What cruel trick of fate is this?? I'm one of the strongest, most powerful, most feared humans on the face of the Earth! There is nothing I cannot accomplish... Nothing I would not dare! And yet, I haven't the courage to remove my iron armor... I don't dare gamble with my damaged heart! I'm a prisoner of Iron Man... Of my own creation!! 
Appearing in "Suspected of Murder!"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
- Stark Industries
- ⏴ Pepper Potts ⏵
- ⏴ Happy Hogan ⏵
- Jack (First appearance)
- Unamed guards
- NYPD
- Inspector Flint (First appearance)
- Smith (First appearance)
- Unnamed officers
Villains:
- ⏴ Black Widow (Madame Natasha) ⏵
- ⏴ Hawkeye ⏵
- Sergi Amkov (First appearance)
Other Characters:
- Avengers
- ⏴ Thor ⏵ (Appears on screen)
- ⏴ Giant-Man (Henry Pym) ⏵
- ⏴ Wasp (Janet van Dyne) ⏵
Locations:
Items:
- Iron Man Armor Model 2
- Hawkeye's Bow and Trick Arrows
- Giant-Man's Suit
- Wasp's Suit
- Uranus II Rocket (First appearance)
Vehicles:
Synopsis for "Suspected of Murder!"
After his fight against the Black Knight, Tony Stark wakes up from a nightmare, and remembers that he can't take his armor off because it requires of the extra power from its belt pods to keep his heart beating. Meanwhile, his employees Pepper Potts and Happy Hogan desperately search for their boss all over the city to no avail, so they decide to return to Stark Industries in case Iron Man has heard something about Stark.
When they arrive and question Iron Man, Tony realizes he can't even lie telling he has gone in a vacation, because they would most certainly search for him in his haunts, so he claims that Iron Man went on a secret business matter he doesn't even know of. This causes the level of suspicion against him to rise, to the point Happy confronts Iron Man, threatening had he done anything to his boss.
Back in his office, Stark decides to write a signed note to make them stop worrying. At the same moment Iron Man takes some money from his safe, Happy and Pepper walk into the office accompanied by the police. Tony convinces the officers that he's not robbing because the safe is not forced, and additionally gives them the note. The police examine the piece of paper and find that the handwriting was oddly shaky, and that there were no fingerprints at all (beause Stark was wearing his armor's gloves when writing it), casting doubt on Iron Man. As Iron Man, Tony claims that he's tired of the questioning and flees through the window. The officers try to shoot him down, but the inspector reminds them that they still have no clear proof that Iron Man did anything wrong. Due to his predicament, Iron Man calls to the Avengers in order to request absence from a meeting, and Thor grants him his request, but not before asking his teammate if he has done anything.
Meanwhile in her luxurious mansion, the Black Widow takes advantage of Stark's disappearance and Iron Man's escape from Stark Industries to send Hawkeye to steal the plans for his newest weapon. The archer reluctantly agrees and breaks into the factory. When he reaches the door to Stark's office, he's spotted by a police officer. Hawkeye escapes into the room and takes Pepper Potts hostage, forcing her to lead him to Stark's lab. However, when they get to his lab, Hawkeye finds himself surrounded by machines he doesn't understand and no papers or plans at all. Pepper reveals that Stark keeps all of his secret formulas in his head.
Hawkeye tries to force Pepper to use a communicator to call for a escape vehicle, but she refuses. The communicator was on nevertheless, and the events unfolding in Stark's lab are heard by Happy Hogan and the police officers next to him in another side of the building. The Avengers, informed of what is happening, call Iron Man and ask him if he wanted them to take care of Hawkeye. Iron Man decides to go alone, because the presence of all of the Avengers might scare her, and lead him to hurt Pepper.
As Iron Man arrives to the factory to save Pepper, the Black Widow decides to go to Stark Industries to help her lover. But as soon as she leaves the house, she's captured by Sergi Amkov, the head of the iron courtain spy system in America. Back in Stark Industries, Iron Man easily dodges Hawkeye's arrows, and manages to create distance between the villain and his hostage. Hawkeye then tries to keep Iron Man busy by breaking a pair of chains holding an expensive rocket, forcing Iron Man to grab it. He subsequently tries to trap the Golden Avenger with an arrow equipped with a steel cable, but he catches one end of the cable befroe the rest can entwine around him, and pulls it, knocking down Hawkeye. The archer finally decides to escape after launching a blinding-flash arrow at Iron Man, because he doesn't have any power-blast arrows left to use against his enemy.
After getting to the rooftop, Hawkeye launches an arrow with a rope at a plane taking off from LaGuardia Airport, and uses it to carry himself across the river. Unbeknown to him, that very same plane had been boarded by Black Widow and her kidnappers. The police soon arrive to Stark's lab, but Pepper convinces not to use their anti-armor guns at Iron Man, claiming he hasn't been found guilty of any crime. As Iron Man leaves, Pepper claims that while the evidence points at him, she finds something about Iron Man that makes her want to trust him.
Appearing in "The Army of Assassins Strikes!"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
Villains:
- Baron Zemo (Heinrich Zemo)
- Army of Assassins (First appearance)
Items:
- Captain America's Shield
- Captain America's Uniform
- some iron fists
- Adhesive X
Locations
Synopsis for "The Army of Assassins Strikes!"
Go now, my army of assassins! You must not fail, or else you shall uncur the wrath of--Zemo!
In South America, Baron Zemo has his newly gathered Army of Assassins fight a fake Captain America for one final test before sending them to battle against the real one.
While in the United States, Captain America and Rick Jones are on site for Cap to put on a private exhibition of Cap's athletic prowess to encourage young people to be physically fit. Although they planned to mock a battle, the actors helping Cap have been replaced by the Baron's Army of Assassins who attack Cap.
With the help of Rick Jones, Cap manages to fight off the Army of Assassins as soon as the police show up. Later, Baron Zemo checks in with his video screen to see if his Assassin's have defeated Cap. But as soon as he turns his TV on, he sees Cap telling Zemo that Zemo has failed and that he's a coward for not battling him face-to-face. Angered by Cap's taunts, Zemo blasts the screen. With the Assassins taken away by the authorities, Cap vows to Rick that he will someday stop Baron Zemo.
Notes
- "The Army of Assassins Strikes!" is reprinted in Marvel's Greatest Comics #26.
- Iron Man last appeared in Untold Tales of Spider-Man Annual 1997; He appears next in Avengers #10.
- Giant-Man and the Wasp last appeared in Untold Tales of Spider-Man Annual 1997; They appear next in Tales to Astonish #62.
- Thor last appeared in Untold Tales of Spider-Man Annual 1997; He appears next in Journey Into Mystery #112.
- Hawkeye and the Black Widow last appeared in Tales of Suspense #57 and chronologically in Untold Tales of Spider-Man #17; They appear next in Tales of Suspense #64.
- Baron Zemo previously appeared in Avengers #10. He will appear next in Avengers #15.
- Iron Man story (Sequence I) is Job #X-782(A).
- This issue also contains a letters page, "Mails of Suspense". Letters from: Bill Elliott, Don Eden. Margaret Gemignani, Bob Giles, and Bill Light.
- This issue also includes a "Special Announcement Section" and the debut of "The Mighty Marvel Checklist".
- This issue is reprinted in other comics and books, see references for more info.[1]
- References: Tales of Suspense #59 and Tales of Suspense #57
See Also
Links and References
References
- ↑ This story is reprinted in the following comics/TPB's:
- 1st story
- Marvel Masterworks: Invincible Iron Man HC #2
- 1st story