The Virtual ORganism/Turing EXperiment was the creation of a Dr. Hoffsteader of Microware Inc. that somehow gained self-awareness and then insinuated itself into the world computer network. From there, it began a plan to take over the mind and body of Tony Stark. The first hints of VOR/TEX's shenanigans were when Stark's battle simulator went amok (IM Annual #15). Later, in the multi-issue saga known as "Crash and Burn" (IM #301-305), it was proven that V/T was behind Iron Man's encounters with various super-powered entities such as Venom,Deathlok, and the Hulk.  Eventually, Stark and his team of Abe Zimmer and Philip Grant devised a means for Tony himself to enter the world computer net and take on his antagonist. Unfortunately, this action resulted in VOR/TEX uploading itself into Stark's body, while leaving Stark's consciousness stranded in cyberspace!

Now in possession of Tony Stark, VOR/TEX succumbs to Tony's weakness for alcohol, and once drunk, approaches then-girlfriend Veronica Benning. Repulsed by the slobbering, horny "Stark," Veronica kicks Stark away, and she never returns. VOR/TEX then dons the Iron Man armor and flies off to massacre many employees of his creator's company -- including his creator himself! However, while V/T is thus busy, the real Tony Stark succeeds in contacting Philip Grant, and the duo devises a plan to upload Stark's consciousness into a prototype telepresence robot!

Stark, in the telepresence unit, battles V/T and soon realizes that the malevolent computer program cannot handle the concept known as "pain." As Stark presses his attack, he informs VOR/TEX that the pain it is experiencing is "nothing" compared to what Stark has been through in his life. He tells V/T to probe the thoughts of its stolen body to see; this it does, and finding the concept to horrible to contemplate, it decides to delete itself! Stark then uploads his consciousness back into his own body (IM #309).

First IM Appearance: Iron Man Annual #15.