The story opens with a new Spymaster who is targeting Iron Man. Then, we move to Tony's dealings with some black market types who have a powerful laser system. Tony buys it. Tony is at a function put on by the Abbott Foundation, Abbott Sinclair and his wife Greta. Abbott Sinclair comes over and makes small talk until Tony takes a call. Apparently Tony planted a chemical tracker on the smuggler, whom he bought the laser. Iron Man shows up to put an end to the two apparent bad guys that seems to have ties to A.I.M. They activate a giant robot and Iron Man takes it out. S.H.I.E.L.D. is called in to clean up. They try and take claim on the laser. Iron Man strongly objects that that was not the deal between Stark and Fury. We show up later with Tony bringing in a criminal psychologist, Dr. Dillon to help with an experiment. Tony believes that the consciousness of Arthur Parks (aka the Living Laser) is trapped in this one of a kind laser weapon. Tony gives a bit of history with the Living Laser and wants her to help the mind of Arthur Parks. She thinks this is about Tony, not altruism, and accuses him of being Iron Man. He says Iron Man is now in the hands of an anonymous test pilot. Back at the Sinclairs' place, Spymaster welcomes the Ghost, who asks did he kill him, years ago. Spymaster says of a sort, the first person to wear the moniker. Then a second one that won a contest of Taskmaster's making. He was dissuaded when incarcerated by Abbott's hired goons. When that one didn't get out, then another "accident" happened - surgical complications ended that Spymaster. Then, Sinclair took over the role as he sees this as being born and made into the role as a businessman, an industrialist, an inventor, and a criminal genius. Spymaster talks the Ghost into taking on Tony Stark and Iron Man, telling him they are one and the same all these years. He offers the Ghost an opportunity to destroy an industrial genius Stark who was the only one that was able to stop him in the past. He panders to the Ghost's pride by introducing the Living Laser as a means to an end, the destruction of Stark/Iron Man. Dr. Maggie Dillon agrees and makes contact with Parks and has a cardiac arrest and multiple seizures. She awakes and Tony wants to call it off. Maggie refuses and claims to have seen Parks and wants to continue. When resetting things, the Ghost attacks Stark. Stark initiates a remote Iron Man unit. The Ghost disables whom he thinks is Iron Man, but it delayed long enough to begin lock down. The Ghost escapes and threatens to return. Issue 3: Spymaster is questioning the Ghost who claims to have killed Iron Man. Spymaster is doubtful and uses technology that had scanned the Ghost and invalidates his intangibility and uses it as leverage for Ghost to go back. Tony is back at a function at the Benedict Center, a nonprofit pure research center. Abbott Sinclair meets him there. A jab at Stark's old military contracts supporting the Iraqi war. Stark affirms military contracts are the past and the future is helping mankind. Stark leaves Abbott telling him to enjoy the bar for both of them, referring to Tony's abstinence of alcohol. Greta Sinclair then makes a hard pass at Tony, he says she couldn't handle him and leaves her.
The next day Iron Man addresses the board with security updates at Stark International. Dr. Dillon is then sent to the new laboratory that has been moved out of Coney Island to "the sticks." Some of Stark's team come to him and tell him about a gap in the frequencies that will leave blind spots. Tony asks them to trust him on this one. Tony meets Dr. Dillon and has her get into a type of suit that should help protect her for a second attempt. They have dinner later that night. She tries to probe Tony asking if he misses life as a hero. He begins to answer but then turns it to her. As we see episodes of the day probing the laser for a conscious mind. She has a headache, and Tony stops and asks Harrod to take her back to Manhattan but she asks to go back to the lab at Long Island. A breach is noted, Iron Man is contacted. The doctor wants to suit up again. The Ghost is moving through the walls. Iron Man bursts in from the ceiling to confront the Ghost as a trap, and informs him that he is the real thing this time. The Ghost says he recognized the trap and was not impressed calling Iron Man Tony Stark and attacking. Iron Man denies that Tony is here - "at home sipping Perrier." Iron Man blasts the floor and the Ghost is in a spatial accelerator. It is activated and renders the Ghost's intangibility useless. The playing field is leveled. Issue 4: Opens with Dr. Dillon back in the suit attempting to reach Parks. She reaches the Living Laser as a light source who appears as a child. She begins to converse with him trying to spark his memories as Arthur Parks, whom he doesn't recognize. Meanwhile Iron Man and the Ghost are going at it with the Ghost wanting to tear down the corporation, Stark International. Stark locates and tags the Ghost who releases some pocket explosives blowing up a wall. Stark loses track of the Ghost as he escapes down a shaft and connects with Spymaster for help. Spymaster is disappointed and terminates the contract. Iron Man catches up to the Ghost. Meanwhile, Dr. Dillon seems to be taunting the Living Laser calling him a lowlife failure who then lashes out. She tries to convince him that he can be pulled back together as he tries to flee from her. He cannot get away. He has to talk to the doctor. Cut back to Iron Man slugging it out with the Ghost.
