* MELTER Appearance (Bruno Horgan) with 1st APPEARANCE UPGRADED "MK II Melting Ray"

While rebuilding the Stark Industries building, there is an on site accident that almost kills Pepper and Happy if not for the intervention of Tony Stark. However, afterward, Pepper seeks Happy for comfort, convincing Tony that she has finally chosen who she cares for more, and so resumes the lifestyle of a millionaire playboy in order to forget about her.

Meanwhile, at a nearby prison, the criminal known as the Melter has built a new melting gun with the aid of a fellow inmate in order to escape. When the weapon works, the Melter turns on his companion and escapes by himself. Donning a new costume, the Melter goes to Stark Industries in an attempt to force Tony Stark to build a new melting gun that operates on his miniaturized transistors.

There the Melter battles Iron Man, a fight which Iron Man is about to win when the Melter puts a number of Stark employees in danger, forcing Iron Man to stop the fight to save them. Figuring that the best way to stop the Melter is in his civilian guise, Iron Man rushes ahead of the Melter and changes back to Tony Stark. There the Melter finds him and forces him to begin building a melting gun.. This story is continued next issue...

---