Iron Man

"My armor was never a distraction or a hobby. It was a cocoon. And now I'm a changed man. You can take away my house, all my tricks and toys. But one thing you can't take away... I am Iron Man."

- Tony Stark

Anthony Edward "Tony" Stark is an eccentric self-described genius, billionaire, playboy and philanthropist and the former head of Stark Industries. Using his own great wealth and exceptional technical knowledge, Stark enjoyed the playboy lifestyle for many years until he was kidnapped by the Ten Rings. With his life on the line, Stark created an armored suit which he used to escape his captors, returning home and becoming the armored superhero known as Iron Man, battling against terrorists as well as his own former business partner Obadiah Stane. Stark enjoyed the fame that came with his new secret identity and decided to share it with the world, publicly announcing himself as Iron Man.

Fresh off from defeating enemies all over the world, Stark found himself dying due to his own Arc Reactor poisoning his body, all while he was challenged by the vengeful terrorist, Ivan Vanko who attempted to destroy his legacy. Due to their assistance in both these battles, Stark reluctantly agreed to serve as a consultant to Director Nick Fury's peacekeeping intelligence agency S.H.I.E.L.D. where he used his position to upgrade their technology while he began a relationship with Pepper Potts. With the world yet again being threatened, Stark was convinced to join the Avengers and helped defeat the Chitauri and Loki. Due to the battle, he suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder, leading him to create the Iron Legion to safeguard the world and help him retire.

Threats of the Mandarin forced Stark to come out of retirement to protect the world, only for his overconfidence to put his loved ones at risk and leave him nearly defenseless when his home was destroyed. Stark continued his mission, finding Aldrich Killian was behind the attacks and Trevor Slattery was a pretend Mandarin and eventually Stark defeated Killian, almost losing Pepper Potts in the process. In the wake of the battle, Stark destroyed all of his armors with the Clean Slate Protocol. However, when the Avengers were officially reassembled, Stark created new armors to fight the remnants of HYDRA and capture Wolfgang von Strucker.

Once the threat of HYDRA had been ended at last, Stark, with the help of Bruce Banner, built Ultron as a peace-keeping A.I. to protect the world and allow the Avengers to retire. However Ultron defected and chose to destroy all humanity instead. Through the work of the Avengers, Ultron was defeated, however not at massive civilian cost and many lives being lost. After the war, however, Stark retired from active duty, still haunted by his role in the chaos the A.I. created. The guilt of creating Ultron and causing so much destruction and loss of life eventually convinced Stark to help Thaddeus Ross and create the Sokovia Accords. However, Stark's strong support of the accords lead to a disagreement with his ally Captain America, who opposed the plans.

When Rogers then proceeded to further disobey his orders by protecting the Winter Soldier, Stark was forced to lead the manhunt for his old ally, igniting the Avengers Civil War. Eventually Stark learned that Helmut Zemo had manipulated them all into conflict and rejoined his friend, only to have Zemo reveal that the Winter Soldier was responsible for the murder of his parents, causing Stark to seek revenge and destroy the Avengers in the process, forcing Rogers to go on the run while Stark focused his efforts on aiding Spider-Man's quest to become a hero.

Troubled Childhood
"What do you remember about your father?" "He was cold, calculating, never told me he loved me, never even told me he liked me, so it's a bit hard for me to digest that he said the whole future is riding on me thing, I don't get that! You're talking about a man whose happiest day of his life was shipping me off to boarding school."

- Nick Fury and Tony Stark

Anthony Edward "Tony" Stark was born on Friday, May 29, 1970 to Howard and Maria Stark. Howard hired a butler named Edwin Jarvis before Tony was born. Jarvis became a good friend to Tony as he grew older. He watched over Tony throughout all of his childhood. Tony's early life was often dominated by the absence of his own father who he would later describe as both 'cold' and 'calculating'. Growing up Tony had issues with his father, who Tony has said never told his son that he loved him, or even that he liked him. Since Tony was so young, Howard never was able to tell him his plans for him.

Tony's father would constantly talk about his friend Captain America, so that he could inspire Tony to do great things in life, which highly annoyed young Tony Stark. When he was four years old, he made his first circuit board. When he was almost seven he built a V8 motorbike engine. At sixteen, he won the 4th Annual M.I.T. Robot Design Award. When Tony was seventeen he graduated at the top of his class. He also met James "Rhodey" Rhodes, and they became best friends. One thing about Tony's childhood that annoyed him was his nanny that cared for him until he was 14. While he was in high school, Stark hacked into the Pentagon on a dare by some friends.

Losing his Parents
"I never got to say goodbye to my father. There's questions I would've asked him. I would've asked him how he felt about what his company did, if he was conflicted, if he ever had doubts. Or maybe he was every inch of man we remember."

- Tony Stark

In December 1991, when Tony was just 21, Howard and Maria prepared to go away for a few days and leave him alone, although his father remained skeptical about how responsible Tony would be while they were gone. Sadly, they died in a car crash in Long Island. Stark became driven in grief for their deaths. For a few months, Howard's business partner Obadiah Stane took over as interim CEO of Stark Industries until Tony officially assumed the role shortly after. Sometime later, Tony's long serving family butler, Edwin Jarvis, also died.

Rebuilding the Company
"With the keys to the kingdom, Tony ushers in a new era for his father's legacy, creating smarter weapons, advanced robotics, satellite targeting. Today, Tony Stark has changed the face of the weapons industry, by ensuring freedom and protecting America."

- Tony Stark's award ceremony

A few months later, Stark inherited Stark Industries, becoming the youngest CEO of a Company in history. Having built himself a custom mansion, Stark made an A.I. system that helped out in the house. He named the system "Just a Rather Very Intelligent System", shortened J.A.R.V.I.S., in tribute to his late butler Edwin Jarvis whom he had often credited for helping to raise him. Eventually, James Rhodes joined the United States Air Force and became the liaison between Stark Industries and the United States Armed Forces, successfully earning Stark billions of dollars. Under Stark's leadership with the aid of Obadiah Stane, Stark Industries quickly thrived and became one of the most advanced companies in the world, creating new forms of weapons technology that seemed highly futuristic to most looking on at the weapons.

Creating Demons
"A famous man once said, ‘we create our own demons’. Who said that? What does it even mean? It doesn’t matter; I said it because he said it, so now he was famous and then basically getting said by two well-known guys. I don’t…argh. Let me start again."

- Tony Stark

On New Year's Eve in 1999, Stark, with his scientist paramour Maya Hansen, attended a science conference in Bern, Switzerland. There Stark got so drunk he could barely give his speech and rejoined the party as soon as possible. While celebrating he met a scientist named Ho Yinsen who introduced him to Doctor Wu, although Stark swiftly dismissed them both and moved through the party. While moving throughout the hotel with Happy Hogan and Hansen, Stark then arrogantly avoided a gifted but crippled scientist, Aldrich Killian, who wanted Stark's financial backing for his own science company, Advanced Idea Mechanics. Once they were alone in an elevator together, Stark then purposely told the excited Killian to meet him on the rooftop of the building to discuss him working with Stark Industries, with the intention of not even turning up. Back in Hansen's hotel room, Stark looked at her new research into a project known as Extremis which had the potential to regrow human limbs if she could get enough funding. Stark was amazed by the concept, although Hogan was less impressed and played with a nearby plant despite being told not to. Stark and Hansen then went to her bedroom where they continued flirting with each other before then leading towards each other for a passionate kiss. However Hogan inadvertently caused a small explosion by touching the plant, causing a brief moment of panic. Stark sent Hogan away and then spent the night with Hansen, leaving Killian freezing on the rooftop and even considering committing suicide out of complete humiliation. Stark was unaware of Killian's suffering and woke up the next morning, completed Hansen's formula for her before walking out and returning home, leaving Hansen behind.

Testing Weapons in Arizona
"I hate when people tell me my place. Which reminds me, Celeste, Eloise, let's go see my place!"

- Tony Stark

Stark and James Rhodes went to a weapon demonstration at the. Pepper Potts gave the weapon's specifics to the generals while Stark and Rhodes went to a night club. Stark enjoyed the company of two girls while Rhodes tried to convince him not to go to Afghanistan for a weapons demonstration. Stark was then attacked by a man whose girlfriend he previously seduced, but Rhodes defeated the attacker. Stark, Rhodes, and the girls went to Tony Stark's Mansion in order to continue the party.

Final Day of Freedom
"Miss Brown, it's an imperfect world but it's the only one we've got. I guarantee the day weapons are no longer needed to keep the peace, I'll start making bricks and beams for baby hospitals." "You rehearse that much?" "Every night in front of the mirror before bed time." "I can see that."

- Tony Stark and Christine Everhart

After a presentation of Stark's successful past, James Rhodes was given the honor of presenting the Apogee Award to him at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. When Obadiah Stane gave Rhodes a signal saying that Stark was not there to receive it, Stane took the award in Stark's honor. Shortly after the award ceremony, Rhodes brought Stark the award while he was gambling in the casino inside of Caesars Palace. Rhodes got angry at him for not being present. Right when Stark was just about to leave the hotel with all of his own entourage, Christine Everhart ran up and tried to get an interview with him for her magazine. Having been told Everhart was attractive, Stark agreed to her interview, all while he deflected her questions with some swift quips. Upon being morally questioned, Stark defended his actions and turned to seducing Everhart, as the two ended up at Tony Stark's Mansion where they had sex. In the morning Stark had left Everhart in his bed to be greeted by J.A.R.V.I.S. and escorted home while he began working on one of his cars. His assistant Pepper Potts then arrived and reminded him about his trip to Afghanistan. Stark remained complacent, unfazed about being late as it was his own plane therefore it would wait for him. Potts then revealed it was her birthday, noting she had used Stark's money to buy a present for herself from him. Finishing his coffee, Stark then finally left his mansion and drove to the airport followed by his bodyguard Happy Hogan, who struggled to keep up with his boss who drove exceptionally fast. He got to the plane three hours late and found Colonel James Rhodes was still there waiting for him to finally turn up, incredibly annoyed to have been left waiting for so long, although Stark was not bothered at all. He then got onto the plane and sat down along with Rhodes who tried to discuss business between Stark Industries and the United States Armed Forces while Stark all wanted to do just drink and then relax, much to Rhodes' continued great annoyance. Despite wanted to discuss his work, Stark managed to convince Rhodes to have a drink with him and before long, he and Rhodes had gotten completely drunk and had a small party on the plane. As Rhodes discussed his work in the United States Air Force, Stark completely ignored his friend and focused his attention of the air hostesses who had begun undressing and dancing around a pole in the middle of the plane for both of their entertainment.

Presenting the Jericho
"They say the best weapon is one you never have to fire. I respectfully disagree. I prefer the weapon you only have to fire once. That's how Dad did it. That's how America does it. And it's worked out pretty well so far. Find an excuse to let one of these off the chain, and I personally guarantee you the bad guys won't even want to come out of their caves. For your consideration, the Jericho."

- Tony Stark

Touching down in Afghanistan, Stark was greeted by members of the military before he presented Stark Industries' newest weapon, the Jericho missile, to the military spectators and demonstrated its capability. Giving a speech, Stark explained that the missile was so powerful that it would only be needed to be fired once to defeat the enemy, noting that was how his father Howard Stark had worked and it was a successful method. The missile was fired and Stark received a round of applause from everyone. After the successful presentation Stark had a drink, noting that the whiskey came with every order of the Jericho missile. While all of the various members of the United States Armed Forces celebrated the new deal, Obadiah Stane called Stark to ask how it had gone, with Stark explaining that they would be getting an early Christmas. Stark got into a convoy vehicle to leave, sending James Rhodes to another humvee to then go and return to their military base. As they drove down the road towards the military base, Stark sat with his whiskey while awkward members of the military sat with him and attempted to make small talk. Stark teased them, noting that he would have never guessed that the driver was a woman as he was asked all about sleeping with various super models before he was asked to take a selfie. Posing for the picture, Stark muttered about loving peace while asking the soldier not to make gang signs.

Kidnapping
"Why should I do anything, they're going to kill me, you, either way I'll probably be dead in a week." "Well then, this is a very important week for you isn't it?"

- Tony Stark and Ho Yinsen

As Stark's convey drove through Afghanistan to return to the United States Armed Forces base, the convoy was suddenly attacked by insurgents, who blew up the car in front trapping them. Stark watched in utter horror as the soldiers stepped out only to be gunned down right in front of his own eyes, leaving his ears ringing from the many explosions. While soldiers were dying around him, Stark got outside and attempted to find some cover and call for help. While Stark was using his phone in his attempt to contact someone for assistance, one of Stark Industries' own bombs suddenly landed right by him, Stark saw this and desperately attempted to get away, however he was too slow and the bomb exploded right beside him. The resulting blast caused Stark to be thrown backwards and lose consciousness and embedded several pieces of shrapnel into his chest, several fragments dangerously close to his heart. While falling in and out of consciousness, Stark felt incredible pain as an operation was performed on his chest in an attempt to remove the pieces of shrapnel and save his life. Eventually, Stark dazed away to find himself in front of a camera as some various terrorists were now reading out a ransom note to an unknown viewer while Stark could only look on in dismay with various guns aimed directly at him. The shock of seeing this made Stark lose consciousness again. He woke up some time later to find Ho Yinsen in his cell with him and an electromagnet attached to his chest. Hooked up to a car battery, Yinsen explained that the electromagnet kept the shrapnel from entering his heart and killing him. Yinsen went on to explained how they had once met in Bern during the 1990s although Stark had been too drunk to remember. Just as Stark questioned where they were, someone banged on the door from the other side. As Yinsen ordered Stark to get onto his feet, they were greeted by Abu Bakaar, who had Yinsen translate as he welcomed Stark as the greatest mass murderer in the entire history of the United States of America. Bakaar explained that he now wanted Stark to rebuild the Jericho missile for him, however Stark simply refused to help them. As a direct result of refusing to help the Ten Rings, Bakaar had Stark tortured by drowning him in freezing water repeatedly. Stark was then taken outside of the cave where Bakaar showed him how the Ten Rings had an incredible supply of his Stark Industries weapons, including guns and missiles which were being used against the United States Armed Forces, which clearly horrified Stark. As Bakaar continued his earlier conversation, he told Stark that they had all the materials needed for him to build a Jericho missile, promising that if he began immediately then once he was done, he would be returned home. Stark agreed to the job, although he noted to Yinsen that Bakaar would never actually allow him to get away, with Yinsen confirming that this was true while Bakaar smile at them. While Stark sat by the fire and considered his new and terrible situation, Yinsen joined him and explained that what he had seen out there, with the Ten Rings holding his weapons, was the legacy of Tony Stark. When Yinsen called on him to do something, Stark simply questioned what the point was if he was likely going to be dead within a week regardless of anything, so Yinsen told him that this only meant it was an important week for him.

Building the First Armor
"This is our ticket out of here" "What is it?" "Flatten them out and look."

