Iron Man #135
The Return of the Hero
Titanium Man is rampaging through the streets seeking Iron Man for a rematch. Among the eyewitnesses is Tony Stark and his girlfriend Bethany Cabe. When he tells her that he needs to call Iron Man, she doesn’t offer any resistance to this, much to his relief.[1] Unable to find an alley to duck into, Tony is forced to pay for a room at a sleazy hotel so he can change into Iron Man.
However, when Iron Man arrives on the scene, the crowd is just as afraid of him as they are of Titanium Man. This is because the public still believes he was responsible of murdering a visiting diplomat.[2] In the middle of the battle, Titanium Man immobilizes Iron Man with his stasis beam so he can explain his motivations. Titanium Man explains that he has been in exile ever since Iron Man first defeated him.[3] Although he found purpose for a brief period by joining the Titanic Three in Vietnam, he soon came to miss his family and desired to return home.[4] Deciding that the best way to win over his former Russian masters, Titanium Man began plotting against Iron Man, revealing he was the one behind the Unicorn’s recent attack on Stark International.[5]
What Titanium Man doesn’t expect is that Iron Man has long improved his armor since their last encounter and he is able to fight off the effects of the stasis beam. Then, using the martial arts skills he learned from Captain America, Iron Man is able to hold his own against his foe.[6] Their battle takes them across downtown, ending on the ice rink out front of Rockefeller Plaza. Caught in a bear hug, Iron Man uses his strength to rip open his foe’s helmet and knock him out with a single punch. In the aftermath of the battle, Iron Man is surprised when the crowd begins cheering him on but is pleased his public image is starting to turn around.
Iron Man quickly departs to change back into Tony Stark and get his date back home. Bethany is curious why Tony smells like talcum powder and cheap perfume but decides to drop it when it turns out to be a long story. Deciding the night has just begun, the couple head up to Beth’s apartment for a romantic night alone.
Recurring Characters
Iron Man, Titanium Man, Bethany Cabe
Continuity Notes
Bethany is quick to accept Tony’s departure because she has figured out that Tony and Iron Man are the same person, as we’ll learn in Iron Man #139. She won’t reveal to Tony that she knows until issue #153.
Justin Hammer hacked into Iron Man’s armor and made it kill the diplomat in Iron Man #124.
Iron Man first defeated Titanium Man way back in Tales of Suspense #69-71.
Titanium Man joined the Titanic Three in Avengers #130 alongside communist super-beings Radioactive Man and the Crimson Dynamo.
Titanium Man sent Unicorn to attack Stark International back in Iron Man #113.
Tony took self-defense training from Captain America back in Iron Man #125.
Topical References
One of the billboards is an advertisement for Coca-Cola. This should be considered topical since Coke is a real world product.