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Infinity Warps: Iron Hammer #2: Review

Oct 2018
Al Ewing, Ramon Rosanas

Story Name:

(no title given)

Review & Comments

Rating:
4 stars

Infinity Warps: Iron Hammer #2 Review by (November 9, 2018)
The title The Ragnarmorok Wars is obviously a mash-up of Thor's Ragnarok and Iron Man's Armor Wars.

There are more merged characters in this issue.
Howard Odin is a clumsy junction of Tony Stark and Thor's fathers Howard Stark and Odin. This ignores the fact that the real Tony is as adopted as Stane is here.
The Warrior Machines Three are based on the Asgardian Warriors Three with the name mixed up with War Machine even though it's only real Rhodey that bore that title. Pepper the Wise is Pepper Potts (occasionally the armoured Rescue)/Volstagg the Wise
Fandral the Dashing. Toni the Grim is Toni Ho (Iron Patriot)/Hogun the Grim. That leaves Rhodey the Bold to be  James Rhodes (War Machine)/Fandral the Dashing.
Toni says Eitri was like a father to her. Eitri was merged with Ho Yinsen who *was* father to the real Toni Ho.

Stane senses he should have been merged with an Asgardian revealing that he knows about the origin of Warp World, which others including Sigurd see as a sign of madness. But of course he's right and his partner should have been Loki but the Trickster God managed to avoid merging in Infinity Wars #3.

In Norse mythology there are 9 Realms, and Marvel kept to that until they introduced the 10th Realm Heven in Guardians Of The Galaxy (2013) #7 which had long ago been hidden from the other Realms. This is where Thor's sister Angela appeared from in Age Of Ultron #10 before joining up with the GOTG. The back story was revealed in the Original Sin #5.n mini-series.

Iron Hammer will answer Emma Frost's call to fight Devondra in Infinity Wars #4.

There have been more tie-ins since IW#4:-

IW: Sleepwalker #2

This issue adds a new dimension to the Infinity Stones - they each have a world within them like Soul World in the Soul Stone. And Sleepwalker is going to work his way through them to get to Soul World to rescue Rick Sheridan from Warp World. He starts off in the Arena within the Power Stone, and next issue he'll follow the lemniscate round through the Space and Time Stones. Which is strange because if he'd headed the other way from the Power Stone he'd get to the Soul Stone straight away.

Last issue he picked Little Monster (merged Hulk and Ant-Man (Scott Lang)) from his dreams in Warp World as a suitable companion for the Arena. But Dynamus, embodiment of the Power Cosmic (that Galactus gives to his Heralds like Silver Surfer), wants to keep LM and gets SW to relate LM's origin:- Criminal scientist Scott Banner's fiancée Janice Jones (amalgam of Janice Lincoln, the female Beetle, and Jessica Jones - neither associated with Hulk or Ant-Man, and not Janis Jones from Maestro's future) was falsely convicted of his crimes and sent to the Ant Farm prison where Warden Headman (Leader/Egghead) was experimenting with gamma-powered Pym particles to miniaturise the convicts. Scott saved Janice but became Little Monster.

LM has been fighting everyone in sight but now he disappears because Scott has woken up to find himself kidnapped by the Thunderbolts:- Janice Jones, now Beetle, Melissa Morley (Poltergeist, a combo of Melissa Gold/Songbird and Ghost who apparently has used the name John Morley) and Bullsai (Bullseye and Elektra). They need him to save Headman from an intelligent bacteria he's invented called A-Bomb. He's accidentally infected himself, and to blackmail them into finding a cure he's infected a children's hospital.

LM shrinks and locates the infection in HM's brain, where it looks like the Abomination. They fight and LM wins by getting angrier to shrink inside A-Bomb and then calming down to expand and destroy it from inside.

Meanwhile Dynamus (who comicbookdb.com suggests is a mix of 2 Elders Of The Universe Champion and Runner) has been forcing Sleepwalker to fight him, and SW wins with his willpower which takes control of the Arena world and turns it against the foe.

Then SW and LM locate a new sleeping recruit - Chris Powell/Darkhawk.

And in Warp World Rick Fury (Rick Sheridan/Nick Fury Jr) Agent of SLEEP is informed by Commander Hand (Maria Hill/Victoria Hand) that the Project: Cassandra psychics have all been dreaming about Sleepwalker searching for him.

IW: Soldier Supreme #2

In #1 Dormammu Red banished Stephen Rogers/Soldier Supreme to the Dark Dimension. He's been there for years fighting demons but now he sees a way out. MORDOC (Baron Mordo/MODOK) and his cult are trying to raise Satan to repel the attack by Devondra. They get Rogers instead who defeats them.

While spirit walking through MORDOC's mind Steve learns about people being mergers of 2 souls. And he also gains the Eye of Agamodin, which he uses to detect his components Captain America and Dr Strange. Then he answers Emma Frost's mental call for heroes to fight Devondra, and heads off to IW#4.

IW: Arachknight #1

Young Peter Parker is attacked by the Goblin By Night (Green Goblin/Norman Osborn and Werewolf By Night/Jack Russell) and sees his Uncle Ben and Aunt May killed. A spider-bite saves his life but makes him a super-powered spider-totem with 3 extra personalities in his head.

Years later the Arachknight (Spider-Man and Moon Knight) stops Michael Morpheus (Morbius the Living Vampire/Michael Morbius and Morpheus/Robert Markham) from stealing blood from a blood bank. His pal/chauffeur Harry Russell (Harry Osborn filling the role of MK's Frenchie) stops this brutal side of AK from going too far, and the CEO of Parker Industries takes over. He and his right hand-woman Marley Jane (Mary Jane Watson/Marlene Alraune) conclude a big business deal. Then the science-nerd personality has his turn to try and perfect an experiment, until Harry drags him away so the CEO can fly to China.