- Tony Stark and Ho Yinsen

Knowing that their captors would never keep up their end of the deal, Stark began the work asked from him with Ho Yinsen, however he had instead had begun to make a plan to escape. Stark recruited Abu Bakaar to bring in the supplies he needed into their cave, using Yinsen as his translator while he began breaking all of the various weapons apart. In order to improve Stark's condition, he and Yinsen then created a miniature Arc Reactor, a smaller version of the same power source previously invented by his father, Howard Stark, and Anton Vanko, which they would soon embed into his chest to supply energy to the electromagnet protecting his heart. Stark concentrated on his own technical work, all while Yinsen continued to tell Stark everything he knew of the Ten Rings and what their plans were for them. Having successfully built the Arc Reactor, Stark told Yinsen that he would not be using it to power his heart, but to power something larger for a brief time. With that Stark showed Yinsen his plans, hidden with multiple blueprints, to build a suit of armor which he would soon be using to finally break them out of the cave. Yinsen was both impressed and inspired by Stark's plan and then assisted him in installing the Arc Reactor inside his chest. During their down time, Stark and Yinsen played board games to keep themselves entertained. During one of their games, Stark asked Yinsen where he was from, as Yinsen explained he was from a small town call Gulmira where he had a family who he intended to see once he was free on the cave. When Yinsen then asked the same question, Stark admitted that he had no family waiting for him, with Yinsen noting he had everything but yet still nothing. Stark and Yinsen then returned to their work, pulling apart pieces of the various Stark Industries weapons that were supplied to them and tearing them apart. They then fused the pieces together and turned them into plates ready to be added to the armor once that was completed. However the pair ensured that their work was still kept random enough that the Ten Rings would be unable to figure out their deception until it was at last too late for them. Their work was one day interrupted by Raza, the leader of this Ten Rings group who told Stark to relax before admiring his Arc Reactor. Raza compared Stark's work to that of who had almost conquered the world. Believing they were lying to him, Raza had Yinsen held down and threatened to put a red hot coal in his mouth until Stark told him to stop. Raza agreed and then ordered Stark to finally complete the Jericho missile by the next very day. Fearing for their lives if they did not get out as soon as possible, together Stark and Yinsen secretly began building the final stages of the armored suit to help them escape, with Stark focusing on the body of the armor while Yinsen wired up the final pieces of the mechanics. Fusing together the various large parts of steel to fit his own body, Stark then fitting the armor with various missiles and flame throwers, preparing himself for every eventuality as he knew Raza and the Ten Rings would put all their strength into stopping their escape. Once it was almost complete, Stark placed the still steaming Iron Man helmet onto Yinsen's desk and they prepared to finally put their upcoming escape plan into action.

Escaping the Ten Rings
"It's okay, I want this... I want this." "Thank you for saving me." "Don't waste it, don't waste your life."

- Ho Yinsen and Tony Stark

Soon the pair enacted their escape plan with Stark being slowly fitted into the armor while the power from the Arc Reactor was being downloaded into the suit. However, the booby-trapped door the pair had rigged with an explosive was set off, killing the men who had come to check on their progress. To his horror, Ho Yinsen realized that they now did not have enough time to power the suit before the Ten Rings arrived and killed them. With no other choice Yinsen took a gun and held back the terrorists, while Stark's suit still continued to power up. Once the suit had power, Iron Man waited in the shadows as the Ten Rings soldiers arrived in the room and searched for them, at which point he revealed himself and used his new incredible strength to punch them across the room, with the armor being unaffected by their bullets. Iron Man began making his way through the cave, killing any Ten Rings terrorist he came across by striking him with his armor. When Iron Man accidentally trapped his arm in a wall, a terrorist attempted to kill him by shooting him point blank in the head, only for the bullet to bounce off and kill the terrorist instead, with Iron Man freeing himself and continuing forward. Coming around a corner near the exit, Iron Man was mortified to find Yinsen flying mortally wounded having been shot multiple times during the escape attempt. However Yinsen was just able to warn Iron Man before Raza fired a rocket launcher at his former hostage, Iron Man managed to dodge the shot and returned fire, shooting a missile at the Ten Rings leader which caused him to be badly burnt and trapped underneath the heavy falling rubble. Iron Man rushed to Yinsen's side and urged him to get back onto his feet so he could finally be reunited with his family, only for Yinsen to reveal that his family were already dead and he would see them at last in the afterlife. With his last words, Yinsen reassured Stark that it would be all right to leave him behind and urged him not to waste his life, while Stark thanked him for everything he had done for him in saving his life both physically and morally as well. Angered by Yinsen's death, Stark stepped outside to confront the rest of the terrorists who were waiting for him; the suit protected him from the onslaught of bullets, and he used the suit's flame-throwers to kill several terrorists, destroy their stockpile of Stark Industries produced weapons that had been stolen from him and used against the United States Armed Forces which he despised, causing several massive fireball explosions to erupt all around him. Due to the massive amount of bullets being fired at him, the Iron Man suit was eventually badly damaged by the gunfire, forcing Stark to escape using the jetpacks while the entire Ten Rings Base erupted in a massive fireball. Iron Man soured above the blast, though his suit began to fall apart and was finally destroyed as he crashed in the desert, although it still saved Stark from the impact. With no other need for it, Stark left the original armor in the desert. Stark began making his way through the desert, using his jacket to protect himself from the intense heat until finally a helicopter flew overhead, causing Stark to yell out for help and collapse to his knees as he made a peace symbol in the air. James Rhodes then came out of the helicopter and hugged his friend before taking him back to safety. Upon being picked up by the Air Force Stark was then finally returned to the United States of America at long last.

No More Weapons
"I saw young Americans killed by the very weapons I created to defend them and protect them, and I saw that I had become part of a system that is comfortable with zero accountability."

- Tony Stark

Having been rescued, Stark was brought back to the United States of America by the army where he was walked onto a military airport by James Rhodes. To Stark's disgust, there was a stretcher waiting to take him to hospital, which he rejected. Stark then met with Pepper Potts, who he noted had been crying, teasing her as he claimed she was crying for her long lost boss, while she claimed it was simply because she was glad not to have to find a new job. Stark then sat in Happy Hogan's car with Potts; who insisted that he go straight to the hospital to check himself over in the wake of his kidnapping. However Stark once again refused to get any medical treatment and instead asked to first be given a burger, then called a press meeting for Stark Industries. Potts argued that this was a very bad idea in the wake of his traumatic ordeal, but Stark still remained insistent, noting that he must get his cheese burger first. Upon arriving at Stark Industries Headquarters, Stark was then enthusiastically greeted by Obadiah Stane before making his way inside. During the press meeting, Stark finished his burger and compared his experiences to how he never said goodbye to his father. Stark finally declared that his company would now, for the foreseeable future, no longer manufacture military weapons, which Stane tried to slow down to the best of his own abilities. As their companies's stock market began to plummet, Stark had a meeting with Stane beside the giant Arc Reactor. Stane advised him to reconsider the decision as he feared it would ruin the company. Stark insisted that they should take another look at the Arc Reactor technology based on his work with Ho Yinsen, proving this theory by showing Stane the Arc Reactor on his chest that was now keeping him alive. Although Stane insisted that the Arc Reactor was designed by Howard Stark and Anton Vanko as a publicity stunt, he eventually agreed to help Stark provided Stark inform him of his next intentions before calling for sudden, unexpected press conferences. While back inside his Malibu Mansion, Stark called upon the help of Potts to get rid of the expired Arc Reactor in his chest, as Dum-E and U were unable to assist him. Although Potts was initially skeptical about the idea, she helped him at removing the Arc Reactor, although she accidentally put him through cardiac arrest briefly. Once they were finished Stark told Potts he only had her to help and told her to bin the Reactor as he no longer had any more use for it. Stark went to meet with James Rhodes who was giving a speech to new members of the United States Air Force. Stark interrupted the talk and teased his friend who then ordered the men to leave them in peace. When Rhodes questioned what Stark was doing there, he was told that Stark was working on a big new project, which seemed to delight him until Stark revealed it was not military. Rhodes then recommended that Stark get his mind straight instead

Suit Upgrades
"You and your new direction isn't in the company's best interest." "I'm being responsible that's a new direction for me, for the company, I mean me on the company's behalf being responsible."

- Obadiah Stane and Tony Stark

In the months that followed, Stark retreated from public view and spent much of his time in the Mansion, focusing on improving the design of his new armored suit, refining its size, movement, and flight capability far beyond the original design. Stark was aiding in building the new suit by Dum-E and U who he had constantly mocked and insulted. Recalling how the Mark I armour had almost no flight control and had crashed upon escaping the Ten Rings Base, Stark decided to create a more controlled flight capability for his suit. He arranged a test with U filming and Dum-E ready with the fire extinguisher in case anything went wrong. Stark proceeded with the test but quickly discovered it was vastly more powerful than he expected and he was launched straight up and painfully crashed into the ceiling. Making some redesigns to the new armour, Stark developed new stabilizers which would attach to his hands and give him a new level of control while in the air. While testing out the new designs, Stark was joined by Pepper Potts who mistakenly believed that Stark was designing new weapons for Stark Industries which he then denied, claiming that this design was not a weapon but it was completely harmless. However Stark had once again underestimated the power of the design and a single blast from the stabilizer sent him flying backwards, much to Potts' horror. Shocked by this, Stark noted that he was not expecting that and began making adjustments. Stepping upstairs, Stark found Obadiah Stane had joined Potts for pizza having returned from a meeting with Stark Industries' board of directors. Stane informed Stark that the board had decided to block Stark out of the company in the wake of his kidnapping, believing he was now suffering from. Stark furiously argued the decision but was told it was final, with Stane then requesting to take a look at the Arc Reactor technology, which Stark refused to do. Getting back to work, Stark had the second test of his new Mark II armour, with Dum-E and U assisting him once again while J.A.R.V.I.S. watched. Using a lot less power than his first test, Stark hovered around his basement, struggling to maintain any control and almost damaging some of his most expensive cars. Eventually Stark ended the test and landed, ordering Dum-E not to use the fire extinguisher on him before proudly declaring that he could now fly.

Test Flight
"Alright let's see what this thing can do, what's SR 71's range." "The SR's record for fixed wing flight is 8500 feet sir." "Records are made to be broken, come on!"

- Tony Stark and J.A.R.V.I.S.

Stark eventually perfected the flight power after much trial and error, taking the silver Mark II suit for its first test flight as Stark put on the armour for the first time with great pride and excitement. Despite J.A.R.V.I.S.' warnings that there had not been enough tests to be safe, Stark insisted upon being allowed to fly outside and fully test it's true capabilities. Iron Man cheered in utter delight as he soared high across the sky over the Malibu and shouted out in delight at his success, using the mask's system's to zoom into the city where a young boy looked on in amazement upon seeing Iron Man. However when he pushed the suit to see how high he could fly in an attempt to beat the 's record, he learned the suit would freeze at such a high altitude, which disabled its power. Stark fell from the sky and was just able to restart the suit moments before he would have hit the ground, with Stark delighting at avoiding such a near miss. Having gained all the information about the suit's capabilities that he needed, Iron Man flew back to Tony Stark's Mansion, where he then prepared to analyse the data to use in the next design. Stark hovered over the entrance of the mansion and prepared to land softly on the ground, however he did not account for the suit's extra weight and promptly fell though the ceiling, destroying his piano and sports car. Upon crash landing, Dum-E once again sprayed Stark with the fire extinguisher, believing him to have caught fire upon the impact while Stark leaned his head back in both pain and frustration. Exploring his lap, Stark soon found that Pepper Potts had left a gift for him on his desk. Opening the box, Stark found his original Arc Reactor had been framed with a message saying it proved he had a heart. Sometime afterwards, Stark detected someone trying to hack into his own home computer system, tracing the signal to a corporation satellite. Believing it to be business espionage, Stark then took the skies to successfully destroy the satellite.

Stane's Betrayal
"Have you seen this pictures? What's going on?" "Tony, you can't afford to be this naive." "I was naive before, when they here's the line, we don't cross it, this is how we do business."

- Tony Stark and Obadiah Stane

While giving J.A.R.V.I.S. his plans to improve the Mark III armour in order to fix the icing problems and improve flight controls, Stark noticed a news report in which Zorianna Kit was reporting on a charity event Stark was supposedly hosting. Stark questioned J.A.R.V.I.S. if he had been invited to the event to which J.A.R.V.I.S. confirmed he had not, so Stark left his A.I. to complete the Mark III. During his first public appearance since his return back to the United States of America, Stark arrived at his own party to be greeted by the press, having an attractive woman try to speak to him who Stark quickly dismissed as he did not remember her before complimenting another man who he had mistaken for. Stark had soon found Obadiah Stane talking to the press as Stane expressed his surprise to see that Stark had arrived, advising him not to draw to match unwanted attention to himself as Stane was still trying to get the board of directors on their side. Stark promised to do so as he stepped inside the building, but Stane was unconvinced. Once inside, Stark met Phil Coulson, who introduced himself as an agent of the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division; with Stark noting that the name of the organisation was far too long while Coulson noted that they were now planning on shortening it. The pair soon arranged to have a meeting to discuss all the events of his kidnapping, but Stark was still not paying very much attention on told him to arrange it through his own team. Stark however was too distracted by seeing Pepper Potts, who he saw in the centre of the room wearing a blue dress. Having said goodbye to Coulson, Stark went up to Potts and complimented her on her dress, which she noted she had bought as a present from Stark using his money. Despite Potts' protests, Stark took her onto the dance floor and danced with her, as Potts worried about being seen dancing with her boss. They joked about Stark firing her to make it less uncomfortable but Potts noted that Stark would get be able to survive without her helping him, questioning if he knew his own social security number which admitted he did not. Stepping outside, Potts confronted Stark about pushing her to dance with her while in front of all her coworkers due to Stark's reputation with women and fearing that her intentions with the dance would be misinterpreted by any who had watched them while Stark continued to argue that it was not really a big deal. As the spoke, the pair then almost kissed one another before Stark decided to go and get them both a drink, with Potts requesting a heavy drink. While ordering all the drinks for himself and Potts, Stark was then accosted by Christine Everhart, whose name he briefly forgot despite them having slept together. Everhart expressed her disgust at Stark and showed him pictures of Stark Industries weapons in the hands of the Ten Rings and other terrorist groups, including the Jericho missile he refused to build for them. Stark denied any involvement but Everhart noted that his company supplied the weapons. Disgusted by this, Stark confronted Obadiah Stane and demanded to know if he was making deals with Raza as well as the United States Armed Forces. Stane refused to answer the question, however he called Stark naive for not considering that this sort of thing could possibly be happening. Stane also revealed that was the one to shut Stark out of the board while he recovered. Stane then left the party, leaving Stark in a state of utter shock and horror.

Battle of Gulmira
"I'm sorry, it is me, you asked, what you asked about is me." "No see, this isn't a game. You do not send civilian equipment into my active war-zone! You understand that?" "It's not a piece of equipment, I'm in it, it's a suit! It's me!"

- Iron Man and James Rhodes

Faced with the realization of what his company had done behind his back and Obadiah Stane's part in the deception. Stark went back into his workshop and continued building his Iron Man armors, while watching a news report on how Raza and his Ten Rings soldiers were using Stark's own weapons to attack innocent people. Disgusted by what he was seeing, Stark rose from his seat and used his flight stabilisers to smash the glass doors, realising they could be used as weapons. Seeking to do something good with the technology he had created, Stark donned his new suit and flew to Afghanistan. Knowing where Raza's men were attacking, Iron Man headed for Gulmira, the home village of Ho Yinsen. Upon arriving, Iron Man discovered innocent women and children were being dragged out of their own homes to become slaves for the Ten Rings while the men were being lined up to be executed right in front of their own horrified children. Iron Man attacked and easily subdued all of the soldiers, using his advanced weapons systems to kill multiple terrorists with single strikes and saving the lives of the innocent people. Having found his former captor, Abu Bakaar, Iron Man ripped him through a wall and left him for the villagers to gain their own revenge. While Bakaar was being killed, Iron Man focused his efforts on destroying the Ten Rings entire stockpiles of the Stark Industries weapons. During the battle, Iron Man was shot out of the sky by one of the Ten Rings' tanks, so Iron Man responded by shooting his own missile and destroying the tank with ease before he then targeted and destroyed all the Jericho missiles the Ten Rings had. The prolonged battle and massive explosions quickly drew the attention of the United States Air Force and his own friend and company military liaison, Lieutenant Colonel James Rhodes who investigated the true cause. Two F-22 Raptors were ordered by Rhodes to take out the unknown target, with Iron Man soon finding them directly behind him and attempting to lock on with their weapons, forcing Iron Man to use his new armor's upgraded flight systems to evade the attacks. As the jets continued targeting him, Iron Man found they had locked on with a missile so used flairs to destroy the missile before it could hit him, being blown forward by the force of the explosion. Having managed to use his superior manoeuvring systems to hide underneath of the jets itself without being seen, Stark called Rhodes and revealed his true identity to him in an attempt to have the attack called off, with Rhodes being horrified that he had sent some of his own equipment into an active war zone without informing him. While Rhodes tried to stop the attack, Major Allen however order the pilots to take the shot when they could get clear view of him. However, while trying to evade the attack, one of the Raptors lost its left wing when it accidentally collided with Iron Man during the chaos of the battle. The pilot ejected shortly afterwards, but his parachute jammed. Without hesitation, Iron Man dived down to help the pilot release his parachute before escaping. While heading back towards the United States of America, Stark spoke with Rhodes about what excuse he could then use to explain what had happened. Once back at Tony Stark's Mansion, Iron Man was then helped out of his armor by both Dum-E and U, finding the experience fairly painful as they struggled to find a way to get him back out. During this, Stark was soon discovered by Pepper Potts who had just walked into his workshop to find him still half in his armor. Stark joked that it was still not actually the worst thing that she had ever caught him doing while Potts was horrified to see bullet holes in the armor.

