Plot by Stan Lee – Script by Stan Lee – Art by Steve Ditko – Inks by Don Heck – Letters by Sam Rosen

Right off the bat, there’s something different about Tales of Suspense #47. Steve Ditko is drawing Iron Man for the first time, and the change is immediately noticeable.

Ditko gives Iron Man a certain stiffness. His movements feel less fluid and dynamic than they do in Don Heck’s art, almost as though the armor is restricting him in ways it never did before. Some of the settings are unusual, too, including a sewer that becomes the backdrop for one of the fights.

It’s a fascinating artistic crossover. Ditko’s approach to Iron Man is quite different from what we’ve seen before, while Heck’s inks preserve some of the familiar look, particularly in the faces. Tony Stark still has that polished, movie-star handsomeness that Heck has established.

The issue also introduces the Melter, another costumed villain who will stick around for decades, even if he’s not exactly in Doctor Doom territory.

Bruno Horgan is a business rival of Tony Stark’s who blames Stark for ruining his career. He invents a melting beam and decides to get revenge by becoming the Melter.

It’s a personal conflict, but it’s also another example of Iron Man’s world taking shape around Tony’s business. His work isn’t just background information. Stark Industries is the setting for Iron Man’s adventures.

The Melter is surprisingly effective. His weapon can melt Iron Man’s armor, forcing Tony to retreat, and his sabotage threatens Stark Industries itself.

Tony has to think his way out of the problem. He develops a replacement suit using aluminum, which the Melter’s weapon can’t affect in the same way, and eventually turns the tables on his enemy. The Melter escapes, leaving the door open for another appearance.

Meanwhile, Happy Hogan and Pepper Potts continue developing their own dynamic. They squabble like a married couple in a 1960s sitcom, trading jabs while Tony’s life gets increasingly complicated.

That relationship gives the book some much-needed personality. This isn’t quite the Tony Stark people might recognize from the Marvel movies. He isn’t constantly cracking jokes or delivering clever one-liners. He’s often a fairly stiff character, especially when the story focuses on his business affairs and technical inventions.

Happy and Pepper bring a little warmth and humor to the proceedings. Their bickering gives the book a human element that balances out all the armor, machinery, and corporate sabotage.

Tales of Suspense is still working through some of the same business-related plots that have defined Iron Man’s early adventures. Tony’s company is threatened, a new enemy emerges, and Iron Man has to invent his way to victory.

But the pieces are coming together. The Melter gives Iron Man another recurring costumed villain. Happy and Pepper bring a little personality to Tony’s otherwise stiff supporting cast. And Stark Industries is becoming more than a convenient excuse to send Iron Man into action. It gives his adventures a consistent source of conflict.

Iron Man is finally starting to feel less like a character dropped into whatever story Marvel has available and more like a superhero whose own life generates the stories.

Marvel in the 60s – Entry #93