Written by Stan Lee – Art by Steve Ditko – Inks by Dick Ayers – Letters by Sam Rosen

Right off the bat, we have to talk about Steve Ditko drawing Iron Man. I really like his early take on the character. Even with the helmet on, Ditko gives us close-ups where we can see enough of Tony’s face to register his expressions and reactions. There’s a surprising amount of personality coming through that armor.

And then there’s the new armor design. Iron Man gets a red-and-gold makeover that looks much closer to the familiar version we’ve known for decades. Ditko designed this iconic look, adding another remarkable creation to his list of contributions to Marvel’s visual identity. Between Spider-Man, Doctor Strange, and Iron Man, his influence is becoming hard to ignore.

The story itself revolves around trouble at Stark Industries. Tony’s business is under threat, and a strange man lurking around may have something to do with it. We meet Mr. Doll, a villain with powers that are awfully similar to the Puppet Master. Using dolls to control his victims, he manages to defeat Iron Man in their first encounter.

Tony realizes his gold armor has become too cumbersome. It takes too much energy just to power up and move around, so he goes back to the drawing board and creates a lighter, more agile suit.

Mr. Doll’s powers remain a problem, though, and Tony has to do some additional tinkering to figure out how to overcome them. The villain himself isn’t particularly memorable, but the story gives Tony plenty of opportunities to demonstrate his ingenuity.

Tony’s relationship with Pepper and Happy continues to provide some personality outside the superhero action.

The early adventures sometimes felt like Tony Stark was being dropped into whatever superhero plot Marvel had available. But the pieces are coming together. His technology, his business, his relationships, and even the limitations of his armor are becoming consistent sources of stories.

Iron Man is starting to feel like a character whose own world can generate the adventures.

Marvel in the 60s – Entry #100