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Iron Man: Demon in a Bottle TPB Vol 1 1

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Appearing in "The Old Man and the Sea Prince!"

Reprint of the 1st story from
Iron Man #120

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Synopsis for "The Old Man and the Sea Prince!"

Reprint of the 1st story from
Iron Man #120

Tony Stark is aboard a passenger jet flying back to the United States from France. He is angered beyond measure after discovering that his so-called allies in S.H.I.E.L.D. have been secretly buying up stock in Stark International with the intention of taking control of the company. To cool his nerves, Tony begins downing several martinis.

Things become decidedly odd when a passenger notices an army tank flying towards the window of the jet. The vehicle slices through the wing of the airplane and it goes into a tailspin. As the passengers begin to panic, Tony races to the bathroom so that he can change into his Iron Man armor. He flies outside and helps level the plane, bringing it safely down to the water near an island in the South Atlantic Ocean. A U.S. Special forces unit arrives to help rescue the passengers. Iron Man angrily questions one of the soldiers about the flying tank, and the man tells him that the vehicle was not flying, but was in fact thrown.

Iron Man flies to the island where he discovers that the perpetrator of the "flying tank" incident is none other than Prince Namor, the Sub-Mariner. Namor appears to be defending an elderly farmer named Hiram Dobbs. Iron Man wants to get Dobbs off the island since he knows that that the military has been using it for radioactive waste disposal.

As per tradition, Namor is unreasonable and refuses to listen to anything that Iron Man has to say to him. The two begin fighting one another in the sky, and even the land-bound Hiram Dobbs takes a few shots at Iron Man with a rifle. The combatants grapple with one another and their fight brings them down beneath the waves.

At Stark International, Mrs. Arbogast receives word that Tony Stark's plane has crashed into the ocean. Jim Rhodes and Bethany Cabe race towards the airfield in a desperate effort to help Tony out.

Elsewhere, a man named Justin Hammer conspires with his underlings on a scheme designed to take control of Iron Man's armor. They already tested phase one of the operation while Iron Man was aboard the S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier. Now Hammer decides that it is time to test phase two.

While Iron Man is underwater fighting Namor, the sealing plates on his helmet spontaneously open and water begins rushing in. Iron Man begins drowning inside his own armor.

Appearing in "A Ruse By Any Other Name"

Reprint of the 1st story from
Iron Man #121

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Synopsis for "A Ruse By Any Other Name"

Reprint of the 1st story from
Iron Man #121

Tony Stark's Iron Man armor malfunctions and he begins drowning beneath the waves of the South Atlantic. The Sub-Mariner, who had been fighting Iron Man only moments before, brings him ashore and places him inside the cottage of islander Hiram Dodds.

Meanwhile, Jim Rhodes and Bethany Cabe approach the island via helicopter. Military ships surrounding the island warn them to turn back, but Rhodey presses forward. The soldiers open fire and Rhodey takes a bullet to the shoulder. The Helicopter crashes into the sea, and the soldiers bring Rhodey and Bethany on board one of their ships.

At Hiram's cottage, Iron Man recharges his armor on a car battery while he explains to Namor and Hiram Dodds about the dangers they face if they remain on the island. He notes that the U.S. military has maintained a base here for several years and has been using the island as a dumping ground for toxic chemicals. Hiram responds and tells Iron Man that the military has never set foot on the island until that very morning. Realizing that they have both been duped, Iron Man and Sub-Mariner agree to cease hostilities until they can get to the bottom of this mystery.

Meanwhile, Rhodes and Cabe are brought before Jonas Hale, the ringleader of this operation. He reveals that he works for the Roxxon Oil Company, the true presence behind this island's occupation. Hale knows that the island is rich in Vibranium, so he fabricated a military presence in order to scare off competitors. As this is the only known Vibranium deposit outside the sovereign nation of Wakanda, anyone who claims the rights to it, will hold a major stake in the global economy.

Iron Man and Sub-Mariner, now realizing that this is not the true United States military, attack the battleship. The soldiers open fire against them, but the heroes easily deflect the attacks. Jonas Hale refuses to surrender. He decides that if Roxxon cannot stake a claim on the Vibranium, then nobody should. He sets off a series of timed explosions which threaten to destroy the entire island. Iron Man pulls all of the battleships away to safety, while the Sub-Mariner grabs Hiram Dodds. The explosives detonate and the island, and all its Vibranium, are destroyed.

Appearing in "Journey!"

