Iron Man [2020] #10 - Marvel Comics

IRON MAN No. 10, September 2021

Arguably reading more like a story set during the 2015 comic book storyline “Secret Wars” than one based upon the exploits of Tony Stark from Earth-616, Christopher Cantwell’s script for Issue Ten of “Iron Man” probably had some within its audience scratching their heads in utter bemusement at its depiction of the Golden Avenger slowly coming to terms with a low-tech life on Megiddo. Indeed, considering that the rag-tag settlement’s “big man” isn’t revealed until quite late in the twenty-page periodical’s plot, there were probably quite a few bibliophiles convinced that Battleworld’s God Emperor Doom was actually about to make an appearance; “I feel like I went right to the wizard and somehow skipped the Wicked Witch of the West.”

Intriguingly however, the Chicago-born writer manages to subvert any such expectations by surprisingly presenting Wilbur Day as “the man behind the curtain”, and establishes a tricky emotional conundrum for Shell-head to overcome if he is going to peacefully co-exist alongside Stilt-Man’s growing community of extra-terrestrial kidnap victims. The genius inventor is quick to point out the number of times “one of Daredevil's most enduring arch-foes” has tried to kill him, and resultantly how difficult it is going to be for him to trust the former super-villain that the whole 'lost in space' situation facing him isn’t just part of some dastardly, diabolical plan by the bespectacled career criminal.

Such doubts though are swiftly set aside once an Ultimo robot attacks the village, and Iron Man is desperately required to ally himself with his former antagonist so as to best the giant automaton. Ordinarily, a battle between the titular character and one of the Mandarin's mightiest minions would be exciting enough, but Cantwell ramps up this pulse-pounding bout of pugilism an extra notch or two by having the machine physically eat some of the settlers it catches in one of its mighty mitts, including the rather likeable 'second-in-command' Yar.

Helping to pack this sense shattering sequence with plenty to put off the squeamish is Cafu, whose illustrations throughout “Megiddo” are prodigiously pencilled. The “Marvel Comics exclusive artist” appears to have a particular talent for depicting the sheer size of a dismembered Ultimo, which has long lain dormant as a ruin close to the colony, with many a reader possibly even 'hearing' the eerie silence of the large clearing as a curious Iron Man explores the long-dormant carnage looking for a source power.

The regular cover art of "IRON MAN" #10 by Alex Ross