The Rings of the Mandarin kicks off in Iron Man #23.NOW

The rings of the Mandarin return to make Tony Stark’s life all kinds of nasty in Iron Man #23.NOW. Oh, and Malekith- did I mention he’s in there too?

This March, Tony battles for his life against supernatural forces unlike anything he’s ever faced before when the explosive Rings of the Mandarin arc begins in IRON MAN 23.NOW!

From blockbuster writer Kieron Gillen and red hot artist Luke Ross – the destructive and powerful Mandarin Rings have resurfaced, in search of new hosts. In the wrong hands, just one could cause untold destruction. And all ten are seeking out enemies of Tony Stark!

But while the ten rings search for bearers – a deadly foe seeks to claim their power for his own. And it’s not who you think it is! Thor: The Dark World foe Malekith the Accursed seeks their power, and it’s up to Iron Man and some unlikely allies to take him down.

“Iron Man has faced magical and mythical threats before, but never one as absolutely devious, demented and driven as Malekith,” says series Editor Mark Paniccia. “This issue introduces an epic rivalry that’s sure to get the THOR editors all up in arms that we stole one of their best villains!”

But will the help of Dark Angel and his recently revealed brother Arno be enough to stop the power of the ten Mandarin Rings and Malekith the Accursed? You’ll never guess who comes out on top when Rings of the Mandarin kicks off in IRON MAN 23.NOW this March!

I always like a nice mix-up of villains and this is an especially cool one since a) Malekith is pretty popular right now thanks to his turn in the Thor: The Dark World feature film and b) he’s a magical baddie- which Iron Man just hates. Supernatural forces have never been a fave of Tony’s and it’s always fun to see him go up against that which man does not understand… or something.

Anyway, lot of questions here. Why does Malekith want the rings? What’s his beef with Stark? Is the hammer-swinging Avenger going to make a guest- appearance? All these questions and more will play out in the pages of Iron Man #23.NOW (or at least, begin to be played out) from the team of Kieron Gillen and Luke Ross, when it hits stands this March.