Obsessively putting our comics in chronological order since 1985.
| 1972-01-01 00:01:30 |
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Iron Man #47
Issue(s): Iron Man #47
Cover Date: Jun 72
Title: "Why must there be an Iron Man?"
Credits:
Roy Thomas - Writer
Barry Windsor-Smith - Penciler
Jim Mooney - Inker
Review/plot:
It is time again for a fill-in disguised as an origin retelling.
Barry Windor-Smith's recreation of the original Iron Man origin is much more faithful to the original art than, say, Gene Colan's retelling of Daredevil's origin in Daredevil #53.
The framing sequence for his issue is the funeral for Kevin O'Brien. Tony Stark classily arrives as Iron Man instead of Stark, and gets into a fight with Stark's chairman of the board, Simon Gilbert...
...and then the police.
Marianne's question "Why must there be an Iron Man?" is what triggers the flashback, but in the end there isn't much of an answer to that question.
Quality Rating: C-
Historical Significance Rating: 1
Chronological Placement Considerations: Since this is the Guardman's funeral, i've placed this soon after Iron Man #46.
References:
- The majority of this issue is a retelling of Tales of Suspense #39.
- Iron Man recolored his armor to gold in Tales of Suspense #40 "so it wouldn't make me look so sinister -- wouldn't frighten people I was trying to help".
Crossover: N/A
Continuity Insert? N
My Reprint: Marvel Masterworks: Invincible Iron Man vol. 8
| Previous: Iron Man #44-46 | Up: Main 1972 / Box 6 / EiC: Roy Thomas | Next: Amazing Adventures #12-13 |
Comments
The first thing I thought of when I saw that title was the classic "Must There Be a Superman?" by Elliot S. Maggin, which hit stands a few months earlier. Outside of the similar titles and being released in the same year, the two stories have nothing in common.
I picked up this comic when I was young, mostly just because I liked the cover. Reading it in isolation, I got the impression that this was the definitive issue where Stark decided to stop making munitions. Is that right? And if so, should it have an effect on significance?
Andrew, it might be considered part of the build up, but i don't know if it's the definitive point. Next issue Stark dissolves his board but makes no mention of moving away from munitions, and in fact he goes to inspect a munitions plant. That issue is his encounter with Firebrand, and that experience is probably also part of his decision. It's also worth noting that he doesn't really stop making munitions entirely at this time. In issues #49-50 he talks about diversifying into other things, but he does still make some weapons. Heck, even when he's supposed to be completely out of making weapons in the late 80s, writers for other books didn't always acknowledge that.
