Warning: SPOILERS for Tony Stark: Iron Man # 13
Every Marvel fan knows that Tony Stark has a suit to fit every occasion, right up to his newest Godbuster armor, allowing a mortal man to battle a god. But not every leap forward is better than what came before. In his latest comic series, Iron Man's survival means going back to the basics: his original suit of armor, The Mark I.
In Tony Stark: Iron Man #13 the armored hero faces off against the mystical dragon Sadurang. Granted, it isn't the usual type of threat Tony has to deal with, but amidst the larger War of the Realms, the dragon has been sent by the dark elf Malekith, hell bent on taking Stark down to steal his riches--classic dragon move. Stark eventually realizes that the magic of Sadurang doesn't mix well with the technology driving his arsenal, acting like a virus and attacking all of his artificial intelligence systems. So with everything at Stark Unlimited now vulnerable, Tony does the only thing he can think of to stop the attack. He pulls the plug... on everything.
Instructing everyone working at Stark Unlimited to go dark and cut all power means protecting the business, and everyone in it--human and machine alike. As for the advanced armor he's still wearing and unable to power off? Easy: just have his Hulkbot gently rip it off of his torso. The plan works perfectly, leaving Tony no longer battling his own A.I.-fueled tech. But it faces him with a new problem: without his armor or weapons, even his intellect isn't going to help him win a fight against a giant magical dragon. The answer is guaranteed to delight fans, as Tony unveils his solution as he launches his final assault. Dusting off his original suit, and the mechanical creation that first made him 'The Iron Man.'
The suit built more like a battleship than a speedboat, this armor was built to withstand antiaircraft guns and is capable of ripping tanks open. All without the need for any A.I. beyond Tony Stark himself. It isn't pretty, but it is powerful. So powerful, it can beat up a dragon... maybe even take things a little bit too far. When Tony begins winning the battle, he starts to think about the dragon, its actions, and its motives. He thinks about how the dragon has threatened his girlfriend, Janet van Dyne. About the innocent people it has slaughtered, all for money and riches. And Tony loses control. Just for a few seconds, but it's lucky for everyone that he is soon brought out of his rage by Janet.
This is just the beginning, as the War of the Realms is hitting every hero hard, and it's all hands on deck. The issue leaves everyone wondering: since Tony has a suit for all occasions, does he have an Elfbuster suit ready to take on the evil Malekith?
Tony Stark: Iron Man #13 is available now from Marvel Comics.