Episode:Whiplash


 * For the character see . For other uses see Blacklash.

While investigating an arms dealer, Pepper Potts' father is severely injured. She then tries to investigate the matter herself, bringing the attention of a dangerous criminal mastermind. She bites off more than she can chew when the entire criminal organization comes after her. Her only hope is Iron Man, who must deal with the dreaded new armored supervillain called Whiplash.

Story
holding a walks around an industrial area near the  at night. He is talking on the to his daughter,. She wants to come along and help but he won't let her. He approaches a door as he wonders if she has homework to do.

He kneels down and puts the small flashlight in his mouth. He inserts a device into the keyhole. As it goes in the device extends to pick the lock.

Once inside he tells Pepper not to wait up or go through his files. He hangs up and looks around the warehouse. After looking at several containers he pulls out his gun. He continues to look around as two glowing whips drop down behind him. The man turns around as the whips come hurdling towards him. He manages one loud scream.

Later, begins welding in the. walks up to him suggesting he sleep. But Tony goes back to welding.

Rhodey walks up and sees that he's working on another Iron Man suit. Tony says he's trying to keep up. Rhodey wonders if he's going to put on it.

Tony points out that he needs to be ready for more villains. While the s and got their technology from,  and  are common criminals with advanced technology.

Rhodey throws Tony his saying they're going to be late for school. He also tells Tony that Pepper has been trying to call him all night. Tony looks at his phone, seeing he has forty-seven messages.

At the, Tony opens his locker revealing a soda machine. He fills his cup and begins to drink while James looks on in disgust. Tony claims he wasn't using it for anything else.

Tony closes the door and Pepper appears frightening him. She rapidly asks him questions before asking for some of his drink. Tony tells her to slow down. She says she's worried about her dad. She claims he is acting weird from his recent case since he won't tell her anything about it. Tony points out that she's not supposed to know anything about any of his cases.

Pepper then asks to speak to Tony in private. However, Tony sees and walks away to talk to him, leaving Pepper with the soda cup. She and Rhodey look at each other as she drinks the soda.

In science class, the teacher talks about the mechanics of a while Tony draws  is his notebook. He raises his hand to correct the teacher but Rhodey and stop him. As it turns out, whenever Tony corrects the professor the entire class has to do research projects.

The teacher asks if Tony has anything to add but Tony looks over at Happy, who threatens him, and decides against it.

Just then an older man walks in saying he has to speak to Pepper. Tony asks James if she tried to arrest someone again, but James claims that he's ignoring him. Pepper and the old man leave the room.

Tony crumples up some paper to throw away. While at the trash can he can tell that the old man just gave Pepper some bad news. The teacher tells him to sit down before he adds to the seventeen tardies and four absences Tony already has. As Tony gets back to his chair he asks if he can go to the bathroom.

Pepper is taken by two men in suits and sunglasses to a. She is taken to a room where a man in SWAT armor lets her in. He says that everything will be fine. She goes in and sees her father all bandaged up.

The doctor enters the room and Pepper asks about her father. He says that because of the medication he'll be sleeping for a few days, but he should make a full recovery. Pepper asks him what happened but the doctor doesn't know. He says the injuries are unusual and that the won't say anything. He wonders if her father worked around. He gets a call on his and excuses himself.

As he leaves her father suddenly wakes. Pepper questions her father about who did this to him. He is only able to utter the name before slipping back into unconsciousness. Pepper then calls out for help and the doctor rushes back in. He tells her that he's still unconscious and it's just the body's way of healing itself.

The door opens and Tony and Rhodey struggle to get past the guards. The two are let in and Tony apologizes for what happened. But Pepper, disgusted at Tony, storms out of the room.

At the armory, Tony feels like a jerk for not taking Pepper seriously before. Rhodey tries calling her but she won't answer. He wonders if it had anything to do with her father's FBI work. Tony knows that Pepper will not sit around but do something. He decides that he won't sit around if she won't.

Later that night, Pepper sits in her home with her searching through the FBI database for Mr. Fix.

Elsewhere beneath a, a man types on his computers while metal tendrils extend from his body. The man, with one mechanical eye, comes across the location of Pepper since she is looking for him. He tells someone to make her stop.

