Appearing in "A Question of Control"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
Antagonists:
- ⏴ Controller / "Dr. Xander Basel" (Basil Sandhurst) ⏵ (Main story and recap)
Other Characters:
- Milo (First appearance)
- Nurse Holland (First appearance)
- Courtney Cox (Cameo)
- ⏴ Dr. Jane Foster ⏵ (Only in flashback)
- Reed Richards (Mentioned)
- Thanos (Referenced)
- Captain Marvel (Mar-Vell) (Only in recap)
- Master of the World (Eshu) (Only in recap)
- Heroes for Hire (Only in recap)
- Power Man (Luke Cage) (Only in recap)
- Iron Fist (Danny Rand) (Only in recap)
- Rebecca (First appearance)
- Sunset Bain (Mentioned)
- Morgan Stark (Mentioned)
- Kenjiro Fujikawa (Mentioned)
- Pepper Potts (Dream)
- James Rhodes (Dream)
Races and Species:
Locations:
- Earth (Main story and flashback)
- United States of America (Main story and flashback)
- California (Main story and flashback)
- Basel Stress Clinic
- Seattle (Only in flashback)
- Lake Washington (Only in flashback)
- Evergreen Island (Only in flashback)
- Smart House (Only in flashback)
- Evergreen Island (Only in flashback)
- Lake Washington (Only in flashback)
- California (Main story and flashback)
- Tokyo, Japan (Mentioned)
- United States of America (Main story and flashback)
Items:
- Iron Man Armor
- Iron Man Armor Model 16
- Iron Man Armor Model 3 (Only in recap)
- Iron Man Armor Model 4 (Only in recap)
- Captain Marvel's Suit (Only in recap)
- Absorbatron
Synopsis for "A Question of Control"
Dr. Xander Basel watches as Stark enters his Basel Stress Clinic. Later, Stark remote-controls the Iron Man armor via his laptop to run some tests, until he is interrupted when Rumiko Fujikawa arrives, having checked herself in to spend some time with him. That night at dinner Stark is greeted by Dr. Basel, who asks him to join with some fellow celebrities; Rumiko mentions her dislike of Basel when he leaves. Later, Stark attends a stress therapy session which makes him feel better, unaware Basel's treatment machine is actually the Controller's Absorbatron. The Controller later becomes agitated that Iron Man is flying around the clinic so much, so he subliminally orders Stark to fire him. The next day, as Stark prepares for a date with Rumiko, he dismisses a thought of firing Iron Man, because he can't fire himself; on the date he and Rumiko start kissing. Later as Stark is running tests on the Iron Man armor the Controller attacks it, but Stark can't see who the villain is in the moonlight. That night the Controller subliminally commands Stark to get rid of Iron Man, and commands Rumiko to offer Stark an ultimatum: her or Iron Man. The next day Stark and Rumiko have words, but they both realize how unnatural the conversation is. That night Rumiko goes to apologize to Stark in his room; finding it locked and getting no answer, she breaks in and sees the Controller's machinery brainwashing the sleeping Stark; unable to wake him, she goes looking for help, but is captured. Waking from a nightmare, Stark finally realizes that Xander Basel is actually Basil Sandhurst and, despite the danger to his health, attacks as Iron Man to save Rumiko. He quickly defeats the Controller when Rumiko destroys the Absorbatron. The Controller is arrested the next day, and Rumiko asks him to go with her on a real vacation; when he hesitates, she walks away.
Notes
Publication Notes[]
Legacy Numbering[]
- Based on the Marvel Legacy renumbering infographic, this issue is Iron Man #358