Comic Browser:

#503
#504
#505
#506
#507
#508
#509
#510
#511
#512
#513
#514
#515
#516
#517
#518
#519
#520
#521
#522
#523
#524
#525
#526
Selector

Invincible Iron Man #508

Sep 2011
Matt Fraction, Salvador Larroca

Story Name:

Fear Itself part 5: If I ever get out of here


Synopsis

Invincible Iron Man #508 synopsis by Rob Johnson
Rating: 4 stars
This issue again follows 2 separate threads:- Tony Stark in Asgard and Pepper Potts on Earth.

In Svartalfheim Tony has been engulfed by a mud golem empowered by his own DNA. He fights his way free and activates his Iron Man armour. But it won't work properly. And the golem reforms into an image of his armoured form, whose touch is painful. The golem seems to be draining Tony's lifeforce.

Then the Dwarves Tony's been working with burst in and attack the golem, led by Splitlip. They restrain their foe. Iron Man tries to help but is still too drained. Then there is some sort of repulsor ray connection, a blast, and the golem explodes and Iron Man recovers.

As the Dwarves clear up the muddy mess of golem bits, Tony swears inwardly to be a reformed character if he survives Fear Itself. Splitlip tells him that a couple of Smoke Elves they found were probably responsible for the golem. He offers Tony alcohol, the Dwarves cure for everything. But alcoholic Tony finally refuses a drink.

In Paris the Worthy Mokk/Grey Gargoyle has Pepper (in her Rescue armour) and Sasha Hammer (in her Detroit Steel suit) in strangle grips. 3 other Detroit Steel Corpsmen have Mokk in their sights. Sasha orders them to fire, which at least makes him let the women go. Under cover of the 'fog of war' Sasha tries to hit Rescue with her electronic whips.

While the women fight, Mokk smashes 1 of the Corpsmen. Rescue abandons her defence to leap on Mokk, telling Sasha to help save her soldiers. But Sasha does that by ordering her surviving 2 men to retreat, and leave Pepper to Mokk (even though 1 of them is loathe to do so). They also abandon the search for the original Detroit Steel, Doug Johnson.

Gargoyle tears Rescue's helmet off. Pepper believes that if she doesn't look at Mokk's eyes, she won't be turned to stone. But Mokk says he can wait, she's bound to look sometime.

Back in Svartalfheim, Odin arrives, along with Thor, to bless the Asgardian weapons that the Dwarves have made for the Avengers. To receive the blessing they must be dunked in molten Uru metal. Tony chooses to have his armour blessed, and dives into the Uru vat.


 

Review / Commentaries


Invincible Iron Man #508 Review by (February 12, 2013)
It seems to me that Tony Stark beats the golem through prayer, and then gives thanks afterwards by promising to be a good boy. Of course it's unclear whether he's praying to God or to Odin. The villains that were seen last issue and now named Smoke Elves have I believe never been seen before or since. And I can't find any mythical reference to such. We saw in #504 that Mokk (unlike Grey gargoyle) turned people to stone with his eyes. Now it seems that you have to look Mokk in the eyes to be affected (like a Gorgon). Iron Man was not affected in #504 because of his armour. Detroit Steel (Doug Johnson) was only turned to stone after his armour was torn open. So Mokk has to remove Rescue's helmet here. This doesn't explain how Pepper knows not to look at him. Tony didn't seem to work it out in #504-505. Doug Johnson was turned to stone in #505. He will presumably be cured along with everyone else by Odin in Fear Itself #7.3. And he will resurface in #511.


> Invincible Iron Man comic book info and issue index

Elektra

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

Salvador Larroca
Salvador Larroca
Frank D'Armata
Salvador Larroca (Cover Penciler)
Salvador Larroca (Cover Inker)
Frank D'Armata (Cover Colorist)
Additional Credits
Letterer: Joe Caramagna.
Editor: Alejandro Arbona.

Characters

Listed in Alphabetical Order.

Grey Gargoyle
Grey Gargoyle

(Paul Pierre Duval)
Iron Man
Iron Man

(Anthony Stark)
Pepper Potts
Pepper Potts

(Pepper Hogan)
Thor
Thor

(Odinson)

Plus: Detroit Steel Corps, Sasha Hammer, Splitlip.