Iron Man #22
From This Conflict… Death!
Tony Stark had selected former boxer Eddie March to replace him as Iron Man.[1] However, he soon learns that March has deadly blood clots in his brain that could kill him as he battles the new Crimson Dynamo. Putting on a spare suit of armor, Tony races to the pier hoping that he is no too late. At the scene of the battle, Eddie March has begun to get dizzy and suffer headaches, allowing the Crimson Dynamo to easily defeat him. When the real Iron Man arrives, the Dynamo has fled. Eddie tries getting to his feet, but instantly collapses unconsciously to the ground. Iron Man then races Eddie to the hospital where he undergoes immediate surgery. When the surgeon comes out, he tells Iron Man that Eddie is still alive, but this is only the first of many surgeries and tells the hero to pray. Going outside, Tony blames himself for Eddie’s condition and vows never to shirk the responsibility of being Iron Man ever again.
While back in the waters bellow the pier, a massive shipping crate that was dropped in the water during Eddie and the Dynamo’s battle suddenly shatters from within. From inside emerges a massive green clad figure who swims to the surface and pulls himself onto the pier. This is the Titanium Man who has been smuggled into the country on an important mission. He soon runs into some police officers who try to shoot him, but their bullets bounce harmlessly off his titanium armor.
Meanwhile, a Cord Manufacturing, Janice Cord arrives at her factory. She hears her lead scientist, Alex Nevin, hard at work in his private lab and goes in to check on him. She is shocked to see him repairing the Crimson Dynamo armor. Horrified by this discovery, Janice tries to run but Alex catches her and tries to explain himself. He reveals that his last name is actually Nevsky and explains that he was an assistant of Ivan Vanko, the inventor of the original Crimson Dynamo armor and helped the scientist with his creation back in Russia. Not long after this, his government sent Vanko to the United States to defeat Iron Man. However, Iron Man played Vanko a recording from his superiors that convinced Ivan that his superiors were worried about him seizing power and were plotting to eliminate him upon his return home. Alex believes this was a lie to trick Vanko to defect from Russia and work for Stark Industries. A few months later, Vanko was killed and the Russian government began rounding up his known associates. Fearing for his life, Alex fled to the United States to begin a new life.[2]
Blaming Stark and Iron Man for what happened, Alex admits he originally started working for Janice Cord to build a new Crimson Dynamo armor and prove himself the better. However, he eventually came to truly care about Janice and has since become jealous of all the time she has been spending with Tony Stark. That’s when Titanium Man comes crashing through the wall of the building. As it turns out, the Russian operative has come to punish Nevin for fleeing his motherland.
Meanwhile, Iron Man has been called to the scene of the police clash with the Titanium Man.[3] That’s when he receives a report from the police radio that March is showing signs of recovery but still needs to undergo another surgery. This is good news to Tony, who then takes off to follow the Titanium Man’s path of destruction. By this time, Nevsky has put on his Crimson Dynamo armor but is no match for the more powerful Titanium Man. Grabbing Janice and fleeing the scene, he runs into Iron Man who thinks that the Dynamo is terrorizing Janice again. This leads to a brief battle between the pair over Janice until she convinces Iron Man that she wasn’t in any danger from Alex. That’s when the Titanium Man ambushed and blasts the trio with his energy weapons. When Iron Man rushes to Janice side, his concern for her well being and the fact that is calling her “darling” reveals to her that Iron Man is really Tony Stark, however Janice dies in his arms soon after making this revelation.
Furious over the death of the woman he loves, Iron Man takes to the air and battles the Titanium Man. While Tony is locked in battle, Alex recovers from the blasts and also discovers that Janice is dead. Blaming Iron Man for what happened, the Crimson Dynamo vows to return and get his revenge. By this time, Iron Man has managed to destroy the Titanium Man’s power pack and sends his foe falling in the nearby river to short out his armor. With the battle over, Iron Man picks up Janice’s body and begins carrying her to the arriving ambulance.
Recurring Characters
Iron Man, Crimson Dynamo (Nevsky), Titanium Man, Janice Cord, Eddie March, (in flashback) Crimson Dynamo (Vanko)
Continuity Notes
Tony Stark recently underwent surgery to repair his damaged heart. He was warned that undue stress could cause his body to reject the synthetic implants used to repair the damage. See Iron Man #19.
Ivan Vanko’s creation of the Crimson Dynamo armor and his defection to work for Stark were chronicled in Tales of Suspense #46. He was later died defending Stark Industries in issue #52.
Mention is made of how Iron Man previously defeated Titanium Man in Vietnam. That was in Tales of Suspense #92-94.
Topical References
This story uses a number of dated Cold War references such as “Red” and “Iron Curtain”, and references to events happening in this story taking place during the Cold War should be considered topical.
References to Iron Man’s armor previously operating on transistors should be considered topical. While this was cutting edge technology when early Iron Man stories were written in the 1960s, they are common in nearly all electronics so the distinction isn’t that unique or highly advanced by today’s standard.