Reprint of the 1st story from
Iron Man #122

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Synopsis for "Journey!"

Reprint of the 1st story from
Iron Man #122

After saying goodbye to the Sub-Mariner, Jim Rhodes and Bethany Cabe, Iron Man flies off en route for home. Along the way, he reflects upon the events that made him into the man he is today.

Flashback
Tony Stark is in a secluded laboratory within the U.S. defense perimeter in Vietnam during the war. He demonstrates his revolutionary new transistor technology to a U.S. general and shows how it can amplify the power of a single magnet to tear down a solid steel door.
Later, Tony accompanies an army platoon through the jungle. He trips on a land mine and the explosion kills every man in the unit and nearly kills Tony as well. A piece of shrapnel embeds itself in his chest where it is lodged dangerously close to his heart. A North Vietnamese warlord named Wong-Chu takes Tony Stark back to his bunker where he makes him an offer: In exchange for having Wong-Chu's surgeons save his life, Tony must agree to develop weapons for the NVA. Tony has little choice in the matter but to comply. Wong-Chu partners him with an elderly scientist named Ho Yinsen.
Tony Stark and Ho Yinsen labor for many weeks, but they do not develop a weapon to be used by the Vietnamese. Instead, they secretly create a rudimentary battlesuit made from scrap metal and various electronics. When Professor Yinsen is alerted to the arrival of Wong-Chu's men, he rushes out into the corridor to create a distraction, enabling Tony enough time to power up the armor. Emerging from the table as the "Iron Man", Tony hears gunfire and knows that Professor Yinsen is dead. He breaks free of the compound and stalks off into the nearby village to confront Wong-Chu.
He finds Wong-Chu entertaining himself by wrestling captured villagers. Iron Man grabs the warlord, hoists him up into the air, and spins him about before slamming him back onto the ground. Wong-Chu's troops open fire on Iron Man, but their bullets are ineffective against Tony's armor. Wong-Chu flees in panic, but Iron Man ignites a nearby ammunitions dump which explodes, seemingly killing Wong-Chu.
Back in the United States, Tony Stark makes several upgrades to the armor and eventually has a heart transplant, eliminating the need for a transistorized chest plate. As the super-hero Iron Man, he becomes a longtime member of the team known as the Avengers.

As Iron Man approaches Long Island, his flight path is monitored by the criminal industrialist Justin Hammer. Hammer is pleased with his past attempts to control Tony's armor, but now he is preparing for the biggest test of all.

Appearing in "Casino Fatale"

Reprint of the 1st story from
Iron Man #123

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  • Uranus Bliss
  • Roger ("Rawger")
  • Dickie (Voice only)
  • Marvel Bullpen
  • Plimpton
  • Nick

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  • Stark's private helicopter (Mentioned)

Synopsis for "Casino Fatale"

Reprint of the 1st story from
Iron Man #123

While Iron Man is flying over Manhattan he suddenly loses control of one boot jet and crashes through Marvel Comics office building (and an editorial meeting) and only narrowly comes to a safe halt. He returns to Stark International to test the armor against its recent malfunctions but everything seems to be in perfect order. Tony takes Bethany out to Atlantic City for a day and they wind up in the casino when Blizzard, Melter and Whiplash arrive to rob the premises. While sneaking off to become Iron Man, Tony upsets Uranus Bliss at a slot machine. Iron Man is able to fend off each of the criminals but when the trio combine their attacks simultaneously hitting him with heat and freezing cold, his armor starts to weaken and Whiplash prepares to crack it open with his whip.

Appearing in "Pieces of Hate"

Reprint of the 1st story from
Iron Man #124

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Synopsis for "Pieces of Hate"

Reprint of the 1st story from
Iron Man #124

Bethany shoots Whiplash's whip in mid-strike blocking his strike against Iron Man giving him a chance to marshal his strength and defeat the Melter and Blizzard. A fleeing whiplash is knocked out by Bethany who then berates Iron Man for not doing his job and guarding Tony. Iron Man slips away and returns as Tony to finish his date with Bethany. The next day Tony returns to Stark International to prepare to welcome Serge Kotznin at the UN. Tony also monitors SHIELD's attempted buyout of his company and tries to avoid some of his responsibilities by patrolling as Iron Man. Later Iron Man arrives at the UN to represent Stark International to Kotznin at the treaty signing. While Bethany is present as Kotznin's bodyguard. Just as Kotznin and Iron Man are posing for photographers, Justin Hammer has Phillip Barnett activate their device controlling Iron Man's armor firing a repulsor ray through Kotznin killing him in front of hundreds of witnesses.

