Invincible Iron Man #127: Review

Oct 1979

David Michelinie, John Romita Jr.

Story Name:

...A Man's Home Is His Battlefield!

Review & Comments

Rating:

Invincible Iron Man #127 Review by T Vernon (March 23, 2015)

Comments: Part eight of the “Demon in a Bottle” story arc. Then-NYS Mayor Ed Koch has a cameo; there is also an appearance by a CBS-television talk-show host named Mike; Mike Douglas was popular at the time but his show was on NBC. Title comes from the saying “A man’s home is his castle.” The issue features a major controversy: when Jarvis hands in his letter of resignation, the text seems to be at odds with the situation we saw. According to Comic Book Urban Legends Revealed at Comic Book Resources, an unidentified staff member pasted in the actual resignation of Dave Cockrum, leading to a big scandal at Marvel. There would be an apology to the readers in the letters column of issue #130.

Review: An excellent issue wrapping up the Justin Hammer plot with a truly spectacular battle scene. But the real significance comes in showing how the alcoholic Tony Stark hits bottom before the next issue. Kudos to the writers for finally making Jarvis important to a story. Can’t praise this one enough. And the title “A Man’s Home is His Battlefield!” can apply to both parts of the plot: a literal battle at Hammer’s floating home, but also to Tony’s discovery that he is his own worst enemy.

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Synopsis / Summary / Plot

Invincible Iron Man #127 Synopsis by T Vernon

Iron Man is facing a dozen second-rate supervillains at once on Justin Hammer’s floating fortress. Seems that Hammer offers these criminals safety while collecting 50% of their crooked gains. Shellhead whups them individually then they attack en masse and he starts bouncing them off one another, none able to stand up to his speed and strength. Hammer orders his armed guards into the fray, but the Monaco police arrive by helicopter, having finally been convinced by Rhodey that Tony Stark had been kidnapped. Hammer sets the “houseboat“ in gear and it shoots off across the waves; Iron Man drops straight down on it and the craft starts to sink. Shellhead rescues Hammer’s computer scientist and persuades him to confess and testify against his boss—but Hammer seems to have made his getaway….
Back in New York, Iron Man has been exonerated with his main armor being returned by the Mayor personally. Stark Industries head of publicity warns the hero that the press and public won’t forget so quickly. This assertion is proved when out on the street, Shellhead retrieves a doll for a little girl, who runs away in tears fearing the monster she saw on TV….
Tony starts drinking again; Bethany Cabe calls him and invites him to lunch at a restaurant but the tipsy Tony gets the address wrong so they fail to meet up, each one now believing the other had stood him/her up….
That night a drunken Tony Stark shows up at Avengers Mansion to show off to his “date” some of his inventions. When Jarvis questions the wisdom of this security breach, Tony loses his temper and threatens the butler. The next day a hung-over Tony Stark is surprised when Jarvis turns in his resignation over the previous night’s incident. This leaves a stunned Tony to realize Iron Man isn’t ruining his life, he’s doing it himself, aided by the bottle….