Iron Man tests mettle against Mandarin, magic

New comic-book story arc sends hero into other worlds

As if mythical Dark Elves from Svartalfheim were enough of a test for Tony Stark, the armour-clad Avenger is poised to find himself in a dimensional caper, having to match wits with a fabled arch-nemesis, the Mandarin.

The new arc for Marvel Entertainment’s ongoing Iron Man series starts in March with issue No. 23 and, said writer Kieron Gillen, the fivepart story drawn by Luke Ross melds a culture clash pitting magic, modern technology and fairy-inspired lore.

Underlying it all is Stark still coming to grips over the revelations of his being adopted while, at the same time, maintaining his public aura of brains and bravado.

It is, said Gillen, an “interesting culture clash” given Stark’s association with technology and magic wielded by Malekith the Accursed, whose sorcery has made him a scourge among nine realms in Marvel’s comic and film universes.

That’s familiar territory for the British writer who wrote Marvel’s Asgard-set Journey Into Mystery for two years.

“It goes back to the themes I had at the start of my run,” Gillen said of the series’ debut in November 2012. “When I started, Tony was wrestling with things outside of science. Now, it’s heading straight back there.”

Rings of the Mandarin, sees the Mandarin track “hyper-intelligent” rings trying to find their way to Stark’s enemies. From there, it spreads, in both intensity and scope, reaching through dimensions and to other worlds.

It’s also about Stark coming to grips with things beyond his control.

Malekith, Gillen said, is an inhuman sadist while the Mandarin has always vexed Stark and Iron Man.

“This arc is pretty much anger,” Gillen said. “Tony ends up wanting to punch stuff.”