Iron Man #101
Title
Following his battle with the Mandarin, Iron Man is stuck trying to find a way back home from China. He flies to a Chinese airbase where he steals a jet plane.[1] Luckily, relaxed tensions between the United States and China and the Avengers status as a global peacekeeping force allow Iron Man to escape in the stolen jet fighter without must resistance. Exhausted after his ordeals, Tony Stark puts the jet on autopilot and falls asleep.
Back at Stark International, Krissy Longfellow is leaving for the day with a replica of one of Tony Stark’s briefcases. She is picked up by Harry Key — a crooked private eye who has been stealing suits of Iron Man armor from Stark Industries for some time.[2] He is reluctantly helping Krissy out because he knows who she really is. Although they leave without incident, Harry is worried about Jasper Sitwell, SHIELD liaison to Stark International. His fears are valid as Jasper is observing them leaves and begins tailing them in his own car.
Meanwhile, Iron Man’s jet flies across the border of Greece and Macedonia. Seeing it as a threat, the jet is fired upon giving Tony Stark a rude awakening. Bailing out of the fighter jet, Iron Man is then struck by missiles sending him flying out of control and (impressively*) crash landing somewhere in the Swiss Alps. Knocked unconscious from the attack, Iron Man’s body is found by the Frankenstein’s Monster and the diminutive Children of the Damned. Seeing the hero as a means of rescuing their creator and freeing themselves from slavery, the Monster decides to take Iron Man back to Castle Frankenstein.
When they arrive at the castle, Iron Man wakes up and begins attacking the creatures.[3] However, they quickly subdue the Avenger and explain they have brought him to the castle to free the woman they call mother from a tyrant who holds her hostage. As Iron Man agrees to help him out he is suddenly assaulted by an onslaught of high tech weapons, knocking him out. This was done by a villain calling himself Dreadknight, who appears on his genetically engineered winged horse. He warns the Frankenstein’s Monster that any who oppose him will die.
Recurring Characters
Iron Man, Dreadknight, Frankenstien’s Monster, Harry Key, Jasper Sitwell, Krissy Longfellow, Hellhorse
Continuity Notes
Iron Man recalls he pulled a stunt like this before. That was in Tales of Suspense #78.
Lots going on here. Harry Key has been stealing from Stark International since Iron Man #88. “Krissy” has been onto Harry’s schemes since Iron Man #99 when she revealed her true identity to him. He is stealing Stark tech, particularly Iron Man armor, as part of Mordecai Midas’ bid to take over Stark’s business. Krissy is actually Madam Masque in disguise. These revelations will be made in Iron Man #103-107.
Iron Man is shocked to discover that the Frankenstein Monster is still alive. Iron Man previously met the creature in Avengers #131-132 and Giant-Size Avengers #3, when the creature was a member of Kang the Conqueror’s Legion of the Unliving. The Frankenstein’s Monster was plucked out of time just moments before it fell into icy waters and entered a state of suspended animation and later revived in the Modern Age. See Frankenstein Monster #12.
Topical References
This story uses dated Cold War references, such as referring to China as “Red China” these should be considered topical.
Iron Man also comments about how tensions between the United States and China have relaxed after Richard Nixon’s visit in 1973. This reference is made as though this happened in the relative past compared to this story. This should be also be considered topical.
This story states that Iron Man’s jet is shot down on the border between Greece and Yugoslavia. References to Yugoslavia should be considered topical as that country was dissolved into various independent states in 2003. Greece now shares its border with the Republic of Macedonia. The summary above reflects this change.
* I just want to point out that the Swiss Alps are about 2000 km away from the border between Macedonia and Greece. I don’t think the writers really had any idea of how big Europe actually is, but whatever.
