The context for this: earlier in the issue, while Tony was in psychic conflict with Mentallo, he saw an opportunity to simplify his life and protect his friends by purging the entire world of its knowledge of his secret identity (knowledge he then immediately restored for those he trusted most). Now, I happen to agree with Steve: Tony should not have given in to that temptation. But the writer here respects Tony as a character and gives him complex motives for what he did -- some that are in fact noble and some that are more human and self-serving. This is the first major reason why I love this issue. ('98 Annual)