Comic Browser:

Iron Man #33

Jan 1971

Allyn Brodsky, Don Heck

Story Name:

Their Mission: Destroy Stark Industries

Synopsis

Iron Man #33 synopsis by T Vernon

Rating:

The sinister Spymaster gathers the Espionage Elite for a mission against Stark Industries. The Elite are ex-Soviet spy Marya Penskyov; Samson Washington, strongman and Rhodes Scholar; Farley London, magician and master of disguise; electronics wizard Godfried Herter; and athlete/gymnast Roger Phillips. Having assembled his team, the Spymaster explains his plan….
Late at night, Tony Stark broods over his recent troubles as Iron Man (briefly recapping issues #26, and 28-32, skipping the story with Firebrand). Yet he also recalls his glory days with the Avengers and so wakes up in a better mood the next day, feeling like his life has purpose again. While on the phone to his banker, Kevin O’Brien rushes in with some good news but Tony chews him out for interrupting. He then gets a call from Nick Fury that the Espionage Elite is scheming to destroy Stark Industries and asks him to a rendezvous at midnight; Tony then calls for a meeting with Jasper Sitwell and his security chiefs.
Meanwhile, the Espionage Elite has already been at work. Herter, impersonating a telephone repairman, planted a bomb in the Stark building and London placed two more, disguised as an elderly tourist and a job applicant. Later, at the meeting with Sitwell, Tony plays a pre-recorded tape of Iron Man refusing to aid Stark any longer, figuring the situation will boost Jasper’s ego and keep him from brooding over Whitney Frost. They are interrupted by an explosion—but it isn’t one planned by the saboteurs; instead it comes from Kevin O’Brien’s lab. Tony changes to Iron Man and finds the inventor unharmed in the wreckage. He yells at Jasper about disregarding safety procedures and Kevin notices that an angry Iron Man sounds a lot like the angry Tony Stark from the morning….
Later, after Tony leaves for the late night meeting with Nick Fury, the bombs go off at Stark Industries. The Espionage Elite agents enter the building and take down the guards. Near the top secret file room, Kevin attacks the spies but is knocked out for his troubles. At the meeting with Nick Fury, Tony is gassed by Fury, who is Farley London in disguise, and awakens a prisoner in the headquarters of the Espionage Elite….

Review / Commentaries

Iron Man #33 Review by T Vernon (April 3, 2013)

Review: Some cool spy stuff as the series copies the then-popular TV series MISSION IMPOSSIBLE, though the scheme is never as elaborate or as clever as the ones the show was famous for. The Spymaster is seen very little and none of the Espionage Elite are particularly interesting. Result: a fair but undistinguished issue. At least Tony is done brooding—for now.

Comments: First of a two-part story. First appearance of the Spymaster and the Espionage Elite. Master of disguise London is drawn to resemble actor Leonard Nimoy, who played master of disguise Paris on MISSION IMPOSSIBLE; see what they did there?

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This comic is in the following collection:

Collecting IRON MAN (1968) #26-67 and DAREDEVIL (1964) #73.

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Main/1st Story Full Credits

Allyn Brodsky

Don Heck

Mike Esposito

Sal Buscema (Cover Penciler)
Sal Buscema (Cover Inker)

Additional Credits

Letterer: Jean Simek.
Editor: Stan Lee.

All stories. Listed in alphabetical order.

Avengers

Iron Man
(Anthony Stark)

Jasper Sitwell

Nick Fury
(Nicholas Fury)

Plus: Kevin O'Brien, Whitney Frost, Espionage Elite, Spymaster (Spymaster 1).

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