Born to wealth, his inheritance more then just monetary, Tony Stark received his fathers genius and business savvy, along with his mothers good nature and common sense . Bolstering these with a natural talent for engineering, along with a will of Iron, Anthony Stark became an even more accomplished businessman then his father. But tragedy struck the young Millionaire, trapping him , he thought at the time, forever, in a suit of Iron to match his inner resolve! Since then he has fought back against many trials and tribulations, conquering every one like a shining knight of old. His steel mesh armor acting as a weapon for good against the most hi-tech villains of all time! He is the shining warrior of the future! The Golden Avenger! He is the one and only, the invincible

IRON MAN

Madness in Madripoor!

Iron Man #366

By Ralph L. Angelo Jr.

High above the Pacific Ocean, a sleek Rhodes Air Lear jet streaks west. On board, Tony Stark sits as the lone passenger, his lap top open in front of him, as he blankly stares at its digitized screen. But Tony's mind is not on his computer, it's actually on three different things at once. The first being a new after burner design he's just been writing into his computer, that was inspired by his watching the engines on the jet he's flying in. The second, being a modification to Iron Mans defensive screens that just occurred to him, at 30,000 feet. The third, and the one that's occupying most of his mental strength at the moment, is the events that led him to where he is now .

Tony's mind wanders backwards several hours to the conclusion of the battle with the "Yesterday Coalitions*" agenda for the world. He and War Machine had returned to Stark Internationals Headquarters on Long Island, when an immediate call came through to his desk from Mrs Arbogast.

*See our last 4 issues

"Mr Stark," She began, "A Miss Ling MacPhereson has left several messages for you in the past day, the last one an hour ago. I told her you'd return her call at your earliest convenience. But that didn't seem good enough for the young woman. "

"Get her back on the phone right away Mrs. A. This is probably about Bethany Cabe, Lings partner."

"Right away Mr Stark." Was her terse reply.

"What's goin' on Tony? " asks Jim Rhodes, as he fingers through a magazine on the coffee table in Tony's office, with his feet up.

"Beth's been missing for a few months , Rhodey."

"Why didncha go after her sooner? Why'd you wait so long?"

"She was under cover in Madripoor. Following a lead on something big. She'd been hired by some mystery man in that country, and knew she'd be out of touch for a long time. But I grew a little concerned and began pressing Ling for information. What little Ling had was basically useless."

"So what happened then?"

"Nothing until now. I've been trying to get in touch with Beth since before I moved the company back to New York. But we kept missing each other, and then she was undercover, and gone."

Then , the holo-phone rings once more, and Mrs. Arbogast appears in a small image above Starks desk phone .

"I have Miss MacPhereson on the phone now, Mr Stark."

"Thanks Mrs A, put her through."

The image flutters and goes out, as a traditional phone call takes its place, the speaker phone on Starks desk is suddenly alive with a young womans voice.

"Tony? Finally! I've been trying to get you for days."

"Hello Ling. What's happened? You seem upset."

"I tracked Beth to Madripoor, and was trying to give you that information for the past several days, but before I could even get that far, Beth called! She sounded nervous and afraid."

"That doesn't sound like Beth, Ling. I've seen her in some pretty bad situations, where she's more then held her own."

"I know Tony, that's what has me worried. This was totally out of character for Beth."

"Okay Ling, What did she say?"

"S-she asked for you. She wanted you to come to Madripoor. She said to bring your "friend"."

"She must've meant Rhodey." Stark nods to Jim, who totally understands what and who Cabe really meant . Rhodes nods back at Tony, as he drops the magazine he was thumbing through back onto the coffee table.

"I'll be heading there immediately, Ling. Thanks for the information."

"Tony, wait. I want to come with you. I'm a licensed PI, and I can help getting around that country."

"No, Ling. Rhodey and I best work alone in this type of situation. I have a lot of contacts there, that I can use, and I'd rather not have you --"

"Have me what? Getting in the way?" She blurts out.

"Not what I meant, Ling. You know that. But this is a good example of why you shouldn't be there. You're to personally involved in this one. Rhodey and I will go, If we need you , we'll call. I'll update you when I find something."

He hits a button, and the phone line goes dead.

"That was kinda cruel, wasn't it, man?"

"No Jim, you know as well as I do why we have to go alone."

"Yeah, yeah.Okay, lets get our act together then, Tone. We've got plans to make."

"Get a plane ready , Rhodey. I want to make a few repairs to the armor before we go. How's your suit? "

"Just in need of recharging , and re-arming."

"Fine, follow me down to the bunker, I have a modification I want to implement in both armors for this mission, and once that's done, we'll get both suits fueled and ready."

Both men head down to the hidden lab, and Tonys' memories fade into the present , with the sound of Rhodeys voice echoing from the jets cabin speakers.

"Hey Chief, wanna come up front and keep me some company up here?"

