Review: Iron Man #53
- Rick Moore
- 1 hour ago
- 7 min read
Iron Man's "Lamest" Villain & Some Guy Named Jim Starlin
“Good morning, Marvel. I’m the agent for the Black Lama and here to say that I think you really need to put him into one of your comic books. And let’s face it, you owe me after what you did to my client, Cyborg Sinister. That guy had potential and you know it.”
“Alright, so what’s this Black Lama’s schtick?
“He’s the leader of a mystic cult with followers around the world, trained to channel their emotions to generate elemental powers.”
“Sounds … interesting. But y’know, we’re kinda full up right now.”
“Did I tell you that I also represent Mary Jane Watson? Rumor mill has it that she’s gonna take on a bit more prominent a role in Spider-Man later this year. Sure would hate to have her hold out for a few issues…”
“Y’know, more we think about it, that Lama guy has potential. Why don’t we give this new guy a shot in Iron Man? A mystical villain should fit in perfectly in a tech-based book like that…”
Yeah, I know I’m being a bit silly with all of this. But I can’t really think of a better reason that the Black Lama was inserted into Iron Man. In this character’s defense, he does make a mildly intriguing first impression as well as fleshes out his disciple, Raga’s, character. Writer Mike Friedrich clearly intended to do much more with him, given the hints dropped about all his other followers across the world. That’s enough to also make up for Raga’s plummeting stock as a worthy villain now that Iron Man’s properly sized him up.
While we’re on the subject of introductions, the real treat this issue are the additional pencils provided by Jim Starlin. I don’t know if this issue is his first professional work at Marvel, but even as a kid, his art on those pages immediately caught my eye. Vince Coletta is clearly not the person to ink him, but even with that, those few panels take a consistently decent Tuska-Coletta art job up several notches.
Knowing all that, it’s time to experience “The Curse of the Black Lama!”
Credits
Writer: Mike Friedrich
Pencils: George Tuska & Jim Starlin
Inks: Vince Coletta
Letterer: Artie Simek
Editor: Roy Thomas
Cover Art: Gil Kane & Frank Giacoia
Release Date: August 29, 1972
Synopsis
Another issue of Iron Man and another engaging Tuska-Coletta splash page. One that outshines a rather mundane Gil Kane cover. Even better - we pick up exactly where we left off the previous issue. Our hero’s up to his armored ankles in molten rock! Quite a pickle…unless he can…simply activate his boot jets and fly away.
As Iron Man brings everyone up to speed on what’s going on in this part of sunny California, we find Raga - the Son of Fire - beginning to harangue his few remaining followers. However, before he hits full-bluster mode, a robed figure appears.
Faced shrouded in darkness, we learn this is the Black Lama - a guy Raga calls “Master.” (And he does it a lot!)
Said Lama launches into reminding Raga that he’s really a guy who couldn’t take “no” for an answer from a pretty Indian woman, beating up she and her husband whom he’d stalked across that subcontinent.
Instead of reporting this guy with rage issues to the police, this mysterious Black Lama offered him a place in his growing cult. Following years of some kind of occult training that allows George Tuska to draw some dopey looking monsters for one panel.
Finally this angry young man is awarded with a costume and the name of Raga - which the Black Lama tells us means “Desire Flame.” That also explains why Raga always adds the “Son of Fire” tagline. Calling out to someone that you’re “Raga, the Desire Flame” could certainly elicit a much different response than “Son of Fire.”
Reminded of his roots, Raga’s that much more determined to get back on his boss’s good side. So he attacks Cynthia, the former cultist who he caught necking with a nearby forest ranger.
Fortunately, this is Iron Man’s cue to knock Raga onto his keister again. It produces another tsk-tsk moment from the Black Lama. Like any good student bent on world conquest, Raga asks his teacher to take care of Iron Man for him. Our guy quickly learns that he cannot touch the Lama as the new mystery man tells us that he exists on a “mystic plan separate” from ours.
Being eager to please, Raga then has Jim Stalin pencil him for a couple panels before spending a page trying to take down Iron Man.
Around that time, the handsome forest ranger arrives only to see the Black Lama standing next to his sweetie, Cynthia, Raga and Iron Man - that trio surrounded by some magical energy field.
