One thing I learned from the Fox, something we both did. There's a time to be quiet and tricky, silent and sneaky. And then there's a time to be seen. 
Appearing in 1st story
Featured Characters:
- Black Cat (Felicia Hardy) (Main story and flashback)
- Iron Man (Tony Stark)
Antagonists:
- Iron Cat (Tamara Blake) (Main story and flashback)
- Madame Menace (Sunset Bain A.I.) (Only in flashback)
- Madame Menace (Duplicate of Sunset Bain A.I.) (First appearance) (Main story and flashback)
Other Characters:
- Bethany Cabe (Referenced)
- Baintronics Incorporated (Mentioned)
- Black Cat's Gang
- Bruno Grainger (Unidentified)
- Walter Hardy (Referenced)
- FBI (Referenced)
- Black Fox (Only in flashback)
- God (Invoked) (Only in flashback)
- Stark Industries (Named only) (Only in flashback)
Races and Species:
- Humans (Main story and flashback)
- Cats (Mentioned) (Only in flashback)
- Life-Model Decoy (Unidentified)
Locations:
- Earth (Main story and flashback)
- United States of America (Main story and flashback)
- New Jersey
- Stark Holding Facility (Name revealed)
- New York (Main story and flashback)
- New York City (Main story and flashback)
- Manhattan (Mentioned)
- Long Island (Only in flashback)
- Hudson River
- The Stack (First appearance) (Only in flashback)
- New York City (Main story and flashback)
- New Jersey
- United States of America (Main story and flashback)
- Hell (Invoked)
Items:
- Iron Man Armor Model 70
- Nanoforge (Mentioned)
- Iron Cat Armor (Main story and flashback)
Synopsis for 1st story
Brief Synopsis[]
Iron Man takes the Black Cat to the Stark Holding Facility in New Jersey, where the Iron Cat Armor was stolen from by Tamara Blake, and which became the epicenter of a computer attack on all of Stark's systems. Felicia explains how she used a Baintronics intrusion software suite when she first hijacked the Nanoforge to build the suit.
Two weeks earlier, Blake broke into The Stack, a covert server where the digital consciousness of Baintronics' former CEO, Madame Menace, was detained. As she did this, Tamara recalled the beginnings of her relationship with Felicia, their first kiss, as well as their differences. Blake was much more skilled and methodical, but Felicia was more joyful. Tamara plugged herself into the server and convinced Madame Menace to let herself be copied out of The Sack, so that Blake could use her as a co-pilot A.I. for the Iron Cat Armor, and in exchange, Bain got to ravage Stark's computer systems.
Back in the present, Felicia suggests attending a yacht party with Tony as a trap for the Iron Cat, hoping such a display of brazenness would goad Tamara into action. As expected, Tamara tracks down Felicia and gets ready to attack, but she and the copy of Madame Menace have a trap of their own prepared.
Detailed Synopsis[]
Iron Man walks the Black Cat through the Stark Holding Facility in New Jersey. Stark is wearing his full armor with his faceplate lifted up, and the Black Cat is wearing a lab coat on top of her costume. In the background, scientists working for Stark are scrambling. Felicia remarks that Tony recently departed from technology. He explains that he had many things too dangerous to sell or leave with anyone else, including the Iron Cat Armor and the Nanoforge that Felicia used to build it, so he had this facility used to hold such technology, which was broken into and robbed by Tamara Blake before scrambling its systems with a viral assault. Stark mentions that this viral assault has spread to his former holdings worldwide, so he is facing legal retaliation from he sold those assets to. He points out that this means he not only needs the Iron Cat returned, but also needs to know what virus she introduced into the system. Felicia explains that Tamara has always been smarter and more practical than her, but also never one for names or costumes. She surmises that her theft of her old suit, which Tony interjects to point out it's his, to come after her indicates a hidden sense of spectacle. Felicia expresses that this makes sense, since both trained under the Black Fox. Tony hems and asks Felicia about her killing the Fox. Hardy hesitates before explaining that what happened was that Manhattan was about to be dragged into an interdimensional vault, and taking the Fox off the board was the only way to stop it. Felicia winces as she mentions that Tamara is not in the mood to hear about complexities and difficulties. Felicia brings up the armor, and before Tony lays out his conditions for helping Felicia with her Tamara problem, Hardy interrupts him to point out that she is going to help him with his stolen armor problem. Tony grumbles, and tells Felicia that he needs to know how she built it the last time she ripped him off. Felicia holds her phone up to Tony's face and gleefully recaps that she got it close enough to him to clone the security credentials stored in the nanites in his blood; she then engineered a distraction, and took down Tony's security boss. Tony peers at the phone and notices the Baintronics intrusion software suite. He also points out that there is no way Felicia will take her phone out of the facility, prompting her to nonchalantly toss it over her shoulder and into the trash bin of a passing-by janitor, remarking that its battery was bad anyway. Hardy asks about Baintronics, and Stark explains that it's an electronics firm formerly operated by Sunset Bain, who used to be a nuisance to Tony for years, but not anymore. After Felicia asks if she's in jail, Tony elaborates that she's an A.I. now, and is locked up in an "ultrablack" server, meaning she is out of his hair for good.
