He discovers the 'bombings' were triggered by soldiers subjected to Extremis, which at this stage of development can cause certain subjects to explosively reject it. Teaming with Harley, a precocious 10-year-old boy, Stark investigates the remains of a local explosion bearing the hallmarks of a Mandarin attack. Stark's experimental armor lacks sufficient power to return to California, and the world believes him dead. pilots to rural Tennessee, following a flight plan from Stark's investigation into the Mandarin.

Tony escapes in the Mark 42 suit, which his artificial intelligence J.A.R.V.I.S. Maya, who came to warn Tony, survives the attack along with Pepper. When Stark Industries security chief Happy Hogan is badly injured in one such attack, Stark overcomes his stupor and issues a televised threat to the Mandarin, who responds by destroying Stark's home with helicopter gunships. A string of bombings by terrorist the Mandarin has left intelligence agencies bewildered by a lack of forensic evidence. Restless, he has built several dozen Iron Man suits, creating friction with his girlfriend Pepper Potts. Years later, Tony's experiences during the alien invasion of New York are giving him panic attacks. Two people in this sequence that are of note are the Doctor Ho Yensin who saved his life in the first film and an undentified asian man who may in fact be the real Mandarin (someone most people missed as the film centers on AIM and Maya Hansen). Disabled scientist Aldrich Killian offers them a place in his company Advanced Idea Mechanics, but Stark rejects the offer, humiliating Killian.

Tony Stark recalls a New Years Eve party in 1999 with scientist Maya Hansen, inventor of Extremis-an experimental regenerative treatment intended to allow recovery from crippling injuries.

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