Invincible Iron Man #10 Review

 

Writer: Gerry Duggan

Artist: Juan Frigeri

Colorist: Bryan Valenza

Letterer: Joe Caramagna

Cover Artists: Lucas Werneck; Chris Allen & David Curiel; Cafu; Meghan Hetrick; Bob Layton & Paul Mounts; George Pérez & Edgar Delgado

Publisher: Marvel

Price: $4.99

Release Date: September 27, 2023

 

Industrialist Kelvin Heng, a.k.a. Feilong, bought Stark Unlimited via a hostile takeover. He used Tony Stark's proprietary technology to aid Orchis' attacks on mutants by building thirty-foot-tall Stark Sentinels. Tony's bid to destroy the Sentinels ended with Rhodey, a.k.a. War Machine, in prison.

 

Forced to comply with a court order, Tony deleted his B.O.S.S. operating system and gave Feilong his Mark 70 armor. Can Tony Stark free Rhodey, turn the tables on Feilong, and save mutants everywhere from the evil Orchis organization? Let's blast into Invincible Iron Man #10 and find out!

 

 

Story

Feilong is all about the show. He gets a guard to hand Rhodey a cell phone, then uses a masked servant at the Hellfire Club to bring Tony Stark one. Feilong arrives in time to watch Tony listen while inmates beat Rhodey to death. Thankfully, Tony's made a deal with Wilson Fisk, a.k.a. Kingpin, the new White King of the Hellfire Club. The big man's got friends in places high and low. That includes the Polunsky Unit in Livingston, Texas, one of the harshest prisons in the United States.

 

Feilong doesn't realize that Tony could kill him at any time. Disguised as his assistant Hazel Kendal, Emma Frost would like nothing better than to use her psychic powers to fry his brain. But that wouldn't stop Orchis from hurting mutants or inciting hatred across the globe. Feilong holds all the cards, and Tony's only got one viable play. As readers of X-Men #26 know, opportunity strikes when you least expect it.

 

 

 

Feilong doesn't miss an opportunity to disadvantage Tony Stark in Invincible Iron Man #10. When he sees Tony hustle Hazel into a side room, he intrudes on Tony's privacy. Feilong misinterprets the inhibitor ring Tony wants Emma to wear for a wedding band. To see the former billionaire bachelor settling down with his secretary must smell like victory. How else can you explain Feilong following Tony and Emma to Las Vegas? Now that he's broken Tony, Feilong can help Tony rebuild his life. So long as Tony knows who's the boss.

 

Feilong doesn't realize Las Vegas is all a show for him. Or perhaps not all. Tony Stark's got practical reasons for slipping into Sin City apart from a shotgun wedding. Still, after Wilson Fisk lost his wife at the Hellfire Gala, Tony Stark gets a wife in Invincible Iron Man #10. Wilson Fisk wants Typhoid Mary back. Emma wants out of the relationship ASAP. As for what Tony wants, time will tell.

 

 

Art

Juan Frigeri portrays Tony Stark's reversal of fortune with imagery that celebrates Iron Man's rich history in Invincible Iron Man #10. Scenes inside the Hellfire Club marry well with those in X-Men #26. Colorist Bryan Valenza helps prison scenes hum with drama and surprise with explosive action. Some favorite moments include seeing images of Howard Stark, Tony clad in his first Iron Man suit, and the rented red Ferrari parked outside the aptly-named Gamble Of Love wedding chapel.

 

 

 

Joe Caramagna's dialogue occasionally shrinks in Invincible Iron Man #10, but most are easier to read than in X-Men #26. I especially like the typewritten narrative in light-blue boxes. Ostensibly extracts from Tony's memoir, they don't impress Emma Frost. Still, Tony Stark's autobiography could prove a best seller and fund his next financial empire.

 

 

 

Final Thoughts

Desperate situations call for unlikely partnerships and desecrating sacred institutions in Invincible Iron Man #10.

 

Rating 9.8/10

 

To preview interior art see my review at Comic Book Dispatch.

