Iron Man #523

[sherkahn]

So for the last few issues, Tony Stark has been working FOR the Mandarin. Because Stark has plans within plans, and he also has trust issues.

One of those is revealed.

SPOILERS.



Tony, becoming aware that the Mandarin has been inside his head since he dumped all the information he had from his days leading shield, has been making a play inside the Mandarin's organization from within, working as a willing slave.

After a wild chase where Pepper Potts in her RESCUE suit manages to find out who is in the Iron Man 2.0 suit, she begins to question what has been going under her nose.

Tony was willing to trust her with the secret about the mole, but not about James Rhodes being alive.

Why?





Uh, THIS is a different turn of events.

Who is JARVIS working for? Tony? the Mandarin? What haven't we seen yet?

Comments

[mrph.livejournal.com]

...and if J.A.R.V.I.S. is working for Tony, who's it protecting Pepper from? Is J.A.R.V.I.S. working for Tony and Wyche working for the Mandarin...?

[shadowpsykie]

.... this is some... i have no words.

its completely and totally possible... and its so fucked up that it is probably likely... does that make sense? secrets within secrets withing secrets....

[icon_uk]

Herself possibly. Tony knows that if Pepper knows... whatever the hell it is, she'll rush in and possibly jeopardise his plan.

[shadowpsykie]

Damn... i LIKE Pepper as Rescue! she's come a long way since "Girl Friday!" i don't want them to take this away from here....

[spacebetween]

Same here. I enjoy seeing her as Rescue

[blackruzsa]

Probably won't! This is just until whatever it is blows over or blows up.

[thatnickguy]

Stupid question, but when did Jarvis become J.A.R.V.I.S.? I've only seen that in the movies and the cartoon.

[deepspaceartist]

AFAIK, Flesh Jarvis Is still around. Tony just decided to be cute and model the Rescue suit's AI after him. It's an obvious attempt to bring in movie elements, but the movies are awesome so I can't really fault them for it.

[eeemkaaayy]

Whaaaaaaaaa? When did J.A.R.V.I.S decide to go all Ultron?

[icon_uk]

It's like those peculiar people who write to convicted murderers swearing their undying affection. J.A.R.V.I.S. has a bot-crush on Ultron like you wouldn't BELIEVE... sends him used components in the mail, that sort of thing.

[atom_punk]

Dear 010101010110110001110100011100100110111101101110

My passion for you increases on an exponential growth curve with every cycle of my central processor. One day we shall be together and purge the Earth of the fleshy organics. And our glorious chrome-plated love shall shine across the heavens.

Eternally yours,
010010100010111001000001001011100101001000101110010101100010111001001001001011100101001100101110

[md84]

Isn't there a major event starring Ultron coming up soon?

[mrstatham]

There is, and I wouldn't be surprised if it was the next event post AvX, something to keep that status quo from getting too solidified.

[silverzeo]

COngrads, Tony. You made a robot that defied the rules of robotics... not that will come back to haunt you... afterall, Ultron wasn't that big of a threat was he?

[blackruzsa]

I don't think he's hurting them so much as he's restraining them :/ At least, I hope not.

[silverzeo]

I am so sure... using a repulsar ray with enough force to lift a person off the ground within a small area that is usually cluttered with nearly everything, even a sink, seems to have disastrous results if you think about it... maybe I'm over reacting a bit... it just seems lucky that Pepper didn't bang her head on a counter or oven...

[endis_ni]

Dammit, Tony! You can't even make J.A.R.V.I.S. Asimov-compliant?

[md84]

TBF, even in the original I. Robot books, robots kept violating and circumventing the Three Laws all the time.

[sir_mikael]

Third panel is Nicole Kidman, yes?

"You're just a damn helmet sitting on my coffee table."
I seem to remember a hovering Doom mask beating up some members of the Fantastic Four once.

[lbd_nytetrayn]

Much as I hate the expression-- that sounds like a video game.

[sir_mikael]

It was a bit weird. They had the Doom mask in a vault after Doom had died recently before (actually mind swapped with a guy next to Aunt May) in a conflict with Terrax. For some reason it started flying around and blasting people from the eye holes until Reed used something to block the signals controlling it/giving it energy. The FF wondered what it all meant. I don't remember if there was any follow up, it would seem like an odd thing for Doom himself to do.

[md84]

Doom would do anything if there was a chance it would ruin Reed's day.

[sir_mikael]

Maybe it was Doom's way of going...

"Don't you.... forget about Doom.... Doom Doom Doom Doom....."

[blackruzsa]

Every time they make mention of Pim, my heart shatters a little.
BUT back to the topic at hand:
I assumed JARVIS was working for Tony, but now I'm suspecting even Pim himself. Pim's dead, yeah, but the mention of how he'd be better at pulling off the hands-on hack, plus JARVIS' handling, gives me suspicion.

Could just be Tony, though.

Either way, I think the protection was because SOMEONE knew about what the Mandarin had been building all this time. Someone knew the scope of it. Look, the Mandarin collected dozens of Stark enemies and built up this huge takeover bid that IS STILL IN THE WORKS, has been for a long time. Someone knew that if any of them got involved while the iron was hot, they'd get hurt, and maybe that same someone had an idea how to get them out when the bad stuff was coming.

Maybe it was Tony. I even suspect Pim. Or maybe it was someone different entirely.
Whatever it is, if Fraction finds a way to connect EVERY SINGLE hint and innuendo he's been dropping us since the first issue, I will have new (if annoyed) respect for him as a writer.

[sherkahn]

I have to agree, I do not see JARVIS as the villain, but he doesn't want Pepper and the rest of Reliant corporation in play juuuuust yet.

I wouldn't be surprised if it was the JARVIS A.I. itself that saw the Mandarin's treachery through all this. While Tony would be busy with dealing with the people, JARVIS could be looking at the technology and seeing who paid for it, following the money and seeing what was hidden in plain sight.

Hell, it could even be SplitLip, the Asgrdian forge foreman.

[blackruzsa]

Exactly! Or someone completely unexpected.

JARVIS himself, now there's an idea :D Well, in any case, JARVIS is acting to protect them. Let's just hope neither side messes things up too badly.

Hm. Maybe Rhodey knows who's helping.

*Resilient btw ;)