At Stark Industries’ main research
plant, Anton Vanko, the former Crimson Dynamo (see issue #46) dons
his electrified battle armor and enters his lab. He is working on a
laser light and the only way to test it is with a human guinea pig
and he hopes to avoid death by wearing the Dynamo suit. Tony Stark,
observing through a window in his office, realizes what Vanko is
doing and swings down on a rope and pulls the Russian scientist to
safety, narrowly avoiding being disintegrated by his invention. Vanko
regrets no having a successful test to present to his new country,
which took him in when he defected from the Soviet Union….
Meanwhile, in the Kremlin, Premier
Khrushchev gains confirmation that Vanko has defected to the West and
summons his top two agents, the Black Widow and Boris. The black-clad
femme fatale and the giant strongman are assigned to kill Tony Stark
and Anton Vanko, and, if necessary, Iron Man….
Shortly thereafter, a pair of foreign
science teachers arrives at the Stark plant, asking for a tour of the
facility to see the latest American technology. Playboy Stark is
smitten with the beauteous Madame Natasha and offers to take her to
dinner while Boris tours the plant alone. Once in the building, Boris
breaks into Vanko’s lab and kidnaps the defector, planning to
return him to Russia alive. Boris then sneaks back into the plant and
dons the Crimson Dynamo armor and begins a campaign of sabotage from
within. Tony is notified at the swanky nightclub and he and Madame
Natasha return to find the plant in flames. Tony sneaks off and puts
on his Iron Man armor and enters the burning building. He encounters
the Crimson Dynamo and, naturally assuming it’s Vanko in the armor,
leaves himself vulnerable to an electrical attack. Boris carries off
the unconscious hero and delivers him to the waiting submarine. Left
alone, the weakened Iron Man plugs his spare extension cord into a
light bulb and recharges. As he escapes, Shellhead encounters the
captive Vanko, who explains the situation to him. They return to the
plant where Iron Man and the second Crimson Dynamo battle furiously.
The Black Widow distracts Iron Man long enough for Boris to spray him
with water short-circuiting some of his transistors—but now Iron
Man knows Natasha is an enemy too. To give the hero enough time to
recover, Vanko fires the unperfected laser light pistol at the enemy
and it pierces the Dynamo armor, killing him but Vanko has sacrificed
his own life in the explosion. Natasha escapes in the confusion and
when we last see her, she is on the run, fleeing her own people,
fearing the price of failure….
“The Magician
[Part One]”
Writer: Unknown.
Synopsis: A page at a television station meets a man who claims to be
a sorcerer from the future! Story continues next issue.
“The Séance!”
Writer: Larry
Lieber. Plot: Stan Lee. Pencils: Larry Lieber. Inks: Chic Stone. Colors: ?
Letters: Ray Holloway.
Synopsis: A phony
spiritualist is a big success until he really is carried off to the realm of
departed spirits, angry at his deceptions!
“The Failure!”
Writer: Larry
Lieber. Plot: Stan Lee. Pencils: Larry Lieber. Inks: Paul Reinman. Colors: ?
Letters: Sam Rosen.
Synopsis: The
Watcher relates a tale: On a future Earth marked by the ruthless striving for
wealth, Kenn Bentley is an outcast for his charity, kindness, and interest in
the arts. An alien race lands on Earth and takes Bentley away—because they have
decided he would be their ideal king!