"Sure Jim, be right there."

Stark walks up to the cabin, and takes the co-pilot seat next to Jim Rhodes.

"How much longer , Jim?"

"We're on final approach, now Tone. What are we going to do once we get there?"

"We're going to visit this bar I know of in Low town."

"Bar? Tony, man is that smart? "

"Rhodey, I'm not even going to think about drinking. There's more information going in and out of the doors of "Tyger Tygers" place then anywhere else on that island."

"Tyger Tyger?" What kind of name is that?"

"She's a gang lord Rhodey. I know of her, and had some experience with her in the past."

"Gang lord? Man, I know Madripoors rep, but you're gonna go talk to a gang lord?"

"She holds the peace there, Jim. And more then that. She's definitely the less of two evils."

"Alright man. , anyway, buckle up, we're on final approach.

Stark nods, and the plane descends to the ultra modern "High town" airport.

Two hours later...

A sunglass wearing Jim Rhodes enters the small bar in Low Town, as Tony Stark follows him in, wearing a tie-less white suit.

Behind the bar, Tyger Tyger sees the two men enter, and upon recognizing Stark, she smiles, and gestures him to her office. Rhodes stays out at the bar, ordering a beer. Next to him a small, hairy, almost feral man sits chomping on a cigar, and guzzling beer.

Two men walk up to Jim Rhodes , as he takes a long draw of his drink.

"You're sittin' in my seat, stranger." says the first bulky, dirty man, as the second wedges himself into the space between Rhodes and the hairy man.

"Don't see your name on it , friend. One thing you ought to consider puttin' your name on is a shower stall though." Rhodes wrinkles his nose in disgust at the two men.

Inside the office...

"To what do I owe the honor, Anthony?"

Stark smiles at her, that roguish, playboy grin of his, and kisses her hand. "Its my honor Tyger, and pleasure. But I'm not here for either, Princess."

"To bad.", she pouts, as she puts her hands on her hips "What brings you to my bar?"

"Several months ago this woman was here on the island."He slips a picture of Bethany Cabe across the desk, at Tyger. "She's a friend of mine, and she was last seen here."

Tyger picks up the picture, stares at it momentarily then drops it back on to the desk.

"I remember her. What is she? Another old lover?"

"Does it matter Tyger?"

"Not really. She was in here , asking a lot of veiled questions. She was very good at what she did. Very professional. But I have to assume she asked the wrong questions , as two thugs I had never seen before followed her out. "

"What did you do then , Tyger?"

"Me? I did nothing. What goes on in Low town is no ones concern. The moment that woman left the Princess Bar, she was on her own. I do not know what happened to her then, save there was a scuffle in the alley. A shot was fired, and then by the time I got there, all involved were gone."

She leans back in her chair, uncrossing her long legs, as her flowing kimono hangs to her seductively.

"Well, thanks for your time then Tyger. Anything else you remember , call me." He drops his business card with his international phone number on her desk. As he rises from the seat, she does as well. Stark extends his hand, and she grabs him by the collar, pulling him close, and kissing him fiercely. He returns the kiss, taking control of it, mastering it with his passion, then he releases Tyger, and with a grin, leaves.

As he opens the door to her office, he sees a scene of carnage, as the bar is wrecked! Chairs and tables lie overturned, and unconscious bodies are everywhere, covered in liquor. Only three people remain cognizant in the entire room. All three of them sit at the bar. Two on the patrons side, one behind the bar.

"Thanks for your help there , stranger." Rhodey lifts a shot glass to the diminutive man seated next to him.

"My pleasure , bub. I always like a good, harmless scrap, like that one." Both men down their shots, and then Rhodey stands as Stark enters the main room.

Back out on the street...

Tony Stark and Jim Rhodes enter the back alley where Bethany Cabe was last known to be , by Tygers recollection.

"What're we hopin' to find here , Tone?"

"Honestly? I have no idea, Jim. But at this point, I'll take anything."

As if in answer to Starks words, lightning leaps from one side of the alley to the other pinning the men between the painful arcs of electricity . An instant later, both men fall to the ground, unconscious.

A minute later, a dark suited bald man, followed by several others, carrying weapons , enter the alley from a van that had suddenly pulled up at its mouth.

He grasps Tonys hair, roughly yanking the unconscious man upwards, Tonys eyes flutter open momentarily, as they widen in utter shock, one word leaps from his pained lips "Stane!" Then his eyes close again in agony. The man drops his head back to the ground, roughly, as his lackeys pick both men up and load them unceremoniously into the van. As he watches, The bald man lights a cigar, and smiles sadistically.

"Welcome to Madripoor , Tony Stark." He laughs venomously, "I hope you enjoy your stay here , for the rest of your very short life!"

Chuckling to himself, Obadiah Stane enters the rear of a waiting limo, and follows the van into the darkness of Madripoors Low town...

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