Iron Man Las Vegas

[Leoparis]

Here's what the Marvel fandom site notes about this series:
"Several elements apparent in this series (Tony Stark drinking at the Stark Casino; there being no mention of Stark being the director SHIELD; the sudden existence of a never-before-mentioned Stark airline and Stark casino) indicate that it is not taking place on Earth-616; Instead, it seems more likely that this storyline takes place on the Earth-199999 seen in the Iron Man feature film. However, Marvel has indicated that the series actually takes place in its own seperate [sic] reality, Earth-80734"

If you wonder whether you're the only one to think those reasons seem very flimsy, you're not. I've read the issues and I have the following remarks to make.

There is no way to know if the drink is alcohol. Happy Hogan appears in issue 2, he gets brain-dead in IM4 14 and Stark becomes director of SHIELD in IM4 15 so it's clear Viva Las Vegas was meant to happen before Tony became director of SHIELD. Even before Extremis since he's carrying a briefcase and needs a room to change into Iron Man. There is no mention of a Stark airline per se, Tony only says he owns the plane. But nothing prevents him from owning an airline. The "Stark casino" line could be a joke but even if it's not, same remark as for the airline.

On the other hand, a number of elements point to a story from an already established continuity: Elsa Bloodstone appears as a character with scarcely an introduction and her father is mentioned without an explanation. The writer clearly expects the reader to have some familiarity with past 616 characters. Fin Fang Foom and Iron Man recognize each other. Or rather Tony recognizes the name Fin Fang Foom because the statue does not quite look like him. The statue is also one thousand years old so it's a case of Fin Fang Foom animating the statue.

The lizard plague is consistent with the previous story in IM3 15-18, where FFF manifests through a statue and a lizard plague.

Characters: Iron Man, Pepper Potts, Happy Hogan, Elsa Bloodstone, Fin Fang Foom.

By placing the unfinished story before IM4 1-6 (Extremis), I maintain the Granov armor continuity.

Suggested additions:
BLOODSTONE, ELSA
BSTONE 4
AARENA 14-FB
M/HB /2 (4:2 - 4:3)-FB
IM:VLV 1
IM:VLV 2
NXTW:AOH 1

FIN FANG FOOM
JLA/A 1
IM:VLV 1
IM:VLV 2
M/M:FFF

IRON MAN/ANTHONY EDWARD "TONY" STARK
IM:HYPER 6
IM:VLV 1
IM:VLV 2
IM4 1

HOGAN, HAROLD J. "HAPPY"
IM3 89
IM:VLV 2
IM4 14-FB

POTTS, VIRGINIA "PEPPER"
IM3 89
IM:VLV 1
IM:VLV 2
IM4 14-FB

[Midnighter]

Tom Breevort speaks about it today his weekly newsletter, and says that it was intended to take places in the same continuity of the Iron Man movie (not yet the Marvel Cinematica Universe), so it's not canon with 616 comics.