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Invincible Iron Man #21

Oct 1999
Roger Stern, Mark Bagley

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Story Name:

Burning Need


Synopsis

Invincible Iron Man #21 synopsis by T Vernon
Rating: 4 stars
Iron Man and Warbird are battling a fire at a Roxxon refinery. As Shellhead searches for survivors his mind goes back to having to identify the third dead Madame Masque at the morgue. Warbird rushes back into the blaze to shut off the pipelines to stop the fire from spreading. Tony and Carol separately recall their talk of her drinking problem and her refusal to go to AA meetings because Carol has always handled her problems alone. (We get a flashback summary of Carol’s career here.) Iron Man is caught in an explosion while Warbird is trying to carry off a giant gas tank but he shows up to help her hurl the tank as far up as they can where it explodes. Tony scolds Carol for taking the risk in handling the tank alone but she insists she could have handled it if she had a drink. The argument leads to them parting with Tony hoping she fares better than he did.

2nd story:- Strange Things Done in the Midnight Sun (Eighth Day Prologue)

Pencils: Tom Grummett. Inks: Art Thibert.

Tony Stark arrives in Canada’s Nunavut Territory to participate in an archaeological dig. He meets Samantha McGee who resents living there and resents Tony and his wealth. Arriving at the site, Tony meets Dr. J. Vernon Mann (nicknamed “Java Mann”) and he drives Tony and Sam to the center of attention: the Temple of Balthaak far underground where Tony will try to open the massive doors. Tony also discovers that the dig is being financed by Abner Little, a shady operator whom Tony had turned down for a similar job….

A few days later, they are attacked by a flying vessel firing blasts at them; Tony dons the Iron Man armor and brings the ship down with an EMP. Emerging from the wrack are Count Andreas Zorba and Princess Zanda, colleagues of Abner Little; Zorba insists that his blasts were meant to clear the area for landing but Tony is still suspicious. Sam McGee notices that Dr. Mann had gotten a small door in the larger one open and she cautiously enters, finding the legendary Brazier of Balthaak. An explosive sound within causes Iron Man to enter and investigate and he is knocked out of the air by a fiery blast. Sam McGee has been transformed into Inferno, first of the Exemplars, sending out the call to others who will see the dawning of the Eighth Day….

Continued in THOR (1998) #17.



Story #2

Strange Things Done in the Midnight Sun (Eighth Day Prologue)

Penciler: Tom Grummett. Inker: Art Thibert. Colorist: Steve Oliff. Letterer: Comicraft.

Synopsis

By None
Rating: 3 stars


 

Review / Commentaries


Invincible Iron Man #21 Review by (February 11, 2020)
Comments: First story: Cameos in Warbird’s flashbacks: Captain Mar-Vell, Vision, Captain America, Thor, Absorbing Man, Marcus. Second story: First appearance and origin of Inferno (Samantha McGee); first appearance of J. Vernon “Java” Mann; Abner Little, of Jack Kirby’s BLACK PANTHER run, was seen previously in issue #18. Count Andras Zorba and Princess Zanda are also from Kirby’s Panther series. The discovery of King Hatap’s tomb took place in TALES OF SUSPENSE #44 wherein Shellhead met Cleopatra. Kurt Busiek and Roger Stern co-plotted this issue.

Review: The first story is another look at Carol Danvers’ drinking problem and a bit heavier-handed than most. Otherwise good. The second tale really takes off with the discovery of a massive McGuffin, the return of the Collectors (underutilized even by their creator, Jack Kirby), and the start of a new crossover event. Sam McGee will be shortchanged in this story as she will grouse a lot about her economic situation and resentment of Tony Stark before she turns into a supervillain who quickly gets lost in a group of superbaddies; her characterization seems wasted. But there’s more to come.



> Invincible Iron Man comic book info and issue index

Elektra
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Excelsioring your collection:
Marvel Iron Man MARK7 Statue ARTFX 1/6 Statue
Holy smokes, Batman!
(The Boy Wonder)

Mark Bagley
Eric Cannon
Steve Oliff
Dan Jurgens (Cover Penciler)
Art Thibert (Cover Inker)
? (Cover Colorist)
Additional Credits
Plot: . Letterer: Richard Starkings.
Editor: Bobbie Chase. Editor-in-chief: Bob Harras.

Characters

Listed in Alphabetical Order.

Iron Man
Iron Man

(Anthony Stark)

Plus: Abner Little, Andreas Zorba, Inferno (Samantha McGee), Java Mann (J. Vernon Mann), Princess Zanda, Warbird (Carol Danvers).