Invincible Iron Man #96: Review

Mar 1977

Bill Mantlo, George Tuska

Story Name:

Only a Friend Can Save Him

Review & Comments

Rating:

Invincible Iron Man #96 Review by T Vernon (July 15, 2014)

Review: Exciting issue is hurt by a dumb denouement: no, there isn’t a volcano under Washington DC and if there was, Ultimo crashing through into it would cause a lot more trouble than it solved. As would SHIELD’s dropping the atomic bomb on the nation’s capital; let me guess, the Helicarrier is on the French Riviera at this time? [I knew this sounded familiar: that’s the plan from THE AVENGERS movie, involving New York and aliens.] And finally Michael O’Brien does something other than endlessly vow revenge—it’s about time. Nice cover is a lot cooler than the story inside.

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Synopsis / Summary / Plot

Invincible Iron Man #96 Synopsis by T Vernon

Iron Man, beaten down by Ultimo and still suffering chest pains, tries to rise to stop the monster rampaging in Washington. A small aircraft zooms in from the sky and fires upon Ultimo causing some damage. The craft lands and its occupant, Jasper Sitwell, emerges to take the injured hero into his craft and fly to safety but Iron Man has a different plan. He quickly charges himself with the ship’s battery then ejects himself into the air to face off against Ultimo again, backed by the Army. Meanwhile, Senator Hawk wonders why all Stark manufactured technology in Washington went down when Ultimo appeared….
At Stark International on Long Island, Michael O’Brien bluffs his way past the guards, claiming he is there on official police business. Outside Harry Key waits, resentful of O’Brien for having hit him (issue #92). Krissy Longfellow spies O’Brien entering the secret lab and summons security then follows the intruder inside…where she is thumped on the head….
Meanwhile, the weakened and suffering Iron Man is having a hard time against his massive foe so he tunnels into the earth, hoping to draw Ultimo away from the city. [Mean-meanwhile, a mystery figure steals Tony Stark’s briefcase from where he left it when he arrived.] Jasper Sitwell has been ordered by his SHIELD superiors to give Iron Man fifteen minutes to defeat the monster and then to call for a nuclear strike on the city. No need, as Shellhead has led Ultimo into blasting a hole in the crust down to the volcanic fault below and being destroyed by the sudden inferno. Jasper helps the exhausted hero to safety…
Meanwhile at the Stark lab, Krissy awakens to see Michael O’Brien, dressed in the Guardsman armor, ready to take his revenge against Iron Man….