Ten Rings Rule the World!

Iron Man has rescued Michael O’Brien from the clutches of the Mandarin. After sending O’Brien home on a Quinjet, Iron Man heads to the Mandarin’s castle for the final showdown. As the Avenger battles the Mandarin’s robotic death squad, O’Brien observes the battle as he makes his escape. Having learned that Tony Stark and Iron Man are the same person he finally realizes that Stark is a hero and couldn’t have intentionally murdered his brother, Kevin.[1]

Entering the castle, Iron Man confronts the reborn Mandarin. In the ensuing battle, Iron Man is able to fend off the many powers of the Mandarin’s ten rings up until the villain uses his freeze ring to incapacitate the hero. With the Avenger at his mercy, the Mandarin reveals what Tony had already suspected: That he was responsible for spreading rumors that Stark was being bribed by foreign powers, that he unleashed Ultimo on Washington, and that he was trying to trigger a world war so he could conquer the what remained of the world.[2] While the Mandarin is gloating, Iron Man flips on armor’s heat induction system, hoping that the Mandarin will gloat long enough for the ice to melt.[3]

Sure enough, the Mandarin reveals how he survived after he appeared to die battling Yellow Claw. Although his physical body was killed by an exploding robot, the Mandarin’s mind lived on inside his ten power rings which were then pocketed by Loc Do, one of Yellow Claw’s minions.[4] Seeking to use the rings for his own rise to power, Loc Do tried to master their power only for the Mandarin’s consciousness to take over his body. It’s then that Iron Man breaks free from his icy prison and the mortal enemies resume their battle.

Meanwhile, Michael O’Brien arrives back at Stark International and tells Jasper Sitwell — Stark’s SHIELD liaison — that Iron Man is currently battling the Mandarin.[5] They are observed by Krissy Longfellow, Stark’s secretary, who worries that Jasper has figured out who she really is. If her true identity has been exposed, she begins contemplating eliminating Sitwell in order to maintain her cover.[5]

Back in China, the battle between Iron Man and the Mandarin comes to a quick end. Using a magnetic device to pull the Mandarin’s rings from his fingers, Iron Man then uses a device to neutralize their power.[6] However, the Mandarin has one victory to make by ruining Tony Stark. Activating a view screen showing the Senate hearing in Washington, where Stark is under investigation for bribery and the failure of defense systems that were built by his company. There, a government official named Jonathan Rich tells the Senate that all the evidence they need to find Stark guilty can be found in a briefcase that he obtained. However, when Rich opens the briefcase he is blasted with tear gas. As it turned out, Tony had been working with Senator Andrew Hawk to expose a traitor working within the government. By finding and opening the decoy briefcase, Rich has exposed himself of committing treason and is arrested. However, as he is being escorted out of the Capitol Building, the Mandarin activates a kill switch that atomizes Jonathan on the spot.

Although the Mandarin murdered someone in cold blood, Iron Man refuses to take the villain’s life. Instead, Iron Man destroys all the Mandarin’s weapons and computers. Without his rings and with none of his weapons, Iron Man leaves the Mandarin with his life and the sting of this humiliating defeat.

Recurring Characters

Iron Man, Mandarin, Michael O’Brien, Krissy Longfellow, Jasper Sitwell, Harrington Byrd, Andrew Hawk, Jonathan Rich

Continuity Notes

1. Kevin O’Brien worked for Tony Stark and was driven mad by his Guardsman armor and died battling Iron Man in Iron Man #46. Michael believed his brother was murdered and the truth was covered up and had been hounding Tony since issue #82. He learned the truth last issue.

2. Tony’s legal troubles and battle with Ultimo were chronicled in Iron Man #95-96.

3. A footnote here reminds readers that Iron Man used heat-induction to free himself from a Mandarin trap back in Tales of Suspense #86.

4. The Mandarin’s battle with Yellow Claw and his apparent demise were chronicled in Iron Man #68-71.

5. Krissy Longfellow is Madame Masque in disguise, as we’ll learn in Iron Man #103.

6. Although Iron Man seemingly rendered the ten rings powerless here, when the Mandarin returns in Iron Man Annual #5, their power had been completely restored. No real explanation is given, but I think it’s safe to assume that someone as brilliant as the Mandarin could have counteracted whatever Iron Man used to nullify their power.

Topical References

• This story uses a lot of old Cold War terms, such as referring to China as “Red China” and Russia being referred to as the USSR. These terms should be considered topical.