Iron Man is flying around New York, testing his new lighter helmet when he gets an urgent call from Pepper Potts. Immediately he heads into the secret entrance to the hidden tunnel and jet-skates his way back to the office, where he changes into Tony Stark. Pepper tells him he is wanted at the Pentagon at once, and he insists on going alone, and he sends Happy Hogan on an inspection tour of his factories over the hulking chauffeur’s objections. Tony then switches to Iron Man and flies and skates his way to Washington. There, he meets with high-ranking military officials as Tony and learns that his remote-controlled missiles being used in Vietnam have all either crashed or disappeared. He promises to investigate personally. Shortly thereafter, an ICBM is launched with an unsuspected rider on the outside and soon Tony is at a missile base in the East where he discovers that all the downed rockets have been pulled to Earth by a force beam coming from the vicinity of the Mandarin’s castle. As Tony he drives out to meet with his old enemy and is captured by the guards. Their attempt to open the briefcase containing his armor only releases a knockout gas, so Iron Man is able to enter the castle to face the villain. A duel breaks out as the Mandarin uses his power rings, electrical charges, karate, a huge sword, and miniature rockets against the Armored Avenger but Iron Man defends himself against them easily. But the Mandarin’s next attack succeeds: a black light ring beam plunges the hero into total darkness while magnetized steel cables ensnare him and hold him fast. As he discovers that his power is too low for him to snap the cables, Iron Man realizes that this may be the end. He will never see Happy and Pepper (surely he must know some other people…?) again and he is determined to show the Mandarin how an American faces death….
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Comments: Second story: Text story, reprinted from MYSTIC #43. Story earlier reprinted in TALES TO ASTONISH #42.
