World’s Most Wanted, Part 9: Titan of the Nuclear Age

An outlaw on the run, Tony Stark has been trying to erase his memories in order to prevent top secret information from getting into the hands of Norman Osborn, the Director of HAMMER.[1] The trail has led to Kirensk, Russia, where Tony’s intelligence has been reduced to that of a normal person. It is here that his former lover, the super-villain known as Madame Masque (Whitney Frost), got the drop on him on behalf of Osborn. Tony has tried to convince Whitney to spare his friend Pepper Potts (aka Rescue) and run off with him. Unsure if this is a trap, she decides to test Tony by showing him her face again to see if he will recoil at the sight of it.[2]

While Madame Masque is distracted, Pepper is able to mentally reactivate her Rescue armor and begin commanding it to reassemble so it can free her from her bonds.

Meanwhile, in New York City’s Garment District, the Black Widow (Natasha Romanov) has decided to assist Maria Hill in getting an important hard drive to Captain America.[3] They have just returned to Natasha’s apartment after fleeing HAMMER agents. Maria’s phone is now blowing up, but she refuses to answer it. They are all from friends and family who want to know what’s going on with her, but she doesn’t know how to tell them everything that has happened to her since becoming a fugitive from the law. Maria is still traumatized after she was briefly enslaved by the Controller.[4] Seeing this, the Widow tells her to get her shit together before they meet up with Captain America. If she doesn’t, and compromises their meet-up with Captain America, she will bail on her and Norman Osborn will win.[5]

While at Avengers Tower, Norman Osborn is tinkering with his Iron Patriot armor. However, it is not going well, because Osborn lacks the genius of Tony Stark. He then decides to check in on Madame Masque’s mission. However, she is still not answering his calls. Osborn tries to remain calm, reminding himself that Masque is a professional and will call for help if she needs it.

Back in Russia, Madame Masque is almost convinced into believing Tony. However, she decides that they are very much alike and decides to prove this by putting her mask on Tony’s face. When she does so, she sees the reflection of Pepper’s Rescue suit trying to put itself back together. She quickly spins around and tries to shoot Pep with her gun, but Tony manages to spoil her aim by tripping her. While the Rescue armor is freeing Pepper, Whitney manages to grab Tony and put a gun to his head. Madame Masque then orders Tony to choose either her, or Pepper — life or death. Tony tells her that he will always choose Pepper. Angered at being rejected, she tells Tony that she hopes they all die. With that, she aims and shoots at a stockpile of fuel causing a massive explsoion.

Meanwhile, Maria Hill takes a shower and tries to get it together. However, she relives the moment when the Controller enslaved her and starts freaking out. The commotion brings the Black Widow who tries to get her to snap out of it. She ultimately gives Hill a sedative so she can get some much needed sleep. Once Maria is out, Natasha takes a look at the hard drives that Hill brought to her. Unfortunately, they are proprietary StarkTech, but she knows someone who will be able to hack into them and learn what is it.

Back in Russia, Tony and Pepper miraculously survived the explosion but the bunker is now on fire and they need to evacuate. That’s when Pepper is blindsided by Madame Masque, who also survived the explosion. The two women duke it out until the Rescue armor is able to pin Whitney to a wall, but its power will run out in moments. Fearing that HAMMER is likely descending on them, Pepper tells Tony that he needs to run, remiding him that this will all be for nothing if Norman Osborn manages to catch him. She helps Tony suit up in an old suit of armor and wishes him luck.[6]

Meanwhile, the Black Widow has gone down to a market on Ludlow Street in New York. There, she demands to see a hacker named Chen who operates from a hidden room inside a handbag shop. She shows him a picture of the drive that Maria Hill brought to her and he confirms what Natasha already figured out on her own. Chen also says that it requires some very specific equipment to hack into and he doesn’t have anything on hand. Natasha tells him to get in touch with her when he happens to get ahold of something that can. Moments after the Widow is gone, Chen gets on the phone to tip of HAMMER because they are interested in anyone who might be looking to hack into some StarkTech.

At that same moment, Iron Man is flying west. Part of him wants to go back for Pepper, calling himself a coward. However, his mission is too important and so he sets a course for his final location, Afghanistan.[7]

Recurring Characters

Iron Man, Rescue, Maria Hill, Black Widow, Madame Masque, HAMMER (Iron Patriot), Controller

Continuity Notes

1. This story follows the failed Skrull invasion of Earth. It ended with Norman Osborn killing the Skrull leader and being awarded Directorship of SHIELD, which he rennamed HAMMER, as seen in Secret Invasion #1-8. On his way out, Tony Stark erased sensitive top secret information to prevent Osborn from getting access to it and has been on the run since. See Invincible Iron Man #8-15.

2. Madame Masque had her face horribly scarred when her escape ship crash landed while trying to flee SHIELD. She keeps her face hidden behind her mask at all times. See Iron Man #12. Madame Masque, aka Whitney Frost, had a relationship with Tony Stark from Iron Man #104 to 116. It came to an end when Iron Man seemingly slew her father, the crime boss known as Count Nefaria.

3. This hard drive is a back-up of Tony Stark’s mind which will be integral to restoring him back to normal following his mind wipe. See Invincible Iron Man #20-24.

4. Maria was briefly enslaved by the Controller in Invincible Iron Man #12-13.

5. At the time of this story, the original Captain America (Steve Rogers) is believed to have died in Captain America (vol. 5) #25. In his absence, Bucky Barnes took over the mantle in issue #33-34 of that series.

6. Here, Tony is wearing a his Model 4 armor, first built back on Iron Man #85.

7. Per an “updated” origin told in Iron Man (vol. 4) #1-6, Iron Man’s origin took place in Afghanistan. This was an attempt to update the original origin that was first told in Tales of Suspense #39. See next issue for more on this.

Topical References

• The hard drive that Maria Hill was bringing to Natasha is depicted as a type of HDD that was commonly used at the time this story was originally published in 2009. Although HDDs are still quite common place as I write this (in May, 2023) they are slowly being phased out by Solid State Drives and will soon become obsolete.