(July 2006)  "Execute Program, part 2."  Cover art: Adi Granov. Script: Daniel & Charles Knauf. Art: Patrick Zircher/Scott Hanna.  The seemingly "controlled" Iron Man armor offs another victim, this time onboard a passenger jet. Cut to: yet another gratuitous battle, this time with the New Avengers taking on classic villain Graviton. Shellhead pops in a tad late, but wins the day. He tears into Graviton with a deadly earnest -- much to the chagrin of Capt. America (whom Iron Man grabs by the throat when he tells Tony to "stop"!). After Graviton's threat is extinguished, Wolverine gives Stark a bunch of crap about being late to the fight ... whereupon Stark gets right in Logan's face, challenging him to a fight! Spider-Woman informs Tony that Logan is correct -- that Tony was way late to the fight. This obviously infers to what I've postulated before: That someone is controlling Iron Man/Stark ... and it appears confirmed in the issue's last pages where we view Iron Man zapping dead a couple more ne'er do-wells! As I noted in last issue's review, if this is someone manipulating Iron Man via Extremis (or whatever), this is a tired concept we've seen several times before.

Hube's Recommendation:    1/2 repulsors!

Fan Reaction:  IM #8 – Art is better, the story is interesting, Tony sure is acting like an SOB. Don’t like that so much but it must be the effects of the virus. Seeing the Avengers was cool. Miss the look of a classic villain! It was good to see Graviton but dealt with to quickly and don’t like the new look. Where do you think this all fits in with all the current storyline? Nick Fury should not be around. Inevitable #6: In the end Casey kind of let me down did not think it was all that great. The art stunk the entire story! -- SZKZ

Fan Reaction 2:  Yeah, I have to agree, if this is just someone controlling Stark then I'm not likely to enjoy it much.  They have four more issues to salvage Stark's character and make sense of things so it had better all end well.  And then they had better get the comic back on track, it's been a real mess lately.  First off, explain how Iron Man's identity has become secret again (lol).  "Inevitable" had a really disappointing conclusion, think it had some sort of message but I missed it, and the art stunk.  Artwork on 7 and 8 has been good, writing has been good, just hope the story takes a turn for the better.  And that after 13 and 14, which have to be Civil War, they quit with the 3,4,6, 100 part arcs.  I'm really really really tired of them.  -- Jesus M.