Sky-Die Tony returns to Stark International to find the facility in uproar. SHIELD has commandeered the site's analytical lab. Tony confronts Nick Fury and learns about the sudden deaths in Allentown, Iowa. Tony allows him to continue their work with his approval. Senator Mountebank, on behalf of Jonas Hale, tries to bribe Tony away from get granting SHIELD access to his labs but Tony kicks him out. At her office, Bethany receives a letter addressed to "Bethany van Tilberg" that shakes her up. Meanwhile, Hale contacts his sleeper agent, Stark Communications Division head Mike Trudeau, to sabotage the investigation. Trudeau hijacks the Jupiter Landing Vehicle to destroy the lab but Iron Man defeats him. Iron Man takes the investigation into space, donning a special suit of armor and launching himself toward the source of the microwaves that struck the people of Allentown; he finds an immense space station called Star Well; a project of Roxxon Oil.
