Invincible Iron Man #31: Review

Oct 2010

Matt Fraction, Salvador Larroca

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Story Name:

Stark Resilient Part 7: Sabot

Review & Comments

Rating:

Invincible Iron Man #31 Review by Rob Johnson (September 7, 2012)

Part 7 of 9. Tony is jumping to conclusions here. Just because Carson Wyche really is Carson Wyche surely doesn't mean he can't be the traitor. Especially since he has a grudge against Stark. In #516 we will learn that Len Pimacher is really Spymaster, the saboteur. So why does he try to save Stark from the Detroit Steel attack?

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Synopsis / Summary / Plot

Invincible Iron Man #31 Synopsis by Rob Johnson

Tony Stark's built-in armour saves him from the explosion of Stark Resilient's prototype Repulsor-powered car.

He takes Pepper Potts into the office and starts to write 'sabotage' on a window pane. (He doesn't speak because he suspects the place may be bugged.) He stops after 'sabot' because Mrs Arbogast walks in. (He doesn't know who to trust except Pepper.)

Mrs A tells him to watch a news report. The organisers of the 21-Green Expo, that Stark was intending to unveil the car at, are cancelling the event because they worry about attacks on Stark like the one last issue. Tony decides to display the 2nd prototype directly, when it's ready.

When Mrs A has gone, Tony whispers about bugs to Pepper, and writes the words 'we're doomed' on his hand.

Tony goes to see his partner Carson Wyche, who has examined the car wreckage and claims it was booby-trapped. Tony says his armour sensors told him that inside the explosion.

Tony asks Carson why he (Tony) fired him a long time ago. Carson says it was because he (Carson) was having an affair with Pepper. Tony apologises in retrospect for that. But now he knows Wyche is who he says he is, and so he adds him to his trusted list. He uses a computer screen in command mode to tell Carson his suspicions.

Out loud he tells Carson he wants Prototype Betty in (minimal) working order in 24 hours.

At Hammer Industries Justine Hammer hears about Stark's intention to display his car immediately. She calls in her daughter Sasha and Doug Johnson/Detroit Steel, and proposes that they attack Stark's demo. Lt Johnson isn't happy about the possible civilian casualties. Justine reminds him that he's accepted collateral damage on away missions. The deaths of a few US citizens are worth the goal of getting US security away from Stark and in the safe hands of Hammer and Detroit Steel. And he's the best man to ensure casualties are minimum.

Johnson reluctantly agrees. But Sasha had her energy whips ready behind his back, presumably to take him out if he wouldn't go along.

Stark is ready to demonstrate prototype Betty on a race track. The team conform that all signs are good. But just before that start Len Pimacher downloads the latest Detroit Steel game scenario on his phone. He shows it to Tim Cababa. The target looks suspiciously like their racecourse.

Len races out and stops Tony before he can start his run. But a horde of Detroit Steel drones attack. (Last issue we learned that the drones a controlled by a random selection of the users playing the latest game scenario.) And at Hammer HQ they know that Detroit Steel is on his way too.

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