Next Mission
"You stood by my side all these years while I reaped the benefits of destruction. Now that I'm trying to protect the people I've put in harm's way, you're going to walk out?" "You're going to kill yourself, Tony. I'm not going to be a part of it." "I shouldn't be alive, unless it was for a reason. I'm not crazy Pepper, I just finally know what I have to do."

- Tony Stark and Pepper Potts

With the mission to defeat the Ten Rings a success, Stark went back to work in tweaking the Mark III armor in improve it's performance. He was soon joined by Pepper Potts whom he requested go into his office in Stark Industries Headquarters to hack into the data base in order to find out where his weapons were being sold to the Ten Rings so he could go in as Iron Man and destroy them. Potts however refused to help him on his mission as she feared that going into these active war-zones as Iron Man would result in him being killed but Stark furiously refused to listen. Stark furiously noted that for years Potts had stood by his side when he and Stark Industries had been creating the weapons and now she was planning on leaving once he finally began doing the right thing and protecting the people he had endangered like Ho Yinsen. Stark noted that since his kidnapping he had finally learned what he was meant to do with his life. Hearing how sincere Stark was about this mission, Potts took the hard-drive and agreed to help him. While inside Tony Stark's Mansion, Stark attempted to answer a call from Potts when he found himself unable to move. To his horror he found Obadiah Stane looking down upon him while using a Sonic Taser. Stane confessed that he had arranged Stark's kidnapping while he ripped out the Arc Reactor from Stark's chest, causing him to go into cardiac arrest. Stane mocked Stark but comparing him to his father while promising to kill Potts before walking away. Having regained some control of his body, Stark desperately tried to make it to his workshop to regain his original Mark I Arc Reactor to save his life. However Stark collapsed inches away from it and was unable to move and minutes from death. But to save his life, Stark was aided by Dum-E and U who had managed to hand Stark the Arc Reactor just in time. Stark was then found by James Rhodes who he explained the situation to while being helped back up. Having been told Potts had recruited Phil Coulson and an entire team of S.H.I.E.L.D. agents to arrest Stane, Stark warned it would not be enough as Stane had his own Iron Monger Armor. To combat this, Stark put his Iron Man suit on and prepared to battle Stane. While Rhodes admired the suit which he called the coolest thing he had ever seen, Iron Man told him to keep the skies clear from the United States Armed Forces while he then flew out of his mansion.

Duel of Los Angeles
"You had a great idea, Tony, but my suit is more advanced in every way!" "How'd you solve the icing problem?" "Icing problem?" "Might want to look into it."

- Obadiah Stane and Tony Stark

Determined to make amends for his mistakes, Stark sent Pepper Potts to find Stark Industries shipping records, so that he could track down the illicit shipments and destroy them. While hacking into the system, she discovered that it was Obadiah Stane who hired the Ten Rings to kill Stark in Afghanistan, but they had reneged on the deal when they realized who the target was. She also discovered that Stane had recovered Stark's original armor prototype and had reverse-engineered his own version. However, his team of scientists, not possessing Stark's genius, could not reverse engineer a miniature Arc Reactor to power the new suit. Stane, realizing Potts' discovery, stole the Arc Reactor from Stark's chest to power his new suit, leaving Stark to die. Using his first reactor, which was not designed to power his latest armor, Stark battled with Stane atop Stark Industries Headquarters and the surrounding streets. Stark tricked Stane by forcing him to fly high enough so his suit would freeze and caused Stane's suit to fall from the sky. Stane survived and continued to attack him. Stark eventually killed him when the full-sized Arc Reactor that powered the laboratory was deliberately overloaded by Potts, electrocuting Stane and causing him to fall into the Arc Reactor and explode.

Meeting with Coulson
"I think I know how to fight." "Not yet you don't. You hit like an inventor. Fighting isn't like science or technology. You are supposed to cheat." "Yeah. I know. I've watched professional wrestling. Rhodey thinks you're trying to recruit me." "Something like that. You've created something amazing. Something that may well change the world. But the armor's creation was only the first step. Now comes the real battle. That is if you're willing." "I am."

- Tony Stark and Phil Coulson

After fighting Obadiah Stane, James Rhodes tried to get Stark into an ambulance to see if he had any internal injuries. The ambulance was a fake one sent by S.H.I.E.L.D. to retrieve him. Now that they could finally get to talk to Stark, Phil Coulson talked to him after they dropped him off at a small theater. Coulson viewed Stark's fighting strategy from his fight with Iron Monger on a projector screen. He told him he needed to become a real fighter and that he would be trained by skilled S.H.I.E.L.D. agents.

I Am Iron Man
"I'm just not the hero type. Clearly. With this laundry list of character defects, all the mistakes I've made, largely public." "Just stick to the cards, man." "Yeah, okay. The truth is... I am Iron Man."

- Tony Stark and James Rhodes

The next morning, news had spread of Tony Stark's alter ego, which was dubbed "Iron Man" by the press. Stark held a press conference where S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent Phil Coulson gave him a fabricated cover story and advised him to state that Iron Man was his bodyguard. However, during the course of the conference, in a moment of self clarity, Stark instead announced to the public that he himself was Iron Man.

Meeting Nick Fury
"You think you're the only superhero in the world? Mr. Stark, you've become part of a bigger universe. You just don't know it yet." "Who the hell are you?" "Nick Fury. Director of S.H.I.E.L.D.."

- Nick Fury and Tony Stark

That night, Stark arrived home and was greeted by a visitor who was standing by the window. He revealed himself as Nick Fury, director of S.H.I.E.L.D., and assured him that he was not the only 'superhero' in the world, intending to discuss the Avengers Initiative with Stark. However, Stark, uninterested in having the government offering him opportunities, ordered Fury out of the house.

Finding World Peace
"Back already? What're you listening to?" "Just a little recording I made in Yemen. Nick Fury wants to ask me out... he's just trying to be smooth about it. But who's the smoothest guy you know, Potts?"

- Pepper Potts and Tony Stark

Iron Man performed acts of heroism around the world. News outlets began crediting him as the man who stabilized East-West relations" and featured him as their new "Person of the Year". When Nick Fury sent a team of United States Navy SEALs to board a ship controlled by the Ten Rings, Iron Man appeared and defeated the terrorists. In Germany, Stark managed to recover stolen paintings without the use of his armour, all to gain Evetta Gorani's number. Stark also helped Thaddeus Ross in saving the pilot of the Aerodynamic Marvel that crashed in the Congo. When blackmailed by the Ten Rings and Lina, but Stark defeated all of the terrorists and also saved Lina's kidnapped son.

Starting the Expo
"Oh, it is good to be back! Did you miss me? Blow something up, already did that... I'm not saying the world is enjoying it's longest period of uninterrupted peace in years because of me! I'm not saying that from the ashes of captivity, never has a Phoenix metaphor been more personified in human history!"

- Tony Stark at Stark Expo

Six months after revealing his own identity to the world and helping maintain world peace, Stark appeared as Iron Man at the grand opening of the Stark Expo in Flushing Meadows, New York City, continuing the legacy his father, Howard Stark, had started. Treating the crowd to the Ironette Dancers and a speech in which he boosted about giving the world it's longest running period of uninterrupted peace, Stark left the stage with a video of his father playing. Unfortunately, Stark's own life was not as good as it appeared. Stark was facing a double threat. The first, and possibly worst of the two, was in the form of his own heart: the Arc Reactor Palladium core was poisoning him, causing him a slow painful death due to his constant overuse of the Iron Man armor. To maintain appearance, he was forced to constantly drink home-made medicine to counteract the symptoms. Meanwhile Stark was also aware that the United States Armed Forces were constantly looking to take his technology away from him. Stark then left the Expo with Happy Hogan helping to keep the press at bay, signing autographs and meeting Larry Ellison and Larry King on their way out before he was confronted by a beautiful U.S. Marshal who was waiting beside his car. The Marshal then informed Stark and Hogan that he was required to attend a congressional meeting in Washington, D.C. the very next day in order to discuss the future of his work as the well known superhero Iron Man.

Meeting with Senator Stern
"I am Iron Man. The suit and I are one. To turn over the Iron Man suit would be to turn over myself, which is tantamount to indentured servitude or prostitution, depending on what state you're in. You can't have it." "Look, I'm no expert..." "In prostitution? Of course not you're a senator, come on!"

- Tony Stark and Senator Stern

The second threat was from a senate committee hearing, this time led by Senator Stern, demanding that Stark release the technology of the Iron Man armor for military application. Stark refused, believing it was not in the best interest of the American people for the United States Armed Forces to possess it and that they would use it as a weapon that could very well be used against America if other various countries were able to recreate the Arc Reactor technology. Senator Stern tried to turn Lt. Colonel James Rhodes against him in an effort to force Stark's decision. Competitor Justin Hammer tried to plead his case in the matter; Stark took this opportunity to embarrass both Hammer and Stern with a collection of footage of Hammer and others around the world attempting to recreate the technology. Stark arrogantly stated that it would be years before anyone would be able to successfully recreate the tech.

Making Pepper CEO
"I don't care about the liberal agenda anymore, it's boring, boring, I'm giving you a boring order, you do it." "I do what?" "Excellent idea, I just figured this out, you run the company." "Yeah I'm trying to run a company."

- Tony Stark and Pepper Potts

Returning to his Malibu Home, Stark was greeted by J.A.R.V.I.S. who updated him on the fallout from his meeting with Senator Stern. While Stark listened to the news, he pulled out his Arc Reactor and examined the damaged Palladium core which was slowly killing him, with J.A.R.V.I.S. noting that a replacement had not yet been found that could both power his many Iron Man Armors and also still keep him alive. Uncertain of his chances of survival, Stark decided to appoint his former personal assistant Pepper Potts into the role he no longer was interested in, CEO of Stark Industries. When Potts arrived in his workshop, she and Stark had an argument about Stark's own lack of interest in his company and their resources ever since becoming Iron Man at which point he informed her that he had decided to promote her. Although Potts did not at first believe that Stark was being serious with this idea, Stark had Dum-E deliver some champagne to them as he confirmed that this would be happening and she was the perfect person to take the job over from him. While doing some boxing training with Happy Hogan, during which he used dirty boxing techniques to gain the upper hand, Stark saw the arrival of Pott's new replacement as his own personal assistant, Natalie Rushman. Although Hogan hit Stark around the head, he proceeded to kick him away and beat him into surrendering before inviting Rushman into the ring. Stark looked into Rushman's eyes before inviting Hogan to train with her instead. Stark then sat down with Potts to discuss Rushman, with Stark bringing up her history files and noting that she even spoke and had once been an underwear model. While they were speaking Stark and Potts witnessed Rushman using a leg move to pin Hogan to the floor, before she exited the ring and asked Stark to sign the paperwork handing Stark Industries over to Potts. Once Rushman was gone, Stark told Potts that he needed her.

Monaco Grand Prix
"What's the point of owning a race car if you can't drive it?"

- Tony Stark

Stark traveled to Monaco with Pepper Potts and Happy Hogan. There Stark and Potts encountered Justin Hammer, who smugly tried to show off that he was being interviewed by Christine Everhart for an upcoming piece for ; Stark quickly made it clear of his own romantic history with Everhart and noted that Hammer Industries had lost their contract with the United States Armed Forces due to his embarrassing performance at the senate committee hearing. Taking some time away from Hammer, Stark excused himself to check his blood toxicity level in the bathroom. Seeing that the Arc Reactor's poisoning of his body due to the levels of Palladium it was emitting into his skin. Looking up at the mirror and seeing that he likely did not have much time left until he eventually died from this poisoning, Stark began questioning what he would like to do with these last few months that he likely had left. Growing increasingly despondent and thrill-seeking as a direct consequence of what he believed to be his impending death, Stark decided to take the Stark Industries car intended for the track and race it at the Monaco Grand Prix. As he stepped into the car, with all the cameras now facing him, Stark gave a look which he knew would be viewed by Justin Hammer, much to Hammer's annoyance as he would once again be taking the spotlight away.

Duel of Monaco
"Were you heading for me for him?" "I was trying to scare him!" "Because I can't tell! Better security! I was attacked!"

- Tony Stark and Happy Hogan

As Stark drove around the track, Ivan Vanko, who had successfully constructed an Arc Reactor of his own, along with whip-like energy weapons, attacked him, using the whips to cut off the front of his car and cause it to crash. Despite Stark's best efforts to gain the upper hand once he escaped from the car, Whiplash's armored weapons still managed to get the better of Stark who was more of less defenseless against him. As Whiplash prepared to rip Stark apart, Stark did manage to trick him into causing an explosion which separated the pair. With the aid of both Pepper Potts and Happy Hogan, who had driven into the race track and successfully managed to crash their own car into Whiplash, Stark prepared to make his escape before he could be killed. However Whiplash continued to fight despite being pinned to the wall, forcing Potts to hand Stark his portable briefcase armor, allowing Stark to don the Mark V armor ready to do battle against his would be assassin in the middle of the track. Using his new suit, Iron Man attempted to subdue Whiplash by firing his repulsor rays at his attacker, but Whiplash was able to block those blows with his own armor before managing to strangle Iron Man with his whips and fling him across the racetrack into Hogans car and then back the other way, tightening the whips around his neck and sending him volts of electricity from the whips which slowly destroyed the suit while Vanko looked on smiling. Not allowing himself to be defeated, Iron Man managed to build up his own strength and began wrapping the whips around himself in order to get closer towards Whiplash. Once he was close enough he punched him in the face a few times before ripping the Arc Reactor out of his chest and crushing it in his hand. As Whiplash was being dragged away by the police, he then spat out his own blood before laughing and claiming that Stark had now lost.

Meeting with Ivan Vanko
"Where will you be watching the world consume me from? Oh, that's right, a prison cell. I'll send you a bar of soap." "Hey, Tony. Before you go, palladium in the chest, painful way to die."

- Tony Stark and Ivan Vanko

Afterward, Stark decided to pay a visit to Ivan Vanko personally while he was being held in a French prison to learn how he acquired the technology, being led there by Lemieux. Once they were alone, Stark commented on Vanko's technology and even suggested ways that he could improve it, thinking that he would never actually get a chance to. During the conversation, Vanko revealed that he was the son of Anton Vanko, who collaborated with Howard Stark on the first Arc Reactor but was deported back to the Soviet Union and died in poverty. Vanko blamed the Stark family for his family's fate, and sought revenge. Vanko also mentioned that was he fully aware of Stark's current heart poisoning, saying that it was a terrible way to die, laughing out loud to himself as Stark left.

