An amazing cover for an amazing issue.
I love this issue. Hank Pym is in jail, and in his absence, Tony Stark swoops in on Jan. First, he checks her out as Iron Man, and then he makes his move as Tony. Jan doesn’t know they’re the same person.
Tony moves fast, too, taking her to the Caribbean after their first date.
We see Egghead reading about their courtship in the papers, and we see Scott Lang travel into prison to offer Hank Pym a way out.
To his credit, Hank declines, saying he’s done being a bad dude and he’s ready to straighten up and fly right.
That won’t last.
After that, it’s really an issue that explores the bro code. There’s no big fight or villain. In fact, in a pretty meta-moment, She Hulk says she’s “bored bananas” because there’s no action. But interpersonal moments like this differentiated The Avengers from so many other big super books.
Anyway, first Cap lectures Tony about bros before hos…
But then Thor comes along and basically tells Iron Man to go for it because Hank’s not using her and she obviously needs a man to be happy.
In the end, Tony reveals to Jan that he’s Iron Man, and instead of endearing him to her, it causes her to reject him because he’d been dishonest with her.
Good for you, Jan! Of course, the press has a more masculine bent…
…Which is actually pretty realistic, all things considered.
Jim Shooter is plotter, with Alan Zelenetz on script.