WARNING: The following article contains spoilers for Savage Avengers #9 by Gerry Duggan, Patrick Zircher, Java Tartaglia and VC's Travis Lanham, on sale now.
Ever since Conan the Barbarian appeared in the present day Marvel Universe, he has been on a quest that has taken him halfway around the world. Although he began by joining forces with Wolverine, the Punisher, Elektra and the rest of the Savage Avengers to fight his nemesis, the evil sorcerer Kulan Gath, Conan eventually found himself on his own. However, he soon piqued the interest of Doctor Doom and, before long, the Cimmerian was once again fighting his sworn enemy.
However, this time, Conan has some new comrades in Victor Von Doom and Doctor Strange. Together, the trio take on the might of Kulan Gath in Savage Avengers #9, and the sorcerer proves how dangerous an opponent he really is. But the tide may turn thanks to Doctor Strange's newest weapon: the Infamous Iron Man suit.
Introducing... The Iron Mage
Savage Avengers #9 details an epic fight between Doom, Conan, Doctor Strange and Kulan Gath. For most of the issue, the sorcerers cast spells at each other, with Doom and Strange working in tandem to defeat an enemy who is, clearly, more than they anticipated. Even with the Barbarian on their side, their combined powers aren't enough, and things take a turn for the worse when Gath fatally poisons Doctor Strange.
But almost as soon as it happens, Doom opts to call in for reinforcements. That is when we see a rocket shoot out of a Latverian satellite in Earth's orbit. The rocket blasts towards the location of the confrontation and lands right on top of them. While Gath takes Doom down for the count, it doesn't matter in the least -- as it turns out the good doctor didn't actually summon the rocket for himself, but for the ailing Stephen Strange.
As the rocket's doors open, the Infamous Iron Man armor unfolds itself and wraps around the Sorcerer Supreme, administering the medical care he desperately needs. The armor then completely forms around his entire body, and starts to obey his commands. The suit even takes on a different appearance that mirrors Doctor Strange's signature robes. When the threat of the poison passes, he stands tall, and summons back his Cloak of Levitation to complete his new look.
Strange now has the combined powers of the Sorcerer Supreme and the Infamous Iron Man -- and thanks to Conan, he has a new name: the Iron Mage.
The Infamous Iron Man suit came into being following the conclusion of 2016's Civil War II, the end of which left Tony Stark in a coma. It was Doctor Doom who took it upon himself to fill Iron Man's shoes. Taking a heroic turn, Victor Von Doom began to wear his own Iron Man suit, but kept some elements of his look: his armor was silver, and he kept wearing his signature green cloak and hood. Eventually, Victor fell from grace and embraced his villainous identity as Doctor Doom once again. Still, now we know that he has kept his suit. And better yet, he's more than willing to share it with someone -- a hero, no less -- who is in dire need of help.
Doom and Conan are both down, so the Iron Mage is bound to take the fight to Kulan Gath on his own. With this much power, the confrontation between the two sorcerers is sure to be one of epic proportions.
Savage Avengers #10 releases Feb. 12.