Marvel Heroes (UK Magazine) #4 (Story 2)

Background

The second story features Iron Man. Not that you're likely to care too much.

Story 'Hostile Takeover'

In the second story, Stark Industries is suffering a series of stealth raids. Iron Man has recently captured super-powered criminal "The Beetle", and we are lead to believe that the Beetle was a creation of or agent for Justin Hammer, one of Stark's competitors. That makes Justin Hammer the likely candidate for these sneak incursions.

When a fifth raid occurs, we see that "The Ghost" (a stealthy high-tech industrial thief with powers to phase through matter) is the culprit. Iron Man is there to meet the Ghost, and old Tin-head uses electromagnetic disruptors to block The Ghost's retreat, then lures the Ghost in front of a massive EMP (elecro-magnetic pulse) generator. Iron Man deactivates his armor (rendering it immune to the EMP) then zaps the Ghost. The Ghost is captured and names his employer as Justin Hammer. This, I should mention, is a bold move which surely must destroy his entire espionage career and make him a candidate for a revenge killing.

Later, Tony Stark encounters Hammer at the golf club and takes the opportunity to gloat a little over Hammer's misfortune. Then Stark apologizes sarcastically for having leave in a hurry, but he "has to fly". Which he does. As Iron Man. That's a joke, by the way.

General Comments

This story possesses no charm whatsoever. Justin Hammer receives no introduction in the one page story set-up. The five-page fight between Iron Man and Ghost is... a five page fight scene between two characters it's hard to care about. The final wrap-up lacks any subtlety, Iron Man's taunting makes him rather unlikeable, and the final "punchline gag" is... well, it's just plain dumb.

Overall Rating

Uninspired and unlikable. One web.