The Two Howard Starks of the Marvel Cinematic Universe

Dominic Cooper as Howard Stark

While watching the movie "Avengers: Endgame" in the theater earlier this year, I was thrown by the actor who played Howard Stark. He seemed different to me than the man who had played the father of Tony Stark (Iron Man) in "Captain America: Winter Soldier." As it turns out, I soon discovered I wasn't the only one. I told a local comic store owner about my confusion, and he agreed with me that he found the portrayal confusing too.

This weekend, I watched "Captain America: Civil War" for the first time since its theatrical release. I was struck by how the actor who played Howard Stark was the same man who had portrayed him in "Avengers: Endgame." While the character belongs to the past, what occurred between the Winter Soldier and Howard Stark drives much of the action in "Captain America: Civil War," so it's a fairly important role. Obviously, the Marvel Cinematic Universe extends over many films, so recasting of minor roles is inevitable. Still, I was curious about the two actors who played Howard Stark, so I decided to investigate further.

John Slattery as Howard Stark

American actor John Slattery portrayed Howard Stark in "Iron Man 2" (2010), "Ant-Man" (2015), "Captain America: Civil War" (2016), and "Avengers: Endgame" (2019). British actor Dominic Cooper portrayed Howard Stark in "Captain America: The First Avenger" (2011), the short film "Agent Carter" (2013) included as an extra on the home video release of "Iron Man 3," and several episodes of the "Agent Carter" TV series in 2015 and 2016. Additionally, he will voice the role of Howard Stark in an animated web series (or streaming TV series?) in 2021 called "What If...?"

Or, to put the two faces in chronological order:

Movie/TV Series                                       Actor                 
Iron Man 2                                               John Slattery      
Captain America: The First Avenger       Dominic Cooper
Agent Carter (Short Film)                        Dominic Cooper
Ant-Man                                                  John Slattery     
Agent Carter (TV series)                         Dominic Cooper
Captain America: Civil War                     John Slattery     
Avengers: Endgame                               John Slattery      
What If...?                                               Dominic Cooper

Obviously, "Captain America: The First Avenger" is set before all the others (in the 1940s during World War II), and the "Agent Carter" film and TV series would naturally follow. Dominic Cooper plays Howard Stark then. But when Tony Stark travels back in time to 1970 and speaks with his father in "Avengers: Endgame" that's John Slattery playing Howard Stark. John Slattery then plays the role forward, as he portrays Howard Stark's death in 1991, as revealed via a video recording in "Captain America: Civil War."

Was it necessary for two actors to span the fifty years of Howard Stark in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, given the wizardry of make-up and modern special effects? Or was the casting of the two Howard Starks determined simply by actor availability? At least I know what actor played Howard Stark when now, and as a result, so do you.

Dragon Dave

Oh, the Places We've Seen: Part 2

This week, I began typing up an Itinerary for this year's trip to England. Although we can change some of the lodging, all of it has finally been booked. Having this finished will help us focus our attention on the sites we really want to see, near the places we'll be staying. 

Sadly, none of those places will be in London, the capital of the United Kingdom, if not the cultural capital of the world. It's such a multicultural city, filled with so much history, culture, and life. It holds so many famous landmarks, locales used in films and movies, and places mentioned in novels. While we look toward the future, I thought I'd share one of those special moments from a previous visit there with you.

I know we've all seen Big Ben, the famous clock tower that rises above the Palace of Westminster, countless times in movies and TV shows. Still, it's a magnificent building. One of my favorite movies that prominently features Big Ben is "Shanghai Knights." Toward the end of the movie, we find Owen Wilson outside the tower, clinging to the minute hand for dear life, while inside, Jackie Chan clashes swords with the villain, Lord Rathbone. It's a great action comedy, and the interplay between Owen Wilson and Jackie Chan is terrific. So if you're interested in a fun adventure set in the past, in which our two heroes help save the British Royal Family, this movie is for you.

