Synopsis
Invincible Iron Man #16 synopsis by
T Vernon
Rating:
In an Asian curio store, Billy Yuan has his eye on a jade dragon statue—unaware that a sleeping Fin Fang Foom has his eye on him, persuading him to steal the idol. Billy whose sister Anne lies in a coma after a heroin overdose, rationalizes the theft as enabling him to pay her medical bills….
Tony Stark is at the dedication of the Maria Stark Foundation’s funding of a major youth project; he turns the program over to Happy Hogan and has “Iron Man” (actually the remote-controlled armor) carry him away. Back at the office, Pepper Potts puts him on the phone to Count Andreas Zorba who wants Stark Solutions to help him find a lost treasure; Tony declines, angering Zorba who vows no good….
In a nearby alley, Billy finds that the serpent statue is alive and it bonds with him giving Fin Fang Foom control of his mind and body….
Former Stark employee Charlie Gray (the former Lucifer) is captured by baddies who take him to their boss (later revealed to be Count Nefaria) who drains Charlie of his energy, killing him….
Tony goes to dinner with Dr Ramona Napier who is thrilled to hear about all of Iron Man’s adventures; a TV report of a “large creature” attracts Tony’s attention and he makes his apologies to Ramona and skips out. Donning the armor, he heads into town where he finds Billy Yuan, now a huge dragon man, larger than the Hulk, tearing apart an ATM and taking the money. A brief exchange of blows convinces Iron Man that his foe is inexperienced at fighting—but then FFF takes over and he is suddenly very formidable, smashing Shellhead through the ground and into the sewer. There, a swarm of rats morphs into lizards which cover him. The battle with Billy continues and Iron Man bashes him straight up into the sky—where the dragon man sprouts wings. Iron Man knocks him out of the sky and out cold. As the police surround the monster’s body, a horde of lizards swarms out of the sewer and covers Billy—merging with him to reveal Fin Fang Foom….