Pepper continues to search on her computer when a van pulls up outside. Several armed and armored men exit and surround Pepper's house. One opens a window and two men enter the house.

Several men group up outside a door saying they have found the target and are ready to terminate. One man bursts into the door and readies his gun but finds nothing but the laptop. Two enter the room to search while two more go to search the house. A fifth communicates that they have a problem.

Pepper drops down in an alley. She runs away from the house while trying to call someone on her phone. However, she is being watched by Mr. Fix. He decides to track her cell phone to see who she's calling.

Iron Man flies out over the city. He wonders what Pepper wanted to speak to him about. Rhodey thinks she wanted someone to actually listen to her. Iron Man decides to go find where the found Pepper's father.

Just then Rhodey gets Pepper's call and forwards it to Iron Man. Iron Man answers and Pepper talks about the city and guns. Iron Man tells her to use more words this time. She tells him how her father was investigating Mr. Fix, an inventor and hi-tech arms dealer who supplies people like the.

She explains how she only searched his name and now has people chasing her. As she reaches the end of the alley a car screeches to a stop in front of her. She runs the other way down the alley.

Iron Man isolates her phone signal and Rhodey tracks it. While Iron Man flies to her Rhodey gives her directions to run from the men. Pepper exits another alley but is stopped by another van. Three men get out and begin to shoot at her. She runs away and into another alley.

Rhodey tells her to cut through the building to get to 42nd street. However, the door is locked and Pepper can't get through. Rhodey suggests picking the lock but Pepper panics when she sees the light of the men. She looks over at a brick and suddenly Rhodey hears breaking glass as Pepper breaks her way in.

Mr. Fix continues to track her through the building. He realizes that someone is helping her. He tries to track the number but his computer cannot. A mysterious man walks up behind Mr. Fix. Mr. Fix theorizes that she must be talking to someone with the most advanced cell phone on the planet, and asks the man to meet him.

Pepper busts down a door and exits the building to an empty street. However, the van comes around to chase her. She runs but the van gets closer. Just then Iron Man flies around and hits the van. The vehicle tips over and crashes into a pole.

Another van stops in front of Pepper and armed men exit. They begin to fire but she is saved by Iron Man who takes the bullets. He tells her to get to to be safe. He activates an energy shield as she runs away.

After she's gone, Iron Man fires the shield at the men like a bomb. It knocks the men back and the van over. As the men scatter another van tries to run Iron Man over. But he simply dodges out of the way.

Just then his armor tells him that the communication systems have been compromised while Rhodey says they're being hacked. Iron Man tells him to shut it down.

Pepper asks if they can still hear her. She says she's heading toward's Rhodey's place. Mr. Fix overhears just before his link is broken. the mysterious man asks what could have done this. Mr. Fix gets his computers back online when they see the image of Iron Man.

Mr. Fix scans the records of the Tomorrow Academy and finds James Rhodes, also known as Rhodey. He finds the location of Rhodey's house and sends the man there.

Pepper continues to run down another alley as a van chases her. It breaks apart a crate as it leaves the alley. It squeals around a corner narrowly missing a. As the van closes in on Pepper the passenger leans out the window and fires at her.

As the van is about to run her over Iron Man flies out the sky and picks her up. She is shocked as the two head up and away.

Iron Man tries, but fumbles, to reassure her without revealing that he knows her. However, she knows Tony is in the suit claiming to have figured it out since her father is an investigator. Iron Man relents and retracts his mask revealing Tony and asks how she knew.

Pepper reveals that she didn't really know and tricked him. He decides to take her to Rhodey's joking that he'll have to erase her memories or else drop her.

Pepper runs up to Rhodey's house and when she enters finds Rhodey tied and gagged. She follows the ties to see them originating from the mysterious man. He claims she looks like her father.

The man picks Rhodey up and tosses him, then retracts the ropes into his armor. Pepper wonders if he's Mr. Fix. But the man claims that Mr. Fix built his robotic arms and he's repaying his debt. The man extends his whips and lights them up.

Just then Pepper gets a call. She answers and Tony tells her to duck. Just then Iron Man comes flying through the door and knocks the man through the wall on the other side.

Iron Man hovers while the man drops down and his whips retract. Iron Man taunts his opponent as he gets up. The man claims that Mr. Fix thought he might have to deal with Iron Man someday and made him.

