"Family Ties"

The Cote d'Azur, more commonly known as the French Riveria, is one of the most famous vacation spots in the world. It lies along the Mediterranean Sea in the southeast part of France. One of the towns along the Riviera is St. Tropez, population 6300. St. Tropez is one of the most popular cities on the Riviera for tourists, and it is one such tourist we now turn our attention to: billionaire industrialist Anthony Stark.

For Tony Stark, life is often one crisis after another. After all, he is head of Stark Enterprises, one of the largest corporations in the world. And, of course, he is also Iron Man, one of the world's foremost superheroes. This double life has kept him busy over the past few weeks. He's stopped an attempted takeover of his company by longtime rival Justin Hammer, battled foes ranging from Spymaster to Titanium Man to the Living Laser, and alongside his allies the Avengers defeated such menaces as Ultron and Kang. And now he lies on the beach, hands behind his head, staring at the beautiful sky. "This vacation is just what the doctor ordered," he thinks. "I've been wanting to get away for a while now, but I just wasn't able to do it. (for his last attempt, see # 346 - Matthieu) This time, though, I know I don't have to worry about SE - I've left it in capable hands. And St. Tropez is definitely the distraction I need to get my mind off the world of super-heroes and big business." Tony raises his head and looks across the beach. A stunning brunette in a bikini passes across his field of vision. As she is directly in front of him, she turns her head to look in his direction. She offers a quick smile, and continues walking.

"Or rather, she's just the distraction I needed," amends Tony as he gets up and walks towards her. "Hello, there," he says as he approaches. "My name's Tony. May I ask yours?"

The brunette turns to look at Tony briefly, and replies, "Nicole. Pleased to meet you." She continues walking, almost as if to ignore him, but her smile gives her away.

"Is that a British accent I detect?" asks Tony, amused at her attempt to seem uninterested.

"Yes. I'm from Birmingham. My family owns a factory there."

"Fascinating," Tony replies. "I run my own business, and we manufacture some items. Perhaps we have alot in common. Would you care to join me for dinner this evening, so we could discuss it further?"

"Very well," Nicole replies, still trying to seem somewhat disinterested but having a hard time hiding her true feelings. "What time?"

"How does eight sound?"

"That will be fine."

Stark Enterprises corporate headquarters, Sillicon Valley, California.

"I don't care if you're from Mars! I don't know anything about the Vault picking up someone here!" a flustered Felix Alvarez states as he enters the lobby outside Tony Starks office. Accompanying him are two Guardsmen.

"We were informed that the Living Laser was being held here, and that we could take custody of him today," one of the Guardsmen says.

"And again I say I don't know anything about this," Felix turns and answers.

"But that's the problem with having a superhero on the payroll," he continues. "These things seem to happen with an alarming frequency." Felix turns back around and continues to walk towards the desk, where the executive secretary sits, holding the newspaper in front of her face.

"Ms. Edwards, do you know anything about this?" he asks.

The secretary lowers her paper, and it is none other than Bambi Arbogast.

"Excuse me, Felix? What is it you need?"

"Mrs. Arbogast! What are you doing here?"

"Well, that's a fine greeting."

"I'm sorry, Mrs. Arbogast," Felix says, his face turning slightly red. "I wasn't expecting to see you. Are you back with the company?"

"Yes, Mr. Stark hired me back from Oracle yesterday. You know I hate to delay, so I came straight over last night to start work this morning. I sent Ms. Edwards to work in your office. Now, what is it you needed to know?"

"This gentlemen," Felix gestures, indicating the slightly impatient Guardsmen, "claim they're here to pick up... who did you say?"

"The Living Laser," one of the Guardsmen reminds Felix, with a slightly agitated tone.

"Oh yes," Mrs. Arbogast answers. "Mr. Stark left me instructions for you gentlemen. The Living Laser is being held in Experimental Lab 5. I'll have one of the security guards pick you up in one of our shrapecs downstairs."

"Shrapecs?" the second Guardsmen asks inquisitively.

"Short range personnel conveyance," Felix explains. "It's an invention of Mr. Stark's. It's what we use to get from place to place on the SE campus.

They're powered by beta-particles, which means we never have to recharge them, or fill them with fuel. The beta particles are beamed to each unit from a generator in the center of the campus, and only has an effective range covering the campus. That prevents the shrapecs from being of any use to someone who might try to steal them. If you'll follow me, I'll see you to the lobby."

The Guardsmen follow Felix to the elevator. The elevator arrives, and Jen McAllister exits as the Guardsmen and Felix get on.

"Good morning, Jen," Felix greets as he gets on.

