Marvel May Have Just Killed Off Several Heroes

Iron Man has developed a unique reputation in the Marvel Comics universe -- depending on how he's portrayed, he can either come across as a high-tech mastermind or an eclectic hero. Marvel's recent Iron Man run has been playing right into that dichotomy in some interesting ways, including by giving him a supporting cast and rogue's gallery that is somewhat unexpected. That was especially the case in the series' recent fifth issue, which saw Tony Stark accumulating a ragtag team to potentially help stop Korvac. As the issue went on, however, that ensemble's fate was quickly - and potentially, tragically - put to the test. Spoilers for Iron Man #5, from Christopher Cantwell, Cafu, Frank D'Armata, and Joe Caramagna, below! Only look if you want to know!

After facing off against Korvac and his roster of villains in previous issues, Tony Stark decided that he needed whatever reinforcements necessary to help him. Tony realized that he couldn't rely on his usual public-facing allies like the Avengers to help him, as it would alert Korvac to his plan and potentially escalate the kidnap and torture of War Machine. Instead - with the help of Halcyon, a mutant with the ability to keep his heart rate steady - Tony put out the call to a series of heroes. The team that ended up showing up was about as disparate as you could get -- the Scarlet Spider, Gargoyle, Misty Knight, and Frog Man.

Over the course of the issue, the team tried to figure out the best plan of action to fight Korvac, and discovered that he had a ship hidden in a nearby warehouse to potentially travel off-planet. Tony then faced off against Korvac - who had been manipulating Hellcat - only to receive some harrowing news. Misty let Tony know that the ship was seemingly empty -- just before it exploded in a massive blast. The issue concluded shortly after, as Korvac seemed to gain the upper hand as Tony's suit began to malfunction.

So, did Iron Man just kill off Tony's allies -- including fan-favorite characters Scarlet Spider and Misty Knight? While the events of the issue certainly suggest that, the preview text for the next issue makes things a bit more ambiguous, arguing that the status of Tony's "other hero compatriots [is] unknown." But even if the group did miraculously manage to survive the blast, it's safe to assume that the event will have a harrowing impact on them going forward.