Warning! Spoilers for I Am Iron Man #4 ahead!Being put in charge of S.H.I.E.L.D. causes Iron Man to sink to a new level of crazy paranoia with the reveal of a secret lab actually called “Level Unhinged.” Tony has never been one to shy away from upgrade, as he is constantly planning ahead against dangerous threats. But this hidden bunker of secrets shows just how far he'll go.
I Am Iron Man #4 by Murewa Ayodele and Dotun Akande takes place after Tony Stark becomes the Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. The issue sees Tony show Dr. Strange what he’s been working on in this new role. Since the events of Civil War, Tony is still struggling to learn the lessons brought upon by his battles against Captain America and many other heroes. Most of that is due to his bad habit of trying to fix problems before they arise. Not only did the ambitious billionaire create more Iron Man suits to defeat his own comrades, but he also began studying something far more sinister.
Tony Stark Studies Demons And Dr. Strange Wants No Part Of It
Tony is becoming even more dangerous thanks to his newfound obsession with studying monsters and demons. Level Unhinged contains not only contingency plans against the Avengers but also some crazy-looking monsters locked inside chambers. To justify his actions, Tony gives the old “I am Iron Man” excuse and says he lives to build and discover new technology. However, while Strange understands Tony’s need to prepare for the worst, he doesn’t studying mystical beasts. Especially since those same mystical beasts have wormed their way into Tony’s brilliant mind.
The demons Tony has been studying have been turning him into something he is not. Tony has seen visions of demons and no one, not even his closest allies, can figure out why that is. However, Dr. Strange has a theory that Tony has been infected by a monster known as “The Key” and it’s slowly turning him against his friends. Strange explains that the Key feeds on Tony’s desire to create a safe world and twists it into something awful. The demons inside Tony’s mind have been planting the ideas of an imminent threat and forcing him to create even more security measures that could very well destroy the world.
Iron Man Could Bring an Apocalypse to Earth
This alien known as the Key serves as a frightening omen for the Avengers. Strange continues his analysis of the Key, telling Stark that this alien can bring an entire invasion of demons and monsters to Earth if the billionaire is infected for too long. Luckily, Dr. Strange removes the supposed Key from Tony’s mind, but he had already crafted a deadly weapon while infected. Tony creates a cosmic/mystic cannon that can overpower even Strange’s mystical powers and destroy him or any other mystic threats. While his sanity remains intact for now, Iron Man needs to be careful not to be consumed by the promise of the Key, or else the Avengers will have a new villain to confront.
I Am Iron Man #4 is now available from Marvel Comics!
