Warning: Spoilers ahead for X-Men #23X-Men team with ease, as proved by the new Stark Sentinels. In the setup to the "Fall of X" event this summer, Iron Man is teaming up with the X-Men to defeat their common enemy, but mutants will likely never forget the threat Tony Stark technology in the wrong hands poses any time soon.
Leading up to X-Men #23 by Gerry Duggan, Joshua Cassara, and Dee Cunniffe, Iron Man's coveted technology has fallen into the wrong hands. Orchis, the anti-mutant group backed by several antagonists to both the X-Men and Iron Man including human supremacist business mogul Feilong, Nimrod, and multiple cloned versions of Mr. Sinister, have taken the Stark technology and turned it against the X-Men in the form of the deadly Stark Sentinel. After Orchis tries to frame the X-Men for an attack against humans, the Stark Sentinel battles the team, and Krakoa's best barely make it out alive. Only at the last minute does Magik take down the Sentinel, leading fellow team member Forge to it that their overconfidence was "nearly fatal" and planning to seek out Iron Man's help in taking Orchis down for good.
The Stark Sentinel Proves Iron Man Can Take Down The X-Men Alone
Under Duggan's writing, both his Invincible Iron Man and X-Men series' have tackled arcs around combating power-hungry adversaries and fighting to keep power and influence out of the wrong hands. It's only natural, then, that their stories would come together, with Orchis and Feilong's control of Stark International as the common thread. As a pointedly familiar red and gold Stark Sentinel nearly took down some of Krakoa's most powerful heroes in X-Men #23, the team its that they have been a little too confident, following the establishment of their powerful mutant nation. However, this bout with the Stark Sentinel mostly showcased why Iron Man's technology is so powerful and dangerous.
The Sentinels' defining trait has always been their adaptability. No matter what fantastic mutant power their target has, these deadly robots can adapt to overcome it. This is a trait they share with basically everything that comes out of Tony Stark's brain. Over the course of the years, Iron Man has changed almost one hundred suits of armor and produced countless updates to his tech, all to be more than ready for every threat he could face. Fans of the character know that this is part of Tony's obsession, a trait that often shows his dark side. As the Stark Sentinel showed, Tony's gift for creating adaptive technology can be used to tailor weapons to take down any super-powered target, which poses a threat to his fellow superheroes once the technology falls in the wrong hands - as it often does.
Iron Man's Adaptive Tech Is His Biggest Weapon
The battle shown in this issue proves without a doubt that Iron Man is one of the most powerful and dangerous heroes in the Marvel Universe, as his adaptive technology can be tailored to be effective against even large teams of superpowered individuals. "Fall of X" will certainly be a crucial turning point for both the X-Men and Iron Man, and perhaps the only hope that Krakoa has to survive is to draft Tony Stark's talent for the protection of mutants rather than for their destruction.
X-Men #23 is now available from Marvel Comics!
