A Question of Control

In order to give body time to heal from recent injuries, Tony Stark has been instructed by his doctor — Jane Foster — to check into the Basel Stress Clinic, in Norther California.[1] He is under strict orders not to suit of as Iron Man, much to his chagrin. Driven to the facility by Happy Hogan, Tony is welcomed by the friendly staff and given a tour of the facility.

Little does he know that the owner of the clinic, Doctor Xander Basel, is secretly his old foe the Controller. Learning that Tony Stark has come for treatment sends the Controller into a rage as he resents Tony Stark’s wealth and privilege while he has had to claw for everything his entire life. When one of his nurses hears him ranting and raving she comes into check on him. Resuming his Basel disguise, the Controller assures her that nothing is wrong and to make sure their new patient is made comfortable.

Over the next few days, Tony isn’t being idle, since he can’t be Iron Man for the time behind he has been working on a new remote suit of armor that he can control via remote control. Happy doesn’t like it, but Tony assures him that it is necessary to maintain Iron Man’s visibility in order to reinforce the fact that the Avenger is Tony Stark’s personal bodyguard. This also give Tony time to examine his armor and figure out a way to screen out the harmful energy field that is affecting his health so that it is no longer a problem when he does suit up next. Given Happy’s concerned tone, Tony is upset that his friend doesn’t entirely trust that he won’t follow doctor’s orders. Stark’s thoughts are interrupted when he gets a surprise visit from Rumiko Fujikawa who decided to check in when she heard Tony was staying at the stress clinic, telling her family she needed a “stress break” from life.[2]

The two go to dinner in the dining hall that evening, and Rumiko cannot believe the number of famous celebrities and politicians that attend this clinic. When a famous actress comes by to say hello to Tony, Fujikawa is completely star struck. They are also greeted by Xander Basel himself, who invites Tony to join him for a discussion with a Nobel winning physicist, two Pulitzer winning authors, and himself. Tony says he might take him up on this offer and Basel leaves. As he goes, Rumiko mentions who something is off about Xander and while everyone around the clinic seems to trust him she thinks he’s up to something.

A few days later, Tony’s physical therapy is going so well that he doesn’t need his hoverchair to get around anymore. Doctor Basel is pleased with his progress and invites Tony to undergo his new brainwave therapy device, the heart of the work Basel does at the clinic. Little suspecting that he is going to be exposed to a device created by one of his deadliest enemies, Tony undergoes the treatment. As the beams from the device activate, the Controller can feel the strength and control over Tony Stark wash over him and he smiles in ecstasy and thinks back to how far he has come over the years.

Once upon a time, he was an ordinary scientist named Basil Sandhurst, who worked in frustration due to the lack of recognition for his work. He was then involved in a lab accident, which he blamed on his brother, which left him horribly burned and paralyzed. He soon developed a technology that allowed him to enslave others and steal their strength to regain his mobility. Now calling himself the Controller, he kept on taking slaves and subjecting them to his Mental-Wave Absorbatron until Iron Man interfered with his plans and shut him down.[3] For a time, the Controller was nothing more than a hired thug working for the likes of Thanos.[4] His most recent indignity came when the so-called Master of the World stole his technology and left him to be captured by the Heroes for Hire[5] Luckily, the Controller was able to use one of his own slave discs to enthrall one of his prison guards and managed to escape. From there, he began working on his most recent scheme, taking on the identity of Xander Basel and set up his clinic. From his new position, Sandhurst now has all the wealth and recognition he could have ever ask for, while also using his machines to influence the rich and famous.

After Tony Stark’s procedure is done, he is sent on his way none the wise of what happened. He is then informed by his assistant informs him that they have made millions by assisting outside interests manipulate the rich and famous to do their bidding. “Doctor Basle” then begins to muse over who might be interested in manipulating Tony Stark, suspecting that Sunset Bain or Tony’s cousin Morgan might be interested in his services.

The following day, Tony is out testing his new remote controlled Iron Man armor again. Happy updates him that there has been no word on Jim Rhodes after he disappeared the other day.[6] Soon Tony’s tests are cut short when Rumiko shows up and intends to spend the day together. That’s how things go over the next few days: between testing his new Iron Man suit and Stark Solution business, Tony also spends time getting to know Rumiko better. The constant sightings of Iron Man around the facility start to get to the Controller, who becomes increasingly paranoid and fears that the Avenger might be aware of his presence. Seeking to maintain his cover, the Controller uses the mental conditioning devices hidden in Tony’s bed to instruct him to fire Iron Man in the morning. When Tony wakes up in the morning he wonders why he would ever think of firing Iron Man considering the fact that he’s Iron Man.[7]

The following morning, “Xander” watches as Tony Stark and Rumiko Fujikawa leave the property to go on a picnic. He is confused as to why Stark hasn’t fired Iron Man yet as nobody has ever been able to resist his brainwashing before.

When Tony and Rumiko are alone, Stark inquires why Rumiko puts up a front of a ditzy trust-fund girl when she is actually very intelligence and a take-charge kind of woman underneath. She explains that she comes from a very traditional Japanese family. They are very business orientated and that believe their daughter needs to follow tradition and be obedient. Since the family is very wealthy, Rumiko uses this and puts up her front as a way of rebelling against her family. While she does plan on doing more with her life, she wants to enjoy these carefree moments for the time being. Tony tries to understand because he comes from a very different background and has learned that you can mix business and pleasure without losing one’s identity. This connection leads to a moment of romance between the two.

