Behold: The New Iron Man Armor...

Marvel.com has revealed the new look of Iron Man, which Billionaire playboy Tony Stark will wear and ride into "Siege". With "Stark: Disassembled" running its course and chronicling Tony's return from the abyss that is his lost mind, this armor design is a fitting "rebirth" of sorts for the brilliant industrialist, and according to writer Matt Fraction, its design is said to be based on an "ergonomic and aerodynamic" standpoint - an Iron Man that is "leaner, sleeker, and tougher" combined. It's an interesting armor design, and one that bares a closer resemblance to the Mark III design used in the Iron Man movies, save for the additional and prominent gold outlines. Set to debut on "Invincible Iron Man #25", Stark's new look symbolizes the return of his prominence as a hero, and together with Captain America and Thor, reunite the world's mightiest heroes as they face Norman Osborn and his lackeys amidst the siege of Asgard.

Comic Review: The Invincible Iron Man #20

The last time I checked on Tony Stark, he has hit bad times. In the days since he became director of S.H.I.EL.D and donned the Extremis armor, I thought Tony had everything under control. Unfortunately, the Skrull Invasion and Norman Osborn exposed chinks in his armor that were readily exploited, and with the bad times rolling high, Tony had little choice but to do the unthinkable to himself and become the anti-thesis of his brilliance - a vegetable. As sad and pathetic as it may sound, this scenario makes the Invincible Iron Man one of the most compelling books of this decade, and as we turn towards a new chapter in the life of the golden avenger, the question remains: will he ever be the same again?



The Invincible Iron Man #20
Written By: Matt Fraction
Illustrated By: Salvador Larraca

Tony Stark, the man who was the Invincible Iron Man, is a shell of his former self. As a result of his own actions to prevent Norman Osborn from acquiring his knowledge, Stark embarked on a personal crusade to abolish all traces of his technology and the Super Human Registration Act files. As a result. Tony "deleted" his own brain, leaving himself in a bed ridden and vegetative state. Leaving a message to his friends and allies via the armor he created for Pepper Potts, Stark's salvation and hope to return to normalcy rests on their hands. Meanwhile, deep in the recesses of his shattered mind, Tony finds himself in a place that seems out of place yet so familiar...

Hot damn, this book is hot, and with good reason too. Of course, it's great to see Iron Man again, but it's not a pleasant sight to see him at this vulnerable a state. Matt Fraction, the man responsible for bringing Tony to the worst condition ever in his life, clearly knows Stark from head to toe, and will tell a story so sad it almost makes everyone forget what the armored avenger did a few years ago during the Civil War, which drew lines in the hero community and indirectly led to the death of Steve Rogers, aka Captain America. Fans unanimously agree he can be a hard assed jerk, so why is he still well liked by some? Fraction leaves food for thought for the fans. Tony's a hero, yes, but he's also human, and people make mistakes. Being a futurist, he knew the cards he played, and his latest venture brought him to the brain dead scenario. With that, he leaves his fate at the hands of his friends... those who have mixed feelings about bringing the guy back and giving him a chance at absolution. One scene involving Pepper illustrates a good point - why does Tony Stark always get to be saved while those around him suffer and get worse? The answer should be obvious - he's Iron Man, that's why, and Tony's got a luck streak so high that he lives up to his namesake through and through. Even after preventing Osborn from getting info out of him, he's not out of the woods yet, and even with his allies by his side, things are bound to get worse before they get better.

It may sound like a thrownback cliche, but Stark: Disassembled sounds like an appropriate title to this arc. It's not so much about the character's fragmented state, but rather seeing the man in areas that were less likely explored over his long heroic and illustrious career. The holographic message Tony records prior to his downfall in particular reflects how human he is despite his intellectual background. Tony is quick to point out the mistakes he's made with sincerity and justification, and allows his friends the opportunity to judge and decide what to do with him. The mind sequences also show a side to Tony that's apparently confusing at this point, but will probably shed some light over his "comeback routine" as we progress with the story. It'll be interesting to see where everything leads, and how the good guys help and what the bad guys do to take advantage of the situation. Speaking of the bad guys, Normie's hubris is shown and Madame Masque makes her move, with help from an old rogue of shellhead who's probably going to be a hitmaker in the coming issues ahead.

No doubt about it, Invincible Iron Man is a great title. It may be hard to swallow if you're new to ol' shellhead, but veterans will definitely be pleased. I'm liking the direction Fraction is going with this book, and how he handled everything since World's Most Wanted is simply genius. Couple that with fantastic pencils by Salvador Larraca, and you got a top notch Marvel book to read, especially if you're an Iron Man fan. If you've just jumped on board, fear not, as Marvel has supplied a supplementary "Iron Man Saga" guide to bring readers up to speed with all things Tony and Stark. If you wanted to know more about the man before the next movie hits in 2010, this is your comic to read.

Score - 9/10

Iron Man Spotlight: What Are Friends For?

Marvel.com has released an image of the variant wrap around cover to Invincible Iron Man #21, depicting a scene where two of Tony Stark's closest allies return to aide him in his time of need.


Alright, I was a little puzzled by the look of this cover. First of all, why is Thor channeling lightning to Captain America's shield and using it as a conduit to filter in energy to Stark? Last time we saw Ol' Shellhead, he was literally brain dead after going through the painful task of literally deleting his brain of the Super Hero Registration Act files. The last thing Tony needs is an electric charge to jump start his brain... but that might actually work come to think of it. Anything can happen in the Marvel Universe, and this is the power of Thor we're talking about, so trust on the Thunder God and your friends, right? We'll find out how Tony makes it on the road to recovery when Stark: Disassembled begins later this month.

