Superior Iron Man Will Unleash Tony Stark's Inner Darkness

This October, Marvel's Iron Man series will be replaced by a new ongoing series, titled Superior Iron Man. In keeping with the spirit of Marvel's previous "Superior" superhero series, Superior Spider-Man, the series will see Tony Stark letting his dark, egotistical, and more ambitious side out. The difference is that, where Spider-Man had been body-swapped with his nemesis, Doctor Octopus, the Superior Iron Man is the one, true Tony Stark.

"What we're doing here is a little different — it's Tony Stark, the one and only Tony Stark — and in the aftermath of the Axis event, he will surrender to his id and his legendary ego," Marvel editor-in-chief Axel Alonso tells Mashable. "You'll see Tony in a new place spiritually and intellectually."

In the aftermath of Axis, Tony will develop a new mobile app version of the Extremis technology. The technology promises its users perfection and, possibly, immortality, but its use awakens the darker aspects of Tony's personality, filling him with ambition and hubris and leaving him straddling the line between hero and villain. He moves to San Francisco with plans to set up shop as a Silicon Valley tech mogul, and immediately comes into conflict with Daredevil.

"Yes, this is Tony," Alonso said. "What you're seeing in Superior Iron Man is a Tony Stark who's seen both his worst and best impulses all let loose. It is Tony, but he's going to be in a zone now where he's never been. He's more ambitious, cunning, egotistical ... all of those quantities are unharnessed. He has a vision for the world. I like to think his position is defensible — controversial, but defensible."

Alonso also says that fans can expect to see this Superior Iron Man standing side by side with Sam Wilson, announced last night as the new Captain America, and the female Thor as part of the Avengers.

"Don't look for anything to contradict this Iron Man for the foreseeable future," Alonso said.

Superior Iron Man will be written by Tom Taylor and drawn by Yildray Cinar, and will be part of Marvel's Avengers NOW! initiative.