HEAVY METAL (1996)

Released to tie in with the critically panned console game X-O Manowar/Iron Man in Heavy Metal, this odd little two-book series matches the game in quality. This one-off meeting between the Marvel Universe and the Valiant Universe is a tough read from start to finish and features Aric of Dacia and teenage Tony Stark (introduced during THE CROSSING) in the title roles as they attempt to undo Baron Zemo and Mistress Crescendo's attempt to merge their universes using shards of the Cosmic Cube and the Rock of Reality.

For the continuity-obsessed among you, this is a hard one to place. If the Marvel elements do take place on Earth-616, then it would take place somewhere between THE CROSSING and ONSLAUGHT. But the appearances of certain villains (particularly the long-dead melter) suggest to me that it takes place on an alternate Earth. 

• X-O Manowar/Iron Man in Heavy Metal #1
• Iron Man/X-O Manowar in Heavy Metal #1

X-O Manowar/Iron Man in Heavy Metal #1
Arnim Zola and Auger are employed by Baron Zemo and Mistress Crescendo to utilise shards of the Cosmic Cube and the Rock of Reality to remake their universes into one they can control. As reality buckles under the strain, X-O Manowar (Aric of Dacia) battles Iron Man (James Rhodes) on his Earth, while another Iron Man (teenage Tony Stark) faces off against another X-O Manowar (Rand Banion) on his. As Zemo and Crescendo fall out over who the true ruler of their new reality will be, the universe shatters...

Iron Man/X-O Manowar in Heavy Metal #1
In the new universe, Aric of Dacia discovers the Iron Man armour and teenage Tony Stark dons the X-O Manowar armour when his father's experiments on it go wrong. Auger and Arnim Zola realise Zemo and Crescendo have lost control of their newfound power. They're confronted by X-O Manowar (Stark) and Iron Man (Aric) whose wills are powerful enough to put everything back as it should be.

Onslaught: Marvel Universe #1 (1996)
If this story does take place on Earth-616, then teenage Tony Stark's era will come to an end when he and his fellow Avengers sacrifice themselves to stop Onslaught during ONSLAUGHT.

Iron Man #1 (1996)
Tony Stark is restored to adult form on Counter-Earth by Franklin Richards.

This story has not yet been collected.