Appearing in "The Monaco Prelude"

Reprint of the 1st story from
Iron Man #125

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  • Stark's Mazda RX-7

Synopsis for "The Monaco Prelude"

Reprint of the 1st story from
Iron Man #125

The police move in to arrest Iron Man for the death of Sergei Kotznin (the Carnelian ambassador) but he professes his innocence, saying he will need to be free to prove it and refuses to surrender. Aware that they cannot force him to surrender, the police give him the benefit of the doubt and let him go free, to Bethany's annoyance. In exchange, Tony promises to hand in the Iron Man armor. An hour later Tony gives an inoperable suit of Iron Man armor to the mayor to satisfy the authorities. Tony and Bethany argue over Iron Man's status and Tony winds up getting drunk afterward. Later Tony visits Avengers mansion and has Capt. America train him in hand-to-hand combat, knowing that he cannot rely on his armor while he seeks the persons responsible for Kotznin's death. Recalling that Whiplash is working for a "Hammer," Tony recruits Scott Lang to find out who Hammer is. He rings the answers from Whiplash. Tony heads to Monaco to find Justin Hammer with Jim Rhodes, who insists on accompanying him. Tony and Jim follow a lead to Hammer's location, where they run into costumed men in Hammer's employ. While being chased by these men, they head to the beach where more of Hammer's men suddenly emerge from the ocean ahead of them.

Appearing in "The Hammer Strikes!"

Reprint of the 1st story from
Iron Man #126

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Synopsis for "The Hammer Strikes!"

Reprint of the 1st story from
Iron Man #126

The story opens in a beach of Monaco, where Jim Rhodes tries to explains his recent actions to the local police. They are surrounded by an angry crowd, which calls Rhodes an American pig and a Yankee hoodlum. Rhodes claims that a few minutes before, this whole beach was covered with armed goons. He was just fighting for his life. Someone then knocked his head and left him unconscious. He claims that his opponents left the beach while he was passed out. The crowd claims that Americans are liars, just like Tricky Dick. They blame Rhodes for destroying the beach, and want to teach him a lesson.

The police arrests Rhodes and one of the ringleaders of the angry crowd, intending to question them at the police headquarters. Rhodes wants the police to go after the goons, because they have abducted his boss. Rhodes further claims that he works for Tony Stark. The police officer in charge of the situation does not believe that Rhodes has any connection to Stark. He mocks Rhodes for his claim.

An extended flashback begins The flashback begins with Iron Man fighting against the Blizzard, the Melter, and Whiplash. The battle hinted at a master plan behind the villains, and it was connected to a mysterious man who was called "Hammer". Iron Man had little time to consider these clues or the existence of a possible conspiracy. The battle had caused a rift between himself and Bethany Cabe.

The flashback continues. Iron Man sought to lose himself in his work. He served as a representative for Stark International at a contract-signing ceremony for a foreign ambassador. The repulsor of the armor malfunctioned and killed the ambassador. The crowd of bystanders viewed Iron Man as a murdered. He was shocked to see the same accusation in Bethany's eyes. He managed to convince the police that the death was caused by a systems failure. The police then insisted on impounding the armor. Tony Stark reacted to the tragedy by starting to constantly consume whiskey. He eventually pulled himself together, and became determined to clear Iron Man's name. He informed the Avengers that he would temporarily step down from his position as their chairman.

The flashback continues. Tony Stark requested and received intense martial arts training from Captain America. Using martial arts was not as effective as using his armor, but it felt good to Tony. He enlisted his employee Scott Lang, sending him to interrogate the incarcerated Whiplash about "Mr. Hammer". Lang used his Ant-Man alter ego to get persuasive. Tony used the garnered information to follow the trail to Monaco, accompanied by his private pilot Jim Rhodes. They were soon surrounded by armed soldiers and got into a fight. While Stark and Rhodes were trying to escape, they ended up on a deserted beach. Then an amphibious landing craft appeared, blocking their path, and unloading an army of costumed combatants. Tony was able to hold his own in battle, and Rhodes turned out to be even more effective in combat. But then Rhodes was knocked out, and seconds later Tony was also knocked out. The soldiers proceeded to remove all evidence of their part in this battle, abandoned Rhodes at the edge of the bathing area, and dragged the unconscious Tony to their amphibious craft. The craft traveled in the Mediterranean Sea. The flashback ends.

