Growing Pains!

Iron Man has defeated Midas and retaken Stark International. However, in the aftermath of the battle, many of Tony’s allies — Madame Masque, Jasper Sitwell, Guardsman, the Wraith, and Jean DeWolff — are still trapped thanks to the golden touch of Midas. In order to restore his friends to normal, Iron Man has enlisted the aid of his fellow Avenger, Yellowjacket, due to his expertise in bio-chemistry. The device they build also uses the Stark invented Enervator, making Yellowjacket concerned due to its habit of transforming people into unstable freaks.[1] Iron Man on the other hand is too busy lamenting over his recently lost tranquility — an unexpected result of the Midas takeover — and the possibility that he may have lost true love if Madame Masque is not restored to normal.[2] When Iron Man questions Yellowjacket’s ability, Hank reminds him how he managed to repair the Vision and that he knows what he is doing.[3] Tired of Iron Man’s negativity. Frustrated by everything, Iron Man decides to take a walk, leaving Yellowjacket and Jack of Hearts to work in peace.

Outside, the newly re-hired staff at Stark International are hard at work repairing the damaged done by Midas. One of the workers asks Iron Man where their boss, Tony Stark, is and Iron Man assures him that Tony will be back. Retiring to his private office, Tony wonders why he continues to maintain a secret identity, particularly since a number of people now know his secret.[4] However, he reminds himself that the decision of keeping his identity a secret was one he made a long time ago and decides to keep it his choice for now.

Meanwhile, the workers outside find a strange capsule and at first, one of them thinks it is left over gold from Midas’ take over. When they determine it is not, the man tosses it aside, activating the hidden Growing Man within. As per its programming, the Growing Man begins increasing in size.[5] Unable to detect the presence of its master, Kang the Conqueror, the Growing Man begins going on a rampage to try and draw him out.[6] This threatens the process to restore Iron Man’s allies to normal. Luckily, Iron Man arrives on the scene as the creature rips part of the bio-ray device from the lab.

Quick thinking, Iron Man manages to open a rear panel at the back of Growing Man’s skull and wires it to the bio-ray. This simultaneously drains all of the Growing Man’s power, ending its threat, as well as give the bio-ray the power it needs to finish restoring everyone back to normal. With the experiment a success, Iron Man is happily reunited with his beloved Madame Masque.

Recurring Characters

Iron Man, Jack of Hearts, Growing Man, Madame Masque, Jasper Sitwell, Yellowjacket, Guardsman, Wraith, Jean DeWolff, Eddie March

Continuity Notes

1. Namely, Happy Hogan and Eddie March, who were both transformed into the Freak on various occasions. See Tales of Suspense #74-76, Iron Man #3-4, 26, 67 and 84-85.

2. Iron Man and Madame Masque just recently rekindled their romance before she and his other allies were all turned into gold statues by Midas. See Iron Man #103-107.

3. Yellowjacket — as Ant-Man — travelled inside the Vision in order to repair internal damages to his system in Avengers #93.

4. Iron Man rhymes off all of the people who (at this point) know his secret identity. The people he refers to include Happy Hogan (Tales of Suspense #70), Pepper Potts (Iron Man #65), Madame Masque (Iron Man #19 by way of issue #104), and Mike O’Brien (Iron Man #99) A footnote also reminds readers that Commander Kraken also learned Tony’s double identity in Iron Man #94. Omitted here are Marianne Rodgers (Iron Man #41), Thor (Avengers #113), Kevin O’Brien (Iron Man #37, although he died in issue #46), Midas (last issue), and Kang (because time travel)

5. The Growing Man’s last appearances are referenced multiple times in this story. He previously appeared in Thor #140 and Avengers #69. How he got to be in the rubble of Stark International is explained next issue.

6. The Growing Man states here that he cannot sense his master, Kang the Conqueror. A footnote here states that this is because Kang was apparently killed in Avengers #143. However, Kang actually cheated death by transferring his mind into a newly cloned body in his future timeline as detailed in Fantastic Four Annual #25, Avengers Annual #21, and Avengers Forever #8.