Invincible Iron Man #292: Review

May 1993

Len Kaminski, Kev Hopgood

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Mixed Reactions

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Invincible Iron Man #292 Review by T Vernon (September 18, 2018)

Comments: Part one of two parts. First appearance of Veronica Benning who will be around up through issue #309. First appearance of Berserker 7, whose final appearance is next issue. Morgan Stark will be back in issue #327. The comedian on page 1 is supposed to be Jay Leno, I'm told.

Review: An issue full of interpersonal drama is capped off with a rollicking slugfest between Iron Man and a huge cyborg. All the cool stuff is in the first part with the introduction of PT Veronica Benning who promises to be a source of irritation (and probable love interest) for Tony who can't refrain from hitting on the ladies even when paralyzed. Morgan Stark and Marcy Pearson find their wicked scheme shut down in a hurry though they will both be back. The new baddie Berserker 7 is a fairly generic cyborg and as such doesn't bring anything interesting to the tale but then he is only a placeholder baddie until we reach the next issue and meet the real baddie.

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Synopsis / Summary / Plot

Invincible Iron Man #292 Synopsis by T Vernon

The media announces the incredible news that Tony Stark is still alive! This sends his villainous cousin into a rage but is more welcome to people like Captain America, Pepper and Happy Hogan, and Nick Fury while a mysterious figure watches with interest [Spoiler: it's the Controller. See next issue]....

Drs Erica Sondheim and Cal Oakley are amazed at Tony's rapid progress though he can still only move his right hand a little. Tony is introduced to his physical therapist Veronica Benning whose demanding and rude manner makes him take an instant dislike to her—which was her plan to motivate him. Lawyer Felix Alvarez arrives to update Tony on some business matters and to show him phony evidence that Rhodey murdered Tony, found by Rhodey. Tony immediately suspects Marcy Pearson; Tony confronts her and she confesses to planting the papers (in issue #288). Soon, Felix visits Morgan Stark with a laptop so Tony can confront Morgan via a video hookup. Tony gives Morgan the option to get out of the country to avoid prosecution. Later, as Morgan gets in his car to leave, his tire is shot out sending the vehicle over a cliff. The hitman reports to his boss Osamu Moroboshi who relays the info to his mysterious superior; the latter responds by killing Moroboshi with a lethal acoustic tone that mimics a death by natural causes....

An irritable Tony gives up trying to do the hand exercises Veronica gave him and has a nurse put his headset on him that allows him to control Iron Man remotely. While zooming through the skies, he detects an intruder at his home on the coast. Entering to investigate he is attacked by a huge and brutal cyborg calling himself Berserker 7; the resulting battle completely destroys the house. Meanwhile at the firm, Tony is drugged by Dr Cal Oakley and taken away; the mental connection broken, the Iron Man armor freezes up and falls into the ocean