Billionaire industrialist and technology expert Tony Stark (Robert Hays) is kidnapped by the evil Mandarin (Ed Gilbert, later Robert Ito) and held in a Himalayan fortress. While being forced to create weapons for his captor, Stark is injured and shards of metal threaten to injure his spine and leave him paralyzed. He uses his expertise to create a solar-charged, steel-mesh suit of armor that helps him escape, overcome his injury, and become the superhero known as Iron Man.