Synopsis
Invincible Iron Man (2008 series) #3 synopsis by
Rob Johnson
Rating:
Ezekiel Stane's suicide bombers have just blown up the StarkDynamics party in Taipei, taking the top floors of a skyscraper with them.
Stane and Tony Stark are the only survivors. Stark lives because he summoned up the Extremis armour in time. Stane is badly injured, but alive because of his implanted Repulsor technology and other enhancements.
Pepper Potts also survived because she had left the building. But she has been crushed by falling debris.
Iron Man wants to arrest Stane. But his SHIELD deputy Maria Hill tells him he doesn't have jurisdiction in Taiwan. And anyway he has no proof that Stane was responsible.
Stane's enhanced body quickly recovers and he breaks out of hospital to be picked up by his girlfriend Sasha.
Pepper has dangerous fragments near her heart and spine. Stark suggests using the same technique that saved him during Iron Man's origin. He proposes to implant a magnet in her chest to keep the shrapnel at bay while she recovers enough to have it removed.
Stark tells SHIELD the story of his rivalry with Zeke's father Obadiah Stane. Obadiah took control of Stark International while Tony had succumbed to alcoholism. Tony fought his way back out of the gutter, and Iron Man defeated Stane in the Iron Monger armour. Stane then committed suicide.
In turn SHIELD say that there's no trace of Ezekiel Stane in the world's databases. He's obviously been keeping himself hidden.
Iron Man returns to the bomb site and destroys sensitive technology he doesn't want falling into the wrong hands. he also finds evidence that the bombers were similar to those in Tanzania and Manila in the last 2 issues.
The Taiwanese send remote-controlled robots to arrest him on suspicion of being responsible for the explosion. Iron Man recognises the technology as based on old enemies of his called the Raiders. He lures them into international airspace and then shoots them down.
Pepper's implant surgery is successful. Meanwhile Zeke Stane has developed a battle suit to save him from the side-effects of his own enhanced abilities.
CharactersGood (or All)Plus: Dr Lisk, Obadiah Stane.
Enemies
Ezekiel Stane, Sasha Hammer.