02x05 - Beauty Knows No Pain

[bunniefuu]

FOREMAN:
The new Stark-designed tunnel-borers

are working most wonderfully,
Miss Carpenter.

We are pleased to be able to
tell your Mr. Stark

that we are three days
ahead of schedule.

JULIA: Mr. Stark will indeed
be happy to hear that.

What's... What's happening?
A cave-in?

This cannot be!

According to our geological survey,
this ground is on solid bedrock.

Miss Carpenter, what are you doing?

[MEN SCREAMING]

[MEN MURMURING]

JULIA: It's those high-burn aerobics
classes at the executive gym.

[GRUNTS] Now get out of here!

Help! Someone help me!

I love it when a man needs me.

[SIGHS] Just not this much.

[MEN SCREAMING]

I...

lam...

I am Iron Man!

I am Iron Man!

I am Iron Man!

TONY: Have you found any sign at all
of the missing workers?

Not yet.
We are making every possible effort,

I assure you, Mr. Stark, we...

What about Julia?

Do you need anything?
Equipment, men?

No, Mr. Stark.

But since we are digging
under a temple,

perhaps a timely prayer...

Already done that.

If I knew any of the local gods,
I would do more.

FOREMAN: Mr. Stark,
they've just broken through

to a vast chamber below.

My Company, my ride.

Are you crazy? Armor up, man.

Bad timing.
My battery is still recharging.

Besides, if I screw up,

w*r Machine will swoop down
in the nick of time and drag us both out.

Don't lay that on me, man.

My days in that over-engineered
garbage can are finito.

Okay, you can fly down naked
for all I care.

Just be ready to bail me out.

Lower away.

There's some kind
of chamber, Rhodey.

Ah. I found the tunneling machine.

Strange, there should be
a lot more debris down here.

JIM ON RADIO: What about Miss COO
and the workers?

Nothing. No sign of them.

Wait a minute.

Tony, what's happening down there?

Rhodey, it'll make even you wish
you hadn't slept through history class.

[STATIC ON RADIO]

Rhodey? Rhodey, come in.

JIM: Tony! Tony!

Get that elevator back up here.

Something is holding the elevator
from the bottom.

Typical.

Who are you?

MASQUE: As you know, Mr. Stark,

the Maggia is
an international organization

much like your own,
only more, shall we say, resourceful?

Whitney!

MASQUE: How touching
that you remember,

my ever-handsome love.

But Whitney is gone.

These days,
I am known as Madame Masque.

- Thanks to you.
-You know that's not true.

MASQUE:
I know only that you'd never admit it.

Lying, selfish coward, like all men.

Door.

Whitney, what happened
to my workmen?

MASQUE: Why not ask
what's really on your mind?

What happened to Julia Carpenter?

Is she all right?

MASQUE: They're all perfectly safe,
for now.

Keep the lift secure.

TONY: I never knew the Maggia
counted trafficking in ancient artifacts

among their laundry list of crime.

MASQUE: Black market antiquities
are indeed lucrative,

but they are not
the entire reason I'm here.

Have you ever heard of the Eye of !sis?

An ancient legend
about some kind of jewel.

It grants great power
to whomever controls it.

Not mere power, my love. Look.

This man is crippled.

Yet once bathed in the light of the Eye,
his withered limb is restored.

As my face, my once-radiant beauty,
can also be restored.

The Eye is less than a mile
from this spot.

Whatever is guarding the Eye
has cost me 6O of my best men.

They couldn't get me the Eye,
but Iron Man can.

I won't help you with this insanity.

You're only setting yourself up
for more pain, Whitney.

The name's Masque,
and I think I can change your mind.

Julia! Julia!

I'm not hurt, I just can't move.

MASQUE: Well, that's because your
muscle functions have been suppressed

by a low-voltage field.

But if the voltage
were somehow increased...

[SCREAMING]

Let her go!

MASQUE: Oh! Your concern for her
is touching, my lover.

Her pain will cease when you agree
to have Iron Man bring me the Eye.

Don't listen to her, Tony!

MASQUE: As you wish.

[JULIA SCREAMS]

JULIA: No!

Tony, don't help her. She's crazy.

[CHUCKLING]

Such courage. Such a waste.

[ELECTRICITY CRACKLING]

Enough!

[EXHALES]

You win.

Release everyone,
and Iron Man will get you the Eye.

MASQUE: The others will be freed

only after Iron Man has performed
to my satisfaction.

[JULIA GROANING]

I need a few moments with Julia.

A need you'll soon be rid of.

Very well, but hurry,
we have much lost time to make up for.

[MASQUE CHUCKLING]

I ache to pick up where we left off.

[DOOR CLOSING]

You were with her?

We... We once meant a lot
to each other.

[SCOFFS] What happened?
Leave her at the altar, too?

We'll discuss it when you're safe.

Right now, I need you
to have Rhodes send down my armor.

[LAUGHS] I'll send down
a lot more than that.

No! Julia, she still has the others.

Besides, I gave my word. No rescue.

That creature is not going to
just let you walk out of here, Tony.

She wants you, remember?

That's my problem.

MASQUE: I have missed you,
my beauty.

[CRYING]

I'm ready, Whitney.

MASQUE:
You never did know how to knock.

Whitney, I'm...
I'm sorry for what happened.

Your pity doesn't interest me, Stark!

You know what I want.

IRON MAN: Don't worry, Whitney.
You'll get your jewel.

MASQUE: It is not the jewel
for which I worry.

Take care, my handsome love.

- JULIA: Put it on.
-You know I can't.

