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Iron Man #15: Review

Dec 2021
Christopher Cantwell, Ibraim Roberson

Story Name:

What of Lazarus?


Synopsis

Iron Man #15 Synopsis by Rob Johnson
In #14 Korvac and Iron Man were both transmuted into gods by the Power Cosmic in Galactus' Worldship Taa II. Last issue we saw how Tony Stark evolved into the role and then confronted Korvac.

But this issue begins with the broken fragments of the planet Draconius and a voiceover claiming to be its last survivor who escaped seriously wounded in a flight drone. Then we see him enter a bar on the planet Satania and begin to write an account of how his world was destroyed by Korvac and the Iron God. He claims the Wobbows were peaceful shapeshifters but ready to defend themselves when necessary. But their star was extinguished in the battle between those 2 cosmic beings who had been fighting across the galaxy for some time.

We see the humongous Iron Man and Korvac accidentally bumping into planets (which as so often in comics space scenes are much closer together than they would be in reality) while they exchange blows and blasts and rhetoric. Stark disparages Korvac's plan for the universe (to bring peace to the whole place by making all life part of 1 thing called the Aggregate, as described in #7) and says he's already thought of millions of much better ideas. Korvac declares Tony's mind weak and small. Stark says he'd almost come to believe that himself but now he knows he's a genius. Korvac throws a planet at him ...

... and that was the end of Draconius. The Wobbows had been starting an evacuation after the death of their sun but now only our guy made it out, carrying with him a copy of Wobbow history.

The cosmic duo continue to fight. Korvac says the death of that civilisation was a necessary sacrifice to stop Stark's interference, but if Iron Man stands down no more need to die - except himself. The fleeing Wobbow sees the Iron God tear a hole into another universe. Stark sends Korvac through it and follows him (and it seems the Wobbow is dragged along with them). IM says the Power Cosmic allows him to view other realities, and he chose this 1 because it is completely dead. Korvac doesn't seem to have gained such abilities. Now Tony senses that this universe was destroyed by Dr Doom (see the recent Dr Doom #10). He points out that Korvac had wanted to make the universe into 1 living being, which of course would have been himself. So now he gets his wish, a universe all to himself. And IM blasts his foe away into the vastness of space.

The Wobbow sees Cosmic Iron Man contemplate the dead Earth in this universe and vows to stop anything like that happening to his own version. More, with his new power he can keep the whole universe safe and make it a better place. At this point Korvac tries to sneak up on him but CIM's cosmic senses allow him to turn and smash the baddie once again.

Then the Wobbow witnesses much more. The cosmic entities Eternity & Infinity, Lord Chaos & Master Order, Mistress Love & Sire Hate along with Death, the In-Betweener, the Living Tribunal and Oblivion all turn up to pass judgement on Korvac. But they say that even this dead universe isn't a safe enough prison for him so they intend to take him away with them. They then disagree over what to do with Cosmic Tony but in the end agree to watch him carefully while he does what he does. Stark leaves with Korvac's threat of vengeance ringing in his ears.

The Wobbow in his drone ship manages to follow IM out of the dead universe to the Earth-616 version. He just makes it to Satania and has now been writing this tale in the end of the Wobbow history book. His task completed he dies.


 

Review / Commentaries

Rating:
4 stars

Iron Man #15 Review by (December 26, 2021)
The Wobbows were 1st 'seen' in Tales To Astonish #51 in the back up story Wasp Tells A Tale: Somewhere Waits A Wobbow. Since this was related by the Wasp who at that point had never been to space it could be assumed that it was fiction (unlike similar Tales Of The Watcher). However a Wobbow named Wibbow appeared as a member of the Intergalactic Council in the Maximum Security: Dangerous Planet 1-shot. Wobbows were part of the Beyond Corporation in Nextwave #11. They've been mentioned in at least 2 Handbooks. And now this.

The Satanians aren't just invented here either. The made 1 previous app in 1 of the Marvel Boy stories in the 1950's Astonishing #3. That Marvel Boy's native Uranians have since been retconned as a branch of the Eternals.

The alternate reality in Dr Doom #10 (also written by Christopher Cantwell) was destroyed by Doom with an Ultimate Nullifier because it contained a Victor Von Doom who overcame his own anger and hate and became a force for good in that Earth and that galaxy.

The Living Tribunal of the pre-Secret Wars multiverse was killed. The Adam Warlock of another timeline became the post-Secret Wars Living Tribunal in Thanos: The Infinity Finale.



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Ibraim Roberson
Ibraim Roberson
Frank D'Armata
Alex Ross (Cover Penciler)
Alex Ross (Cover Inker)
Alex Ross (Cover Colorist)
Additional Credits
Letterer: Joe Caramagna.
Editor: Tom Brevoort. Editor-in-chief: C. B. Cebulski.

Characters

Listed in Alphabetical Order.

Iron Man
Iron Man

(Anthony Stark)

Plus: In-Betweener, Infinity, Living Tribunal, Lord Chaos, Master Hate, Master Order, Mistress Love, Oblivion.