Iron Man Epic Collection #20

In the Hands of the Mandarin, Part 2 of 2: Inner Demons finds the Mandarin locked in a surreal battle against fractured echoes of his own past, each a version of himself shaped by regret, ambition, and violence. As the Heart of Darkness pulses with ancient power, he emerges from the psychic storm, transformed and resolute—ready to forge a new world order from the ashes of the old.

In "Goodbye Hong Kong," Force Works answers a distress call from Stark Industries in Hong Kong, rushing to defend the facility from the Mandarin's Avatars—only to find themselves outmatched. As the battle unfolds, Century suddenly vanishes and reappears in a hidden dungeon, where Iron Man and War Machine are held captive, their fates hanging in the balance.

In "P.O.V.", the Recorder observes the chaos of Force Works clashing with the Avatars, his calm demeanor masking a sinister intent—deliberately sabotaging their systems to escalate the crisis, all while quietly hoping to capture the final moments of a hero’s demise on record.

In "Scarlet Witch," Wanda Maximoff races toward the heart of the Mandarin's fortress while Spider-Woman heads to the wreckage of the Hex Ship, each drawn by their own urgent mission in the chaos of a collapsing battle. The story unfolds with Wanda's determination to confront the Mandarin and locate Iron Man, setting the stage for a high-stakes encounter in a fortress teetering on the edge of destruction.

In "U.S.Agent," the hero finds himself stranded aboard the Hex Ship with no power, forced to make a desperate move when he crashes the vessel into the side of the Mandarin's fortress. When he comes to, he's alone and surrounded by the enemy's forces—no allies in sight, no escape in sight.

In "Heart of Darkness," Tony Stark finds himself defenseless as the Mandarin closes in—until the Scarlet Witch arrives, unleashing a devastating force that buries the villain under rubble. With Tony barely conscious, USAgent and Spider-Woman push through the Avatars to join Wanda, and together they fight to survive the onslaught. Meanwhile, Rhodey and Century team up with Chu Lo Yan to launch a coordinated strike against the Mandarin’s stronghold.

In "Triangle," Iron Man faces off against Titanium Man with unexpected help from the Black Widow and Crimson Dynamo, while a tragic accident claims the life of Prof. Ted Slaght—his final moments marred by the cruel hand of Alzheimer’s. As Stark Enterprises becomes a target, Roxxon quietly enlists Mycroft Holmes to dismantle the company from within.