Synopsis / Summary / Plot
Iron Man and the Asgardian Dwarves are still carousing in Nidavellir. The unnamed dwarf Tony Stark beat in a fight last issue sneaks off to meet with some minions of the Serpent. It turns out he deliberately provoked the fight to get samples of Tony's blood and hair. But now that the Serpentites have what they want they kill the dwarf.
Drunk Tony isn't much help as the dwarves led by Splitlip carry on making weapons for him to use against the Serpent. Meanwhile the minions use his hair and blood to begin the animation of a mud golem targeted specifically at him.
Back on Earth we see news reports covering the ongoing Fear Itself event:- Washington and New York are devastated, and some Avengers led by Captain America rush to the aid of a downed Thor. At Stark Resilient Walter Macken can't track Iron Man's repulsor energy source anywhere on Earth. But he can find Rescue (Pepper Potts) in Paris. He also sees a current news feed from TV reporters who've managed to get into that city. As they pick their way amongst the inhabitants turned to stone, they are suddenly attacked by Mokk (the Worthy who was Grey Gargolye), and suffer the same fate.
Walter contacts Pepper and warns her about the monster. But she's too busy fending off the Detroit Steel Corps, who don't know who she is and are treating everyone who moves as a potential enemy. Pepper does recognise Sasha Hammer's voice and electronic whips. Rescue doesn't reveal her identity, but mentions that she was in the Taipei building that Sasha and Ezekiel Stane blew up in Iron Man (2008) #2.
But then Pepper uses the magnetic properties of her particular version of repulsor power. She stuns her foes with a blast, and then flies off in a force field. But only to get an angle to attack, whereupon she shreds the armour of one of the Corps. Unfortunately her victory is short-lived as Mokk chooses that moment to attack, and petrifies (literally) the exposed Corpsman.
The rest of the Detroit Steel Corps charge Mokk. But when Sasha uses her whips on him, he swings her armoured form in the air and collides her with Rescue. The 3 other Corps men retreat, and Mokk gets the 2 armoured women in strangle holds.
The weapons the dwarves are making will need Asgardian Uru metal, which must be blessed by Odin while molten, before they pour it into molds. But Tony doesn't know if Odin is coming back. However they figure that his Iron Man armour can be used instead. But of course the armour is part of him these days.
Tony is working on weapons, when the golem pounces. It surrounds and chokes him in its substance.