Comic Browser:

Iron Man #251

Dec 1989

Dwayne McDuffie, Herb Trimpe

Story Name:

Wrecked Him? He Nearly Killed Him!

Synopsis

Iron Man #251 synopsis by T Vernon

Rating:

Seeing a bridge about to collapse, Iron Man jets down, catches falling cars, and obliterates falling debris. The situation in hand, he returns to the plane where he and James Rhodes head to their destination: Stark Prosthetics. This new division of the company is headed up by Curtis Carr, the former villain Chemistro, who wishes to make amends for the past. Curtis shows Tony Stark around, thanking him for funding the division after he lost the use of his own legs (issues #243-248)....

Trouble is brewing outside: the Wrecker has been offered a great deal of money by the Kingpin to destroy Iron Man—so he hurls a huge tree into the Stark Prosthetics building, causing a collapse. Tony sneaks off and returns as Iron Man to aid Rhodey in rescuing staff and patients. Wrecker then destroys Tony's plane and takes on Iron Man, overmatching the hero in strength. The fight goes badly for Iron Man, his systems shutting down from the brutal beating he's taking. The villain hurls the burning wreckage of the plane at the crowd of employees and Shellhead is injured by grabbing the fiery mass out of the air. Wrecker buries him under a hill then pries him out of the ground, beating on him with his crowbar.... [Curtis rushes off to summon help; he calls the only superguy he knows, his brother Calvin, the current Chemistro. Calvin declines.] Iron Man, helpless under his enemy's blows takes a chance and magnetizes his armor and Wrecker's crowbar. The charges repel each other, hurling the armored hero to safety as the baddie's bar attracts all of the cars in the parking lot, burying him under a downpour of steel. As Iron Man tries to recover, Chemistro arrives—but not to help. Instead, he's there to complete the job of killing Iron Man....

Review / Commentaries

Iron Man #251 Review by T Vernon (November 14, 2017)

Comments: Part one of two parts; part of the ACTS OF VENGEANCE storyline in which several supervillains team up to destroy their hated enemies by setting them against unfamiliar foes. The title alludes to the punch line of a tasteless joke which shall not be repeated here. Curtis Carr was the villain Chemistro, appearing in LUKE CAGE, HERO FOR HIRE #12; his kid brother Calvin was the third Chemistro, debuting in POWER MAN AND IRON FIST #93-96. The Wrecker escaped from The Vault in AVENGERS SPOTLIGHT #26. On page 20, Curtis' and Calvin's names are inadvertently switched.

Review: Cool battle issue (I miss these. It seems like most comics nowadays are full of brooding heroes, not kid-oriented slugging matches) is marred by some genuinely inferior art by the great Herb Trimpe. Check out Rhodey's weird mug on p. 10 and Curtis' goofy face on the last page! Marvel at how the Wrecker's head changes shape from panel to panel! How the mighty have fallen—but the worst is yet to come!

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Main/1st Story Full Credits

Dwayne McDuffie

Herb Trimpe

Al Milgrom

Paul Becton

Herb Trimpe (Cover Penciler)
Herb Trimpe (Cover Inker)

Additional Credits

Letterer: Rick Parker.
Editor: Howard Mackie.

All stories. Listed in alphabetical order.

Iron Man
(Anthony Stark)

James Rhodes
(Rhodey)

Wrecker
(Dirk Garthwaite)

Plus: Chemistro (Curtis Carr), Chemistro (Calvin Carr).

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