Iron Man #129
Iron Man #129 serves as the direct narrative coda to the celebrated 'Demon in a Bottle' arc (#120–128), resolving the tense SHIELD hostile-takeover subplot that had left Nick Fury effectively in control of Stark International. The issue introduces the Dreadnought Mark II — a redesigned robotic killing machine and a concrete villain for Tony Stark to face in his first post-sobriety adventure — signaling that the title was ready to move forward with a more capable, clear-headed hero. It also anchors the creative team's commitment to interweaving Marvel continuity, drawing plot threads from Thor #271 and crediting an unusually collaborative plotting crew of Michelinie, Shooter, Layton, and Stern.
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The script was written by David Michelinie from a plot developed jointly by Jim Shooter, Bob Layton, and Roger Stern — all credited under the collective pseudonym 'D. Minds.' Sal Buscema provided layouts (credited as breakdowns), while a rotating team of five finishers worked under the shared alias 'M. Hands': Joe Rubinstein, Eduardo Barreto, Bob Wiacek, Ricardo Villamonte, and Al Gordon. Bob Layton supplied the cover, George Roussos the colors, and John Costanza the lettering, with Jim Shooter serving as Editor-in-Chief. The unusual pseudonyms suggest this was at least partly a fill-in or rush production following the high-profile demands of the 'Demon in a Bottle' storyline.
Trivia · 8 facts
- Story title: 'Dread Night of the Dreadnought!' — cover-dated December 1979, released approximately September–October 1979.
- Introduces the Dreadnought Mark II, a redesigned HYDRA/SHIELD-era robot; the Mark II is both introduced and destroyed within this single issue.
- Directly follows the landmark 'Demon in a Bottle' arc (Iron Man #120–128) and resolves the dangling SHIELD controlling-stock subplot: Tony Stark outmaneuvers Nick Fury by threatening to release his patents publicly and resign, forcing SHIELD to divest.
- An earlier Dreadnought robot had previously been defeated by SHIELD in Strange Tales #154; the villain in this issue bears no relation to the unrelated Dreadknight from Iron Man #101–102.
- Story elements connect to Thor #271, where the secret facility 'Project 13' had previously appeared.
- Script by David Michelinie; plot collaboratively credited to Jim Shooter, Bob Layton, and Roger Stern (under the pseudonym 'D. Minds'); layouts by Sal Buscema; cover by Bob Layton.
- Bethany Cabe and James Rhodes appear in supporting cameo roles; Nick Fury is the prominent guest star.
- Reprinted in the Iron Man by Michelinie, Layton & Romita Jr. Omnibus Vol. 1 (Marvel, 2013) and the French collection Iron Man: L'intégrale (Panini France, 2008 series, 1979–1981 volume).
Cast · 9 characters
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Full plot ⚠ may contain spoilers
▸ Reveal full plot — may contain spoilers
SHIELD now holds a controlling interest in Stark International and Nick Fury demands that Stark begin manufacturing munitions again. But Stark personally owns all the patents and most of the staff threatens to quit. Outmaneuvered Fury agrees to sell Jarvis' shares back to him and put the bulk of SHIELD's remaining shares back on the market giving control of the company back to Stark. Later, Iron Man destroys a new Dreadnought robot that had attack SHIELD's Project 13 at the behest of an unknown "the Director".
Plot details indexed by the Grand Comics Database (CC BY-SA).