Tony Stark, a.k.a. Iron Man, and Reed Richards, a.k.a. Mister Fantastic, go back a long way. The founding Avenger and leader of the Fantastic Four have teamed up on numerous superhero adventures, as well sat on the Illuminati together and were aligned during the Civil War event to enforce the Superhero Registration Act. Plus, as two of the smartest people on Earth, Tony and Reed have collaborated on many scientific endeavors together.
Yet, despite their similarities, Tony and Reed have also had their share of differences, though this usually doesn’t progress past arguing or spirited debate. However, events unfolding in the Iron Man comic book will soon take their relationship in an antagonistic direction. Once Reed and Tony become enemies, that will result in the latter getting a new codename.
Tony Stark Is Becoming ‘The Incarcerated Iron Man’
Iron Man #11, Written by Joshua Williamson, Art By Juann Cabal, Cover Art By Ryan Stegman
The solicitation for November’s Iron Man #11 reveals that the Fantastic Four are among the “people closest” to Tony who’ve been monitoring him. Eventually, Reed and his wife Sue, a.k.a. The Invisible Woman, decide it’s time to personally confront him. While it’s left unclear why Reed and Sue have been keeping an eye on Tony, the confrontation will “lead him into becoming the Incarcerated Iron Man,” indicating he’ll be thrown into prison.
While that’s all the information that was shared in this solicitation, Iron Man writer Joshua Williamson previously revealed at San Diego Comic-Con that the “Incarcerated Iron Man” arc will begin in Issue #12. In the aftermath of the Armageddon event, Tony will be sent to The Vault, with Dr. Karla Sofen, a.k.a. Moonstone, now serving as its warden. It wouldn’t be surprising to learn if Reed developed the cell Tony will be held in.
Per Williamson, the incarceration happens because “Tony has accepted his role as the Marvel Universe’s most dangerous hero and believes the Vault is the safest place for him to be” due to “dangerous technology making it out into the wild and his increasingly reckless behavior being scrutinized by the public.” Unfortunately for him, The Vault is also where many members of Iron Man’s rogues gallery are also being held.
Tony Stark Has A History With Captivity
This shake-up between Iron Man and two of the Fantastic Four’s members comes as the former is going through some major changes in his life, even by his standards. At the end of Iron Man #5, he formed Stark’s School of Super-Science, comprised of the scientists A.I.M. forced to create Iron Man-like suits of armor, though this coercion ultimately didn’t produce any results. Whiplash also returned earlier this month to see revenge against Tony, and the solicitation for Iron Man #10 revealed that the identity of the new Citizen V will be revealed.
While every superhero inevitably gets taken captive by an enemy at least once, if not many times, Tony in particular has a history of being held against his will. The reason he became Iron Man was because he was captured by terrorists and forced to build them weaponry. Instead, the billionaire industrialist crafted his first suit of advanced armor to both escape and sustain his heart, which had been damaged by shrapnel.
Even the current run of Iron Man has already shown him being taken captive by A.I.M. thanks to his old fling Whitney Frost, a.k.a. Madame Masque. That’s how he was able to rescue the aforementioned scientists and bring them together as his most important team since the Avengers. The one scientist who got left behind, Adam Ware, used his technopathy to kill Fixer and take control of A.I.M. Since then, Tony’s been on the hunt for Whitney and the criminal organization, but is unaware of Adam’s survival.
Iron Man #11 will be released Wednesday, November 4 by Marvel Comics.
- Died
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2023 (in the MCU)
- Alias
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Iron Man
- RELATIONSHIPS
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Jude (biological father), Amanda Armstrong (biological mother), Howard Stark (adoptive father), Maria Stark (adoptive mother), Arno Stark (brother)
