Born to wealth, his inheritance more then just monetary, Tony Stark received his fathers genius and business savvy, along with his mothers good nature and common sense . Bolstering these with a natural talent for engineering, along with a will of Iron, Anthony Stark became an even more accomplished businessman then his father. But tragedy struck the young Millionaire, trapping him , he thought at the time, forever, in a suit of Iron to match his inner resolve! Since then he has fought back against many trials and tribulations, conquering every one like a shining knight of old. His steel mesh armor acting as a weapon for good against the most hi-tech villains of all time! He is the shining warrior of the future! The Golden Avenger! He is the one and only, the invincible

IRON MAN

"All Your yesterdays"

Part I of IV

Prelude to disaster

By Ralph Angelo

Tony Stark sits hunched over his desk, stacks of paper fill every inch of it as he works tirelessly on one form after another , requiring either his simple signature, or more in depth ministrations. Finally , Stark leans back in his chair and breathes deeply.

"Whew, what a morning. I can't wait for this day to be over." He thinks aloud.

Then, the intercom on his desk glows momentarily, and a holographic image of Bambina Arbogast appears above his desk.

"Mister Stark, I have phone call here from a Miss Anniston. She claims to have met you at a party last weekend in the Hamptons at the Spielberg residence."

Stark smiles at the memories of the party, then speaks to the holographic image.

"Put her through Mrs. A ." All the while musing to himself "Brads loss is my gain."

Stark reaches over and punches a button on his phone . Then a bright young voice comes through.

"Hi Tony, how area you? I hope I'm not disturbing you, but I wanted to get in touch with you early in the week, to make sure you didn't fill up your weekends plans without me in there somewhere."

Tony laughs, "No Jen, I haven't forgotten you at all, how's Saturday night for you? I'm free as of now, though if you don't tell me yes , I may be crushed and have to find some other way to spend my free time this weekend."

Her slight giggle from the other end of the phone isn't masked at all, and her response is only slightly paused.

"Well......, right now I can fit you in between 6 and 9, but then I have another date between 9:30 and midnight, that time okay with you?"

Stark smiles silently at her joke, and answers .

"I think that'll work Jen, though with those hours you're allowing me I may have to put off my morning breakfast with the Princess in Monaco."

They both laugh heartily , and finally Tony continues.

"I'll have my driver pick you up at say 8ish?"

"That'll be fine Mister Stark." Answers the voice on the other end of the phone.

"Good Jen, I'll see you then."

An instant later Mr's Arbogasts image again flickers to life over the desk.

"Mr Stark, Mr Rhodes is on line 2."

"Good Mr's A, put 'im through."

The voice on the other end of the speaker phone line is that of Jim Rhodes, Tony's best friend in the world.

"Hey Stark, how's thing back in the Big Apple?"*

*Tony moved the corporate offices back to NY last issue.

"Not bad Rhodey. I'm finally settling in, though I don;'t think Mrs A has forgiven me yet for shuttling her all the way across the country again."

"Yeah, but she loves ya anyway, don't let 'er fool you boss-man."

"Maybe so Rhodey, but she's doing her best impression of a mad bear since we got back here. Speaking of back here, when are you going to be paying a visit? It's been a month since I came back this way, and since you own your own cargo air company, that also happens to be in my employ, you do have every excuse to pay your old buddy a visit. Besides, I met these twins who'd love to double with us for a night on the town. What do you say?"

Rhodey laughs, "Same ol' Tone. Listen man, I'll be in town next week, unless you need something delivered sooner, but until then I'll catch you next Wednesday. And those twins don't sound like a bad idea either big guy. I'll call you early next week man, take it easy."

"See you then Rhodey."

The phone call terminates, as Starks mind drifts back to a month earlier and the strange manifestation that drained his and Rhodeys, rather Iron Mans and War Machines power, as well as everything else everywhere for a matter of minutes. Everyone around the globe was effected by it, but it was a mercifully short problem. There were luckily few casualties world wide, and the powers that be have been investigating the occurrence ever since, to no avail.

Tony stands and stretches , looking out his office window onto the office park complex he's come to think of as his second home. Then, a buzzer goes off, as a light flashes red on his desk phone. He punches the button again , and this time it's not Mrs. Arbogasts voice on the other end.

"Mr Stark? This is Jefferies from Security at the Calverton airfield. We got a problem here sir, and I think we need Iron Man for this one."

"What are you talking about Jefferies? What's going on there?"

"The whole airfield sir---I-It's being covered by this thick dark stuff."

"What are you talking about? Make some sense Jefferies. The runways are being covered? The ground? What? "

"N-no Mr Stark, EVERYTHING is being covered, the buildings, the sky, everything, and i-its moving this way, slowly like an ink black cloud. I-I can't even see the hangers at all anymore. A-and it's comin' this way I-I NO! GET AWAY ! GET AWAY!--------bRRZZT!"

And the line goes dead.

Stark wastes no time , within a second he's dropping through a special tube he had constructed in the floor of his office, that weightlessly delivers him to a sub basement. Where he dons the armor that brings fear and loathing to the hearts of evil men everywhere, and smiles to the faces of the just and good, and then Iron Man is away! Rocketing out of a special underground launch tube, Iron Man heads immediately due east, towards Calverton , LI. The long abandoned airfield where Gorman Aerospace launched much of the nations military fighter jets during the Vietnam years and beyond. Space exploration vehicles were constructed on those grounds as well, but budget cuts and the move to disarm the military by the current politician in the White house led to that companies end . And with it many, many jobs in the area. Now though, Stark International has purchased the site and has put people back to work there, with the new Space Plane project. And nothing will threaten that project, not if Iron Man can help it!

