HistoryText
| - Ezekiel was the son of powerful businessman and Stark Industries affiliate Obadiah Stane and a former young intern named Joan O'neil. Obadiah engaging in an affair with her whilst already married. Joan eventually contacted him, revealing that she was pregnant. Not wanting to taint the image of either himself or Stark Industries, given the fact that it was an affair and would also be considered a scandal of improper office conduct. Obadiah agreed to pay Joan money under the table to help raise the child and keep her from revealing to others who the true father was.
Ezekiel was born, and his mother struggled to raise him by herself. While not in poverty, she was not well off either. She eventually revealed to him who his true father was, and why he wasn't a part of their life. Ezekiel afterward was desperate to win respect, approval, and acceptance. From his father and everyone else. He engaged fiercely in his studies, building a keen scientific mind in the process. Even reaching what would be considered genius level.
Eventually though, news got out that Obadiah Stane had disappeared while on his private airplane, and thus Zeke didn't know what he should do with his life. He then turned to engaging in criminal activities to help support them. When Joan found out however, she scolded him harshly. Saying that no son of hers could be a criminal. He argued that it was necessary, and during the heat of the debate she makes a remark about how technically he shouldn't even exist. Zeke in his rage leaving his home.
He started abroad and continuing in criminal activities to make money by helping provide machinery and tech support to other criminals. He developed an arrogant personality, was self-absorbed, a womanizer, and didn't care who he stepped on to succeed.
He was eventually caught however, and while in prison was visited by a man named Tem Borjigin, also known as The Mandarin. An immensely powerful and mysterious figure in the underground community. Zeke having heard of him before, but only believing him to be a myth. Borjigin offers him a path of meaning and purpose. Zeke accepts, and thus Borjigin pays his way out of prison.
Like Zeke, Borjigin was a scientific genius. Taking Zeke under his wing, and becoming both a mentor and a father figure to him. The Mandarin eventually came into possession of a substance called Extremis that was created by Maya Hansen and produced by the organization called A.I.M. The Mandarin was seeking to alter some of its properties while keeping the core effect in tact. Zeke became fascinated by Extremis and the whole idea of upgrading the human body with technology.
He was eventually tasked by The Mandarin into becoming a mole within Stark Industries. He entrusted Ezekiel with the knowledge of his ultimate plan. To release a modified aerosol form of Extremis on the world in his bid to improve humanity. Though most of the world's population could not survive the bonding process, those who remained would be a new and "better" race of humans. The Mandarin believing it to be a necessity. In part because he believes that much of the human race has become weak from society's coddling, but also because he believes it is necessary for them to survive in a universe filled with being of much greater power like the Asgardians and Chitauri. Both of which have proved their superior might to the world. However, he still needs some Stark Tech in order to help him complete his plans. And thus puts forth a plan in order to give him complete access to it.
Ezekiel goes to Stark Industries, revealing his true parentage. He says that he wanted to know this part of his family history. And also said that he was looking for a purpose in his life, and thought maybe he could find it in helping mankind through working for Stark Industries. The board of directors is leery of this, knowing the truth concerning his father and were thus afraid. Tony however, wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt especially after he proves his intellect to them. Saying that he felt the son could not be held accountable for the sins of the father. Tony was in an emotional rut at the time, given his part in the creation of Ultron. He sees much of himself in Ezekiel, particularly his younger self. He deep down sought redemption by helping Zeke, and thus won in getting him into Stark Industries. Taking him under his wing as a protegee and offered his support whenever needed.
All his life Zeke never had a real father, and he suddenly found himself pulled into two directions by men he could identify with and saw as mentors and father figures. They saw the potential and greatness in him, and treated him with respect. However they were naturally conflicting paths. He became deeply conflicted, and for a while didn't know what choice to make. He did proceed in helping with The Mandarin's plans however, and from the inside managed to help manipulate things so that Hammer Industries could take over the company. This going on while Stark was sent on a wild goose chase after The Mandarin, whom he believes to be Aldrich Killian. It's CEO Justine Hammer being an ally, and lover, of Mandarin. Thus allowing him direct access to Stark Tech. Justine was not made aware of The Mandarin's true ultimate goals like Ezekiel was however, and to help keep appearances up he had her place him in charge of running Stark Industries.
As The Mandarin continued his affairs, Zeke was given time to experiment. And eventually created a suit in a combination with Extremis that was literally a part of his body. Believing that after the world became infected, he could give further upgrades such as this to the survivors. It's during this time that Zeke is informed of his mother's death, who had apparently been ailing for years. While he was troubled by it, he refused to show it.
