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Warning! This post contains SPOILERS for Iron Man #1 (2024)It’s a new era for Iron Man, one that looks to show just how truly dangerous Tony Stark’s company can be in the wrong hands. Not only have new and old threats risen to take control of Stark Unlimited, but Iron Man quickly finds himself with no established means or armor to keep his company from being taken out of his hands. Likewise, it looks as though Marvel has brought on the perfect creative team to show just how much of a threat such a powerful corporation can truly be in the Marvel Universe.
In Iron Man #1 by Spencer Ackerman and Julis Ohta, Iron Man is massively struggling. After his suit inexplicably falls out of the sky, Stark endures an extended hospital stay with quite a bit of rehab, only to learn that his company is being faced with a major buyout his new board can’t refuse, even though it’s coming from a joint merger between AIM and Roxxon. Not only that, but they’re also working with Justine Hammer who’s completely coopted all of Starks’ armors, including his anti-magic Mysterium Armor she’s since incorporated into her brand-new Iron Monger mech:
Pending an imminent board vote, Roxxon and AIM intend to use Stark Unlimted to completely corner both the global arms and energy markets. Likewise, Stark is seemingly helpless to do anything about it by the end of this first issue (though that’s soon going to change).
Iron Man #1 Kicks Off With A Major Takeover Of Stark Unlimited
And There’s Nothing Tony Can Do About It
The main reason Starks’ hands are so tied in this first issue is that his company was previously reverted back to weapons manufacturing in previous arcs due to a hostile takeover by the villain Feilong. Under Feilong’s control, Stark Unlimited was to create new mutant-hunting Sentinels for Orchis at the end of the Krakoan age. As such, it’s very clear that the true capabilities of Tony Stark’s company are about to be revealed once the company falls into the hands of Roxxon and AIM who intend to keep the company making weapons for militaries across the globe.
Likewise, Tony isn’t going to be able to fight back as he normally would either. This is thanks to Justine Hammer who confirms she used magically infused malware that’s given her complete control over all Stark tech. This includes all of Tony’s suits aside from the anti-magic Iron Man Mysterium armor which Justine took for herself (the malware also explains Tony’s initial fall and inability to detect what happened afterward).
Iron Man Officially Unleashes His Maximum Power, With “More Pure Energy Than Any Suit Before”
Iron Man’s new Mark 72 suit proves its power by unleashing “more pure energy than any Iron Man suit has ever discharged before.”
Keeping all this in mind, this issue is a fascinating first chapter that couldn’t have put Iron Man in a worse position. It takes all of Tony Stark’s established resources and puts them in the hands of the last people he’d want to have them. While it does bring to mind the premise of the MCU’s Iron Man 3, it’s already evident that this new arc is going to amp those concepts up to 11, especially considering Iron Man will likely have to fight his own company in the issues to come.
Iron Man’s New Series Has The Perfect New Writer
Spencer Ackerman Will Show Just How Dangerous Tony’s Company Can Truly Be
It’s well worth noting the impressive background of Iron Man #1’s new writer Spencer Ackerman. An accomplished reporter and columnist, Ackerman has written for news sources such as Wired, The Guardian, and The Daily Beast with key focuses on the military, intelligence agencies, and the “real-life equivalents of Stark Unlimited that make gigantic amounts of money contracting with them” as Ackerman himself notes in his introductory letter at the end of this first issue. As such, Ackerman seems incredibly well-suited to explore just how powerful and dangerous Tony Stark’s company could become when he’s not running the ship.
Iron Man #1
makes it epically clear that the new Roxxon-Stark War won’t be just another Armor War.
Ackerman also promises that he and the equally gifted Julius Ohta will be pushing Iron Man to his very limits. Seeing as how this first issue ends with Tony Stark forging his new Improvised Iron Man armor, it’s going to be fascinating to see where this new run goes next. After all, Iron Man #1 makes it epically clear that the new Roxxon-Stark War won’t be just another Armor War.
Iron Man #1 is on sale now from Marvel Comics.
“}]] Iron Man #1 is an intense new era for Tony Stark… Read More