Iron Man #116

[iamrman]

Plot: David Michelinie and Bob Layton

Script: David Michelinie

Pencils: John Romita, Jr.

Inks: Bob Layton

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By my love interest betrayed!

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A security guard tells Iron Man that Madame Masque was seen running towards one of the main laboratories.

Madame Masque doesn’t take it well when Iron Man refuses to help her ailing father and uses one of his rad new inventions against him.

Comments

[cygnia]

I'd be curious if Whitney and Emma ever interacted...

[lbd_nytetrayn]

I was just going to say, weren't Tony and Emma a thing? I don't know how that turned out, but I do wonder if he ever brought up having an ex with the same surname.

[blues32]

...okay...so...are the Ani-Men dead? How did Tony's secret not get out here?

[scorntx]

Yeah, the Ani-Men are all killed off. They were in Tony's penthouse when it blew up, and according to the wiki they have never been brought back.
Narrative necessity and all that - they can't live knowing Tony's secret.

[dan_ingram]

Which is weird, because you'd think that Stark could easily come up with a lie to cover himself.

"I built the armor, of course I know how to use it!"

Also, not like that secret ID provided much cover. Everyone knew where Iron Man worked, who designed the armor, etc. Killing Stark would be the easiest way to kill the Avenger, regardless of who was in the suit.

[scorntx]

Yeah, Tony having a secret identity was... yeah. And it's strange that Marvel kept with it mostly up until the 00s.
Most of his enemies are either out to kill him either way, either to get Iron Man to get at Stark, or get Stark directly, so all it did was annoy everyone who doesn't know the secret and provide drama.
(And the occasional moment of "gosh, your boss Stark is just the worst, Iron Man.")

[blues32]

Yeah, I think they got replaced instead.

[scorntx]

And that was that for the Ani-Men, apparently.
Oh, well.

[dan_ingram]

So lame that not even The Hood bothered to bring them back