Steel: The Forging of a Hero #[nn]

In "Steel," John Henry Irons—known to some as Henry Johnson—grapples with guilt after learning his weapon design was used in a fatal shooting. Determined to turn his invention into a force for justice, he forges a suit of steel, stepping into a new role not just as a builder, but as a protector.

In "Bad Times," Steel confronts the dangerous fallout of Colonel Weston’s conspiracy and AmerTek’s manipulation, as a funeral for Spiral becomes the stage for a brutal ambush orchestrated by Amalgam. The attack ignites a chain of violence that leaves Tyke paralyzed, Jamahl consumed by vengeance, and Natasha injured in a sudden hit-and-run—each consequence rippling through the community with no clear way forward.

In "Retaliation," Natasha’s survival from a hit-and-run sets off a chain of violence that strikes closer to home when her mother, Blondell, is attacked. Jemahl uncovers a dangerous web of betrayal when he learns that Amalgam, acting under Colonel Weston’s orders, has been fueling his gang leader Cowboy’s campaign against John Henry’s family. With tensions flaring and the drug Tar pushing both Jemahl and Cowboy to the edge, Steel intervenes—just in time to prevent a fight and uncover the truth behind the escalating violence.

In "Collision Course," Steel races to confront the Colonel and his AmerTek forces after they leave Jemahl hospitalized, unaware that the Black Ops organization is closing in on Fred Bentson’s dangerous dimension-spanning abilities. While tensions rise in Dakota City, Dr. Alva plots his own move, and just as Hardware and Steel clash, Rocket intervenes to separate them. Then, with the city itself hanging in the balance, Superman arrives as Dakota materializes across the river from Metropolis.

In "The Challenge!", Steel faces a deadly ambush at the Vietnam Memorial in Washington, D.C., as Hazard's Black Ops launch a brutal assault following the fall of their Metropolis base. With the help of a mysterious echo from his own past, Steel fights to survive the onslaught—though the true nature of that aid remains shrouded in mystery.