In the present, Tony Stark awakes at Justin Hammer's Villa and comes face-to-face with Justin Hammer himself. Hammer introduces himself and claims that Tony is his primary competitor. Tony points out that he had never even heard of Hammer. Hammer replies that he goes to great lengths to avoid official attention. He distributes his influence among a great many diverse enterprises. His power and holdings in the business world are second only to those of Tony Stark. Stark International has been a thorn in his side for some time. Hammer reveals that they recently competed for the contract with Carnelia. He had made a generous offer to the ambassador to get that contract. The ambassador chose Stark International instead, because he was fascinated with Iron Man.

Hammer leads Stark to a board room, where Phillip Barnett is working on opening Stark's briefcase. Phillip reports that he and his team have been, so far, unable to override the print-lock mechanism of the briefcase. Hammer warns them not to damage the briefcase, in case it contains something important. Stark contemplates that his spare armor is in that case. Hammer introduces Barnett as the man who developed the computer system of the room. The system utilizes a hypersonic scan technique to bypass the protective coating of Iron Man's armor. The technique was used to neutralize the armor's controls on several occasions and to manipulate its actions. Tony Stark assumed that the armor was simply malfunctioning. The killing of the ambassador was one of these occasions, intended to discredit Stark International and to win the Carnelian contract for Hammer. Hammer reveals that the plan has already worked. The Carnelian consulate signed the contract with one of Hammer's subsidiary corporations, in the morning of this day.

As Hammer offers his explanations to Tony Stark, the two businessmen are surrounded by armed guards. Tony approached a guard and asks him whether he knows what a clavicle is. The guard replies that he does not know. Stark karate chops the guard's clavicle, causing the man to drop down on his knees. Tony then attempts to run away from Hammer. The other guards attempt to give chase, but Hammer instructs them to let Stark go. Hammer seems certain that Tony will not get far. Tony reaches the surrounding wall of the Villa and climbs to the top. He is expecting to escape into the mountains or woods outside. He is shocked to discover that the Villa is actually part of a giant boat, surrounded by sea. There is no way to escape, and Hammer mocks his futile efforts.

As the guards capture Tony Stark, Hammer learns that some of his returning agents will soon be arriving at the Helipad. The scene shifts to Manhattan, at the offices of Cabe and McPherson, security specialists, which also serve as the private quarters of Bethany Cabe and Ling McPherson. Bethany is getting dressed, and Ling urges her to hurry up or they will be late for their assignment. Bethany seems lost in her thoughts, and Ling asks her what seems to be wrong. She wonders whether Bethany's thoughts are for Alexander van Tilburg or for Tony Stark. Bethany admits she is thinking of both men. She comments that it looks like history is going to repeat itself. She does not think that she can take it again. The scene ends.

The scene shifts to the furnished cell where Tony Stark is held. He notices a liquor cabinet and goes in search for a drink. To his disappointment, the cabinet is empty. He calls for room service and alerts the guard outside his cell. He tries to bribe the guard to bring him some alcoholic drinks. The guard reports that Hammer's information network has noticed that Tony is drinking too hard. Hammer wants him sober and has given such instructions to his staff. The only drink available to the prisoner is a jug of water. Tony is frustrated with the guard's attitude, and decides to teach him some manners.

Some time later, the guard hears the noise of something breaking within the cell. He immediately enters the cell to investigate, and steps on a puddle of water. Tony Stark in a relaxed mood, reports that he has broke an electric lamp. He holds the lamp in his hands and points to the water. The guard is suddenly very scared and asks what Tony intents to do. Tony uses the lamp to electrify the water, electrocuting the guard. He then escapes. Tony figures that the house current of the Villa will not be enough to permanently damage the guard, but it should be enough to knock him out.

Tony does not locate any other guards on active duty, and manages to sneak out to the Villa's garden. He locates a helicopter about to land. He plans to take over the helicopter to use it as his escape vehicle, in order to return to Monaco and alert the authorities about Hammer's conspiracy. While spying the helicopter, Tony finds out the identities of three of Hammer's agents. They are the Blizzard, the Melter, and Whiplash. All three exit the helicopter, while dressed in their super-villain uniforms. Hammer has helped them escape from Ryker's Island. Hammer warns his agents that he may not help them again if they fail. He finds neither pleasure, nor profit in financing failures.

