Tony Stark is in his lab working on the sub-miniature reverser to take his mind off his unrequited love for Pepper Potts and the health problems that are causing it. Meanwhile in Siberia, brutal prison camp commissar Boris Bullski fumes about how his unique gifts are not being appreciated by the Party leaders. He conceives a plan to gain attention by destroying Iron Man. Assembling the imprisoned scientists, he commands them to create a suit of armor out of titanium and he studies films of Iron Man in action, preparing to battle the American hero. The resulting armor is huge and full of the latest Soviet weapons technology, perfect for defeating the capitalist fighter. Bullski then issues a public challenge to Iron Man to face him in single combat. Health concerns make Tony reluctant to accept the challenge but the public, led by Senator Byrd stress the political importance of this battle. Tony works around the clock to design a device that will reinforce his chestplate and publicly accepts the challenge against Titanium Man….
Tony takes Pepper and Happy with him to the Eastern European nation of Alberia where a deserted World War 2 battlefield will serve as the arena. Arriving they find a carnival atmosphere and Tony is greeted by Countess Stephanie De La Spiroza, a former lover who is secretly plotting revenge….
At dawn the next day, the two nations’ champions face off. Titanium Man begins by trying to overwhelm Iron Man with heavy artillery but the smaller more agile American dodges and responds with his Repulsor Rays. The Russian’s strategy soon becomes clear as Iron Man is driven into a mine field and taken unawares by a sudden explosion. The Soviets are cheating….
Story #2Midnight in Greymoor Castle!
Writer:
Stan Lee. Penciler/Inker:
Dick Ayers. Colorist:
Unknown.
Synopsis
Midnight in
Greymoor Castle finds
Captain America and
Bucky held fast in a huge machine suspended over a glowing pit. The turn of a dial intensifies the radiation and slowly the two figures shrink into forms small enough to fit in a jar. The experiment is a success and what
Dr Rawlings did to the two plastic figures he can do to the real Captain America and Bucky. Rawlings’ Nazi contact is pleased and leaves for
Berlin. Afterward, Rawlings’ sister
Celia warns him against aiding the
Nazis against his own country. Rawlings, bitter over his lack of recognition in
England and the loss of a hand caused by Celia’s carelessness in the lab, sees this as the only true way to the rewards he thinks he deserves. Shortly thereafter,
Steve Rogers is dispatched with a
Ranger task force on a mission in France. While he is gone, Bucky is decoyed into a trap and taken to Greymoor Castle. In
France, Steve uncovers some Nazi radio messages and discovers Bucky is in danger—but he misses the dispatch about a Nazi counterattack threatening his company. As Captain America, he hijacks a Nazi fighter and heads back to England, unaware that he’s walking into a trap.