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Iron Man #78

Sep 1975
Bill Mantlo, George Tuska

Iron Man #78 cover

Story Name:

Long Time Gone

Synopsis

Iron Man #78 synopsis by T Vernon
Rating: 4 stars
After his experiences in Vietnam (issues#68-73, more or less), Tony Stark broods over the part he played in the War early in his career as Iron Man. He visited a US Army unit in ‘Nam to supervise the first use of a new gun which fires laser-guided shells up to twenty miles. Suddenly they were attacked by the Viet Cong and the Commander was killed. Iron Man ordered the firing of the new gun which got off a few shells before being bombed by an enemy plane. Iron Man was severely damaged in the explosion and awakens to find the rest of the American troops dead. He used the gun's mechanism to recharge his chest plate and explored the area. He was fired upon by a gunman who turned out to be a blind and frightened kid. He carried the boy home to discover the village was wiped out by the Stark shells. The hero used his Repulsor Rays to bury the dead villagers in a mass grave then cut the word “Why?” atop it. And he cried as he carried the boy off to another village. Today, Iron Man vows to avenge those whose lives were lost through the ignorance and prejudice of ignorant men like he once was….

 

Review / Commentaries

Iron Man #78 Review by (February 25, 2014)
Review: Another fill-in issue? Those guys must be having a lot of deadline trouble. At least it isn’t a silly throwaway issue like the next one. Here they tried to do something serious, presenting an anti-war tale which addresses the matter of their hero’s involvement in an increasingly unpopular war (and trying to cover the shifting views of the Marvel editorial board). They do a pretty good job of it too. Tuska’s and Colletta’s art, which could at times look silly, suits the darker, grimmer tale without becoming unreadable as a grittier style would have made it.

Comments: Story takes place around the time of TALES OF SUSPENSE #50.


> Iron Man comic book info and issue index

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Iron Man #78 cover

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Main/1st Story Full Credits

George Tuska
Vince Colletta
Phil Rachelson
Gil Kane (Cover Penciler)
Tom Palmer (Cover Inker)
Additional Credits
Letterer: John Costanza.
Editor: Len Wein.

Characters

All stories. Listed in alphabetical order.

Iron Man
Iron Man
(Anthony Stark)


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