Suddenly the man shoots his whips into the air and grabs Iron Man by the neck. The man whips the hero down into the ground. He introduces himself as.

Inside the suit, Tony falls unconscious as the suit powers down. Whiplash walks towards Iron Man and kicks his head commenting on how disappointing the fight was.

Pepper and Rhodey run up and Whiplash asks them to make it interesting so he'll be cheered up. He whips at the two but they duck and dodge the attacks.

He taunts Pepper by saying he would kill her dad if he'd know the man was alive. Pepper's father had actually found Mr. Fix on his own and it cost him. Pepper and Rhodey continue running into a building.

Iron Man struggles to get up. He quickly retracts his faceplate so he can breathe.

Whiplash enters the building calmly searching for the two. Pepper hides behind a large vat with Rhodey behind a column. Whiplash wonders if Pepper knows Iron Man since he saved her twice. He then extends both his whips.

Rhodey then throws a computer monitor at Whiplash and yells at Pepper to leave. Whiplash breaks it apart while Rhodey swings down. However, Whiplash catches him by the foot in his whips.

Whiplash holds Rhodey in front of him while Pepper gets away. Just then Whiplash gets a call from Mr. Fix. He tells the henchman to stop wasting time and get the girl. Whiplash drops Rhodey and follows Pepper.

Outside, Pepper sees the fallen armor of Iron Man. She tries to wake him up, but the faceplate retracts revealing that its empty. Whiplash walks up behind her. Pepper stands and starts to back away.

He raises his energy whip to hit her but it is grabbed by Iron Man, in his new suit. Whiplash looks in wonder then back at the fallen armor. Iron Man lifts Whiplash up and throws him into the ground.

Whiplash stands and grabs Iron Man slamming him into the ground. But Iron Man stands, his armor bursting with energy. He then fires his knocking the villain back.

Pepper looks down at the old armor feeling confused.

Whiplash attacks Iron Man but the hero dodges. As Iron Man comes for another attack Whiplash grabs him and lifts him into the air. Iron Man fires his knocking the villain back.

Iron Man flies forward but Whiplash dodges and strikes his back and wraps him up. He then runs around the hero to dodge the repulsor beams. Iron Man runs forward and locks hands with Whiplash.

Iron Man then starts kicking and punching Whiplash. Whiplash strikes back then grabs his helmet. Iron Man knocks his hand away and fires at him. But Whiplash dodges and continues attacking. He leaps onto the hero forcing him down.

Iron Man's armor informs Tony that the suit's power systems are going critical. Iron Man fires his unibeam again knocking Whiplash into a electric generator. Whiplash gets electrocuted and the generator explodes.

Iron Man is knocked back several yards. He stands then sees part of Whiplash's whip fall in front of him. He walks over and picks it up. After its power goes it he drops it and steps on it on his way.

In Rhodey's home, Rhodey tells Tony that Pepper's father woke up and should be fine. The police will take Pepper to see him. Tony eats some food while Rhodey wonders if Mr. Fix will keep trying to get her and her father. But Tony isn't worried since the "trail is cold" and they shouldn't be a threat to Mr. Fix.

Rhodey points out that Iron Man is a threat to him. Tony theorizes that he must be a genius and is coming up with more superweapons to attack him. Pepper enters the room saying that she'll help them. She wonders why they didn't tell her before, then goes on to say they should be fighting crime together and right now.

Pepper asks why they didn't say anything. Tony retorts that she never stopped talking long enough for them to tell her. Pepper looks at Rhodey, who agrees with Tony, then realizes how she talks.

