Today The Theme Is - Iron

Let Us Have Fun With The Periodic Table Once Again
     Because, let's face it, there's nothing like a little Einsteinium to get a party going!  Actually it's a bit hazardous.  Okay, okay, it's a dangerously radioactive substance with almost no practical use except to make nice glow-in-the-dark crystals.  That can kill you.
     So!  You are much safer with iron.

Glowing Einseinium.  Killing you with pretty.

Iron!
     Chemical symbol "Fe".  Which doesn't sound like "iron".  That's because it comes from the Latin "Ferrum", of unknown origin itself.  It - Ferrum, do keep up! - can also mean "sword".  Wikipedia even supplies a phrase "Urbi ferrō flammāque minitatus est." which translates as "He threatened the city with fire and sword"

Eh.  FIre - yes, that's dangerous to cities.  A sword?  Good luck demolishing anything with that, mate

From Iron Brew To Irn Bru
     Invented in 1901, Iron Brew had to change it's name in the 30's because it wasn't actually brewed, proof positive that idiot jobsworths were as active then as they are now.  It is the most popular soft drink in Scotland, and the second most popular drink after whisky.
     For any overseas readers, here is a can of Irn Bru:

Both can and Bru are made from girders.

     Why the "Iron" in the Bru?  Because it contains 0.003% Ammonium Ferric Citrate, that's why.
     Why did Barr's stick an iron compound in a soft drink?  I think we can safely assume that it was because they couldn't get any Einsteinium.

Feroglobin
     I did see an advert for this product on the back of a bus, then couldn't remember what the name of this oddity is.  Driving back home in the dark led to equally dark ponderings.
    " 'Hemo-whatsit'?  No.  'Ferrous-osity?'  Nope.  'Iron Sea'?  No, that's an album by Keane.  WATCH OUT BUS!" as it wildly careered across lanes in front of me and there was the advert again.
     Sadly I can't find an ad that replicates what I witnessed, but here's the product:

Feroglobin.  Not to be confused with "Fear of Goblin", experienced by viewers of the Evil Dead fillums.

     What furrowed my brow was the title "Great Tasting Gentle Iron!"
     Now, when you think of iron, I guarantee you imagine artefacts like these:

Heavy Metal (we'll come back to that)

Gentle?   I wonder!

Iron Man
     Here is an iconic image of that titular character:

What?  You were expecting maybe -

     And here's Tony Stark in a suit:

Caution!  Not to go anywhere near Magneto.  Also, sea air.

     I'm not going to bank on about Iron Man the comic character because even a quick spin over his history would take several hours to write, and at my age I have to carpe diem pretty intently.

The Iron In Combat 
     Yes, your ordinary domestic iron can make an effective anti-personnel weapon if all else is absent and your atomic howitzer is in the garage for it's 1,000 rounds-fired service*.
     Sadly I can't find a photograph, but in "Red Rock West" (a jolly good noir thriller), Nicholas Cage's character is pursued in a house by Dennis Hopper.  Dennis has a gun, Nick doesn't.  So instead he picks up an iron and lamps Dennis in the face with it, allowing a dignified retreat.

You can almost imagine the sound of iron upon face ...

     In "FX", Bryan Brown is being pursued by an assassin - an occupational hazard for Hollywood stuntmen, I believe - and, lacking anything particularly shooty or stabby, he beats the bad guy's head in with a General Electric Self Clean, rendering it rather less than clean.  Again, I can't provide a photograph so here's a pair of bongoes instead:

Iron Maiden
     British heavy metal band from the 80's.  Conrad does not like.  That's quite enough of that!

The Iron Maiden
     Far more wholesome!  This was an alleged medieval torture device, shaped like a human and with a painted representation of a human face.  Thus

She was like a drink in a nightclub - spiked.

 - and that's enough for tonight, I've not had my tea yet.  

     
* It's such a drag when that happens, isn't it?