Synopsis / Summary / Plot
The Extremis procedure turned Tony Stark's brain into a hard drive, where he stored lots of Stark Industries and SHIELD sensitive info, including the Superhero Registration Database. Last issue he made sure this was now the only copy.
Norman Osborn wants that data, especially the Registration database. Tony wants Pepper Potts and Maria Hill to help him destroy it. By wiping his brain! Neither of them are really happy about this.
Maria tries to call Stark's bluff by giving him a gun to shoot himself in the head. But he says that wouldn't ensure that the data was irretrievable. Also, no psi-powered hero could selectively clear the data from his brain leaving his personality intact. Psychics wouldn't understand his Extremis brain.
Tony assures them he has a plan. But he won't tell them what it is, so that they won't have to lie to Osborn. This isn't good enough for Maria, even if Pepper might be used to going along with her boss's schemes.
They are in a room Stark has set up for the operation, where he's already hooked up to the computer that will do it. For security reasons it needs all 3 of them to authorise it.
Maria tries to leave the room, but the door won't open until she answers typical security questions:- date of birth, social security number, SHIELD password. It then asks if she's sober, which Tony explains is a holdover from when he used to be a drunk. Finally it asks 'Execute?'. She answers yes to this, and then realises she has just given her authorisation for the procedure. But she still leaves anyway.
At HAMMER HQ Osborn's assistant Victoria Hand warns him that he can't legally access Stark Industries data. But Norman is having the contents of a room at SHIELD disassembled and transferred to Thunderbolts Mountain.
He is told Maria Hill has resurfaced, and sends a squad to get her. They ambush her at home. She nearly fights her way free, but surrenders when she is surrounded. But they knock her out anyway.
On the flight back to HAMMER HQ her abductors are told by Victoria Hand to kill her. In desperation Maria causes the plane to ditch in the sea, and staggers ashore.
Meanwhile Pepper and Tony have entered their authorisation codes to get the wipe process started. Tony unhooks himself from the computer now. He tells Pepper he has made her CEO of Stark Industries, where she's to supervise the winding down of the company.
Osborn holds a press conference at Thunderbolts Mountain, where he tells a pack of lies. He claims that Stark and Hill knew about the Skrull invasion beforehand, and tried to negotiate with them. Therefore they are both wanted for questioning. He says that Hill evaded arrest at her home.
Maria returns to Stark's base, where he's put some Iron Man armour back on. Meanwhile Pepper is at Stark Industries officially taking over.