A new fight between Iron Man and Wonder Man unveils a shocking anti-Avengers weapon with major implications for Tony Stark’s future. As Tony faces off against his new nemesis Feilong, the last thing he needs is the return of a huge threat to Earth’s Mightiest Heroes.
In a preview of Gerry Duggan, Andrea Di Vito, and Bryan Valenza’s The Invincible Iron Man #6, Tony continues to write his autobiography, flashing back to a pitched battle against the West Coast Avengers. As the Armored Avenger faces off against Wonder Man, Hawkeye, Mockingbird, and Tigra, he barely holds his own under his allies’ ferocious assault. However, there’s a good reason the heroes are attacking.
New Weapons Taps into a Major Avengers Weakness
The Invincible Iron Man #6 introduces a startling device which allows a normal human to mind-control multiple superhumans, forcing the Avengers to attack their friend and ally. What’s particularly notable about this scene is the versatility of the device, which controls two peak-level humans in Hawkeye and Mockingbird, as well as a being composed entirely of ionic energy in Wonder Man, and the mystically empowered champion of Earth’s hidden Cat People, Tigra. This suggests the device is essentially without limits, able to interface with wildly different types of energy and drive heroic individuals to acts of intense violence. This is particularly effective against the Avengers, who have a long history of falling to attacks from within their own ranks and – as Iron Man has observed in the past – a glaring weakness in their lack of protection from being controlled.
Is Iron Man Preparing a Weapon Against Feilong?
Of course, Tony isn’t just casually reflecting on a past adventure, and the issue’s summary asks, “how do the events of the past affect Tony’s future?” There’s a reason this battle – and this device – are on Tony’s mind, especially since he just discovered that Feilong – a genius inventor who has harnessed a lethal form of Cyclops’ mutant powers – recently acquired his company and has begun creating mutant-killing Sentinels. Does Tony intend to use this device to fight back, or is there a chance it has fallen into Feilong’s possession along with Iron Man’s other assets?
Iron Man & Emma Frost’s Alliance Is Beginning to Make Sense
As Marvel’s Fall of X event approaches, mutantkind will face off against the human supremacist group Orchis, which counts Feilong as a major member. Accordingly, Tony has aligned himself with the X-Men, and especially with the world-class telepath Emma Frost. With the White Queen at his side, is it possible that Iron Man will attempt to recreate this anti-Avengers weapon with her psychic powers? If so, he may be able to turn some of Orchis’ major players against them, just as Wonder Man and his West Coast Avengers allies once turned on Iron Man.
The Invincible Iron Man #6 is available May 10 from Marvel Comics.
