Europe, 1940. The twilight of magic and the first steps of modern science as we know it. Hitler's Wehrmacht sweeps across Europe as the last creatures of myth and magic feed off of mortal suffering. It is time for Midgard's last defender to arise. What is it? Why is it doing this? When will it come for me? These are questions that the wicked will ask themselves. Questions that only can be answered by The Heap!

Tales of suspense ripped from the pages of CIVIL WAR! First, get inside the mind of Tony Stark, and learn why he feels superhuman registration is necessary - and why he's taken it upon himself to lead the charge for its implementation! Big changes are in store for Iron Man in the post-Civil War landscape, and the build-up begins here! Plus: In the midst of CIVIL WAR, Captain America and Iron Man meet secretly, one last time, to see if there's any hope of working things out before further tragedy occurs. How could these two men, once the closest of friends and staunchest of allies, end up leading opposing armies in the conflict tearing apart the Marvel Universe? And finally, two of the Marvel heroes most affected by the shocking conclusion of the war get together one last time in a heart-wrenching finale that cannot be missed. What is said between them will set the course of the Marvel Universe for years to come. This is the confession. Collecting IRON-MAN #13-14, and the IRON MAN/CAPTAIN AMERICA: CASUALTIES OF WAR and CIVIL WAR: THE CONFESSION one-shots.

Collects Iron Man: Director Of S.H.I.E.L.D. #15-32 And Annual #1.Tony Stark takes on the Marvel Universe’s hardest job: director of S.H.I.E.L.D.! And he’s just the futurist to bring the peacekeeping intelligence organization up-to-date! But with Tony in the hot seat, what will that mean for Iron Man? He’ll deal with techno-zombies, an old hero with a grudge, a traitor in the Initiative and regime change in the nation of Madripoor! And a certain jade giant comes looking for payback when WORLD WAR HULK begins! The Mandarin plays a genocidal game, Tony’s past comes back to haunt him, the pressures of the job start to build, and a deadly menace lurks within S.H.I.E.L.D. itself! Will Tony Stark crack under the pressure of being the world’s top cop?

While attempting to unearth an ancient Chinese city using his company's resources - while also diverting money into a project that will put Stark Enterprises on the cutting edge of technology - Tony Stark's ambitions are thwarted when the Jade Dragons attack the excavation site, killing almost everyone and kidnapping his friend James "Rhodey" Rhodes. Traveling to the site to investigate, Tony is captured and injured by the Jade Dragons, his life saved by a Chinese shaman and Rhodes' skills as an army medic after a piece of shrapnel damages his heart. The shaman tells Tony that the Dragons seek to prevent the return of the Mandarin, an evil ruler of great power who ruled China three thousand years ago, and who the city commemorates. Should four rings created by the Mandarin - their purpose being to grant him power over death - be brought together after the city rises, the Mandarin will awaken.

The Gods Walk the Earth! In ancient times, the Celestials, a race of cosmic giants, came to Earth and created a race of powerful immortal beings: The Eternals! For a time, primitive man worshiped them as gods, but eventually they disappeared. Now, they have returned! One of the Celestials now towers over Golden Gate Park, standing in judgment over the Earth… but does he bring the end of the world?