Marvel Sets the Stage for Iron Man 2020 Event

Marvel Comics is setting the stage for the Iron Man 2020 event. Tony Stark's brother, Arno Stark, is back and he's allied himself with Baintronics, a cutting edge technology company. In Tony Stark: Iron Man #11, Arno tips his hand and reveals the first hint of his plan for the year 2020. It seems Arno's plan involves his parents and the couple that raised Tony, Howard and Maria Stark. For now, he's responsible for making sure that Tony Stark survived a fatal fall from near-orbit. But does he truly wish Tony Stark well? Or is he plotting something terrible for Iron Man in the coming year?

Tony Stark: Iron Man #11 sees the final showdown between Iron Man and the Controller. Iron Man uses Baintronics' instant manufacturing plan to create the god-killer armor he dreamed up while trapped in the virtual reality known as eScape. He uses the god-killer to defeat the Controller, but then destroys the armor rather than allow it to continue to exist.

The Bainstronics board toasts to 2020. Gauntlet retrieves the remaining fragments of the god-killer armor and returns them to Arno. But Arno has another project on his mind:

What does this mean for Iron Man? Fans will have to wait until 2020 to find out, as Marvel has been teasing a major Iron Man 2020 event to come.

Tom DeFalco and Herb Trimpe created Arno Stark. The character first appeared in Machine Man 2020 #2 in 1984. As originally conceived, Arno was Tony Stark's first cousin, once removed. In the future, Arno inherited Stark Industries and the Iron Man armor. Rather than use the armor for the good of the world the way Tony did, Arno used Iron Man as an agent of corporate espionage and as a mercenary.

During the Marvel NOW! era, Kieron Gillen and Dale Eaglesham created another version of Arno Stark who exists in the present day of the Earth-616 timeline. Tony Stark only discovered that Arno existed recently. In doing so, Tony discovered that he was adopted and that Arno was Howard and Maria's biological son. Arno's birth involved genetic tampering by aliens and his destiny to pilot the Godkiller armor. Though ill, Arno piloted his own set of armor to fight alongside his adoptive brother in defense of Troy, a utopian city built by Tony. When he left Troy, Tony left Arno in charge of the city. Arno returned in Tony Stark: Iron Man #5.

Are you excited about the return of Iron Man 2020? What do you think the new Iron Man 2020 event Marvel Comics will be? Let us know in the comments! Tony Stark: Iron Man #11 is on sale now.