Quotes
"Pepper...Mm...Hm mm...Pepper will you...Hm mm...Pepper, PEPPER! You can't come. We can't team up. You can't have any weapon. Especially a . I can't tell you where I am, and no I can't tell you what I'm working on...What? No. There isn't a bomb that needs diffusing. Don't you have homework to do? Look. It's going to be one of those nights, sweety. Don't wait up. And don't go through my files. Or my computer."
 * -Virgil Potts, first line

"Here's a crazy thought, ever try sleeping? It's something normal people do at night." "Lost me at normal."
 * -James Rhodes and Tony Stark

"Another suit?" "Gotta keep up." "With what? The latest fashions? You gonna add bell-bottoms to this one?" "I've got to be ready, Rhodey. You've seen what I've been going up against."
 * -James Rhodes and Tony Stark

"Not to imply that you're evil or anything, but didn't you design the Earthmovers? And wasn't Blizzard's tech designed at your dad's company?" "Yes. But Unicorn and Killer Shrike are common criminals. Where do they get weapons almost as advanced as the ones I'm working on?" "Almost?" "Hey, I won, didn't I?"
 * -James Rhodes and Tony Stark

"You have forty-seven new messages." "Scary thing is, it's probably just one long message."
 * -Tony Stark's cell phone and James Rhodes

"Where have you been? Why didn't you call me? Didn't you get my messages? Did you screen me? Oh, can I have a drink of that?" "Whoa, Pepper. Slow down. Use fewer words." "Worried...about...my dad."
 * -Pepper Potts and Tony Stark

"Is everything okay?" "I don't know. He's been all weird. He's working on this case but he won't tell me anything about it." "Um, Pepper. Shouldn't he never tell you about his cases? Like, isn't that an FBI rule?" "More of a guideline in my opinion."
 * -James Rhodes, Pepper Potts, and Tony Stark

"Which in turn creates an amplified beam of light, also known as a laser."
 * -Science Teacher

"Dude, shut up! "''Seriously dude. Every time you open your mouth the entire class has to do some insane research assignment.''"
 * -Happy Hogan and James Rhodes to Tony Stark

"Excuse me, Ms. Potts?" "I...uh...Is my dad okay?" "He was banged up pretty bad. But he's going to be fine. He's on medication so he'll be sleeping for a few days. But otherwise he should make a full recovery." "What happened?" "I really don't know. His injuries are unusual. And the FBI aren't talking. Did your dad work with power lines by any chance?"
 * -Doctor and Pepper Potts

"Dad!? Are you okay? What happened? What's going on!? Power lines? Did someone do this to you?" "Mister...Mister Fix"
 * -Pepper Potts and Virgil Potts

"Pepper. I'm sorry." "What do you care!?"
 * -Tony Stark and Pepper Potts

"I'm a total jerk. I'm always blowing Pepper off, never taking her seriously."
 * -Tony Stark

"Someone's still looking for me. Make them stop."
 * -Mr. Fix, first lines

"Patricia Potts, a.k.a. Pepper. That's adorable."
 * -Mr. Fix

"Pepper, I'm on a three-way with Rhodey. Are you..." "Tony...in the city...running...guns!" [James and Iron Man together] "What!" "Okay, this time, more words."
 * -Iron Man, Pepper Potts, and James Rhodes

"What is this, satellite imagery?" "I'll thank later."
 * -James Rhodes and Iron Man

"Problem?" "Not a problem. A mystery. Whoever she's talking to might have the most advanced cell phone on the planet. I think this is someone I should meet."
 * -Whiplash, first line, and Mr. Fix

"Pepper, get to Rhodey's house. You'll be safe there."
 * -Iron Man, first lines to Pepper Potts

"Warning: Intrusion Alert. Communications encryption in jeopardy." "What?" "Tony! Someone's hacking into the armor's com systems! Is that even possible?"
 * -Iron Man Armor, Iron Man, and James Rhodes

"'I've been shut out. This is no longer amusing." "Who and what shut you out?" "Iron Man. Now that is interesting.''"
 * -Mr. Fix and Whiplash

"You're going to be okay Pep...uh...ma'am. Whoever you are." "Thanks, Tony." "Tony? I think you have me confused with someone else. Relax, I know it's you. I'm not stupid. My dad is a professional investigator, remember. And besides, no one can go to the bathroom as much as Tony Stark does." "How long have you known?" "I didn't! Ah man, but I do now. I can't believe you're really Iron Man. I can't believe you fell for that. I thought maybe you were. I tried to ask you. But, wow! Ooh, we're flying. This is so awesome." "You stink, Pepper."
 * -Iron Man and Pepper Potts

"When all this is over I'm going to have to wipe your memory." "Really?" "No. I'm thinking of dropping you."
 * -Iron Man and Pepper Potts

