There’s a new Iron Man in town, as Tony Stark clashes with his official replacement. After more than sixty years as Marvel’s Armored Avenger, Tony’s successor has arrived in a big way.
Madame Masque’s AIM Just Created “The New Tony Stark”
iron man 5 cover showing tony fighting his official replacement-1
Marvel recently released solicit information for Iron Man #5, revealing that Tony will finally fight his dark replacement. Over the course of Iron Man Volume 8, AIM has been trying to produce their own Tony Stark – now, they’ve succeeded. The result is the powerful “Advanced Iron Man.” The issue synopsis reads:
ADVANCED IRON MAN ATTACKS! Madame Masque and A.I.M. have won. They unleashed their very own battle armor made from the new technology built by the “new Tony Stark” and now it wants to kill the real Tony Stark. Tony must confront his own nightmares before he can survive. But even if he makes it out of this one alive… he will witness the creation of his newest enemy!
iron man 5 variant cover
Ryan Stegman’s cover shows the new Advanced Iron Man shrouded in shadow, however their armor appears to be yellow and black (AIM’s classic colors), with red lights on the hands, legs, chest and eyes. Tony is shown beaten up and with his armor ripped to pieces, while his enemy is without a scratch. But who’s wearing the armor?
Iron Man #5 is coming from Joshua Williamson and Carmen Carnero.
This Is More Than Just an ‘Evil Iron Man’
an evil iron man crushing a helmet
In the recent Iron Man #1, a genius scientist was kidnapped by Madame Masque’s AIM (aka the terrorist group Advanced Idea Mechanics.) It turned out the group have been targeting all recipients of the ‘Tony Stark Award’ – young geniuses who Tony has singled out as world-changers.
Madame Masque has been subjecting her prisoners to a test fashioned after Tony Stark’s origin. And while many have been able to assemble their own Iron Man armors, that hasn’t been enough, and Masque has executed every one. The villain has clarified that AIM doesn’t want its own Iron Man, it wants its own Tony Stark – a once-in-a-generation genius who will change the face of technology.
MADAME MASQUE DISCOVERING THE NEW TONY STARK VIA AN IRON MAN TEST
As of Iron Man #5, they’ve apparently found their candidate, though their identity is still a mystery. There are lots of villains in advanced suits in Iron Man lore, from the Crimson Dynamo and Titanium Man to the Iron Monger and Techno Golem. However, none of them are on Tony Stark’s level as a technologist. In contrast, AIM just recruited an era-defining genius.
iron man cover with madame masque
Tony is second only to Reed Richards as an inventor. He’s protected the planet from alien invasion and redefined energy production, artificial intelligence and time/multiversal travel. As dangerous as an evil Iron Man is, an evil Tony Stark is exponentially more dangerous – a villain who could change the Marvel Universe… or end it.
Iron Man #5 is coming May 6 from Marvel Comics.
Died
2023 (in the MCU)
Alias
Iron Man
RELATIONSHIPS
Jude (biological father), Amanda Armstrong (biological mother), Howard Stark (adoptive father), Maria Stark (adoptive mother), Arno Stark (brother)