Howard Stark is Iron Man - and he's got some explaining to do in a preview of Ultimate Invasion #3

One of the year's most explosive comic events continues next week with the publication of Ultimate Invasion #3. 

Jonathan Hickman and Bryan Hitch's return to the Ultimate Universe has seen The Maker (an evil version of Reed Richards who survived the destruction of Earth-1610) use an Immortus Engine to alter history and create a new reality. In response, the Earth-616 Reed Richards decides to reform the Illuminati. 

We've got an exclusive preview of lettered pages from the new issue in the gallery below - with spoilers for last month's #2. 

In the preview Howard Stark - the Iron Man of the new Earth-6160 - and his son Tony look over the grave of the recently-killed Obadiah Stane and reflect on a mission that has gone very wrong in Latveria. The issue also promises appearances from Kang and Doctor Doom.

Image 1 of 5

Marvel's official blurb for the new issue reads:

"After KANG descends upon the City of Tomorrow, the Illuminati must regroup! IRON MAN has a heart-to-heart with Tony Stark! DOCTOR DOOM - the anti-Maker - prepares his own plans to deal with this evil Reed Richards…and the Ultimate Universe that the Maker thought he had rebuilt frays at the edges as they prepare for cosmic war!"

The original Ultimate universe (Earth-1610) ended in 2015's Secret Wars, also by Jonathan Hickman, and drawn by Esad Ribić. That saga saw various realities collide in a series of "incursions". When Earth-616 and Earth-1610 clashed, the Ultimate reality was destroyed. Despite this, a few characters survived from 1610 - most notably Miles Morales, the Ultimate Spider-Man, and also the Maker. Honestly, having lost his entire reality, you can kind of see why he's so ticked off.

Ultimate Invasion #3 is published by Marvel on August 30.

Read up on the best Marvel Comics stories of all time.