Genius, millionaire, playboy, and philanthropist, Tony Stark, who has inherited the defense contractor Stark Industries from his dead father, is in war-torn Afghanistan to demonstrate the new "Jericho" missile. The convoy is ambushed and Stark is critically wounded by a gunshot; he is captured and imprisoned in a cave by the terrorist group the Tong Triad. An electromagnet grafted into Stark's chest by fellow captive Yinsen keeps the shrapnel shell shards that wounded him from reaching Stark's heart and killing him. Tong leader Mandarin offers Stark freedom in exchange for building a Jericho missile for the group, but Tony and Yinsen agree Mandarin will not keep his word.