Manhunt, Part 5

After being framed for blowing up the Chinese embassy, Iron Man (Tony Stark) has finally tracked down Temugin, the man responisble.

Unfortunately, Tony is still recovering from gunshot wounds. Temguin was already a deadly martial artist, but now he is also wearing the Ten Rings of Power once worn by his father, the Mandarin.[1] Temugin attacks Iron Man savagely, hoping to end the heroes life so he can fulfill the destiny forced upon him by his father.

Iron Man takes a beating banking on Temugin eventually using the ring that has the ability to alter matter. This allows him to key into the electromagnetic charge that comes from the rings and blast them with a magnetic pulse. This horribly burns Temugin’s hands, but this injury is quickly healed thanks to his mastery of chi. This anger Temugin who unleashes a bunch of powerful blows that bring Iron Man to his knees.

Temugin then tells Iron Man to get on his feet for the killing blow so he can die with honor. Iron Man refuses, wondering what Temugin knows about honor after blowing up the Chinese embassy. This angers Temugin who denies using such a cowardly move to goad his opponent into fighting him. As Tony goes over all the evidence, Temugin looks away and sees Po watching them from behind a pillar. Iron Man uses this opening to blast Temugin with a repulsor blast. However, Temugin has no desire to continue fighting because he has realized that Po was the one who blew up the embassy in an effort to force a battle between Temugin and Iron Man. Fed up with the way Temugin has chosen to fulfil the master’s legacy, Po stabs Temugin in the back and then tries to flee. When those still loyal to Temugin try to open fire on him, Iron Man shields Po’s body.

However, the only reason Iron Man wants to save Po is so that he can face justice for his crimes. Iron Man then flies him to Washington, DC and forces him to look at the memorial for the victims killed in the embassy bombing. This does little to affect Po, who rips open his shirt revealing that he has a device wired to his chest. He explains that the device will cause another bombing, this one on the South Korean embassy in New York City. He will not rest until Asia is completely destabilized so his master’s dream of restoring the empires of old. But, when he activates the device, nothing happens. This is because Iron Man unleashed a small EM pulse to deactivate the device. He then knocks Po out and turns him over to the authorities.

Tony Stark then spends the next four days recovering at the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland. When he is released, Nick Fury informs him that Po is going to face capital punishment for his crime. While Po himself refuses to talk, Yu has and they have been able to snag more conspirators. Fury then has FBI agent Neil Streitch return the kill switch for Iron Man’s armor. Strietch explains that he manipulated Pepper Potts using interrogation techniques to pressure her into giving it up to him. Now cleared of any wrong doing, Tony goes to visit Happy Hogan in the hospital. Happy is glad to be alive but is still in a lot of pain. Pepper is there as well and she apologizes for giving the kill switch to the FBI.[2] Tony tells Pep that there is nothing to forgive because it’s all over. Tony then tries calling his girlfriend Rumiko Fujikawa. However, fed up with how he had ignored her throughout this entire ordeal, she refuses to answer the phone.

Later, Tony Stark is contacted by Temugin who asks to meet him at the ruins of the Chinese embassy. There, Stark finds Temugin paying his respects. He has made it so everyone who was involved in Po’s conspiracy will be punished. He tells Stark that this all happened because the modern world is a sick place. While he will no longer be pursuing his father’s goals, he still plans of transforming the world into a better place. However, he won’t be doing so with violent means. Tony isn’t certain that this goal can be achieved. Temguin promises Tony that when the change comes, he will crack open the veil of materialism that causes Stark so much pain. With that, Temugin departs. Tony decides to let him go because a fight in the middle of a memorial is not the time nor place.[3]

Recurring Characters

Iron Man, SHIELD (Nick Fury), Neil Streich, Happy Hogan, Pepper Potts, Mandarin, Po, Rumiko Fujikawa

Continuity Notes

1. At the time of this story everyone believes that the Mandarin died after his last battle with Iron Man in Iron Man (vol. 3) #9-10. However, the Mandarin is still alive and will turn up again in Iron Man Director of SHIELD #16. In the meantime, his son — Temugin — has taken his place, as seen in Iron Man (vol. 3) #53-55.

2. Pepper and Happy were struggling to have a child. When Pepper finally got pregnant, she suffered a miscarriage when she was attacked by one of Tony’s foes in Iron Man (vol. 3) #54. She didn’t want to tell Happy and swore Tony to secrecy. The secret drove a wedge between Happy and Pepper. Not wanting to see his friend spiral into alcoholism, Tony revealed the truth to Happy in issue #65. Pepper was tricked into rolling on Tony last issue.

3. Temugin will resurface again in Iron Man (vol. 3) #89.