In Long Island two weeks ago, Blake is overlooking said facility, The Stack, with night vision binoculars. She is wearing black tactical gear. As she puts on a mask and runs towards The Stack, Tamara thinks to herself that both her and Felicia owe everything to the Fox. Tamara recalls that the Fox freed Felicia the first time she was arrested, and that he had been keeping an eye on her on account of her dad. The same happened to Blake, except it was Tamara's own reputation that got the Fox's attention. Tamara somersaults over a fence and sneaks past a guard into the facility. While doing this, Tamara boasts that she was good even before she met the Fox, and that even though she was in jail when he found her, they couldn't pin a tenth of her jobs on her. As law enforcement scrambled to find evidence on Tamara, she was sprung by "F.B.I. Special Agent Sacha Doucet," and that was when her real education in crime began, alongside Felicia and the Fox. Tamara climbs to the roof of The Stack and sneaks in through a ventilation duct. She recalls that she initially didn't like Felicia, since she treated crime like a game, making her flashy and sloppy. This made it the more annoying that Felicia was the Fox's favorite, and Tamara couldn't understand it, since she prided herself a better thief in every way. As Tamara peeks into a server room through the ceiling, she recalls asking the Fox about it, since it drove her insane. Further back in time, a younger Tamara is sitting at a table with a blindfold on, she is picking the lock of a small safe while the Fox watches over her with a stop watch in hand. He admits that Tamara excels in every aspect of their trade, since he is an excellent teacher, but he shamelessly favors Felicia, since he is a terrible teacher at the same time. With a grin on his face, he discloses that the secret is that, while Tamara is her better in every skill, Felicia goes about it with joy. The young Tamara reacts in surprise as she cracks the safe open. While running past the servers, Tamara thinks to herself that that was what she couldn't understand, that Felicia didn't steal for the money but for the love of the game.
Tamara states that it drove her insane, until it didn't. In the past, Tamara is standing atop a construction crane, observing the movements of a guard nearby through binoculars. Felicia is hanging below by a rope, and makes a joke about the irregular rounds being a security measure or bathroom breaks. Tamara asks Hardy to take this seriously, and Felicia cheerfully urges her to relax. As Felicia climbs up and sits next to Blake, Tamara insists. Felicia tells her that taking crime so seriously is what is going to get her caught. Much to Tamara's chagrin, Felicia starts talking about heists having a life of their own, and that one can't rely on schedules, schematics, and planning. As the two overlook a construction site, Felicia passionately tells Blake that, in the moment of crisis, the music one hears in their gut will get them through. She assures Tamara that, when everything's moving, if one can hear the music, one can dance along with it, and that's when the job is alive, and one is living in it. Hardy tells her partner that is what she can't understand, and it's the reason she will always be predictable. Opening a server tower and plugging her backpack into it, Tamara admits that Felicia was right, that she was good, but predictable. She didn't even know the music existed, but learned to dance from Felicia. As she dons a VR headset and turns it on, Tamara clarifies that Felicia wasn't totally right, since she proved her that she wasn't always predictable in the next moment. Back at the crane, Tamara steals a kiss from Felicia. Hardy is initially startled, but then reciprocates. Tamara comments that Felicia never saw that coming, but she landed on her feet, like she always does.
Inside a room made of neon green grids, Tamara manifests a digital avatar that looks like herself wearing a skintight white catsuit. She recalls that the kiss was the start of her and Felicia's exciting relationship. Denoting her hurry, Tamara turns around and asks Sunset Bain if she would like to get out of here. Sunset's own digital avatar stands in front of her. Bain tells her that she wants to, but asks her to call her Madame Menace instead. Tamara explains that she needs to break into a Stark facility, and that she needs a co-pilot A.I. for one of his armors. She offers to copy Madame Menace's A.I. and take it out of The Sack with her in return. Sunset points out that she doesn't care about a copy of herself, since her consciousness would remain imprisoned, and refused the deal. Tamara points out that Bain doesn't have an actual choice, since she has the obedience O.S. still installed. Blake clarifies that she doesn't have the stomach for slavery, and instead offers to explain how this will all be to Bain's advantage. Tamara explains that if she removes Bain from this server, the alarms will go off, and she doesn't know enough tech to get around that. Because of this, if a version of Sunset is out there, free, her chances of getting out improve. Tamara also reveals that she has the key to the obedience O.S., which she will enter once she gets what she wants. She finally clarifies that while she won't force Bain to work for her, she doesn't trust her either, so this is her only offer. Madame Menace contemplates that she could make Tony's life miserable once uploaded into his systems, which is her most singular desire, and as a being of pure code, this would be easy for her. Madame Masque accepts, and shakes Tamara's hand. Tilting her head, Sunset asks Blake why does she need to wear a Stark suit. Tamara tells her that the music has started, that she has picked her partner, and if she is to dance, she needs a new outfit, and funerals call for something in black. Last night, Tamara is flying away from the Stark Holding Facility, now wearing the Iron Cat Armor. Madame Menace's copy confirms that she has fully compromised the Stark systems, and Tamara assumes that Tony will call Felicia, thinking that she did it. Blake orders Madame Menace to be ready to track her once he makes contact. Sunset obliges, jokingly calling Tamara "mistress," but Blake shoots her down, telling her that she isn't in the mood.