Another favorite Big Ben moment, nearly as great, comes from the Doctor Who season 1 episode "Aliens of London." As the Doctor and his companion Rose Tyler watch, an alien ship hurtles by overhead, crashes through the clock tower, and splashes down in the River Thames. I love all the old Doctor Who shows, such as the first Doctor adventure "The Dalek Invasion of Earth," that feature such landmarks prominently. But I've told you about those numerous times, and I haven't highlighted how great-looking and accessible the new series is. There's no wonder it's won new Doctor Who fans the world over, and this scene serves as a good example of the power it wields. 

Note: If you follow the link below to watch the scene, take an extra careful look at the clock face. You may notice a small difference there, from the one in my photograph.

The amazing thing is that London bustles with so much life, and offers up so many visual delights, that it's easy to miss something so big and tall. (Yes, I'm talking something infinitely bigger and taller than you'll find in your average Big And Tall shop). On our first visit to London, I was so mesmerized by everything around me, that my wife had to tell me to look up. More than once. "What?" I asked. "Why?" Finally, I took her suggestion and looked up. 

Wow.

Recently, I saw a documentary on Amazon Prime in which someone went inside Big Ben. I've always wanted to tour the inside, although as an American, I gather that wouldn't be possible unless I was an extra-special VIP, such as Tony Stark or Reed Richards. But then, given all the destruction in the Iron Man movies, and with the recent dissolution of the Fantastic Four in comics, perhaps neither man would be granted access right now. In any case, it was neat to see how different it looks from the dramatization in "Shanghai Knights." With a quick search on Youtube, I found a short documentary, part of the Guy Fox children's series, in which a young girl goes inside the clock tower. Even though I'd already seen the interior once, when I saw it again in the Guy Fox video, I couldn't help but follow the young girl's example, as she takes in one of the most impressive achievements of mankind, and says...

Wow.

Dragon Dave

Related Internet Links
Watch Shanghai Knights/Big Ben fight scene
Watch Aliens In London/Big Ben crash
Watch Guy Fox: Tour of Big Ben
Watch The Dalek Invasion of Earth: Episode 1

Adventures in Cake and Comics

Last weekend, my wife decided that she wanted an adventure. Not a sail-around-the-world-in-a-weekend type of adventure, just a fun outing that was totally unplanned, and could therefore reap unexpected delights. As we had slept in on our day off, we naturally took time for a leisurely breakfast before deciding exactly what to do with our day. Then, we set off for our adventure!

First event of the day: carting our empty cans and bottles the recycling yard. This was a place forty-five minutes away. We've gone other places, but like this one the best. It's next to a tool shop we used to frequent, back before a series of events forced my grandmother into the hospital, then to be watched over by family, then sent into a nursing home, and then, gradually, to drift away from us until...well, you know. Like any war, the fighting and unwillingness to compromise in my family altered or killed numerous aspects of our lives. One of those was our woodworking. Still, even if some parts of our lives are irretrievably destroyed, we're hoping to resurrect the woodworking. Although we entered with no plans to buy anything, we left the store with a wood-and-brass mortise gauge. A cool tool in my hot little hands, courtesy of the wad of cash burning a hole in my pockets. Either the stupidest decision of my life, or an investment in my future. Hopefully the latter.

Of all the culinary delights in life, one my wife and I enjoy are our visits to Panera Bread. I'm talking our local one--we'd never visited another. But we found another by the tool shop, and it proved superior, in every way, to our local. And the coffee cake, our favorite treat: a big hunk to share and to savor, before we resumed/continued our adventure. (Sorry, no cake photo).

Over lunch, we decided to visit two comic book shops up in Temecula and Murrieta. So even though it was early afternoon, we headed up that way. 

On a recent trip to a local store, I picked up several old Classics Illustrated issues. One was an adaptation of H. G. Wells' novel The War of the Worlds. I brought this with us, and as my wife drove, I read the comic aloud. Printed in the 1970s, the artwork is crude by modern standards, but the story made pleasant reading, and my wife was able to glance at the occasional drawing. It made a pleasant interlude before we arrived at the first comic book shop.

