Synopsis
Iron Man (1968 series) #41 synopsis by
T Vernon
Rating:
In an alley in Washington D.C. lurk two bizarre and sinister figures. An android called Slasher, his long metal fingers sharpened to points, works on a fiendish device while his partner, a tall bearded psychic known as Demetrius, stands guard. A jet soars overhead and the psychic gains a premonition that someone on that craft will be a threat to the scheme of their employer, Mister Kline. But Slasher scoffs at such blatherings and continues to fine-tune the transmitter….
Aboard that plane are Tony Stark and Marianne Rodgers, both agonizing over their budding romance. Tony has strong feelings for her but his track record with women—Pepper Potts, Janice Cord, Whitney Frost—makes him hesitant to ruin another woman’s life. On a simpler note, Marianne is frightened by the vision of danger she had concerning Tony and Iron Man—and she reaches out a hand to comfort him. As the attractive protagonists disembark at the airport, Slasher activates his device and the terminal building, full of people, starts to collapse. Quickly dashing off and donning his armor, Iron Man speeds into action, using his tractor beams to keeps the supports stable, trying to rescue as many people as he can. Soon the power drain becomes too much and Iron Man collapses. Marianne arrives in search of Tony and the wounded hero reaches out to her but she pours out her fears and confusion over her visions and dashes off.
The baddies, bickering over the validity of Demetrius’ visions of disaster, report back to their boss, the mysterious Mister Kline. Kline berates Slasher for his confidence, since Iron Man prevented the disaster from being as great as intended. He then dispatches his chastened minions to the next part of the scheme….
Tony arrives at the Senate Committee meeting he was called to and finds Ben Crandal, another industrialist there. The two captains of industry are stunned when Senator Ernest McJavit aggressively accuses both of them of submitting substandard work to the government—the latest example being the airport terminal which collapsed, apparently of itself. He then suggests that Iron Man’s presence at the scene of the disaster is evidence of a conspiracy. As Tony attempts to rebut the wild charges, the Capitol itself begins to shake violently; Tony dashes out and changes into Iron Man and tracks the sonic beam to its source: the two villains in a nearby alley. As the Slasher takes on the hero with his built-in weaponry, Demetrius is overwhelmed by the presence of another psychic and begins to transform—into a giant whose bulging forehead soon bursts forth with tentacles bearing claws at the ends….
[Elsewhere, Kline reports to his mysterious superior that the plan to discredit Stark and Crandal is under way, and that his minions are about to destroy Iron Man. The superior is pleased and rings off…]
Demetrius attacks Slasher, taking vengeance for his constant mockery—until they remember their mission and gang up on an injured Iron Man. Marianne arrives on the scene, drawn by her visions and her superior abilities cause Demetrius to have a psychic breakdown, leaving Slasher alone to be easily defeated by the hero. Marianne collapses in Tony’s arms but he fears that this romance too will end in disaster….
Characters:
Plus: Marianne Rodgers, Whitney Frost.