With the world now aware that billionaire inventor Tony Stark is Iron Man, he faces mounting pressure from the government, rival corporations, and the media to surrender his armored technology. As the palladium core keeping him alive slowly poisons him, Stark must search for a cure while confronting Ivan Vanko, a brilliant physicist seeking revenge for his family's past. Along the way, new allies and dangerous enemies emerge, reshaping the future of Stark Industries and laying the foundations for the Avengers Initiative.