Tony Stark comes to San Diego in response to a request for help in his business. Before he can get to work, he is attacked by a thermal ray, but the attackers escape before he catches up to the. When he does get to work, he finds that the problem has been corrected by the time he arrives, and that he needs something to occupy his time until his return flight to Vietnam the next day. He learns of the San Diego Comic Convention, and decides to attend in costume. While at the convention, he finds that numerous villains are mixed in with the costumed fans. Man-Bull, Whiplash and the Melter are present with the intentions of stealing rare and valuable comics to draw Iron Man out. The Black Lama appears to inform them that the "costumed" Iron Man is the real deal, and the fight is on. Iron Man manages to win the day, due in part to the infighting and bickering among the villains, and is invited to stay as a special guest at the convention.