Iron Man #95 — Nick Peron

Jul 5

Jul 5 Iron Man #95

Ultimo!

At Stark International, Abe Klein and Krissy Longfellow assist Iron Man in testing out the durability of his armor after a new upgrade.[1] The test is a complete success, convincing Iron Man that the problems he’s been having recently with two-bit villains is finally at an end.[2] Returning to his office, Tony Stark changes out of his armor for the day. He contemplates how many changes he has undergone as Iron Man, particularly the upgrades to his armor that has come with the advancements of technology.[3] He also considers his growing interest in Krissy Longfellow. This is of concern to Tony since his past relationships have all been negatively impacted due to his double life as Iron Man.[4]

Tony’s thought are interrupted when he gets a call from Senator Andrew Jackson Hawk, who has received evidence that Tony has been bribed into sharing government intelligence systems to enemy countries. Tony agrees to head into Washington and speak with a Senate committee on the matter. After the call, Hawk’s colleague, Jonathan Rich, is eager to get Stark in for questioning. This just adds to the recent troubles Stark International has been having including acts of sabotage as well as competing companies somehow obtaining copies and patenting his newest designs.[5]

Meanwhile, a Russian submarine manages to sneak into American waters thanks to someone being able make their presence invisible to radar. When they arrive on the shores of Chesapeake Bay they fire a specially made torpedo to the shore. The projectile is detected by the Coast Guard, but they are unable to stop it before is reaches shore.

By this time, Iron Man has arrived above the Capitol Building, carrying one of Tony Stark’s briefcases. His arrival is observed by someone inside who has been waiting for his arrival. Activating a special remote control, this person causes the torpedo to blow open, unleashing the massive android known as Ultimo upon Washington, DC. The National Guard has arrived on the scene but they are no match for Ultimo, who makes its way to the Capitol. Iron Man is going through his briefcase when Ultimo arrives on the scene, forcing him to abandon it to fight the android.[6] As Iron Man battles Ultimo, the National Guard catch up and begin giving cover fire. After preventing the Washington Monument from being toppled, Iron Man tries his best to stop the android’s attack, but Ultimo is relentless.[7] Eventually, Iron Man begins feeling weak and dizzy and realizes that his heart problems are coming back. When the Avenger suddenly collapses to the ground, Ultimo turns away and continues his path to the Capitol Building.

Recurring Characters

Iron Man, Ultimo, Abe Klein, Krissy Longfellow, Andrew Hawk, Jonathan Rich

Continuity Notes

Krissy Longfellow is actually Madame Masque in disguise as we’ll learn in Iron Man #103.
Iron Man specifically references his battle with Commander Kraken which happened in Iron Man #93-94.
Tony mentions his heart condition and various upgrades to his Iron Man armor over the years:
- Tony’s heart was originally wounded with shrapnel from a bomb back in Tales of Suspense #39. This plagued him until heart surgery removed the shrapnel and replaced the damaged parts of his heart in Iron Man #19. The heart was at risk of rejecting the synthetic parts when under stress until it appeared to fully heal in issue #58. However, Tony has been suffering dizzy spell since issue #82 signaling heart problems that he acknowledges for the first time later in this story.
- Tony’s first suit of armor was built in the aforementioned Tales of Suspense #39. It was repainted in the following issue. Tony continued wearing it until his first major upgrade.
- The second suit of armor was built in Tales of Suspense #48. It received a number of minor upgrades, such as a new helmet in Tales of Suspense #54.
- The next major upgrade happened in Tales of Suspense #66. It power source upgrades in Iron Man #4 (thermal energy generators), and #52 (solar power), as well as a new helmet (with a nose of all things) in Iron Man #68.
- His current model of armor was first created in Iron Man #85. It was given the ability to depolarize into cloth-like material that could be worn under Tony’s regular clothing for faster changing. Up until this point, the armor was more vulnerable to damage due to its compact nature.
Tony’s love life has been as varied as his armor but not as durable. The women he mentions by name or by recollecting their image include (in order of romantic interest):
- Pepper Potts who Tony had been pursing alongside Happy Hogan since Tales of Suspense #45. Ultimately, Happy won and he and Pepper got married in issue #89 of that series. The couple were out of Tony’s life until Pepper came back to work for him in Iron Man #57. After Happy was injured masquerading as Iron Man in issue #82, Pepper decided they needed to get out of Tony’s life again in Iron Man #88.
- Janice Cord dated Tony on and off after they met in Iron Man #3. She was tragically murdered by the Titanium Man in Iron Man #21.
- Tony then started dating Marianne Rodgers in Iron Man #36. However, she had ESP powers that gave her visions of the future. The couple were engaged in issue #45, but Tony broke it off after she abandoned him when he needed help as Iron Man in issue #49. Marianne then went batshit crazy in Iron Man #52 due to a cosmic imbalance and mind link with the Black Lama. She will remain institutionalized until Iron Man #103.
- Tony has been currently pursuing Roxanne Gilbert since first meeting her in Iron Man #59. However, her activism has always put her at odds with Tony’s business operations. Tony had been ignoring her since issue #85 and she eventually got fed up and walked out on him in Iron Man #89. She won’t be seen again until Iron Man #297, when she briefly attends a surprise party for Tony.
The acts of sabotage happened in Iron Man #90-91, by Harry Key, who has also been stealing Tony’s design works. It’s revealed Abe Klein is also responsible for the leaks. This is all part of a complex scheme by Mordecai Midas to steal Stark International from Tony, see Iron Man #103-107. The treason charges, however, are the work of the Mandarin as we’ll learn in Iron Man #100.
A footnote here reminds readers of Iron Man’s past battles with Ultimo in Tales of Suspense #77-78 and Iron Man #70. The android was also used in Avengers Annual #1. Here, Iron Man states that Ultimo was created by the Mandarin. That’s not entirely accurate. As revealed in Iron Man (vol. 3) #24, Ultimo was actually an alien construct that the Mandarin reprogrammed to do his bidding.
Here it is stated that the Mandarin died. He seemingly perished in issue #70. However, while his physical body was killed his mind lived on in his power rings. This allowed him to take control of the person foolish enough to put them on, as we’ll learn in issue #100.