When small, tentacled beasties show up in New York City, Iron Man figures he’s got it handled. But Doctor Strange points out that they mustn’t upset the creatures’ mother, the massive and powerful Gargantos!
When small, tentacled beasties show up in New York City, Iron Man figures he’s got it handled. But Doctor Strange points out that they mustn’t upset the creatures’ mother, the massive and powerful Gargantos!
When the communications system at the Avenger’s Tower goes down, Tony Stark is sure he can quickly handle it. After all, he is a technical genius, not to mention also being a superhero known as Iron Man. So what’s a little electrical problem to him?
Trouble is, the breakdown isn’t so simple. It’s being caused by a green, tentacled critter that’s able to short-circuit electronics just by being near them.
Oh, but that’s not the only problem. While the metallic-suited Iron Man is chasing this illusive creature, he comes upon an enormous version of the same species in the local park. And this one effortlessly shunts aside Iron Man’s attempts to stop it. Force fields are a joke to this thing. Tony, aka Iron Man, is definitely out of his depth. In fact, it looks like he might just get eaten!
That’s when the superhero sorcerer Doctor Strange arrives. After communicating with the large creature, he reports that its name is Gargantos (which seems very appropriate), as well as the fact that it’s looking for its children.
Ten of these green, one-eyed tykes somehow entered into our plane of existence. And Doctor Strange explains that Gargantos will give them one hour to find them all or, well, it’ll start eating everything.
Argh! So now it’s a superhero’s job to babysit a bunch of mess-making mystical misfits!
This is why Tony hates magic.
None.
As mentioned, Doctor Strange is a sorcerer. And while the story doesn’t delve into defining what a “sorcerer” is or why Doctor Strange has magical powers, we see him use magic to fly and capture the green, otherworldly infants in small magical spheres.
Iron Man and Doctor Strange also briefly encounter the superhero, Ms. Marvel, who has magic-like body-morphing powers of her own. Iron Man mentions that he doesn’t like magic because he can’t understand it. Ms. Marvel replies, “Yeah, I didn’t understand my powers at first. But that doesn’t mean they’re bad.”
The superhero Thor shows up briefly, too. He’s also known as the Norse god of thunder. But we don’t see him use his powers.
Iron Man and Doctor Strange are the central characters, one a science genius and the other a master of the mystical arts. They establish a competitive goal of seeing who can catch more of the otherworldly critters with their respective abilities.
So, the main thrust of the story then centers around these two heroes arguing whether technology or magic is more useful. And while faith is never mentioned, that science/magic tug-and-pull in the story could open the door to discussing how and why faith is important in our world. For that matter, it could raise the question: If we know magic does not exist, how do we know that an all-powerful God does?
There’s no foul language or alcohol in the mix. But Iron Man runs into a few thumping tussles.
He tries to trap Gargantos but gets swatted aside like a fly. The large beasty then squeezes him in its tentacle grip. Later in the story, Gargantos gets angry again, and this time it easts Iron Man’s suit, but Tony gets away.
Iron Man also encounters a crook named Baltroc the Leaper who bounds quickly around and kicks Iron Man in the chest. But Iron Man grabs him by the leg and hands him over to police.
None.
Do you think God calls us to be heroes?
Take a look at Galatians 6:2. What do you think this verse is saying about supporting others? Isn’t that sort of like a superhero?
Tony Stark isn’t a big fan of magic. And he thinks scientific reason is a far better tool. What do you think he’d say about having faith in God?
Take a look at Colossians 2:2-3. What do you think it means when it mentions “Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.” Does that include scientific knowledge? Do you think science and faith can support one another?
This superhero graphic novel is filled with fun and lighthearted action. And it suggests that even those who disagree can work together to solve mutual problems.
However, the heroes’ differences center around magic, and we see a “sorcerer” use magic several times. That may be a deal-killer for some families, despite the superhero setting. On the other hand, the questions that the story raises contrasting science and magic could also potentially be used as a discussion starter with younger readers.
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Book reviews cover the content, themes and worldviews of fiction books, not necessarily their literary merit, and equip parents to decide whether a book is appropriate for their children. The inclusion of a book’s review does not constitute an endorsement by Focus on the Family.
After spending more than two decades touring, directing, writing and producing for Christian theater and radio (most recently for Adventures in Odyssey, which he still contributes to), Bob joined the Plugged In staff to help us focus more heavily on video games. He is also one of our primary movie reviewers.
