Synopsis
Iron Man (1968 series) #236 synopsis by
T Vernon
Rating:
Marcy Pearson is trapped in the studio of sculptor Paul St. Pierre who has been revealed to be the Grey Gargoyle. All of her defensive moves prove futile and at the touch of his hand she ends up yet another “sculpture” of a frightened woman....
As Tony Stark and Rae Lacoste prepare to leave the party, they discover that all four tires on Tony's limo have been slashed. Tony has to take up St. Pierre on the offer of his car....
The next morning, James Rhodes stops by Tony's home and is surprised to see Kathy Dare there. Rhodey takes Tony aside to express his concerns about the missing Marcy and plans to go down to San Diego to look for her. When Tony returns to the deck, Kathy suggests they not see so much of Rhodey....
At his home, Paul St. Pierre is making plans to disappear after his presentation at an art show that afternoon. Here we learn that the Grey Gargoyle has been seeking a different form of immortality than the usual literal kind he has always sought—the artistic kind....
Rhodey arrives at the home of Marcy's parents to discover a) they are very wealthy and b) they are white and Marcy was adopted. Looking through Marcy's room he finds a flier for Paul St. Pierre's art show addressed to Cinda Kendrick and decides to follow it up....
Back at his lab, Tony learns from Abe Zimmer that there is no trace of Paul St. Pierre existing before the last several months. Tony chips a piece off the St. Pierre statue Rae had given him and is surprised to find the “stone” looks organic. The statue then transforms back into a living women and Tony realizes that Paul St. Pierre is the Grey Gargoyle, turning women to stone with his gruesome power and coating them in polymer to keep them from reverting to their natural forms. Tony summons help and prepares to face the bad guy....
Paul St. Pierre's presentation is interrupted by a pistol-wielding Rhodey who wants to know where Marcy is. The villain turns into his Grey Gargoyle form and hurls the petrified Marcy across the room intending to smash her. Iron Man arrives in time to catch her and pursues the fleeing Gargoyle. None of Shellhead's tricks do anything to slow down the Gargoyle when Iron Man inserts the villain's dangerous hand into a large cup of soda, causing it to solidify and trap his hand. But the baddie shatters the stone cup on the teak deck of a yacht and turns the boat to stone so that Iron Man will have to rescue the ladies aboard, allowing the villain to get away....
Epilogue: The petrified women are rescued with no lasting effects of their ordeal and Marcy is very grateful to Rhodey for coming to her rescue....
CharactersGood (or All)Plus: Kathy Dare, Marcy Pearson, Rae LaCoste.