Attempting to attack the Lama, the ranger is then transported onto some mystical plane where Iron Man and Raga continue to battle.
The next page is where newcomer artist Jim Starlin gets to flex his muscles, making what could have been a rather mundane couple of pages where our hero continues to beat up his clearly overmatched opponent.
Instead Starlin gifts us with several eye-popping panels that introduce us to backgrounds and gestures that we’ll savor in the coming years on both Captain Marvel and Warlock - as well as a couple upcoming issues of this title!
In this mystical hideaway, once Raga’s anger hits Defcon 2, he becomes a giant, allowing Starlin to have even more fun with his figures and effects. However, with our comic book running out of pages, Iron Man’s ire reaches sufficient levels that he too reaches ginormous proportions.
One more good punch enough is enough for the Black Lama to throw in the towel on behalf of his hapless pupil. Before he exits the stage, our robed evildoer tells us that he has other disciples and that Raga’s on his own.
Being ditched creates not anger, but a fear that generates a small earthquake for our mean hippy. The tremors create a landslide that takes Raga and a bunch of boulders to the ocean below, bringing closure to this issue. Other than the promise that next up is an appearance by The Sub-Mariner!
Story
It would seem that the real intent of this two-parter was introducing the Black Lama. Given that “mystic villains” don’t really work in the tech-based world of this series, I’m curious if Friedrich had plans to use the Black Lama in some other title where he and those disciples he hinted about would be more at home. Regardless, we never see any disciple other than Raga. The Black Lama has a whole new angle the next time we see him.
All that aside, this isn’t a bad issue. The Black Lama added enough to fill the pages when it was clear that our mean hippy was too much of a one-note villain to give Iron Man a workout for more than a couple pages.
This issue also presented no shortage of action, providing Iron Man a keen opportunity to show off his new solar-powered armor. Call it a fun story with writing that doesn’t distract and I’ll rate it at 6/10.
Art
Remember at the end of Kevin Costner’s “Robin Hood” where Sean Connery shows up in a cameo role at the end? While all our opinions on that movie may vary, I’m pretty confident that all of us will agree that even with that brief appearance, Connery stole that movie from Costner.
I bring that up because it seems the same thing occurred with the art for this issue. George Tuska and Vince Coletta deliver their consistent and professional work for this issue - exactly as they’ve done for close to a year now - only to have newcomer Jim Starlin complete steal the show with a handful of imaginative panels - giving us a glimpse of what this future “A-Lister” would have to offer in the coming months.
The art on this one stood out to me as a kid and it still does today. I’d rate it higher if we had more Jim Starlin. 7/10.
Wimp Factor
Now this is more like it! Zero armor malfunctions. Iron Man putting the hurt on an opponent he’s now properly sized up. Overcomes a mystical spell of some kind. Sure, he wasn’t able to do much against the Black Lama. But outside of Dr. Strange and a few other heroes who dabble in the black arts, I doubt anyone could have done any better. Oh, and he saved an entire housing development from a lava flow! 1/10
Villain Rating
Two villains for the price of one! Raga is quickly exposed by Iron Man, posing a lesser threat from that point forward. That drops our mean hippy to 4/10. Then we have the Black Lama. Gotta say this one’s tough because I know what’s down the road with him. But keeping my focus on this issue, that he boasts similarly powered followers across the world and given his mystical nature, the dude poses a valid threat - and that’s despite a “lama” costume. 6/10.
Overall Rating
Let’s see - the trip to California netted Iron Man a new “mastermind” villain along with the sound defeat of his disciple, Raga. Added to that, this issue also introduced us to the up-and-coming art of Jim Starlin. Not much to complain about for me. Best issue since I started these reviews with #30! 7/10
Additional Nuts & Bolts
Would it surprise anyone to learn that we never, ever see Raga again? Like I said in my last review, I thought our mean hippy had some potential with some refinement of his power set. But given the plethora of “heat-based baddies” at that time and the greater connection to Firebrand, Raga never really had a chance. As for his “Master,” we won't’ see the Black Lama for around another year and a half. Not wanting to reveal too much, but when this guy pops in again, it’s with a scheme that essentially “breaks” both Iron Man and writer Mike Friedrich.