NEW YORK CITY
11:26 AM EDT | 5/24/13
A swath of flame cuts through downtown Manhattan. Explosions riddle the Flatiron Building, sending debris into the crowd below. A man in metal rockets through the streets, sending vehicles of all shapes and sizes tumbling onto sidewalks. Cameras roll, people gawk, and the tourists flee - it is, all in all, another New York morning.
Today, however, mayhem has an agenda.
The hulking blue behemoth known as Iron Monger arrives at Times Square at precisely 11:30 and, via coordinated multimedia assault, his armored visage is arrives only seconds later on screens worldwide.
"People of New York, we
apologize for any inconvenience," he says, as a pair of armored cronies fly up to join him. "We're here for one reason - Tony Stark. If you haven't noticed, he hasn't been around much lately, and my companions and I have a bit of a score to settle..."
Firebrand and Titanium Man arrive, the sounds of destruction close behind them. "We expect Iron Man in thirty minutes." Iron Monger taps his wrist, an almost-comical pantomime in his bulky suit. "I'm counting."
INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION
3:34 PM GMT | 5/24/13
"I have to get down there - my pride is at stake here!"
"
And countless innocent lives, Tony."
"Well naturally, but... it doesn't matter why I get there, I'm
expected. He said it himself. Where's my armor?"
"You will
not leave this station, Stark."
Doom sits upon a makeshift throne 230 miles above the surface of the Earth. Reed Richards and Tony Stark remain before him, preparing a machine of arcane purpose to fight a threat they have seen only in the corners of their eyes. It is known on Earth that messages to and from the ISS have ceased; it is unknown why. The Fantastic Four, now at half-capacity, makes few public appearances. Stark Industries has consistently declined to comment as to the whereabouts of their CEO. He climbs to his feet and marches, as wide-shouldered as he can manage, toward his captor.
"Listen Doc - you're not even a doctor, what am I saying? - I'm going down there, and you can't stop me. I've got more armors on call than even
I can count at this point."
Doom, naturally, does not stand. "Your brief and humiliating bout of unconsciousness was an open invitation for DOOM to reevaluate the diagnostic systems of your puny 'armors.' I will spare you the details of what will happen if you decide to disobey me and abandon this station, but to give my warning teeth, you should be aware that your remains would be sized for a
very small tomb."
Their eyes lock. A moment passes, as Reed Richards shakes his head, both arms still busy at work.
"Alright. I'm staying here to finish this project because that's what's in the
planet's best interest. I'd have been out of here in ten seconds flat, so, you're lucky I'm a bigger picture kind of guy."
"DOOM asks for little more."
Time passes slowly as news beams itself to the space station. Spider-Man attempts an attack, but is easily captured by Titanium Man's Magnetic Flux Rings and hurled into the Hudson. Firebrand roasts both of the Heroes for Hire on approach before either can react. Six injuries, no deaths, as Manhattan is held hostage for thirty excruciating minutes.
"Wait a minute," Stark says, climbing to his feet and marching to the small screen allotted, as the time approaches. "Just who is
that?"
"And why does he have
my tech!?"