In 1983, readers of Invincible Iron Man hunkered down for what would turn out to be a whopping 30-issue stretch of stories by writer Denny O'Neil and artist Luke McDonnell that featured someone other than Tony Stark in the role of the book's title character. The shift was heralded by two dramatic back-to-back covers which seemed to confirm what many of us probably assumed was the obvious choice to step in for Stark, at least for the immediate crisis:
Stark, having fallen off the wagon big time and a near-hopeless drunk by this point, was too inebriated to suit up and face the menace known as Magma who was wrecking the Stark International complex--which left James Rhodes with a decision to make. Yet his first moment as the new Iron Man perhaps sums up the problem of having Rhodey, a popular supporting character in the book, assume responsibility for the book's sales for a two-year period.
By now, the Iron Man armor was more than just a suit of remarkable technology and weaponry. It's an invention that's been refined over the years and defined by Stark--his character, his resourcefulness, his confidence and instincts, as well as the fact that it's simply a kick to see how he interacts with this suit to battle and overcome whatever threat he's facing. And when Stark improvises and makes use of the features of the armor which he knows like the back of his hand, it feels as if we're right there seeing this armor getting its best use. There's no doubting Rhodey's resourcefulness and skill, or his bravery--but his confidence in being Iron Man will in part depend on being able to use the armor to its fullest potential while knowing its specs down to the last circuit, and that skill set simply isn't among his talents.
A further complication would be the debilitating headaches he would suffer with further use of the armor, finally diagnosed by the mystic known as Shaman and boiled down to a truth that even Rhodey (and arguably O'Neil) had to acknowledge: that it was Tony Stark who was, and is, Iron Man.
At the time of his debut, however, it was easy to give Rhodey the benefit of the doubt, since he'd played no small part in revitalizing the book after he and others joined its cast of characters. In the end, no one is likely to label Rhodey's run as Iron Man as distinguished--but at the very least, his premiere issue of having fully embraced the role shows some promise and gives him every advantage in starting out on the right foot. There's Stark's continued downward spiral that doesn't neglect the character for those readers still interested in keeping tabs on him; we also see Rhodey's idea to enlist the help of S.I. scientist-technician Morley Erwin bearing fruit, helping him begin to familiarize himself with the armor's capabilities and figuring out its various functions; and in addition, Rhodey's first time up at bat in an official capacity has him battling a high-profile member of the Wrecking Crew. So all the ingredients are in place for Rhodey to make his mark as the new Iron Man. The question is: Will this issue ignite the character for readers?
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