Iron Man [2020] #9 - Marvel Comics

IRON MAN No. 9, August 2021

It is arguably difficult to fathom just what Christopher Cantwell was aiming at with his sedentary storyline for Issue Nine of Iron Man. For whilst the comic’s twenty-page long plot certainly provides some insights into the “Origin of [Michael] Korvac”, the America author doesn’t seem to paint the “computer technician born on the Blue Area of the Moon” in a particularly sympathetic light. Indeed, it must have been hard for any reader to feel anything but utter contempt for “Adam IV” after the weakling “trades the lives of his fellow species in exchange for a modest position” within the Badoon’s ever-growing Empire.

Sure, the traitor is eventually overcome with remorse for having cold-bloodedly gunned down his fellow prisoners, after his sudden appearance at the doorway to their confinement cell had initially given them a modicum of hope that together they might escape their extra-terrestrial torturers. However, a few crocodile tears in the Year 2997 A.D. hardly demonstrates overwhelming regret at his pusillanimous actions, even if they do lead to Korvac being literally sawn in half by his masters for daring to abandon his duties; “Return to your station, Earthborn. Tend to your precious computer modules and don’t waste my time again.”

Furthermore, this book’s central plot concerning Korvac desperately attempting to convince the original Human Torch as to the benevolent legitimacy of his grand scheme, doesn’t debatably ever appear likely to succeed. Put simply, the villainous megalomaniac wants to “forcibly transform all sentient life into a homogenous consciousness”, so what on Earth makes the autocratic android believe that “one of the first superheroes of the Marvel Universe” would willingly support him in such a death-dealing endeavour..? Little wonder, Jim Hammond violently rejects joining the “coward with delusions of grandeur” just as soon as he learns the “selfish” fiend killed all the Avengers in “a moment of anger!”

Luckily, this publication at least has some proficiently pencilled artwork by Cafu to enjoy. The “Marvel Comics exclusive artist” does a terrific job of bringing across the true horror of Michael’s abhorrent actions, most notably the utter terror in the all-too conscious man’s eyes as he’s cut to pieces by his so-called benefactors on an operating table. Yet even this ability can’t help save a book which for almost its entirety is comprised of its central ‘heavy’ simply spouting his intergalactic nonsense to whichever character happens to be within earshot.

The regular cover art of "IRON MAN" #9 by Alex Ross