Iron Man: Master of Machines/The Stark Dilemma

The Stark Dilemma is the first issue of Iron Man: Master of Machines.

Transcript
A scene of New York at night is shown. A giant explosion is seen in the middle of New York as it cuts to Tony in the Iron Man armor, with half the mask ripped off, his armor broken, and him bleeding from his head, nose, and mouth. A man in a giant grey suit walks up behind Tony and picks him up. A man is shown rushing through the halls of a hospital. Howard Stark bursts into the maternity ward and runs up to a pregnant Maria Stark. Maria lets out a high pitched scream and it cuts to years into the future as a college student standing in a crowd screams in joy. Tony steps out of a night club with a smirk on his face as the crowd around him begins snapping pictures. The college girl runs up to him. The girl hugs his arm and starts jumping up and down in excitement. She starts walking off with him and waves to a group of people in the crowd. They both get inside Tony's limo and begin driving off. Tony pushes a button inside of the limo and two glasses of alcohol are poured. Tony offers the girl one. The girl reaches for the glass and it cuts to Tony's house, with the girl being far more excitable and jumpy than before. Tony claps his hands and all the lights turn on. All of the lights go out Red lights turn on. The girl says nothing. Tony and the girl walk over to a small door. Tony opens the door, revealing the box has been turned off manually. Tony's face drops. The girl is revealed to be staring in horror at the ceiling. Tony looks up, revealing ten shadowy figures looking down at them from the ceiling window. Tony grabs her and starts charging. The shadowy figures start bursting out of every room and charging for Tony. Multiple of them start jumping on top of him. The girl screams and another one chloroforms her. A final shadowy figure takes out a metal pipe and bashes Tony in the back of the head, knocking him out. Cut to Tony sitting by himself in a cellar. A door opens and a few men begin yelling at each other in Chinese. An older Chinese man is pushed into the cellar with Tony, who gets up and helps the man off the ground. The man puts his glasses on. A man in ninja gear stands over the two. The man leaves and locks the door. Yinsen stares at Tony and smiles lightly. Yinsen laughs. Yinsen looks at him. Tony runs to the door. Tony bashes his fist against the door and there is a large explosion. A heart monitor is shown, slowly beating while multiple doctors surrounded by Ten Rings soldiers attempt to stabilize Tony with the help of Yinsen. Tony's pulse slowly fades until he flatlines. Moments later, Yinsen pulls out an odd-looking object and rams it into an open wound in Tony's chest, causing his heart to beat again and for Tony to gasp for air. Tony grabs the object in his chest. Yinsen smiles at him. Later, the two are back in their cell, Tony taking a plug out of the object on his chest. Tony doesn't reply. Tony grabs a hammer and walks over to Yinsen. A montage is then shown of the two working on a project in secret. When it's finally done, Tony blowtorches something together before walking off and clapping his hands in excitement at the sight of the Iron Man MK I armor. Yinsen is revealed to have a melancholy expression. Yinsen grabs the MK I helmet and puts it on Tony. Yinsen nods at Tony. Two soldiers are shown walking past their cell. The soldiers stop at the cell and see Yinsen looking at them through the hole in the door. They enter the cell and shoot him down. They're about to leave when they hear something and turn around. Instantly, they're set on fire and killed. Out of the shadows steps Tony in the MK I. Tony picks up Yinsen's corpse and starts walking out with it. Many soldiers attempt to shoot him down but the bullets bounce off him and he burns them in response. When he makes it to the end of the cave, several soldiers are waiting for him and open fire, ending with one launching a small rocket at him. Tony survives all of them and is revealed to be curled up in a ball with Yinsen's corpse after the rocket hits him. He gently places Yinsen down and gets back up. Tony unleashes a massive blast of fire and burns everyone around him.
 * Tony (VO): My name is Tony Stark. You probably know who I am. "The Invincible Iron Man" is what they've been calling me. Everybody loves me. They cheer my name when they see me, my friends are proud of me, and I love every moment of it. I honestly don't know what could ruin this for me.
 * Tony (VO): That'll do it...
 * Grey Man: Remember, Stark... I am the man who beat you.
 * Tony (VO): So, this has a long story behind it. In fact, a full year's worth of story behind it. I'll try and crunch it down into just the important parts though. But I'll try and keep everyone who isn't familiar with me filled in.
 * Tony (VO): Like I said, I'm Tony Stark. I was born on January 11 in New York Hospital.
 * Howard: How is she?!
 * Doctor: Everything's fine, don't worry. She's doing great.
 * College Girl: That's Tony Stark!
 * Tony: Chill ladies and gentlemen... yes, it's me, get all that ogling out of your system!
 * College Girl: Mister Stark, sorry for coming out of nowhere like this, but we're talking about you in my college right now and I just wanted to say that I'm a really big fan!
 * Tony: Studying me, huh? well, come with me and I'll give you a private lesson.
 * College Girl: Ohmygodohmygodohmygodohmygod!!
 * College Girl: Bye guys! I'm going on a date with Tony Stark!!
 * Tony: Scotch?
 * College Girl: Oh, sorry, I'm only 20, can't drink alcohol yet.
 * Tony: That's only a problem if people find out!
 * Tony: Welcome to casa Stark!
 * College Girl: This is nuts, I can't believe it! I'm actually in Tony Stark's house! ohmygodohmygod!
 * Tony: Yes, I know, I'm amazing!
 * Tony (VO): I wasn't.
 * Tony: Smartest man in the world, Tony Stark!
 * Tony (VO): That would be Reed Richards.
 * Tony: I'm incredible, aren't I?
