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

Iron Man #365

The consequences of yesterday

The Conclusion of the yesterday agenda

By Ralph L. Angelo Jr.

What has gone before Dept... Last issue, Iron Man and War Machine tracked the mysterious "Yesterday Coalition" to a rather conspicuous headquarters in Dallas, Texas. While War Machine went there, Iron Man went to visit a supposed victim of the coalitions experiments. That brings us up to now...

Simultaneously... In Kentucky , the man known as Mr Krillee laughs gleefully as he slashes his energy sparking claw-like hand down through the back of Iron Mans helmet, and skull. In Texas, the Water Wizard blasts War Machine again with a solid geyser of battering ram dense water from the surrounding fountains , while Firebrand burns his armor from behind!

"Arrgghh!" Both men, hundreds of miles apart scream simultaneously.

Iron Man hits the ground like a dead weight, as Krillee laughs maniacally . War Machine gets to his feet painfully, as he fires off two repulser blasts, his suit automatically targeting his enemies, and blasting them out of the sky, but suddenly, surprisingly a blast of ice coats War Machines armor from behind, freezing him, and the water still clinging to him solid! Then, a pained Water Wizard again causes water to leap from the fountains, and to cover War Machine, as another blast from behind turns them to ice.

Instantly, all the circuit breakers in the suit go off, the limits of their abilities reached and exceeded. War Machine drops to the ground like a hunk of wood. From out of the shadows, and a nearby doorway walks a third assailant, the one responsible for the ice blasts.

"Blizzard!" growls Jim Rhodes between clenched teeth.

"That's right Iron Man Jr., now go to sleep." Laughs Blizzard, as he again freezes the very air around War machine solid.

Hours later...

Iron Man awakens to find himself hanging in mid air in some form of energy web, next to him hangs War Machine.

"Wake up War Machine, .c'mon partner, we have a problem."

Slowly, War Machine regains consciousness, at Iron Mans verbal prodding.

"W-what are you doing here? I thought you were in Kentucky?"

"I was War Machine, last I remember. I went to see that Mr Krillee, and the last thing I remember was walking through his door. Then I felt blinding , numbing pain, then nothing."

"Great. We must've been out a while."

"What's your story, War Machine? How'd they get you?"

"I went to the Headquarters of the Yesterday Coalition, like we talked about, then before I could even knock, I was attacked by Water Wizard and Firebrand."

"Firebrand? He's supposed to be long dead!"

"I know, but it don't stop there. I know I coulda taken those two losers out, but when the Blizzard cheap shot me, well , lets just say it was to late then for anything."

"Wonderful. Okay, we have to get out of here, that much is obvious, but I don't think we should rush things. I want to know what's going on here , first."

At that moment, the door in their cell-like room opens, and a man clad in a white cloak and hood enters, his face covered by a similar horizontal white cloth. He walks over to a small control panel on a pedestal in the otherwise austere room, and checks a few controls, glancing upwards at the two heroes suspended in mid air above him.

"Hey, you. We want to speak to someone in charge." Shouts Iron Man, getting the mans attention.

"You will receive a visit from the master soon enough, technological dog ."

Without another word, the man turns and leaves.

"You catch the accent , War Machine? "

"Yeah, sounded middle eastern."

"Yes, it did. So we know this group has members from around the world, judging by our friend in the Iron Monger suit* and this mensa member that just left us."

*See Last Issue

"So what does that mean? Besides that they hire the equally insane?"

"Not much, my friend. But it is something to work with."

Then, the walls around them flash life, as they suddenly become dozens of video screens, all linked together to show one image, a man in a white robe, trimmed with gold. He has a long brown beard, and short , tight woven hair, with lightning bolts dyed in it on either side.. His eyes stare with an intense , and evil gleam. Magnified many times by the size of the image. Then, he speaks to his two captives.

"Gentlemen, I see that you are awake. Good,.I wanted you to bear witness to the end of an era here on our beautiful world. You both were our primary foes, especially you Iron Man. You are the champions of the technological, and thus, in place to be our most hated enemies."