"Hello Pepper. You look just like your dad."
 * -Whiplash

"Mr. Fix?" "Not quite. Mr. Fix made my arms for me. And now I'm...working off my debt. Odd jobs like shutting up nosey teenage girls."
 * -Whiplash

"What do they call you, the Whipping Boy? Whippo? Whip-It-Good?" "Funny. Fix thought he would run into you one day. So he made me." "Really? I'm flattered."
 * -Iron Man and Whiplash

"And by the way. The name's Whiplash."
 * -Whiplash

"I didn't realize your dad was still alive. Otherwise I would have finished the job. He actually found Mr. Fix. Impressive, but fatal."
 * -Whiplash

"Iron Man showing up to save you is pretty lucky, girl. Or do you know who he is? Although I guess it doesn't matter now since..."
 * -Whiplash

"How'd...Who...?" "Don't strain yourself. And by the way, the name's Iron Man."
 * -Whiplash and Iron Man

"Struggle all you want. I can fry Iron Man. All. Day. Long."
 * -Whiplash

"He's seriously a genius, Rhodey. But right now he's probably coming up with a hundred new superweapons to take me down. Unless I stop him." "You mean we, right. I can't believe you nerds didn't tell me. Didn't you trust me. I'm crazy trustworthy. I could have totally helped you fight crime weeks ago. Oh! We should totally be fighting crime right now." "Pepper! Shh!" "Sorry."
 * -Tony Stark and Pepper Potts

"But seriously, why didn't you tell me?" "I've tried to tell you a million times. But you won't stop talking long enough to let me." "Seriously?"
 * -Pepper Potts and Tony Stark

Trivia

 * Not revealed in this episode, Pepper Pott's father's name is Virgil.
 * Calling the rule more of a guideline is a reference to the 2003 film Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl.
 * According to the map Mr. Fix pulls up, Rhodey's house is located right next door to the warehouse where the Iron Man armory is located.
 * The phrase "whip it good" is a reference to the song "Whip It".
 * While no attempt has ever been shown to tell Pepper Potts about Iron Man, he could be giving her trouble about her constant talking.

Inconsistencies

 * The number of men breaking into Pepper Potts' house is not always consistent. Three men leave the van, four enter the house, while five attack the door. Then outside there seems to be men and vans everywhere.
 * James Rhodes should not have been surprised by the satellite imagery. He used it to find Tony Stark, Pepper Potts, and Gene Khan in.
 * Mr. Fix must have hired really bad shooters if they couldn't hit a girl running in a straight line down an alley. However, they did manage to shoot the ground around her while missing her entirely. (See the Principle of Evil Marksmanship)
 * For "The City That Never Sleeps", New York City sure is empty when Pepper Potts is running from the armed men.
 * Just after Mr. Fix discovers James Rhodes location a van chasing Pepper narrowly misses a taxi, which is going the wrong way down a one-way street.

Continuity

 * First appearance by Mr. Fix.
 * Pepper Potts finally learns who Iron Man really is.

Background
Pepper Potts' name was changed from Virginia to Patricia.

Reaction
Dan Phillips of IGN gave the episode a rating of 5.8 out of 10 saying that the relationship between Pepper Potts and her father was the most annoying creative decision in the series. He didn't like how it was a lazy way to explain the villains and get the characters into the adventure. He felt the series didn't have well-crafted stories and was a Spider-Man clone with sitcom-style high school drama interrupted by action sequences. Though he said the show's saving grace was the action-packed sequences even if the rest of the episode was uninspired. For animation, he felt the scenes in high school were lifeless but the scenes in the armor were vibrant. He didn't like how there was no explanation given to the new armor and what it did, merely that it was new. He claimed that this set a trend with the show for taking easy shortcuts. "Instead of trying to make the core Tony Stark character relatable to younger audiences, it lazily recasts him as a teen and eliminates much of what makes him interesting as a character. Instead of trying to come up with semi-plausible reasons for Tony and his friends to get into trouble, it creates Pepper's father. Instead of coming up with reasons for Tony's various armor designs, it just introduces a new one for the hell of it. But hey – at least the show provides some nifty looking action sequences. I suppose that's something."

The episode has a 7.9 among IGN readers and an 8.2 Great on TV.com.