Summary

• Iron Man's son debuts a dark new armor and army of drones to conquer America, turning against the Avengers.
• James Stark resents his heroic father Tony, now working with Red Skull to bring down the new Avengers team.
• Avengers: Twilight #5 is available now from Marvel Comics.

As Captain America's new Avengers battle to reclaim a world gone wrong, Iron Man's son James Stark debuts deadly new armor. However, this suit isn't just an upgrade of his father's iconic armor, but a dark corruption of the 'House Party Protocol' fans know from the MCU.

In a preview of Avengers: Twilight #5, James Stark consults with Johann Schmidt, aka the Red Skull, as the villainous pair launch their plan to conquer America and eradicate Steve Rogers' new ragtag team of heroes. For the latter target, James launches with an army of Iron Man drones, recreating the army of suits that Tony Stark unleashed in Iron Man 3. Filled with spite and disdain towards the Avengers, James leads the charge in a gold-and-blue suit.

While James has been providing high-tech weapons to the government for years, he only debuted his first Iron Man suit in Avengers: Twilight #3 - a gun-metal gray armor with a glowing blue visor. The suit allowed him to go toe-to-toe with Captain America and even survive a direct lightning strike from Thor. Now, he's re-entering the fight in a new suit which appears able to command an entire army of duplicates.

The son of Tony Stark's Iron Man and Janet Van Dyne's Wasp, James Stark is named after longtime Avenger James 'Rhodey' Rhodes, aka War Machine.

Tony Stark's near-destroyed body was being kept alive on the Raft, used as an unwilling 'consultant' by his son...

James Stark Unleashes His Personal 'House Party Protocol'

Iron Man's Son Is Corrupting Tony's Legacy

Avengers: Twilight takes place decades after 'Hero Day' - a disastrous event in which countless people lost their lives to a Hulk attack orchestrated by Ultron, who had also upgraded the Avengers' villains beyond their usual limits. The debacle cost several heroes their lives and turned public opinion against all costumed adventurers. In the years since, SHIELD has become a fascistic organization, dealing out brutality on the streets while ing the Watcher Act, which stops the public from being able to record any of their human rights abuses.

Having tried and failed to change the world through public office, Steve Rogers had all but given up when he was confronted by Luke Cage and Daredevil - two retired heroes now backing the underground Defenders movement. Back in costume, Captain America set about gathering a new team of Avengers, including Ms. Marvel, Thor, and a deadly new Hawkeye. However, recent issues of Twilight revealed that the country's fall into authoritarianism has been orchestrated by the Red Skull, who disguised himself as one of Tony's staff and has been raising his son James, hiding in plain sight.

What's more, Tony Stark's near-destroyed body was being kept alive on the Raft, used as an unwilling 'consultant' by his son, who resents the childhood he lost to his father's heroic antics. Cap eventually rescued Tony, learned the truth of the Skull's plans, and is bringing the Avengers back to win the hearts and minds of the American public. Sadly, he hasn't been able to win over James, who will now battle Earth's Mightiest Heroes with suits forged from decades of Stark genius.

Despite his apparent destruction, it's likely Ultron has some kind of contingency plan to turn Red Skull into his puppet...

Tony Stark's Son Isn't the Only Character with New Armor

Red Skull & Tony Also Have Powerful New Forms

Thankfully, James Stark isn't the only one with a new suit. Despite being not much more than a head, Tony Stark has been able to operate via a robotic body, fighting alongside the Avengers in a powerful all-red suit. But while he's as powerful as he's ever been, Tony's injuries and years of isolation and torture left him struggling to reclaim his past confidence and clarity. In recent issues, Tony seemingly lost his life, though in a suspiciously inconclusive moment, suggesting he may find a way to return. However, even if he does, Tony has been advising James for years, meaning that the 'House Party' army heading for the Avengers are the result of two genius Starks working in tandem.

Meanwhile, the Red Skull now has his own armored form - a gift from Ultron, who the villain trapped after Hero Day (and destroys in this issue's preview.) While James has seemingly ensured there are no viruses or booby-traps in this new armor, it's likely Ultron has some kind of contingency plan to turn Schmidt into his puppet, having likewise had decades to plan his next move. Already moving against the government, the Red Skull isn't happy with just having America as his unwitting puppet - he wants public absolution and worship.

As impossible as that would seem in Marvel's mainstream timeline, years of distrust of heroes and the Skull working to prep his return mean he may be able to accomplish his plans, spinning his evil past as propaganda spread by the Avengers. And if he can't command the public acceptance he craves, he'll burn the country down.

There's still time for Tony Stark's son to switch sides and complete the new Avengers...

Captain America Is Defining the Avengers Legacy for a New Era

There's Still Time to Redeem James Stark... But It's Running Out

Avengers: Twilight began by wrong-footing readers, following a Captain America who couldn't make peace with a world that had ed him by. However, the revelation of the Red Skull's involvement flips the script, making it clear that Cap isn't fighting to deny the future, but to keep it out of the grasp of the insidious past. With a mix of past heroes and new do-gooders - including a defector from the black-ops government team the Thunderbolts - Steve Rogers is fighting not just to resurrect the Avengers' legacy, but to update it for a world that needs its heroes more than ever.

However, the most potent metaphor for this struggle is James Stark - someone who is the literal child of two Avengers (Iron Man and the Wasp), but who sees them as a failed idea that has no place in the world of tomorrow. James only just learned that his foster father is actually the Red Skull, so there's still a chance for him to reassess which side he's on and what he's actually fighting for. With Tony Stark's seeming death in a prior issue, it's not enough for Captain America to just overpower James - he also needs to win the argument that began back in issue 1, redeeming Iron Man's wayward son in Tony's memory.

Captain America has to save America from the Red Skull's best-laid plans, but the true victory of the series is proving that even after Hero Day, the Avengers are an idea that makes the world a better place. Avengers: Twilight has set James Stark up as the ultimate doubter, and now he's leading an Iron Man army against them - however, there'e still time for Tony Stark's son to switch sides and complete the new Avengers.

Avengers: Twilight #5 is available now from Marvel Comics.