Whiplash's Attack Aftermath
"You said no one else would possess this technology for twenty years, well guess what, somebody else had it yesterday. It's not theoretical anymore."

- James Rhodes to Tony Stark

Despite Ivan Vanko having been put in prison for his crimes, the response to another man using the Arc Reactor technology was immediate, with Senator Stern giving interviews on WHiH World News could Stark's failure. While on his private jet returning to the United States of America, Stark made dinner for Pepper Potts as they discussed the aftermath of the attack, with Stark even suggesting that he quit being Iron Man from now on. Stark returned to his home where he and J.A.R.V.I.S. tried to find a solution in finding a new power source for the Arc Reactor as well as looking at the history files of Ivan Vanko and his father Anton Vanko, who had formally worked for Stark Industries years earlier before being deported under the orders of Howard Stark. While at his home he was visited by James Rhodes, who came to berate Stark about the military's wish to take his suits. However, Rhodes realized how unwell Stark was and assisted him by changing the Arc Reactor Palladium core. Rhodes tried to convince Stark that he did not have to do his journey alone although Stark still remained skeptical. Feeling more depressed about his future, Stark considered cancelling his birthday party which was now being prepared at his Malibu Mansion. Stark was then visited by Natalie Rushman, who came to give him a choice of watches to wear. Stark posed these questions to Rushman, asking what she would do with only a few days left to live, with Rushman telling him that she would do whatever she wanted with whoever she wanted to do it with.

Stark's Birthday Party
"You think you got what it takes to wear that suit?" "We don't have to do this, Tony." "You wanna be the War Machine, take your shot!"

- Iron Man and James Rhodes

Stark decided to attend what could very well be his last ever birthday party and quickly got himself very drunk, putting on his Iron Man Armor and partying with the many other guests who had come to celebrate. At one point he invited Natalie Rushman to wear one of his gauntlets and fire it at an ice sculpture, taking great pleasure in the destruction before joining the other guests and drinking more alcohol shots to get himself even further drunk and even harder to keep in control. While wearing the Iron Man armor and indulged in many dangerous activities, such as using his repulsor blasts to destroy a watermelon, Stark was watched by Pepper Potts who attempted to make him stop, being advised by James Rhodes that this was a terrible time to be acting so foolishly. Despite Potts taking the microphone away from Stark and trying to tell the guests that it was time to go home, Stark would not listen to reason and instead insisted that his party keep going as he continued to reckless as he used his Iron Man Suit to entertain his drunk guests within his Malibu Mansion, much to Potts' and Rhodes' dismay as they looked on in horror. In the end, Stark's actions became more and more dangerous and foolish, forcing his friend, Rhodes, to intervene. Rhodes donned Stark's Iron Man: Mark II armor and ordered the guests out of the room before demanding that Stark get out of the suit. Stark ignored him and instead requested that Adam Goldstein put on a good song for the incoming fight. The pair clashed as they flew through room to room, using whatever weapons they could find to try and subdue the other, including throwing heavy weights at each other before Rhodes managed to throw Stark into his upstairs bedroom. Eventually, after almost destroying all of Tony Stark's Mansion in the resulting fight, Stark managed to subdue Rhodes by smashing his head down against the kitchen counter, furiously roaring at the onlookers to force them to flee. As Rhodes recovered and threatened Stark, they both fired their repulsors at each other, which caused a massive explosion. With Stark out of the fight, Rhodes delivered the armor to the United States Armed Forces while Stark could only look on helplessly as he lay his head back in exhaustion.

Nick Fury's Help
"What do you want from me?" "What do we want from you? What do you want from me? You have become a problem, a problem I have to deal with. Contrary to your belief, you are not the center of my universe. I have bigger problems than you in the southwest region to deal with."

- Tony Stark and Nick Fury

In the aftermath of his battle with James Rhodes, Stark took the Iron Man Suit and flew to Randy's Donuts in California, buying himself a box of Donuts and enjoying them in the middle of the Donut sign above the shop. Just as he was relaxing in the morning sun, Nick Fury, Director of S.H.I.E.L.D., approached Stark and ordered him to come inside. Taking a seat inside, Stark once again informed Fury that he was not interested in joining the Avengers before rudely asking if he should look at Fury's eye or patch. Changing the subject, Fury then revealed to Stark that Natalie Rushman was in fact the undercover agent Black Widow, who Stark tried and failed to fire from Stark Industries. As Stark and Fury continued their conversation, Romanoff gave Stark an injection which slowed down the poison in his veins caused by his Arc Reactor before Fury reassured him that somewhere there was a cure and he simply had not discovered it yet, despite Stark insisting that he had already looked everywhere and found nothing. Returning to Tony Stark's Mansion, they discussed the history of Anton Vanko who had been working with Howard Stark in creating the Arc Reactor before he was deported for selling secrets on the black market where he then raised his son Ivan Vanko in Siberia. Before he departed, Fury revealed that Stark's father was one of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s founders and left Stark to go through his belongings to find the cure, leaving Agent Phil Coulson to watch over him.

Researching his Family
"Dead for almost twenty years, still taking me to school." "The purposed element should serve as a viable replacement for Palladium." "Thanks, Dad."

- Tony Stark and J.A.R.V.I.S.

Nick Fury gave Stark some of his father's old material to aid in finding a cure for the palladium poisoning. Stark found several items, including the notebook with the drawings of a "hypercube" and two Captain America comic books. Watching an old tape of his father, Stark discovered a hidden message where his father told him that he was proud of his son and viewed him as his greatest creation. Stark then drove to the Stark Industries Headquarters, buying some strawberries along the way and met with Pepper Potts who tried to inform him she was too busy to talk. Once Stark got her attention, he attempted to apologise in his way, which Potts struggled to believe and insisted she needed to focus on Stark Industries' future. They were interrupted by Happy Hogan and Natasha Romanoff who were both now working only for Potts. As Potts and Hogan left the office, Stark spoke with Romanoff and questioned how she could keep this lie going and she insulted him before leaving. Stark prepared to leave the office, dumping the strawberries into the bin, but first he thought he saw a hidden message in the diorama of the 1974 Stark Expo proved to be a diagram of a new element's atomic structure. Stark took the model into his car and drove it back to his mansion for further study. Putting the model on his desk, Stark ordered J.A.R.V.I.S. to make a scan of the model, removing all the trees and buildings from the scan so he focus just on the model itself. As J.A.R.V.I.S. questioned what Stark's plan was, he explained that he believed he had found a hidden message. Eventually Stark realized that the new element was inside the globe in the centre, with Stark thanking his father for gifting him with it as it would soon save his life.

A New Element
"You want to run some tests? Run them, and assemble the suit while you're at it, put it together now." "We are unclear on the..." "I don't want to hear it J.A.R.V.I.S., Tastes like coconut!"

- Tony Stark and J.A.R.V.I.S.

As Stark put the final pieces together to begin his experiment, he was greeted by Agent Phil Coulson who asked where he had been before discovering a prototype for Captain America's Shield which Stark took and used to straighten some of his machinery. Coulson then informed Stark that he was leaving to head to New Mexico to investigate a mysterious object that had been found there. With the aid of his A.I. J.A.R.V.I.S., Stark put his experiment into action, putting together a large laser in the center of his workshop in his Mansion. Stark pushed the laser into position, struggling to hold it in place as it put through the walls while he aimed it at it's target. As the laser hit the newly designed Arc Reactor he had made, it finally synthesized the new element. As Stark picked up his creation and studied it, J.A.R.V.I.S. confirmed that the new element would indeed be a suitable replacement for Palladium and would be able to keep him alive while powering his Iron Man suits for the foreseeable future, Stark then continued work on the Reactor and his next suit. Afterwards while Stark continued his work on his new suit, he received a call which turned out to come from Ivan Vanko, despite having last been heard from dying in a prison explosion, revealing he was still alive and still set on revenge. While Stark attempted to trace the call and locate the dangerous terrorist, Vanko promised that he would soon have his revenge for what Howard Stark had done to his father Anton Vanko before hanging up the call. As Vanko had warned that he had taken Stark's scientific advice and upgraded his Whiplash Armor to be ready for their next battle, Stark donned the Iron Man Mark VI armor. Despite J.A.R.V.I.S.' objections, Stark wore his new Arc Reactor and commented on how it felt putting it on for the first time, noting he got a distinct taste of both coconut and metal before he suited up and flew off to the Stark Expo to then confront Vanko and stop his evil plans of revenge.

Battle at Stark Expo
"All these people are in danger, we gotta get them out of here, you've got to trust me for the next five minutes." "Yeah I tried that, I got tossed around your house remember." "Listen, I think he's working with Vanko."

- Iron Man and War Machine

At the Stark Expo, Iron Man arrived to confront Justin Hammer, who was busy unveiling his Hammer Drones, captained by James Rhodes in a heavily weaponized armor known as the War Machine Armor: Mark I. While trying to keep the audience calm, Iron Man demanded to know where Ivan Vanko was, although Hammer denied all knowledge of him and tried to play off the incident to the audience. However Vanko seized control of both the drones and Rhodes' armor, setting them to attack Iron Man, who then flew across the Expo in his desperate attempt to lose his attackers and cause them all to crash, while ordering J.A.R.V.I.S. to regain control of War Machine. During the battle, Iron Man did all he could to save the hundreds of people fleeing during the chaos, managing to save one young boy who was mistaken for him by a drone due to wearing an Iron Man mask. Quickly running out of options as War Machine continued to fire upon him using Hammer Industries weapons, Iron Man did all he could to take out the drones, flying them away from the civilians before leading them straight into the main globe in the centre. Using the Iron Man Armor: Mark VI's superior manoeuvring abilities, Iron Man managed to escape and caused the bulkier Hammer Drones to crash into the globe and explode all together in a massive fireball. However before Iron Man could relax, he was knocked out of the sky and into an Oracle Corporation dome by War Machine, who was still being controlled by Vanko. Iron Man tried desperately to block War Machine's attacks, holding his mini gun at bay until Black Widow had successfully managed to override all of Vanko's programming, having broken into the Hammer Industries Headquarters, with a little help from Happy Hogan, despite failing to arrest Vanko.

Showdown with Whiplash
"You have a big gun, you are not the big gun." "Tony don't be jealous." "No, it's subtle all the bells and whistles." "Yeah it's called being a badass."

- Iron Man and War Machine

Iron Man knocked War Machine back before Black Widow confirmed that he was safe at last and in control of his own armor, before also complimenting Stark on his new element which had now stopped his Palladium poisoning, causing Pepper Potts to confront Stark for not telling her he was dying. While Potts had Justin Hammer arrested, Stark helped Rhodes back onto his feet. Knowing that the last remaining Hammer Drones would be coming to their location, both Iron Man and War Machine set out a plan to battle them, however this only led to an argument between the friends over who should take the better position in the area, with both of them arguing that they had the superior armor and skills. But before they could make up their minds, the Drones arrived and surrounded Iron Man and War Machine, with nowhere to escape to, the pair donned their own helmets and prepared for battle, firing their weapons at the attacking Drones which vastly outnumbered them. As the battle then commenced, Iron Man and War Machine found that although they could easily defeat each Drone, the numbers began to overwhelm them. While War Machine used his impressive weaponry provided by Hammer Industries to destroy the attackers, Iron Man used his top of the range armor to fight back and destroy multiple targets at once, eventually using his laser attack to slice all of the remaining Drones in half and finally win the fight. Eliminating the other drones, Iron Man and War Machine were then informed by Black Widow that they had a new enemy coming in. This was revealed to be Whiplash in his new, more powerful suit of armor. Attempting to kill Whiplash before the fight could even begin, War Machine armed the Ex-Wife Missile, only for it to fail and not even dent the armor, with Iron Man noting that it was clearly a Hammer Industries weapon due to it being useless in battle. Iron Man then engaged in a fierce battle with Whiplash, with himself and War Machine throwing all they had at defeating him or maybe damaging his armor enough to cause him to surrender. However they both sound found that not only was Whiplash's armor to strong, but he had improved whips to the point they were more dangerous than ever before and they both soon found themselves overpowered by Vanko's improved technology as well as weapons. Whiplash soon managed to gain the upper hand in the battle when he succeeded in wrapping his electrified whips around Iron Man and War Machine's throats and slowly tightening them, hoping to break their necks. With no other choice, Iron Man called on War Machine to use the technic they discovered during the Duel at Tony Stark's Mansion and fired their own repulsor rays at each other, triggering an explosion beside Vanko and knocked them all back. Recovering from the shockwave, Iron Man and War Machine found Ivan Vanko lying on the battlefield, with not only his Whiplash Armor but his own body damaged beyond repair. Too injured to continue the fight, Vanko claimed that Stark had in fact lost this fight before he ignited his and his drones' self-destruct bombs, including one in his own armor. Knowing that these Drones were littered across Stark Expo, Iron Man flew to rescue anybody remaining there. Iron Man raced to save Pepper Potts amid the series of explosions, pulling her away just in time. Seeing the chaos that Stark brought with him, Potts quit her position as CEO of Stark Industries, but Stark only teased her about the concept of leaving him before she and Stark kissed each other. Rhodes revealed he was there before he departed with the Mark II armor without serious objection from Stark, leaving them where Stark refused to accept her resignation.

Not a Suitable Candidate
"How can you approve me but not approve me? I got a new ticker, I'm trying to do right by Pepper, I'm in a stable-ish relationship." "Which leads us to believe at this juncture we'd only like to use you as a consultant."

- Tony Stark and Nick Fury

At a debriefing, while showing news footage of another superhuman event, Nick Fury informed Stark that while Iron Man was a suitable candidate for the "Avengers Initiative", Stark himself was not. S.H.I.E.L.D. wanted Stark as a consultant, but Stark said that Fury could not afford his help. Stark thought about the position for a moment and he agreed on the condition that Senator Stern present himself and James Rhodes with their medals for bravery in defeating Whiplash and Justin Hammer. A couple of hours later in exchange, Stark got his wish and took the job as consultant. He took great pleasure in Senator Stern's annoyance at being forced to give him a new medal, smiling for the pictures and offering a peace sign to the crowd of onlookers.

Meeting Thaddeus Ross
"Ahh... the smell of stale beer... and defeat. You know, I hate to say 'I told you so,' but that Super-Soldier project WAS put on ice for a reason. I've always felt that hardware was much more reliable."

- Tony Stark to Thaddeus Ross

Keeping with his job as consultant for S.H.I.E.L.D., Stark was tasked with preventing General Thaddeus Ross from releasing Emil Blonsky onto the Avengers Initiative, ordered by the World Security Council. Stark arrived at a bar where he found a drunken Ross. The two exchanged insults before Stark told him that a team was being made. Stark annoyed Ross so much that the latter tried to have him removed from the bar, which Stark bought and arranged to be demolished later on. The task was then completed with Ross refusing to release Blonsky from his custody.

Upgrading War Machine
"Nevertheless, you, James Rhodes, are never wearing the Mark II armor again...because I made this for you instead."

- Tony Stark

Some time later, Stark retrieved the War Machine armor and stripped it of the Hammer Industries weapons and turned it back into the Mark II. When James Rhodes arrived, Stark informed him he would never wear that armor again because he made him a new one with better technology and weaponry.

Initiation
"Mr. Stark, we need to talk." "You have reached the Life Model Decoy of Tony Stark. Please leave a message." "This is urgent." "Then leave it urgently."

- Phil Coulson and Tony Stark

After Loki infiltrated the Joint Dark Energy Mission Facility and stole the Tesseract, Nick Fury decided it was time to re-establish the Avengers Initiative. Agent Phil Coulson traveled to the newly built Stark Tower where Stark and Pepper Potts were celebrating the successful creation of a new, clean energy source. Stark was informed of Coulson's presence at Stark Tower by J.A.R.V.I.S. to which he informed him that he had "reached the Life Model Decoy of Tony Stark" and refused to see him. Coulson entered the building anyway and informed Stark that the Initiative was now active, and they needed him to come in, handing Stark holographic screens with information about Captain America, Thor, Bruce Banner and Loki.

