Synopsis / Summary / Plot
16 or 17 years ago Tony Stark met Otto Octavius at a technology symposium. They disliked each other on sight. Octavius believed that you had to do what the military-industrial complex wanted in order to guarantee funding. Stark (backed of course by his inherited money) believed that he could invent whatever he wanted to, and it would make money. Octavius rightly pointed out that despite this Stark was also in the weapons business.
In the present at Stark Resilient in Seattle, Tony is viewing the plans for New Asgard that Tim Cababa has been working on for 6 months (since Asgard was wrecked in the Siege event). Tony assures Tim that the Asgardians will pay for it. (He doesn't tell him that in #25 Thor offered to fund Stark Resilient from the Asgardian treasury. And he skirts around how desperate he is to impress Thor, after the things he did while Thor was 'dead')
Tim complains that he and the others of the Stark Resilient gang have been kept apart from each other during these months.
Tony goes on a round of public appearances, ending on a comedy news show. There he talks about the repulsor-powered car he unveiled in the Stark Resilient arc, and how he'll expand from there. He intends the company to outperform his previous ones, and be his lasting legacy. He even mentions his intent to take 'Stark' from the company name in the near future, to signify that it's more important than he is.
Later he is attacked in New York by Dr Octopus in a tentacled flying craft. (He recalls how the Avengers had to stop a bunch of them attacking Manhattan.) (Later in the issue Stark remarks that the Octobots are based on the stolen plans for his own Titanomechs, as the crude device was that he and Spider-Man fought in #500.)
Octavius shows Iron Man a nuclear bomb. Otto tells him he's dying of brain damage and he wants Stark to fix him, like he did for himself after wiping out his brain in Dark Reign. If Stark won't cooperate, Manhattan gets nuked.
Octavius bizarrely thinks he's in a win-win situation. Either Stark will cure him, or arch-rival (as Otto thinks him) Stark will have to admit that he's not omnipotent.
Meanwhile Tim is back in his apartment in Broxton (site of the ruined Asgard), when his home is invaded by Electro and Sandman. They contact Dr Octopus by video link. Tim is more insurance that Stark won't double-cross Octavius.
Tony starts to investigate Otto's problem. But in Broxton Pepper Potts knocks on Tim's door with a pizza.