Invincible Iron Man (1998 series) #62

Comments: Part one of two parts. Title comes from a song by the Rolling Stones. Santa warns Tony about a b.b. gun: “You’ll shoot your eye out,” a nod to the movie A CHRISTMAS STORY, whose star Peter Billingsley would appear in the first IRON MAN movie (2008). Shelly previously appeared in issues #51-52. Friday appears as Mrs. Santa Claus and a housewife.

Review: Terrorists for Christmas? Why not? Here we balance spectacular underwater action scenes with a look at how our series regulars are faring over the holiday. Mainly, Pepper is being a grump and Rumiko is the Grinch. And we return to the Haven for another look at Tony’s most personal charity. But it’s the impressive naval action that sets this issue apart, with the explosion and the salvage scenes, done for maximum effectiveness. We’ll see what part two includes.