Issue(s): Iron Man #245
Cover Date: Aug 89
Title: "Inside angry"
Credits:
David Michelinie - Writer
Paul Smith - Penciler
Roy Richardson - Inker
David Wohl - Assistant Editor
Howard Mackie - Editor

Review/plot:
No Bob Layton this issue. David Michelinie is going it alone on the writing side, and Paul Smith guest-pencils.

The issue opens up with Tony Stark, now back in the Iron Man suit despite his paralyzation, appearing everywhere, helping out his company against what seem to be the ongoing attempts at sabotage that we saw last issue. If nothing else, it's an opportunity to get the roller skates out.

When he's not in armor, Tony's mood is considerably worse, despite having developed a high tech changing machine with its own AI...

...and an equally high tech floating wheelchair.

To get him in better spirits, Rhodey suggests that Stark go to a ski resort, where people often break their legs and hang around at the lodge. It almost works until someone recognizes him.

It's discovered that some of Stark's competitors seem to be sparring with each other, especially companies with "shady connections". They find out that it might be Maggia related, so Tony gives a call to Madame Masque...

...but she doesn't say anything and doesn't even act like she knows him.

Later, after trying to go out to a club with Rae LaCoste but getting turned away (without anyone saying it's because Tony is crippled), Iron Man responds to a report of a fight between cops and "big metal guys" at a warehouse. The big metal guys turn out to be Dreadnoughts, and the guys in the warehouse are suspicious too.

We don't learn here who they work for. Supreme Hydra? The Scientist Supreme of AIM? Diana Ross?

But Iron Man takes out the Dreadnoughts pretty easy, and notes that "they're just not making Dreadnoughts like they used to".

Just for fun, here's the reason Iron Man always wins a fight against Wolverine.

After the battle, he tries to tell the FBI about the suspicious goings-on, but the FBI just send him away. Later, the FBI show up at Stark Enterprises. Tony thinks it's to follow up on the events at the warehouse, but instead they show him a picture of Whitney Frost (Madame Masque) dead. She was shot "a few days ago", but Tony called Madame Masque in this issue.

Intriguing! And just generally well done.

Quality Rating: B

Historical Significance Rating: 1

Chronological Placement Considerations: Iron Man's participation in Atlantis Attacks takes place before next issue.

References:

• Tony was shot in Iron Man #242, resulting in his paralysis.
  
• No footnote, but we saw Madame Masque get killed in Iron Man #238 (actually it's Bio-Duplicates all the way down thanks to later retcons).

Crossover: N/A

Continuity Insert? N

My Reprint: N/A

I would never have guessed this was Paul Smith. Far cry from his X-Men days. I wonder if this was a rush job to meet a deadline or something.

All of Smith's pencils from his time look worse than his X-Men work. Maybe it's the inkers: he has Wiacek on X-Men, I believe. He'll soon have Milgrom on X-Factor. I'm not familiar with this issue's inker.

It is possible this was a rush job: I get the impression Layton couldn't meet deadlines, which will lead to an amazing awful period on this title about a year from now.

Hey, Tony, who needs that girl anyway. She's only after your money. :)

Tony should be careful about his hover-wheelchair. I think Prof. X had a patent on them.