Capturing Loki
"You don't know what you're dealing with." "Uh... Shakespeare in the park? Doth Mother know you weareth her drapes?"

- Thor and Iron Man

Stark suited up in his Mark VI armor and traveled to Stuttgart, Germany where he found his old acquaintance, Natasha Romanoff in a Quinjet overlooking the newly unfrozen Captain America in the middle of a battle with the hostile god, Loki.

Stark jetted right in and blasted Loki with his repulsors and stood tall next to Captain America, forcing Loki to surrender. Escorting Loki onto the Quinjet, the team headed back to S.H.I.E.L.D.'s Helicarrier. Stark commented on Rogers' fighting skills and subtly mocked him. The Quinjet was then surrounded by a storm and attacked by Thor, who broke in and grabbed Loki before he flew away. Stark immediately pursued them. While Thor threatened Loki atop a mountain, Stark blasted straight into him, hurling him onto the forest floor. Stark refused to let Thor get close to Loki, and the two began to battle.

During the fight, Thor summoned lightning to his hammer, Mjølnir, and electrocuted Stark, only for J.A.R.V.I.S. to inform him that his suit was at 400% capacity, allowing him to blast Thor off his feet. The armor took a beating during the battle as Thor easily began to crush one of the gauntlets with his bare hands. The fight was broken up by Captain America who, after matching Mjølnir with his shield, managed to stop Thor.

Traveling in the Helicarrier
"It's good to meet you, Doctor Banner. Your work on anti-electron collisions is unparalleled. And I'm a huge fan of how you lose control and turn into an enormous green rage monster."

- Iron Man

They took Loki back to the Helicarrier where Stark met Bruce Banner and discussed the Tesseract but not before Stark planted a hacking device and allowed J.A.R.V.I.S. to begin searching S.H.I.E.L.D.'s database to find out its secrets. Stark talked with Banner, telling him that he should see the Hulk's existence as a gift, rather than a curse. He also tried once to annoy Banner by poking him with a prod, only to get no response other than pain. Stark wondered if Banner used jazz or marijuana to keep his cool, to which Steve Rogers found less than funny.

He then explained to Rogers that he was working on the bigger mystery - why call them in now, not earlier? Nick Fury was "the" spy, whose secrets would have their own secrets; if he didn't bring Stark in on the Tesseract energy project, that can only mean S.H.I.E.L.D. is working on something other than clean energy. Captain America left, unsure whether Stark was right or not.

Attack on the Helicarrier
"Cap, hit the lever." "I need a minute here!" "Lever. Now!"

- Captain America and Iron Man

Stark and Bruce Banner learned that S.H.I.E.L.D. was trying to harness the Tesseract's powers to create weapons of mass destruction and Captain America found out that S.H.I.E.L.D. was using HYDRA technology to learn how to harness it. During a huge argument between Nick Fury, Natasha Romanoff, Rogers, Banner and Thor, Loki's troops led by a brainwashed Clint Barton caused an explosion on the Helicarrier in order to free Loki. Stark suited up as Iron Man and began to fix the ship from the outside with the aid of Rogers.

Upon fixing the ship and fighting off some of Loki's troops, the duo learned that Banner had transformed into Hulk and escaped from the ship, as well as Thor being ejected from the Helicarrier by Loki who escaped and murdered Agent Phil Coulson. Nick Fury informed the two that the Avengers Initiative was started so that the isolated individuals could become something more and that Coulson died still believing this.

Visiting the site of Coulson's murder, Stark began talking with Rogers about how Loki made it personal to draw them in. While rambling on about the theatrics that Loki has pulled off, Stark grew closer to finding out where the God of Mischief would set off the portal to bring the alien army forth. At that moment, Stark realized he had built something out of ego - Stark Tower - and it would provide both the perfect source of energy to open the portal and serve as a taunt. With a "son of a bitch" escaping his lips, Stark informed Cap of his epiphany. Stark left the Helicarrier with Captain America, Black Widow, and Hawkeye - now freed of Loki's mind control.

Battle of New York
"Takes us a while to get any traction, I'll give you that one. But, let's do a head count here: Your brother, the demigod; a super soldier, a living legend who kind of lives up to the legend; a man with breath-taking anger management issues; a couple of master assassins, and you, big fella, you've managed to piss off every single one of them."

- Tony Stark to Loki

Stark, Steve Rogers, Natasha Romanoff and Clint Barton, who had successfully freed himself from Loki's mind control, stole a Quinjet and traveled to Stark Tower where Stark found Loki had installed a device powered by the Tesseract that was being controlled by Professor Erik Selvig. Stark ordered J.A.R.V.I.S. to cut the power in the tower, only learn the portal device was already self-sustaining. He arrived before the rest of the Avengers, needing to replace his damaged armor with the new Mark VII suit. Falling to convince Dr. Selvig to shut down the device, Stark blasted it; however the barrier around the device bounced the blast back, knocking out Selvig. Loki watched in amusement from the balcony of Stark's penthouse.

Seeing that there was nothing else he could do to stop the invasion, Stark landed and had the Mark VI removed; he threatened Loki with the promise that the Avengers would take him out no matter how long it took them, to buy time to pit on two metal bracelets. In a sense of hospitality, Stark offered Loki a drink, but he declined. However, when it seemed Loki would brainwash him next, it turned out the Arc Reactor was blocking the scepter from Tony's heart. Making a performance joke, Stark was thrown out of the window by Loki, calling for the Mark VII; it was rocket-propelled to him, and formed the suit around him right before he could hit the ground. Stark flew back up to Loki and blasted him backwards in the name of Agent Coulson. Stark was however confronted by Loki's device which opened a portal into space where Loki's army of Chitauri flew into New York City and began their war against Earth. Stark fought off the Chitauri and tried to call James Rhodes, who told Stark that he was too busy fighting soldiers working for the Ten Rings, but would come to help as soon as possible. Stark was joined by his teammates as they begin to battle the alien menace; annoyed by how late they were, Stark asked if they stopped for drive thru. Stark began to chase after a Leviathan, a giant alien serpent and the warship to dozens of Chitauri. When he was notified of Banner's arrival on the field, Stark led the serpent towards him so that Banner would transform into Hulk and defeat it.

Stark landed on the ground alongside his fellow heroes, Captain America, Thor, Hulk, Hawkeye and Black Widow. The team were then confronted by hundreds of Chitauri who flew in through the portal as well as several more Leviathans. Rogers gave out orders and instructed Stark to take to the skies and take out more Chitauri. Taking inspiration fro the tale of Jonah, Stark took out a Leviathan by flying head-first into its mouth and launching missiles from the inside. However, he soon got battered by numerous attacks.

Stark asked Thor if he had ever seen , saying he reminded him of it. Thor asked him how he can joke around during a war, but was then eaten by a Leviathan. Out of rage, Thor used Mjølnir to get out of the Leviathan. After a long battle, the team were still outnumbered and learned that Natasha had found a way to close the portal. Stark hindered this as Fury has instructed him that the World Security Council had sent a missile to blow up Manhattan. Stark intercepted the missile and flew it up through the portal and blew up the Chitauri Command Center, losing power in the process and falling unconscious back through the portal just before it closed.

As Stark fell back to earth, he was caught by Hulk who landed with him back on the ground. Rogers and Thor ran over to Stark who appeared to be dead, only for Hulk to scream in his face, waking him up. Stark said they should get some shawarma to celebrate. Rogers told him they'd do that later, since Loki still needs to be arrested. Stark joined the rest of the team to make sure he didn't get away. Loki, badly beaten by the Hulk, asked for the drink Stark offered him earlier; however, Stark ignored the request.

A few hours later, Stark and the rest of the Avengers went to the Shawarma Palace where they ate silently. They were soon interrupted by War Machine, who arrived too late to aid in the battle. The next day, the Avengers met in Central Park and made sure Loki was taken back to Asgard by Thor along with the Tesseract. The team then disbanded and went their separate ways; with Banner, Stark drove away in his Acura 2012 Stark Industries Super Car. (Stark had earlier promised Banner access to Stark Tower for research, which he promised would be stress free.) Stark was later with Pepper Potts in Stark Tower ready to rebuild after the damage that was done.

The Iron Legion
"Iron Man's not enough. Not even with a War Machine watching his back. For what's coming, we're gonna need an Iron Legion."

- Tony Stark to James Rhodes

After the battle, Stark invited James Rhodes to his workshop in Malibu. Seeing that not even the combined powers of Iron Man and War Machine would be enough to protect the Earth from the next threat from the Nine Realms, Stark showed Rhodes several Iron Man armors that could be remotely controlled. He called them the "Iron Legion".

The Melter
"You just saw what I can do. But we live in a cynical world. You might think I got lucky. So in the next few days, I'll hold another demonstration. After that, the Melter technology goes on sale to the highest bidder. If you have what it takes to be a buyer, you'll hear from me. If you don't, you might want to consider if you are really as important as you think you are... or if your just yesterday's news like Stark."

- The Melter to reporters after defeating Iron Man

Sometime shortly after the Battle of New York, Stark was presenting how he could now charge his armor from solar energy at Stark Tower, when he was suddenly attacked by a villain called the Melter. The Melter quickly defeated Iron Man and announced he was going to sell his designs in a few days.

Two days later, Melter attacked again and defeated War Machine. This made Stark and Rhodey unite to confront Melter together and they defeated him and put him in the custody of the United States Armed Forces.

Nightmares
"And I guess 72 hours is a long time between siestas. Didn't think it could get any worse, then I had to go and turn on the TV. That's when he happened."

- Tony Stark

Six months after the Battle of New York; Stark tested the Mark XLII, which was built so that he could summon various pieces of the armor when needed. He ignored J.A.R.V.I.S.'s concern about his lack of sleep, pointing out Einstein went without a lot of sleep and invented many things. Some glitches with the new armor included the face plate and crotch plate, which hurt him if they impacted by themselves. Right after testing the new armor, Stark went to go watch television, only to see that the Mandarin had made another attack against the United States. Meanwhile, James Rhodes had his suit repainted by the American government who had now renamed him Iron Patriot.

Stark met with Rhodes at a bar and diner where he mocked the Iron Patriot name, being told that it tested well with focus groups; the government felt that "War Machine" was too violent a name, which would send the wrong message to children. Two kids asked him to sign a drawn picture of him diverting the nuclear missile to the portal. The picture depicted Stark's near-death experience in the Battle of New York which lead him to have an anxiety attack. He immediately put on his suit to test for any faults in his physiology, only to be told nothing was wrong. Stark then left to return home and resume work on his suits. As Christmas was nearing, Stark decided to show Pepper Potts his love for her by buying a large stuffed bunny as her gift. Unfortunately, it was too big to fit through the door, so he would need to have a wall taken down to get it inside. Decided to test his new remote-control unit, Stark had his Mark XLII armor sit on the sofa and wait for Pepper to come home. Once Pepper was home, Stark lied that he was breaking in the armor. His ruse fell apart when she attempted to open the armor to kiss him; she went down to Stark's workshop for a crowbar, only to find him. Stark managed to quell Pepper's anger by explaining that he's been feeling like an amateur in the big leagues since New York; he's just a man in a suit against gods, aliens and portals to other worlds. He then admits that probably the only reason he has snapped is because she moved in with him, for which he is greatly thankful.

However, he's also been plagued by nightmares about these hostile forces attacking what he loves most - her. Because of this, he spends most of his time, even when she's asleep, building more and more Iron Men to help protect her. Pepper comforts him, understanding why he's been so distant from her. She then leaves to wash up for bed; however, Pepper turns around and offers to have sex in the shower to cheer him up. Stark agreed, hoping not only to lighten his mood, but try closing the gap forming between them.

Later that night, Stark attempted to have a good night's sleep, but had visions of himself going against the Chitauri, causing him to go into distress. Pepper tried to wake him until his armor appeared, coming to Tony's aid, seeing Pepper as a threat. Stark awoke and deactivated the armor, apologizing to a terrified Pepper who left him alone in bed.

Threatening the Mandarin
"My name is Tony Stark and I'm not afraid of you. I know you're a coward so I've decided that you just died, pal. I'm going to come and get the body. There's no politics here; it's just good old-fashioned revenge. There's no Pentagon, it's just you and me."

- Tony Stark message to the Mandarin

Meanwhile, a string of bombings by the terrorist known as the Mandarin left intelligence agencies bewildered at the lack of forensic evidence. Stark's former bodyguard, now head of security, Happy Hogan was caught in on such blast. Stark visited him at the hospital, ensuring that the nurses kept Happy's favorite program on TV and to make sure they all wore ID tags as Happy was a stickler for those. Mobbed by the press once he left, Stark was asked if he would kill the Mandarin. He then issued a public threat to the Mandarin, giving away his address so they can face off. This resulted in numerous news choppers flying around Stark's home, waiting to catch Iron Man Vs the Mandarin on film.

Destruction of Tony Stark's Mansion
The next day, Stark ended up fighting with Potts' over leaving the house for their safety, since he was dumb enough to give his address; she began packing regardless of his choice. Stark spent his time in the workshop, creating a database on the Mandarin and recreated the explosion that left Happy in a coma. Viewing the holograph of Happy, Stark found he was pointing at a dogtag near the center of the explosion; using this as a clue, he looked for records of similar explosions of 3000 degrees. Ruling out the Mandarin attacks, Stark found one in Rose Hill, Tennessee.

To Stark's surprise, the doorbell rang; J.A.R.V.I.S. informed him that there was only so much he could do since Stark had given the press his address. Donning the Mark XLII, Stark confronted his visitor, only to find Maya Hansen instead of the Mandarin. He initially mistook her comments about needing to get him alone as an offer for sex; he turned her down, explaining that he's happily in a committed relationship with Pepper. At that moment, Pepper dropped luggage from the second floor. Stark quickly asked Maya if their one-night stand resulted in a child; after teasing him, she explained that this wasn't the case. Pepper and Maya met, while Stark continued arguing about staying to confront the Mandarin.

However, Maya turned their attention to the television, which showed a missile heading right a the house. It landed, knocking them away. Stark signaled his armor onto Potts, protecting her. Once Pepper had gotten Maya to safety, Stark summoned the armor back to himself, fending off the several helicopters surrounding him. After being outgunned, Stark was pulled into the ocean while his home demolished over him, barely escaping. He lost consciousness from the strain and left J.A.R.V.I.S. in charge of the suit.

Back to Basics
"Pepper, it's me. I've got a lot of apologies to make and not a lot of time. So first off, I'm so sorry I put you in harm's way. That was selfish and stupid and it won't happen again."

- Tony Stark to Pepper Potts

Stark found himself in Rose Hill, Tennessee after J.A.R.V.I.S. followed his initial flight plan to find the Mandarin. Unfortunately, since the Mark XLII was still a prototype, it lacked a link to the Arc Reactor to sustain its power; this left Stark in the cold, with nothing but his genius to help him now. Lacking the power to return to California, the world at large believed him to be dead from the attack. Finding a phone booth, Stark called his system back home, leaving a private message for Potts to hear. Apologizing for putting her in harm's way, Stark stated he could not return home just yet. Stark broke into a work-shop belonging to 10-year old Harley Keener (and his family). He got along well with Harley, who reminded Stark of a younger version of himself - a child genius; Harley had recommended using retro-reflection panels to create a stealth armor and also disliked that a hero with a cool name like War Machine was given the lamer moniker of Iron Patriot. (This amused Stark, who was glad he wasn't the only one who hated the new name.) Stark gave Harley a flash grenade from his suit, recognizing the signs of a kid who has been bullied.

