Iron Man and War Machine draw the fire of the drones while the weaponless Rescue aids evacuation of civilians. Tony breaks off to rescue the prototype car, figuring this is the target of the attack. But suddenly Detroit Steel appears on the scene and smashes down on to him. Leaving Rhodey to face the drones alone.
Jim reckons that the drones aren't very good, but their sheer numbers are overwhelming. they don't yet know that the drones are being unknowingly controlled by gamers.
A couple of drones manage to simultaneously hit him from behind, and War Machine falls out of the sky. But Rescue halts his plunge with what looks like a force field, and Rhodey's back in the battle. Pepper seems then to use the same technique to disrupt the flight of the drones, sending them crashing into each other. (So much for her having no offensive functions.)
Maria Hill of SHIELD breaks into their radio comms to demand to know what's going on. Stark tells her to keep out of it. But she mentions that the drones are being controlled by cell-phone signals.
Tony's been holding this conversation while Detroit Steel tries to cut into his armour with a giant chainsaw. Now Iron Man blasts his enemy away, into the path of several drones.
More drones chase Iron Man, until Rescue crashes through them. (Another offensive capability.)
Len Pimacher calls to tell them he figured out (last issue) that the drones are being controlled by gamers playing the Detroit Steel phone game. He's also deduced that the drones are homing in on their Repulsor batteries. He and the rest of Stark Resilient are going to work on switching the Seattle area's cell transmissions off. ETA 20 minutes.
War Machine really is downed this time, but drones keep attacking him. Tony tells him to power down, while fighting Detroit Steel again. Rhodey obeys, and the confused drones smash into the ground (I think).
Rescue is still fighting, but Pepper tells Tony to draw the battle away from her and Stark Resilient, to somewhere where he can let rip. She asks her suit's AI JARVIS how long she can survive without battery power. (Unlike Rhodey her Repulsor battery is integral to her body.) JARVIS says 15 minutes.
Pepper powers down next to Rhodey. The Stark Resilient team now have 15 minutes to disrupt cellular comms, so she can power up again without drones attacking her.
Iron Man drives off in the prototype car, chased by Detroit Steel and the surviving drones.
Give that special marvelite a timely gift
Story #2Again at the end of the world with your pal Pepper Potts
Writer:
Matt Fraction. Penciler/Inker:
Jamie McKelvie. Colorist:
Matthew Wilson.
Synopsis
As she nears the end of her 15 minutes of draining life,
Pepper Potts dreams she meets her dead husband
Happy Hogan.
As various scenes from her life pass in the background, Pepper muses on her current relationship with
Tony Stark. She remembers their intimate time during
World's Most Wanted, but she knows that Tony
doesn't remember it since his brain reload. But she thinks he's falling in love with her now. On the other hand she realises that, although she loves him, she's not
in love with him.
Pepper expresses her belief that Tony will rescue her before she dies. But Happy is concerned that Tony turning her into superheroine
Rescue is
itself endangering her. Pepper realises that this isn't Happy talking, and her Rescue AI
JARVIS reveals itself.
The background changes to the desert of ruins and
Titanomechs from Tony's dreams in
Stark Disassembled. Jarvis tells her to ask Tony about the Titanomechs if she survives.