Iron Man #44
Weep for a Lost Nightmare!
Iron Man’s power supply has been completely depleted following his battle with Mikas. He and Marianne Rodgers have just been rescued by Stark employee Kevin O’Brien who races them back to New York. They arrive at Avengers Mansion which has the equipment necessary to repair Iron Man’s armor and save Tony Stark’s life. On security duty is Captain America, who does not recognize Kevin O’Brien in the suit of armor he is wearing. After a brief battle, Kevin convinces Cap that he is there to help Iron Man and he is rushed into repairs.[1]
Observing this scene is the mysterious Mister Kline, an android assassin from the distant future.[2] Still seeking to destroy Iron Man, he is able to access Tony Stark’s mind and begin making him experience nightmares about an old foe called the Night Phantom. After terrorizing Tony’s dreams, Klein then sends the real Night Phantom to attack him at his home.
By this time, Tony is recovering from his injuries and is being looked after by both Kevin O’Brien and Marianne Rodgers. Kevin has come to realize that he is falling in love with Marianne himself and decides to leave before he loses composure and tries to make a pass at her. That’s when the Night Phantom arrives and attacks Marianne and Tony’s nurse. Even though his heart is still recovering from his last battle, he races to change into Iron Man and face his foe. Seeing the Night Phantom in action, Iron Man can’t understand how his foe could still be alive.[3]
With his power supply quickly draining again, Iron Man tries to take out his enemy with a powerful blast from his repulsor rays. This punches a hole in the Night Phantom’s chest revealing that this is actually another life-like robot. As he struggles to get to his feet, Iron Man tells Marianne to run for it or they’ll be be dead.
Recurring Characters
Iron Man, Guardsman, Night Phantom, Mr. Klein, Marianne Rodgers, Captain America,
Continuity Notes
Here, Tony laments over lost loves Janice Cord and Whitney Frost, aka Madame Masque. Cord was a former girlfriend of Tony’s he dated on-and-off from Iron Man #2 until her murder in issue #22. Tony had a brief affair with Whitney in Iron Man #19, but she recently revealed to him in issue #36 that she is in love with Jasper Sitwell.
Mr. Klein comes from a distant future. Klein was sent to the past to ensure certain events came to pass, such as making Daredevil partner with the Black Widow, see Daredevil #79-84. What Klein and Baal are trying to accomplish is never really explained. Their future exists as an alternate reality, the Daredevil entry in Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A-Z #3 identifies it as Reality-71778.
Tony last fought the real Night Phantom, aka Travis Hoyt back in Iron Man #14, and at the time of this story believes him to be dead. Hoyt actually survived their last encounter and will resurface again in All-New All-Different Avengers #7.
Armageddon on Avenue A
Wilbur Grabowski has lived a life time of bad luck that has culminated in his operation of a candy shop that is not making any business. Deciding he has no other choice, Wilbur decides to burn the shop down in order to claim the insurance.
Not far away, Ant-Man is riding on his flying ant Spa Fon when he picks up a strange signal coming from Wilbur’s candy shop. Unaware that the owner is planning on torching the building, Ant-Man goes to investigate. There he finds an aggressive cricket under the floorboards that grabs him and drags him into the den of the Scarlet Beetle. The mutated insect has survived their last encounter and is still plotting to conquer the world by commanding insect swarms to devour every human on Earth.[1]
Taking the gas canisters that Hank Pym uses to change his size, the Scarlet Beetle intends to use it to increase his size again. However, Pym has learned since their last encounter and made a new version of the formula to prevent anyone but himself from being able to change their size. He then tries to take Ant-Man’s control helmet so he can control even more insects.
Ant-Man fights back and their battle takes them out onto the candy shop floor. This is just as Wilbur Grabowski is about to set fire to the place. Luckily, Spa Fon bites Wilbur’s foot making him drop the gas canister he is carrying, crushing the Scarlet Beetle beneath it.[2] This allows Ant-Man to escape just as Wilbur sets fire to his place. However, his insurance fraud scheme is quashed due to neighbors calling the fire department and Wilbur is caught red handed as he attempts to flee the scene.
Recurring Characters
Ant-Man, Scarlet Beetle
Continuity Notes
Ant-Man previously fought the Scarlet Beetle in Tales to Astonish #39.
This is not the end of the Scarlet Beetle, who will rear his ugly head again in West Coast Avengers (vol. 2) #34.
