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July Year 2 |
Tony Stark gazes out the window of his private lear jet as it streaks through the heavens. It is dark outside. He thinks about battle he had just been involved in with both the Titanium Man and the Crimson Dynamo (last ish - Steve).
"Would you care for a drink sir." a young assistant asks him politely. "I have stocked up on a wide selection of fruit juices, soft drinks or non-alcoholic lagers."
"I'll have a mango and pineapple squash please." Tony replies, still contemplating the battle.
"Certainly sir. St. Tropez prides itself on its pineapples and these are fresh from the market." states the waitress as she strides off down the isle.
Tony thinks that he's lucky having such an astute and thoughtful attendant working for him. How many other waitresses would have gone out of their way to make sure the plane was stocked with some the finest fruits in the world. He reminds himself to give her a raise when they get back. He pulls across a table, not dissimilar to a surgeons mobile tray, and manoeuvres it over his lap. Adorning the table is a new, experimental, Stark Enterprises laptop computer. He opens the hood and starts the machine.
"He we go sir. Will that be all?" the attendant asks as she returns with his fruit drink.
"Thank you. Can I have data reel 3522 please from the computer suite." Tony replies.
"Of course."
Tony looks back to the computer and notices that it has entered a hibernation mode to conserve battery power. ‘Darn machines too fast' he thinks to himself as the toggles the holo-pad to re-animate the screen.
He inserts his password (NAM-NORI) and the familiar Stark 2000 operating system welcome screen appears. Through a series of sharp hand gestures Tony starts up his BDS program (Battle Debriefing System - Steve). The reel loader automatically ejects from the side of the laptop and, as if on cue, a small red light illuminates on Tony's arm rest. He presses a button on a panel above his head and a chute door opens on the arm rest.
Out pops the data reel he had requested just moments ago. He inserts the reel into the computer and almost immediately footage of yesterday's battle begins to play on the holo-screen, the action having been recorded by Iron Man's armour. He watches in grim silence as the battle unfolds, reaches its climax and ends. He swipes his hand and the melee starts again. And again. And again.
Elsewhere Tony Stark's young protégé is also airborne, however in much less luxurious surroundings. He is onboard a Boeing 737 bound for California. The plane is crammed full and even Teen Tony's small legs are compressed and riddled with cramp. He reads through the safety booklets provided by the airline company to try and pass the time before engaging in a thrilling game of ‘Spot the person most likely to be a super villain'. After a few minutes he was, again, bored. He shouted down the row of seats to a passing steward and requested some peanuts.
He handed some money to the person seated next to him and it was passed up the row to the waiting steward. Then the same procedure was run in reverse as the nuts travelled down to Tony. Behind him a baby started to cry. Then the person in front decided it was an apt moment to try out the his seats reclining capabilities. ‘Why do these things always happen to me?' he thought. As if to mock his question, suddenly the very scenery around him began to shimmer and disappear. The cabin, the people, the cramped seats were all replaced by what looked like the interior of a metal room, about twenty metres square. A tall figure stood before him.
"Anthony Stark. Prepare to die."
Back on Terra Firma, Mrs. Arbogast sits at her desk, taking in the sweet aroma of some freshly made coffee.
"Nothing like a sip of the old java to wake you up in the morning, right Mrs. A." came a friendly voice from beyond the mounds of paperwork.
"Good morning Mr. Rhodes. I have a fax for you from Mr. Stark and three forms I need for your signature on. I was going to forward them to your office but you've saved me the trouble."
"Thanks Mrs. A. Anything important?"
"Just the forms for the closing of the deal Mr. Stark set up for you."
"Great. Tony's a real friend. This deal will bring me into partnership with Datathink Corp. It will give Rhode's Air exclusive rights to transport Datathink goods and passengers."
"Isn't Datathink Ms. McAllister's old company."
"Yeah. Jen mentioned to Tony that they were looking for a new transport company and Tony set up the deal for me. Did you say there was also a message? What's it about?"
"Mr. Rhodes! To suggest that I would go through other peoples mail! You should be ashamed of yourself!"
"Woah! Cool it. I'm just winding you up. Have you seen Jen today? That's why I came here in the first place."
"No. She hasn't arrived yet. Which is quite unusual as she's normally the first one here."
"Oh. Right. Thanks Mrs. A. I'll see you later."
"Goodbye Mr. Rhodes."
