Stark Industries Combat Drones

The Stark Industries Combat Drones are weaponized drones designed by William Ginter Riva during his tenure at Stark Industries. Fleets of these drones were issued as part of Stark Industries' global security network, and installed in their multiple defense satellites.

In 2024, Quentin Beck and a group of disgruntled ex-Stark employees, including Riva, modified the drones with B.A.R.F. to perpetrate a series of Elemental attacks across Europe. Due to their excessive usage during the Battle of London, the drones were confiscated by the United States Department of Damage Control, who began using them for themselves.

History[]

Creation[]

During his tenure as a scientist for Stark Industries, William Ginter Riva developed the Stark Industries Combat Drones. The drones were installed into multiple Stark Industries Satellites in orbit as part of the company's national defense system.^[1]

Midtown School Trip[]

Attack on Brad Davis[]

In 2024, Peter Parker was given control of an entire fleet of Stark Industries Combat Drones stored in the Stark Industries Satellite when he received Tony Stark's Glasses coming with the E.D.I.T.H. system. However, due to not being fully aware of everything he had at his disposal, Parker inadvertently instructed E.D.I.T.H. to perpetrate a drone strike on Brad Davis, while Parker only wanted E.D.I.T.H. to delete a picture of him from Davis' phone. A drone was thus released from the satellite and came after the bus where Davis was sitting. The drone then fired but missed due to Parker deviating the bus' trajectory. Parker then distracted his classmates and teachers to jump out of the bus and prevent the drone from firing a second time, eventually causing the drone to crash on the road.^[1]

Quentin Beck’s Campaign[]

Elemental Attacks[]

Quentin Beck's Crew used a group of Stark Industries Combat Drones, which had been designed by one of their members, William Ginter Riva, to stage a series of attacks supposedly perpetrated by the Elementals. The drones were deployed on the locations where the attack was meant to occur and generated advanced holographic projections to conceal their presence and make-believe that a mysterious entity was attacking. At the same time, the drones used the weapons they were equipped with to recreate the damage supposedly caused by the Elementals. Such attacks took place in Ixtenco, Morocco, Venice, and Prague.

In the aftermath of the attack in Prague, the crew also used drones to generate illusions of a crowded bar while Mysterio and Spider-Man discussed the attack, which eventually ended in Spider-Man handing over the E.D.I.T.H. glasses to Mysterio, thus giving the crew access to the entire fleet of combat drones.

However, during the attack in Prague, one of the drones had actually been hit by a string of Spider-Man's Synthetic Webbing, which caused a projector to detach from the drone. The projector was later retrieved by Michelle Jones, and when she showed it to Peter Parker, the device activated itself, projecting the whole scene once again and causing Parker and Jones to understand that Mysterio had fooled Nick Fury's Crew into believing that he had helped against the Elementals whereas he had actually orchestrated the whole series of events in the first place.

Mysterio used the illusion generating capabilities of the drones to create advanced holographic projections, making Parker believe that he was meeting with Nick Fury and Maria Hill. The succession of nightmarish images created by the drones quickly subdued Spider-Man, who was left defenseless until it appeared that Mysterio had been shot by Fury. However, it also turned out to be an illusion generated by the drones, which further disoriented Spider-Man even after Mysterio revealed himself flanked by two drones, eventually causing Spider-Man to be hit by a train.^[1]

Battle of London[]

The drones were massively used one last time by Quentin Beck's Crew to stage an attack on London. An immense swarm of drones generated an elaborate holographic projection of the Elemental Fusion attacking Tower Bridge, concealing their presence while wreaking havoc in London. For example, drones underwater generated powerful sonic pulses to destroy the pavements on the strands of the Thames, while others attacked vehicles on the bridge. Mysterio also kept some drones with him for his protection during the attack, while he claimed that he was battling the Elemental.

