Warning! Spoilers for The Darkhold: Iron Man #1 by Marvel Comics below.
In The Darkhold: Iron Man #1, the Marvel Comics hero just received his most disgusting transformation ever. After reading the magical book in an effort to save the Marvel Universe from the trapped ancient being Chthon, Iron Man was transformed into an appallingly gross version of himself. Unfortunately, the Darkhold also showed Tony Stark what would have happened if he had taken a much darker path instead of his well-known origin. The answer? Iron Man becomes a monster.
The Darkhold is back in the pages of Marvel Comics following recent appearances in Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., The Runaways, and most recently on WandaVision. The Darkhold was written by the Elder God Chthon as it contains dark magic and great spells within. Many magic users across the Marvel Universe have sought out the Book of the Damned to obtain its incredible power. In Darkhold Alpha #1, Doctor Doom tried to gain the book's knowledge for himself, resulting in Chthon's re-emergence. Scarlet Witch tried to stop Doom but was forced to assemble a team of Darkhold Defenders to take on the Demon of the Darkhold. Ultimately, Iron Man, Black Bolt, the Wasp, Spider-Man, and Blade were teleported to the Darkhold's location and chosen to fight Chthon. However, after reading the book to temper their madness in the other realm, the hero's were transformed in the Darkhold Defiled.
In Darkhold: Iron Man #1 by Ryan North, Guillermo Sanna, Ian Herring, and V.C.'s Clayton Cowles, readers see the dark path Iron Man was shown after reading the magical book. The comic retells Iron Man's origin but in a twisted fashion. Tony Stark's story stays somewhat the same but after creating the suit that helps him heal from his grave injuries, Iron Man turns into a monster. After removing his gloves, Pepper Potts notices his skin falling off with it. Tony Stark's suit begins to eat him from the inside.
Pepper and Jarvis soon learn the suit's wires have buried themselves deep in his brain as Tony's body has become a leaking mess of his insides. With blood and guts oozing from his armor, Stark loses control and believes his new body is better than his human one. He brutally kills Jarvis and Happy Hogan in his attempts to build Pepper her own armor. The book ends with Iron Man (who has taken on a new disgusting bodiless form) leading Pepper to the suit he made for her.
Ultimately, the Darkhold revealed a much darker path for Iron Man by showing him what he could have become instead of the beloved, flawed hero readers know today. The twisted tale doesn't hold back in its goriness while showcasing the disgusting reality where Tony Stark's desire to continually improve himself turned him into a literal monster. The Darkhold is dangerous and shouldn't be read by just anyone for a reason. Still, Iron Man isn't in the clear yet, as he's still must fight in his new disgusting form to ensure Chthon doesn't destroy the Marvel Universe.