Iron Man Becomes The Iron Shogun With Incredible New Armor

Contains spoilers for "I Am Iron Man" #3

Tony Stark has become the Iron Shogun in the new Marvel comic "I Am Iron Man" #3, as the hero is sporting incredible new armor and weapons inside the Mojoworld. However, the hero's mission is extremely personal. Iron Man can't help but be reminded of his late mother as he tries to help a young boy who is desperate to save his own mom.

Stark's complicated relationship with his parents stems back to his childhood. Even in the present, Iron Man is still learning about some of the secrets his genius inventor's father, Howard, hid from him. Tony had a much better connection with his mother, Maria, despite not being her biological son. While Stark's dad pushed his adopted son to follow his path in life as a genius inventor, which he eventually fulfilled, his mother was much more caring and closer to Tony. Sadly, Maria and Howard died in a car accident early in Tony's adult life. But even decades after their deaths, Tony is honoring his mother by taking on a special mission on Mother's Day, suiting up as the Iron Shogun to help a kid ensure he also doesn't lose his mom too early like he did. Here's how it all plays out.

In "I Am Iron Man" #3, written by Muerwa Ayodele with art by Dotun Akande and VC's Joe Caramagna, the story follows Iron Man becoming the Iron Shogun, with the hero wielding two plasma swords and an Oni mask. Tony Stark navigates through a fiery battlefield before encountering the Iron Monger. However, the man under the mask of the usual villain turns out to be War Machine, whose apprehensions to follow a script reveal Tony and Rhodey are just acting the scenario out. It turns out Iron Man follows the words of a young boy named Bobby, whose mother was taken by the villain Mojo and placed in the Mojoworld for the grotesque villain's entertainment. Mojo has captured plenty of Marvel characters, most notably the X-Men, and televised their actions to create his own reality series to keep his inhabitants amused. 

Marvel Comics

Iron Man's new armor is directly inspired by the boy's imagination. Flashbacks show Bobby playing with action figures with his mom and creating the Iron Shogun in his head when Mojo takes an interest and kidnaps her. Iron Man ends up following a script inside the Mojoworld written by Bobby to keep the ruse going and Mojo occupied, finding his mother and successfully evading his traps, and using his new armor and weapons to continue the storyline. Iron Man, War Machine, and Bobby's mother escape with Mojo impressed with the theatrics spun in his world. Tony touches down on Earth and reunites the son with his mother, reminding him of his connection with his late mother, Maria, which leads to an incredibly touching scene.

The love of his mom directly inspired Iron Man's mission into Mojoworld. Upon bringing Bobby's mother back to the child, Tony Stark ends up visiting his mom's grave. The comic flashes back to Tony as a baby, where Maria tells the infant that he hit the jackpot of moms and she will always unwaveringly love him. Readers see Tony growing up with his mom in a series of panels featuring Tony playing with bubbles with his mom, Maria helping him when he got a splinter, the pair working on a car together, and lastly, Tony sitting outside a hospital room with "get well" balloons, as his mother is in surgery following her car accident.

The comic ends with a touching moment in the present day. Tony brings balloons to his mother's grave and wishes her a happy Mother's Day. He sheds a tear, and her tombstone is revealed to have "Tony's Best Friend" written on it. Ultimately, on Mother's Day, Tony was able to help the young boy and ensure he didn't have to live without his mom as he did. His adventures inside the Mojoworld as the Iron Shogun and reuniting Bobby with his mother turned out to be the perfect way to honor his mother and their time together. It's a heartbreaking scene reminding Tony of the loss of his mother and why he became a hero to continue her legacy.

"I Am Iron Man" #3 by Muerwa Ayodele, Dotun Akande, and VC's Joe Caramagna from Marvel Comics is in comic book stores and online retailers now.