Synopsis / Summary / Plot
Feilong took over Stark Unlimited after Tony Stark left it and has used its tech to build giant mutant-hunting Sentinels for Orchis to help them drive most of the Krakoan mutant nation off Earth. He has banned Stark from using the *company*'s Iron Man tech and has framed Tony's pal James Rhodes for murder of an employee at an SU Sentinel factory. Tony has teamed up with Wilson Fisk (who wants his missing mutant wife Typhoid Mary back) to head the Hellfire Club. He's also working with the few remaining X-Men, especially Emma Frost who has transferred her fortune to Fisk, who is financing broke Stark to create a new Mark 72 armour in the Club. As part of the smokescreen Tony has pretended to marry Emma in her non-mutant alias Hazel Kendal, and she's given him some of the mutant metal mysterium for the armour.
But this issue starts with She-Hulk in the Fortbend County Courthouse, Richmond, Texas where she's defending Rhodey. She claims to have proved that he couldn't have killed the victim at the factory when he was there and was arrested after destroying Sentinels (#7) because the victim used his mobile phone from his home later, and the phone was found on his body. This means that the coroner's time of death must be in error and he was killed later, and so Rhodes should be acquitted. Opposing council suggests that someone else could have used the phone and asks it to be left to the jury decision.
Next we see angry Shulk smashing up her rental car outside the courtroom.
In Manhattan Stark is flying in his current black & white stealth armour Mark Nil, sneaking up on an Iron Sentinel and planting a tracker as part of his plan to monitor all of them.
He then goes as Tony to the Hellfire Club and enters his secret lab where he finds Fisk waiting to hear about progress on his investment. Tony is expecting a visitor Riri Williams but she's barred at the door by 'Hazel Kendal' who doesn't know who she is. And Riri doesn't know that Hazel is the psi-mutant Emma Frost so she tries to use the power of Mandarin's Rings (see #2 and the previous series) to mentally influence her to be let in. Emma uses X-Men mental training to resist and removes her mutant inhibitor 'wedding' ring to engage Riri in a psychic battle. Riri now recognises her foe and, still suspicious, suits up as Ironheart (in the mental arena).
Emma taking off her ring sets off a mutant detector alarm that Fisk had allowed Orchis to install to avoid suspicion. The 2 men go to the front door and see the 2 women frozen in mental conflict. A Sentinel is sure to be on the way so Fisk uses his cane to break his own nose and starts shouting that Mystique just broke in and tried to kill him. On the mental plane White Queen informs Ironheart of the likely situation and says they must stop fighting as she rips Riri's armour apart. Riri agrees but gets in a slap with an armoured hand before they both wake to reality.
But a Sentinel is already there declaring that Emma Frost has been detected. Riri suits up for real, as does Tony. WQ switches to her diamond form and tells Ironheart to throw her at the enemy. She and Iron Man attack the Iron Sentinel, closely followed by IH. None of them are having much effect until Riri says she's got the 'special order' Tony asked for. She fires Pym Particles at the IS which shrinks it small enough that they can stomp it to death.
Emma replaces her inhibitor ring which reduces her to non-mutant Hazel again. The emergency services arrive along with a TV reporter. Fisk plays up the property damage caused by the battle and blames it on mutants. Hazel and Riri shake hands. Tony takes Riri and the remaining Pym Particles to his lab where he shows her (but not us) what he's working on, and what he needs the Pym Particles for. They also discuss a plan they have for her to build ships out of mysterium. Tony says there's nowhere safe on Earth to do it so she'll have to go 'up there' and coordinate with Eitri.
Bur before she goes the conspirators get together for a Thanksgiving dinner. Captain America and his Avengers Unity Squad are there (at least we see Deadpool, Quicksilver and Rogue) as are available X-Men (we see Ms Marvel, Synch and Talon (Laura Kinney)). Plus there are 2 figures visible but not distinguishable by me.
Lastly we see Jim Rhodes still in jail. A guard gives him a present from his lawyer which he believes is a St Leonard medal, the patron saint of prisoners. But when Rhodey looks he sees that the 'saint' is wearing armour, and he grins and calls it a St Anthony medal.