On the way to the private jet Pete persuades Harry to detour to see his father Norman Russell who is still paralysed from an accident. But when they get to the mansion the Goblin By Night attacks. A demonic 4th personality wants to be let out to face the beast, but the Arachknight takes the helm. Then Harry zaps him in the back because (surprise) the Goblin is his father.





 

Synopsis / Summary / Plot

Infinity Warps: Iron Hammer #2 Synopsis by Rob Johnson
The opening shot sees Iron Hammer/Sigurd Stark bending the knee to Madame Hel. And the editor promises this will really happen by the end of this issue. But while we're waiting we'll go back to pick up where last issue left off.

Sigurd has buried Algrim Vanko and Eitri the Dwarf and he swears vengeance on Malekith, King of the Dark Elves. He remembers Eitri talking of the secrets of Odin and realises he must get to Asgard to learn those secrets. His uncanny knowledge of Asgardian tech causes him to muse about a Bridging Interdimensional Frequency Rotating Outside Space-Time, and the HEIMDALL AI in his helmet obeys and opens the BIFROST portal. Stark leaps through it and as the rainbow beam transports him away it also unlocks his buried memories.

He remembers as Stark Odinson being told by his angry father Howard Odin that he can't wear Asgardian armour and fight alongside the Warrior Machines Three (Pepper the Wise, Toni the Grim and Rhodey the Bold). His adopted mortal brother Stane Odinson tried to calm him down but Stark hit him and had to be restrained by the 3 Warriors. Odin condemned his arrogance and banished him to Earth with amnesia.

Sigurd now recognises that the god he used to be was proud and filled with hate. But his time on Earth has taught him better. However he doesn't have long to ponder these thoughts.

As he walks the strangely deserted streets of Asgard he is attacked from behind by Malekith with the force from the Ring of Vanaheim, 1 of the 10 Realm-Rings. Madam Hel watches his victory as do the Asgardians trapped in force bubbles. We see Howard Odin in 1, and the Warrior Machines Three in another. Odin thinks the armoured man is his 'son' Stane, but Malekith lets him know it's the banished Stark.

Sigurd remembers the 10 Realms and their Rings as Malekith gloats over their possession. The white light blast of Alfheim, the frost ray of Jotunheim, the punch ray of Vanaheim, the illusion mist of Niffleheim, the Odin-power beam of Asgard, the black light blast of Svartalfheim, the flame blast of Muspelheim, the electric blast of Midgard, the matter-building beam of Nidavellir and the super-speed aura of Heven.

Malekith explains that his alliance with Madame Hel and Stane Odinson (who now makes his traitorous presence known) gave him the Niffleheim and Midgard Rings to add to his own from Svartalfheim. But he doesn't get to tell us how he obtained the other Rings, especially the Asgard-Ring.

Stane wants revenge for his treatment by his brother Stark and others who looked down on him because he was only human. He doesn't accept that Sigurd is now sorry for all that. He thinks Stark has just had a holiday on Earth getting rich from Asgardian tech, and also doesn't believe he had been given amnesia. And he *can't* accept it when Odin tells him that Sigurd is now as mortal as he is, because that would negate his whole jealousy thing.

Stark knows that the Rings are powered by their bearers, and wonders if Malekith has enough power for all 10 Rings. He noticed that the Vanir-Ring dimmed after it was used and is now recharging. Malekith prepares to destroy him with the Asgard-Ring but Iron Hammer calls on HEIMDALL to open BIFROST again and redirects the blast to shatter the bubble holding the 3 Warriors who leap to the attack. Their foe uses the Speed of the Angels conferred by the Heven-Ring to defeat all 3 before they can get to him. The Jotunheim-Ring freezes Pepper, the Muspelheim-Ring melts Toni's mace and the Nidavellir-Ring reconstructs a bubble around Rhodey.

Now Iron Hammer whacks the Dark Elf round the head with his huge iron hammer, and cold iron burns Elves. He reminds the villain that 6 of his 10 rings are recharging. His sealed helmet will protect him from Niffleheim's illusion mist, and the white or dark light Rings might render him blind but he can use HEIMDALL to see. Malekith is left with only the lightning of the Midgard-Ring, which he prepares to use. Stane shouts that it's a trick but Madam Hel tells him to let things play out. Malekith unleashes the lightning but Sigurd's hammer absorbs the energy.

Now IH prepares to use the power in his hammer to kill Malekith who begs for his life - much to the disgust of his ally Madame Hel, the Asgardian goddess of Death. The Elf promises anything to save his skin but Sigurd asks for Algrim Vanko and Eitri to be returned to life. I guess Malekith can't do that so Stark Odinson kills him.

Stane Odinson makes his exit vowing vengeance. The Asgardians are freed and Howard Odin rejoices at the return of Stark, even as he bemoans the betrayal of his other son. He offers to restore Stark's godly immortality. But Sigurd turns him down to follow Madame Hel and kneels to offer her his respect (and that's the opening shot).

She had joined Malekith's rebellion because the Asgardians *don't* respect her (as with Stane). Their chosen dead don't go to her Realm. But it turned out that Malekith too spurned her embrace when it came time. But Sigurd says he chooses to be mortal because death gives meaning to life. And Hel removes her golden mask and kisses him with the promise to come to him at his life's end.



Ramon Rosanas
Ramon Rosanas
Jason Keith
Humberto Ramos (Cover Penciler)
Humberto Ramos (Cover Inker)
Edgar Delgado (Cover Colorist)

Editor: Jordan D. White. Editor-in-chief: C. B. Cebulski.

> Infinity Warps: Iron Hammer: Book info and issue index

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