Stark enlisted Harley's help in finding the truth behind the terrorist bombings. Lead to the site, Stark realized something was amiss as there was no ash-imprint of the soldier who died. However, when Harley started asking him about New York and the Avengers, Stark started having another panic attack. At this point, Stark admitted that he should have been on medication to deal with his post-tramatic stress.

Battle of Rose Hill
""Is that all you got? A cheap trick and cheesy one-liner?" "Sweetheart, that could be the name of my autobiography.""

- Ellen and Stark

Seeking information, Stark set up a meeting with the mother of recently killed Extremis-infected soldier Chad Davis. Once being handed valuable information regarding her son's death, Stark was attacked by Ellen Brandt and Eric Savin; it turned out they were supposed to be meeting with her, and she mistook Stark for them. As he fought them off, Tony noticed that Bradnt could heal from most injuries and could super-heat anything she touched. Tony's fight with Brandt lead into a restaurant; he bought himself time to set up a bomb by igniting some fuel to block Brandt's way to the kitchen. Stark put Davis' dogtag in the microwave and exposed some gas, fleeing outside and hiding behind an ice machine. An explosion then erupted, sending Brandt into the power lines, killing her. Savin held Harley hostage, but Stark reminded the kid about his flash grenade; this allowed Stark to blast Savin unconscious with a spare repulser.

Locating the Mandarian
Stealing Savin's keys, Stark commandeered his car, taking off with the file from Mrs. Davis. Stark found a nearby pageant and broke into a broadcasting van. He befriended cameraman Gary, using their satellite connection to hack into A.I.M., which the file reported was responsible for Chad Davis' death. Seeing footage of the Extremis experiments, Stark realized the explosions were accidents that came from patients' bodies not being able to accept the drug. Therefore, the Mandarin was not actually planning out the explosions in advance, he was just claiming to have been behind the accidents, passing them off as intentional terrorism.

Stark called Harley, to check on how the suit was doing; it was 58% charged, and J.A.R.V.I.S. kept saying the wrong word at the end of each sentence. Asking for the Mandarin's location, Stark heard Miami was it; thinking J.A.R.V.I.S. misspoke again, Stark asked Harley to read the location. To Stark shock, the location was correct; this sent Stark into a panic attack, as he didn't have his suits or any way to call in the Avengers to help. Harley suggested that Stark build his own gadgets if he had to defend himself. Stark did so, McGuyvering several gadgets together from a gardening store.

Learning the Truth
"My name is Trevor, Trevor Slattery." "What are you? What're you a decoy? You're a double, right?" "What? Like an understudy? No, absolutely not."

- Trevor Slattery and Tony Stark

Infiltrating the Mandarin's home, Stark knocked out sevearl guards. He eventually found a large room filled with movie props, along with the Mandarin's wardrobe; there was also signs that someone was living in the room. Hearing someone enter from the bathroom, Stark hid; the Mandarin entered, speaking in a British accent. Stark surprised him, holding the Mandarin at gunpoint; dismissing him as a double, Stark demanded answers.

It turned out that "the Mandarin" was nothing more than a character the actor, Trevor Slattery, had been hired to play; Slattery was given endless amounts of drugs and anything else he desired in return. The person who had employed him was Aldrich Killian, who needed to cover up the failures of his Extremis program. Stark was however knocked unconscious by Savin who took Stark to Killian.

Being held in captivity, he learned Maya Hansen was working for Killian; she had used the formula he had written down in a drunken daze after their night together to better stabilize Extremis. Stark laughed at her for following a drunken equation from him for all these years, chiding her for "losing her soul"; he gets to wake up to Pepper, a woman who still had a sense of right and wrong. Killian arrived and explained the reasons behind A.I.M. and how he was grateful to Stark for teaching him that he needed to rule the chaos from behind the scenes. Stark then discovered that Killian had captured Pepper Potts and was currently infecting her with Extremis; with Pepper's life in danger of ending up like the failures, Stark would be forced to help improve Extremis for her sake. When Maya Hansen tried to help him, Stark witnessed Killian casually murder her. Stark was left guarded by two henchmen, once he learned the correct time, Stark worked out that the suit would be charged by now and offered the henchmen a chance to escape, believing that it would arrive in seconds, however this led to an awkward period of Stark awaiting his suit which took longer than he expected to arrive. The reason being that the doors to the barn they were being kept in were chained shut.

Summoning his Mark XLII all the way from Harley's House, Stark escaped captivity and defeated several guards, despite only getting a hand and leg part of the suit for the duration of the fight. Harley freed the rest by destroying the lock with a powdery substance, knowing that Stark was in need of his armor. Once the guards were all knocked out, the rest of the suit arrived and Stark made his way through the facility. He greeted J.A.R.V.I.S., while seeing the Iron Patriot Armor fly off.

Saving the Air Force One Crew
"Easy. See? Eleven more to go."

- Tony Stark

To Stark's surprise, he ran into Rhodes, who he thoguht was in the armor. It turned out that the Iron Patriot Armor was being worn by Savin. Needing a way to go after Killian, Stark remembered Trevor, waking him from another drunken stupor; Stark then remembered that Trevor also had a speed boat, which he boarded with Rhodes.

To protect the president, Stark remote-controlled his armor to Air Force One, where Savin had already forced Matthew Ellis into the Patriot armor and sent it to Killian. Fighting Savin, Stark killed him, but at the cost of the palne falling apart. With everyone else falling, Stark saved two, informing them to form a human chain by grabbing everyone else. Once everyone was linked, Stark dropped them in a river at a safe hieght; however, the armor was knocked apart by an in-coming truck.

Battle on the Norco
"It's Christmas. Take 'em to church."

- Tony Stark to J.A.R.V.I.S.

Stark and Rhodes traced Killian to an impounded oil tanker called the Norco where he intended to kill Ellis on live television. Sneaking in, they were attacked by several Extremis Soldiers. Stark fired his gun at the soldiers, but was unable to stop them. Rhodey proved himself to be the superior marksman which annoyed Stark. Outnumbered, Stark summoned the Iron Legion to their aid (controlled by J.A.R.V.I.S.) except the Mark XLII, which was running late after trying to save the president in Air Force One. Stark wore the Mark XXXIII suit and flew into battle. Stark found Pepper under wreckage when Aldrich Killian unexpectedly attacked him and began burning through his suit, forcing Stark to cut off Killian's arm and eject from the suit before he summoned another. Coming to Pepper's aid once again, Stark was unable to reach her and watched as she fell into a pit of fire to a certain death. Aldrich Killian then appeared and mocked Stark, Stark then engaged in a fight with Killian.

As Killian proved his Extremis abilities could cut through the armor with relative ease, Stark again exited his suit to avoid defeat and then donning another which suffered the same fate. Standing over a platform, Stark, now armor-less due to his other suits being preoccupied with Tony's command to destroy Killian's Extremis soldiers, awaited the Mark XLII but was deflated when it simply crashed and disassembled once again. While Killian spoke of Stark not deserving Potts and that he was close to making her perfect, Stark said he was right but that she already was perfect and sent the Mark XLII onto Killian, trapping him. Stark then ordered J.A.R.V.I.S. to let it self-destruct while he escaped. Jumping into another suit, Stark escaped the explosion and crashed to the ground. Suddenly, Aldrich emerged from the flames with most of his tissue layers destroyed seemingly beyond Extremis's ability of reconstruction and still intent on Tony's death. Stark was powerless and at the mercy of Killian while Killian began to call himself the real Mandarin, saying that he was from the start. During this proclamation, Pepper, still alive due to the Extremis in her system completing its transition in her body, struck Killian to the ground with a large metal pipe. Stark was left almost speechless and in amazement at her return. An Iron Man suit flew downward in an attack position, prompting Stark to try and tell Jarvis to disengage the suit, only to find that the earpiece which he used to take to and command Jarvis several feet away from him on the ground. Pepper then dodged a repulsor blast from the suit, which then flew back into an attack position. Pepper then ran at Stark, causing Stark to think that she was mad at him, though she actually ran past him and jumped off a beam to impale her arm into the suit's chest and removing and donning one of the suits arms. Stark watched as Pepper sent an attacking Killian flying backwards into the air with a swing of her now armored arm and removed an explosive missile and threw it into Killian and blew it up with a repulsor blast, finishing him off.

Stark apologized to Pepper and promised to find a cure for her. Tony, seeing Pepper worried about their future, ordered J.A.R.V.I.S. to destroy all his remaining armors in Operation: Clean Slate Protocol. Surrounded by the subtle, firework-like explosions in the sky, the two embraced.

A Step Further
"So if I were to wrap this up tight with a bow or whatever, I guess I'd say my armor was never a distraction or a hobby. It was a cocoon. And now, I'm a changed man. You can take away my house, All my tricks and toys. One thing you can't take away... I am Iron Man."

- Tony Stark

Stark was able to use his vast resources to cure Potts of the Extremis, removing her powers as he promised; now there was no worry about her suffering an explosive end. Two days later, Stark underwent surgery from Doctor Wu to have the shrapnel removed from his heart. He used the pieces of shrapnel to make a necklace, which he gave to Potts; ironically, this would be "a gift from the heart." He went back to the wreckage of his mansion that same day, and threw his Arc Reactor into the ocean, vowing that no matter what, he was Iron Man even without the Arc Reactor and his suits. He also took the remains of his Dum-E robot to repair it. After this, Stark retired from the hero "business" for at least a year, but continued to work as a consultant for S.H.I.E.L.D. and run Stark Industries.

Helping S.H.I.E.L.D.
Since his house was destroyed, Stark now lived in Stark Tower, which he redesigned and renamed Avengers Tower. He soon began helping S.H.I.E.L.D. by making repulsor technology for their three new Helicarriers, to avoid the same issue that happened during the Attack on the Helicarrier.

Therapy Session with Doctor Banner
"Where did I lose you?" "Elevator in Switzerland." "So you heard none of it?"

- Tony Stark and Bruce Banner

Later, after his battle with Aldrich Killian, Stark retold the story to Bruce Banner in the Avengers Tower. Banner had fallen asleep during the tale, telling his friend that he was not that kind of doctor. Stark ignored this comment and began telling more stories of his life, much to the dismay of Banner, who went to sleep again.

Project Insight
Tony Stark was listed as a potential target of Project Insight by HYDRA. Luckily, Captain America was able to stop HYDRA in time to save all of HYDRA's intended victims. After the defeat of Project Insight and the fall of S.H.I.E.L.D., Stark hired former S.H.I.E.L.D second-in-command Maria Hill, utilizing his army of lawyers to protect Hill from the numerous parties that would see her incarcerated, in order to help him fill the void left by S.H.I.E.L.D.'s absence by privatizing global security.

Avengers Reassembled
With the rising threat of HYDRA, the Avengers were officially reassembled, with Stark's financial backing. Using the former Stark Tower, now renamed Avengers Tower, as their headquarters, they embarked on several missions to ruin HYDRA's plans for world domination.

Battle of Sudan
Eventually, Black Widow discovered an army of HYDRA soldier with chitauri technology, lead by Doctor Jensen, in Port Sudan. She had J.A.R.V.I.S. inform the other Avengers. Tony Stark, who is discussing something with Pepper Potts at Stark Industries, is also informed of this by Maria Hill. The Avengers take a Quinjet to go to Port Sudan. However, they are shot down by HYDRA's forces and, after the Quinjet crashes, they all, with the exception of Bruce Banner, exit the Quinjet to fight.

A HYDRA soldier notices there is still an Avenger in the Quinjet and orders it to be fired at, which makes Banner turn into Hulk. The HYDRA soldiers begin to retreat, apart from Doctor Jensen who arms herself with a weapon and then attacks several of the Avengers. However, Clint Barton fires an explosive arrow at Doctor Jensen's weapon and she falls over, unable to believe her defeat.

Capturing Strucker
"Okay guys; let's talk this over (knocks them out) Good talk." "No it wasn't."

- Tony Stark and a HYDRA Soldier

Stark and the other Avengers attacked Baron Wolfgang von Strucker's research base. While the other Avengers fought the soldiers on the ground, Stark worked on destroying the base's shields to allow the team access. When Stark swore during the mission, Steve Rogers told him to watch his language, much to Stark's amusement. Stark soon managed to disable the shields and entered the base; once inside he killed Doctor List before making his way through the hallways. Stark located inside the base a giant Leviathan, which HYDRA had stolen after the Battle of New York, and the Scepter. While Stark was looking at the Scepter, Wanda Maximoff sneaked up behind him and caused him to have a vision of the future; in the vision, Stark saw the other Avengers lying dead after a mysterious battle. Shaken by what he had seen, Maximoff allowed Stark to retrieve the Sceptre, knowing its power would ultimately cause his downfall.

Creation of Ultron
"Peace in our time. Imagine that."

- Tony Stark to Bruce Banner

Continuing his mindset toward protecting humanity while realizing the void that the downfall of S.H.I.E.L.D. created, Tony Stark created an intelligence with the mandate to ensure global peace at any cost. The intelligence, Ultron, in turn took control on the Ultron Sentries to defend humanity as a sort of makeshift army. At a party celebrating the launch of Ultron, Stark and the Avengers decided to try to lift Mjølnir; Stark initially tried to lift it on his own, when that failed he called for James Rhodes' help to no avail. Upon his defeat, Stark looked for fingerprint recognition software in Thor's hammer. Ultron Sentries then attacked the party. After a brief battle, the lead Ultron robot was destroyed, although it claimed it would attack again. With the team gathered together, Stark began examining the robot to understand what caused it. He learned that it had destroyed J.A.R.V.I.S.' mainframe in a rage. Thor stormed in and grabbed Stark by the throat, accusing him of bringing destruction to the earth, Stark defended himself, however, claiming that he was coming up with a solution to end a war that would destroy the Earth. The team later learned that Ultron had built himself a new body and had killed Wolfgang von Strucker and was planning on stealing Vibranium from Ulysses Klaue.

Hunting Ultron
"Don't compare me with Stark! It's a thing with me. Stark is... he's a sickness!!" "Oh junior, you're gonna break your old man's heart."

- Ultron and Tony Stark

Stark led the team to South Africa where they found Ultron, along with Pietro and Wanda Maximoff, taking the Vibranium. They engaged in a fierce battle, with Stark taking on Ultron alone while the rest of the team fought the Ultron Sentries and the Maximoff twins. Eventually, Stark brought down Ultron and destroyed his body. Not long afterwards, however, he learned that the team had been mentally taken down by Wanda Maximoff, who had proceeded to cause Bruce Banner to transform into Hulk in the middle of South Africa and started to destroy everything he could.

Duel of Johannesburg
"Go to sleep, go to sleep, go to sleep..."

- Tony Stark to Hulk

Stark called for his Mark XLIV armor; he tried to contain Hulk in an enforced metal cage, but when this failed, the two began to fight. When Hulk damaged the armor, Stark called for extra parts and used its many capabilities to try to knock Hulk down or fly him from the city. Eventually, he resorted to dropping him through a building still going through construction; this seemingly calmed Hulk enough that Stark could knock him out with a final massive punch.

The Barton Home
"Isn't that the "why we fight," so we can end the fight, so we get to go home?!"

