The Vengeance of Vibro

After being taken to jail by Iron Man, Vibro is thrown into another fit of rage after seeing a news story where Franklin Fortney — the man responsible for his transformation — thanks Iron Man for saving his life. Vowing revenge against both men, Vibro uses his power to break out of his cell.

Meanwhile, at a local motel, Tony Stark whips up a new set of repulsors for Jim Rhode’s Iron Man armor.[1] Both Morley and Clytemnestra Morley are impressed with how intuitive an inventor Tony is. Jim gets increasingly moody and after Stark is finished he tells them that he’s going out. Tony also decides to go out for an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting. On his way, he passes by a bar and fights the urge to go in and get a drink. This makes him realize that he will always have to struggle with alcohol.[2]

Not far away, Jim tests out his new repulsors and finds them in working order. Pleased that he is at his full fighting strength, he only wishes he didn’t have to rely on Tony for repairs. With the sun beginning to rise, Jim realizes that the others will be expecting and heads back for the motel.

Meanwhile, Vibro is on the rampage on the outskirts of Los Angeles. He is demanding Iron Man and Franklin Fortney to come out and face him. When the local authorities call Fortney to tell him what’s going on, he isn’t the least bit interested in helping stop the rampage. Unable to get ahold of Iron Man directly, the sheriff sends out a message to the hero through the media.

By this time, Iron Man is helping his friends with construction of their new tech start up. That’s when Tony comes and tells Jim about Vibro’s attack. Jim gets annoyed when Stark points out that he can pick up local news broadcasts in his helmet. When Jim takes off in a huff, Tony suggest they follow after him to see if there is some way they can help. When Iron Man finds Vibro and tries to attack him, he is struck with seismic energy and sent crashing into a nearby building. He is joined by Tony and the Erwin siblings who have noticed that Jim is not thinking clearly in battle.

Tony then realizes that the cybernetic uplink in the armor hasn’t been calibrated for Jim’s mind and is likely the cause for his headaches and erratic behavior. He hasn’t thought of this until now since he spent the last number of months drunk off his ass.[3] As Tony makes the necessary adjustments, Morley tells Jim that he has looked into Vibro’s origins. He has deduced that the villain gets his powers from his proximity to the San Andres fault line. By this time, the National Guard has been called out to deal with Vibro, but they are no match for his vibrational powers.

Elsewhere, in a run down section of Los Angeles, Barton and Percy Grimes are looking over their latest purchase: an old theater that they intend to turn into an x-rated movie house. Percy isn’t sure this was a good use of their money, but Percy knows there is money to be had in porn. Looking backstage, they come across the costumes once worn by the Brothers Grimm. Barton instantly recognizes them and tells them that they will be their real meal ticket.[4]

Back at the scene of the battle, Jim is ready to go back out as Iron Man even though he is still suffering from painful headaches. He has the others leave a military jeep with the keys in the ignition near Vibro so he can goad the villain into following him out of the city. The ploy works allowing Iron Man to nab the powerless Vibro and take him to Nevada to be incarcerated.

When Jim gets back to the business he is building with his friends, Morley laments that they couldn’t study Vibro’s powers more fully. However, Tony reminds them how they have a business to start.

Recurring Characters

Iron Man, Vibro, Tony Stark, Morley Erwin, Cly Erwin, Brothers Grimm

Continuity Notes

1. While on the Beyonder’s Battleworld, Jim upgraded his armor with alien technology in Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars #8. When this equipment didn’t work on Earth, Jim was forced to ditch it, leaving him without repulsor rays. See Iron Man #183.

2. Tony has struggled with alcohol for years. He last fell off the wagon in Iron Man #167 to 182.

3. Tony was piss loaded when he gave up being Iron Man in Iron Man #169-170 and wasn’t in any condition to recalibrate his armor.

4. The Brothers Grimm were animated by the spirit of Nathan Dolly, aka Mr. Doll, an old Iron Man foe circa Tales of Suspense #48. Dolly’s spirit operated as the Brothers Grimm from Spider-Woman #3-12.

Topical References

• The motel Jim and friends are staying at advertises a room with a single bed for $28. Adjusting for inflation this would cost $75.13 in 2022 money.