When Jim Rhodes discovered the truth about the connection between The Ten Rings and Hammer Industries he went in and stole the War Machine armor from the Stark Industries building that was now collecting them after the take over. As he was escaping he was confronted by Ezekiel who has finally completed his armor and tries to stop him, leading to a fierce fight. Ezekiel manages to gain the upper hand, with Jim managing to only barely escape.
The Mandarin is impressed with Zeke's work in both the suit, and the help he provided in modifying Extremis. He orders him to bring him Pepper Potts and Happy Hogan, in order to use her as leverage again Jim Rhodes as well as to keep Stark in his place. He confronts her alongside other Ten Rings men including Raza, as she is spending time with Happy Hogan. They try to bring them in, but Happy sacrifices himself to give Pepper a chance to escape. Zeke killing him in the process. After the murder Zeke doesn't know what to make of it, and struggles with himself over whether or not what he did was wrong.
Later one night he becomes suspicious of a break in. And his instincts were right, as Tony Stark, Pepper Potts, and Jimmy Woo were breaking in so that Stark could gain control of his Iron Man suits again. Them having been appropriated by Hammer Industries after taking over Stark's company. Zeke sets a trap by awaiting Stark in the suit vault. He attacks Stark, who just narrowly manages to stay alive. Zeke eventually manages to grab Stark with one hand and prepares to finish him, but hesitates. Giving Stark enough time to finish up a plan of his that disables Zeke's armor long enough to allow him to enter a suit of his own. After Zeke manages to recover the two engage in a long heated battle. Stark eventually managing to win.
He is taken captive by Stark and Woo, and is taken to an abandoned wear house to be interrogated. He is restrained in one of Tony's Iron Man suits that he can have self-destruct if he tries anything to escape or attack them. They try to find out what The Mandarin's ultimate endgame is, as well as where his lair is. While he tells them of their plans, he refuses to give them the location of his lair. Tony eventually tells Woo to leave them alone. When he's gone, he has the armor retract off of Zeke before he proceeds to continue the talk. He pleads with Zeke about how all those would die. Tony tells him about how he began to lose faith in people, but even in his darkest rut though he shunned them there was people who cared about him. And even in the darkest places he saw other glimmers of hope. People with live, who helped and cared for each other. Nothing that needed "improving". He eventually brings up Zeke's mother, whom he hadn't seen in years. Even when she reached out to him after hearing about his getting a job at Stark Industries. The very topic enraging him. Tony then allows him to leave saying that it would be worthless to keep him there if he wouldn't learn anything form him. Saying that without him, they don't have a chance.
After being feed Zeke listens to the message from his mother, who gives him an impassioned talk about how she was so proud of how he turned his life around. She apologized for everything, and acknowledged how she was even jealous of the brilliant man he managed to turn himself into even though he started in a disadvantaged place. While she claims to have not amounted to much even though she came from a more well off start. She told him about her disease, and how she wanted to see her son at least one more time. She congratulated and talked about of how proud him for getting a job at Stark Industries and claiming that he'd try and help the world for the better. Saying that he helped prove to her that a great good can be made even out of the blackest of situations. Ending by saying that she loved him, and that she always will. Zeke breaks down and goes back to Stark, telling him that he would help him stop The Mandarin.
Tony manages to galvanize the forces he can after the Crimson Dynamo cripples most direct lines of help, and Ezekiel leads them to his lair. During the battle he and Tony fly in together. However, Tony is attacked by a mind-controlled Jim Rhodes in his War Machine armor. Tony tells him to keep going, not wanting to waste any time in stopping Extremis from being released. After continuing on however, he is confronted by The Mandarin who scolds him for his betrayal and tries to convince him to come back to his side. Ezekiel refuses and the two engage in a fierce fight. Though he has great power from the enhancements he made on his body, The Mandarin is the far skilled fighter and greatly helped by his rings of power. The Mandarin manages to disable Zeke however, and as he relentlessly attacks him while entering a state of rage he stops and tries to regain his composure. Not wanting to lose control, also unsure if he wanted to kill who he was beginning to see as a friend. In this time Tony manages to fly in and get The Mandarin off of him. Tony tells Ezekiel to get the Extremis hub and shut it down. Seeing as he had helped Mandarin create it in the first place.
He eventually gets to the hub. Zeke had found himself cornered by a couple of Crimson Dynamo soldiers, with the countdown for the release of Extremis started and the control panel destroyed during the ensuing fight so it couldn't be stopped. There he manages to send Tony a final message over a com-link they created between their suits, thanking him for everything he's done for him as well as an apology for everything he had done, as well as farewell. Zeke self-destructs himself in order to destroy the Extremis hub, and thus stop it from ever being able to fire, but also killing himself in the process.
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