I know you won't. Tony's down there...

- I know it!
-Then armor up!

We charge down there, and every one
of those hostages is as good as dead.

You think I don't know that, Rhodey?
I also know

that the only chance Tony
or any of them may have

is if we hit those Maggia th*gs
so hard and so fast,

they don't have time to react,
and I can't do that by myself!

I need help.

IRON MAN: How's it look, HOMER?

HOMER: Sand and stone,
less spectacular weaponry than usual.

[BEEPING]

I'm glad you think this will be so easy.

Whoa!

HOMER: I find the word "easy"
less than appropriate.

IRON MAN: Primitive traps,
piece of cake.

[GRUNTS] Then again...

I guess 2O tons could hurt,
no matter how primitive it is.

[GASPS]

Why do I get the feeling
visitors aren't welcome?

[RUMBLING]

HOMER: I would advise
against prolonged submersion, sir.

[GROANS]

So would I.

Man, is this ride going to last all day?

HOMER: Sir, I believe the aphorism
begins, "Be careful what you wish for."

Enough's enough!

HOMER, identify the energy
from that crystal.

HOMER: I would like to, sir, but nothing
in my databanks matches it.

IRON MAN: Store these images.

HOMER: They are not
particularly encouraging.

Well, HOMER,

there's just really nothing harder
than picking out jewelry for a woman.

[RUMBLING]

Then again, I could be wrong.

Okay, okay, I'm leaving already.

[BEEPING]

[ELECTRICITY CRACKLES]

One minute till shutdown.
Don't even think, Stark.

Just hustle your shiny butt.

Tony?

[ARMOR BEEPING]

[PANTING]

MASQUE: Did you get it?
My tiara? Where is it?

Yes!

Now, my love,
we shall be together forever,

as we were always meant to be.

Finally, my resurrection.

Feast upon my beauty.

[LAUGHING EVILLY]

[GASPS]

What is it?

What's wrong?

Wrong? No, my love.

At long last, things are very right.
Now you will never leave me.

Never.

I never left you, Whitney.

Your craving for power tore us apart.

You wanted Stark Enterprises
more than you ever wanted me.

Liar!

[sums FIRING]

[MEN SHOUTING]

We're under attack!

Your word is as worthless as your love!
I have no more use for either.

[GROANS] No!

[MASQUE LAUGHING
IN A DEEP VOICE]

Iron Man! Let's go!

[SPIDER WOMAN GROANS]

[IN DEEP VOICE] Why don't you sh**t,
my love?

[LAUGHING]

[GROANS]

The goddess !sis
must have worshipers.

If I can't have their love,
I shall teach them fear.

w*r MACHINE: Next time you plan
to empower an old girlfriend,

talk to me first.

TONY: Dear Rhodey, huh?

It's good to see you
back in the saddle, Jimmy.

w*r MACHINE: This portable coffin
still gives me the cold sweats,

but your pushy COO
didn't give me much choice,

so here I am, like it or not.

Only a tempjob, pal.

Now you two get to the surface
and do what you can.

I'll hook up with you
as soon as I'm recharged.

I guess it's time for the newest goddess
on the block to teach us fear.

A goddess requires temples,
not soulless eyesores!

[LAUGHING EVILLY]

w*r MACHINE:
Let's have us a little talk.

More iron men for me to play with.

[LAUGHING]

Men aren't your playthings, lady.

And more jealous girlfriends.

[GRUNTS]

I'm all the woman
Tony Stark will ever need.

IRON MAN: Let her go, Whitney.
This is about you and me.

[CHUCKLES]

Have you come for me, my love?

IRON MAN: Whitney!

After all this anticipation,
I expected a better performance.

w*r MACHINE:
My circuits are starting to fry!

IRON MAN: Mine, too.

We'll have to drop the manufacturer
a nasty note.

We didn't make
much of an impression, did we?

[GROANS]

The sky belongs to the gods
and their golden mates.

Lesser creatures
should crawl the earth.

w*r MACHINE:
No, not again! Stinking armor.

[COUGHING]

[GRUNTING] Get me out!
I can't breathe.

[GASPING]

I just can't hack
this hero crud anymore.

Sorry, Tone.

Tony. Tony.
Have you run out on me again?

IRON MAN: Never, my love.

You are mine now, my pretty.

Give yourself to me
as you once burned to do.

If that's what you want, Whit.

[SIGHS]

But that isn't love.

Not like the love we had.
Love can only be earned with love.

You used to know that.

- Fear is a bitter, empty substitute.
-Tony, I...

MASQUE: [GASPS] No!

My face! Please! No!

[MASQUE CRYING]

MASQUE: [LAUGHS]
You can't even stand to look at me.

Admit it. Admit it!

The beauty that won my love
was inside you, Whitney,

but you k*lled it a long time ago.

Time to go.

MASQUE: Please,
don't let them see me.

Odd weather we're having lately.

And I had so hoped
to do some shopping.

And the merchant's letter
sounded so promising.

And yes, what service!

As to the payment, well,

[CHUCKLES]

the check's in the mail.

[LAUGHING EVILLY]

TONY: This meant so much to Whitney.

I feel sorry for her.

JULIA: Did you really love her, Tony?

Once, a long time ago.

You're a hard man to figure, Tony.

You'll risk your life 100 times over,
but you'll never risk your heart.

You mean, our engagement?

[SIGHS] I mean, your whole cold,
lonely life, Tony.

- I feel sorry for her, too.
-Julia, I...

Save it, boss.

Just hold me.

I am...

I am Iron Man!

I am Iron Man!

I am Iron Man!

'