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August
Year 1 |
Tony feels Kang's grip like a vise around his jaw. He glares defiantly into Kang's hate-filled eyes. "I will break you! You will be mine! Mine!!" Kang yells.
"Never! The Avengers will stop you!" Tony spits the words at Kang.
Kang laughs. The laughter becomes Tony's reality - it is all he can hear or feel. It surrounds him. He tries to run, but his legs are like jello. He's falling in the blackness...
And then he awakens. He takes in his surroundings, realizing it was just another dream. Another dream in which he was Kang's prisoner. "Kang must have been behind my disappearance... My subconscious is definitely trying to unleash my blocked memories. It's so frustrating, not knowing what happened to me!"
But the frustration must continue, for the memories will not come.
The next morning, Jen McAllister strides toward Tony Stark's office. "It's my first day and Tony must have a million things for me to become familiar with," thinks Stark Enterprises' new Vice President of Operations. "Still, I've got to try to get Tony to let me go with him to Berlin. If I can spend some time watching him up close, maybe I can learn some things that will help Rhodey figure out if this is the real Tony Stark."
Jen enters Tony's office to find Tony in conversation with Felix Alvarez, his legal expert and right-hand man. "Well I must say the stock sale went even smoother than I anticipated," says Tony. "Let's set up the first shareholders' meeting. I want to meet the people who now have a stake in my company."
"I'll let you know when everything's been arranged," Felix responds, and then leaves the room.
"What can I do for you, Jen?" Tony asks.
"Actually, Tony, I was wondering if I could accompany you to Berlin. I think it's important that as the new VP I become familiar with our overseas operations."
"That's a good idea, but I want you here the first week. You need to become familiar with the staff and let them become familiar with you. We'll arrange a tour of our overseas facilities for you in a couple of months. So how's your first day on the job? Everything to your liking?"
"Everything's great! I can't wait to sink my teeth into this place."
"That's the attitude I like to hear. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a few things I need to take care of."
Jen leaves his office. "Well, so much for that idea," she thinks.
Interlude: In the same well decorated office, our Mysterious Person is talking on his telephone. "Excellent. Make the necessary arrangements." He hangs up. "Well, if Mr. Stark survives his trip to Germany, he'll have a little surprise upon his return." He chuckles softly.
Two days later, Tony Stark arrives in Berlin. He leaves the airport in a private limosine with Yvette Avril. "Yvette, I'm glad you decided to take over the day-to-day business of my European operations."
"Well, Tony, I couldn't refuse your offer. When I left Stark International after Obadiah Stane took over (see Iron Man #174 - Le Matt), I thought I'd never see you again. I'm so pleased we were able to work together again."
"Me too, Yvette. So, why has the construction of our new Berlin operations been delayed?"
"The project suddenly became entangled in red tape. I suspect someone is purposely trying to prevent completion of the project, but I do not know who or why."
"Neither do I," thinks Tony, "but I've got a feeling this is related to the recent attacks I've endured. I've got to find out who's behind this... I've got a feeling I know who it is."
Meanwhile, we observe two figure silhouted in a lab full of advanced elec- tronic equipment and advanced medical equipment. One figure is massive, the other normal sized but wearing a helmet with a horn-shaped protrusion.
"Are you prepared for your mission? You know the location of Tony Stark's hotel. You must strike tonight swiftly and without mercy," the large one says in a booming, electronically enhanced voice.
"I am ready. Stark will not escape me," replies the horned one.
"Do you do this for revenge?"
"No. I do it for you."
Late that evening, Tony and Yvette return from an elegant dinner. "Well, Yvette, you were right," sighs Tony. "Someone is definitely pulling some strings with the local authorities to prevent work from continuing on our new offices. I'm going to get to the bottom of this."
"I'm sorry I haven't been able to handle this myself, Tony."
"That's alright, Yvette. I think this is the work of someone with a long- standing grudge against me."
Tony retires to his room and tries to get to sleep early, anticipating another long day arguing with bureacrats. He lays in bed, unable to sleep. "This is getting frustrating. After I get things straightened out here, I'm going to stop these attacks once and for all! At least the only problems I've had so far have been legal ones."
Suddenly, the entire hotel begins to shake. "That felt like someone just blasted the hotel! It seems my problems here are just beginning." Tony leaps out of bed and opens his familiar briefcase to reveal his familiar red and gold steel mesh battlesuit. Quickly donning and polarizing his armor, Iron Man flies out of his hotel room's window, racing to street level to see who is attacking the hotel.
As Iron Man swoops down, he is stunned to see a familiar figure in orange and green. It is the Unicorn, who has been blasting away at a wall of the hotel, which is almost ready to collapse. "This has to be someone new outfitted with the Unicorn's weaponry - I saw the Unicorn commit suicide! (In the classic Iron Man #154 - waterlogged Matt) Obviously, his power horn's been upgraded, like the Melter's beam (in Iron Man #338 - backtrackin' Matt). I'd better end this quick," thinks Iron Man.
"I don't know who you think you are, but you picked the wrong hotel to attack," warns Iron Man.
"Who I _think_ I am?" replies the Unicorn in a Czech accent. "It is your old foe the Unicorn! I've come to destroy you and your employer!"
"He sounds like the original Unicorn alright," thinks a surprised Iron Man. "The Unicorn is dead! Surrender now or face the consequences!" Iron Man demands.
"I was dead, Iron Man, but I have been resurrected! And now, you will know the pain I suffered!" The Unicorn unleashes a blast from his power horn, slamming Iron Man to the ground. The Unicorn then blasts the foundation of hotel. The building begins to shake.
"They haven't finished evacuating the building yet! I've got to keep it from collapsing and stop the Unicorn - but how?!!"
Next Issue: Say, how will Iron Man keep the building from collapsing and stop the Unicorn? Is that really the original Unicorn? Who was that big guy the Unicorn was with? (Long time fans can probably make a guess!) The answers to these burning questions next time!
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