Iron Man exists because of Tony Stark’s desire to use his weapon-manufacturing past and brilliant mind toward for good. Over the years, he has designed many suits in response to specific threats, with one in particular making him a deadly opponent to the ocean’s own Namor. In the lead-up to the Civil War storyline, a special force of Tony’s “peacekeeping” Argonaut suits got out of control and took the fight to Atlantis.
Iron Man (Vol. 4) #12 – by Charles and Daniel Knauf, Patrick Zircher, Scott Hanna, Antonio Fabela, and Joe Caramagna – offers the conclusion to the “Execute Protocol” story, which follows Tony losing control of his own brain and his ultra-powerful set of Argonaut suits.
As Marvel’s heroes work to control the situation, one of Stark’s Argonaut suits comes up against the real Sub-Mariner himself: Namor. The armor cuts into Namor with ease, even as he is in his element. Tony destroys the suit while Namor is still conscious, but it is clear he was on the losing end. That alone is proof of Argonaut’s power and Iron Man’s capability.
Iron Man Defeated Namor At The Sub-Mariner’s Most Powerful
There were five suits in total, each with a specific purpose, including a Submariner suit for water battles. The suits were designed to act as a peacekeeping force controlled by a single mind: Tony Stark’s. When someone else took control of the armor, and Tony by extension, the resulting damage was extreme and swift. The Submariner suit was uniquely suited to take on Namor. He is the premiere guardian of the seven seas, and even on land, is one of the strongest heroes in the Marvel Universe. He has stood his ground against Hulk, fought the Fantastic Four on numerous occasions, and is, in general, an incredibly ruthless fighter.
In the water, Namor’s power, strength, and speed increase further. Tony’s Argonaut suit wasn’t designed to attack Namor, yet it was easily able to match him. Tony lost control of armor sets capable of subduing Atlantis’ fiercest warrior, while the other Argonaut pieces face down at least a dozen other heroes elsewhere. Seconds after Iron Man put it out of commission, Namor insisted he could have stopped the suit himself, but in any case, it emphasizes the thrill of conflict between the two. This moment from Iron Man (Vol. 4) #12 makes it clear a Namor vs. Iron Man match-up in the MCU was a missed opportunity for Marvel.
Iron Man’s Genius Has Its Price
Whatever the problem, Iron Man seems to have a suit to handle it. The Hulkbuster armor stands up to some of the biggest, most serious threats, while other highly-targeted suits like the Magnetobuster armor neutralize other foes. There is little doubt that Tony Stark is one of the most talented inventors in the Marvel Universe, yet the Argonaut debacle proves that just because he can design something does not mean he should. When his ideas get out of control, it leaves Earth’s strongest heroes scrambling to deal with the aftermath of Iron Man’s plans, and even Namor is not up to the task alone.
Iron Man (Vol. 4) #12 is available now from Marvel Comics!
