Showdown with the Guardsman!

Following his battle with Ultimo in Washington, DC, Iron Man has Jasper Sitwell fly him back to New York so he can make repairs to his armor. When they arrive at Stark International, they discover that there has been an explosion and that the facility is on high alert. Speaking with the head of security, Iron Man learns that someone has found the Guardsman armor and is holding Tony Stark’s secretary, Krissy Longfellow, prisoner.[1] Iron Man orders Jasper to secure the plant while he goes looking for Krissy’s captor.

When he is attacked by the Guardsman, Iron Man deduces that he’s dealing with Michael O’Brien. Michael has sought to avenge the death of his brother, Kevin, who once worked for Stark International and built the Guardsman armor with Tony. The armor drove Kevin mad and he died in battle.[2] Now fighting Michael, Iron Man fears that the Guardsman armor is having the same effect on the police detective as it had on his brother. However, in the middle of the battle, Iron Man’s batteries begin running down putting strain on his heart, causing him to collapse. At risk of a heart attack, Iron Man pushes himself to keep moving but ends up blacking out.[3]

Back in Washington, DC, Senator Andrew Hawk and his colleague Johnathon Rich oversee the clean up after Ultimo’s attack on the Capitol Building. Tony Stark has turned out to be a no-show for the Senate hearing that is investigating accusations that Stark has been compromised by foreign governments. With no other choice, Hawk orders Rich to prepare a subpoena for Tony Stark. Jonathan gets to it, not bringing up that he recovered one of Tony Stark’s briefcases from the battle scene.

While in New York, Iron Man manages to crawl to Tony Stark’s secret lab where he begins recharging his armor. As he waits, Tony worries if this is the return of his heart problems and fears he may have to start wearing his chest plate all the time again. Elsewhere in the facility, Michael O’Brien returns to where he is keeping Krissy Longfellow a prisoner. He tries to convince Stark’s secretary that his cause is just. His mind warped by the Guardsman’s armor, Michael tells a biased version of the events leading up to his brother’s death. He tells how Kevin loved Marianne Rodgers and how Tony stole her away from Kevin. He also recounts the final battle between Iron Man and the Guardsman, when Kevin used his power to try and dispel protestors. When he suggests that Kevin was murdered for doing his job, Krissy points out that neither Tony Stark nor Iron Man are murderers. Unwilling to accept the truth, Michael puts back on the Guardsman helmet and goes looking for Iron Man again.[4]

By this time, Tony has made some quick repairs to his armor, but doesn’t have time to effect serious repairs. Still, he goes out looking for the Guardsman and finds him attacking security. Iron Man confronts Michael and as they duke it out, Tony tries to get him to see the truth. Michael’s unhinged mind eventually starts to become confused when he is forced to consider the facts. This allows Iron Man to ultimately knock out the Guardsman, ending his threat. When Jasper asks what they should do with him, Iron Man says that Michael O’Brien isn’t evil — just a sick man — and that his recovery will be his responsibility.

Recurring Characters

Iron Man, Guardsman, Krissy Longfellow, Jasper Sitwell, Andrew Hawk, Jonathan Rich

Continuity Notes

1. Little does Tony know that “Krissy Longfellow” is actually Madame Masque in disguise. He’ll learn the truth in Iron Man #103.

2. The Guardsman armor first appeared in Iron Man #43. It drove Kevin mad and he died battling Iron Man in issue #46. Blaming Tony Stark for his brother’s death, Michael has been trying to find evidence that Kevin was murdered since Iron Man #82.

3. Tony’s heart was originally wounded with shrapnel from a bomb back in Tales of Suspense #39. This plagued him until heart surgery removed the shrapnel and replaced the damaged parts of his heart in Iron Man #19. The heart was at risk of rejecting the synthetic parts when under stress until it appeared to fully heal in issue #58. However, Tony has been suffering dizzy spell since issue #82 signaling heart problems that he acknowledges for the first time last issue.

4. There is a lot of interpersonal drama here. Obviously, Michael’s accounting of events are biased and kind of insane. The facts are this:

   • Kevin worked for Tony from Iron Man #31 until his death in issue #46. The two became best friends. Saving Iron Man’s life is true, as seen in Iron Man #43. The situation with the protestors was exasperated by Simon Gilbert, who was seeking to take control of Stark Industries. See Iron Man #44-46.

   • Kevin never had a relationship with Marianne Rodgers. Tony started dating her from Iron Man #36. Kevin’s unhinged mind made him think that Tony was stealing her and he went overboard when Tony proposed to Marianne in issue #44. Tony’s relationship with Rodgers didn’t last much longer. He ended their engagement after she abandoned him in Iron Man #49. She was later driven mad and institutionalized in Iron Man #52, where she will remain until he release in Iron Man #103.