WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Iron Man #2, by Christopher Cantwell, CAFU, Frank D'Armata and VC's Joe Caramagna, on sale now.
Tony Stark used to be Iron Man inside and out after bonding with the Extremis armor that allowed him to transform into Iron Man at any moment and gave him a whole host of incredible abilities that made him one of the most powerful Avengers. And with Tony's new lease on life, he no longer has access to the awesome capabilities that came with it as he falls back on using his classic armor rather than the most advanced power suits he can dream up and innovate.
And without his high-tech tricks, an obscure Spider-Man villain, Cardiac, does some serious damage to Iron Man during a straightforward rescue mission in Iron Man #2.
As Stark Unlimited begins to invest in pharmaceuticals and healthcare, the business move has incurred the wrath of the villainous Cardiac. Debuting in David Michelinie and Erik Larsen's Amazing Spider-Man #342 in 1990, Cardiac was a physician and head of a biomedical firm who worked obsessively to find a cure for his brother's terminal diagnosis. After his brother passed away, Cardiac became a vengeful antihero targeting unscrupulous healthcare providers while using experimental procedures to give himself superpowers. At one point, Cardiac was even scouted to be a potential Avenger following Civil War, but he proved to be too violent and radical to become a bonafide superhero.
In this issue, Cardiac captures several Stark Unlimited employees and houses them in a massive sphere composed of adamantium and vibranium. Broadcasting the proceedings to the world, Cardiac plots to execute his hostages to send a message about corporations that focus on profit over human life. As Iron Man's friend Hellcat leaps into action to confront Cardiac directly and keep him occupied, Tony moves to free the hostages before time runs out. Due to its vibranium make-up, Iron Man's repulsor rays are completely ineffective in breaching the sphere's alloy hull. Running out of options, Iron Man decides to break through the sphere the old-fashioned way: By charging headfirst.
After backing up several hundred yards to gain enough room to build to the suit's maximum velocity, Iron Man flies at the sphere as fast as he can, despite his onboard A.I. program warning him that he may be killed from the sheer force of the impact. Ultimately, Iron Man is successful in breaching the sphere with a mighty punch, freeing the hostages in the nick of time, but the impact causes him to break 17 bones and puncture one of his lungs. Without the Extremis abilities to heal him at an accelerated rate, Tony is hospitalized and forced to pay for his healthcare costs out of pocket as his superhero lifestyle has effectively made him uninsurable.
Tony Stark has never been shy about putting himself directly in harm's way but, without the state-of-the-art armor or Extremis giving him an accelerated healing factor, Iron Man is now just a guy in a fancy -- if well-armed -- metal suit. Tony was able to save the day this time, but one of the more obscure, one-note antagonists in Spider-Man's rogues' gallery nearly put down the Armored Avenger for good. And with Tony back on the mend, he will have to learn how better analyze a situation instead of literally looking before he leaps headlong into danger or he may not be as lucky next time.