Ultron and Iron Man in Avengers Age of UltronCustom Image by Kai Young
By
Kevin Erdmann
Published Feb 23, 2026, 8:00 PM EST
Since 2019, Kevin Erdmann has been one of Screen Rant's Senior Staff Writers, covering all kinds of Superhero and Star Wars media with Easter egg breakdowns, theory pieces, breaking news, and more. A huge Star Wars & MCU fan, Kevin also loves Batman (because he's Batman), but could talk for hours about why Nightwing is DC's greatest hero.
With 8 years of total experience covering entertainment and pop culture, Kevin has gotten the chance to interview top creatives and talent, and has also attended major media events like Disney's D23 convention.
Majoring in Cinema Studies with a minor in Comics and Cartoon Studies from the UofO, Kevin lives in Oregon with his wonderful wife, adorable dog, and sinister cat who is no doubt currently plotting his demise.
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Warning! This post contains a preview for Iron Man #2
Despite his good intentions, one of Tony Stark’s greatest mistakes will always be the creation of the MCU's Ultron. However, Marvel has just revealed another key Iron Man failure, one that will similarly result in a brand-new threat to the world.
As seen in Marvel's new Iron Man series from Joshua Williamson, Carmen Carnero, Nolan Woodard, Tony Stark is facing AIM led by none other than Madame Masque. Shown kidnapping geniuses who'd been handpicked by Stark himself, the new preview for this week's Iron Man #2 sheds new light on Madame Masque's plans (and how Iron Man is directly involved).
Iron Man's Complicated History With Madame Masque Is WAY Messier Than We Thought
Whitney Frost, better known as Madame Masque, has long held a complicated space in Tony Stark’s life. Although she's primarily been a criminal mastermind, she was once one of Iron Man's genuine romantic partners. As seen in this new preview, we're shown a flashback and monologue from Tony Stark confirming their on-and-off again relationship (sometimes even hooking up immediately after fighting each other).
Now, in the present Marvel continuity, we know that Madame Masque is running A.I.M., and her latest scheme is directly inspired by one of Tony’s deepest fears that he once shared with her.
As we see in this new preview, Tony once confided in Whitney that he's always feared someone like him experiencing a similar trauma and evolution as he did in the cave, and yet coming out worse instead of better, a dark mirror of his own origins as Iron Man.
Stark also started to mention a contingency plan he created in case that scenario ever happened, something that was also alluded to in the series' first issue.
Now, it looks as though Madame Masque and AIM are attempting to engineer that exact circumstance, hoping to create a darker Tony Stark to create all kinds of impressive new weapons for the organization to wield...and all because Tony chose to share far too much during pillow talk with a supervillain.
The "Advanced Iron Man" Is Coming (And It's Tony Stark's Fault)
iron man 5 cover showing tony fighting his official replacement-1
Sure enough, solicitations and cover art for future issues of Iron Man confirm that the “Advanced Iron Man” is on the horizon, created by "A New Tony Stark" for AIM to use in its goal of global domination.
Not unlike the MCU's Ultron, who was built out of Tony's fear of the future, AIM's "Advanced Iron Man" is being positioned as an all-new threat sourced from similar fears Tony Stark has in the comics as well. Here's hoping Iron Man is up to the task when Marvel's "New Tony Stark" finally emerges.
Iron Man #2 releases February 25th from Marvel Comics.
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Iron Man
Created By
Steve Ditko, Jack Kirby, Stan Lee, Don Heck, Larry Lieber
Cast
Robert Downey Jr.
First Appearance
Iron Man
Died
2023 (in the MCU)
Alias
Iron Man
RELATIONSHIPS
Jude (biological father), Amanda Armstrong (biological mother), Howard Stark (adoptive father), Maria Stark (adoptive mother), Arno Stark (brother)
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