WARNING: The following article contains spoilers for Avengers: Tech-On #1, on sale now from Marvel.
For all of his flash and swagger, it's easy to forget that one of the foremost scientists in the Marvel Universe is Tony Stark. With an intellect on par with Hank Pym and the Fantastic Four's Reed Richards, Tony's own technologically minded genius has been used most notably to design and construct the extensive line of Iron Man armors and keep Stark Industries as one of the world's most successful tech companies.
And with the Avengers cosmically outgunned in the new comic book miniseries Avengers Tech-On, Tony's know-how and vast resources prove to be invaluable when he provides the rest of his teammates with their own custom variations of Iron Man armor to even the odds against an omnipotent enemy.
Taking place approximately one year after the Infinity Stones were destroyed, the Red Skull has recovered the shards from the shattered Infinity Gauntlet to give himself a cosmic upgrade and seek to rewrite reality in his image. As he transforms innocent bystanders into mindless recruits for his rapidly growing army, the Red Skull decides to tip the odds even more in his favor by using his newfound abilities to strip the powers of the Avengers, rendering most of them helpless in a straightforward fight. Fortunately for the heroes, Tony's power isn't the result of a genetic spider bite or Super-Soldier serum but instead from his own intellect, with this proving the Avengers' saving grace in the opening issue of Tech-On by Jim Zub, Jeffrey "Chamba" Cruz and VC's Travis Lanham.
Even without the benefits of their powers, the Avengers set out to stop the Red Skull, only to find the newly cosmic villain one step ahead of them. Undeterred by the power disparity, Tony reveals he has constructed costume armors for each of his teammates, from Wolverine sporting a new set of even bigger adamantium claws through his armor, to Captain America back in action and wielding his trusty vibranium shield against his old nemesis. And while the Red Skull is visibly unimpressed by the Avengers' armored upgrades, Iron Man refers to this metallically plated ensemble as the Iron Avengers as they charge into battle.
Tony has often provided his friends and teammates with technological upgrades to help maintain their edge as they defend the Marvel Universe. When Steve Rogers temporarily left the mantle of Captain America, it was Tony that provided his old friend with his new super-suit to become the Captain in the interim, complete with a specially designed adamantium shield. Recently, Tony unveiled new superhero costumes for himself and Steve when the two went on an undercover rescue mission to infiltrate the Russian Red Room and rescue a captive She-Hulk from the clutches of the Winter Guard, with the new costumes boasting an impressive set of adaptive features.
Things may be looking dire for the Avengers, with the Red Skull more powerful than ever through the Infinity Stones, but Iron Man is prepared to even the odds with some upgrades of his own to unveil. While the Red Skull may have gone cosmic, the Avengers have some tricks up their newly armored sleeves as the next battle for the fate of the Marvel Universe begins. And Tony Stark has once again come through in a pinch to remind his teammates how resourceful he is as he singlehandedly turns the tide of battle.