In New York’s meat packing district, Iron Man overcomes the Living Laser with an EMP and follows Redwing in search of Captain America and the Falcon. Meanwhile at Blacquesmith’s freighter, Cable makes sure that Cap is helpless in the inhibitor chair (and Falcon in a Weapon X tube) as he recalls his life with his daughter Hope: he dedicated himself to protecting her in the inhospitable future while educating her about the techno-organic virus which was slowly killing him. He assured her that he would never leave her….
Iron Man arrives at the freighter and is attacked by Cable who is wearing gauntlets similar to Iron Man’s. Tony is puzzled until he learns that they come from armor he will create in the future. Since his creations all follow the same basic design, he is able to invade and shut down Cable’s hardware—but then Cable springs his trap: the same factor allows the mercenary to reverse the operation and it is Tony who is rendered helpless. He wakes up in an inhibitor chair as Cable stands over him. Suddenly Cable is shot in the back: Red Hulk has arrived. The giant demands that Cable release his comrades. Cable addresses Rulk as "Talbot" but he has miscalculated: Red Hulk is not Glenn Talbot. As the techno-organic virus spreads over his body he fears that he has failed Hope….