ULTIMATE IRON MAN Vol. 1 #1-5
(May 2005) -No title-
Cover art: Andy Kubert & Richard Isanove.
Script: Orson Scott Card. Art: Andy Kubert/Danny Miki.
In what could be called "Ultimate Howard Stark," in this opener we see neither Tony Stark (except as an embryo) nor Iron Man! Nevertheless, it's a pretty decent debut. Howard Stark is working to perfect a "biotech armor" -- a blue, spray-painted on substance that makes the wearer virtually invulnerable. The hassle, though, is that its effect is temporary and potentially quite dangerous to the user. Enter Dr. Maria Cerrera, who may hold the key to Howard's troubles. She's a geneticist who's been dibbling in human regeneration techniques. Looks like Howard is tryin' to make some moves on her, too ... but wait!! Stark is married!! His wife Loni is looking to divorce, however, and she's planning something dastardly with ... Zebediah Stane! Stane has been buying up Stark company stock, and when Loni divorces Howard, she'll get half of his company stock. Loni and Stane together equals ownership of Stark Defense Corporation!
Later, Howard has married Dr. Cerrera, and she's been working on her regeneration methods. In a scene straight out of the thriller "28 Days Later," a test monkey lunges at Dr. Cerrera from his cage. Falling backward, Cerrera's bio-helmet cracks and breaks, the monkey severs his arm on a shard, and its infected blood gets in Cerrera's mouth! And here's the big "oops": Cerrera is pregnant! Maria informs her new husband that their baby will be affected by the test virus in good and bad ways: his mental growth and capacity will be incredible, but his skin will be incredibly sensitive, like 3rd degree burns. As Maria's life begins to fade away, Howard works like crazy to perfect his biotech armor using as much of his wife's research as possible. Just when it looks as if he has a breakthrough, Zebediah Stane enters and informs Stark that he no longer owns the company -- it's now Stane's! The phone rings, and Stane answers it, telling Stark "This is my phone now." Stane then informs Howard that Maria has just died.
A decent foundation for the Ultimate Universe Tony Stark. He's obviously the embryo shown late in the book, and it seems the test virus that infected Maria will somehow be responsible for Stark being such a genius. I just hope it doesn't take 4-5 issues to see Tony Stark, or, of course, Iron Man. Card makes some nice connections with Zebediah Stane (Obadiah's Ultimate "cousin") and Maria -- the name of the Marvel Universe proper's Mrs. Howard Stark. Kubert's art is solid, but what is up with that last panel on page 10? YUCK!
Hube's Recommendation: 3 repulsors!
Fan Reaction: Hube: Bio-based armor impervious to screwdrivers! Tony's a mutant! The Invincible Iron-X-Man. I can't stop yawning. Somebody drive me to Starbucks. --
ULTIMATE IRON MAN #2
(June 2005) -No title-
Cover art: Andy Kubert, Danny Miki, Richard Isanove.
Script: Orson Scott Card.
Art: Andy Kubert/Danny Miki.
The mutant Tony Stark is born! He's screaming like a banshee upon birth, and the only thing that quells it is Howard's blue bio-tech "armor." Zebediah Stane realizes that Howard Stark was ready for his takeover -- it appears Stane doesn't own what he thought and bummer: Howard never patented anything related to the bio-tech armor! Strange, then, that Zeb has some of his hired thugs capture a former Howard employee, beat the stuffing out of him and then use a "brain siphoning" device to extract info, eh? Four years later, Stane and his goons kidnap young Tony himself, and use the "brain siphoning" device ("The Lid") on him! Best line: Howard telling Tony "Little bald kids sometimes grow up to be criminal masterminds."
Hube's Recommendation: 2 repulsors!
ULTIMATE IRON MAN #3
(Sept. 2005) -No title-
Cover art: Andy Kubert & Richard Isanove.
Script: Orson Scott Card.
Art: Andy Kubert/Danny Miki.
Zebediah Stane's "Lid" does not work on the mutant Tony Stark, and Howard and a team of operatives bust in on Zeb's operation to finally incarcerate the corrupt business magnate. Zeb's "wife" (Howard's ex) Loni is leaving him now that he's in jail, and we get our first glance at Obadiah -- the child they had together. (Looks like I was erroneous when I thought Zeb was the Ultimate version of Obadiah in my review of ish #1.) Howard soon develops a new color for Tony's bio-armor -- flesh color. Now he can go to school! It's here that we meet young Jim Rhodes, also a student at the prestigious Bretonne Academy. Rhodes is harassed by a trio of student racist thugs, and Tony offers his unique sort of "aid." It doesn't exactly endear Rhodes to Stark, but it does spark the beginnings of a friendship. The thugs pop up at issue's end to once again beat up Rhodes -- and Stark. But this time, they catch the duo in the middle of Stark testing his first armored suit prototype on Jimbo. WHOOPS!
Hube's Recommendation: 2 repulsors!
ULTIMATE IRON MAN #4
(Nov. 2005) -No title-
Cover art: Andy Kubert & Richard Isanove.
Script: Orson Scott Card.
Art: Andy Kubert/Danny Miki, Batt & Jesse Delperdang.
Tony and Rhodey battle the prep school Hitler Youth with the former eventually ending up victorious -- but not without cost. Stark was shoved into a furnace and his legs were burnt almost clean off. However, Stark has remarkable regenerative capabilities, so you know he'll end up being OK. It seems the young thugs that beat on Tony and Rhodey were actually hired as hit men! After Tony is brought home by his father, dad informs Tony and Rhodey about an elite government school for young geniuses, and check it -- the clandestine academy is located in ... the Baxter Building! And, one of the other students attending is Zebediah Stane's son, Obadiah! (While in an elevator, Obadiah snatches a hair off of Howard Stark's jacket .... you know that will come back to haunt the Starks!) Later, the homicidal Obadiah murders two fellow students and Tony makes a pact with his dad -- he'll protect his father ... and kill Obadiah if need be!
Hube's Recommendation: 2 repulsors!
LTIMATE IRON MAN #5
(Feb. 2006) -No title-
Cover art: Andy Kubert & Richard Isanove.
Script: Orson Scott Card.
Art: Andy Kubert & Mark Bagley/Danny Miki, John Dell & Scott Koblish.
At the secret academy, Jim Rhodes is working on a project he calls ... War Machine! (Clever!) At Stark Enterprises, young Tony has developed his Iron Man prototype. Elsewhere, Zebediah Stane is "busted out" of prison by dudes we're led to believe were hired by Howard Stark. However, after the way they brutally murder Zeb, we're supposed to wonder ... Howard still is taken into custody by the police and as a result, Tony becomes head of Stark Enterprises in the interim. We see the beginnings of Tony's alcohol problem, and terrorists have been seen approaching SE. So, what does Tony do? He suits up in the prototype Iron Man armor, of course! He does not succeed in preventing the explosives from being detonated, and Tony lies near death!
Hube's Recommendation: 2 repulsors!
