Demon in a Bottle is the name given to a story arc within Iron Man issues 120-128. Originally published in 1979, this has become an iconic storyline that discusses the topic of alcoholism and Tony Stark's battle with it. This storyline is defined by the iconic image of Tony Stark staring in to a mirror while looking like he's going through a withdrawal. While, the acoholism is the center of this story, we see the debut of Justin Hammer. Hammer is a corporate rival to Tony and targets Iron Man within this run.
It is important to remember that in the comics, Iron Man is still Tony's bodyguard and not Tony himself. The story starts with Tony drinking on a plane when the plane is struck by an army tank flying through the air. This brings Tony into contact with the "US Navy". Who say they use the island for toxic waste and Namor is trying to keep a man prisoner on the island. This leads to fight between Iron Man and Namor. During this fight Tony realizes that maybe his drinking is causing an issue with his reflexes.
This is the first of many times we see Tony use alcohol to deal with the pressures and stresses of his life. We see Iron Man's armor malfunction, S.H.I.E.L.D. is trying to take over Stark Industries and eventually Iron Man kills a foreign ambassador after his armor malfunctions again. All of this is to say, Tony's life is pretty stressful.
However, the alcohol use causes Tony more problems than it solves. It causes him to lash out at Bethany Cabe, who Tony is dating during this story, and Jarvis. In addition to lashing out at Bethany, Tony misses a date with her as well because he was drunk and wrote the wrong address to meet her at.
Lashing out at Jarvis causes Tony even more issues as Jarvis was gifted two stocks in Stark Industries, but he used them as collateral for a loan. He took the loan because his mother was sick and he needed the money. Tony needed Jarvis to hold on to those stocks to keep S.H.I.E.L.D. from completing their takeover. After Tony lashed out at Jarvis, Jarvis quit and broke the terms of his loan. He needed to stay gainfully employed and since he quit, the loan company defaulted the loan and sold the stocks.
We see Tony spiralling further down and he decides he no longer wants to be Tony Stark any longer and he will be Iron Man full time. Tony dons the armor and jumps out the window looking to be a hero once more. This starts off horribly as he crashes through the window because in his drunken state, he didn't open the window before jumping out of it. It is then made worse we he attempts to assist with a train derailment involving a tanker of toxic gas. Iron Man lifts the tanker, but the piece he uses to lift the tanker breaks off. The tanker crashes to the ground annd splits open. This causes the toxic gas to leak and Iron Man to leave in shame. This only exacerbates his spiral.
Eventaully, we see Bethany confront tony about his alcohol use and she tells Tony that she turned her back on someone who needed her before but she won't do it again. She tells Tony the story of her husband who was so focused on rising within his job, that he began to lean on pills. She says that he would use them to stay awake, to sleep, and lastly, to escape. He ended up dying in a car crash and Bethany says that the doctors could not say whether it was the pills or a heart attack that did it. She tells Tony to lean on her and let her help him through this. This is the start of some very powerful images and panels. Tony first asks for help and then we see Tony going through withdrawals while he detoxes from alcohol.
Tony eventually makes amends with Jarvis and Jarvis returns to work. he learns about Jarvis using the stocks as leverage. He attempts to get his stocks back and this is where he learns that they have already been sold. Fearing that S.H.I.E.L.D. bought the stocks, Tony feels that spiraling feeling beginning again and he reaches for the bottle of alcohol once more. Bethany sees him reach for the bottle and reminds him that he's not alone. This is enough to make Tony close the bottle and choose to spend his afternoon with her. As we see the comic closing we see Tony make a declaration that he'll regain control over Stark Industries and repair it's damaged image.
Usually, I do not write this mouch for a blog post, but there are a few reason's why this required such a long write-up. First, the stroy arc spans nine issues. Second, and more importantly, this story highlights so many things that are still relevant today. Addiction is still a scruge on society, people feel more alone than ever, and healing from past trauma is important. So remember, you're never alone and there's always hope for a better tomorrow. If Iron Man can battle his demons, so can you.