Tony sneaks away. He has realized that Justin Hammer has more secrets and plots than he expected. He wants to find out what they are. He decides to use a gimmick prepared for him by Scott Lang. The belt that Tony is wearing actually consists of 20 feet of ultra-thin and super-strong nylon weave. His belt buckle contains a hidden switch, which changes the buckle into a miniature grappling hook. After a few failed efforts, Tony manages get the grappling hook attached to the roof of the Villa. He uses the nylon rope to climb the walls of the building. He gets to a second-story window, kicks and shatters the glass, and gains access to Phillip Barnett's computer laboratory. He uses martial arts to knock out Barnett and his guards. He retrieves the armor case. It contains a spare version of Iron Man Armor Model 4 and incendiary bombs prepared by Scott Lang. Tony prepares to use the bombs to disable the computer.

Hammer warns his three agents about the consequences of failure. They suddenly hear an explosion from the computer lab. Hammer deduces that Stark caused the explosion. He sounds the alarm and calls out his reserve operatives. A small army of super-villains emerges from the Villa and responds to the call. They include the Beetle, Constrictor, Discus, Leap-Frog, Man-Killer, Porcupine, Spymaster, Stiletto, and Water Wizard.

Hammer and his agents soon enter the computer lab. A voice alerts them that Mr. Stark has been taken to safety. In his place is Iron Man, who threatens to take every one of the agents and rip them to tiny pieces. He will then come after Hammer himself. The story ends.

Appearing in "A Man's Home is His Battlefield..."

Reprint of the 1st story from
Iron Man #127

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Synopsis for "A Man's Home is His Battlefield..."

Reprint of the 1st story from
Iron Man #127

The story opens in Justin Hammer's Villa, where Iron Man blasts away the army of super-villains. Iron Man asks Justin Hammer himself, what is a businessman doing with a goon squad like this. Hammer replies that the explanation is quite obvious. Iron Man's foes need money to develop their weapons, to pay for their bail, to replace broken equipment. He offers sanctuary and financial aid to these gentlemen and ladies, in exchange for 50% of their profits.

Stiletto is the first villain to recover from the attack, and he starts counter-attacking. He throws as many knives as possible to Iron Man. He is aware that his knives can not penetrate Iron Man Armor Model 4, but he is counting on some of the knives going through the holes in Iron Man's mask. Warned of Stiletto's intentions, Iron Man lowers Plexiglas shields over his mouth and eye slits. He is now invulnerable to Stiletto's attack. Discus next attempts to take Iron Man down by throwing discs at him. Iron uses reverse-magnetism to throw the discs back. The discs take down Stiletto and Discus.

Justin Hammer concludes that none of the villains can face Iron Man alone. He orders them to attack en masse, as this is their only chance to defeat him. The villains obey his command and join forces against Iron Man. Iron Man uses physical force against the crowd of assailants, and he is secretly pleased with this opportunity. He has been through enough frustrating and humiliating experiences lately, and he is taking out his frustrations on the villains.

Iron Man suddenly starts flying, transporting the surrounding villains with him. He flies through a wall and to the open ground outside. He then turns his attention to the Beetle. He grabs hold of the wings of Beetle Armor MK I and removes them. Now unable to fly, the Beetle calls for help. The Leap-Frog responds to the call and attempts to rescue the Beetle. Iron Man takes control of the Beetle's tentacles, uses them to swing the Beetle around, and forcefully throws the Beetle to the Leap-Frog. The two villains collide in mid-air, taking them both out of the fight.

Hammer orders the Water Wizard to use his powers against Iron Man. The Wizard questions Hammer's sanity and attempts to escape instead. He mentions almost getting killed while fighting in the Vietnam War, while his only opponent was an army. He uses his powers to create a surf-scooter to use as his escape vehicle. He acknowledges that he still owes Hammer money for the bail he paid, but promises to eventually send him a check to settle the debt. Hammer is angry because of the Water Wizard's lack of gratitude. But he takes note that he and his operatives might need to escape the Villa. He instructs Spymaster to alert the Villa's navigator that he needs to prepare the lift pods.

As the battle continues, the Blizzard and the Melter combine their powers for an attack against the Iron Man armor. They fail to even scratch the armor. Iron Man grabs both villains and causes their heads to collide. They are both out of the fight. Constrictor then traps Iron Man in his coils. Man-Killer interferes and instructs Constrictor to leave Iron Man to her. She comments that the hero is just a man. In response, Iron Man uses his image projector on her. Man-Killer sees herself surrounded by Iron Men and starts fighting them. She does not realize that all eight of them are illusions, since the real Iron Man has still not escaped the coils of the Constrictor.

