Iron Man #129 (1979)
Writer: Dave Micheline
Layouts: Sal Buschema
Letterer: John Costenza
Colors:George Bell

On the eve of SHIELD taking control of Stark International through their buying up of stock options, Tony Stark hands Nick Fury a list of resignations from his company and threatens to make public all his patents. Seeing no more point in playing hardball, Fury backs down from his attempt to take control of SI and both men decide to go out for a drink.

The night is interupted when Fury recieves notice that there is trouble at Project 13, a secret super-weapon installation. Stark follows Fury as Iron Man and both encounter the Dreadnought wrecking havoc. 

Continuity Notes
Villian appearence by the Dreadnought (albiet a new one) last seen in Strange Tales

Fury informed Stark that SHIELD was purchasing shares of his company's stock in order to gain control of SI in Iron Man #119

SHIELD is in charge of security for Project 13.

Review
A key issue for Fury fans as it puts his attempts at obtaining Stark tech in prior and subsequent issues in prespective. A good chunk of the story is comprised of a give-and-take between Fury and Stark over national obligations and loyalties, and frankly, it might not be how I would have liked to have seen Fury act, but it is well written. Dave Micheline deftly handles the complicated friendship these two men share. Fury's assesement of Stark being disloyal echoes some of the harsher rheotic that gets flung around political debates from the right wing in recent years and can be viewed as either overly simplistic or just very candid and frank.

Moving on to the action, the reappearence of the Dreadnaught is a welcome match-up for the armored Avenger and the art team does a great job with the fight.

Rating