AMAZING SPIDER-MAN ANNUAL #20 (November, 1986)
"Man of the Year." Cover art: Bob Wiacek. Script: Fred Schiller & Ken McDonald. Art: Mark Beachum/Bob Wiacek.
Well-woven disturbing yarn centering on the Iron Man of 2020 (even though he's in the year 2015). Arno Stark's company is threatened by a terrorist, Robert Saunders, and if Saunders is successful, Stark International will go "BOOM!" As Saunders tries to jet away, IM 2020 attempts to snag him with a tractor beam. Too late. Saunders is killed, and his retina patterns are the only way to disarm the bomb he planted. BUT -- Arno has designed a time machine! He fires it up and journeys back to Saunders' last known appearance -- in the year 1986! IM 2020 is just about to scan the child Saunders' retina patterns....when Spider-Man webs the scanner! In his nervous haste, Arno blasts Spidey, causing him to drop the eye scanner! HOO-BOY! Now Arno has no choice -- he has to take Saunders back to 2015 with him! Of course, Spidey won't allow that, and scoops up the young boy. In the course of his pursuit, IM 2020 severely hurts the boy, really pissing off the Wall-Crawler! Spidey lunges at IM 2020, and proceeds to pound the livin' crap out of him! Suddenly, IM 2020 dematerializes! Spidey remains clueless as to exactly what happened, while Arno reappears in 2015. But -- the bomb Saunders had planted has exploded!! Arno is seated in a crater which had been Stark International (and much of the surrounding city)!! Should have been placed in an Iron Man book since IM 2020 is the real star, but nevertheless a classic. Bonus: The original Blizzard is killed by IM 2020!
Hube's Recommendation: 5 repulsors!
