Iron Man (2026 series) #6

Most of the initial 5-issue arc is irrelevant to this issue except:- In #1 Captain America assembled a team to keep tabs on Tony Stark which included Norman Osborn. Someone in the Citizen V outfit has appeared briefly in most of the issues, and in #4 they, or someone, stole something from 1 of Stark's bases which they said belonged to them.

Now Stark's head of security Melinda May is trying to understand what happened in a 3-way tangle between Iron Man, Norman Osborn and Spider-Man. Tony reminds her how they investigated 1 of several recent break-ins at his sites and found that the Iron Patriot armour that Osborn used to wear (in his Dark Reign) was missing,and a fragment of a Green Goblin Pumpkin Bomb was found there. Norman says he was in his skyscraper office recuperating (by working) from a recent adventure when Iron Man turned up outside his window. They exchanged insults through the window.

Meanwhile Spider-Man says he'd recently returned from a 'cosmic jaunt' (in alternate issue between #11-19 of his current series) and was dying for a New York bagel, and he knew the best bagels in town were in Oscorp's break room so helped himself to 1. But he heard a commotion and investigated where he found that IM had smashed through Osborn's window and Norman had pulled a hi-tech gun on him. Stark was demanding to know where the armour was which Osborn was denying stealing. Spidey says he knows IM's a good-guy but he'd also been working with Norman recently so he decided to try to be peacemaker and stepped in between them.

Despite their long enmity when NO was Green Goblin Spidey said he'd changed and he now trusted him.  But Stark didn't buy it and said that someone stole the Iron Patriot armour and he claimed that the signs pointed to Osborn. Norman put his gun back in its shoulder holster and opened the secret door to his lab so they could search it. But he was shocked to discover that the armour *was* there, hooked up to some computers!

Norman claimed to be being set up and Tony decided to go along with that theory for now. They agreed that someone seemed to have been trying to access data from the armour (which was based on Stark's own designs), and whoever brought it here must have detailed knowledge of both their operations. They presumably hoped having it here would give them access but it now seemed both Norman and Tony were required to unlock it. At this point Spidey's Spider-Sense went off and he saved the pair from a blast from the now-active IP armour. They now assumed that someone was inside it. The suit tried to escape and IM followed it.

Back in the lab Spidey saw Norman don his Gold Goblin helmet. He explained that whoever's doing this must still be there undetectable, but the helmet's sensors now detected him and he directed SM where to fire his webs which then outlined the foe who now ranted about the bad things Osborn did when he ran the Thunderbolts and HAMMER (before, during and after Dark Reign) before becoming visible as the anti-corporation Ghost. Ghost explained that he wanted the Iron Patriot armour because it has recordings of what Osborn did while wearing it. And if he could get  Tony Stark implicated in things then that would be killing 2 corporate birds with 1 stone.

Spidey and the Ghost tussled for a bit while Norman fiddled with a technological solution. The 2 armours crashed back in and Ghost triggered a 10-second countdown for the IP armour to explosively self-destruct unless he was given the files he wanted. IM got Spidey to toss over 1 of his web-shooting wristlets but Osborn gave Ghost access to the files. However the files turned out to be long gone. Ghost got angry until Iron Man fired a web at him and sent electricity down it to shock him unconscious. And the self-destruct switched off.

Now Melinda May has the inert Ghost taken away. Tony Stark says he thinks he knows who took the files. He and Norman shake hands and agree a truce. He says he's started teaching apprentice geniuses (as of last issue), and Osborn says he's recently started a school too. Spidey mourns his bagel which is now a charred husk on the floor. Tony returns his web-shooter and tells him that Ben Grimm gets the same bagels delivered at the Baxter Building. And they fly/websling off (in that direction?).

Left alone Osborn starts a holographic meeting with the group he was in at the end of #1:- Captain America (Steve Rogers), Captain Marvel (Carol Danvers), Mr Fantastic (Reed Richards), Invisible Woman (Sue Richards), War Machine (James Rhodes) and Henry Hellrung). Back then they met because they were worried about Stark, and here we're told it was because they'd all received an anonymous message telling them he was dangerous. Norman tells them that Tony invited him to his new base, and he'll take the offer up on their behalf. Rhodey says he'll go visit his old friend (next issue). Osborn says he hasn't discovered who sent the warnings ...

... and we see a panel of Citizen V (who presumably *isn't* the Ghost).