Iron Man tells the Constrictor that he has read information about him. He has read how the Constrictor stuns people with his electric coils. He informs the villain that Iron Man operates on electricity. He can absorb the Constrictor's electric attacks and use their power to boost his own strength. He uses the additional strength to stretch the Adamantium coils of the Constrictor and to slip right out of them. He then grabs the coils and uses to swing the Constrictor around. He sends the villain flying towards Man-Killer, taking them both out of the fight.

The next villain to challenge Iron Man is the Porcupine. He considers the Constrictor and Man-Killer to be mere amateurs, while he is a professional. He comes equipped with mini-grenades, with enough of a concussion to stop Iron Man. Iron Man uses his fists to shut down the grenade launcher of the Porcupine Armor, preventing the grenades from escaping. A worried Porcupine notes that the launch process had already begun, and the grenades are still going to explode. The grenades explode within the Armor and destroy it. A shocked and injured Porcupine finds himself still alive, but with his Armor gone. Iron Man taunts him.

With the super-villains either defeated or missing in action, Justin Hammer orders his armed guards to hold off Iron Man. The guards are suddenly attacked by machine gun fire. The attackers are the Monaco Police, which is operative five helicopters and flying above the Villa. They ordered the guards to surrender. Iron Man flies up to greet them, and discovers Jim Rhodes aboard one of the helicopters. Rhodes explains that he had trouble convincing the police hat the real Tony Stark had been abducted. He wants to know the whereabouts of his boss. Iron Man claims that Tony Stark was safely transported to the shore. He notices police boats surrounding the Villa. He wants to get to Hammer before the police does.

Meanwhile, Hammer prepares an escape plan. The entire island villa begins rising on a cushion of jet-powered air. The Villa flies away at an ever-increasing speed. Iron Man realizes that the flying island is heading towards international waters, which would allow Hammer to escape police custody. He prepares to attack the Villa. His attack splits the structure in two pieces, while Hammer's agents struggle to escape the ruined building. Phillip Barnett finds himself in the waters below, and has never learned how to swim. He calls for help, and is rescued by Iron Man. Iron Man wants him to testify as a witness in court. Barnett fears double-crossing Hammer, but then realizes how much Iron Man can hurt him. He offers his confession by either writing or on tape.

Later on the docks of Monaco, Tony Stark and Jim Rhodes converse. Justin Hammer was not among the people captured by the Monaco Police and he apparently escaped safely. The police claim that they have enough evidence to use against Hammer in court. Stark thanks Rhodes for his help, and Rhodes claims that he was only doing his job. As they smile sincerely, the warmth of their friendship is re-assuring.

The story skips ahead for several days, to a television news broadcast. A special judiciary committee has acquitted Iron Man for the murder of Sergei Kotznin. There was overwhelming evidence that his armor was being controlled by an outside force, during the murder of Kotznin. Iron Man is briefly interviewed by a reporter from CBS. He claims to feel fine about his exoneration. He does not tell the reported that he still feels guilty about the murder. He keeps seeing Sergei Kotznin's face in his sleep.

Mayor Ed Koch returns to Iron Man the version of Iron Man Armor Model 4 which was in police custody. Koch explains that there will be no charges pressed against Iron Man for disobeying orders and using his spare armor. Iron Man then meets Mr. Pithins, head of Stark International's public relations department. Pithins does not seem happy. Even with the exoneration, the press is not though with coverage of Stark International. Iron Man was still involved in a murder and the company still lost the Carnelian contract. Public confidence on them is down.

As Iron Man steps outside the CBS building, there is a crowd of New Yorkers outside. He notices that a blonde little girl has dropped her doll. He retrieves the doll and offers it back to the girl. The girl is terrified of him, since she saw him kill Kotznin of TV. She calls for protection. Her mother promises to not let the bad man hurt her daughter. The embarrassed crowd disperses, including the crying little girl. Iron Man suddenly feels alone. He later blames his Iron Man armor for terrifying little children. He angrily shuts it in the armor case.

