While being called to a senate committee meeting about an unknown topic, Iron Man saves the lives of people involved in a sabotage attempt made by Slasher and Demitrius. Once at the committee, Stark learns that he and fellow industrialist Ben Crandal are being accused of creating shoddy products. Two of Crandal's buildings had collapsed, one of which was the one assaulted by sonic weapons that Iron Man had witnessed. When the capital building finds itself under a similar assault during the hearing, Iron Man tracks the saboteurs and stops them, but not before Stark's girlfriend Marianne Rodgers arrives on the scene and collapses. As the issue ends, Stark is unaware that Slasher and Demitrius were working for Mister Kline, who was also working for someone as yet unrevealed, or that Stark and Crandal are being accused of conspiring with Iron Man when making the shoddy products.