Battle on the Norco

The Battle on the Norco was the final battle between Iron Man and A.I.M., taking place at an impounded Roxxon oil-drilling platform known as "Norco". The battle began as a two man rescue mission to save Pepper Potts and President Ellis from Aldrich Killian's grasp. When Stark and Rhodes were spotted, the battle was joined by the Iron Legion. The battle ended with the death of Killian by the hands of Potts, whom Killian had enhanced with Extremis.

Background
Aldrich Killian had kidnapped the President Killian was also holding Pepper Potts and had injected with Extremis. The President was hung by his hands in the Iron Patriot Armor over a trap where, if he fell, the trap would explode and kill him. Tony and Rhodey got to the drill, with only pistols.

Battle
Stark and Rhodes managed to sneak into the loading docks where the President was strung up, inside the Iron Patriot armor over the adjacent oil tanker, the Norco. Without their armor, they were left with the prospect of facing Aldrich Killian's men and Extremis soldiers armed only with their wits and a pair of 9mm pistols.

They were soon discovered, and found themselves facing a force of several dozen Extremis soldiers, but those odds were evened shortly thereafter when Stark's Iron Legion arrived in force and engaged the soldiers. Stark donned one of them himself and flew through the fray to find Pepper.

The Extremis-enhanced Killian blocked Stark's rescue attempt, but was fended off long enough for Stark to make a second try. Stark was unsuccessful however, and watched in horror as Pepper fell and was engulfed in flame. When Killian approached again, Stark got into another Iron Man suit and so began a lengthy exchange battle of Iron Man versus Extremis, with Killian systematically wrecking one suit after another.

Rhodey saved the President and left in the suit to get the President to safety.

Stark eventually ensnared his opponent in the late arriving Mark XLII and triggered it's self destruct. Killian survived the explosion, and when he was about to kill Stark, Pepper was also revealed to have survived her assumed death.

She first bashed Killian away with a metal bar, then followed the surprise attack with a Stark explosive and repulsor ripped from a passing Iron Man armor. Detonated by the repulsor, the explosive munition obliterated and killed Aldrich Killian.

Aftermath
When Tony and Pepper were reunited Stark promised her he could find a cure for the Extremis in her body, but also that he would no longer be obsessed with his job. He ordered J.A.R.V.I.S. to activate the "Clean Slate" protocol, which caused the remaining Iron Man armors flying around the port to be destroyed in fiery explosions.

With his new take on life, Tony not only managed to find a cure for Pepper's condition, but also to extract the shrapnel from his chest. Having no further use for the arc reactor in his chest, he went to the ruins of his mansion, which was brutaly destroyed in an attack, and threw the device into the sea, stating that even if his "toys" were taken from him, he would always be Iron Man.