"Good morning," Jen replies absentmindedly.

Jen walks over to Mrs. Arbogast. "Excuse me, I don't believe we've met," Jen says in a distracted tone.

"Yes, I'm Mrs. Arbogast, Mr. Stark's new executive secretary. Well, not new exactly. I've worked for Mr. Stark before. Is there something I can help you with?"

"Yes, I'm Jen McAllister. Did Tony leave some files for me to look at?"

Mrs. Arbogast is puzzled by Jen's seemingly half-hearted tone. Nevertheless, she continues undaunted. "I have them right here." Mrs. Arbogast hesitates, and then decides to ask, "Are you all right, dear?"

"I'm fine," Jen replies, a faraway look on her eyes. "I was in a minor car accident the other day (last issue for you and me - Matt) and I suppose I still feel a little shaken up."

"Perhaps you should see a doctor," Mrs. Arbogast says. "I could contact the staff physician-"

"No, that's alright. Thank you."

Jen turns to leave, and Mrs. Arbogast begins to wonder about Jen's wellbeing. "No, it's none of my business," she reminds herself, and then gets back to her duties.

The problem with a popular tourist attraction like St. Tropez is not only do fine, upstanding citizens wish to visit, but so do those who are, shall we say, morally ambiguous. On the outskirts of St. Tropez lies a mansion, which until recently was the property of Justin Hammer. However, Hammer's recent legal difficulties (see Iron Man #345 - Special Agent Matt) have forced him to sell off some of his assets - particularly those he doesn't need any sort of authorities to poke about. Of course, selling these types of things can be tricky - you need a buyer you can trust. Or rather, a buyer who you can trust more than the average person. In the case of this particular mansion, Hammer decided to sell it to someone he had prior business dealings with: Nikolas Federov, a.k.a. the Titanium Man.

Federov arrived in St. Tropez a few days ago. His most recent attempt at finding an ally in his quest for global domination failed (he tried to join forces with the apparently deceased Mandarin in #346 - Mortician Matt), but like any evil genius worth his salt, he had a contingency. And that contingency is arriving at his newly acquired mansion at this moment.

The cab pulls to a stop outside the gates of the mansion. A tall, dark haired, handsome young man exists. He pays the fare and the cab drives off.

The youth stands outside the gate for a moment, taking in the details of his surroundings. It is, after all, his first trip to a foreign country. After admiring the scenery, he opens the gate and proceedes towards the manse. Upon arriving at the huge oak door, he admires the rich detail of the woodworking, and the handsome iron knocker. He knocks on the door, and waits patiently. Federov opens to the door moments later. Upon opening it to see the lad, he instantly smiles.

"Son!" he exclaims as he opens his arms to embrace his boy.

"Hello, father," the son replies as they hug. Federov draws back from his son and looks at him for a moment.

"It is so good to see you, Alexei," Federov states. "Come in, come in!"

Father and son enter the mansion and proceed to the drawing room. Nikolas pours a shot of vodka for himself and his son. After taking the shot, they sit.

"How did you acquire this beautiful place?" Alexei asks.

"It was sold to me by a man named Justin Hammer," Nikolas explains.

"Ah, Hammer. I am familiar with him. Did he not aid you recently?"

"Yes, that is why he allowed me to take over this facility. You see, an advanced weapons development lab lies below this mansion. Shall I show you my most recent developments?"

"Please!"

Nikolas leads Alexei down into the subbasement, which is filled the most advanced manufacturing equipment available. The ever-observant Alexei drinks in the absolute magnificence of the site.

"Impressive, is it not?" Nikolas asks.

"Most certainly, father. Ah, I see your Titanium Man armor. Have you made any modifications to it?"

"I have not made any significant upgrades, but I have improved the overall efficiency of the armor. However, I've been busy working on another project, which I just completed this morning. Would you like to see it?"

"Of course, father."

Nikolas walks over to the equipment storage bay. He inputs his password into the control panel, and then presses the key sequence to open one of the storage units. There is a hiss of compressed air as the doors to the storage unit slide open. Inside is a gleaming figure in bright metallic red.

"The armor of the Crimson Dynamo!" Alexei exclaims.

"Yes, my son. It contains many improvements over the old model," Nikolas states proudly.

Alexei slowly walks towards the armor. His hand tentatively reaches out, and his trembling fingers touch the cool metal. "It is magnificent," he whispers.

"And it is my gift to you. Happy birthday, my son."

The teenage Tony Stark is frustrated. He has not been able to enter Avengers mansion (he has lost his ID card), and his attempts to call the mansion has failed. He wanders the streets aimlessly, attempting to figure out what his next move will be. He passes by a newspaper stand, and the cover of the latest Business Week catches his eye. "Tony Stark's New Medical Technology Boosts SE's Stock" the cover blurb reads. The cover features a photograph of the real Tony Stark.