"You can't possibly be serious about turning the world back technologically to a point over a hundred years in the past.?" Asks Iron Man calmly, with a hint of incredulousness to his voice.

"Hahaha, of course I am Iron Man. Even though we had to use your own evil against you, technology, we knew our agenda would prevail."

War Machine shakes his head where he hangs in the air , "So you mean to tell me you really think the rest of the world is gonna buy into this garbage? You think no one outta billions a' people are gonna stand against you when you pull your little stunt here? Man, you are deluding yourself."

"No War Machine, you are the deluded one. You see, once this is over, there will be no turning back. Gentlemen, behold the Archivist crystal!"

He stands aside, with a wave of his hand, and there , behind him on a platform hums and pulses a bright blue crystal, the size of a small car.

"Shell head, what the heck is that thing?"

"I can only guess War Machine. And I don't like what my assumptions are coming together as."

"Ah , my friends. You see this crystal was an artifact that was old when Atlantis was new. Its purpose , very simply, is to absorb all powers and energies broadcast around the world. It was created by a sorcerer in antediluvian times, whose identity has been long since forgotten. He created this crystal with virginal sacrifices to a heathen godlike demonic force. He wanted to use it to halt the flow of progress in his era. But ultimately failed. Now, after a lifetime of searching, I have found the relic you see before you. The relic that will make my fondest wish a reality. The world will be forced back to a simpler, more serene time."

"Whether they like it or not?"

"Yes Iron Man, whether they like it or not. There is no choice in the matter."

"So you're makin' this decision for billions of people , worldwide."

"Correct, War Machine, I am."

"Real nice attitude you got there, buddy. So what you say goes, and no one else even has to think about it. What about all those people who are gonna die when you hit that switch, or whatever it is you're using to trigger that thing? Don't they count? The ones in hospitals around the world who're countin' on life support, as well as the ones in planes that 're gonna drop from the sky like rocks."

The man sighs, and smiles.

"Gentlemen, you know the old saying about breaking a few eggs to make an omelet, I'm sure."

"This is no omelet you madman. We're talking about wholesale carnage on a worldwide scale! All because you and a few hundred of your followers want to set things back to the way they were two centuries ago. You're insane."

"Perhaps, Iron Man. Or perhaps I'm merely a visionary, whose time has come. Only the history that will be written will tell for sure."

"Yeah, written with a quill an' a ink well, if you get your way."

"And I will War Machine, I will."

"Who are you? What's your name, you maniac?"

"I suppose it doesn't matter now, you may call me "Clarindon"

And with that , he reaches forwards, and terminates the connection, as the walls go dark around the two captive men.

"Tony, we haveta get outta here, and stop this nut. This time the fate of the world really does rely on us."

"I know , old friend, I know."

"Well what are we gonna do?"

"I'm thinking War Machine. Give me a minute."

Cybernetically, Stark triggers his armors internal scans, and immediately the suit hums to life.

"Hhhmmm." He muses aloud.

"What is it I-Man?"

"My suit's back online. This is some kind of stasis field holding us still. But whatever Krillee did to my suit has been fixed by the self repair protocols built in."

"Yeah, so we both got smart suits, what good is it gonna do us if this guy shuts the big light switch, world wide?"

"Nothing my friend, I was just thinking aloud. Try to trigger your suits energy field generator charge, on a frequency of 10/100ths to the 4^th power, through the armors skin."

"Done, but it ain't doin' anything. What now?"

"Now , I do the same, but on a negative polarity."

Ba-BOOM!

The resulting explosion immediately turns the room to dust around the men, as they're buried beneath the rubble. All about the complex , alarm klaxons sound loudly, as white robed and hooded soldiers run towards where the two heroes lie, guns in hand, ready to attack Iron Man , and War Machine!

Ta-KOW !

The rubble explodes upwards, as the two gleaming armored titans fly out of the wreckage, towards the small army of white garbed troops entering the once room they were held captive in.

"Whoa Shell head! Warn me next time that's gonna happen! My teeth are still chattering in my head!"

"Sorry War Mach, but it couldn't be helped. You take the left bank of fanatics, I'll take the right."

