Tony Stark, wearing the Crimson Dynamo armor, is in contact with Black Widow and the injured Valentin Shatalov (the real CD) as he pursues the rogue Titanium Man into Kazakhstan. Since the armor is not calibrated to Tony's brain patterns, Shatalov will have to control some of the systems remotely. As T-Man fights off missiles from the invaded country, Tony takes on his foe while Shatalov, broadcasting through the armor, begs him to surrender for the sake of his people. CD-Tony makes a mistake and pays for it violently. Natasha receives a calls from Scarlet Witch, asking if Force Works is needed; Tony declines as they must maintain the illusion that this is purely a Russian matter. An irritated Wanda signs off as Spider-Woman and U.S. Agent joke about the matter in the background....
Bullski and Shatalov continue to argue politics as Tony discovers that the fight has moved them to the Baikonur Launch Facility, the USSR's disused space facility. At Shatalov's suggestion CD-Tony grabs T-Man and tries to electrocute him but he doesn't disconnect in time and there is a massive explosion moving through the building. Natasha tries talking to the villain, reminding him that he was an idealistic young man made bitter and ruthless by the Soviet leaders; T-Man responds by punching CD-Tony in the face. Shatalov goes for the last resort: the Fusioncaster: a beam of energy explodes from the CD armor's chest and blows T-Man away. Lying helpless in his shredded armor, Boris Bullski dies....
Tony confronts Shatalov, accusing the Russian of using him to kill; Shatalov tells him that there was nothing he could do, the responsibility—and the guilt—is his (Shatalov's) alone. The following day, Shatalov is called before his superiors and berated for killing Bullski; as a punishment, the position of Crimson Dynamo is taken away from him....
At Tony's Moscow hotel suite that evening, Black Widow appears, wearing her original costume, the one with the fishnet stockings, that Tony had mentioned earlier. As they begin to get romantic, Tony suddenly realizes that, with Bullski as her partner, that he and the Widow were Boris and Natasha and he bursts out laughing. Then they go back to romance....
At the California lab, Dr Theodore Slaght emerges from the wreckage as a white hot metal creature resembling a silver Venom, vowing revenge against Tony Stark....
Story 2:- Brothers in Arms (Vicious Circle Part 3 of 3)
Writer Dan Abnett. Pencils Fred Haynes. Inks Johnny Greene. Letters Jack Morelli. Colours Ben Sean.
Flip cover pencils Fred Haynes. Inks Johnny Greene.
Synopsis by Rob Johnson
Continued from the back of
WAR MACHINE #15.
U.S. Agent has just arrived with
Hazzerd and
Troubleshooter, sent by the
San Revilla Government to deal with the attackers of
Preto airstrip, and is surprised to find
Hawkeye and
War Machine here. He tries to back his team away but Hazzerd punches Hawkeye and then
WM. Armoured Troubleshooter fires a wrist-weapon, but
James Rhodes picks him up and throws him away. Hawkeye's rebel
Shadows team, including
Striker and
Sundance, decide to join in.
USA tells his other Government troops to back off and orders Hazzerd to stop beating on Hawkeye. But Striker sucker-punches him in the back, so
Jack Daniels gives him a photon shield in the face. WM gives Troubleshooter a parting shot then asks USA what he's doing here. Jack tells him that the
Commission (On Superhuman Activities) sent him to help the Government fight the rebels. Hazzerd is still hitting Hawkeye while he's down, so USA drives him off with a photon blast.
The 3 heroes compare notes and War Machine tells them the
Advisor has orchestrated this conflict, and both Hawkeye and USA think they're working for the US Government on opposite sides. Rebel Striker doesn't want to stop fighting until his 'boss' Hawkeye shoots him with a blast arrow. WM subdues both rebel and Government troops with concussion pulses. USA takes on his man Hazzerd. Meanwhile Hawkeye goes after his other superminion Sundance who uses his light tricks to hide. But Clint uses smoke and flare arrows to highlight him and an acid arrow to destroy the laser mechanism on his chest. Troubleshooter still has some fight in him but War Machine takes him out as USA finishes off Hazzerd and Hawkeye decks Sundance.
As the battle ends an image of the Advisor appears in the sky threatening the heroes. But they ignore him and walk off.
The next day they fly with a plane-load of refugees (including
Luke Bergier) back to the US. Jack Daniels keeps kids amused.
Clint Barton broods that his Hawkeye comeback didn't go well. USA invites him (again, see
FW#8) to join Force Works but Hawk says he might come work for
Rhodey's
Worldwatch.