Iron Man #279
Operation: Galactic Storm Part 13: Bad Decisions
This story continues from Avengers #346…
The on going war between the Kree and Shi’ar has put the planet Earth at risk. In response, the Avengers have sent delegations to each empire to plead their case. Iron Man has joined the team to the Kree galaxy.[1]
On the Kree home world of Hala, the team — consisting of Captain America, Black Knight, Hercules, Sersi, and Crystal — have been captured and accused of colluding with the Shi’ar warrior Deathbirth in assassinating the leaders of the Kree.[2]
The only two Avengers who have evaded capture are Iron Man and Goliath. Under the cover of Iron Man’s cloak, they watch the news of their teammate’s capture on the massive television screens that are on display all over the empire. Since Clint can’t keep his voice down, the pair are forced to flee into a nearby alley to figure out their next plan. Iron Man decides that they should split up. While Tony goes after the other Avengers, Clint is to try and track down Deathbird. Goliath isn’t even sure where to start looking, but luckily Iron Man is able to cobble together a device that will allow him to track the unique energy signature of Deathbird’s weapons.
Once Goliath takes off, Tony drops his guard as another dizzy spell hits him. He is on borrowed time since electromagnetic interference is impacting the life support systems of his armor, the only thing keeping him alive after his nervous system was heavily damaged.[3] Luckily, he is able to easily locate his captured comrades by tracking their Avengers communi-cards. When he arrives at the massive Kree prison, Tony decides that taking a direct approach is the best course of action.
Meanwhile, Ael-Dann and Dar-Benn — who haven’t actually been killed — have been brought down to the Supreme Intelligence who has retaken control of the empire following their “death”.[4] Instead of letting them go to waste, he forces the pair to undergo the process that transfers minds into the collective of minds from the past Kree emperors that make up the Supreme one’s hive mind.
At that same moment, Iron Man storms the Kree prison where he battles Ronan the Accuser. With his life support rapidly failing, Tony decides to throw caution to the wind and go full throttle since he’ll be dead either way. At that same moment, Goliath manages to find Deathbird hiding in the sewers. Growing to giant size and threatening to crush her unless she helps clear the Avengers name. She agrees and the pair go to the jail where they break out the other Avengers. In the ensuing battle, Goliath uses his super-strength to cause the ceiling to collapse to cover their escape. However, as the Avengers escape into the sewers the are separated from Deathbird and Captain America. It’s here that Clint tells Tony that Deathbird told him that the Shi’ar are planning to detonate a massive Nega-Bomb in the Kree galaxy. Deciding that this takes higher priority over their missing, Iron Man incapacitates Goliath when he tries to go back for Cap. He then orders the others to accompany him back to their Quinjet so they can prevent the Nega-Bomb being detonated.
At that moment, the Shi’ar vessel carrying the Nega-Bomb arrives in the Kree galaxy. There they are detected by a Skrull warship who becomes very interested in what the Shi’ar are up to.
… This story continues in Thor #446.
Recurring Characters
Iron Man, Avengers (Captain America, Goliath, Black Knight, Crystal, Sersi, Hercules), Deathbird, Ronan the Accuser, Supreme Intelligence, Ael-Dann, Dar-Benn, Skrulls
Continuity Notes
The threat to Earth was discovered in Quasar #32, prompting the Avengers to form delegations in Avengers #345.
Deathbird assassinated Kree rulers Ael-Dann and Dar-Benn in Avengers #346.
TL;DR: Tony was shot in through the spine in Iron Man #242 leaving him disabled from the waist down. He cured himself with an experimental bio-chip in issue #248. This chip was used by the Marrs twins as a backdoor to override Stark’s nervous system with an artificial one that allowed them to take control of his body. Iron Man uncovered and foiled this plot over the course of Iron Man #258-266. Tony’s condition will persist until Iron Man #290.
At the time of this story, the Supreme Intelligence went through a period of mental instability, resulting in it being supplanted by other rulers. The first was the alien Clumsy Foul-Up and later the Kree Ael-Dan and Dar-Benn. See Silver Surfer (vol. 3) #8, 31, and Avengers #346.
Operation: Galactic Storm Reading Order
Captain America #398, Avengers West Coast #80, Quasar #32, Wonder Man (vol. 2) #7, Avengers #345, Iron Man #278, Thor #445, Captain America #399, Avengers West Coast #81, Quasar #33, Wonder Man (vol. 2) #8, Avengers #346, Iron Man #279, Thor #446, Captain America #400, Avengers West Coast #82, Quasar #34, Wonder Man (vol. 2) #9, Avengers #347, Captain America #401, Quasar #35