Iron Man vol. 3 #48Iron Man vol. 3 #48
Title: “The Frankenstein Syndrome- Part three”
Writer: Frank Tieri
Art: Udon(?)
Chief: Erik Ko(?)
Penciller: Omar Dogan
Inker: Omar Dogan
Colors: Angelo
Editor: Tom Brevoort
The Sons of Yinsen hold Iron Man in front of Ultron. Antigone stands by Ultron’s side. Iron Man says to correct him if he is wrong, but he asks Ultron if they didn’t just destroy him. Ultron says that Iron Man disappoints him and he asks if he has learned nothing from their previous encounters. Ultron says that he always returns, but he thinks that it is how he returned and the role that Stark played in it that he will find most disturbing. Stark asks what he is talking about. Ultron says that perhaps that question would be best addressed to Jocasta. Ultron pounds on the armor and asks Jocasta if he doesn’t want to come out. Stark realizes that Jocasta has hidden herself within the armor again. He wonders if that means Ultron is right and that she is mixed up in it. Ultron says that if she is too cowardly to face up to her actions that he will do it for her.
Ultron says that as the Avengers learned all Ultron’s creations are built with a subconscious desire to rebuild him, an Ultron imperative. Ultron says that as Stark knows Jocasta is one of his creations. Ultron says that when Stark uploaded Jocasta into his armor that subconsciously she began to prepare his armor for his return. He says that the theory that the lightning gave the armor sentience was wrong, but that it did help things along faster than he expected. Due to the premature sentience, the armor exhibited the flawed thinking of Ultron 12, who loved its creator Henry Pym, just as the armor did with him. Ultron says that the armor was deactivated when it sacrificed itself for Stark, but that Sons of Yinsen came along and reactivated the armor. Ultron says that it was child’s play to establish contact and ensconce himself in the new host. Sun Tao says that he knew he was not his master. Ultron says that no one believed him, and that it has granted him all this. Ultron says that the Sons of Yinsen have given him the perfect launching pad to help him destroy all of humanity. Ultron says that he also has to thank Stark for helping produce S.K.I.N. which allows him to control all these “religious dolts”. Ultron decides to provide an example and orders one of the followers to impale herself. Without hesitation the woman skewers herself through the chest.
Ultron says that this church in New York is just the first step. Ultron says that preparations are already being made for branches all around the country and then all around the world. Ultron tells him to imagine a veritable army of S.K.I.N. soldiers at his disposal, and all thanks to him. Ultron says that he is afraid that he will not live long enough to see his grand design put into effect. Ultron tells his congregation to kill Iron Man and Sun Tao. Ultron flies off to enact his plan. As they fight for their lives, Iron Man tells Sun Tao to remember that these people are not responsible for their actions, and that they should try not to hurt them. Iron Man tries to fly above the group, but one of the S.K.I.N. tendrils snags his foot and drags him back down. Iron Man activates a S.K.I.N. disrupter that he uses to control his own S.K.I.N., and that he figured all he had to do was find the right frequency to affect their S.K.I.N.. Sun Tao says that Stark’s resourcefulness never ceases to amaze him, but he asks if Stark thinks that this trickery will be enough to defeat the “Great Devil”. Stark starts to say that they had better get back to Stark Enterprises, but he looks back and sees Sun Tao picking up Yinsen’s brain inside the helmet. Stark says that he would have figured that everything that Sun Tao has seen would have convinced him that Yinsen isn’t coming back. Sun Tao says that he doesn’t expect Tony to understand and that it is a matter of faith.
Back at Stark Enterprises, Tony puts a call into the Avengers but discovers that the Avengers are off dealing with Kang. He and Sun Tao are alone against Ultron. He says that at least he has come up with a few tricks but that for his “show-stopper” he has to rely on Jocasta and he isn’t sure he can count on her. Tony confers with Jocasta. She says that she thinks that his plan will work, but even she doubts herself. Stark says that he knows that the Ultron thing has hit her pretty hard, especially considering his connection to the sentient armor, but that she can’t blame herself and that there is no way that she could have been aware of the subliminal controls. Jocasta says that she realizes that, but that she is still afraid. She says that there is too much at stake, and that when the time comes she will be ready.
Iron Man and Sun Tao fly towards
Ultron’s newest church that is nearly ready in Las Vegas.
