Iron Man (1968 series) #286

Comments: Part two of two parts. Title comes from the Anglican Church's funeral service (see previous issue). Rae Lacoste mentions being saved by Iron Man but I didn't see her in the previous issues or earlier in this one. Maria Stark's favorite tune is the old standard “As Time Goes By.” First appearance of Morgan Stark since issue #18 in 1969; did you miss him?

Review: The usual unfamiliar heroes battle each other trope occupies the first half of the issue; this sort of thing has been overdone but the bit with the Pym Particles is a nice touch. The more shocking moment comes with Kathy Dare's suicide, a fierce conclusion to a subplot that hadn't been mentioned in a while—and, dramatic though it was, I wonder why new writer Len Kaminski included it, as no one would have noticed if she had just been forgotten. Another key point is Kaminski's exploration of Tony's miserable childhood, which dovetails nicely with the later discovery that Tony was adopted (the hoops a writer has to jump through for a retcon! Whew!). This adds another layer to an already conflicted hero and makes the comic richer.