Issue(s): Iron Man #98
Published Date: May 77
Title: "Sunfire strikes again!"
Credits:
Bill Mantlo - Writer
George Tuska - Penciler
Don Perlin - Inker

Review/plot:
Tony Stark has captured Michael O'Brien, who was driven mad by a combination of grief over his brother's death and the side-effects of wearing the Guardsman armor last issue. Sunfire attacks Stark's lab because he doesn't like a business deal between Stark and Japanese scientist Professor Watanade.

Stark was working on a new suit of armor but it wasn't complete, so he goes off to face Sunfire in the Guardsman armor. This act of bravery causes O'Brien to come to respect Tony, so he puts on the new suit of armor once it is finished and helps out. Stark's Guardman armor is nearly destroyed, and he finds that all of his suits have been stolen except for one of the older ones (the original red and gold suit), which is given to him by a mysterious woman (Madame Masque). He is then able to defeat Sunfire.

Iron Man's new armor does away with the solar battery cells he's used to power it in the past. Shame.

Quality Rating: C-

Historical Significance Rating: 1

Chronological Placement Considerations: Any break in Iron Man's Avengers appearances will do.

References:

• Kevin O'Brien, the original Guardsman, was killed in Iron Man #46.
  
• Tony Stark is also dealing with the fact that he's been subpoenaed by Congress, a plot point introduced in Iron Man #95-96
  
• Iron Man helped the Watanade family in Iron Man #30
  
• Iron Man and Sunfire teamed up previously in Iron Man #68-70

Cross-over: N/A

Continuity Implant? N

Reprinted In: N/A