Stark thinks to himself that if they can’t stop him there
that they might not be able to stop him at all. As they fly
towards the floating city, they get past the drone guards since
Sun Tao still has access codes for them. Stark wonders if that is
a good thing, because they don’t have to fight them, or a
bad thing, because Ultron doesn’t consider them enough of a
threat to bother to change them. They look inside the city to see
that the entire population of the city has been outfitted with
S.K.I.N. Ultron welcomes them and says that he sees that they
beat his other S.K.I.N. warriors. He tells them not to worry
because there are plenty more to go around. Stark has souped up
his S.K.I.N. disrupters and given one to Sun Tao. They start
downing all Ultron’s followers. Ultron yells at them to get
them as they are ruining everything. Iron Man flies at Ultron and
lifts him into the sky. Ultron asks him what he is hoping to
accomplish with this, and asks Iron Man if he really thinks that
he is a match for him. Ultron blasts Iron Man with eye blasts and
then punches him. Iron Man blasts Ultron, but Ultron doesn’t
even flinch. Ultron then starts messing around with Stark’s
heart machine. Ultron flies and grabs Iron Man up in a bearhug. 
As Ultron
squeezes, Iron Man places something on Ultron’s forehead.
Ultron asks him what he just did to him. Iron Man says that he
just downloaded something into Ultron. He says that he thought
that since Jocasta was responsible for him being there in the
first place that she would be the best one to get him out. Ultron
says that he will see him dead first and blasts him into the
wall.
The sentient armor greets Jocasta inside the armor with a shock. It says, “You’ve been discovered second rate A.I.” He says that while Ultron is destroying Iron Man outside that inside what he does to her is going to make last time look like a picnic. Ultron laughs at Iron Man and says that the sentient armor is dealing with Jocasta and that his life is over. The armor is tormenting Jocasta and asks her if she remembers how this feels. Jocasta gets angry and says, “Not again…no!” She hurts the armor back. Ultron is staggered for a moment as Jocasta hurts the armor and Iron Man punches him. The armor says that Jocasta managed to hurt it. Jocasta says that she is glad and blasts it again. Ultron howls in pain and Iron Man continues blasting him. Ultron’s head “ejects” from the armor. It flies up and hits Antigone. Iron Man is too groggy and apologizes to Antigone for not being able to help her.
Inside the floating city the untransformed Las Vegas converts and Sun Tao’s brothers are freed from Ultron’s mind control. Sun Tao tells them that the Great Devil is gone. Iron Man says that it came at a price though. He says that he tried to download Jocasta back out of the sentient armor, but that he couldn’t. He says that she is gone. Sun Tao gives his condolences, but says that while one friend was lost another was found. Sun Tao places the sentient armor head back on the sentient armor. Stark can’t believe they’re back to this. He notices that the armor seems to be moving on its own. Suddenly a giant screen comes to life. Ultron says that if they are seeing this that means that he has been defeated. Ultron warns them that he will never be truly defeated and that he always has a contingency plan. Iron Man discovers that the entire city has been rigged to explode. Stark calls for immediate evacuation, but “Yinsen” says that they aren’t going anywhere. He says that this is their home and the ultimate extension of their beliefs. Iron Man tries to plea with the others that they all can’t agree with mass suicide because a couple of lights come on. He says that this could be the sentient armor regaining control. He says that it could be so messed up that it might actually believe that it is Yinsen.
Yinsen says that he wishes that they had more time together. Yinsen tells Iron Man that he is very proud of the man that he has become and that is why it pains him to do this. “Yinsen” messes with Tony’s heart and weakens him. “Yinsen” tells Sun Tao to take Iron Man off the city and says that Sun Tao’s destiny is not theirs. He says that he must live on so that their ways will exist in some form. As Sun Tao flies Stark off the city, Stark weakly pleas with the people that Yinsen is really the sentient armor.
Outside Stark and Sun Tao watch the city explode and fall to the ground. Stark asks Sun Tao if maybe he was wrong and that it really was Yinsen. Sun Tao says that it doesn’t matter, but that for him he was definitely Yinsen. Sun Tao says that maybe Stark is right and that it wasn’t Yinsen, or perhaps it was a little of both combining to save Iron Man one more time. Sun Tao says again that it is all a matter of faith. Stark says again that all the spiritual stuff gives me a headache. Sun Tao wonders what he is to do with his life now, but Stark says that Sun Tao will see that it will all work out.
In a Las Vegas hospital, Antigone lies on a gurney with a sheet over her face. Two doctors are talking and one holds Ultron’s head in her hands. The other says that there was nothing that they could do for her. He asks if she was a mutie. The woman says that she has no idea, and that she has never seen anything like her. They’re trying to decide who will cut her open, but Antigone gets off the table and says that neither of them is going to do it. She takes Ultron’s head and turns to leave. Antigone says, “Well Tony… looks like I finally got that body I wanted after all…”
Avengers Files rating: 6 out of 10
This story is a good premise, but a poor execution. I just don’t understand why is Ultron really wanted Iron Man dead why he didn’t just stop his heart and leave him to die on the ground. I always kinda dig Frank Tieri because he manages to work my favorite villains into stories, but inevitably I’m let down because I don’t feel like he gives them proper levels of threat. Iron Man never seems to be in that much danger. The art is much better than it was, but it is still not particularly impressive. I don’t really get who drew what and why “art” is different from “pencilling” or “inking”.