Iron Man Spotlight: The Diminishing Intellect...

A few days ago, I posted a little update on the current status of Tony Stark, aka Iron Man, in today's Dark Reign infested Marvel Universe. Once a brilliant and calculating force in the superhero community, Tony's now on the run and his genius intellect has been reduced to a pathetic state. His woes have only intensified as of late due to his inability to control complex machinery, forcing him to constantly downgrade his armor, with his current model being the classic Red and Gold. For all the lowdown on his pitiful situation, you can refer to my previous Iron Man Spotlight Post: the Rise and Fall of Tony Stark.

Cover to Invincible Iron Man #17. Stark's days are surely numbered...
For this post, I decided to focus on just how dire the consequences of Stark's actions were after deciding he decided delete the information contained in his brain and prevent it from falling into Norman Osborn's hands. The process in the past few issues has been a handful for Stark, and now, we see the full effects of the devastating mind deleting process come to fruition. Newsarama provided a peek into the latest issue of IM due next week, Invincible Iron Man #17. It is with this next page that makes Tony's plight all the more grieving:

Using an internet cafe in the middle of Russia, Tony Stark tries to send a simple email to Maria Hill, although with great difficulty. His grammar is obviously suffering at this point as he has difficulty composing words into his message. How the mighty have fallen.
This, and the last two issues of World's Most Wanted, will finally see how disassembled Tony's gonna get when he encounters Norman once and for all (I think). What will his fate be in the next chapter, Stark: Disassembled? Let's hope for the best that he'll pull through as he always does. After all, he is Iron Man... right?

Iron Man Spotlight: The Rise and Fall of Tony Stark...

The Invincible Iron Man soars high.
Iron Man. Love him or hate him, we all know he's coming back to the Big Screen next year... but what's happening to armor clad hero in the comics nowadays? I'll bring you guys up to speed with what I know so far, and trust me, Tony Stark's life isn't all fun and games now.

As one of the most iconic heroes in the Marvel Universe, The Invincible Iron Man has endured a lot of pain and sadness in his life that many would have considered torture to go through. He's fought the good fight for the sake of humanity as a armored adventurer, and used his genius and intellect to construct powerful suits of armor to aid him in his crusade. That power, however, came at a price, and he's always been forced to make decisions that compromised his beliefs and friendships over the years. Recent events have led him to do what many readers would see as "The Ultimate Sacrifice", but will his actions be the death of him? It sure looks that way with the way writer Matt Fraction is handling things.

Things go south for Tony Stark... Literally
With the ongoing storyline World's Most Wanted, Iron Man's life has turned upside down. If there was any way to describe Tony Stark today, the word "Pitiful" comes to mind. In the last few years of his superhero career, he's literally become a man who had everything... and then nothing. Rising to the top of the hill as a figurehead of the Super Hero Registration Act during Civil War, IM won the fight and became Director of S.H.I.E.L.D, changing the landscape of the Marvel Universe and dividing the superhero community altogether.

After the events of Civil War, Cap perishes in a hit perpetrated by the Red Skull. This scene takes place in the pages of Civil War: The Confession, in which a tearful Tony regrets his actions which led to the loss of a dear friend and fellow Avenger.
His actions indirectly led to the death of Captain America, his long time comrade and fellow member of the Avengers. While he continued to promote peace and goodwill through registration, he failed to intercept a secret invasion by the alien Skrull race that quickly took him and the world by surprise. With the help of his fellow heroes, Stark managed to turn the tide and win back Earth, yet he was still held accountable for his mistakes. He literally fell down in disgrace when he was booted out and replaced by Norman Osborn after being blamed for not intercepting the alien threat right away. Not wanting his tech and data ending up in the wrong hands, Stark uploaded the SHRA database into his mind, and had the other remaining copies infected with a virus, much to Norman's chagrin. With the assistance of Pepper Potts and Maria Hill, he makes a run from the organization he led once, now reformatted and renamed as H.A.M.M.E.R.

Iron Man is losing his marbles... And Tony can't do a damn thing about it.
Adding to Tony's problems is he's systematically deleting the information he has stored in his brain, which is in turn affecting his intelligence and causing him to downgrade his armor... until he eventually becomes a far cry of his brilliant self. In short, Tony Stark was a made man... and now he's a wanted fugitive, trying to evade Osborn and his H.A.M.M.E.R. agents every step of the way.

A preview of the wraparound cover to Invincible Iron Man #20, which begins the Stark: Disassembled Arc. The Mighty Thor looks on at a shattered Tony Stark; a scene that eerily parallels Iron Man's private "conversation" to the body of the fallen Captain America in the pages of Civil War: The Confession. Pic from Marvel.com
Now, all that Tony has done has come crumbling down. In a sense, karma has come back to bite him so hard that he will barely get out of his predicament alive. While the storyline has a few more issues to go before it ends, we're already previewing the next chapter in what could be the end of Iron Man as we know him. Stark: Disassembled will chronicle what happens to Tony after the events of World's Most Wanted... and will he ever be the same again? Time will tell. For now, that cover from Marvel.com looks mighty familiar... An ironic reverse of what Tony did before everything hit rock bottom.