 * Tony (VO): Factually incorrect.
 * Tony: I'm extremely nice!
 * Tony (VO): Nope.
 * Tony: And humble too!
 * Tony (VO): Just keep digging that hole, don't I?
 * Tony: Well, make yourself at home. You know what they say, mi casa es tu casa!
 * Tony: Back-up lights on.
 * College Girl: ...Is that normal?
 * Tony: Not usually. Must be a blackout or something. I am rich after all.
 * College Girl: What does that mean?
 * Tony: Well, when you're rich more things will break down for you.
 * Tony (VO): I just wanted to brag that I was rich. Which is stupid.
 * Tony: Behind here is the box that controls the lights of the house. Something might've short-circuited.
 * Tony: ...Did you touch it?
 * Tony: Uh... lady...
 * College Girl: Yeah...?
 * Tony: Run!!
 * Unknown Man: 我们只需要他...
 * Tony: You okay?
 * Old Man: Yes, I think so...
 * Man In Ninja Suit: This is Ho Yinsen. He's been here for a while. He's your new cellmate. He'll tell you the rest.
 * Tony: Ho Yinsen...? are you who I think you are?
 * Yinsen: I could ask the same to you, Mister Stark. I forgot how long I have been in here. Hours? Days? Weeks? Months? Years?
 * Yinsen: But... truth be told, I don't think I care anymore...
 * Tony: ...Who are these guys...?
 * Yinsen: Right, how rude of me... very sorry... they are called the Ten Rings... they're trained in multiple forms of martial arts and are led by a Mandarin whose name no one knows, not even his own men...
 * Tony: This group is led by an orange?
 * Tony: Sorry, bad joke. What do they want from us anyway?
 * Yinsen: A weapon... a weapon that will top all other weapons...
 * Tony: A nuke?
 * Yinsen: Worse...
 * Tony: What's worse than a nuke?
 * Yinsen: That's the scariest part... I don't know...
 * Tony: Well... what will they do if we just refuse? just say no!
 * Tony: You hear that you bastards!? I refuse to make you--
 * Yinsen: Tony, don't!!
 * Tony (VO): Knocked out twice in one day... just my luck, huh?
 * Tony: What... what the hell just happened...?
 * Yinsen: Are you okay? You were dead for a few seconds.
 * Tony: I'm fine, I'm fine... what the hell is this?
 * Yinsen: It's an invention of mine. It stabilizes the heart but at the cost that it must be constantly charged.
 * Tony: You... saved my life?
 * Tony: Fully charged.
 * Yinsen: Excellent.
 * Tony: Hey, I was wondering, why'd you save me?
 * Yinsen: What?
 * Tony: Is it because I'm rich? Do you want, like, money or something? cause if you do, I'm good for it, I just wanted to kno--
 * Yinsen: No. I want nothing from you. I saved you simply because you were in need of saving.
 * Tony: Oh... that's... honorable of you.
 * Yinsen: My family respected honor and loyalty above everything else. They died when I was young, so I've attempted to keep their memory alive by being as kind to others as they'd want me to be.
 * Yinsen: Yeah... I understand why...
 * Tony: What's that meant to mean?
 * Yinsen: ...Let's get to work.
 * Tony: Right... that weapon's not gonna build itself.
 * Yinsen: Wrong.
 * Tony: It... can build itself?
 * Yinsen: No. We aren't going to build their weapon, Mr. Stark. We are going to build the thing that gets us out of here.
 * Tony: What?
 * Yinsen: Two scientists working together, surrounded by military-grade weapons? I don't know why they didn't expect us to revolt.
 * Tony: Heh... I figure you're right.
 * Tony: Woo! Five months of work and we're done! Five more and we'll have yours--
 * Tony: --Done... Yinsen?
 * Yinsen: Five months...
 * Tony: What's wrong?
 * Yinsen: How many close calls have we had in these past five months?
 * Tony: Uh--
 * Yinsen: Too many to count... there's no way we'll be able to keep the armor a secret for another five months. And they'll destroy it if they find it... Tony... I'm old... I've been getting progressively sick, my studies require me to be exposed to radiation, and I've aged so much in only a few years. How old do you think I am?
 * Tony: Um...
 * Yinsen: I'm 50, Tony... We can't waste our time on this. If one of us were to break free from this hell, I'd want it to be you...
 * Tony: What're you talking about?
 * Yinsen: Break free without me, Tony.
 * Tony: Wha... I can't! You--
 * Yinsen: I'm not asking you.
 * Yinsen: I'm telling you... Break free from here and live the life I didn't get to have.
 * Tony: Yinsen...
 * Yinsen: But I do have one request... I have a daughter... When you break free from here, track her down for me. I haven't seen her or her mother in so long... please make sure they're okay when you get out... for me... please Tony... I'm positive I'm going to die soon... you have plenty of years to go.
 * Tony: ...You're a good friend, Yinsen... thank you...
 * Yinsen: 
 * Yinsen: 
 * Soldier #1: 
 * Yinsen: 
 * Soldier #2: 
 * Yinsen: 
 * Soldier #2: 
 * Soldier #1: 
 * Soldier #2: 
 * Soldier #1: 
 * Tony (VO): He didn't have to do that... but he did... just so they would open the door and set me free without knowing... He sacrificed himself for the sake of helping one man... That's a hero if I've ever seen one...
 * Tony (VO): It was during this that I noticed that my fake heart, my "Arc Reactor" as I later called it, wasn't running out of charge. Later on, I found out it was because Yinsen made the suit a charger I could wear. I mean, goddamn, the man thought of everything...
 * Tony: My turn.