In space a unique space station stays in a geo-stationary orbit around the Earth. On board Teen Tony is standing shocked as a mysterious figure threatens to kill him.
"Die Tony St..... Wait. You are not Anthony Stark. Intriguing. I set my gene scanner to find and transport Tony Stark here and instead I get you. Very interesting. I could not possibly be wrong in my calculations. Who are you my young friend?"
"I am Tony Stark. Who are you? Where are we?"
"I am Mysterio and you are lying."
"Where are we?" Tony repeated.
"We are onboard a space station Paradox. A relay/archive station of the late television company - Mystery Vision (see Sensational Spider #1 for details - Steve). Wait. Is it possible you are telling the truth. The confidence and authority in your voice, your body language. You *are* Tony Stark. Stranger and stranger. What has occurred? Why are you this way? (obviously Mysterio didn't read the Crossing! - Steve)"
"Mysterio? I have not heard of you. Why do you want me, or rather my adult self."
"Then there are two of you? I was planning to kill Tony Stark, the adult version that is, and take his place as head of Stark Enterprises."
"My older self is pure evil. I also seek to control Stark Enterprises. Help me achieve my rightful place and I will make sure you are properly rewarded."
‘This could work in my favour.' thinks Mysterio as he contemplates the offer. ‘I will let him help me and then kill him too.', "I accept your offer. There is still the problem of Stark's lap dog though - Iron Man."
"Iron Man will not be a problem." comes a voice from the shadows, "For Iron Man and Tony Stark are one and the same!"
"Ah, Mr. Stark, I don't believe you've met my lovely assistant," he says as he steps to a side and points into the shadows. A young woman emerges, "I'd like you to meet Jen McAllister!"
Back on the private jet, Tony Stark has finished surveying the battle and is now working on upgrading the Stark Enterprises web site when a light starts to blink in the top-right corner of the laptop's holo-display. Tony grabs the flashing icon and drags it down across the display, enlarging it. ‘Trouble' Tony thinks as he reads the script on the screen. ‘I always have scanners and satellites scanning for trouble and it looks like they've found it. I'll download the data into my armour and read it en-route'. Tony gets up and presses a button on his arm rest and the door to his cabin locks with a familiar clunk. He crosses the room and produces his faithful briefcase from a pull-down compartment. Moments later Iron Man is darting, nimbly through the clouds towards his destination, a lone car travelling on a mountain road. Within minutes he is directly above the car. "Boomerang!" he shouts over the suits loudspeakers, "Stop the car."
"Arrggghh. Iron Man. Get away from me. I ‘avent done anything."
"Last warning. Stop the car. I don't know how you alluded the authorities after that Blacklash incident (IM #345 - Steve) but you're not going to get away this time."
There is no answer as Boomerang puts his foot down and the car starts to accelerate away. Iron Man says nothing as he swoops down and unleashes a series of pulse bolts at the nearby mountain intending to make Boomerang stop. The plan works perfectly as the weak pulse bolts cause a small avalanche to block the road. The car stops and Boomerang jumps out, wearing civilian clothing.
"I haven't done anything mate. Leave me alone!" he shouts up at Iron Man. Iron Man responds with a magnetic pulse which hits the trunk of the car and causes it to pop open revealing several bags, overflowing with cash. "Its my .. er .. savings. Yeah, my savings."
"Tell it to the judge." Iron Man orders as he swoops down to apprehend the villain. Boomerang responds with two concussarangs. He rips off his shirt to reveal his super villain costume underneath. Iron Man dodges the projectiles easily and sets up a turbulence pocket behind himself, using his boot jets, to stop their inevitable return. Boomerang pulls out all the stops to try and stop Iron Man's decent, gasarangs, sonicarangs, even foamarangs, but none can prevent Iron Mans relentless advance. Iron Man lands and temporarily blinds Boomerang with a strobe burst before picking him up and taking off for the nearest Stark Enterprises building with adequate holding facilities. As he takes off he fires a small homing dart into the chassis of the car so the authorities could come and reclaim the money and a high powered repulser ray to clear the road once more. He flies off into the sun rise.
Back on the space station Paradox, Teen Tony, Mysterio and Jen McAllister are all sitting around a large table. They finish drawing up their plans and with a rousing cheer Mysterio announces, "Let the destruction of Stark Enterprises begin!
Next issue: Rhodey wants to know what's up with Jen, Mysterio and Teen Tony begin to make their move, and Masque enters the fray!