It is arguable that everything in the Marvel Age of Comics is a type of homage to the intense period of activity and creative excellence of Stan Lee, Steve Ditko, and Jack Kirby. With these late issues of Machine Man, we have the pure Kirby character creation, drawn by Steve Ditko, and then scripted, edited, and presented in a style reflective of Stan Lee, with Tom DeFalco and Denny O'Neil as writer and editor. Some might call it a version of a microcosm of the actual creative breakdown: one character creator, separated from the final product sometimes by an additional artist, and then an editor/ scripter, packaging and presenting rather than demonstrating raw creative ideas, but instead, ideas about communicating them. That is one fundamental assessment of Marvel's creative history, and not the only one. The precise elements of the synthesis are a puzzle attended by many longtime fans. By 1980 comics were a little different than they'd been in 1964-1966, though establi...

Basically a hard-working lady scientist devoted to alternative fuel. She can produce an "electro-magnetically charged gas---but I can neither confine nor contain it!" One power overload later, Dr. Violetta Todd transforms herself accidentally into a gaseous creature dubbed Ion. Machine Man's sent, as Aaron Stack, to investigate. His fight with her leads to his compassionate take and also, damage to his legs. (His repairs are an ongoing shtick in this series.) He's found by Gears Garvin, who enacts repairs and then mounts him atop a wheel, like a unicycle. Meanwhile Ion goes to the Fantastic Four for help. Only Ben and Johnny are home. The battle and wisecracks ensue. Machine Man finally uses his refrigeration unit to cool down the gaseous Ion and solidify her once more as a person. His battle with her has left him thoughtful. Everything from the splash onwards deliberately plays up the Silver Age of Marvel, which has a sensible aesthetic as a mode for DeFalco ...