Synopsis
Invincible Iron Man #38 Synopsis by
T Vernon
Tony Stark is still pinned down on a city street by gunslinging assailants when a stray bullet hits his gas tank and the car explodes; Tony ducks into a nearby building and again ponders what led him to his pass….
Tony had gone to Rumiko Fujikawa’s apartment to apologize and found her in bed with his old friend Tiberius Stone. Ty claim he didn’t know they were together and Rumiko insists they have split up so Ty assumes they are still going ahead with their business deal. For Ty, Tony is speaking to the shady (and creepy) businessman Trevor Donahue about purchasing his company. Tony keeps insulting Donahue, who is annoyed but shows him the battle armor purchased by the US government—and it’s the design of the two villains who attacked him in the woods last issue. Angered, Tony unloads a lot of accusations on Donahue, accusing the man of working for Hydra and A.I.M. and walks out….
Back at the office Pepper Potts and Happy Hogan show him the news: Tony and Iron Man are being linked to the murder of Whiplash (in issue #28) and both Tony and Shellhead have to see the police. Angry, Tony calls Ty but Ty mollifies him, insisting it’s real news, and his media manager Milo Stevens is the one who okayed it; Ty says he will be coming out to support Tony. The matter becomes a media circus and yes, Ty is there to support him but Tony has to sit everything out while his attorney Matt Murdock speaks for him. It’s when a longtime client cancels his contract with Stark that sets Tony off, tempted to have a drink. But Pepper arrives, telling him that Radioactive Man (whom Tony recognizes as Ty’s bodyguard from last issue) has taken Ty hostage at his office. Iron Man speeds to the scene and discovers Radioactive Man’s powers have increased, even to the point of melting Tony’s armor. Their fight is streamed live to all media. Shellhead picks up his foe and teleports to the middle of Central Park with Milo Stevens and a news crew in pursuit. Iron Man finds himself incapable of harming his foe but R-Man can detonate…and first Stevens finds his van won’t withstand the blast as he had been told…and then Iron Man’s teleportation system fails…. Kabooom!