Issue(s): Power Man & Iron Fist #115, Power Man & Iron Fist #116
Cover Date: Mar-Apr 85
Title: "Stanley's war" / 1985"
Credits:
Christopher Priest - Writer
M.D. Bright - Penciler
Jerry Acerno - Inker
Don Daley - Assistant Editor
Denny O'Neil - Editor

Review/plot:
At the end of last issue, we saw Luke and Danny getting tricked into signing up with Consolidated Conglomerates Incorporated. In this arc, they're sent by CCI to inspect a vault in Alaska that is guarded by a single CCI employee, a nebbish Stanley Lumus.

Prior to this surprise inspection, Stanley has mainly been charged with keeping the ducks off of the roof of the building.

Talking to each other on their way to the vault, Luke and Danny realize that they were tricked into signing with CCI, so Luke is not in a friendly mood when they arrive.

And Stanley is playing things by the book, which means he's using deadly force.

The problem is that Stanley's bazooka is powered by a mini-nuclear reactor, so when Fist destroys the weapon they all have to take cover in the vault itself to avoid the blast. Stanley, however, doesn't make it into the vault.

There's definitely an element of goofy comedy in these issues. The ducks. The funny computer messages...

...but Stanley's fate is also tragic, even if played for laughs.

Fist and Cage are able to defeat Stanley, and then CCI show up to take him away. The heroes for hire are also put in an isolated chamber due to their exposure to radiation, and on their way home they meet the Chairman of the Board of CCI.

There's definitely some unbelievable elements to this story, since it's played as a deliberate farce, but at the same time Owsley/Priest is doing a good job developing the intrigue of CCI.

Quality Rating: B

Historical Significance Rating: 1

Chronological Placement Considerations: N/A

References: N/A

Crossover: N/A

Continuity Insert? N

My Reprint: N/A