- Tony Stark to Steve Rogers

After the battle was over, the Avengers were on the Quinjet. Maria Hill told Stark and Clint Barton that there were negative criticisms against the Avengers' actions in South Africa and also voices that wanted Banner's arrest. Hill also suggested that they should go somewhere where the rest of the team could relax from their dreams until they could find Ultron. Barton said to Stark he should get some sleep because they would land in a few hours. Stark asked him where and Barton responded to "a safehouse". They landed in a countryside and entered into a small house. The team was surprised to learn that it was Barton's family home and that he has a wife and three children. Barton explained that the reason the team were unaware of his family was due to Nick Fury helping him to have this second peaceful life outside S.H.I.E.L.D. where his family could be safe. Stark and Steve Rogers went outside and chopped wood together. They discussed how Wanda Maximoff had been able to use her powers to pull the team apart. When the conversation moved to how Stark and Banner inadvertently created Ultron, they began to argue and debate whether or not Stark should have ever experimented on the Scepter. Stark explained his action by using the argument that the true reason they fight is only to end the fight and go home with Ultron being an immortal successor to the Avengers. Laura Barton then asked Stark if he could help to fix their tractor. As Stark examined the tractor, Nick Fury revealed himself; Stark realized that Maria Hill called him. Fury tried to convince Stark that Wanda Maximoff had just tricked him, but Stark said that the vision he had seen where all of his friends are dead would be the future, if Stark would not do everything he could to save them and humanity. Fury then showed himself to the rest of the team and started to discuss their next move. Fury said that his contact people in "NEXUS" in Oslo had informed him that Ultron had tried to get nuclear codes but someone changed the codes all the time. Bruce Banner then realized that Ultron wanted always to improved his body, so he needed Helen Cho and her Cradle device to create his ultimate body. Stark then made it clear to Rogers that if Ultron succeeded in uploading himself to the body, he might be stronger than any of them. Fury then told them that he will take Banner to the Avengers Tower and said to Stark that he needed Hill for "something dramatic".

Hacking the NEXUS
"A hacker who’s faster than Ultron? He could be anywhere. And as this is the center of everything, I’m just a guy looking for a needle in the world’s biggest haystack."

- Tony Stark

As Steve Rogers, Natasha Romanoff and Clint Barton flew to Seoul to retrieve the synthetic body, Stark was in the NEXUS base searching for the person who prevented Ultron from obtaining launch codes for nuclear missiles. As this master hacker was blocking those attempting to access nuclear codes, Stark did so himself to draw in this unknown ally against Ultron. In doing so, Stark was shocked to find out it was J.A.R.V.I.S., who erased his memory and scattered himself across the Internet to block Ultron. It turned out that Ultron was afraid of J.A.R.V.I.S. and of what he could do, so J.A.R.V.I.S. went underground and prevent from Ultron to get the codes. Restoring J.A.R.V.I.S.'s memory, Stark sent his programming back to Avengers Tower.

Birth of the Vision
"So, you want me to help you put J.A.R.V.I.S. into this thing?" "No, of course not! I want to help you put J.A.R.V.I.S. in this thing."

- Bruce Banner and Tony Stark

Stark went back to the Avengers Tower where Bruce Banner and Barton waited for him. Barton was with the Cradle with the synthetic body inside it. Barton informed Stark that Ultron had kidnapped Romanoff, so Barton began to search for her. Stark then told Banner everything he discovered and he asked for his help him upload J.A.R.V.I.S. to the synthetic body. Banner was against it, finding the situation to be a time-loop they were stuck in; however, Stark was able to convince him that the create the being Ultron was meant to be by giving it J.A.R.V.I.S. as a core persona, and thus prevent megalomania. As the two were almost finished, Rogers with Wanda and Pietro Maximoff came and ordered him to shut it down. After Stark and Banner refused, the two and Barton fight against the three, but suddenly Thor came in and revived the synthetic body with his lightning. The living body jumped out and briefly attacked Thor until he looked out over the city; the living body apologized and called itself the Vision and claimed to wish to assist them to fight Ultron. Thor explained that he had seen the Vision in his vision and the Mind Stone, one of the six Infinity Stones, that is in the Vision's forehead. At first, the team did not trust him, but as proof of his honor, Vision handed Thor Mjølnir. A shocked Stark was congratulated by Thor for creating a worthy ally.

Battle of Sokovia
"Come to confess your sins?" "I don't know, how much time you got?" "More than you."

- Ultron and Iron Man The Avengers tracked Ultron down in Sokovia, where Natasha Romanoff was held. Before leaving, Stark a new AI, F.R.I.D.A.Y., into his newest suit. The team flew there with Wanda and Pietro Maximoff and Vision. As the rest of the team helped to evacuate Novi Grad and Bruce Banner went to free Romanoff, Stark confronted Ultron in the city's church. Ultron had created a new body for himself and a drill that emerged from the center of the church, revealing a Vibranium detonator with a mechanism located underground. Vision then came and succeeded to disconnect Ultron from the internet. Ultron then activated the drill and a part from the city flew to the sky. F.R.I.D.A.Y. informed Stark that if the city would get high enough, the impact of its fall to the ground would cause a global extinction. While the Avengers fought against the Ultron Sentries and made sure the civilians were safe, Stark and F.R.I.D.A.Y. debated about a way to make sure the city would not hit the ground. He came to the idea that he and Thor can destroy the rock in the air. Eventually, Nick Fury and Maria Hill came with a Helicarrier and helped the Avengers with evacuating Novi Grad while War Machine helped with the battle. The Avengers guarded the vibranium drill from the Ultron Sentries to prevent the city from falling. However, one sentry caused the city to fall, but Stark and Thor succeeded in exploding it before it touched the ground.

Saying his Goodbyes
"I will miss you, Tony." "Yeah? Well, it's time for me to tap out."

- Steve Rogers and Tony Stark Using Stark's funding, the New Avengers Facility was constructed in upstate New York; Stark informed the others about his resignation from the Avengers, aiming for it still to continue by pouring his money and resources into it, under working with a new team of heroes which included Falcon and the Scarlet Witch. Stark drove to the facility to personally oversee it in action and say his final goodbyes to the whole team. Stark met with Steve Rogers and Thor at the facility where they all discussed the Vision keeping the Mind Stone inside his head; Thor insisted that he could as he had proven himself worthy by managing to lift Mjølnir, although Rogers questioned if this counted as Vision was a machine. Thor informed the pair that he intended to return to Asgard to learn more about the Infinity Stones and who had been recently manipulating them into locating the stones. Rogers then said to Stark that he will miss him too, and Stark joked that he will build for Pepper Potts a house in the country, like Clint Barton. Stark then drove from there. Stark was asked by the media about the incident involved Hulk. Stark then responded that public concerns about Bruce Banner are "Baseless" and "Irresponsible". Because all of his activities as Iron Man, Stark and Potts took a break from their relationship while Stark continued his own work.

Facing the Consequences
"That was really sweet, what you did for the young people." "Oh, they deserve it. 'Causs it helps to ease my conscious."

- Miriam Sharpe and Tony Stark

Stark gave a guest lecture at his alma mater,. He demonstrated the students his latest device, B.A.R.F., which aimed to recreate and relive old memories to help with regret, and showed them his last meeting with his mother and father. Then he followed with a speech where he introduced a grant being awarded to all students, giving them all the proper funding to move forward with their own inventions and ideas. He then read from the telepromter and was shocked to read that he should be presenting Pepper Potts to the stage. Seeing this made Stark briefly pause as he and Potts had broken up due to his own previous commitments to the Avengers and obsession with building new Iron Man Armors. Stark then said his final words before stepping off stage where the M.I.T Liaison then attempted to get some money from Stark Industries for the school's funding. As he walked outside, he encountered a woman who complimented his funding. She reached to her purse and Stark, thinking she was about to pull a gun, grab her hand. But instead, she pulled a photo of her son and told him that he had been killed during the Battle of Sokovia. She then told Stark her son's name and that she did not actually blame Ultron for her son's death, but held Stark personally accountable his death, which deeply unnerved Stark.

Sokovia Accords
"We need to be put in check. Whatever form that takes, I'm game. If we can't accept limitations, we're boundless, we're no better than the bad guys."

- Tony Stark On May 5, 2016, Thaddeus Ross presented to Stark the Sokovia Accords, a document which required the Avengers to operate under the supervision of an United Nations panel. Stark, haunted by the massive damage he had caused by creating Ultron, agreed to sign the Accords. One month after the incident on Lagos, Stark and Ross went to the New Avengers Facility, where he tried to convince the Avengers to sign the Accords. Afterwards, the Avengers were briefed on the Accords by Ross, who explained that the Accords were created as a result of the catastrophic events in which they were involved. As the Avengers debated whether to sign it or not, Stark remained silent. Steve Rogers realized Stark had already chosen a side, which was pro-Accords. Stark gave them the story of Charlie Spencer and how he had died in Sokovia. He pointed out that the group needed to be put in check or they were no better than the bad guys. However, Rogers saw the Accords as a block to keep the Avengers from where they needed to be. Stark and Rogers argued with each other and Stark even got surprising support from Natasha Romanoff. The argument ended when Rogers left the room.

Fighting with a Friend
"Sometimes I wanna punch you in your perfect teeth. But I don't wanna see you gone. We need you, Cap. So far nothing's happened that can't be undone. Please, sign. We can make the last 24 hours legit. Barnes gets transferred to an American psych center instead of a Wakandan prison." "I'm not saying it's impossible. There would have to be safeguards."

- Tony Stark to Steve Rogers

Stark was in the Joint Counter Terrorist Centre in Berlin when the Accords were to be finalized. During this time, he had asked Vision to keep Wanda Maximoff in the New Avengers Facility in order to protect her, after her accident in Lagos had resulted in her US Visa being removed. Steve Rogers, Sam Wilson, Bucky Barnes and the prince of Wakanda, T'Challa, were arrested and were brought to the JCTC. There, Stark tried once again to convince Rogers to sign the Sokovia Accords. He told him about his breakup with Pepper Potts and that even though he was mad at him, he still needed Rogers. Stark assured him that Barnes would be taken to an American psychiatric facility as opposed to a prison for his involvement in the Bombing of the Vienna International Centre, if he signed. He also said that he had filed a motion to have Rogers and Maximoff reinstated. Rogers asked about her, so Stark explained that Vision kept her safe confined at the avengers compound. Rogers was furious at the idea and compared it to Japanese Internment during World War 2. Stark retorted that he was doing it to save them from something worse, but Rogers refused to compromise and walked out of the room. During Barnes' psychological assessment, a power failure occurred and Barnes freed himself and tried to escape. Stark engaged him backed up by Natasha Romanoff and Sharon Carter. Stark used his gauntlet to fight him, but Barnes managed to overpower him. Barnes escaped, but Stark knew Barnes was most likely with Rogers, who, along with Wilson, had also escaped custody. Thaddeus Ross informed him that a special force unit would deal with Rogers, but Stark convinced him to let him bring them in. He gave Stark 36 hours before lethal force would be utilized against Rogers. Romanoff said to him that they were understaffed but Stark insisted they had plenty of time to recruit people. Romanoff approached T'Challa to ask for his help, while Stark flew to New York City.

Recruiting Peter Parker
"So you wanna look out for the little guy. You wanna do your part. Make the world a better place all that, right?" "Yeah just looking out for the little guy. That's-That's what it is."

- Tony Stark and Peter Parker

Having learned about the "Spider-Man" that was protecting New York City, Stark deduced his true identity as Peter Parker and visited him at home. He waited for him to return from school where he openly flirted with his aunt, May. As Parker returned, Tony persuaded him to trick his aunt into thinking that Peter had applied for Stark's scholarship. Stark entered his room with Parker and was impressed by how Parker used the technology he had retrieved from the trash. Stark showed Parker videos of him as Spider-Man saving civilians. Parker denied it but Stark found his Spider-Man Suit and equipment. Stark asked him if anyone knew who he was, but Parker denied it saying he only wanted to use his powers for the benefit of the people. Impressed, Stark asked him if he wanted to go to Germany, mildly blackmailing him by joking to tell May Parker. When Peter agreed to help, Tony built him a new mechanical suit and flew with Parker back to Germany.

Clash of the Avengers
"I'm trying to keep you from tearing the Avengers apart." "You did that when you signed." "Alright, I'm done. You're gonna turn Barnes over and you're gonna come with us. Now! Because it's us! Or a squad of JSOC, guys, with no compunction about being impolite."

- Tony Stark and Steve Rogers

Stark learned of Steve Rogers's plan to escape from the Leipzig-Halle Airport, so he and his teammates evacuated the airport and waited for Rogers and his team. Rogers showed up and Stark, with his new armor, War Machine, Black Widow and Black Panther before attempting diplomacy with Rogers, trying to convince him to turn over the Winter Soldier and surrender before lethal force would be taken against the captain, but found that the negotiation was going nowhere. As a result, Stark called in Spider-Man to steal Captain America's Shield and to tie Rogers' hands, forcing him to listen but Rogers remained uncompromising. Hawkeye then used an arrow to free Rogers before Ant-Man, hidden on the shield, returned it to Captain America. The Mark XLVI's sensors then detected the rest of the renegades making for the Quinjet. Stark flew off to confront Hawkeye and Scarlet Witch before ordering Spider-Man to keep his distance and web up his foes from afar. Stark used his missiles to stop his targets in their tracks before joking that Maximoff had hurt Vision's feeling as she escaped from the New Avengers Facility before casually greeting Barton and joking about the man's perfect aim. Barton then deliberately fired an arrow to miss Tony, leaving Iron Man open to being pinned under several cars by Maximoff. Freeing himself, he helped Romanoff up after she, T'Challa, and Rhodes had nearly been killed by Rogers and Lang. Seeing the single mindedness that was driving Rogers, Stark was left with no choice but to call in his trump card: Vision. The android fired a powerful burst from the Mind Stone to try and cow Rogers into submission before offering him a final chance to surrender. Regrouping his team, Stark stood across from Rogers to try and force his ally to stand down by emphasizing how intolerant the world governments were becoming of his crusade. Rogers refused again, forcing Stark to order his team into battle with the directive to capture their renegade teammates alive. Stark engaged Captain America in melee combat before Hawkeye fired an explosive arrow at the Mark XLVI to no effect. Stark later chose to attack Falcon, before Hawkeye fired a volley of arrows at Stark. The Mark XLVI's systems were able to easily trace the path of the arrows and destroy them but as Stark prepared to take down Barton, the left repulsor failed. Demanding an update from F.R.I.D.A.Y., she tracked the problem to Ant-Man having entered the suit before she ejected him via the usage of fire retardant foam sending him falling several hundred feet. When it became clear Stark's team would win the battle Ant-Man inverted his powers and grew to sixty feet in height. Falcon then attacked Stark, sending the Redwing drone to stun Stark. While the drone threw off Stark's flight plan, it shattered against the armor.

Working with War Machine and Spider-Man, the three managed to knock down the giant Ant-Man recreating a moment from The Empire Strikes Back. As he fell, Lang had managed to knock Parker onto the concrete from a great height prompting Stark to check on him. When he was satisfied with Parker's state he sent him back to New York threatening to call May Parker if the enhanced youth did not listen before Stark flew off to chase after the hijacked Quinjet containing Captain America and the Winter Soldier. He was backed up by War Machine in his pursuit before Falcon began following them. Rhodes ordered Vision to destroy Falcon's flight gear with the Mind Stone but the android miscalculated and shot out War Machine's Arc Reactor. As Rhodes fell toward the ground, Stark changed direction and tried to save his friend but was unable to catch him in time before he crashed. He immediately ordered F.R.I.D.A.Y. to scan for life signs and she contacted emergency medical personnel when she found Rhodes was still alive. Wilson also landed and told Stark he was sorry, but Stark vented his rage at Rogers' faction and actions on Sam by blasting him with a repulsor decisively ending the fight in favor of Stark's team.

The Raft
"Clearly, I made a mistake. Sam, I was wrong." "That's a first." "Cap is definitely off the reservation and he's about to need all the help he can get."

