Synopsis
Invincible Iron Man #23 synopsis by
Rob Johnson
Rating:
This issue begins with a biased account of the history of Svartalfheim. The elvish kingdom was the fairest of the Nine Realms, but jealous others referred to its inhabitants as Dark Elves. They suffered under the dominance of the Asgardians until Malekith the Accursed returned to lead them once more. Now all was revelry.
Then a magic ring appeared and spoke to Malekith. It was actually 1 of Mandarin's rings and came to offer the lord power if it would be used against Tony Stark (apparently on the basis that Elves hate iron). But Malekith bent the ring to his will, and now he seeks out others. (This obviously happened before the events of last issue where Malekith gained 2 more rings. Which makes it an artistic mistake to show him wearing Abigail Burns' severed hands as a necklace.)
Now Tony Stark commissioned a musical of his life story, then fired the artistic genius behind it. The Lightning ring has found this aggrieved artist and made him Mandarin Eight, the Lightning Conductor. The ring's typical ability to greatly speed up its wielder's mental processes means that he's holding his own in battle against Iron Man. Until Malekith pops in, decapitates M-8, severs his hand to get the ring, and teleports away.
At least Tony now knows who's collecting the rings, and he goes to see his personal supernatural expert Shevaun Haldane, Dark Angel. She's been looking after and trying to understand the woman Tony rescued/captured in #4. That woman had been rendered mindless and given Extremis to make her body suitable to be the bride of a demon. She had also been programmed to obey magic words and symbols, which is why she is now trapped in a magic circle.
Shevaun hasn't been successful in her investigations. The woman attacks anyone who enters her circle. Meanwhile her lower half seems to be turning into a triangle. (And this issue doesn't say anything about her being pregnant at the end of #4)
But Tony has another job for Dark Angel.
Meanwhile in London journalist Abigail Burns is trying to live her life without the hands she lost to Malekith. But her computer's voice recognition software leaves a lot to be desired. Then Arno Stark contacts her from Troy/Mandarin City and offers her an advanced beta-test version of what he developed when he was trapped in his iron lung. (We now see him mobile in an exo-skeleton, not the huge Iron Man armour he wore last issue.) Burns refuses to accept charity, but Arno persuades her she'll be helping him perfect a product he'll give to the world for free.
Abigail doesn't know that the reclusive Arno is Tony Stark's brother, but she senses a story.
Shevaun creates a magic device to disable the rings. She also sets up a 3-use door to Svartalfheim. 1st she'll send Stark there in non-iron armour (because the Dark Elves would immediately detect the hated metal). Then she'll send the magic item. The 3rd use will be for non-Iron Man to get out when the job's done.
Dark Angel wonders why Tony doesn't just contact Thor. But Stark says that would just get things tangled up with Nine Realms politics. Better a stealth mission.
So Shevaun activates phase 1. But unfortunately our hero materialises in the middle of Malekith's throne room.