Warning: contains spoilers for Invincible Iron Man Annual #1!Marvel fans like to debate whether Iron Man's armor could take on Magneto, the Mutant Master of Magnetism, but now Tony is facing off against the one mutant who he may actually find unbeatable. The fight is part of the Contest of Chaos event taking place across Marvel's 2023 annuals, which pits Marvel heroes against each other with their usual friendships and sense of restraint removed.
In a preview of the issue shared by Marvel, Iron Man and the X-Men's Storm investigate a mysterious cave, to which they've been called by suspicious whispers (likely those of Agatha Harkness, who is orchestrating the Contest of Chaos for her own means.) As the two search deeper, it becomes apparent that the cave is able to tap into their deepest insecurities and regrets, convincing them that the other hero is goading them into a fight. As the preview concludes, Iron Man fires off a shot at Storm, beginning a fight he may not be equipped to win. Invincible Iron Man Annual #1 comes from Jason Loo, David Cutler, Bryan Valenza, and Joe Caramagna.
Iron Man vs Storm Is a Fight Tony Can't Win
While fans love to debate Iron Man vs Magneto, that question has been answered numerous times, with Iron Man revealing he uses anti-magnetic baffles to neutralize the antihero's powers. However, this kind of failsafe won't work against Storm. Storm's mutant power is to control the weather, but that summary downplays her abilities. Storm has Omega-level powers over weather conditions, to the extent that she can manipulate even just air pressure to crush armored opponents. She can hurl lightning, summon intense heat and cold, and is an expert warrior whose skills currently find her as the official voice of the solar system, and regent of the warlike planet Arakko. On top of this, Storm has immense magical potential, totally separate from her weather powers. In the recent Storm & the Brotherhood of Mutants - set in a now defunct potential future - it was revealed her powers can act on the molecular level, manipulating electrons and carbon molecules for a force compared to a nuclear bomb.
Iron Man Is Taking on a Literal Goddess
Fans already saw the nature of the Contest of Chaos over in the Spider-Man Annual, where Wolverine and Spider-Man came to blows over a mystic orb. During their fight, Peter admitted he wanted nothing except to take ownership of the orb, and that this urge overrode any reluctance to hurt his longtime ally. If Iron Man and Storm feel the same way, Tony Stark is in for the fight of his life. Storm is one of Marvel's most powerful mutants, and has continually evolved over the years, to the point where she now operates on a galactic level. Both in raw power and versatility, Storm is the threat to Iron Man that fans often speculate Magneto should be. She can fry his armor's electronics, freeze its systems, crush it flat, or summon ball lightning inside to target Tony directly.
Iron Man Isn't Ready For This Fight
At the same time, Iron Man is at his lowest ebb. After being targeted by rival billionaire Feilong, Tony is now down to his last suit, without the funds to create his usual custom weapons and armor. That means he's not even going into this fight loaded with equipment to counter Storm, but will rather have to work with what's on hand. While Iron Man is a smart operator with endless tricks up his sleeve, what fans have seen so far suggests the question of his fight against Storm isn't whether he can win, but whether he can survive.
Invincible Iron Man Annual #1 is available from Marvel August 16.
