Comic Browser:

Iron Man #268

May 1991

John Byrne, Paul Ryan

Story Name:

First Blood

Synopsis

Iron Man #268 synopsis by T Vernon

Rating:

Iron Man again ponders the mystery of the implanted chip keeping Tony Stark a prisoner in the armor and his mind once again drifts back to his origin...
...after Tony collapses in Wong Chu's cabin, the bandit leader orders his body thrown on the dump, despite Professor Yinsen's pleading....
Tony's reverie switches over to the Mandarin's musings as Chen Hsu reminds him of the same period...
...the Mandarin berates Wong Chu for risking the life of Tony Stark who, with Yinsen, are the only ones who can unlock the full power of the Mandarin's rings. Wong Chu returns to his compound as Yinsen is helping Tony don the breastplate that will slow the progress of the shrapnel in his chest. Yinsen sacrifices himself to allow the breastplate to charge, also giving Tony the time to don the rest of the armor. Tony escapes and later challenges Wong Chu to a fight, using his superior abilities to take down the bragging bandit, overcoming his solders as well. The hero ignites a fuel dump which explodes around Wong Chu. Tony is unaware that the villain wasn't too close to the dump and survived, only long enough for the Mandarin to turn him into a bug and step on him. The villain ponders killing Tony at that point but decides not to....
Wrapping it up, Chen Hsu informs Mandarin that Fin Fang Foom is not the greatest of dragons, leaving Mandy to imagine the possibilities....
...and Tony ends up brooding on the irony of his being trapped in the armor now that he no longer needs it to function....

Review / Commentaries

Iron Man #268 Review by T Vernon (March 20, 2018)

Review: See the review under issue #267.

Comments: Part two of two. Wong Chu survived the blast (and the squish), reappearing in IRON MAN (1998 series) #31-32 and IRON MAN ANNUAL 2000. Readers are directed to the then-current issues of NAMOR to see Tony get back at the Marrs siblings.

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Main/1st Story Full Credits

John Byrne

Paul Ryan

Bob Wiacek

Paul Becton

Paul Ryan (Cover Penciler)
Bob Wiacek (Cover Inker)

Additional Credits

Letterer: Michael Heisler.
Editor: Howard Mackie.

All stories. Listed in alphabetical order.

Fin Fang Foom

Iron Man
(Anthony Stark)

Mandarin

Plus: Chen Hsu.

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