Synopsis
The Fantastic Four learn of the disturbance at the Buffalo annex of
Stark International and convince Nick Fury to allow them to investigate.
Jasper Sitwell is not happy about this - noting he "allowed" them here
as a favor to Fury. He attempts to dissuade them from continuing but
Richards insists that despite what has happened to them since college,
Stark needs his real friends.
Stark makes his way to Pepper
Potts’ house where he receives a quick recharge from a car battery. She
then sneaks him back into Stark International for repairs.
The
Fantastic Four pay Iron Man a visit at Stark International looking for
the missing Tony Stark. As Iron Man, Stark attacks the Thing until they
are separated by Richards. Pepper quickly explains that Iron Man is
Stark’s personal bodyguard and has "Iron Man" retrieve "Tony Stark" from
his secured location to prove that everything is under control.
Whether or not Richards believe it, they accept this explanation. Stark
tells his old friend that for the first time in years, he feels more in
control of his life.
In upstate New York Arthur Parks says
goodbye to his wife and returns to his company Parks Fibreoptics. Years
ago Stark manipulated him into selling controlling ownership of his
company and sold it out from under him. This ruined his life and the
lives of his employees. In a last desperate act, Parks performs one
final experiment upon himself to take revenge on Tony Stark
Characters: