Invincible Iron Man #319: Review

Aug 1995

Terry Kavanagh, Tom Morgan

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Story Name:

Shadows Call

Review & Comments

Rating:

Invincible Iron Man #319 Review by Peter Silvestro (August 21, 2010)

**** In future issues of the crossover we will see that Stark often blacks out, and then does things under the control of the villains. The last picture in this issue suggests to me that he is not himself when he arranges the Avengers reunion. While at the party Stark will activate a door in their basement. But I can't believe Stark would need a party as an excuse to enter Avengers HQ, which he owns. Other things happen at the party, but I don't see them as furthering Kang's plan. This also illustrates a major problem with the idea that Stark does the bidding of Kang in the blackouts, and then doesn't remember any of it when he wakes up. If 'bad' Stark arranges the party, how come 'good' Stark isn't surprised about it. **** The Avengers' gathering will happen in Avengers: The Crossing 1-shot.

His lobbying for the Starcore contract will turn out to be significant. But I don't rate them as signs that things 'just don't seem to be right'. And they could easily have been written without the Crossing in mind. The discovery of Stark's secret basement to Force Works HQ in Force Works #15, containing tech from Timely industries, and Skye's Timely tech in War Machine #18 occur before the first issues of these series in the crossover, and do lead in to it. But they are published after this issue of Iron Man. It turns out that War Machine's new Warwear armour War Machine #18 was a gift from Kang's enemy to help him oppose Iron Man, but again this isn't apparent at the time. Scarlet Witch's headaches since Force Works #13 were suggested in FW#15 to be due to the activities of the Recorder. But she has another one in FW#16, and Giant-Man suffers one in Iron Man #321 while working on the door in the Avengers mansion basement. But nothing is ever made of these.

**** The letter column says there have been hints, signs and omens of the crossover in its 4 titles Avengers, Iron Man, Force Works and War Machine, plus Captain America and Thor. I can't find anything in Thor or Captain America. And there is nothing to indicate their current problems are due to the Crossing. Avengers has had one lurking mystery, a door in the mansion basement that they can't open. This will be covered in Avengers: The Crossing 1-shot. Iron Man's feud with War Machine and his disagreements with Scarlet Witch in Force Works can be attributed to his growing mental problems.

This is a prelude to the Crossing crossover. **** Captain America appears in flashback. **** The Crossing crossover will ascribe Iron Man's mental problems directly to the main villain (whether it be Kang or Immortus). They will be described as going back many issues. The hallucinations of Tony's parents may well be caused by Kang/Immortus. The holograms significantly include the first meeting of Avengers and Kang. **** This is the first appearance of a new Iron Man armour. The Official Index to the Marvel Universe calls it Model 16. The Marvel Database just refers to it as the Crossing armour. The Advanced Iron website lists it as Mark 12, while the Iron Man Armory has Model 19 Mark 1.

Invincible Iron Man #319 Review by Rob Johnson (April 5, 2012)

The preceding Comment blocks are in reverse order.

Added later comment:- Despite what it says this issue, I don't think the meeting is arranged for the next day. We have to allow time for Force Works #15, and for the uninvited Hawkeye to stop off on the way to get involved in War Machine #18-19. While I'm adding this comment, I'll lay claim to the others. Peter had to split my large original comments up, and the system wouldn't let him do it without putting his own name on them.

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Synopsis / Summary / Plot

Invincible Iron Man #319 Synopsis by Rob Johnson

This prelude to the Crossing continues from AVENGERS #390.

Tony Stark in his Arctic bunker, which we first saw last isssue, views holograms, memories and hallucinations of his past. He is agonising over having to kill his old mentor Theodore Slaght last issue, and his mind is fracturing.

He dons a new set of armour and flies to Stark Enterprises in Los Angeles to accept a contract from Peter Corbeau of the UN Starcore agency to build communications and research satellites. He immediately unveils Starcorp Command which will control the project. He was so (over)confident of winning the contract he had built the command centre already. His close associates have mixed reactions about this.

Later he has a romantic liaison with his security chief Bethany Cabe, rekindling a romance that ended in #153.

Then he attends a Force Works training session where Century, Spider-Woman (Julia Carpenter) and U.S.Agent are fighting holograms. Team leader Scarlet Witch suggests increasing the threat level, but U.S.Agent asks Iron Man's opinion. Scarlet Witch complains that Iron Man frequently undermines the authority he gave her. Iron Man flies away from the argument.

He asks Avengers' butler Jarvis to arrange a gathering of Avengers for the next day.

The Crossing preludes continue in 2 independent issues FORCE WORKS #15 and WAR MACHINE #18.

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