Synopsis
Stark's day begins by searching for the missing Hulk - last seen in
issue #2 - at the bottom of the Hudson River. When he returns to his
yacht, he finds Liz Ross waiting for him with a small firearm trained on
him. She demands to know how he has managed to usurp her role as
Tony's bodyguard. Despite his efforts to the contrary, Iron Man gets
into an argument with Ross, which results in her taking a swing at him.
Lucky for her, she doesn't break her hand. Stark knows she's acting
out since Bruce disappeared.
Stark then receives a phone call
from Whirlwind indicating that he's kidnapped Pepper. Whirlwind tells
him to meet him at the Long Island branch of Stark International and
emphasizes this is between Tony Stark and himself; not Iron Man.
Park
Avenue South: Leonard Samson continues his unexpected call from Bruce
Banner. Banner confesses to being the Hulk and for trying to help Hydra
dismantle the gamma bomb in the first place. Samson tells Banner to
turn himself in and they'll go from there, but Banner refuses. He
thinks perhaps he should contact Reed Richards. When he sees people
watching him, he quickly hangs up. Banner's paranoia serves him well as
Sitwell had placed a phone tap on Samson's line.
Using a variety
of high-tech gadgets Stark holds his own against Whirlwind, leading him
to an experimental kinetic intake converter. Stark warns him to stop
his attack or the machine will pull him inside the energy vortex.
Whirlwind doesn't believe him and quickly disappears.
Elsewhere
Madame Hydra - who contracted Whirlwind to kill Stark - is informed of
her operative's failure. She is immediately contacted by the Mandarin -
her superior - and informed not to attack Tony Stark again. Failure to
do so will result in unimaginable suffering.
Back at Stark
International, Tony and Pepper collect themselves. Tallying up recent
events, Stark can't think of one thing that's gone right. Pepper points
out that he was partly responsible for the formation of the Avengers.
One of his building serves as Avengers' headquarters. Stark is unaware
of who they are or what they do.
As Pepper tries to update him, they learn that Avengers' HQ is under attack.