Marvel Officially Brings the Fantastic Four Into Iron Man’s Latest Crisis

Iron Man is undoubtedly one of Marvel's more complicated heroes. While he fights on the side of good and aims to make the world a better place, he on

Iron Man is undoubtedly one of Marvel‘s more complicated heroes. While he fights on the side of good and aims to make the world a better place, he only got there by reflecting on and reforming his billionaire war profiteering ways. Even as a hero, he’s far from perfect. He’s prone to making terrible decisions in misguided attempts to do what’s best for humanity’s survival and growth or for society as a whole, like backing the government’s push for superhero registration in opposition to many of his allies. Then, there’s his alcoholism, which has ranged from self-destructive to potentially disastrous for others.

Much of who he is, both on the page and in the MCU, can be traced back to his strained relationship with his father, Howard Stark. Tony has a famed love-hate relationship with his dad, who, in many ways, is responsible for forging him into the powerful genius he is today and for instilling many of his worst qualities. How he views his father is now at the center of the businessman’s latest story in Joshua Williamson‘s Iron Man series. Issue #10 picks up in the aftermath of the dramatic reveal that Happy Hogan, Tony’s longtime bodyguard and confidante who’s been dead in Marvel Comics since 2006, was alive and watching over him as the vigilante Citizen V. It digs into why he’s been hiding in plain sight with Baron Zemo’s aged alter ego and, ultimately, the reason both he and Pepper Potts have been so concerned about Iron Man.

Spoilers ahead for Iron Man #10

‘Iron Man’s Behavior Draws the Attention of Marvel’s First Family

Image via Marvel Comics
Image via Marvel Comics
Image via Marvel Comics

After escaping a death trap set up by the two Whiplashes and sending his would-be date and her son home, Tony heads to confront Happy and Pepper for keeping the secret that his friend was alive from him for so long. Happy previously shared the story of how his seemingly fatal encounter with Spymaster wasn’t his end at all, and a mysterious benefactor had saved him and posed him an essential question — “Can you save Tony Stark from Iron Man?” Tony’s so mad at the betrayal of trust that he fires Pepper on the spot, turning it into a blowout fight. They explain the real reason they’ve been still about it was that they both noticed a change in his behavior, most notably including how he was suddenly revering his father as a “saint.” Happy is convinced that somebody has been playing with his aged boss’s head, and he invites a few fellow geniuses to have a chat with him to figure out what’s going on — Dr. Reed Richards and Sue Storm.

The entrance of two members of the Fantastic Four certainly doesn’t excite Stark, but it may be the best thing for him in the long run. Williamson’s series is taking a critical turn, finally getting to the bottom of Citizen V/Happy’s concerns and why Tony is acting so off, from his rosy view of his father to his lack of creating fresh inventions. It remains to be seen what it truly means to “save Tony Stark from Iron Man,” but getting other allies involved, particularly ones as shrewd as Reed and Sue, should be a good first step. If the next issue’s preview is any indication, though, Tony may have been up to something that outright turns his fellow superheroes against him.

Iron Man #10 is now available for purchase. Stay tuned here at Collider for the latest developments from Marvel Comics. Explore more comics and books with a free trial of Audible.