Warning: contains spoilers for Carnage Reigns Omega #1!As Iron Man and Miles Morales enter the endgame in their battle against Carnage, Tony Stark has unveiled his new Dragon-Killer Armor - a suit designed to end the threat of Cletus Kasady forever. The former host of Carnage is Marvel's most disturbing villain, and while he's survived seemingly deadly battles before, this time Iron Man is playing for keeps.
Tony debuted his new armor in Carnage #14, but it's only in a new preview of Carnage Reigns Omega #1 - from Cody Ziglar, Julius Ohta, Rogê Antônio, Erick Arciniega, and Cory Petit - that fans get a good look at its capabilities. Tony has known for a while that he'd be facing Carnage's new Extrembiote form, ever since the symbiote stole his Extremis technology and combined it with one of the 'Grendel' dragons who swarmed Earth during The King in Black. In response, Tony has created Dragon-Slayer armor which can project hard-light weapons such as a spear and shield, as well as deliver a huge electro-magnetic pulse that should take down the Extrembiote - even if it means killing Cletus Kasady in the process.
Tony's Extremis tech allows the to edit themselves on the genetic level, and Cletus has used its capabilities to take control of a variety of technology, including some of Tony's suits. A fan of medieval knights, Tony has at least taken the opportunity to devise something appropriate to slay the new Extrembiote dragon, but he needs to be inside the creature to do it. His earlier comments in the Carnage Reigns event suggest that this time, he plans to kill Cletus Kasady, who recently separated from the Carnage symbiote, taking the Extrembiote as his new partner. Tony has also developed a new suit of Iron Spider armor for Miles, which is keeping the young hero alive after his recent clash with the evolved Cletus Kasady.
Iron Man Has the Weapons He Needs to Kill Carnage
The Dragon-Slayer armor is a titanium construct which allows Tony to shape energy either as projectile bursts or physical weaponry. The suit can also draw on external power sources to increase its punch, with Miles' Venom Sting able to charge Iron Man's power levels. Given Cletus' new Carnage/Extrembiote form is capable of breathing fire and assembling armor around itself, it makes sense that this time, Iron Man is carrying a spear and shield into battle: his plan is to cut his way to the core while Miles and a ragtag team of villains keep the Extrembiote at bay. Tony has had months to plan for the Extrembiote's return, so this isn't just a powerful suit - it's custom-made to end this specific threat.
Iron Man's Dragon-Slayer Armor Can Fix His Extremis Mistake
Tony has always gone hardest on villains who try to use his inventions to hurt others, especially when Extremis is involved, and the Extrembiote is his personal nightmare. Introduced in 1990's Amazing Spider-Man #344, Cletus Kasady was a serial killer even before he bonded with the Carnage symbiote. Now, he's become a new type of threat - one which, after brutally injuring Miles Morales, Iron Man has started to think may need to be put down for good.
Carnage Reigns Omega #1 is available June 28 from Marvel Comics.
