Issue(s): Iron Man #307, Iron Man #308, Iron Man #309
Cover Date: Aug-Oct 94
Title: "Wired!" / "Terminal emulation" / "Signal to noise"
Credits:
Len Kaminski - Writer
Tom Morgan - Penciler
Tom Morgan - Inker
Mike Marts - Assistant Editor
Nel Yomtov - Editor

Review/plot:
Iron Man fights a computer virus called VOR/TEX (which stands for Very ObscuRe and Tortured EXacronym). Somehow, the fight takes three issues (Deathlok could have done it in one!).

Tony Stark's virtual self starts off dressed like Forge.

But then he starts playing with power (although Game Gear was a Sega product).

VOR/TEX takes over Stark's body.

And gets drunk.

He then tries to rape Veronica Benning.

Failing that, he gets into an Iron Man suit and goes on a rampage, targeting his creators.

Meanwhile, Stark is having trouble getting off the internet (relatable; we've all had trouble logging off).

Raven helps him download into a prototype robot body.

Part of what helps win the fight is that (what is said to be) his normal temper is missing from his robot body, while VOR/TEX is overwhelmed with unhelpful emotions. VOR/TEX is also not accustomed to physical pain. It takes a couple of hits and assumes that it's dying.

VOR/TEX deletes itself rather than face more pain. When Tony gets back into his physical body, he has to overcome the fact that VOR/TEX has been drinking. In addition to the addiction problems, no one else is yet aware that VOR/TEX was controlling him. So Mrs. Arbogast gives him the cold shoulder and Veronica Benning has left him a note breaking up with him. And when James Rhodes calls asking for help, Stark explodes at him.

Rhodey gets pissed and puts on the War Machine armor, intending to head over to confront Stark.

Also in these issues, the Mandarin's hand grow back as dragon claws.

The Mandarin is able to recover his rings. The search for the rings also leads him to a mysterious temple where he finds an orb called the Heart of Darkness.

We also get a glimpse of the Mandarin's new Avatars.

Quality Rating: C-

Historical Significance Rating: 1

Chronological Placement Considerations: Both the Mandarin story in Marvel Comics Presents #169-170 and War Machine #8 take place directly after this story.

References:

• Iron Man's training program was tampered with by VOR/TEX in Iron Man annual #15.
  
• Mandarin lost his hands in Iron Man #275.
  
• Security measures put in place by Stark in Iron Man #300 prevent him from easily escaping the internet after VOR/TEX steals his body.
  
• Mandarin's transformation will be further explored in Marvel Comics Presents #169-170.
  
• Stark and Rhodey departed on not-so-good terms in Iron Man #292.
  
• Rhodey started a war on foreign soil in War Machine #1.

Crossover: N/A

Continuity Insert? N

My Reprint: N/A

Bleh. For ten years after Neuromancer every writer and his brother thought a boring story would be interesting because it takes place, wait for it, in a computer! Thank goodness those days are over (Ready Player One nonwithstanding).

Note that VOR/TEX was the voice on the phone directing Mary Pearson in her smear campaign against Stark Enterprises. It was also Osamu Moroboshi's employer in Iron Man 292-293, which is what Moroboshi meant by his employer's "true nature".

@Michael: Thanks for the info. I stopped reading Iron Man regularly a year earlier, so I wasn't aware that VOR/TEX was eventually revealed to be behind the consortium that was attacking Stark Enterprises.

Is it ever explained where VOR/TEX came from or who created it?