Synopsis
Invincible Iron Man #17 synopsis by
T Vernon
Rating:
Iron Man is engaged in battle with Fin Fang Foom who has just materialized on the Seattle waterfront, having taken over the body of Billy Yuan. Shellhead tries sonics but FFF knocks him through a building with his tail. Seizing the hero in his claws, FFF gets a surprise when Iron Man jets him into a backflip. As IM and FFF fight, the giant monster suddenly stops: Billy Yuan’s consciousness has come to the surface and he begs to know what the dragon wants of him: just his body….
Happy Hogan and Hannah Donleavy arrive at the scene and help the first responders evacuate the area; Happy promises that the Stark Foundation will pay for housing for the displaced citizens….
Iron Man tries flying into the dragon’s mouth but is spit out; he uses his image inducer to create a multitude of Iron Men but FFF just dives into the river. It turns out Fin has shrunk and burrowed under the riverbed while he tries to force Billy’s mind out of his. Shellhead helps with the search and rescue operation. After all missing are accounted for, Tony returns to the restaurant to face Ramona…but Pepper Potts comes to his rescue, taking him away for a phony emergency. He dons the armor again and goes out to find his foe….
Meanwhile, FFF has risen from the river and heads to the hospital where Billy’s sister lies in a coma. The monster threatens her, forcing Billy to fight his host. Iron Man arrives and blasts FFF with pulse bolts but it’s too much of an energy drain to use again. He appeals to the captain of a nearby Navy craft to fire its missiles at Fin; Billy seizes control of the dragon’s body, forcing him to stand still while being bombarded—and a last pulse bolt from Iron Man lays the dragon low. And Billy dies as the fearsome monster loses consciousness, a curse on his lips for the lone mortal who sacrificed himself…a reference that Tony doesn’t understand and never will….