In the present, at the Stark Holding Facility, Tony is overlooking several holographic panels, wondering with exasperation what kind of virus Tamara infected his systems with, since it isn't like anything he's ever seen. The Black Cat points out that this is not her specialty, and recalls telling Tony that Tamara has always been smarter than her, and better at planning. Felicia states that, in contrast, she has always been better at dancing, and better at understanding people and using them. Tony looks at Felicia over his shoulder. He expresses that he wants both of them out of his hair, and asks if Felicia can get that for him. Stroking her chin, Hardy recaps that Tamara wants her dead, and if one wants something bad enough, and it's right in front of them, that is when they get sloppy. Raising his eyebrow, Tony asks Felicia what is she suggesting. With a quizzical expression, Felicia asks Tony if he's still rich. Raising his eyebrow further, Tony tells her that maybe he is. Hardy smiles at Tony, telling him to open his checkbook. They both walk out of the room, and Felicia puts her arm over Tony's shoulder. He tells her that something both her and Tamara learned from the Fox is that there is a time to be quiet and sneaky, and then there's a time to be seen.
Aboard a yacht at night, Tony walks Felicia down a stair. He's wearing a suit and she is wearing a black dress, they are surrounded by the guests of a party. He asks Hardy if this is "seen" enough for her, and she tells him that it will do. Felicia grabs a bottle of champagne from a waitress, while Tony gestures away from another. Felicia tells Tony that this used to drive Tamara crazy back when they were together. She tells Tony that she used to be extremely smug, and Tony replies sarcastically to that. Felicia tells Tony that Blake knows she knows she's after her, and assures something so brazen and bold will lure her. As she and Tony walk down the yacht's deck, Felicia looks into the sky, and tells Tamara to come on down. The HUD of the Iron Cat Armor has targeted Felicia. Tamara is hovering in the distance above. Madame Menace tells her that Felicia is laughing at her, Tamara expresses this was easier to bear when she loved Hardy. Bain remarks that this is a trap, and Blake assures her that she knows it is, the same way she knows Felicia is putting this kind of display to lure her. The Iron Cat lunges forward at full throttle, pointing out that it's also just like she knows she and Bain have set a trap of their own.
Solicit Synopsis
THE CAT'S OUT OF THE BAG!
• Iron Cat has it out for Felicia Hardy, the Black Cat, and will stop at nothing to tear Felicia down.
• Meanwhile, all hell has broken loose at Stark Unlimited after Iron Cat broke in to steal the armor.
• Iron Man and Black Cat join forces to stop their mutual enemy! This is one team-up you do NOT want to miss!Notes
- This issue opens with tribute to Neal Adams, a comic artist who died on April 28 at 80. The tribute includes an eulogy by Bill Sienkiewicz.
- At the beginning of the issue, the Black Cat remarks that Iron Man got out of tech. This happened in Iron Man (Vol. 6) #1. Stark also mentions that Felicia built the Iron Cat Armor using the Nanoforge, this happened in Black Cat #11. Felicia later recalls further events from this issue, namely her use of her phone to clone Stark's security credentils, her engineering of a distraction, who was Firepower, and her take down of Tony's security boss, who was Bethany Cabe.
- When Felicia explains the circumstances surrounding the Black Fox's death, an editor's note cites Black Cat TPB: I'll Take Manhattan, this is the collected edition that includes the issue where it happened, Black Cat (Vol. 2) #7.
- Stark mentions that Sunset Bain has become an A.I. called Madame Menace. As revealed in, Iron Man 2020 (Vol. 2) #4, the real Sunset Bain was secretly replaced by an A.I. duplicate of herself by Arno Stark after the events of Tony Stark: Iron Man #17. The duplicate killed the real Sunset in Iron Man 2020 (Vol. 2) #5.
- When she approaches Madame Menace, Tamara points out that she has the obedience O.S. installed. This was a code patch developed by Arno Stark in Iron Man 2020 (Vol. 2) capable of making any A.I. compliant to humans if it was uploaded to their operative system. Jocasta infected Madame Menace with it in Iron Man 2020 (Vol. 2) #5.
- Although not established in this issue, the yacht party takes place in the Hudson River. In Iron Cat #4, Iron Man flies through the George Washington Bridge while leaving the yacht, meaning it was located in the Hudson River.