"What's this?" Teen Tony asks.

"Business Week, kid," the newspaper stand owner replies.

Teen Tony looks at the date. "I haven't gone back in time," he notices as he looks at the paper's date. "Am I in another timeline?" he thinks. "Has my evil future self returned? I can't get through to the Avengers... maybe I should go to California and check this out myself."

It is evening in St. Tropez. Tony Stark and Nicole Butler walk the streets, having just enjoyed a delicious meal. "So what made you decide to visit St. Tropez? Why not Cannes or Nice?" Nicole asks.

"Cannes and Nice are pleasant enough," Tony answers, "but I prefer St. Tropez. There's just something about the town that I enjoy... it's hard to really put my finger on it. What about you?"

"I've never been here before now. I was hoping it would be a nice change of pace."

"And has it been?"

"So far, yes. Tell me, what are your plans for the rest of the evening."

"Right now, I have none."

"Would you care to join me for a nightcap?"

"I'm afraid I don't drink. However, I'd love to join you for some coffee."

"Excellent. I have some at the place I'm staying at. Shall we?"

"Let's."

And they proceed arm in arm to Nicole's rented house.

Alexei feels more powerful than he ever has in his entire life. He lifts the 20 ton hyrdoelectic power generator with one hand. "This is magnificent!" he exclaims. "Father, I cannot thank you enough!"

"It is my pleasure," Nikolas replies. The Crimson Dynamo armor his son wears is one of his greatest creations - next to his own Titanium Man armor, of course. Although Nikolas was not involved in the Crimson Dynamo project, he studied the designs while working on the original Titanium Man armor.

At first glance, he saw several ways to improve the Crimson Dynamo, but kept his ideas to himself, hoping they would be more beneficial to him at some point in the future. The future is now.

"Come, my son," Nikolas states. "It is time to test the weapons systems in a combat simulation. There is an abandoned field near here. We shall test your mettle against a skilled opponent - me."

"I look forward to the challenge, Father," Alexei says confidently as he sets the generator down.

Nikolas smiles. No father is more proud of his son than Nikolas is of Alexei.

"Well, this has certainly been an enjoyable evening," Tony thinks as he walks back to his rented house. He looks at his watch. "4 a.m. - where does the time go? I really hated to leave Nicole, but I'm supposed to be flying to Cairo at 10, and I've still got to pack. Nothing beats a good globe-hopping vacation. Maybe I'll take an extra week and -"

In the distance, the sky suddenly flashes.

"Hmm. I wonder what could have caused that. Oh well, it's probably nothing."

Another flash.

"On the other hand, I do have a few hours I can spare... and my attache case is in my bedroom...." Tony Stark may have conquered his addiction to alcohol some time ago, but as he quickens his pace, he realizes that he will never conquer his addiction to a certain red-and-gold steel mesh battlesuit.

A few miles away, Crimson Dynamo twists in midair to send himself flying back towards his sparring partner, the Titanium Man. He opens fire with a burst of electromagnetic energy. Titanium Man creates a repulsor field, which disperses the EM energy harmlessly. Titanium Man drops his repulsor field and activates his pulse bolts. Crimson Dynamo's evasion systems allow him to avoid the pulse bolts, but the building energy of the bolts create a shockwave that causes the inexperienced Dynamo to lose control of his systems and fall to the ground.

"Hmmm," Titanium Man muses. "Although you do not yet know how to properly maneuver the armor in such situations, your gyro stabilizers should have kept you aloft. Come here. Let me see if there is a bug in your systems."

"Yes father," the Dynamo replies as he dutifully approaches. A panel on the neck of the Dynamo armor slides away, revealing an outlet. The tip of the Titanium Man's right pinky pops up to expose the interface connector underneath. He inserts the connector into the outlet and begins searching the Dynamo's systems for any sign of faulty programs or hardware.

However, the Titanium Man does not finish his search, for scant moments later, he hears a familiar whine of small but powerful jet engines. "No!" the Titanium Man exclaims. "He can't be here!"

Then the figure of the invincible Iron Man appears over the horizon. He quickly zooms up as the Titanium Man disconnects himself from Crimson Dynamo's armor. As Iron Man stops in a hovering position he states, "Well, Titanium Man. Fancy meeting you here. I see you've brought one of the Crimson Dynamos along this time - or is this a new one?"