"Done , hero." Answers War Machine grimly, as he steps forward

Both men fly into action, as bullets and 'beams bounce off their armor harmlessly. Grimly they return fire. Repulser blasts singe the air with humming power, as the two armored knights methodically down their enemies.

Suddenly four costumed figures burst through the shattered wall from the hallway!

"Iron Man!" Shouts War Machine, "The serious stuff is comin' fast!"

"Okay, I'll handle Krillee, I owe him. "

"Yeah, well I feel the same 'bout those three stiffs who got the jump on me."

"Then they're all yours . If you need a hand, yell."

"No sweat Avenger."

Suddenly The Blizzard, Water Wizard, and Firebrand leap towards War Machine, and right behind them is Krillee, laughing maniacally!

"So, you two escaped! Good, good. Now I can finish my first kill! Heeheeheee!"

Iron Man fires his repulsers into Krillee's chest squarely, and in one smooth motion, blowing the cackling madman through a wall!

"I don't think so, psychopath."

Ca-KOOM!

He turns towards Rhodey, who's firing from his wrist mounted mini gun, scattering the villains .

"If you need me, call. I'm going to mop this guy up."

"Don't say it, man. Do it!" Is War Machines response, as he slams the Blizzard backwards with a powerful right, the villains ice beams spraying everywhere.

Iron Man flies after Krillee, who suddenly leaps through a doorway , onto Shell heads back, his hands both morphed into the arcing, glowing ebon claws he used earlier. He slashes at Iron Man, his hand passing through his shoulder and arm, and out the other side!

"AGGGHH! " Screams I M in pain, as he drops to the floor haphazardly, but almost instantly rolling to his feet!

"W-what'd you do to me?"

"Hee hee. Iron Man, my hands are like your friends the Visions, only mine fire off electrical impulses when I phase through people. Time to die!"

He leaps towards Iron Man, who immediately activates his uni-beams solar ray !

Fwash!

"Arrr!" Howls Krillee, as his hair begins to burn, and his body almost catches fire from the intense heat blast!

"Sorry, you lunatic, But you're going down, and hard!"

Pa-KOW!

Iron Man's left cross smashes the disoriented villain from his feet, and through yet another wall, where he lands limply, in a heap.

Only then, does Iron Man grasp his right arm and shoulder, which seem to hang almost uselessly at his side.

That hurt, a lot. My whole arm and shoulder are numb. Plus the suit is registering damage to several key circuits. The self repair program's going to take a few minutes to bypass the damaged areas.

Suddenly, the Blizzard is tossed unceremoniously through the shattered wall, and into the hallway of the sprawling complex, where Iron Man stands.

Looks like Rhodey is taking care of business, good. Time to find that Crystal, and stop the end of the world as we know it!

With a burst exhaust, and a roar of flame, Iron Man rockets off! His suits sensors unerringly guiding him towards the strange gem in question! It's mystical radiations easily recognizable to the amazing armors scanning array, as he flies along, towards his goal.

"I've spent enough time going against mystical types, as well as fighting side by side with Dr. Strange, to have my sensors configured for mystic acquisition."

Back with War Machine...

Zark! Zark!

Rhodey fires his repulsers at the swiftly flying Firebrand, who deftly avoids each blast, and then easily returns fire! Nearby, Water Wizard lays in a heap

Shhh-KOW!

"Unnghh!" Growls War Machine, as he takes a direct hit. "This is no good he's a lot more maneuverable then me in these closed quarters. Gotta take this outside, now!"

Ta-KOW!

War Machines pulse bolt cannon suddenly swivels up from his back-pack, and fires immediately, a wide scattered blast! One that smashes Firebrand ,as well as the ceiling, roof and several tons of debris upwards, and away!

Instantly , War Machine is outside, as his enemy painfully gets to one knee, trying to stand.

"Stay down man. I'll put you right back where you are if you get up again."

"No way, Avenger. I've had enough of you and Iron Mans meddling over the years. This is where I help the world become the better place it was meant to be!"

Firebrand fires another blast of heat, but this time like a quick draw gunfighter of old, War Machine draws first , sending a blast of repulser energy into the fallen villain, finishing him off in one motion!

