Synopsis / Summary / Plot
Last issue James Rhodes lost the Iron Patriot suit in the ocean and is now dying of a decompression-induced heart attack on a devastated street in New Orleans. (This is 1 of several US cities to experience a terrorist attack.) The armoured villain who found him doesn't want him to die - yet. So he gives him an electric shock to restart his heart.
Also last issue 2 fake cops working for the villain kidnapped James' grandfather Terrence and his niece Lila. 1 of the 'cops' is taking the opportunity to beat Terrence up. It turns out he used to be a real but corrupt cop, until Terrence helped expose him.
When Rhodey recovers the villain tells him he wants him to kill someone. Jim tries to fight him, but the baddie threatens his kidnapped family.
Terrence is handcuffed to a chair. Young Lila also has her wrists cuffed together, but is otherwise free. Now 1 of the abductors goes to get ropes to tie them up, and her grandfather tells her to run away while he attacks the other 1.
JR and the armoured guy are on a private plane. The villain explains that he used to be a SHIELD soldier but he was sickened by the things he had to do. (And he was heavily burned/scarred at some point.) He intends to make everything public, and expects it to start a civil war. But the opening move will be for Rhodes to kill the man the villain considers ultimately responsible - the ex-President.
Lila is on the run from the fake cops shooting at her. She gets a flesh wound in the leg, but manages to hide in a cave in a wood. Then she walks to the nearest town, staggers handcuffed and bleeding into a coffee shop and asks to borrow a laptop.