IRON MAN vol. 3 #78 (423)
(May 2004) "Confirmation" -- The Best Defense, part 6.
Cover art: Adi Granov.
Script: John Jackson Miller.
Art: Jorge Lucas.
At least! We finally get into some Iron Action! Shellhead jets off to assist a couple of F-16s (or are the F-16s assisting Iron Man?) in stopping the unleashed missiles! It takes a few moments for IM's decryption code to break the missile control, so in the meantime he and the jets have to "zap" as many of the deadly rockets as they can. The action is first-rate, and Lucas' abilities shine through, via his use of perspective and panel angles.
Eventually, IM makes his way to the transport jet that is carrying the suits of IM armor (the target of the missiles -- remember?). Dilemma: He has to evacuate twenty-two people from the rapidly descending jet. Solution: Have them don the various suits of Iron Man armor sitting in the crates in the jet's cargo hold! Neat sequence where IM gives the evacuees tips on controlling their armors' descent. But the trouble ain't over yet -- IM has to slow the jet down as it falls. Once again, very cool use of panels here as IM settles under the craft's belly as it splashes into the Washington DC mall pool.
I have doubts as to why Shellhead's armor was essentially scrap-worthy after his and the jet's emergency landing. Are we witnessing another "devolution" of the armor to make it more "realistic?" I hope not. I can see the armor being slightly damaged after the crash landing, but virtually destroyed? Nah. How many instances has Stark's armor faced much worse -- and the armor looked better than this issue's result afterwards? Answer: Many times. At any rate, due to the emergency, the Senate evacuated before Stark was officially refused as Secretary of Defense! After witnessing his bravery in the incident, every senator who voted against Stark asked to reconsider! Cool ending splash page with GW Bush congratulating Stark as his new Defense Secretary. Also cool: The panel where the 22 transport jet evacuees stand and salute the very damaged Iron Man after he eased the huge Galaxy plane down.
Hube's Recommendation: 3 1/2 repulsors!
Creator Reaction: Hey there -- I was told of some questions you had in your reviews, and finally got a minute to respond to them.
First off, on #77 -- yeah, the full Senate can still vote on a nominee who's lost in committee. It happened, for example, to John Tower back in 1989 when he was up for Secretary of Defense -- he lost both in front of the Armed Forces Committee and then before the full Senate. No fun, that. Presidents will often withdraw a losing name before it even gets to a vote in either place, if things are looking bad. I figured they'd let Tony play all the way out.
On the armor after #78 -- yes, the armor was heavily damaged. I figure you have a jumbo jet land on you, you're going to need more than wax to buff out the dings. Its proper internal functioning will be a matter of major concern as we get into "The Deep End." Cosmetically it can be made to look whole again -- such is the nature of how it "assembles" itself -- but we may find that its operating margins are much closer to the edge.
(And that leads to another point, raised immediately in #79: When will a Secretary of Defense, of all people, find time to wear his armor -- much less fix it? That'll have ramifications -- in action -- in the second issue of the "Deep End" storyline. Who, if anyone, could possibly be the armorer's armorer? That'll be a significant question.)
Lastly, you inspired me to have another look back through the original Simon Gilbert stories -- I guess my reading of it gave him a chance of survival. Of course, fact is, Jorge drew him looking so little like the original character I guess it doesn't matter much! Reconstructive plastic surgery, maybe?
Thanks for your support for my run on the title. -- John Jackson Miller
