Iron Man #308 — Nick Peron

Aug 8

Aug 8 Iron Man #308

Terminal Emulation

While searching cyberspace for the individual responsible for attacking his company, Tony Stark discovered that it was the work of an artificial intelligence called VORTEX. Their battle over the Internet came to an abrupt end when the AI managed to escape through an open port and download itself into Tony Stark’s body, leaving Iron Man trapped on the Internet.[1]

Although disorientated in its new body, VORTEX manages to trick Abe Zimmer and Bethany Cabe into thinking it is really Tony Stark. However, Stark Enterprises’ resident hacker Philip Grant takes not of “Tony’s” peculiar mode speech as VORTEX tries to nail down a normal human speech pattern.

Heading up to Tony Stark’s office, VORTEX tells Bambi Arbogast that he is not to be disturbed. Once alone, VORTEX revels in his new body of flesh. Coming across a bottle of bourbon that Tony keeps in his office to test of sobriety, VORTEX senses the his new body’s desire for alcohol.[2] VORTEX opens the bottle and chugs down the expensive liquor and revels in the sensation of getting drunk.

Meanwhile, Iron Man is trying to get back into the Stark Enterprises database in an effort to free himself. However, he finds opposition from the new firewall installed after recent hacks on their databases.[3]

While in China, the Mandarin has woken up from a months long coma with a new mission in life.[4] He has returned to the Valley of the Dragon, the site of his last defeat and searches the region for his missing rings of power. He begins finding them discarded about the region and his quest takes him up the side of a mountain. When he recovers the last of the ten rings he looks up and sees a mysterious castle beckoning to him off in the distance.

Back at Stark Enterprises, a drunken VORTEX decides to test out the desires of the flesh by paying a visit to Veronica Benning, Tony’s current girlfriend. She is working out in the exercise room when VORTEX tried to have sex with her. Seeing that Tony is drunk she tries to tell him she’s not interest. “Tony” won’t take no for an answer and tries to force himself on her. Veronica fights “Stark” off and runs off, telling him to stay away from her. Furious at being rejected, VORTEX vows to kill her.

Downstairs, Philip Grant has been looking into his hunch and has noticed that “Tony’s” brain patterns were very different than they were when he first went into cyberspace. Searching the computer for clues he suddenly gets a message from the real Tony Stark, who explains what happened and asks Philip for help.

As Philip Grant works with the real Tony Stark to build a robotic body to temporary transfer his mind into, VORTEX decides to get revenge against his creator. Heading down to Tony Stark’s private lab, VORTEX puts on a suit of Iron Man armor and heads to Microware Inc. and begins trashing the place as he searches for his programmer, Dr. Hoffsteader. When he gets to Hoffsteader, VORTEX reveals its true identity to him before snapping the scientists neck. Moments later, Tony arrives in his new mechanical body and vows to do whatever it takes to stop VORTEX and get his body back.

Recurring Characters

Iron Man, VORTEX, Abe Zimmer, Bethany Cabe, Veronica Benning, Philip Grant, HOMER, Mandarin

Continuity Notes

VORTEX had been manipulating corporate enemies of Stark Enterprises to attack the company in the hopes of luring Stark onto the Internet in order to steal his body. This was first noted back in Iron Man #287. VORTEX stole Tony’s body last issue.
By this time, Tony Stark had conquered a long struggle with alcohol, having suffered two destructive benders in Iron Man #120-128 and 167-182. He has been sober ever since.
Before being hired on by Tony, Philip Grant hacked into Stark Enterprises’ computers to steal data and leak it to the media. This happened in Iron Man #300.
The Mandarin had been in a coma following the Dragon Seed Saga which took place in Iron Man #270-275. He awoke from his coma in issue #306.