A new Iron Man comic has brought back one of the superhero’s most underrated armors. Notably, the suit has only appeared once in the Marvel Cinematic Universe so far. However, it has an important place in the comics due to its connection to one of Marvel’s most famous villains.
Iron Patriot armor is back in Marvel lore
The Iron Patriot armor has returned to Marvel Comics in Joshua Williamson’s new Iron Man series. It appears in the recent issue #6.
Notably, Norman Osborn, Spider-Man’s archnemesis, wore this armor—a hybrid of Iron Man’s design and Captain America’s patriotic imagery. He donned it during the Dark Reign storyline, when he led HAMMER and assembled a darker version of the Avengers, or Dark Avengers. The armor also appeared in Iron Man 3 as a rebranded version of James Rhodes’ War Machine armor.
In the new comic, Tony Stark investigates a break-in at one of Stark Industries’ facilities. He soon learns that the Iron Patriot armor, which he never wore because Osborn used it, has been stolen. Although Osborn has been on a path of redemption, the mysterious theft, combined with the presence of a pumpkin bomb—Green Goblin’s signature weapon—at the scene of the crime, prompts a suspicious Stark to confront him.
When Iron Man demands an answer, Osborn swears he has not stolen it. After Spider-Man arrives, the three enter the lab and find the armor, surprising all of them. Later, it’s revealed that Ghost stole the armor to access secret files and recordings from Norman’s time as Iron Patriot, hoping to use it to expose his dark past and ruin his public image.
The three later stop Ghost, saving the Iron Patriot armor from getting damaged in the process. However, in a major twist, Ghost learns that the files he wanted were stolen long ago, even before he stole the armor.
Notably, these files are integral to the central mystery of Williamson’s Iron Man series. It revolves around a mysterious individual, Citizen V. Harboring a vendetta against Stark, he sends encoded messages to various heroes and Osborn, stressing that the latter was dangerous. Osborn, who witnessed Stark’s aggression, agrees with this, expressing his intention to keep an eye on the latter.
Originally reported by Abdul Azim Naushad on SuperHeroHype.
