a ray from one of the surveillance machines and his death proves the rallying point for the villagers to overpower the guards. Meanwhile, Iron Man drops though a hole in the floor created by Myrmidon’s attacks and rips out the wiring of the master machine. He pulls the mousy operator out and carries him to safety as the entire building explodes. Outside, Iron Man talks the mob out of killing their oppressor and Santo is revealed to be alive and unharmed (!). The people set themselves to the task of rebuilding their country. Later, Maria thanks Tony Stark for sending Iron Man; Tony is impressed by her devotion to her cause and regrets he doesn’t have a cause of his own.

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