Iron Man: Director of SHIELD #32
With Iron Hands, Conclusion
SHIELD Director Tony Stark (aka Iron Man) was investigating a nuclear threat posed to the nation of Kirkhstan by his former colleague, Nasim Rahimov. This investigation is interrupted by Nicolas Weir, a disgruntled SHIELD inventor merged with the nanite powered Overkill Mind. As Iron Man tries to gain control of the Overkill Mind, the device causes all the weapons aboard the SHIELD helicarrier to go live, threatening to detonate them all at once in massive blast.
Meanwhile, Iron Man blasts his way into the Overkill Mind to get to what is left off Nicolas Weir and convince him to stand down. In close proximity to what’s left of Weir he is able to cancel out the signal that has made all the weapons on the helicarrier go live. However, he is in stalemate because the Overkill Mind’s assimilation of Weir assures that there is part of itself that Iron Man can’t control with Extremis. It tries to assimilate Tony as well, but his armor protects him from its nanites. However, the Overkill Mind believes the only way it can be stopped is by killing Weir, something that it doesn’t think Tony Stark will do. However, Iron Man has a way of reaching Weir. He begins slapping him across the face until Nicolas reasserts control of his mind. Realizing the horror he has become he Weir orders the Overkill Mind to stand down. No matter how much Weir hated Tony Stark, he didn’t want innocent people to suffer as a result.
Witht he immediate danger over, Iron Man returns to the SHIELD helicarrier and checks in with Maria Hill and Dum Dum Dugan.[1] Paladin had rolled over on Rahimov in the meantime and has given away his position in exchange for some steady work for the spy agency. Based on the data they have collected they manage to track Nasim down to the ruins of his former mansion. Before Tony can leave to deal with it on their own, Alpha Tema brings Nicolas Weir up to the command center where he offers to help Stark, since despite their differences he is still loyal to SHIELD. Tony takes a moment to think it over.
Later, Iron Man races toward the old Rahimov estate while the rest of Alpha Team evacuates the area. Inside the deserted interior of the mansion, Tony can’t help but remember the time he was here with Nasim and his wife so many years earlier.[2] He eventually finds the real Rahimov, who is in a far more crippled than his previous videos presented. He is actually quadriplegic who cannot use his limbs. He admits that he used computer generated imagry to make himself look more functional than he really is. While he is happy to see Tony, he is also disappointed that he came when Stark was told to leave and not get involved. This is beacuse Rahimov has planted three additonal bombs in Kirkhstan. One is at the courthouse, the other is in the plaza, and the last one is in the Stalin Building. These are all locations where the people he blames for his disability and the death of his wife. Nasim intends to set off his thumbnail nukes to kill the people he finds responsible.
Tony tries to reason with his former friend, to convince him that detonating the bombs will claim the lives of innocent people that have nothing to do with the damage done to his life. When Tony tries to restrain his old friend he discovers that Rahimov is protected by a electromagnetic dead zone around his wheelchair. This not only prevents Tony from physically stoping Nasim, he can’t use Extremis or his repulsors either. When Tony realizes that there is no way to convince Nasim to stand down, he decides to take drastic measures. After Hill and Dugan confirm that evacuation of the area is complete, he orders scorched Earth. As Tony flees the scene, Nicolas Weir uses the Overkill Mind to activate the explosives hidden in the Rahimov mansion, causing it to explode, killing Nasim, but sparing the lives of those he sought to kill.
Iron Man is caught in the blast, but manages to survive. In the afermath of the explosion, he adds Nasim to the tally of people who have died under his watch. No matter what people thinkf, to Tony Stark, their losses are unacceptable and he believes he is responsible for each and everyone from Captain America, to Sal Kennedy, to the SHIELD agents that have died under his command. He vows that even when everyone else moves on, he never will.[3]
Recurring Characters
Iron Man, SHIELD (Maria Hill, “Dum Dum Dugan”, Agents Farrell, Bubba and Gomez), Nasim Rahimov, Nicolas Weir
Continuity Notes
The man who appears to be Dum Dum Dugan in this story is actually a Skrull spy who is tasked with infiltrating SHIELD. See Secret Invasion: Prologue #1 and Secret Invasion #1-8.
Per Official Index to the Marvel Universe: Iron Man, Tony’s interactions with Nasim Rahimov happened between Tales of Suspense #44 and Avengers #1.
Tony sees the ghosts of various people have or were believed to have died around the time of this story. They include:
Happy Hogan: Happy was rendered brain dead after a fight with Spymaster. Tony used Extremis to shut down Hap’s life support so he wouldn’t suffer. See Iron Man (vol. 4) #13-14.
Sal Kennedy: Tony’s mentor. Sal was killed by a bio-weapon created by the Mandarin in Iron Man: Director of SHIELD #18.
Captain America: Steve Rogers was seemingly gunned down to death in Captain America (vol. 5) #25. In reality, he has been unmoored from time and space and will return soon as seen in Captain America: Reborn #1-5.
