The newest volume of Invincible Iron Man is trying to start off by putting Tony Stark on death's door. Writer Gerry Duggan and artist Juan Frigeri are the creative team on Invincible Iron Man after Christopher Cantwell ended his Iron Man run with an oversized 650th issue. Tony's money, fame, and connections are all gone, and there's a bounty on the Armored Avenger's head. Of course, Iron Man has been up against similar odds before, and always finds a way to come out on top. There's always the possibility things are different this time, and a preview of the first Invincible Iron Man issue sets the table for some of that drama.
ComicBook.com has an exclusive preview of Invincible Iron Man #1 by Gerry Duggan, Juan Frigeri, and Bryan Valenza. Instead of occupying a fancy mansion or Avengers Tower, Tony Stark is regulated to a workshop in the basement of his brownstone. The working quarters aren't the best, but Tony is still tinkering with a lone Iron Man armor (The Mark 70). In the background is an arc reactor that begins buzzing, and when Tony takes a look back at it, an explosion takes out the entire brownstone.
Amid the rubble are broken family photos from the other residents, a dismantled piece of Iron Man faceplate, and a motionless hand sticking out of the rubble with blood dripping from it. We're supposed to believe that hand belongs to Tony Stark, but since it has a watch on its wrist – and Tony was never shown to be wearing a hand – it probably belongs to one of his neighbors, who is now dead.
Marvel Relaunches Invincible Iron Man
Created by Stan Lee, Larry Lieber, Don Heck, Jack Kirby, and Steve Ditko, Iron Man debuted in 1963's Tales of Suspense #39. 2023 is the 60th anniversary of Iron Man, with Marvel launching a new volume of Invincible Iron Man to celebrate.
"It's my privilege to try and follow Christopher Cantwell and his collaborators' stellar run on Iron Man heading into an anniversary year," Gerry Duggan said in a statement. "Juan and I are going to introduce a new menace that is gunning for Tony Stark and his greatest creation. We have an epic tale for Stark and plans for old foes, including flashbacks to some of his classic armors. How about a little Silver Centurion for his diamond anniversary? Armor up, you're gonna need it."
The exclusive preview of Invincible Iron Man #1 can be found below. The issue goes on sale Wednesday, December 14th.