Synopsis
Tony Stark was reborn/rebuilt/restored in the Iron Man 2020 mini-series. Last issue he disengaged from Stark Unlimited, created a simpler, old-fashioned Iron Man armour and partnered-up with Hellcat (Patsy Walker) (continuing his penchant for redheads). They fought Unicorn who seemed to be a puppet of someone else.
But this issue begins with a flashback to 1 year ago (to the end of Marvel Comics #1000) where we see Carlo Zota completing the 'cybernetic amalgamation' Adam IV to serve the Enclave in creating a better Earth. But the android says his name is Korvac and he has a greater vision of a better universe with himself as its god. Watching in the background appears to be the Masked Raider.
Now we enter the current time in media res with Iron Man having been somehow trapped in Arcade's Murderworld in a boxing ring with Absorbing Man/Carl 'Crusher' Creel for a pay-per-view audience with gambling. Apologetic Creel says he's equally confused but killing IM is the only way to get home to his wife Titania. He absorbs the strength and power of Shellhead's armour and slams Stark to the floor. IM fights back but somehow knows that all the big bets are against him. Then he rips the referee's 'face' off revealing Arcade underneath.
We now find that bandaged Tony is telling the story to Patsy Walker. He finishes it by saying that he then quit the fight before Creel got a chance to beat him. Patsy asks why it matters, and Tony's protest that it doesn't rings false. She's teaching him Zen meditation to clear his mind of thoughts, but he can't stop thinking that *he* could've won the bout. But Patsy says he was losing. And she also accuses him of *letting* Arcade capture him, and figures he wanted the punishment of being beaten up on live TV. He says he wanted to prove that he was still a hero, but she asks him who he was trying to prove it to?
As usual with such conversations he's saved by a call to arms. Cardiac the medical vigilante has kidnapped some SU pharmaceutical scientists because of Tony's investments in Big Pharma. As he heads out Stark does his usual these days introspection about the result of Iron Man 2020 event. He died, his consciousness was stored in VR, and a new body was grown for him. Is he still really Tony Stark? The destination is a large metal ball with the scientists trapped inside, running out of oxygen. Cardiac wants them to die to represent what US private medicine is doing to people.
Shellhead's repulsor blasts don't make a dent in the adamantium/vibranium metal. Hellcat has been following on her claw-line and now distracts the villain with a kick in the spine. IM retreats to get a run-up for a high speed collision with the ball. His AI BOSS tells him he's far enough to attain maximum velocity, but also warns him of the likely damage to his body. Tony ignores that and achieves a high-speed punch through the wall of the ball restoring oxygen to the prisoners.
Later the scientists are freed, Cardiac is under arrest and Hellcat is visiting Stark in traction in hospital. It seems no-one will give him health insurance, but his fortune can afford the costs. Patsy points out that's part of his privileged life. Even becoming the hero Iron Man just gave him more power than he already had. He's just a white guy with a god complex. And now he's trying to die a hero to erase all his past mistakes. And Tony can't deny it.
Then it's interruption time again. Unicorn is in the same hospital after losing last issue's fight. Now his puppet master sends him to have another go at killing Stark.