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Iron Man #13

May 1969

Archie Goodwin, George Tuska

Story Name:

Captives of the Controller

Synopsis

Iron Man #13 synopsis by T Vernon

Rating:

Back at his mansion, the Controller adds the unconscious Iron Man and Janice Cord to his Mental-Wave Absorbatron, which uses the bodies of captives as batteries to power his exo-skeleton. But Iron Man has a surprise: he was only feigning the effect of the disc which was not strong enough to work through his armor. The two battle inside the lab but the super-powered Controller defeats Iron Man and activates a battery of melting beams hidden in the walls. Shellhead dodges them by means of his jet skates but is sucked into a vacuum disposal tube, chewed up, and dumped into the sea. Unbeknownst to the villain, however, Iron Man had used his repulsor rays to blast through the deadly gears so that he was ejected intact, and is able to plan for the next encounter….
Later that day, the Controller stops a train with his sheer strength, enslaves the crew and passengers and has the Absorbatron loaded aboard so that his power source is nearby, as he heads to his destination: New York City! But Jasper Sitwell is on the scene, dispatched by Nick Fury in response to SHIELD’s ESP Unit’s detection of unusual mental activity. He links up with Iron Man who fills him in on the situation and tells Fury to let him handle the matter as a psychic attack by the ESPers may cause a feedback and kill the victims. Fury reluctantly agrees but warns the hero that he will have to give the order for a psy-attack if Iron Man does not succeed. Shellhead does what he can to slow the deadly journey to the city: first by causing a landslide then proceeding to direct attacks on the enemy, but the Controller is more than a match for him. As the fight progresses aboard the speeding train the villain finds the hero’s blows becoming more painful and his exo-skeleton losing strength, Iron Man reveals that while the Controller was clearing the landslide Jasper Sitwell had uncoupled the car carrying the Absorbatron and his power source is now too far behind to help the seriously weakened villain. He contacts Nick Fury just in time to prevent the psy-attack.
Epilogue: Janice is happy to be free and is eager to concentrate of Tony but he brushes her off, wondering if he would have been able to make the tough call if Janice’s life were in danger. He goes off to brood….

Review / Commentaries

Iron Man #13 Review by T Vernon (November 14, 2012)

Review: That all-red cover is a knockout! And the story inside is pretty exciting, though as with many first appearances by a baddie it’s just a matter of exploiting his one weakness. The true test of a villain is whether he learns from it.

Comments: Part two of a two-part story. Return of the rocket-powered roller skates!

> Iron Man comic book info and issue index

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This comic is in the following collection:

Collecting IRON MAN (1968) #1-25, and material from TALES OF SUSPENSE (1959) #84-99 and IRON MAN AND THE SUB-MARINER #1.

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Marvel Iron Man MARK7 Statue ARTFX 1/6 Statue

Holy smokes, Batman!
(The Boy Wonder)

Main/1st Story Full Credits

Archie Goodwin

George Tuska

Johnny Craig

Unknown

Jack Kirby (Cover Penciler)
Jack Kirby (Cover Inker)

Additional Credits

Letterer: Herb Cooper.
Editor: Stan Lee.

All stories. Listed in alphabetical order.

Iron Man
(Anthony Stark)

Jasper Sitwell

Nick Fury
(Nicholas Fury)

S.H.I.E.L.D.

Controller
(Basil Sandhurst)

Plus: Janice Cord.

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