The Party

In order to make sure his Iron Man armor is operating a peak efficiency, Tony Stark assists in tearing down a number of derelict buildings as part of an urban renewal project. While the workers are pleased with his work, the union foreman is furious because this is against regulations. Deciding to make himself scarce, Iron Man heads for home to make preparations for his upcoming housewarming party. Tony is looking forward to it after his recent troubles with both Advance Idea Mechanics and the Ghost.[1]

Heading to the head office of Stark Enterprises, Tony changes out of his armor and heads into his office. There he is delighted that Bambi Arbogast has finally arrived to resume her role as his personal secretary. She had been difficult to find as she was on an expedition in Tanzania. However, when she heard that Tony was looking to hire her she came running back.[2] When Jim Rhodes comes up from the hanger he too is happy to see Mrs. Arbogast is back as well. Leaving the office, Tony tells Jim that he has a lot of work to finish before the day is done.

Rhodes tells Tony not to forget about his party and heads for home. When Jim arrives at his apartment he can tell that someone is in his apartment. It turns out to be Marcy Pearson, Tony Stark’s new publicist whom Jim has started a relationship with. She decided to come by to get ready for Tony’s party since Jim’s apartment is closer. When she shows off the new dress she bought, Jim suggests they show together. Marcy gives no protest and the shower begins.

By six o’clock that evening, it has begun to rain as guests begin arriving at Tony Stark’s mansion. There is a bouncer at the door making sure that only those with valid reservations are allowed inside. As more and more guests start showing up, Bambi calls Tony to remind him that he’s running late. Since it is raining outside, Tony decides to make up for time by flying to the party in his Iron Man armor.

However, Tony ends up getting sidetracked by various weather related hazards. First, he rescues a trucker from a wreck and tosses his burning fuel truck before it explodes in order to save lives. One of the stranded motorists is pregnant and has gone into labor. Iron Man then races her to a nearby hospital so she can give birth. However, before he can leave the hospital, a police officer tells him that there is a risk of mudslides up in Malibu and that emergency crews could use his help. When he arrives on the scene, Iron Man learns that a lone occupant refuses to leave his cliffside mansion. When it is at risk of collapsing, Iron Man rips up some trees and uses them to reinforce the building. Lastly, Iron Man stops to help a little girl get her cat out of a tree.

No wishing to be delayed any further, Iron Man races back to his mansion and uses his secret underwater tunnel to get into his mansion unseen. After a quick change into some fresh clothes, Tony Stark finally arrives at the party. By this time, an aspiring actress named Brie Daniels has managed to sneak into the party but gets stopped by the bouncer. When asked if Tony invited her, Tony decides to play along with her ruse and after hearing that she is an actor, offers to introduce her to some of his producer friends. An hour later, all of the guests leave and Mrs. Arbogast calls in the cleaners. Out on the balcony, Tony tells Jim about the trouble he had making it to his own party and jokes that next time he’ll take a cab.

Meanwhile, out at sea, Force has attacked the Sea Queen, a merchant ship, and leaves the crew for dead. Picked up by one of Justin Hammer’s private submarine. He declines an offer of champaign to celebrate the complete of his mission as he has to prepare for his next target, Iron Man.

Recurring Characters

Iron Man, Force, Jim Rhodes, Bambi Arbogast, Marcy Pearson, Garrison Quint, Brie Daniels

Continuity Notes

1. AIM was interfering with Tony Stark’s operations and battling Iron Man in issues #201, 203-205, 207-208, and 215-216. He later clashed with the Ghost in Iron Man #219-221.

2. Bambi was Tony’s secretary starting in Iron Man #118. When Stark International was taken over by Obadiah Stane in issue #173, she quit the following issue.

Topical References

• Here, Jim Rhodes is depicted driving a 1957 Thunderbird convertible. The narrative makes a point to say that this is a restored classic car and thus its appearance here is not considered topical.

• When asked to guess who is in his apartment, Jim jokingly asks if it is Indira Gandhi. Marcy reminds Jim that Gandhi is dead. This story was published a few years after Indira Gandhi’s death in 1984. You could consider this a topical reference if you have no idea who Indira Gandhi is. And you don’t know, do you? DO YOU?

• There are a lot of topical references made at Tony’s party as everyone makes idle chat waiting for Stark to show up:

  • One patron suggests that the Arby’s on the Sunset Strip is better than Ma Maison, a fancy restaurant because he’s a maniac. This is topical because these are real world businesses, particularly Ma Maison which shut down in 1985, making this reference already 2 years out of date at the time of publication.

  • The piano player hired to entertain the guests says he doesn’t know any Bon Jovi songs. This story came out at the height of Bon Jovi’s popularity. This should be considered topical.

  • One of the guests attending the party is sex therapist Doctor Ruth Westheimer. At the time of this writing (January, 2022) Westheimer is 93 years old. Her appearance here should be considered topical since she’s probably going to die pretty soon.

  • Also appearing is William “Fridge” Perry a famous NFL player. This story still depicts him in his prime and implies that he is still playing football. He retired in 1996. His appearance here should be considered topical.

  • An actor decides to use the phone to call his agent to see if he can land a role on a TV show called Dynasty. This TV drama ran from 1981 to 1989. The show was rebooted in 2017 and while its still airing as of this writing, it too will probably end its run at some point.

  • Speaking of dated TV references: Iron Man prevents a mansion from being destroyed in a landslide. The owner, who refused to leave, comes out and says “it was all a dream!” He is depicted to look like actor Larry Hagman. At the time he played the role of J.R. Ewing on the TV show Dallas. This line is a reference to the fact that the show’s 9th season (aired in 1985-86) was written off as being all a dream.

  • When introduced to Brie Daniels, Tony asks her if she’s seen the film The Color Purple before going to introduce her to Steven Spielberg. Spielberg direct The Color Purple in 1985.