Synopsis
Iron Man (2024 series) #3 synopsis by
Rob Johnson
Rating:
Tony Stark is fighting Force (or at least someone wearing his armour) in a cobbled-together Iron Man suit but wielding an enormous sword (made from a special metal stolen from Roxxon). Meanwhile the Stark Unlimited board, in his absence, is preparing to vote on a merger with Roxxon and AIM. Justine Hammer gives a speech which is met with obligatory applause and laughter at her jokes (like suggesting they call the new company Starxxon). That company will be the world's largest energy provider (including renewables as well as fossil fuels) but also its largest weapons manufacturer. They will be able to control the world. Stark manages to defeat/get away from Force just in time to fly to New York ...
... and crash into the boardroom just as Hammer mentions their silent backer. He removes his helmet, revealing the long hair and beard of the man who's still recovering from massive injuries in #1, and plugs his armour into various sockets to recharge. He then gives *his* speech reminding them that SU (and previous incarnations) had given up the arms trade and concentrated on climate-friendly products until it was taken over by Feilong who worked with Orchis in a war against mutants. And he notes that many of the current board were appointed by Feilong, who must know that Roxxon/AIM's plans will endanger the world. But he warns them that he *will* stop them 1 way or another.
Justine laughs it off and adds a sweetener to the deal. The silent partner, contacted via Dr Druid, offers the board members access to a higher plane of existence. In return Starxxon will distribute worldwide a 'potent product', and the board will be immune to any 'controversial' side-effects. She reminds them how the backer restored her to life. Tony suggests this scheme should be ringing massive alarm bells but he senses that the board aren't listening. So he calls for a vote against, but only Melinda May joins him.
Stark unplugs and prepares to leave, promising a legal battle. But Monica Rappaccini, AIM's Scientist Supreme, tells him to stop and hand over his armour because like his others it belongs to Starxxon. So he puts his helmet on and prepares to fight his way out. But Hammer touches her mysterium-powered brooch and armours up as the humongous Iron Monger. They smash out of the building and engage in a midair battle that she says will play well on Roxx News. Down on the ground she picks up an occupied car and throws it at him but he catches it and settles it safely on the road, noting that it will be good PR against his foes. Then he draws the sword on his back and activates it to its giant-form. He fires a mighty blast from it at Iron Monger, and then smashes her with it while she's down. But he warns photo-taking bystanders to run because it's not over yet. The Monger attacks again but our hero defeats her. However she says it doesn't change the fact that he lost the board vote.
Then Anthony Druid appears with a hole in reality to take them to the Limbo realm of the secret backer, its ruler Belasco (who he says compelled him into his current actions because of a sorcerous debt he incurred). But the demonic sorcerer himself turns out to be merely a middleman for other ancient beings. The rest of the board are there too and they sit at a table and chairs that ooze with something, and the ancient beings seem represented by a black globe with tentacles. Justine Hammer repeats the offer on the table. Raising to the higher plane in return for distributing a drug that has 'transformative effects on the soul'. Melinda May can't take any more and pulls a gun to shoot Hammer, but Stark stops her and crushes the gun. Jack Kooning Jr leads the rest of the board in enthusiastically accepting the deal. Justine offers Tony a seat on the board too ...
... but instead he lectures them on why it won't work. The scale of their villainy will be opposed by himself and the Avengers, and history shows that they always lose to the heroes. He's sure that the ancient beings won't bet on proven losers. Druid lets Belasco and the ancients see the truth of Stark's assertion. And Belasco says his clients have withdrawn their offer. He adds that they respect the honesty of Stark and Hammer (who they resurrected as their agent) but the rest of the board have forfeited their souls for misleading them. Rappaccini leads the board in begging Stark to save them. He offers them another deal. Vote to annul the merger and resign from the SU board, signing all their SU holdings over to him. And instead of their souls he offers the ancients the antimagic mysterium that Justine stole from him. Via Belasco they agree. The board reluctantly vote. Belasco takes the mysterium from Justine's brooch, but says Stark can keep the 'infernal malware' they gave her along with some other magic in the brooch.
Druid takes Tony and Justine to New York, and will drop the board members off wherever they want. Hammer leaves him with the brooch but warns him that he might find it difficult to get his company out of the arms contracts Feilong signed SU up for.
CharactersGood (or All)Plus: Belasco (
Lord Belasco), Force, Jack Kooning Jr, Justine Hammer, Melinda May, Monica Rappaccini.