"Finally. These punks were tough. But even more annoyin' was that at least this guy here was supposed ta be dead. I wonder what the story there is?"*

*See last years Punisher Mini series for the answer.

"No time ta even think about it now. I better find Tone, and see how he's doing."

Inside the sprawling complex, Iron Man lands in its a room at its center, where a huge glowing , pulsing Crystal sits . His back to Iron Man, his white and gold robes flowing about him, stands the man known as "Clarindon"

"You cannot stop me Iron Man. I will still make the world over in the image it was created to be, before mans foul touch ruined paradise."

"Back off , Clarindon, you've lost. This stupidity is over. No one in their right mind wants the world turned back to the days of non running water and no electricity. Give up now, and we can both walk away from here, without you being hurt."

"Hahaha, you're very confident , aren't you Avenger? This is my moment of triumph, and you are its lone witness."

Clarindon stands on a catwalk above the Crystal, and suddenly , he throws himself over the railing, at the floor far below , where the crystal sits!

"Nooooo!" Shouts Iron man as he leaps towards the man , trying to catch him, but he's to late! Clarindon touches the Crystal, as he falls into it, and suddenly, the crystal itself seems to shrink, to recede from view, and then it fades from view altogether, to leave a glowing suddenly blue skinned Clarindon!

"So Iron Man, now we're on an even scale, or actually you're on the low end of this battle!"

He waves his hand, and suddenly Iron Man is hurled backwards , as if from a colossal fist.!

POOM!

"OOFF" Yells Iron Man, as he turns his hurtling tumble into controlled flight with his boot jets, spinning in mid air, he rockets into Clarindon like a runaway freight train!

POW!

"I don't know how you did what you just did Clarindon, but there's no way I'm letting you decide the fate of the world."

Both men smash through solid steel walls, as Iron Man is heaved away like a toy by Clarindon.

"You are beneath me now , Iron Man. Even now my power is beginning the transformation. Within minutes, this world will be remade in my vision of what it's supposed to be."

"Never you megalomaniac! Not so long as there is breath left within me !"

He fires his repulsers at Clarindon , who simply waves them away, they split around him, as he laughs.

Suddenly War Machine is there, slamming into Clarindon from behind, in headlong flight.

BOOM!

"You okay Shell head?"

"Yes, War Mach. Lets just put this guy away, before it's to late."

"You delude yourself , Iron Man. I am unstoppable, my will be done."

"I don't think so , psycho."

Iron man fires his pulse bolts, and this time, Clarindon energy splitting technique doesn't work, as he's smashed from his feet. Surprise is written all over his face.

"That's impossible! I should be able to absorb and channel any energy, as did the Crystal."

He raises himself to his feet, and waves his hand at Iron man, and again the golden avenger is hammered back, but this time War Machine fires his pulse cannon at Clarindon, almost simultaneously with the villains attack on Tony.

Ba-BOW!

"Unnnhh!" Howls Clarindon in pain, the lightning bolts on his head glowing with energy. "This cannot be! Neither of you should be able to stand against me!"

Now it's Iron Mans turn, as he fires his Pulse Bolts once more , again Clarindon is swept away.

Thoom!

"Noooo I'll kill you both!" He fires lightning from his eyes , that pins Iron Man to wall, but then War Machine levels his Pulse cannon once more

Ba-KOOM!

Clarindon is blown through the outer wall, and into the courtyard outside the facility, where both heroes fly out after him immediately.

"Iron Man," Begins Rhodey, "Is it my imagination, or is he?..."

"Growing, yes. It msut be a side effect of the energy absorption. Luckily, he can't absorb the pulse bolt frequency so easily. We have to keep up the pressure,. It's our only chance. He can't stop us, as well as absorb all ambient energy, like that damned crystal could."

"Okay man, lets give it everything we've got, right now, we're all that stands between him and victory."

Both armored heroes turn towards Clarindon, and release their pulse energy weapons once more, this time non stop! Before their eyes, Clarindon grows larger and larger!

"Noooo! What are you doing to me? I-I'm burning up Stop it! Stop it!", He screams, as his eyes spark. And glow frantically!

