Invincible Iron Man #13: Review

May 2009

Matt Fraction, Salvador Larroca

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World's Most Wanted Part 6: Some King of the World

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Invincible Iron Man #13 Review by Rob Johnson (May 23, 2012)

Part 6, and only half-way through the year-long World's Most Wanted.

Shockwave started off as an enemy of Shang-Chi beginning in Master of Kung Fu #43. he made a few other appearances, and joined Hood's Syndicate after Civil War. His appearance here lies between other Hood-gang apps in NAv#50 and #55. He will continue to be part of Hood's gang through the Siege event.

Controller has never needed to be connected to anything to feed off or control his victims. Originally he needed to be within range of some equipment, but Thanos removed that restriction in Captain Marvel (original series) #28-33. I think this is just a handy plot device here. After this he'll appear in Dark Reign: The Hood mini-series, but not as 1 of Hood's team

In #4 Tony told Pepper her power source wasn't weapons-derived Stark-tech but peaceful Rand-tech (but maybe he was lying to give her peace of mind). So it shouldn't matter if Osborn gets it. But it was originally placed in her chest to keep her alive during recovery from a severe accident. It is unclear whether she could survive without it now.

In #1 the ArmorMap showed the location of non-Iron Man super-armours. But I guess it could be multi-purpose.

The armour Stark is working on here is that which he 1st wore in #85 of the original Iron Man series after Freak damaged the previous version (which had the controversial nose on its mask).

As I mentioned last issue the relationship between Tony and Madame Masque has swung between love and hate over the years. But the last time they parted in Avengers (1998) #34 it was on good terms.

It obviously takes a while for Madame Masque to locate Tony Stark because he keeps moving from base to base. In the meantime the Marvel Chronology Project have her (and others) doing other stuff. (Well, they've got to fit everything in somewhere.)
She's in the DR: Hood mini-series where Hood faces White Fang, an enemy he made in his 1st series, secretly supported by rebellious members of his gang and the Controller.
Then she and the others are in most of NAv#52-60. 1st the search for a new Sorceror Supreme. Then a story line revolving round Hood himself.

Hood is obviously in all those too, and also a lot more, but he's not in the next phase of this series. Initially he's in Av: Initiative #25 where Norman Osborn gives him control of the group. Then he gets dragged into the Marvel Zombies 4 limited series, and has a bit part in Deadpool: Suicide Kings #4 before making it to his own Dark Reign series.

Norman Osborn and Victoria Hand *are* in next issue, but also have too many other apps before then to list. I'll just say that after popping in to DR: Elektra #1's p7-8 to see how her interrogation is progressing he invades War Machine (2009) #1-5 which I have also written up. And his right-Hand woman joins him there.

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Synopsis / Summary / Plot

Invincible Iron Man #13 Synopsis by Rob Johnson

Iron Man comes ashore in France, and ditches the deep sea armour, which is found by HAMMER troops. A civilian spots Tony Stark at an electronics fair in Bayeux, and notifies HAMMER for a reward.

Shockwave comes after unarmoured Tony, for the reward offered by Norman Osborn to Hood's gang last issue. But Tony defeats him at close range with a repulsor blaster strapped to his palm.

In Austin the Controller has slapped a control disc on Maria Hill. But she calls up memories of all the authority figures she has hated, and resists him. She breaks free, and unhooks lines linked to his machinery. Some of his slaves are now free, and Maria slips away as they battle those still under Controller's sway.

Hill uses a USB stick Tony gave her to locate the hard drive he sent her here for, and makes her escape.

Pepper Potts has been taken by HAMMER to Avengers Tower in her Iron (Wo)man suit to meet Norman Osborn. he tries to get her to hand over the armour as a dangerous weapon. But they both know it has no offensive capabilities. He threatens her friends and family unless she tells him where Stark is. She replies that she doesn't know. Nor does she know what his plans are. Maybe some sensors can tell she's not lying, because Osborn abandons this line.

Pepper also truthfully says that the schematics of her armour are publicly available. Norman says that they've tried to reverse-engineer Stark-tech already, but they don't have any working repulsor power units. He wants her to let him have the one embedded in her chest. Pepper refuses. Osborn lets her go, but under severe restrictions, including denying her the right to use the armour for its rescue purpose, or to leave the US. He expects her to break one of the conditions, and then she will be arrested and the power source removed against her will.

Hood and Madame Masque report Shockwave's failure to Osborn. He asks Masque to come see him at Avengers Tower. He shows her the rebuilt ArmorMap system (from #1) which shows the location of Iron Man armouries throughout the world. Osborn expects these are likely places to find Stark. He has no jurisdiction outside the US, but Masque can tackle Iron Man anywhere, and conclude her personal business with him.

Stark is using electronics he's picked up to make Iron Man suits simpler, to suit his declining mental powers.

Pepper decides to ignore Osborn's orders, and flies off in search of Tony.

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