Synopsis
Iron Man (1968 series) #72 synopsis by
T Vernon
Rating:
Iron Man is streaking through the sky in downtown San Diego when he is fired upon by a large energy weapon. It misses and he investigates but the bad guys have gotten away….
Flashback: Tony Stark flies to San Diego to take care of an urgent business matter, delaying his return to Vietnam to search for Roxie Gilbert. When he arrives he finds it was a false alarm and the next flight to Saigon is not until the next day. While inspecting his plant he is attacked by a pair of workers who appear to be under a hypnotic spell; he fights them off. Later, bored while waiting for his flight, he decides to attend the San Diego Comic-Con in Iron Man armor. [On his way, he is attacked as per the opening scene.] At the convention, he encounters crazy fans, greedy dealers (who won’t take his credit card), egotistical creators, and attendees who tell him they hate the nose on his helmet. He spies the Melter, Whiplash, and Man-Bull and assumes they are fans in costume—until they hold everyone hostage until Iron Man appears. Shellhead engages them in battle, as the Black Lama appears and joins the scuffle, hypnotizing several fans to attack just as he had the plant workers. In the fray, the Melter turns on the Black Lama and sets his robes on fire with a blast from his gun. The mysterious villain teleports away, Iron Man wraps up the other baddies to turn over to the police, and is hailed as a hero by the conventioneers. Then a clueless guard asks him to leave because he doesn’t have a badge (destroyed in the fight). Oh well….
EnemiesPlus: Black Lama (
King Jerald), Man-Bull, Melter (
Bruno Horgan).