"It's no good Tony! He's still absorbin' it all! He's gonna win! I can feel the suit startin' ta slow down! Look around us man, look at the lights!"

Iron Man turns and all around him, street lights and everything in sight flicker and dim.

"Time's running out, I've got no choice..."

He flies straight into Clarindon , his gauntlets glowing with his full , awesome power.

"You think you can handle the worlds energy, Clarindon? Then try mine on , all at once!"

Iron Man rams his hands into the wavering form of Clarindon, embedding them into the giant form , as he releases his suits entire reserve of power through his pulse bolts, while his hands are inside the villain !

BA-Da-Da BOOOMM!

The explosion shakes the very ground like an earthquake! As debris and dust fly everywhere!

War machine is hurled a mile by the force of it, before he finally rights himself and rockets back.

"TONY! TONY! Don't do this to me, man. Where are you?"

"He's gotta be alive, he's gotta!" He thinks as he begins to shovel through the debris and wreckage. "My sensors say the suits here, but is Tone alive?"

Suddenly a gleaming golden glove is seen, as Rhodey redoubles his effort, heaving tons of stone and concrete away like feathers. Finally...

"Talk to me Tony, c'mon man."

Rhodey lifts the limp form of Iron Man upwards, the armor burned and singed by the powerful blast.

"I-I will Rhodey, if you stop shouting a minute."

"Whoa, you okay?"

"Not really, Jim. My multi-phasic power cells are burned out, and I don't have enough energy left to even stand. I dumped everything I had into him. He- he shattered! "

"I know , man. I saw. Nothin' you coulda done Tone. It was either him, or the world. Here, let me help you."

War Machine removes a cable form his waist pod, and hands it to Iron Man, who hooks it up to his own suit. Energy feeds from War Machine to Iron Man, enough to recharge his back up power cells, and then both men take to the air. Simultaneously they look around them, at the "Yesterday Coalitions", complex, which is no more! It was leveled by the power of the incredible explosion.

"He almost won , Rhodey. If he didn't absorb the crystal, he probably would've. That was close. Closer then I would've liked it to be."

"I know Tony. But in the end, the good guys won. That's what counts. Now I can go home and watch "Buffy" on the VCR, I wouldn't be able to do even that if he had won."

Both men laugh nervously, as they jet north-east. Meanwhile , half a world away in Madripoor, two men watch a beautiful auburn haired woman make a phone call in a Victorian style bed chamber, from a hidden camera.

"She does our bidding." The first man speaks, his long hair and clipped accent revealing his oriental heritage.

"I know. She does not even realize we let her make the phone call, so total is her indoctrination." Answers the second, light gleaming off his bald pate.

The first turns back to him, "How goes our other experiment?"

"It's over, as we expected, Stark and his lackey defeated the fanatics. Which is just what we wanted anyway."

"Perhaps. But it would have been glorious in a way to have the world turned back to an era which my ancestors would have approved of."

"You dwell in the past to much, my friend." answers the first, as he pours himself some coffee, then offers the pot towards his associate.

"No thank you, I prefer tea, as you well know."

The second man merely shrugs, setting the coffee pot back down.

The long haired man turns, his back towards his partner. "I take my leave of you now, to begin the final phase of our long term plan."

"Very well. Go then, I'll handle our new "Guest" when he arrives, while you ready the final , killing stroke we so masterfully devised."

The oriental bows towards his partner, ten gleaming rings sparkle on his hands.

"Safe journey , Mandarin." Speaks the other, obviously American man.

The Mandarin turns and leaves, as the hidden man pours another cup of coffee, musing to himself. "And so it begins in earnest , after all these years. If the Mandarin had not sought me out, I would have been happy to remain hidden in the shadows for the rest of my days. But I suppose it's better this way. Revenge is within my grasp at last. Something I never thought I'd say again. Won't Stark be surprised when he finally realizes who's been orchestrating events around him? He'll be surprised to say the least. After all, it's been years since he's seen Obadiah Stane!"

And with that, Stane laughs , long and hard, into the warm Madripoor night...

Armored Assaults C/O [email protected]

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