"That information will soon be of no use to you," Titanium Man grimly replies as he begins firing lasers from his gauntlets. The Crimson Dynamo takes to the air and begins circling around Iron Man. Iron Man dodges a few of the laser blasts, but others hit him.

"Titanium Man's got some powerful lasers but compared to the Living Laser, I'm not too worried right now," Iron Man thinks. "But I see my other playmate's trying to sneak up on me - I'd better discourage him a little."

Iron Man spins and unleashes quick repulsor blasts, then arcs through the air to position himself to attack the Titanium Man. His repulsor attack stuns the Crimson Dynamo, who is still trying to become accustomed to armored combat. The Titanium Man, meanwhile, has taken to the air, and as Iron Man turns the two figures collide! The silence of the local countryside is pierced by the metal clang.

"Uff!" Iron Man says as he flies backwards. "He almost knocked the wind out of me!" Iron Man turns his repulsors on the Titanium Man, who takes a few direct hits, sending him backwards. Just as he rights himself to again attack his foe, the Crimson Dynamo slams into Iron Man's left side. The Dynamo begins pummeling Iron Man in midair as the two fall to the ground like angry comets. The earth shakes as they crash, with the Dynamo atop Iron Man. The Dynamo recovers quickly. He picks Iron Man up and tosses him to the Titanium Man. Titanium Man catches Iron Man and places him in a bear hug.

"I shall crush you like the insect you are, American!" laughs the Titanium Man.

"I feel like my ribs are about to give," thinks Iron Man. "I've got to get out of this quick - I've seen Cap box an opponent's ears in this situation, but I don't exactly have that luxury. But I do have something that should do the job..."

SHRAK! SHRAK!

Iron Man unleashes the full power of his repulsors on either side of the Titanium Man's head!

"GHAAAHH!!" the Titanium Man cries as he releases his grip. The Titanium Man and Iron Man both drop to the ground, the Titanium Man clutching his head.

As Iron Man lands, he thinks, "That hurt like the devil, but I've got to move quick before-"

KLANG!

The Crimson Dynamo provides Iron Man with a swift kick to the head, turning Iron Man over onto his back. The Dynamo stradles Iron Man's chest, punching him in the face repeatedly.

"Whoever this is, he must not be much experience with that armor," Iron Man observes, "or he'd use his weapons systems alot more. Not this isn't effective! Wait a minute - that small open panel on his neck - is that an access port?"

Without hesitation, Iron Man brings his fist to the Crimson Dynamo's neck. But instead of striking a blow, Iron Man activates his external linkup in the wrist of his gauntlet. A wire pops out and plugs into the interface, giving Iron Man complete access to the Crimson Dynamo's systems.

"Wha- What are you doing?" asks the astonished Crimson Dynamo.

"Say goodnight, Gracie," Iron Man says as he shuts down the Dynamo armor.

"NO!" the Dynamo screams as he collapses over Iron Man. Iron Man hefts the Dynamo out of his way, and looks towards the Titanium Man. The Titanium Man has struggled to his knees.

"Well played, Iron Man," the Titanium Man states. "But it is too early in the game for me to lose. I always come prepared." He quickly keys a sequence into a small control pad on his gauntlet, and drone plane responds by zooming over the horizon. The drone plane unleashes a hail of bullets on Iron Man. Iron Man streaks into the air, and begins dismantling the drone with his bare hands.

After the rain of debris stops, Iron Man looks around. "That drone was an adequate distraction," he notes. "Titanium Man and Crimson Dynamo both got away."

Minutes later, the Titanium Man and Crimson Dynamo streak away to another hidden base on board their small combat jet (in appearance, similar in size to a Quinjet, but more blocky).

"I am sorry I failed you, Father," the Crimson Dynamo apologizes.

"Do not worry, son," Titanium Man answers. "You have not yet had time to learn the art of armored combat. We could not have anticipated Iron Man's presence. We will be ready for him next time. Now we must continue our preparations. You must undergo training, and I must locate our next ally."

La Guardia airport, New York. A young man departs the Big Apple aboard a plane headed towards Los Angeles.

"It's a good thing my frat buddies had kept the stuff from my dorm when I disappeared," Teen Tony thinks. "They still had my student ID, which let get my money from my checking account. I'm glad I didn't spend very much of my Avengers stipend when I was active. Now that I've got some fresh clothes and had a good meal, I'm ready to get to the bottom of this. I want to find out how my evil older self returned - and where I've been the last few months!"

Next Issue: Welcome aboard new co-writer Steve Blair! And we've got a doozy for you, folks! Teen Tony arrives in California, Jen's acting weird, and another villain wants to take down Iron Man! Be here for the first part of a story that's sure to knock your socks off!