Invincible Iron Man #113: Review

Aug 1978

Bill Mantlo, Herb Trimpe

Story Name:

The Horn of the Unicorn!

Review & Comments

Rating:

Invincible Iron Man #113 Review by T Vernon (November 11, 2014)

Review: When I was a kid I had IRON MAN #4 so Unicorn was one of my favorite Iron Man villains because he just looked cool with his sleek armor (orange and green, seriously) and his power formidable. And he was a bit crazy so as to make him unpredictable. Unfortunately, his unpredictability became too, well, predictable and he turned into a goofball easily manipulated by smarter baddies. So this issue is merely okay rather than good though it isn’t for want of trying by the three, count ‘em three, pencillers. And they didn’t do a very good job of hiding Titanium Man. Hope this gets better soon.

Comments: Unicorn was last seen in issues #68-69. Not the same mystery villain from last issue this new one is pretty recognizable from his silhouette: it’s Titanium Man, but we’re not supposed to know until issue #134. The Life Model Decoy is called a Live Model Decoy in a footnote.

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Synopsis / Summary / Plot

Invincible Iron Man #113 Synopsis by T Vernon

Tony Stark presides over the public unveiling of the new Stark International complex. After the ceremony, Jack of Hearts takes his leave and Tony says farewell to Jasper Sitwell who is on his way back to SHIELD. Madame Masque (known criminal) is also on the scene as the world believes her to be Iron Man’s lover not Tony’s. The Iron Man present at the unveiling was the LMD which Tony has been employing over the last several issues so that he and his alter ego could be in different places at the same time. Back in his office, Tony enters a secret door unaware that he is being watched by a spy hiding in the shadows; the trespasser files this away for future reference….
At the docks, the Unicorn, under the mental control of a mysterious voice in his head, rises from the water and heads to Stark International to destroy the solar converter. Iron Man meets him and they fight for several pages, with Shellhead wondering what is going on and who is controlling his opponent. Unicorn uses magnetic rays to have a large truck bear down on Iron Man from behind, but the hero is aware of it and brings another vehicle toward his foe’s back; they collide with Unicorn in the middle. Iron Man bears the vanquished Unicorn inside and the mystery villain (observing remotely) swears that it isn’t over yet…..