That evening, Tony returns to his private room at the clinic and runs another test on his remote Iron Man armor. This time, the suit is ambushed by the Controller who thinks Iron Man has come to ruin his latest scheme. Unable to adequately fight his foe, Tony instructs his armor to flee the scene. Furious over the Avengers’ continued appearances near his clinic, the Controller returns to his private lab. Using his subliminal messaging machines, he once again instructs Tony to fire Iron Man. He also takes things a step further and orders Rumiko Fujikawa to pressure Tony into firing his bodyguard or else she will end their romance.

The following morning, Tony is out on the beach trying to make sense as to why he has an overwhelming urge to fire himself. When Rumiko comes to him with her ultimatum about Iron Man, Tony is tipped off to the fact that something strange is going on at the facility. However, despite the Controller’s influence, Rumiko actually did want to talk to Tony about his lifestyle. She sees that he overworks and stresses himself out and while she does care for him she doesn’t want to be around to see him burn himself out. Rather than make an ultimatum however, Fujikawa walks away. Tony remains on the beach wondering if Rumiko might be right.

Later that evening, Rumiko can’t sleep because she thinks she might have been too harsh with Tony earlier that day. Heading up to his room, she is surprised to see that the door is locked. Luckily, she is a skilled lockpick and has the tools to get past the door. When she enters the room, she sees the Controller’s sublimation device working and wonders what the hell is going on. She decides to go snooping around in the section of the clinic that is off limits to guests. She is caught by the Controller who takes her prisoner.

Meanwhile, Tony is plagued with a nightmare where Iron Man is playing him like a marionette while his friends and loved ones plead with him to fire Iron Man because he is too dangerous. Tony wakes up from this confusing dream and decides he should snoop around himself. He wanders into the private lab and discovers the Controller about to experiment on Rumiko. Unfortunately, a mental block placed on his mind prevents Tony from doing anything else but turning around and walking away. Once back in control of his facilities, Tony realizes that he has no choice but to armor up as Iron Man and summons his suit.

The fight takes them outside, but Sandhurst begins tapping into the mental energies of all of the patients inside the clinic, spiking his strength to levels that Iron Man cannot handle. Luckily, Rumiko manages to break free from her bonds and smashes the Controller’s machines. Cut off from the source of his power, Sandhurst is easily defeated and is soon turned over to the authorities.

The following morning as Tony is leaving the clinic, Rumiko comes to him one last time. She isn’t clear on a lot of what happened the night before but she does remember Tony walking away when she was in danger. She doesn’t want to hear any excuses and asks him that if he does care for her, he will leave with her for a real vacation. When Tony tries to explain that he can’t, she stops him from making excuses and walks away. This leaves Tony wonder if he’s any different than the Controller and his obsessions and wonders if he has any control over his life whatsoever.

Recurring Characters

Iron Man, Controller, Happy Hogan, Rumiko Fujikawa, Jane Foster

Continuity Notes

1. Tony got the shit kicked out him by the Espionage Elite back in Iron Man (vol. 3) #8. His recovery has been slowed after it was revealed that the energy field of his Iron Man armor was retarding his body’s natural healing abilities, as explained last issue.

2. Rumiko jokingly asks Tony if he has run into any more volcano’s recently. She is referring to the time the two first met on Isle Suerte, which had its dormant volcano brought back to life during an attack on the island by Firebrand. See Iron Man (vol. 3) #4-5.

3. This is a rather jaundiced recollection of Sandhurst’s origins from Iron Man #12-13. In reality, Sandhurst caused the explosion himself while arguing with his brother. He tossed some chemicals that then blew up in his face.

4. The Controller’s time as muscle for Thanos was chronicled in Iron Man #90-91 and Captain Marvel #28-30.

5. The Controller ran afoul of the Master of the World and Heroes For Hire in Heroes for Hire #1-4.

6. Jim took off to investigate the identity of the new War Machine circa Iron Man (vol. 3) #11-12. As we’ll learn in issue #20, this is Jim’s old war buddy Parnell Jacobs.

7. If you recall that the Controller figured out Tony Stark’s double-identity in Iron Man Annual #15, you’re not wrong. However, Basil was made to forget like nearly everyone else when Tony used telepathy to erase all knowledge of his double identity from the minds of those who would abuse that information, as seen in Iron Man Annual 1998.

Topical References

• The celebrity that comes to stay hello to Tony Stark is depicted as actress Courteney Cox. At the time this comic was published in 1999, Cox was at the height of her fame from appearing on the television sitcom Friends as well as the Scream horror movie franchise. Her appearance here should be considered topical as she is a real world celebrity. More over, Arquette mentions her then husband, David Arquette. Since the publication of this comic the couple got divorced in 2013. Again, another topical reference.

• Sandhurst’s assistant states that they have made over 7 million dollars so far influencing his clients. This amount should be considered topical due to inflation. For example, as of this writing (September, 2022) 7 million in 1999 money would be worth 12.4 million now.

• Rumiko jokingly says that she tipped off the National Inquirer about her and Tony’s picnic together. The NI is a gossip mag that has been around since the 1926. This should be considered topical as the National Inquirer is a real world publication.