From the Mouths of the Marvels:

"To begin my demonstration, kids, I'll do a juggling act! But not with oranges or basketballs! No....with automobiles!"

- - Iron Man, page 5

Iron Man gives his all for sick children.

Iron Man from Tales of Suspense #41
May 1963 • 13 pages

Job Number: n/a

Publication Date: February 12, 1963

Letters Page: No letters page was published in this issue

I: Feature Story: "The Stronghold of Doctor Strange!"

Pages: 13

Plot: Stan Lee
Script: Robert Bernstein
Pencils: Jack Kirby
Inks: Dick Ayers
Letters: Martin Epp

First Appearance: Doctor Strange, Carla, Honey

Villain: Doctor Strange

Guest Appearance: Honey, Carla

Cameo Appearance: President John F. Kennedy, Soviet Premier Nikita Kruschev

Synopsis: While at a charity fundraiser for a children's hospital where he donates $100,000 dollars, Tony Stark tells the assembled crowd that he has contacted his friend Iron Man to entertain the sick children the next day. He receives much applause, as well as the adoration of his girlfriend, Honey, to whom he later explains about his love life. He tells her that he has too much responsibility all over the world to also be an "absentee husband". He's got munitions plants to look after, his scientific research, as well as his aid to the US Defense effort. What he doesn't tell her is that he also has the secret life of the super-hero Iron Man to tend to! Further, he's got the dark cloud of his sickness, with the metal plate he has to constantly wear to keep the life-giving charge of electrical current flowing.

The next day, Iron Man wows the kids at the children's hospital by floating in the sky and juggling an assortment of cars. He also catches a cannonball fired at him in his bare hands, and crushes it in his powerful grip! Unfortunately for the iron warrior, in a nearby prison, a diabolical plan is about to come into fruition. The villainous Doctor Strange has heard of Iron Man's public event taking place down the street from the prison, and he has rigged up a surprise for him. From the scattered parts of tiny electronic devices he was permitted to work on while a prison inmate, Doctor Strange has fashioned a evil-doing tool. He feigns a dizzy spell and is led by prison guards down to his cell. There, he puts into power his gadget which hypnotizes Iron Man! He sends the mental command for Iron Man to come and break him out of prison.

Iron Man walks like a zombie through the prison, tearing down the walls until he finally frees Doctor Strange. He flies him away from the prison, with the prison guards shooting at them. Doctor Strange is in mental command of Iron Man, and reflects on his plans to dominate the world so as to impress his daughter, Carla, and provide her with the chance to have her pick of the world's billionaires in marriage. He wants to do this in order to make up for the many years he neglected her as her father.

Doctor Strange releases Iron Man from his mental grip and begins to hatch his plan. On an island off the coast of the US, he shows his daughter Carla her new home, a fantastic modern city built on the island. He introduces her to his new cadre of associates, all diabolically cunning scientists and military men. Carla doesn't seem impressed.

As his first show of power to the planet, he detonates a "S-Bomb" in outer space, then declares his demands to the leaders of the world: surrender within 24 hours or "I will blow the world to smithereens!" Iron Man goes into action, and in order to skirt the force field surrounding Doctor Strange's island city, he goes underwater and tunnels his way inside. Finally, he penetrates Doctor Strange's fortress, where he witnesses the villain and his daughter, Carla, bickering over his deeds, which the villain claims is all for her benefit. She denies ever wanting such dastardly acts committed for her benefit. Iron Man smashes Doctor Strange's power generators, but in retaliation, the madman drains every ounce of electrical energy from his armor. Bereft of power, Iron Man is completely debilitated, until Carla tosses him a flashlight, the batteries of which provides him with the power to rise again. Fearing what Iron Man will do to him, Doctor Strange vanishes from the premises, saying goodbye to his "foolish" daughter. Iron Man comforts Carla, who is shaken by the actions of her father.

--synopsis by Gormuu

Issues Reprinted
Iron Man from
Tales of Suspense #39-50

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