Invincible Iron Man #522 *Spoilers*

[nosocialize100]

Mandarin asks his Ironed men to go and get some resources for Tony to build his super weapon. Our masked Tron-like iron man tries to stop them. Pepper shows up to help in her suit. Mandarin is watching Tony as he does a surgery on Zeke and Tony realizes the file is wrong and it's the wrong person. I guess Mandarin falls for that? Anyway Mandarin tells Tony about how he got the rings, which is strangely similar to Green Lantern. Anyway, he says they aren't actually rings, the human just views them as such. They are actually the souls of fallen alien warriors. Weird. Zeke wakes up from surgery and he's no longer mentally handicapped and ready to help Tony out. His giant machine is nearly done…the plan is set.

I loved this issue. If you want to take a peak at some pictures from click the link in my signature.

Anyone else think Mandarin's retelling is strangely like Green Lantern. Maybe I'm just forgetting my Iron Man lore.

[gsnake007]

my only question is who was sleeping next to pepper before she suited up?

[Monty_Cristo]

my only question is who was sleeping next to pepper before she suited up?

probably Henry Hellrung, if i had to guess.

[Nitz the Bloody]

Carson Wyche. They had a thing back in the pre-Iron Man days, which is why Tony had so spitefully fired him.

[Monty_Cristo]

Carson Wyche. They had a thing back in the pre-Iron Man days, which is why Tony had so spitefully fired him.

really? gross.

[Nitz the Bloody]

really? gross.

Gross because Carson's unattractive, or because he's not Tony? Because if it's the latter, it's worth noting that it's been six months since Tony disappeared into the Mandarin's clutches, and Tony and Pepper have never actually been in a committed relationship.

[MichaelChen]

I think he meant gross that Tony fired him because of something so petty. In fact I'd say it crosses the moral event horizon. While it's not the vilest crime in the world, the incredibly pathetic pettiness of it destroys any empathy for Tony. It makes it impossible to care about whether he beats or loses to Mandarin.

[Mr. Nox]

So it seems they retconned in a new explanation on the rings? I seem to recall them being some form of alien tech of the same species as Fin Fang Foom.

[ironduke555]

So it seems they retconned in a new explanation on the rings? I seem to recall them being some form of alien tech of the same species as Fin Fang Foom.

Well Tony even admits being confused and wondering if he was getting his leg pulled.

[Nitz the Bloody]

I think he meant gross that Tony fired him because of something so petty. In fact I'd say it crosses the moral event horizon. While it's not the vilest crime in the world, the incredibly pathetic pettiness of it destroys any empathy for Tony. It makes it impossible to care about whether he beats or loses to Mandarin.

Something that he did over a decade ago?

[MichaelChen]

Doesn't matter when it happened in-story, the moment MF retconned it into existence he destroyed Iron Man.

[Vagabond]

I guess Happy was lucky not to get the same treatment (fired pettily) as Wyche back then.

[MichaelChen]

That wasn't luck, it's simply that Tony was written as a much more moral, sympathetic hero back then. This crossing of the moral event horizon is something retconned in that has broken that character. He's done, over.

[Vagabond]

That wasn't luck, it's simply that Tony was written as a much more moral, sympathetic hero back then. This crossing of the moral event horizon is something retconned in that has broken that character. He's done, over.

Nono, I agree with you. The fact Tony would treat an employee like that is plain daft, especially since Happy was right there, essentially doing the same thing.

[nosocialize100]

Well Tony even admits being confused and wondering if he was getting his leg pulled.

Yeah it was a bit on the nose when he says he doesn't know if he can believe him. That new origin is a bit too much like Green Lantern.