"I-I don';t believe it." Stammers Stark, "The entire facility is gone! Hidden behind that wall, that floating cloud of blackness!" "That looks like Darkforce from here, and my sensors are confirming that now." Thinks Iron Man.

Suddenly a fist of solid darkness forms from the cloud surrounding that facility and fast as lightning, smashes Iron Man from the sky!

Boom!

"Whoa! Shouts the startled Iron Man, as he tumbles to the ground.

Regaining his footing Iron Man searches the cloud for a peek at what did this to him . And then he sees a figure emerging from the billowing cloud.

A tall , thin man, wearing a large brimmed black hat, and a cloak. His clothes are as if from the era of the Pilgrims, and his face is well worn and haggard. His long , white hair billows from under his hat, as he walks on air, out of the cloud, and towards the golden Avenger.

"Greetings Warrior, I am called Mr. Styg. I've been watching you Mr.Iron Man. You are a great hero to these people. But you are also a symbol of all that is evil and corrupt with this world."

Iron Man stands, fists at the ready, his body on a hair trigger, ready to strike!

"What do you want Styg, what are you babbling about? What are you doing to this building?"

"What I am doing Avenger, is drawing you out, to battle. You are the symbol of technology, the champion of those who relish the future and all its so called possibilities. Those are the ones who must pay! You will fall , and rest assured you will not be the last mechanical man. Your destruction will pave the way for the return to the ways of the past."

"I have no idea what you're going on about Styg, make sense before I drop you where you stand."

"Ever the brave warrior, the loyal bodyguard eh Mr. Iron Man? I represent those who would see the corrupt ways of this era banished, and a return to simpler times implemented. Your death will herald that return."

As he speaks , Styg closes his fist in the air, and suddenly a fist of darkness leaps towards Iron Man, but Shellhead is faster than that, he ignites his boot jets , and rockets away, to return the attack, with a blast of repulser rays!

Shrraak!

"You'll have to do better then that Styg."

Styg, raises his arms, and the darkness envelopes the repulser bolts, nullifying their affect!

"Oh I will Mr Iron Man, I will. Watch!"

Styg stretches his arms out towards Iron Man , and darkness streaks towards him.

"Can't let that stuff touch me." Thinks Stark, as he rockets away from it, but the darkness changes direction, and speeds after him , gaining on his quickly angling form, as he zigs and zags back and forth, trying to avoid the reaching darkness, but ultimately failing! The darkness grabs him and immediately halts his forward motion , no matter how much his boot rockets strain!

"I've got to get free of this ...stuff, now!"

Iron Man activates a positive energy charge through his armors skin, jolting Mr. Styg through his connection with the strange blackness that grips Stark.

Zaarrk!

"Unngghh, impressive Iron Man, I had not considered my familiarity with the darkness would leave me vulnerable to your powers over a distance."

"You learn something new everyday, you ghoul."

Iron Man streaks in close to Styg, shaking off the remnants of Styg's darkness to ram into his enemy with Earth shaking power!

Boom!

"You underestimated me Styg. Just like many others before you. You got overconfident."

Styg rolls away from Iron Man, to fire blackness from his left hand again, this time to envelop Iron Mans helmet! Not only to envelop it, but to infiltrate it! Through the mouth and eye holes the darkness pours in to Iron Mans armor!

"It seems Avenger, that Mr. Styg was not the one who became overconfident, doesn't it? What is wrong Mr Iron Man? Cat got your tongue? Hahahahahahahahahaa......"

And Stygs laughter fills the air around them.......

Next : More fun and games with Mr Styg and friends.

Armored assualts

C/[email protected]

Great issue, my man! My guess is the only person happier that you've brought

back War Machine would be TJ! And I like how despite apologies and hand

shakes all around, the Rhodey/Tony dynamic is still fairly rocky in spots.

This issue really seemed to channel some of the best of the Keminski era,

and that my friend is a definite complement. As always, I look forward to

your next issue.

Miry Clay

(who still finds it a touch odd you aren't writing Thor anymore.)

Well I'm having a great time with Shell head, Clay And Matt is doing a great job with Thor, so it's a good deal all around

Another great issue ralph! Iron Man is the one MV1 series i've read

consistantly, and i really like the way you're working War Machine/Jim

Rhodes back in to the fold. The "live in the suit" action was really great,

those kinds of scene's are my favorite thing about Iron Man. It's a chance

to really see how the hero is working, plus its really really cool.

I must also say I really prefer reading your stories when they aren't

artificially broken up into pages or divided up in script form. I can see

that the same plot elements exist, when comparing the two forms, but I feel

as though the regular old story form delivers a more enjoyable read.

Keep up the action, and keep War Machine involved, Jim Rhodes is one of my

favorite heroes and i love what you're doing w/him in MV1.

nick

Wow, Thank You Nick! I hope you liekd this issue too. I know this one was a long time in coming, but they'll be back on track after this.

Hey Ralph! Well, this was an excellent issue! I am very glad to see Jim

Rhodes back in the saddle as War Machine. His defeat of the Iron Drones

was very cool! The blackout affect worldwide was interesting... Is this

connected to the Powerloss event? (Which I still don't understand.)

Either way, I can't wait to see how this whole thing goes. Keep up the

great work!

TJB

What would a letters page be like without a letter from my favorite letter writer, TJ? Very cool! This is in no way connected to Powerloss, as you'll see in the next three issues....