Eventually, though, the drones were attacked by Spider-Man, who infiltrated into the massive hologram and spread his webs to connect drones together, which was quickly noticed by Mysterio after he noticed that some drones were breaking formation. Spider-Man then generated an EMP in the webbing from his new suit, thus damaging the drones and causing the illusion to fall apart. One of the drones thus appeared in front of Talos near the building where Nick Fury's Crew was monitoring the attack, and the drone was destroyed by Soren before it could fire.

Acknowledging that they had to switch plans, Mysterio ordered William Ginter Riva to completely end the illusion after ordering E.D.I.T.H. to chase Spider-Man with some drones. Mysterio also sent a few drones to destroy the Stark Industries Private Jet which had landed near the Tower of London, and then to chase Happy Hogan, Ned Leeds, Michelle Jones, Betty Brant, and Flash Thompson who took cover inside the Tower, while being followed by the drones who began attacking the door behind which they were hiding.

Several drones were destroyed by Spider-Man as he attempted to flee from them and he was finally able to confront Mysterio. Mysterio thus used the drones to generate complex illusions around Spider-Man as if he was surrounded by darkness, planning on hitting him with the drones without Spider-Man being able to retaliate. However, Spider-Man used his enhanced senses to dodge all the attacks and crushed all the drones coming for him. Although E.D.I.T.H. warned him against it, Mysterio sent all the drones protecting him into attacking, and was eventually shot by one of the drones taken down by Spider-Man, who eventually managed to get to Mysterio.

Mysterio attempted one last trick, generating an illusion of himself being wounded while concealing his presence through a drone, but Spider-Man saw through it and defeated Beck, leaving him for dead. He then recovered control over E.D.I.T.H. and ordered it to execute all cancellation protocols on the drones, which swiftly ended the attack, including those in the Tower of London.^[1]

Used by Damage Control[]

Confiscated from Stark Industries[]

Following Peter Parker's identity being exposed as Spider-Man, the Department of Damage Control located the drones and confiscated them in order to render them inactive.^[2]

Hunting Ms. Marvel[]

In 2025, Damage Control deployed drones in Jersey City, New Jersey to find Kamala Khan. The drones found her in an alleyway and chased her, however, she managed to knock them away with her hard light.^[3]

Hunting Kamran[]

Days later, Damage Control deployed drones to find Kamran. A drone located him at Bruno Carrelli’s apartment. Kamran used his newfound powers of hard light to blast it away from the window. However, in retaliation, the drone fired upon Circle Q, which was directly underneath the apartment, causing the convenient store to explode.^[4]

Alternate Universes[]

Pipe World[]

Within the Multiverse, there was an alternate universe in which the Stark Industries drones became the primary technology used for everyday functions. The drones were seen in a tube like assembly line when Doctor Strange and America Chavez passed through the universe.^[5]

Capabilities[]

The drone has a sleek and white appearance. The drones were equipped with a plethora of weapons, such as dual laser-sighted miniguns, lasers, flamethrowers, and powerful concussive blasters that could produce shockwaves of a force powerful enough to knock down a reinforced vault door with repeated blasts. They were also altered to be retrofitted with holographic projectors. The damage that these guns can inflict can vary, as whoever is controlling the drones, whether it be from computers or from the E.D.I.T.H. sunglasses, can customize the lethality of the drones.

Alternate Versions[]

Appearances[]

In chronological order:

• Spider-Man: Far From Home
• Spider-Man: No Way Home
  • The Daily Bugle | YouTube Video 1: EXCLUSIVE Mysterio Final Moments Full Story Credit The Daily Bugle J. Jonah Jameson (mentioned)
• Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (alternate universe)
• Ms. Marvel | Episode 1.02: Crushed
• Ms. Marvel | Episode 1.03: Destined (mentioned)
• Ms. Marvel | Episode 1.05: Time and Again

Behind the Scenes[]

• The VFX composer Miguel Ángel Acevedo Montserrat, who worked on the scene featuring the Stark Industries Combat Drones in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, confirmed in an interview that they reused the assets of the drones to avoid the visual emptiness of the setting. He also mentioned that they deliberately kept the Stark Industries logo visible on the drones to generate discussion within the community, but without any additional intention behind it.^[6]

References[]

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