Warning: Contains SPOILERS for Iron Man (2024)
Iron Man had almost everything he loved taken from him; although he recovered it with great effort, he is about to be deprived of control of his company again. During the Fall of X, Tony Stark lost his company in a hostile corporate takeover led by members of the mutant-hating organization Orchis. Now, Stark Unlimited is being usurped once again, this time by the Roxxon Corporation.
Iron Man #3 – written by Spencer Ackerman, with art by Julius Ohta – it’s the final part of the “Stark-Roxxon War”. Since reclaiming Stark Unlimited, Tony has been fighting the company board's decision to merge his company with Roxxon and AIM.
Despite the many years of villainy that defined both Roxxon and AIM, the board agrees to proceed with the sale. Soon, the three companies will be unified, monopolizing the world energy and weapons markets, at the same time as the broken and defeated countries
Tony Stark fights
to hold on to what little he has left.
Meet Stark Unlimited's replacement: “Starxxon?”
Iron Man #3 – Written by Spencer Ackerman; Art by Julius Ohta; Color by Alex Sinclair; Lyrics by Joe Caramagna; Cover art by Yasmine Putri
Backed by corporate terrorist Justine Hammer and another mysterious benefactor Stark Unlimited is about to sell itself to the highest bidders. Tony no longer holds the majority of shares, meaning his decision as Tony Stark means nothing. However, this does not stop
Iron Man doing his job
like a hero. Stark has his work cut out for him. The last time readers saw the hero, he was without his quality armor, forced to construct a new suit from scraps thanks to AIM's mystical connections.
Although corporations have tried to corner Stark, this is not the same Tony Stark as he was before the fall of the mutant nation of Krakoa. This version of the hero has lost everything and he is angry about it. With nothing left to lose, Iron Man holds nothing back, willing to crush everything Roxxon and AIM throw at him with ingenuity and pure rage. However, to make matters worse, the corporate collective chose a horrible name for their new company: Starxxon. While “Stark Unlimited” isn't exactly subtle, Starxxon seems too cheap for the world's richest companies.
Only Iron Man can save Tony Stark's legacy and vice versa
Is time running out or is Tony just getting started?
Spencer Ackerman Iron Man presents a different kind of Iron Man than readers have seen in the past; every fear, mistake, and failure Stark has faced in the past is being thrown at him all at once. As this series promised, Iron Man stopped holding back. He sometimes almost appears delusional, breaking windows wearing just a tank top and pants, at meetings he was not “invited” to. He's almost wild. What this installment of the series promises is a chance for Tony Stark to get his act together.
The “Stark-Roxxon war” arc may soon end, but with no clear end in sight, just Iron Man has everything it takes to save not only your company, but also your legacy.
With the teased revelation that there is a secret fourth party responsible for leading the takeover efforts, Iron Man may just have one target that needs to be defeated. Justine Hammer, the current Iron Monger, has a secret that could threaten the entire corporate business. And now,
Tony Stark has all the motivation
and a fierce drive to leverage both revelations to his advantage. The “Stark-Roxxon war” arc may soon end, but with no clear end in sight, just Iron Man has everything it takes to save not only your company, but also your legacy.
Iron Man #3 (2024) will be available on December 25, 2024 from Marvel Comics.