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Marvel reimagines Tony Stark’s origin story as a terrifying exploration of body horror in Darkhold: Iron Man #1, by Ryan North and Guillermo Sanna.
Iron Man may be a beloved hero to millions, but his life could have played out a very different way. In Darkhold: Iron Man #1, by Ryan North and Guillermo Sanna, Tony Stark’s origin is given a body-horror twist. The issue is a tie-in to Marvel’s Darkhold storyline, as Doctor Doom’s quest for power creates vile, disgusting counterparts to familiar faces. It is an incredibly unsettling read that shows that when given the opportunity, Marvel isn’t just the house of ideas — it’s the house of horror.
Darkhold: Iron Man #1 opens with Pepper Potts reflecting on what happened when Tony Stark first appeared in his mechanical armor. Unsatisfied with being stuck in a cumbersome chest plate, Tony begins to work on improvements that will allow him to reclaim his life and correct his past mistakes. Pepper joins Tony in the endeavor and as the two work feverishly to get him out, they confess their love for one another. However, things take a turn for the worst when the armor’s healing protocols malfunction, peeling off a layer of Tony’s skin. Refusing to be deterred, he works on ways to make himself stronger than before. But as the story goes on, the armor decides what the best course of action is for Tony Stark.
Though he is primarily known for his all-ages comic books, Darkhold: Iron Man #1 proves that writer Ryan North is more than capable of rising to the terrifying occasion. The issue is like a twisted What If…?. Tony’s story has all of the familiar echoes of his 616 counterpart; however, once the Iron Man armor begins peeling flesh from Tony’s body, all bets are off. This comic is downright gruesome. Choosing to tell the narrative from the innocent perspective of Pepper Potts makes everything infinitely worse. Readers are forced to watch Tony lose control of himself as he slowly sheds all of the endearing traits that Pepper has grown to love. It makes for a very uneasy read and sets a high bar for the rest of this storyline’s tie-ins.
Sanna uses strong shadows to create a moody and dramatic atmosphere, never allowing the audience to feel comfortable. Even before Tony becomes a monster of his own making, the story is tense. Sanna teases readers with subtle visual cues and tight shots on the characters’ faces. This sets the stage for when Tony succumbs to the suit and becomes a mangled mass of muscle and machinery. The image of Tony standing in his armor with mucus membrane secreting through the exposed joints is genuinely disgusting.
The exploits of Darkhold: Iron Man #1 are made much uncomfortable by the fine work of colorist Ian Herring. Herring uses natural tones and soft greens to create a sense of comfort early on, only to subvert these same settings with harsh reds and oranges later. Herring also gives the goopy liquids that pour onto the page a white hue, refusing to shade them with the environment and subsequently making them the most noticeable visual on the page. This unnatural aesthetic is enhanced by the letters of Clayton Cowles, who slowly twists the speech bubbles of Tony throughout the issue, highlighting the loss of his humanity. By the time his speech bubble has completely changed through his final dialogue, readers know that Tony Stark is truly gone.
Overall, Darkhold: Iron Man #1 is a successfully creepy comic. The tale is filled with disgusting body horror and is even more unsettling than Marvel Zombies, proving that the work of North, Sanna, Herring, and Cowles is the stuff of nightmares. For anybody interested in a spooky story ahead of Halloween, Darkhold: Iron Man #1 is a must-read.
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