One of Iron Man’s recurring foes, the Mandarin, debuts in this action packed Iron Man comic. Things kick off with some Chinese officers coming to visit the Mandarin’s castle. The officers ask Mandarin to reveal his secrets for his country which causes him to chase off the officers in short order.
The CIA then encourages Iron Man to gather information the Mandarin because while he’s rumored to be the most powerful man in China, they know little about him. Iron Man then infiltrates the castle and then he’s knocked around by the power from Mandarin’s rings. One of his rings employs a high frequency wave that paralyzes Iron Man and after the effect wears off, Mandarin wants to go hand to hand with him. He made sure to use a field that weakened Iron Man but Stark gets in one big shot that knocks Mandarin out. Rather then tempt fate, Iron Man takes off before finishing the job and in the process, he makes the Mandarin an arch-enemy.