Iron Man #197
Call Him… Thundersword!
Secret Wars II continues from Uncanny X-Men #196…
Iron Man has turned over Stewart Cadwall, who — as Thundersword — terrorized Los Angeles until he was stopped by himself, the Captain America, X-Men, and Dazzler.[1] As Cadwall is being locked in a jail cell, Iron Man hands over an award that was apparently the source of Thundersword’s power.
Overhearing this, Cadwall remembers that his powers were derived from his own imagination and the Beyonder’s power. This inspires him to re-imagine the source of his power as being within himself and not his award. This causes Stewart to suddenly transform into Thundersword again and break out of his cell. Summoning his winged horse, Boromir, Cadwall manages to escape from his cell with. Iron Man quickly catches up to the villain, but is no match for his lightning sword. Luckily, Thundersword finds it beneath himself to kill Iron Man and he leaves the hero alive.
With Thundersword gone, Iron Man decides to head back to Circuits Maximus to wait for him to resurface. Jim is having a conversation with his business partners, Morley and Clytemnestra Erwin, when Tony Stark shows up. It’s then that Morley tells Tony that Bethany Cabe came by earlier looking for him and that she be calling back in an hour.[2] Jim takes this opportunity to tell Tony how he failed to recapture Thundersword and suggests that Tony take back the mantle. However, Tony doesn’t want to be Iron Man again, and tells Jim not to sweat it as he failed many times as Iron Man as well and it is not the end of the world.
When Jim turns on the radio he picks up a report about Thundersword going on a rampage in Hollywood. Jim is nervous to face him again and Tony agrees to help Jim out when Bethany Cabe finally calls. However, the call is interrupted when some armed mercenaries break into Beth’s hotel room and kidnap her while she is on the phone. Fearing for Bethany’s safety, Tony tells Jim that Thundersword will have to wait and begins putting on his original armor so he can mount a rescue mission. Unfortunately, when Tony finally arrives at the scene, Bethany’s kidnappers have already loaded her up in a helicopter that can fly much faster than the jet boots in his outdated armor.
Although he failed to rescue Beth, Tony has come up with an idea on how to beat Thundersword and decides to deal with that so Jim can help him look for Bethany. Returning to Circuits Maximus, Tony contacts Jim via radio and tells him to head to a nearby power plant where they can charge up his armor to its maximum potential. Luckily, Clytemnestra once consulted for a nearby power station and has the credentials to get them inside the facility. While Tony, Morley, and Cly head to the power station to set things up, Jim — as Iron Man — attacks Thundersword and begins luring him to the power station.
When he arrives, Tony and the Erwins have wired the power station through the chestplate of the new suit of armor Tony is building and to Jim’s Iron Man armor. With his armor super-charged, Iron Man is able to resist the power of Thundersword’s enchanted weapon and knocks him into the ocean with a single blow. Flying after him, Iron Man can find no trace of Thundersword.[3] When Iron Man returns to the mainland, Tony figures they’ll hear from Thundersword again sooner or later and turns their focus to rescuing Bethany Cabe instead.
… Secret Wars II continues in Secret Wars II #2.
Recurring Characters
Iron Man, Thundersword, Tony Stark, Morley Erwin, Cly Erwin, Bethany Cabe
Continuity Notes
Iron Man’s battle with Thundersword was chronicled in Secret Wars II #1.
Bethany has been looking for Tony since Iron Man #193. She is attempting to reconcile he feelings for both Tony and her soon-to-be ex-husband Alex Van Tilburg. See Iron Man #205, 207-208.
It will be many years until we figure out what happened to Thundersword. Apparently, Cadwall served his time and settled down with a family. He will later get caught up in Captain Marvel’s witch hunts during the second super-hero Civil War, but ultimately prove to her that he had reformed. See Captain Marvel (vol. 9) #8 and 10.
Topical References
Tony and the gang go to a nuclear power plant in Busta Point. This should be considered a topical reference since (as of this writing) every nuclear plant in California has been shut down except for the Diablo Canyon reactor which is slated to be decommissioned in 2025 in favor of green and renewable energy sources. Modern readers could assume that they go to a powerplant that isn’t nuclear.
Secret Wars II Reading Order
Secret Wars II #1, New Mutants #30, Captain America, #308, Uncanny X-Men #196, Iron Man #197, Secret Wars II #2, Web of Spider-Man #6, Amazing Spider-Man #268, Fantastic Four #282, Secret Wars II #3, Daredevil #223, Incredible Hulk #312, Avengers #260, Secret Wars II #4, Dazzler #40, Alpha Flight #28, Rom #72, Avengers #261, Secret Wars II #5, Thing #30, Doctor Strange (vol. 2) #74, Fantastic Four #285, Secret Wars II #6, Cloak and Dagger (vol. 2) #4, Power Pack #18, Micronauts (vol. 2) #16, Thor #363, Power Man and Iron Fist #121, Secret Wars II #7, New Mutants #36, Amazing Spider-Man #273, Spectacular Spider-Man #111, Uncanny X-Men #202, Defenders #152, Secret Wars II #8, New Mutants #37, Amazing Spider-Man #274, Avengers #265, Uncanny X-Men #203, Fantastic Four #288, Secret Wars II #9, Avengers #266