“Yesterday’s” Comic> Iron Man vol. 3 #8

Maybe if he didn’t tell everyone at a press conference his secret identity he wouldn’t have this problem.

Iron Man volume 3 #8

Marvel Comics (September, 1998)

“The Hunt”

WRITER: Kurt Busiek

PENCILER: Sean Chen

INKERS: Eric Cannon & Sean Parsons

COLORIST: Steve Holiff

LETTERING: Comicraft

EDITOR: Bobbie Chase

Tired of being the prey Tony decides to after the Arms Merchant and his master personally. He seeks help from a former employee still working at Stark/Fujikawa, only to narrowly avoid being killed by Whiplash (formerly Blacklash, who now has some seriously deadly new whips and a killer persona after his son was taken from him). As Tony’s search continues, Happy finds the bug Doreen planted, but Pepper is too late to warn him as Spymaster’s men attack him. While Spymaster has overheard Tony’s secret identity he didn’t tell his people. They just have orders to beat him up. He’s rescued by Black Widow, but his heart stopped beating! And did Tony really connect all this to the Mandarin before the attack?

What they got right: It looks like this subplot is finally coming to a head. There’s a lot of good action, and scenes that show Tony has a lot of good friends.

What they got wrong: Whiplash’s S&M outfit. Who thought that was a good idea? Oh, and apparently another happy ending ruined, or at least a happier period as Whiplash lost his family in an earlier story and is now an S&M garbed psycho. Is this when Marvel decided happiness and fun were for suckers? Well, given what was happening behind the scenes at the time, probably.

Recommendation: This is getting good. Worth checking out.