Iron Man #66
Battle Royale
Now
Iron Man has been possessed by Doctor Spectrum’s Power Prism. This prompts a call to the Avengers for help. The only on available to help is Thor who arrives in Detroit determined to stop his friend’s rampage even if it means taking down a fellow Avenger. Krimonn, the Skrull intelligence trapped inside the Power Prism realizes that he cannot match Thor in brute strength and tries to use subterfuge by using his power to render his host invisible. This doesn’t work for long as Thor uses his hammer Mjolnir to summon a rainstorm that exposes Iron Man’s position. Thor then knocks out his friend with a single punch, knocking him out. Thor then removes Iron Man’s mask and is shocked to discover that the man wearing the armor isn’t who he thought it was.[1] So who was under the armor this whole time?
Earlier
Happy Hogan had come to Detroit to try and sort out his troubled marriage with his wife, Pepper Potts. The two have been fighting over Pepper’s desire to be more than a house wife and return to the work force.[2] Happy just dropped a huge bomb shell on Pepper, revealing that Tony Stark is secretly Iron Man.[3] That’s when they hear a radio report about Iron Man’s battle with Doctor Spectrum, a fight the hero is losing. Not wanting Tony to get killed, Happy begins putting on a spare suit of Iron Man armor in order to help Stark out. Pepper pleads with Happy not to go as he might get himself killed. Ignoring her please, Happy finishes putting on the armor and flies off to help.[4]
Now
Police have nabbed Doctor Spectrum and are in the process of handing him over to Thor. Not far away, Roxanne Gilbert has been called over by the man in the Iron Man costume who whispers something in her ear.[5] While everyone is distracted, Doctor Spectrum manages to will the Power Prism to return to him and tries to escape. That’s when another Iron Man arrives on the scene and goes after the fleeing villain. When Thor tries to join his comrade, Iron Man tells the thunder god to let him handle this alone.
Iron Man then braves the various constructs that Doctor Spectrum creates to try to stop him including a massive metallic hand, a swarm of coils, a massive robot, an a napalm explosive.[6] With nothing able to stop the Avenger, Doctor Spectrum creates an ship to try and escape in. However, Iron Man quickly wrecks it sending Spectrum falling to the ground. Confronting his foe, Iron Man then forces Obatu to drop the Power Prism and crushes it under his foot.[7] After Obatu is turned over to the authorities, Iron Man returns to the scene just as Happy and Pepper arrive. The other Iron Man turns out to be none other than Eddie March. Roxanne Gilbert explains that Eddie used a spare suit of armor to join the fight when the real Iron Man had disappeared. Unable to explain his brief absence, Tony reflects how he had to pull away from the battle to make repairs to his armor and he was the one who put in a call for Thor to come and assist in the battle while he was busy.
By this time, Thor has secretly reverted back to his mortal guise of Doctor Donald Blake. After examining the unconscious Eddie March, he tells Iron Man that he is in a bad shape due to the blood clots in his brain. However, there is a slim chance March might pull through if they get him immediate medical help. Iron Man pledges all of the resources at Tony Stark’s disposal to do whatever possible to make sure Eddie survives. Not far away, the unseen fragments of the Power Prism slowly begin reforming.
Recurring Characters
Iron Man, Thor, Doctor Spectrum, Happy Hogan, Pepper Potts, Eddie March, Roxanne Gilbert, Krimonn, Edwin Jarvis
Continuity Notes
Thor and Iron Man learned each other’s secret identities in Avengers #113.
Pepper just recently started working for Stark again. Pepper previously worked for Stark from Tales of Suspense #45 to 89 when she married Happy Hogan and quit. Tony hired her in issue #57. Happy has been upset that Pepper is working and trying to pressure her into quitting since issue #59. When Happy threatened to leave her in issue #61, Pepper became distraught and kissed Tony in Iron Man #63 mistaking his concern for her well being as romantic interest.
Happy learned that Tony was Iron Man back in Tales of Suspense #70.
If you’re ever wondering how Happy knows how to use Tony’s armor, it’s because he briefly stepped in as Iron Man in Tales of Suspense #84-85.
Eddie is telling Roxanne how he came seeking out Tony Stark to help find his brother, who is missing in Vietnam. This will be revealed next issue.
Iron Man absorbs the flames from the napalm to recharge his armor using thermal coils he installed in his armor back in Iron Man #3.
This is not the end of the Power Prism. Hank Pym makes the ill-advised decision to reconstruct it as an anniversary gift to his wife with disastrous results. See Avengers Annual #8.
