Iron Man #193-194 (1985): 1st Scourge

A giant sea monster fights with the villain Doctor Demonicus, from Marvel’s old Godzilla series, and the West Coast Avengers get involved.

Tony Stark is sober now and ready to start playing Iron Man a bit, but not ready to get back into action. Hawkeye shames him.

And eventually it works.

Hawkeye also invites him to join the West Coast team.

But Rhodey doesn’t really want to give up the suit. So, Stark keeps wearing his old, gray armor for now.

Stark and Rhodey’s relationship has been fraying over the past several issues around this conflict, and I would love to see it keep going like this—it actually begs the question why there can’t just be two Iron Men—but Rhodey has been getting intense headaches and that will ultimately force him to give up the suit.

Anyway, it’s Stark—not Rhodey—who helps the WC Avengers beat the sea monster.  Rhodey is going to see the doctor—Dr. Pym—about his headaches, but doesn’t get a diagnosis out of the trip.

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Look how that reflection on Rhodey’s armor looks like a tear.

Issue #194 has a brief sidebar with the first appearance of the vigilante Scourge, who appears in a bunch of comics killing villains.  He’s a low-rent Punisher who is introduced in a very Steve Gerber-y way. He kills Enforcer.

No great loss.

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