Mostly we were just curious what these two stores had in their old, discounted stacks, but we were also hoping to pick up the variant cover for Rocket Raccoon Issue 8, drawn by Marvel colorist Justin Ponsor. Although we didn't find it, we found several missing issues in series we collect, and completed the four-part story "Hulk Vs. Iron Man," part of Marvel's major Original Sin event.

In "Hulk Vs. Iron Man," the Watcher's eye reveals many secrets and past events our heroes would rather not have faced. One of those involve the intertwined past of Tony Stark and Bruce Banner. I've read through Issue 2 now, and as it's a complex story, I won't attempt to summarize it in this post. It's co-written by Mark Waid, who writes the current Indestructible Hulk series, and Kieron Gillen, who writes the current Iron Man series. I've really enjoyed Waid's intelligent take on the Bruce Banner/Hulk situation, and what I've read so far leaves me intrigued about Gillen's take on Tony Stark/Iron Man. I'm glad I found the missing issues, so I can finish this four-issue story.

For dinner, we decided to be equally indulgent, and stopped for dinner at Weinerschnitzel. We shared a healthy dinner of chili cheese hot dog, chili cheese burger, chili cheese fries, and for dessert, soft serve ice cream cones. (Hey, we can always eat our vegetables later, right?) Then it was time to head back to San Diego, our adventure completed.

Or at least, so we thought. As we drove down the I-15, we decided to stop in North County Fair mall, and see if we could find that variant cover issue for Rocket Raccoon #8. Sadly, just like every other store, they didn't have it in stock, so we decided to give in and purchase the issue with the regular cover, along with Issue #9, which had just arrived in stores.

This cover is fun, as you can see, and offers an accurate reflection of the series. My wife and I don't collect many ongoing series, but Skottie Young's irreverent and low-key writing have won us over. I especially enjoyed the first four issues, which formed a nice homage to the stories Bill Mantlo wrote about Rocket back in the 1980s. Since then, the artists have changed, and the stories have been less epic, but they've all been fun. The issues never sit around long before they get picked up and read. When the next issue comes out, we read the electronic version on our computers, to refresh our minds on the story, then go out to buy and read about Rocket's latest adventures. 

That night, for whatever reason, we didn't sleep all that well, so we got up early in the morning and went to the gym for a workout. Then we came home and went back to sleep for a few hours. When I woke up I found myself alone in bed, and a pleasant aroma permeating the house. I headed into the kitchen, where I found a coffee cake baking in the oven. (Sorry, no cake photo). Sometimes an adventure can reap unexpected rewards, and this usually proves the case of scrounging through discount comic boxes. In this case, I also had a cool-looking and potentially useful tool, some new stories to read, pleasant memories, cash left over, and best of all, homemade coffee cake to savor. Can you think of a more pleasant way to cap off an Adventure in Cake and Comics?

Dragon Dave

The Dalek’s New Suit

Pepper: When are you going to let me see your new suit?

Salt: It’s nearly finished.  I’ve just got to—

Pepper: You’ve been working on it a whole week.  How much longer are you going to make me wait?

Salt: Well, okay.  I suppose it’s completed enough to show off.

Salt: Oh, before I change, I wonder: Have you ever considered changing your name?

Pepper: Changing my name?  Why?

Salt: Well, you know how the English say that Daleks resemble pepper pots?

Pepper: I think I’ve heard about that.  Why?

Salt: Oh, uh, no reason.

Salt: Well, what do you think?

Pepper: I am not renaming myself Pepper Potts!

Pepper (Potts?) & Salt/Iron Dalek

Related Dragon Cache Page

Dalek Digressions

Related Dragon Cache Post

Iron Man & the SR-71 Blackbird

Iron Man & the SR-71 Blackbird

In the movie based on the Marvel Comics' character "Iron Man," when weapons expert Tony Stark is kidnapped in Afganistan, he builds a metal suit equipped with weaponry to escape his captors.  After he returns to America, he builds a more high tech version in his garage.  

