Appearing in "What It Was Like, What Happened, and What It's Like Now"
Featured Characters:
- Iron Man (Tony Stark) (Main story and flashback)
Supporting Characters:
Antagonists:
Other Characters:
- Howard Stark (Only in flashback)
- Maria Stark (Only in flashback)
- Tony Stark's classmates (Only in flashback)
- Raza (Only in flashback)
- Mandarin (Only in flashback)
- Ho Yinsen (Only in flashback) (Death)
- Avengers (Only in flashback)
- Wasp (Janet Van Dyne) (Only in flashback)
- Thor (Only in flashback)
- Giant-Man (Hank Pym) (Only in flashback)
- Rescue (Pepper Potts) (Only in flashback)
- Happy Hogan (Only in flashback)
- Bambi Arbogast (Only in flashback)
- Iron Man/War Machine (James Rhodes) (Only in flashback)
- Hammer Industries (Only in flashback)
- Justin Hammer (Only in flashback)
- Sasha Hammer (Only in flashback)
- Iron Monger (Obadiah Stane) (Only in flashback)
- Knight (Fletcher Heggs) (Only in flashback)
- Gretl Anders (Only in flashback)
- God (Yahweh) (Invoked)
- Henry Hellrung (Only in flashback)
- Firepower (Jack Taggert) (Only in flashback)
- Overlord (Kearson DeWitt) (Only in flashback)
- Fin Fang Foom (Only in flashback)
- Madame Masque (Whitney Frost) (Only in flashback)
- Inner Guard (Only in flashback)
- Iron Man (Tony Stark) (Earth-96020) (Only in flashback)
- Temujin (Only in flashback)
- S.H.I.E.L.D. (Only in flashback)
- Captain America (Steve Rogers) (Only in flashback)
- Ezekiel Stane (Only in flashback)
- Maria Hill (Only in flashback)
Locations:
- Earth
- Afghanistan
- United States of America (Only in flashback)
- New York State (Only in flashback)
- New York City (Only in flashback)
- Long Island (Only in flashback)
- Stark International/Stane International/Stark Solutions (Only in flashback)
- Long Island (Only in flashback)
- New York City (Only in flashback)
- Washington (Only in flashback)
- Seattle (Only in flashback)
- Stark Resilient HQ (Only in flashback)
- Seattle (Only in flashback)
- New York State (Only in flashback)
- Hell (Invoked)
Items:
- Arc Reactor (Only in flashback)
- Iron Man Armor Model 1 (Only in flashback)
- Iron Man Armor Model 1 (Gold finish) (Only in flashback)
- Iron Man Armor Model 2 (Only in flashback)
- Iron Man Armor Model 4 (Only in flashback)
- Mjolnir (Only in flashback)
- Wasp's Suit and Bio-Synthetic Wings (Only in flashback)
- Giant-Man's Suit (Only in flashback)
- Mandroid Armor MK II (Only in flashback)
- Iron Man Armor Model 7 (Only in flashback)
- Iron Man Armor Model 8 (Only in flashback)
- Mandarin's Rings (Only in flashback)
- Iron Monger Armor (Only in flashback)
- Firepower Armor (Only in flashback)
- Overlord's War Suit (Only in flashback)
- Iron Man Armor Model 11 (Only in flashback)
- Iron Man Armor Model 16 (Only in flashback)
- Iron Man Armor Model 29 (Only in flashback)
- Captain America's Uniform and Shield (Only in flashback)
Vehicles:
Synopsis for "What It Was Like, What Happened, and What It's Like Now"
The issue opens with Tony Stark going to an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting in the side of a church. As the meeting leader asks if anybody is celebrating a sobriety anniversary, Tony Stands up, and tells his story. He tells the tale of his childhood all alone, his parties with friends, and how one day when his friends abandoned him, he found alcohol. The drinking helped him find women, the women helped him feel more confident, and the combination of drinking and women led him to the attack that caused the birth of Iron Man. As Tony tells the story of his rebirth as Iron Man, we learn of how he built up a shell using his drinking, women, and "work". And in this shell he disappeared. He disappointed everybody, made promises he couldn't keep, and subconsciously just wanted to die. But instead, he lost it all, hit rock bottom, and worked his way up to where he is today, finally happy without the bottle in his hand, and kept moving forward with his life.
Solicit Synopsis
START READING with this Point One issue. Tony Stark takes his first steps into the future! The Armored Avenger soars to never before seen heights and he’s not going alone. Learn what it means to be Iron Man in the 21st Century! This issue sets the stage for the most action packed story in ol’ Shellhead’s life!
Legacy Numbering[]
- Based on the Marvel Legacy renumbering infographic, this issue is Iron Man #503.1