Tales of Suspense #49
The New Iron Man Meets the Angel!
The Angel is heading back to Professor Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters in Westchester. In order to cut down flying time, he crosses over the Stark Industries test site. However, a bomb test is about to happen and Iron Man tries to warn the Angel to get away. Unfortunately, the bomb goes off and both are caught in the blast. While Iron Man is stunned, the radiation from the bomb affects Angel’s mind, making him evil. Iron Man tries to catch up with the Angel as he leaves the scene but his jet boots run out of fuel. Falling out of the sky, Iron Man manages to save himself by using his magnetic repulsor to break his fall. Although he survives, Iron Man’s armor needs repair.
Meanwhile, the Angel returns to Xavier’s school and announces his intent to quit the X-Men. Cyclops, Iceman, the Beast, and Marvel Girl can hardly believe what they are hearing and try to detain the Angel until Professor X can get back and find out what happened. However, trapping the Angel proves to be easier said than done.[1] Professor X arrives just as the Angel escapes. Xavier then contacts Angel telepathically and tries to convince him to return. However, in his current state of mind, Angel refuses to return, wanting to join up with the evil mutants.[2] When he fails to convince Angel to come back, Xavier fears that they will be in trouble if Warren joins the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants. Deciding that they need outside assistance, he orders Cyclops to contact the Avengers for help.
However, the majority of the Avengers are busy with their personal lives. The Hulk is unavailable because Bruce Banner is hard at work in his New Mexico lab. Thor, in his mortal guise of Doctor Donald Blake, is treating patients at a local hospital. Meanwhile, Giant-Man and the Wasp are enjoying an evening together dancing in their civilian identities of Hank Pym and Janet Van Dyne. The only member they manage to reach is Iron Man, through the communicator built into his chest plate. Tony Stark has to drop everything and lock himself in his office, confusing both Happy and Pepper. Even though he is the only Avenger to answer the distress call, Tony changes into Iron Man and goes looking for the Angel on his own.
Meanwhile, the Angel decides to try and get the attention of the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants by causing chaos all over the city. Stealing sticks of dynamite from a construction site and begins throwing them around the city. All this does is attract the police and Iron Man. The Iron Avenger asks the officers to let him handle it and faces the Angel alone. The two battle in the air and, despite his jet boots, Iron Man is no match for Angel’s natural flying skills. Ultimately, the Angel manages to lock Iron Man into a warehouse and then waits for the Evil Mutants at the top of a nearby water tower. Iron Man gets free and attacks his foe again. This time, the Angel pulls Iron Man high into the air until the Avenger’s rocket boots run out of power. The Angel then drops Iron Man and leaves him to free fall to his death.
However, Angel suddenly finds himself incapable of taking a human life and flies down and saves Iron Man’s life. When both return to the ground, the X-Men have arrived on the scene and Professor X is relieved to see that the Angel was able to fight off the negative effects of the radiation. After the Angel apologizes for attacking Iron Man, and the X-Men part ways. As Iron Man flies for home, Professor X contacts him telepathically and thanks him for his assistance.
Recurring Characters
Iron Man, Angel, Pepper Potts, Happy Hogan, X-Men (Professor X, Cyclops, Marvel Girl, Beast, Iceman), Avengers (Thor, Hulk, Giant-Man, Wasp)
Continuity Notes
The Beast states here that Angel was one of the first X-Men. Specifically, Warren was the third to join the X-Men after Cyclops and Iceman. See X-Men #55-56. The Beast would join after Angel joined the team. See X-Men #52-53.
Angel doesn’t really specify who he is seeking to join, merely referring them to those Xavier calls the “evil ones”. However, he is referring to the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants, who were first formed in X-Men #4.
The Saga of the Sneepers!
The Watcher has turned his attention to the homeworld of the Sneepers, an alien race that unknown to humanity is the oldest rival to the planet Earth.[1] They are a highly advanced race of conquerors that have taken over countless other worlds. For ages, they have observed the planet Earth waiting for the time where the world is ripe for conquest.
They observed early man as they toiled in caves and considered humanity beneath their notice. They continued to watch, seeing the rise of the Roman empire, the creation of the Mona Lisa. However, it is not until the industrial revolution where man begins inventing machines that the Sneepers begin fearing that humans could soon become a threat if they invent a means of space travel. The alarm continued to rise when the humans invented aircraft that allowed light.
While the Sneepers endlessly debated on how to eliminate the human race, mankind invented its most devastating weapon yet: The atomic bomb. Soon the Cold War started on Earth, prompting the Sneepers to hold off any invasion plans confident that human beings will annihilate themselves.
Addressing the reader, the Watcher pleads with you to not let the Sneepers win mastery of the universe by default. However, there is nothing the Watcher can do either way, as he is tasked merely to observe.[2]
Recurring Characters
The Watcher, Sneepers, Leonardo Da Vinci
Continuity Notes
For more on the Sneepers see their profile in the index of alien races in the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe #10 and Deluxe Edition #15.
As explained in Tales of Suspense #53 and Original Sin #0, the Watchers observe but do not interfere with the lives of others in the universe. This is because the Watchers taught the secrets of atomic power to the Prosilicans race which used it to annihilate themselves.
