Issue(s): Namor annual #3 (Iron Fist story only)
Cover Date: 1993
Title: "Greater evil"
Credits:
Ron Marz - Writer
Andy Smith - Penciler
Brad Vancata - Inker
Joe Andreani - Assistant Editor
Mike Rockwitz - Editor

Review/plot:
It's interesting that thanks to his revival during John Byrne's run, Iron Fist had become a Namor supporting character to the point where when Marvel needed another story to fill space in a Namor annual, they went with an Iron Fist story as opposed to one featuring Namorita (who of course was in the New Warriors) or Tamara Rahn or any number of minor Atlantean characters. At this point Marvel was still touting the possibility of an Iron Fist series drawn by Jae Lee, but it doesn't seem like this plot was intended for Lee to draw or anything like that.

This story has Iron Fist responding to a call from Tibetan monks who have summoned a demon that they couldn't control. They summoned the demon to fight off Chinese soldiers, but it attacked them instead.

It took me a second to realize that the demon was speaking in english with a weird font. I briefly thought that his words were just ancient runes.

Iron Fist isn't sure if he can defeat the demon, and in the end he has to collapse the temple to kill it, saying, "In order to preserve the shrine -- I am forced to destroy it". In providing that twist on the famous phrase from the Vietnam War, i'm not sure if Ron Marz is actually making commentary on the the war or just trying to turn a clever phrase, but obviously the context is completely different.

Anyway it's a perfectly average Iron Fist story that serves no larger purpose.

Quality Rating: C-

Historical Significance Rating: 1

Chronological Placement Considerations: The MCP place this before Iron Fist's appearance in Maximum Carnage.

References: N/A

Crossover: N/A

Continuity Insert? N

My Reprint: N/A

Oh no, your placement considerations just reminded me Maximum Carnage was a thing that happened.

It only went downhill from there. Remember The "Clone Saga"? No amount of brainwashing has been able to erase it from my mind.

Apparently, we havent yet had enough, because a new Clone Saga is on its way!