Tony Stark (aka Iron Man)

When his computer-assistant Jarvis tells him that numerous tests should still be run before attempting flight, Tony Stark tells him, "Sometimes you need to run before you can walk.

Iron Man's "Heads-up" display

Tony Stark flies out of his garage and into the night sky.  Stark asks the altitude record for the SR-71 Blackbird.  The icon of this amazing airplane appears on his heads-up display, and Jarvis rattles off its record.  Stark then tells Jarvis to punch it, and shoots up toward the moon.  

The SR-71 Blackbird: side view

The scene reminds how comforting it can be to complete a "more readily achievable goal."  Why do I tell myself that I must accomplish lessor goals, before one day reaching for the sky?  While every house needs a strong foundation, I can't just keep improving, strengthening, and redesigning the foundation.  Some day, I must begin work on the house.  

Standing before the SR-71

Or, to put it in more readily accessible terms, were I to rank all my desired goals with grades such as A, B, and C, it's the A's that I most want to look back on later and say, "Yes, I did that.  I accomplished that." 

You know, maybe it's time I took up running.  Every day.

Dragon Dave

Our Visit to Edwards Air Force Base: Part 2

After Don’s talk in the museum, we got back into the tour bus and traveled further onto the base.  He asked the driver to stop at times to point out specific buildings, show us "The Right Stuff" movie locations, and give us a better view of Rogers Dry Lake Bed.  It’s such a large, flat, and clear area, that astronauts can see it when they’re in orbit over Guam, six thousands miles away (or ¼ across the Earth). 

Of course, aircraft outnumber spacecraft by a significant margin, and everywhere we went, we saw planes parked in lots or set out on display.  After awhile, the bus driver stopped outside the main runway, got out to check the tires for any rocks or other debris they might have picked up, then drove the bus forward a few feet, and performed a second inspection.  Don explained that this precaution was due to the speed at which the planes took off and landed.  Imagine the damage to the aircraft, or bystanders, that a pebble could cause, if a speeding plane rolled over it, or the air disturbed by its passage picked it up, and flung it across the runway.  As if to reinforce this point, a street-sweeping vehicle, capable of sucking loose debris into its vacuum, rolled past.

As we rode along in the bus, we saw planes parked on the tarmac, or in the hangers.  Many were fighter jets, like the new F-35 Lightning II, and older, more time-tested models like the F-16 Fighting Falcon.  We also saw larger planes, such as the C-17 Globemaster III military transport.  We stopped by a hanger where retired volunteers were rebuilding older airplanes, such as the F-80 Shooting Star, and a mockup of the X-15 rocket plane.  One of the volunteers told us how they go about rebuilding the airplanes they’ve managed to reclaim.  As amazing as it seems, they sometimes find these magnificent planes rusting away in backyards.  Depending on a given plane's size and condition, they may have to close roads, and tow it along, usually at night, until they got it back to the base.  

Along the runway again, Don showed us one building he called the "Bad Comb-over" building.  Apparently, it was used for Tony Stark’s headquarters in the movie “Iron Man.”  He pointed out red painted lines on the runway, and said that anyone who crossed them, either in a vehicle or on foot, would be punished severely, if not shot.  (But they’re only painted lines, Don!)  As he was a big, well-rounded man, he showed us a building he used to work in, and said that he had spent many happy moments at its snack bar/refreshment area.  Yes, good times, Don.  Good times.

At one point, Don's voice rose, and he urged us to look out front.  We watched as a fighter jet landed ahead of us, and slowed as it neared.  Designated a F-22 Raptor, it’s a newer fighter jet the Air Force is still working the bugs out of.  As the plane rolled past, everyone on the bus waved, and a chill rippled down my spine.  I wondered what the pilot was testing on his fighter jet.  Some new components to make the plane more reliable, or systems designed for some other purpose?  This was what Edwards Air Force Base was all about.  It wasn’t like Top Gun, where they taught pilots how to dogfight.  This was Flight Test, where they tested out planes, parts, and systems that might later be used by pilots in combat situations.

More Tomorrow.

Dragon Dave