Synopsis / Summary / Plot
Iron Man is in Svartalfheim, domain of the Dark Elves, chasing the 4 Mandarin Rings their ruler Malekith got hold of. He's got 3 of them, now he's after Malekith himself who has the 4th Ring - Spectral.
IM is reentering Malekith's castle through a large hole made by person or persons unknown to him. As he fights his way past some extra-large Elves he contacts his mystical aide Shevaun Haldane, Dark Angel and asks her why Elves hate iron so much - but she only has speculation for an answer.
Inside the castle Malekith faces the guys who broke in - the bearers of the other 6 Mandarin Rings. He appears to have defeated them all. But then his Ring tells him that's just an illusion created by the Liar Ring, and in fact the 6 Ringlords are still beating him up. He tries to use the Spectral Ring's invisibility function, but Rings can always find each other. His Ring still hasn't recharged enough to use its general blasting power. So Malekith orders it to teleport him to Iron Man, for help.
Once there he persuades Tony Stark to make a deal. The Ringlords want the Ring, but Malekith is too proud to just give it to them. So he'll just give it to Stark. Then Stark can take it away, leaving the Dark Elf alive. And Malekith will then use his natural Elf skill to evade the Ringlords until they go away.
Tony is naturally suspicious. Just then the Ringlords arrive. Tiny recognises 2 of them as Mole Man and Endotherm, but not the others except Exile who he's already clashed with. While they dight Malekith, Stark gets Shevaun to send him an Elf-proof contract, which the Dark Lord signs while Shellhead holds the Ring Bearers off.
There's 1 problem left - Malekith can't give Stark the ring while he's wearing iron - IM will have to take his armour off. Tony is again naturally suspicious, but the contract will magically prevent the Elf from attacking him. So he does it (but he's still wearing a (non-iron) undersuit), and gets the 4th Ring and exits.
Malekith ports away too. So do the Ring Bearers now that they don't have to worry about the Dark Elf coming after them for more Rings (without a Ring he can't find them).
Fully-armoured Iron Man materialises in the magic gateway Dark Angel created. Her charlady tells him Shevaun's gone to see the Bride of Darkness (whom the Golden Avenger captured in #4), and she needs him urgently. The Bride had been changing in #23, and now she appears to be dissolving (but still striking out at anyone who comes near her).
But that's the end of that subplot for now as Tony takes the 4 Rings to the Core where the AI HELEN will keep them safe in a containment field that mixes Dark Angel's mystical tech with the alien superscience from Recorder-451.
Even though they're thus-contained, the 4 Rings are still able to join in the virtual meeting, the Ring of Rings, but without any virtual 'fingers' because they have no wearers. The Rings squabble as usual, but the Liar Ring tries to persuade them to work together.
HELEN informs Tony that Abigail Burns has published an interview with his 'brother' Arno. Iron Man angrily forces his way into Arno's sanctum in Troy, their city of the future. Arno is back in his iron lung. He didn't reveal their close relationship to Abigail. But Tony is disturbed because Burns' blog indicates that Arno is experimenting with Extremis.
Arno tells Tony not to worry - his superior intellect will ensure that he creates a better, safer version than Tony had. And they move on to a plan against the Mandarins, which they can begin now they have some Rings.