Iron Man Explains the Secret Way His Armor Travels at Super-Speed

Warning: contains spoilers for The Invincible Iron Man #4!Many superheroes have the ability to travel the world in the blink of an eye, but Iron Man’s expedient way of super-speed travel mixes the capacities of his armor with Tony’s deep knowledge of science.
Thanks to his high-tech suit of armor, Tony Stark isn’t limited to normal modes of travel. The jet boosters in his boots allow him to reach supersonic speeds, and Stark’s armor protects him from the elements, allowing him to survive the cold depths of the upper atmosphere and acting as a shield against the wind and any other debris he might come across. However, when Tony needs to traverse the world as fast as possible, he uses a simple but clever trick that shows that his brain is Tony’s most powerful weapon.
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Iron Man Travels Around the World By Floating in Space
The moment occurs in The Invincible Iron Man Vol. 5 #4 by Gerry Duggan, Juan Frigeri, Bryan Valenza, and Joe Caramagna. The story sees Tony Stark stripped of his wealth and his station at his company, with an unseen villain attacking him and the people in his life. This is ultimately revealed to be X-Men villain and Elon Musk-inspired Feilong, Tony’s fellow tech billionaire who has decided to set his sights on Iron Man to unleash his frustration over losing the rights to Mars, unleashing a punishing series of attacks as he tries to solidify his control of Stark Unlimited. A fierce battle with Stark leaves Feilong licking his wounds, and afterward, Stark flies his Iron Man armor into Earth’s upper atmosphere to isolate himself and decompress from the battle, but it also serves as a neat way to travel the globe.
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“Letting the Earth’s rotation do its thing is the fastest way to travel,” Stark muses, “when you want to fly halfway across the planet.” It does prove to be a rather clever way to get from one point on the planet to another, and it allows Iron Man enough time to relax for a bit before swooping back down wherever he’s heading on the planet below. Instead of having to jet across the globe at supersonic speeds after his knock-down, drag-out fight with Feilong, Stark gets the opportunity to rest and recoup – enough time to gather his energy once again instead of immediately rushing off to his next destination.
It won’t net Iron Man any Frequent Flyer miles, but this expedited way to travel is a handy way to traverse the globe while getting some rest, which can be crucial for heroes who have to bear the stress of constant battles every day.
The Invincible Iron Man #4 is available now from Marvel Comics.