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September
Year 1 |
We begin where our last issue left off. Iron Man, who has come to Germany in order to find out why construction on SE's new Berlin offices has been delayed, kneels on the ground in front of the hotel he has been staying at in his guise as Tony Stark. In front of him stands a man who claims to be the original Unicorn, long thought to be dead. The Unicorn has severely damaged the structure of the hotel, and has laid Iron Man low.
"I've got to stop him and keep the building from collapsing," thinks Iron Man.
"You're mine Iron Man! At last I will have my revenge! And once I'm finished with you, I'm going in that hotel to kill Tony Stark!"
"He certainly sounds as crazy as the old Unicorn if he thinks he can walk into this collapsing hotel," Iron Man thinks. "You're too late for Stark, Unicorn. I flew him to safety as soon as you started attacking. You'll never be able to find him," Iron Man states.
"NO! I will not be denied!" The Unicorn unleashes another blast from his power horn at Iron Man, but Iron Man activates the energy shield in his gauntlet to block the blast. The Unicorn prepares to fire again, but he hears a booming voice in a reciever inside his helmet.
"Unicorn! You have squandered your opportunity to dispatch Stark quickly! Return to base - the privelege of destroying Iron Man is mine alone!"
"Yes. Your will is my will."
Iron Man wonders who the Unicorn could be talking to, when suddenly a sky- cycle streaks down from above. The Unicorn quickly hops aboard and leaves. "I want to follow him, but I've got to keep the hotel from toppling," thinks our hero. Iron Man takes to the air, rushing to the Stark Enterprises construction site a few miles away. "It's a good thing I insisted on staying near the site," he reflects. "Everything I need should be here." Iron Man grabs several large steel beams which were to be used in the construction of the new offices. Upon returning to the hotel, he builds a makeshift framework to support the building in mere minutes. "It's not a perfect fix, but it'll hold long enough for everyone to evacuate and more permanent repairs to be made."
Interlude: Once again, we return to the now familiar offices and our mystery villain, who is giving instructions to his aide. "Make plans for the trip to Los Angeles in a few weeks. I believe we'll soon have Stark where we want him. Let's be a bit generous to him in the interval. Tell our German friends to allow construction to continue at the Berlin site."
"Yes, sir," replies the aide. "But what of your other allies?"
"Tell them they may do as they wish."
The next day, Tony Stark (after getting a night's sleep at some hastily found accomodations) and Yvette Avril meet with more German officials, expecting to endure more of the legal red tape they had been through the previous day. To their surprise, they have been informed that the matter has been resolved, and that construction may proceed as originally planned. They adjourn to the temporary facilities Stark has leased in Berlin.
"I don't like this, Yvette. The situation with the local government had gotten so bad I flew all the way out here to straighten it out, but I don't even have time to start a good argument with them before everything suddenly clears up. Someone's definitely behind this, and I've got a feeling I know who."
"Who do you think it is?" inquires Yvette.
"Justin Hammer. He's been a thorn in my side for years," replies Tony. "Sometimes it seems he attacks me to simply remind me he's there... other times he's got something up his sleeve. And if he's been behind all the problems I've had since I regained SE, he must have a plan. I've got to find out what it is."
Meanwhile, in an undisclosed location, the Unicorn is in conversation with his partner. "Other, why couldn't I have had the pleasure of destroying Iron Man? I owe him so much pain and suffering!"
The massive form of the Other is silhoutted, but we see two small glowing eyes. "Iron Man was not as weakened as you thought. Besides, I have pre- pared a weapon that will rid us of Iron Man forever. The privelege of using it will be mine and mine alone. Our ally informs us we need no longer to attack Stark to repay our debt. Our target is now Iron Man alone. Now you must rest and prepare for the next battle."
The Unicorn dutifully lies down in a capsule, which seals itself. A mild sleeping agent is induced into the capsule's oxygen supply by the Other, who then activates an audio message inside the capsule that provides hypnotic suggestions to the Unicorn. "This fool's mind is so deteriorated, it is child's play to convince him that I am his precious Other. I could not believe my good fortune when I found his body in suspended animation in the Atlantic Ocean all those months ago. A chemical analysis of his blood revealed that the chemicals Stark had used to place him in suspended animation and the freak accident that released him from that state had caused many changes in his body (see Iron Man #s 114 and 154 - Semi-Animated Matt). Not only had the deterioration caused by his increased powers ceased, but now his body undergoes periods of suspended animation. Apparently, his body reverted into this state when he wandered into the ocean. If I hadn't found him, he may have resumed conciousness while in the water and drowned. Now, I can counteract his hibernations through a chemical in the sleeping agent I feed into his capsule. Fortunately, that also provides me with the opportunity to implant in his addled mind the idea that I am his precious Other, and that he must obey my every command!"
That evening the red and gold form of the invincible Iron Man flies over the streets of Berlin. Iron Man ponders his situation. "If Hammer is behind my recent troubles, I feel like I should get back to California to prepare for what may be coming. But I can't leave Berlin now, with the Unicorn on the loose. Whoever sent him after me called off the attack for some reason- if Hammer's behind the Unicorn, I've got to put him out of commission first."
Suddenly, Iron Man's sensors begin detecting an unusual energy signature. "That looks like the same type of reading I picked up when the Unicorn blasted me! Somehow, this seems a little too easy, but I've got to invest- igate." Iron Man homes in on the source of the energy signature. "It's moving - but I can catch it easily." Iron Man follows the signal to a large, nondescript building just outside of the city. There, the signal suddenly disappears. "This is definitely a trap, but I can't risk the Unicorn running free. I've got to go in."
Iron Man silently enters the darkened building. His radar and infared scanners are automatically activated. He soon picks up the form of the Unicorn. He switches on his Unibeam in light mode. The Unicorn stands still, grinning. "I knew you'd come! The Other said you would!" laughs the Unicorn.
"The Other? You can't mean--?"
"That is correct, Iron Man," a voice booms from behind as the lights sudden- ly switch on. Iron Man whirls to see the figure looming behind him. "It is I- the TITANIUM MAN!!"
Next: Just who is this guy calling himself the Titanium Man? What weapon does he have that can defeat Iron Man? Can Iron Man defeat the Titanium Man and the Unicorn? Has Justin Hammer been the one behind Iron Man's problems? The only way you'll find out the answers to all these questions is by being here next issue!
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