Issue(s): Iron Man: The Iron Age #1
Cover Date: Aug 98
Title: Challenges
Credits:
Kurt Busiek - Writer
Patrick Zircher - Penciler
Bob McLeod - Inker
Polly Watson - Assistant Editor
Bobbie Chase - Editor
Bob Harras - EIC

Review/plot: This prodigious parable from Pepper Pott's perspective (pleasantly portrayed prior and post Iron Man's pro-generation) (Sorry! I've read too many Silver Age books in a row!) is, like other continuity inserts by Busiek, Stern, and Waid, a welcome enhancement to the lacking-in-character-development Silver Age.

This tells the story of how Tony goes from being a spoiled irresponsible rich kid to the successful head of Stark Industries. It also does a great job of saving Pepper from 1960s stereotyping - she effectively runs Stark Industries and also illustrates to Tony how his business decisions (or lack thereof) have an effect on the lives of his employees.

Also, the head of Republic Oil and Natural Gas hire 'the Saboteur' to try and ruin SI enough to prepare it for a take-over...

...but Iron Man stops her.

Aside from a wedgie-shot of the female villain the Saboteur, the art is pretty nice, too, with cute facial expressions for Pepper.

Good stuff. More like this, please.

Quality Rating: A

Historical Significance Rating: 1

Chronological Placement Considerations: By the end of this issue, Iron Man is still in his bulky gold armor. The Avengers have formed. Pepper is Tony's executive secretary but Happy Hogan is not yet hired. Pepper and Happy are both introduced in the same issue (Tales of Suspense #45, but Pepper was already an employee of Stark at that point, so i'm placing this before her first published appearance. One thing to note about the references below: in many cases the footnote is just telling us when they first appeared in the original stories; it doesn't mean that this issue takes place only after all of those references have occurred.

References:

• All of these references come directly from the notes in the series itself, and i appreciate their inclusion:
  • Airport battle - Tales Of Suspense #41
    
  • Pepper Potts - first seen in Tales Of Suspense #45
    
  • Howard & Maria Stark. First seen in Iron Man #28 (Howard) and Iron Man #104 (Maria, in a portrait)
    
  • Tony's parents' death - Iron Man #288
    
  • Pepper's promotion - recounted in Iron Man: Age of Innocence
    
  • Morgan Stark - first seen in Tales Of Suspense #68
    
  • Countess de la Spirosa - first seen in Tales Of Suspense #69
    
  • Joanna Nivena - first seen in Iron Man #244
    
  • Kanada, Wong Chu, Rhodey, origin of Iron Man - from Tales Of Suspense #39, Iron Man #144, Iron Man #267
    
  • Jeanne - first seen in Tales Of Suspense #40
    
  • Edwin Jarvis - first seen in Tales Of Suspense #59
    
  • Hugh Jones - first see in Captain America #180
    
  • Jonah Hale - first seen in Iron Man #120
    
  • John T. Gamelin - first seen in Marvel Team-Up #87
    
  • Anti-missile gun - Avengers #2
    
  • Sally - first seen in Iron Man #244 (a secretary seen during a flashback sequence)
    
  • Moon tractor - Avengers #2
    
  • Deep-sea bathyscope - Avengers #3
    
  • Southern Senator - first "seen" in Tales Of Suspense #42
    
  • Senator Harrington Byrd - first seen in Tales Of Suspense #46
    
  • General Thunderbolt Ross - first seen in Hulk #1
    
  • Egyptian Trip - Tales Of Suspense #44
    
  • Wind tunnel accident - Tales Of Suspense #43
    
  • Near collision, evil Dr. Strange - Tales Of Suspense #41
    
  • Heroes face down Hulk - Avengers #1
    
  • Yes, that's Hawkeye - first seen in Tales Of Suspense #57
    
  • Charleton Carter - first seen in Tales Of Suspense #48

Crossover: N/A

Continuity Insert? Y

My Reprint: N/A