Iron Man #271
Dragon Flame
Tony Stark’s central nervous system is a wreck and in order to get a cure for his condition, he has had to agree to loan Iron Man to the Chinese government in order to get access to an expert scientist named Su Yin.[1] Unwilling to let Tony put his life at further risk by going on the mission himself, Jim Rhodes take his place as Iron Man. He soon learns that the Chinese government wants him to deal with the Mandarin who has been threatening the country for quite some time.[2] Jim soon discovers that he is in over his head when the Mandarin unleashes the massive dragon Fin Fang Foom to destroy him.
Tony had been dosed with sleeping gas before Jim went off on this mission and he soon wakes up to discover that his best friend had left in his place. That’s when he gets a call from Li Wang, the Chinese liaison that is assigned to him, who is calling to tell Tony that it is time for him to head down to see Doctor Su Yin. Realizing he has no choice but to go, he hopes that Jim doesn’t get himself killed out on the field. He is taken down to the University of the Long March and is given a tour of the top-of-the-line facility before he meets with Su Yin for consultation on his condition.
Meanwhile, Jim is finding himself way out of his depth against the giant dragon. After Fin Fang Foom batters him around for a bit, the creature then tries to crush him in its massive hand. In order to get free, Rhodes launches two sonic drones that blast Foom with powerful sonic blasts. This causes the dragon to let him go to destroy these painful annoyances. Watching from their palace are the Mandarin and his teacher, an elderly wizard named Chen Hsu. As the Mandarin enjoys the battle, he is completely unaware that Chen Hsu has been using him this entire time and has a plan of his own that is already in motion.
Elsewhere, a wealthy businessman named Wu Pong is finalizing a charity deal with a local hospital. After the meeting is over, Pong is visited by the astral projection of Chen Hsu, who tells him that — after centuries of waiting — it is time for them to act. The two spend a moment to enjoy the last moments of the human vices they have taken up — Wu Pong’s material wealth, and Chen Hsu’s love for tobacco — as soon they will be free of them.[3]
However, back at the scene of the battle, Jim Rhodes changes tactics by using the environment around him against Fin Fang Foom instead of trying to attack him directly. Luring the giant dragon into a range of mountains, Jim uses his repulsors to kick up sand into the monster’s eyes, temporarily blinding it. He then blasts the sides of the mountains, burying Fin Fang Foom under tons of rock.
By this time, Doctor Su Yin has had the opportunity to give Tony a full physical exam. After she has finished her tests she tells Tony that she will need the day to go over the results in order to determine what she can do. When she reports back to the leader of China, she tells him that the damage done to Stark’s nervous system is so extreme she isn’t certain she can cure him. The leader tells her that she must string Tony along as long as they still have a need for Iron Man.
Meanwhile, in New York, the Black Widow meets with a former Russian intelligence operative named Alexi Alexivitch to discuss the threat posed by Oktober, a sleeper agent that was planted in the United States during the Cold War. With the United States and Russia on more peaceful terms, Alexi tells her that there is probably nothing to worry about regarding Oktober. However, Natasha is still concerned that Oktober poses a threat to world peace and decides to investigate further without his help.[4]
Back in China, Jim Rhodes stands at the tons of rock that he has buried Fin Fang Foom under waiting for a sign that the monster might get freed. Observing “Iron Man” in battle, the Mandarin notices how clumsy his enemy has been in battle and suspects that this isn’t the real Iron Man but another one of his replacements.[5] Chen Hsu is impressed by the Mandarin’s observations but tells his pupal to continue watching as there is still much more to learn. Sure enough, moments later, Fin Fang Foom smashes free from his stone prison. This catches Rhodes off guard and he is quickly pummeled into unconsciousness. With the battle over, the Mandarin tells Fin Fang Foom to follow him as they have more important matters to concern themselves with.
Recurring Characters
Tony Stark, Iron Man (Rhodes), Mandarin, Fin Fang Foom, Chen Hsu, Wu Pong, Su Yin, Black Widow
Continuity Notes
TL;DR: Tony was shot in through the spine in Iron Man #242 leaving him disabled from the waist down. He cured himself with an experimental bio-chip in issue #248. This chip was used by the Marrs twins as a backdoor to override Stark’s nervous system with an artificial one that allowed them to take control of his body. Iron Man uncovered and foiled this plot over the course of Iron Man #258-266. Tony’s condition will persist until Iron Man #290.
Tony has been trying to get permission to see Su Yin since Iron Man #262, but has been stymied by the Chinese government. The reason the Chinese decided to finally allow him to meet with her is because the Mandarin is threatening to unleash Fin Fang Foom upon the country unless they secede rule over to him. See Iron Man #266.
As revealed in Iron Man #274, both Chen Hsu and Wu Pong are actually members of the Makluan race, aliens who came to Earth centuries ago seeking to conquer a violent world. In order to prepare for their invasion, they disguised themselves as humans to infiltrate society and amass financial and political power until the the time was ripe to strike.
It’s later revealed that the Black Widow is actually the sleeper agent she is looking for. See Iron Man #276-277.
The Mandarin has had first hand experience dealing with somebody else in the Iron Man armor on more than on occasion. Such as the time he kidnapped Happy Hogan when he was wearing Iron Man’s armor in Tales of Suspense #84-85 and fought Jim Rhodes in Iron Man #179-181.
Topical References
The leader of the Chinese officials in this story is depicted as Deng Xiaoping. At the time this story was published he was the Paramount Leader of China. He resigned from the post in 1992 and later died in 1997. His appearance here should be considered topical.
The original twin towers are depicted as part of the New York City skyline in this story. This should be considered a topical reference as they were destroyed in a terrorist attack on September 11, 2001. They have since been replaced by the Freedom Tower.
When the Black Widow meets with Alexi Alexivitch, they the dissolution of the USSR and peace made between the United States and Russia as though it recently happened. That was the case when this comic was first published in 1991. However, this should be considered a topical reference. As such modern readers should view the geopolitical situation in this story as recent de-escalation between the US and Russia over an unrelated matter that exists in the fiction as opposed to a real life event.
Alexi Alexivitch is stated as being a former member of the KGB. This organization also dissolved in 1991 and replaced with the Foreign Intelligence Service. Due to the Sliding Timescale it becomes increasingly impossible that Alexivitch could have served in the KGB during Natasha’s time in the agency and still be alive without some means of artificially extending his life span. This seems unlikely with such a minor character. As such, modern readers should interpret Alexi as being a member of the FIS with knowledge of old KGB programs like Oktober.
