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Iron Man #67

Apr 1974

Mike Friedrich, George Tuska

Story Name:

Return of the Freak

Synopsis

Iron Man #67 synopsis by T Vernon

Rating:

When the new air-conditioning unit at Gaines Motors topples from the roof, Iron Man is on the scene to catch the massive piece of machinery and lower it safely to the ground. Shellhead then rushes to the hospital were the gravely injured Eddie March is being prepped for surgery by Dr Don Blake. [Roxie Gilbert, meanwhile, plans to spend the time while her ruined shop is being rebuilt (it was destroyed by Rokk in issue #64) on a personal mission to Southeast Asia.] At the hospital Tony Stark learns from Don that Eddie’s condition is worse than he thought; Tony suggests his Enervator which saved Happy Hogan’s life but turned him into the Freak (TALES OF SUSPENSE #74). They employ the device and, sure enough, Eddie turns into a rampaging brute just as the power drain caused by the machine blacks out the hospital. Wreckage buried Don’s cane, preventing him from turning into Thor. Iron Man does everything he can to stop his insane friend without hurting him but none of it works. He must also prevent the police from shooting Eddie while he uses small bursts of Repulsor rays to drive him back to the operating room. The Freak goes after the generator and to stop him from being electrocuted, he uses a karate chop to a vital nerve and, unconscious, the monster changes back into Eddie. Iron Man helps Don recover his cane and complete the operation. After the surgery, Don announces that Eddie will live but the beating he took as Iron Man (last issue) will leave him in a wheelchair.
Epilogue: Tony stops by to visit Roxie Gilbert and finds a note saying that she is going to Vietnam to search for Eddie’s brother who was listed as Missing in Action (that’s why Eddie came to visit Tony back in issue #63). Tony decides to follow her, leaving the still-upset Pepper behind. The final panel promises the coming of Sunfire…

Review / Commentaries

Iron Man #67 Review by T Vernon (December 10, 2013)

Review: Another Freak? Yes but this time it’s different—it’s not Happy Hogan but Eddie March, another friend of Tony’s who Iron Man has to subdue without harming him! The second Freak tale (IM #3) was just a rehash of the first—and this is a reprise of both of them, minus the complications with Pepper. They will bring back the Freak one more time, in issues #84-85, but then they will try a new twist—the Freak will be a walking bomb! Anyway, this story isn’t bad, just overly familiar—something they didn’t have to worry about when these comics were coming out monthly as the previous appearance was six years earlier. That’s the down side of being able to read collections of comics, sometimes being able to survey them all at once doesn’t improve them. PS Tony should just put the enervator in mothballs—fewer plot complications that way.

Comments: Sole appearance of Eddie March as the Freak.

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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

Mike Friedrich

George Tuska

Mike Esposito

George Roussos

Gil Kane (Cover Penciler)
Mike Esposito (Cover Inker)

Additional Credits

Letterer: Tom Orzechowski.
Editor: Roy Thomas.

All stories. Listed in alphabetical order.

Donald Blake

Iron Man
(Anthony Stark)

Pepper Potts
(Pepper Hogan)

Thor
(Odinson)

Plus: Roxanne Gilbert, Eddie March.

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