Later, Tony Stark is drinking alone at a nightclub in Forest Hills. He feels disgruntled and even a century-old brandy fails to cheer him up. Renaldo, a staff member, brings him the phone, as there is someone asking for him. The caller is Bethany Cabe, who wants to arrange a meeting with him. Tony tells her that he will write a reminder on a napkin. He is already quite drunk and obviously slurring his words. Bethany realizes that something is wrong, though he does not admit it. She asks him to meet her at 914 Lexington. He accidentally writes down 419 Lexington, before the phone call ends.

The following day, Tony Stark waits in vain at 419 Lexington and gets angry at Bethany for snubbing him. Meanwhile, Bethany waits in vain at 914 Lexington and feels that Tony no longer cares about her. She feels that Tony is on a path towards self-destruction, but does not know if she can stop him. The scene shifts to Avengers Mansion. Jarvis is cleaning the dishes, after cooking dinner for 7 Avengers. He is pleased that they liked his mother's recipe. He hears laughter inside and is alarmed. With the exception of the Vision, who is on monitor duty, all the Avengers should have left by now. Jarvis goes in search for an intruder, and hopes that there will be no violence.

Jarvis finds a drunk Tony Stark with his new date, Amber Sunrise. The two of them are in a computer room. Tony Stark is showing off his latest gadgets to Amber. She calls them "cute". Jarvis reminds Stark that this equipment is classified. He also reminds Stark that showing it off to a stranger would upset Henry Gyrich. Tony thinks that Jarvis is pushing him around and gets angry. He tells Jarvis that he is a butler and a mere servant. He will have to remember his place and respect his superiors. Jarvis answers with a "yes, sir", but he can barely contain his anger. As Jarvis withdraws to the kitchen, Tony briefly feels regret. But then Amber convinces him to show her more gadgets. He is too drunk to feel there is anything wrong with that.

The following morning finds Tony Stark sleeping in his Long Island office. He is waken up by Bambi Arbogast, who tells him that Jarvis wants to see him. He tells her to send him in, though he is no condition for a proper meeting. Jarvis delivers a resignation letter to Stark. He is unhappy with the way Stark treated him and unhappy with the direction the Avengers team has been taking lately. He feels that the Avengers have become a large collection of unhappy individuals, simmering in their own stew of repressed anger, resentment, and frustration. He has had enough.

After viewing a disappointed Jarvis exiting the office, Stark's mind clears and he finally understands something. He has been blaming all his troubles on the Iron Man armor, an inanimate suit. But the armor was not the one responsible, nor was Iron Man the one who belittled Jarvis. The root of the problems is himself and his drinking problem. He helplessly calls: "God help me". The image shifts to a bottle of whiskey. The story ends.

Appearing in "Demon in a Bottle"

Reprint of the 1st story from
Iron Man #128

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  • Stark's Porsche Coupe

Synopsis for "Demon in a Bottle"

Reprint of the 1st story from
Iron Man #128

This story opens with an un-helmeted Iron Man having a few drinks from a liquor bottle. He muses that his life as Tony Stark had been so chaotic, that he should just give up his civilian identity and just be Iron Man. He dons his mask and flies out for adventure, but forgetting the window was not open, smashes through his window. He soon sees a gas tanker that is derailed and tries to help officers on the scene by removing the tanker, but he drops it releasing the gas, making matters much worse. Tony Stark later is reaching for another drink to be interrupted by Bethany Cabe. She urges him to stop, recounting how she had lost her husband previously to pills. She spends days with Tony Stark keeping him from the bottle. It is a constant struggle. Some time later, a rejuvenated Stark tries to mend fences with Edwin Jarvis. (Jarvis had resigned last issue after being berated by a drunken Tony Stark). Accepting Stark's apology, he agrees to return to work for Stark and the Avengers. As S.H.I.E.L.D. had been attempting a hostile takeover of Stark International, Stark is particularly interested in Jarvis' small amount of stock in Stark Industries. Unfortunately, Jarvis has put his stock up as collateral to secure a loan. Contacting his loan officer by phone, Jarvis is told he is unable to get his stock back. Soon, Iron Man pays a visit to the loan officer, Mr. Benchley, accusing him of impropriety and destroying his office in the process. Mr. Benchley insists that he cannot return the stock because he already sold it. A dejected Stark returns to Avengers Mansion and reaches for a bottle of alcohol. Bethany Cabe again urges him not to do it. After several long moments of contemplation, Stark re-caps the bottle. Bethany and Jarvis applaud his decision to stop drinking.

Notes

See Also

Links and References

Footnotes

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 First and only known appearance to date besides flashbacks
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