That one time Iron Man took on a cosmic entity and lived to tell the tale
In Iron Man #55 (1973), Tony Stark faced his first cosmic threat, marking a turning point in his adventures. Previously battling spies and rogue scientists, he now encountered Thanos, who would become one of Marvel’s greatest villains.
Alongside Thanos, Iron Man #55 also marked the debuts of Drax the Destroyer, the Blood Brothers, Mentor, and Eros of Titan. The narrative, set against the backdrop of Titan's mythology and Thanos’ rise, saw Iron Man pulled into an interstellar conflict after receiving a telepathic warning from Drax.
As Tony Stark battled the Blood Brothers and confronted Thanos’ machinations, he uncovered a larger cosmic threat beyond Earth’s borders. This early depiction of Tony Stark clashing with cosmic forces laid the foundation for future Marvel sagas where Tony Stark became a key player in universal conflicts.
Iron Man is already battling the Blood Brothers when Drax sends a telepathic warning
Iron Man #55 opens mid-battle, where Tony Stark is already overwhelmed by two alien antagonists known as the Blood Brothers. At the same time, Drax the Destroyer, imprisoned elsewhere, attempts to telepathically warn Stark of the impending threat, but his message comes too late.
The Blood Brothers capture Stark and transport him to Thanos' base, setting up the titular scenario where Stark faces a cosmic entity and survives. In this issue, he becomes entangled in a cosmic conflict after being drawn into a plot orchestrated by Thanos, who is revealed for the first time in Marvel Comics history.
According to Major Spoilers, April 7, 2019,
"This issue opens with the very first appearance of Drax The Destroyer... chained up in his mobile prison: The mad Titan, Thanos!"
The narrative follows Drax recounting his origin and purpose, revealing his creation by Kronos to destroy Thanos, a storyline that seeds future cosmic arcs. The story is told non-linearly, with flashbacks detailing Drax’s efforts to warn Tony Stark and the origins of Titan’s society. Drax shares information about Thanos’ rebellion against Titan and his recruitment of ruthless space pirates.
According to comicsarcheology.com, on June 19, 2023
"Thanos was such a problem that his father Mentor had to ask the godlike Kronos for help. There is no mention in this that Kronos is Mentor’s father and Thanos’ grandfather; it’s possible that Starlin already had the entire Titan mythology in mind but he didn’t find a way to tell everything...So Kronos created Drax to destroy Thanos"
Tony Stark, now captive at Thanos’ base on Earth, manages to break free from the Blood Brothers and attempts to release Drax. However, Thanos intervenes, crushing the armored Avengers’s gauntlet and further complicating the escape. At this point, a telepathic link between Mentor and Iron Man channels energy through Stark’s unibeam, breaking Drax’s restraints. The two team up to defeat the Blood Brothers.
In a twist, Tony Stark and Drax confront Thanos directly, only to find out the villain left behind a robotic duplicate, which self-destructs as part of a trap. They narrowly escape the explosion.
As per Fandom.com,
"Drax and Iron Man quickly best the Blood Brothers. Thanos prepares to destroy his base, but Drax obliterates the self-destruct switch. Iron Man punches Thanos' head, only to shatter it apart, revealing Thanos has gone, leaving a robot duplicate in his place."
This encounter marks a critical turning point for Stark, who until this issue had rarely dealt with cosmic threats. Iron Man #55 introduces key characters, including Drax, Mentor, and Eros, along with establishing Titan as a major location in Marvel’s cosmic lore.
As per CBR's report on October 29, 2022, Jim Starlin, who co-created Thanos, inserted these characters into Iron Man #55 during his early Marvel work, fearing it might be his only chance to publish them. Starlin noted,
"I felt that this may be my only chance ever to do a character, not having the confidence that my career was going to last anything longer than a few weeks. So they got jammed into it."
In terms of continuity, Stark’s encounter with Thanos in this issue positions him as one of the first Marvel heroes to directly clash with the Mad Titan. This early interaction reflects the later significance Stark holds within larger Marvel storylines, including his pivotal role against Thanos in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Iron Man #55 was released in February 1973, written by Jim Starlin and Mike Friedrich, with Starlin handling the pencils. The issue originally sold for 20 cents but now holds a near-mint value of approximately $1,200, reflecting its significance as per Major Spoilers, April 7, 2019. By the end, Drax parts ways with Tony Stark, leaving Stark alone in space, concluding an issue that sets the stage for Marvel’s expanding cosmic universe.
Stay tuned for more updates.