Iron Man: Fast Friends is a Marvel comic book published by Marvel Digital Comics. The comic explores the friendship between Tony Stark and James Rhodes.
Plot[]
Part 1[]
Tony Stark presents his newest weapon to the United States military at the Yuma Proving Ground in Arizona, boasting of its explosive capabilities which he nicknames AWE (short for "Accelerated Wave Explosion"). Stark then interrupts a general's inquiries on the weapon specifics by directing him to a demonstration showgirl, leaving his personal assistant, Pepper Potts, to answer their questions. In the meantime, Stark decides to celebrate his success with James Rhodes by taking his private jet to a fancy nightclub.
While Rhodes tries to convince Stark not to go to Afghanistan for his next weapons demonstration, Stark scouts the club for them and approaches two women, Celeste and Eloise. The four have a double date, during which Stark tells them about his and Rhodes' argument, as well as the new Stark Industries missile, the Jericho, much to Rhodes' annoyance. The girls teasingly insist they aren't spies as Rhodes again tries to warn Stark that Afghanistan could be dangerous since it's a "hot zone".
While Celeste and Eloise are dancing, Stark suggests they continue their date at his mansion in Malibu. He then bumps into another patron on accident, causing him to spill his drink. The man recognizes Stark, who had seduced his girlfriend the previous week, and punches him. However, Rhodes intervenes and easily defeats the attacker. Stark tries to bet with Celeste and Eloise on Rhodes winning, confident of his safety in Afghanistan as long as his friend is with him. Stark, Rhodes, and the girls then head to his mansion, though Rhodes insists that Stark will grow up one day.
Part 2[]
After Iron Manâs battle with Obadiah Stane, James Rhodes insists his friend go to a hospital and helps him into an ambulance. However, Stark realizes they are not being taken to a hospital; instead, the driver arrives at a secret S.H.I.E.L.D. base, where Stark and a suspicious Rhodes encounter Agent Phil Coulson, who needs to debrief Stark.
Coulson reviews footage of Iron Man and Iron Monger's duel and tells Stark that he needs to learn how to become a real fighter, pointing out the flaws in his techniques. Rhodes realizes S.H.I.E.L.D. is trying to recruit Stark. Coulson proposes S.H.I.E.L.D. can help Stark further his potential with the Iron Man armor. He gives Stark and Rhodes a tour of the base, much to their amazement, showing a Damage Control team to clean up the mess in Los Angeles and trained experts to teach Stark how to properly fight.
Coulson explains S.H.I.E.L.D.'s espionage unit has prepared a solid alibi for Stark to cover up his identity as Iron Man, which Rhodes agrees with. In exchange, they will require Stark's help in the future. Pepper Potts has set up a Stark Industries press conference tomorrow at 8:00 AM. Coulson and Rhodes both urge Stark to follow the script he will be provided with. Stark seemingly agrees before he and Rhodes leave.
The next day at the press conference, Stark goes against orders and announces that he is Iron Man, much to Coulson's frustration.
Appearances[]
Characters[]
- Tony Stark/Iron Man
- James Rhodes
- Pepper Potts
- Eloise
- Celeste
- Saul
- Phil Coulson
- Obadiah Stane/Iron Monger (footage and mentioned)
Locations[]
- Arizona
- Los Angeles, California
- Stark Industries Headquarters
- First Mercy Hospital (mentioned)
- Afghanistan (mentioned)
Events[]
- Duel of Los Angeles (footage)
Items[]
- Accelerated Wave Explosion
- Iron Man Armor: Mark III (footage)
- Iron Monger Armor (footage)
- Omnium Steel (footage)
- Arc Reactor (footage)
- Jericho (mentioned)
Creatures[]
- Dogs (mentioned)
Organizations[]
Mentioned[]
Trivia[]
- The comic is featured in the Iron Man: I Am Iron Man! collection.
- Issue 2 has a discrepancy with the non-canon comic Iron Man: Security Measures. In Security Measures, Phil Coulson is at S.H.I.E.L.D. Headquarters during Tony Stark's press conference where he admitted to the public that he is Iron Man, while Fast Friends shows Coulson present at the conference.
Behind the Scenes[]
Continuity[]
In 2008, Marvel Comics released an official prequel comic to the events of the first MCU film, Iron Man. Writer Paul Tobin said on October 20, 2008, that in order to keep the comic intact with the continuity of the film he was given a "broad outline of what needed to be on the page, and also some temporal staging as to when it should all take place".[1] It is also covered in the Iron Man: I Am Iron Man! canon collection. Therefore, the events of this comic are considered to be canon to the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
