Sometime during the 80s or 90s when Iron Man's suit was red and silver, he got into a losing battle with someone in another overpowered suit.
At the end of the issue he dies.
In the next issue it is revealed that the suit was actually filled with plasma reserves and sent up on auto and Tony wasn't inside when it got shot down/exploded.
After that Tony was in a wheelchair for a while.
Which issues was this story in and can you post pictures of the covers?
I was thinking of #230 and #231, the climax of the original "Armor Wars" storyline.
And the explanation on how he survived.
More details here
http://peerlesspower.blogspot.com/2014/02/theres-no-escape-from-firepower.html
https://peerlesspower.blogspot.com/2014/02/the-new-iron-man.html
I think maybe I confused the wheelchair with another story.
Could this be Iron Man #281 (1992) The Deadly Masters of Silence?
Tony uses a "thermal charge" to remotely detonate a suit while fighting an opponent.
We then pan back to him in a sort of electric wheelchair