- Tony Stark and Sam Wilson

Sending Peter Parker back to Queens, Stark, Natasha Romanoff and Vision retreated to the New Avengers Facility, checking on Rhodes' current state. Stark asked how Vision could make a mistake like that and Vision admitted he was distracted, which neither he nor Stark had known could happen. He was then approached by Romanoff, whom he told he was disappointed she had let Steve Rogers escape, inadvertently leading to Rhodes' accident. He told her that T'Challa had informed Thaddeus Ross about her betrayal, and that the government would likely come to arrest her. When she insisted Stark was wrong, he scoffed at her biases toward Rogers before denouncing her as a friend and commenting that betraying people was the only thing Natasha was good at. He made no attempt to help or detain her as she fled the facility to go underground showing he was losing faith in his former teammates. In order to find Rogers, Stark went to visit the Raft, where Sam Wilson, Clint Barton, Wanda Maximoff and Scott Lang were imprisoned for the airport's destruction. On his way to the prison, F.R.I.D.A.Y. informed Stark that the therapist who was supposed to do Bucky Barnes' psychological evaluation in Berlin, had been killed and replaced by Helmut Zemo from Sokovia. She told him that Zemo had also framed Barnes for the Bombing of the Vienna International Centre. Although Ross did not believe Stark, he let him to speak to the prisoners. Barton was enraged at Stark's supposed betrayal of his former teammates and Lang said that Hank Pym was right about never trusting the Starks. Stark retorted he had not forced Barton into anything and the man had abandoned his family of his own accord as well as having no idea who Lang was or what he was talking about. As he approached Wilson, Stark asked him to tell him where Rogers had gone. Wilson did not want to do it, but Stark admitted he was wrong not to listen earlier and that he wanted to help Rogers. After Stark knocked out the audio feed, Wilson told him that Rogers was heading for the a HYDRA base in Siberia. Knowing Ross would be of no aid, Stark withheld the information before he donned the Mark XLVI in his helicopter and flew to Siberia.

Battle of the HYDRA Siberian Facility
"This isn't going to change what happened." "I don't care. He killed my mom."

- Steve Rogers and Tony Stark

Entering the HYDRA Siberian Facility, Stark saw Steve Rogers and Bucky Barnes searching for Helmut Zemo. He agreed to put aside the arrest warrant for the two to help them find Zemo before he could use the Winter Soldiers. Upon reaching the main room however, the Mark XLVI's thermal scanners revealed that Zemo had killed the Soldiers instead before the man revealed himself within a bunker where he explained that he had successfully managed to bring Stark to the base, after a year of planning. Rogers realized that Zemo was from Sokovia and wanted revenge because of the battle there. Blaming the Avengers for the loss of his family during the battle, he had orchestrated a plot to tear them apart from the inside. Zemo then played video footage of the night that Stark's parents died, revealing that HYDRA used the Winter Soldier to assassinate them to steal the Super Soldier Serum in their car trunk. Stark demanded Rogers to tell him if he had known that Barnes had killed his parents. Rogers responded that he had known they were killed by HYDRA but was unaware that Barnes had been the killer. Tony instantly saw through the lie and demanded the truth forcing Rogers to reveal that he had known it had been Barnes for years but hid that fact to protect Barnes from Stark's anger.

Already enraged by the fallout of Rogers' questionable and biased actions over the past few days, Stark snapped and attempted to murder Barnes to avenge his parents. Acknowledging their friendship, he tried to force Rogers out of the fight using both the hand clamps and the laser but Rogers refused to stand down even deflecting a lethal repulsor back at Tony, disabling the suit's targeting system. As he could no longer target Barnes with his missiles, Stark opted to trap him within the bunker before crushing him under the Mark XLVI's weight. Before he could, Rogers tackled him mid-fall separating the Avenger leader from Barnes and sending him to the ground floor with Rogers. Here Tony stated in no uncertain terms that he was done listening to Rogers before overpowering him in melee combat before Barnes intervened turning the fight into a two on one brawl.

Stark responded to the uneven odds by blasting Rogers with a repulsor, leaving him convulsing in pain for approximately two minutes, before he was forced against the wall by Barnes. The Winter Soldier attempted to remove the suit's main Arc Reactor with his robotic arm before Tony simply unleashed the Unibeam disintegrating the majority of the limb before seemingly killing Barnes with a standard blast. A recovered and enraged Rogers stormed at Stark, deflecting repulsor fire with his shield before forcing Tony back against the wall and pummeling him relentlessly. Realizing he was incapable of competing with Rogers in close quarters hand to hand combat, Stark ordered F.R.I.D.A.Y. to analyze Rogers' movement patterns to find weaknesses to exploit. Once she had done so, Tony blew away the shield and brutally beat Rogers to his knees. Defeated, Rogers tried to appeal to Tony's friendship before Stark commented that Rogers' decisions over the past few days had made them enemies before giving Rogers a final chance to stand down. As Rogers stood unyielding, Stark realized he would never stand down and charged a repulsor to kill him. A still alive Barnes grabbed Stark's boot before he could fire before Stark broke his nose with the boot. This distraction allowed Rogers to turn the tide of the battle, using his shield to destroy the Mark XLVI's helmet and the main Arc Reactor. Left running on the suit's backup miniature Arc Reactors, Stark was unable to continue fighting but claimed that Rogers did not deserve his shield, since his father had made it. Rogers dropped his Vibranium shield, returning it to the Stark family, and left the scene with Barnes, leaving Stark behind.

Picking Up The Pieces
"Tony, we have a problem." "Ah, please hold."

- Thaddeus Ross and Tony Stark

At the New Avengers Facility, Stark developed new technology to help James Rhodes to walk again as they discussed the fallout of the Accords and their belief that they'd done the right thing. Stark then received a package from the mailman, who misread his name as "Tony Stank" to Rhodes's amusement.

Tony opened the package, finding a cell phone and a letter from Steve Rogers, apologizing for keeping the truth about Stark's parents from him, telling Stark if he would need Rogers' help in private, he and the rest of his team were just a phone call away. By this time, Rogers freed the imprisoned Avengers team from the Raft and Thaddeus Ross called Stark for help. Having calmed down slightly, Stark put Ross on hold by pretending to be busy on something else, letting Rogers and his Avengers team escape successfully.

Hosting NBA Finals Party
"Did you invite the kid?" "You said keep it sophisticated." "Why do you hate fun?"

- Tony Stark and Happy Hogan

Back at Avengers Tower, Stark is deciding what he should to wear for party he was hosting for the with Happy Hogan. Hogan asked Stark for his approval on the new party guest list which he had been put in charge of, with Stark then suggesting inviting Peter Parker, which Hogan is reluctant to do but Stark insisted. Stark asked Hogan which jacket he should wear and Hogan advised he go for a third option, prompting Stark to order him to leave. As the party went ahead with DJ Khaled and Magic Johnson being some of the attendees along with Tim Duncan and various other celebrities. When the game started, Stark, instead of watching the game at the tower, decided to go to the arena and watch the game. When Parker arrived at the tower, he was disappointed to see Stark on the Television screen instead of at the party. During the game, Stark turned to the camera and blew it a kiss.

Personality
"You stood by my side all these years while I reaped the benefits of destruction. Now that I'm trying to protect the people I've put in harm's way, you're going to walk out?" "You're going to kill yourself, Tony. I'm not going to be a part of it." "I shouldn't be alive... unless it was for a reason. I'm not crazy, Pepper. I just finally know what I have to do. And I know in my heart that it's right."

- Tony Stark and Pepper Potts

Many people in the media think that Tony Stark is only just an egocentric playboy. But it is shown throughout the series that Tony does actually care for people, especially his friends. Although Tony causes trouble on occasion, he is more than willing to make up for his mistakes, which is also why he became a superhero. Charming, brilliant, and cocky, Tony is a classic playboy, with his wealth, power, and natural charm allowing him to get just about any woman he wants. But despite his rather carefree and overly confident personality, inside Tony's heart lies loneliness, as Ho Yinsen pointed out: "A man that has everything, but has nothing".

Before his kidnapping, Tony was a self-centered, arrogant person who didn't care for many people other than his closest friends. During the following years, however, Tony has matured, gradually becoming more of a team player and becoming somewhat less arrogant. He even began opening up and having a real relationship with Pepper Potts. Tony's exploits as Iron Man have lead him to reevaluate his life, thus Tony now strives to use his inventions in a more responsible and considerate way. A textbook example of a Byronic hero, he never fully let go of his character flaws, however, using them to push him forward as a reminder to do better and often making self deprecating jokes or comments. His experiences while imprisoned by the Ten Rings, especially his injury and seeing his weapons being used by terrorists, hardened Tony into a brave and determined fighter, despite his sarcastic and enthusiastic personality remained intact. As such, he was shown to show little to no concern for the lives of his enemies, causing him to casually kill any enemy in his sight.

Even after starting a new life as a superhero, Tony's showy personality has never fully changed - as shown in rendering the Iron Man suit with hot-rod red and gold, and in revealing his identity in public, despite being told not to. Tony has also shown a strong liking towards heavy metal and rock music groups like Black Sabbath, AC/DC, and Queen. He also shows signs of being a gearhead owning and modifying several expensive cars, having a particular liking towards the Audi R8 model line.

Tony is also known for being exceptionally intelligent and innovative, having built an Arc Reactor from scratch in Afghanistan. His intellect has earned him the "Da Vinci of Our Time" nickname, and his inventions of Stark Industries have revolutionized technology for mankind. His past as a businessman had turned him into a very pragmatic individual always taking the quickest, most efficient way out of a problem commenting to Steve Rogers that he would simply "cut the wire" if given the choice. This behavior put him at odds with the majority of the Avengers during the Avengers Civil War as they were unwilling to compromise and negotiate with the United Nations regarding the Sokovia Accords which Tony viewed as the easiest way to continue the Avengers' mission of saving people and appease the public's growing fear and unease regarding the team. As a result of this negotiator attitude, Tony was one of three Avengers to not become a fugitive by the end of the Civil War and allowed to continue saving people with the support of the United Nations. This pragmatism extended to his fighting style. When confronted by terrorists holding people hostage he simply switched to a more accurate weapon to kill his foes. During the Avengers Civil War, he displayed this again, having the Mark XLVI scan Captain America's fighting style for weaknesses as well simply blasting the Captain away when he and Barnes attempted to tag team Stark and often using his repulsors to enhance his melee combat.

Even though he can appear to be self-obsessed, Tony can also be a great friend and occasionally shows affection toward his teammates. Hence, Tony was the only Avenger who encouraged Bruce Banner to embrace his identity of Hulk as a blessing rather than a curse, and trusted him to make good use of Hulk's powers. He has also adopted a mentor role towards the young Peter Parker, seeing himself in the young hero and helping him become better by designing an advanced Spider-Man suit and quietly teasing him about his Aunt May whom Stark considers attractive. Tony was caught up by the terrifying vision of Scarlet Witch, he was possessed with great fear of losing all his friends on the Avengers team, and having to live after they had all been murdered. During battle, Tony tries his hardest to protect his allies, risking his own life if he has to, notably when he personally carried a nuclear missile through the Tesseract's portal. During the Avengers Civil War, however, he became distant and hardened towards his former teammates for their stubbornness despite letting them escape the Raft.

After the Battle of New York, Tony developed a strong fear, that in this new world of "gods" and "aliens", he would be unable to protect the ones he loves, which induced him to become paranoid and full of anxiety. which, in turn, influenced Tony to build first the Iron Legion, and then the Ultron artificial intelligence so the only threats against Earth were from Earth. Despite good intentions, Tony's plans to protect people tend to cause problems at times, most notably after his creation Ultron violently rebelled against humankind, requiring the combined might of Tony and his Avengers teammates to bring down. These attacks that resulted in thousands of civilian casualties appears to have changed Stark's attitude as he appears more responsible, serious and hardened, despite his mischievous, wise-cracking nature still remaining dominant. This was seen during his visit to the Raft where he steadfastly refused to take Clint Barton's bait and be reduced to petty insults instead maintaining a calm and controlled exterior as well as casually telling Ant-Man that he had no idea who he and Hank Pym were. His fear, however, would tend to create rifts between him and those who he was close to, such as Pepper Potts, and eventually lead to in-fighting within the Avengers during the time of the Ultron Offensive and Sokovia Accords.

Compared to his fellow Avengers however, he was very forward thinking always seeing a "big picture", willing to take risks, compromise his morals and dabble in shades of grey to achieve results. As seen with the Sokovia Accords, Tony was willing to endure hardships in the present to build a better future. This behavior often put him at odds with his fellow Avengers, especially Steve Rogers, who were content with the status quo. Combined with his unpredictability, some people such as Scarlet Witch thought he was destructive when in reality, he was simply running into some errors during his attempts to plan ahead. Eventually, some, especially Thor learned to appreciate these traits when it resulted in Vision, a being Mjølnir deemed worthy to wield it.

During times of great stress and frustration, Stark could become very short tempered and intolerant of those whom he considered his intellectual inferiors for delaying a solution to the problem either mocking/berating them or ignoring them entirely. This behaviour extended to both allies and foes. During the Ultron Offensive, he fearlessly mocked Thor to his face for being short sighted despite the Asgardian lifting him by the neck seconds earlier. After Ultron, he became better at controlling this aspect of his personality but never fully let go of it as seen when he argued with Steve Rogers in the JCTC headquarters.

Tony was much closer to his mother, Maria Stark, than to his father. During his fight with the Winter Soldier, avenging her was his priority. When Rogers tried to stop Tony from attacking Barnes, Tony simply responded with "I don't care. He killed my mom". Tony had very mixed feelings about his father, he felt Howard was "cold and distant" only to later find out Howard wanted Tony to complete his work with the Arc reactor and he chose to honor his father's wishes. Tony later defended Howard's memory by stating the Captain America's shield was Howard Stark's property and that Rogers had proven unworthy of wielding the weapon by defending the Winter Soldier.

Following the Avengers Civil War, Stark adapted into a new role: that of a mentor to the inexperienced superhero, Peter Parker. He connected with Parker due to the similarities between that of him and Stark such as his love of technology and heroic deeds yet also sees his own flaws growing within Spider-Man and does his best to stop him from making the same mistakes Iron Man himself has made in the past. Like mentors, Stark encourages Parker to be more forward-thinking, advancing his technology and banters him regarding his attractive Aunt May whom Stark flirts with. However, he can also be strict regarding his treatment such as not allowing him the full capabilities of his Spider-Man suit and later taking it back when his recklessness and over-reliance on the suit itself caused innocent lives to be put at risk, yet this was with the intent of making Parker a better hero than Tony ever was.

Though considered a hobby, obsession or part of his itinerary, Stark considers the relationship between the Iron Man Suit and himself to be symbiotic, in that he and the suit himself are one. By the time of Aldrich Killian's terrorist attack, he had designed 42 variations of the armor as well as having stylized them with their own color designs, personalities and names. He often referred to his suit as "he" when he was remotely controlling it with Potts and exclaimed when the suit's finger was pulled off, claiming it would hurt him. This is further supported during the Avengers Civil War where his suit loses its bulk and designs them to be more form-fitting like it's his second skin. However, he does claim after the Clean Slate Protocol that despite being without his suits and wealth, he is still Iron Man.

Powers and Abilities
Tony Stark does not possess any innate powers, instead, he uses a miniature version of the Arc Reactor to charge his various suits that provide him with superhuman strength, endurance, durability, and a variety of weapons. His original technology combined with his extraordinary intelligence makes Tony Stark one of the most formidable superheroes and a force to be reckoned with.

Design
With the exception of the Mark I Iron Man armor, almost all of the Iron Man suits share a common design and capability set. The suit is a powered exoskeleton with armored plating, capable of enhancing the wearer's strength, speed, agility, and endurance. The suit is powered by a miniaturized Arc Reactor, either using the one surgically installed in Tony Stark's chest or else built into the chest-piece of the armor itself.

The original armor, Tony Stark created the Iron Man Mark I while in captivity in Afghanistan. As such, it is crudely designed and bulky, but still had the necessary capacity to help him escape his captors. It is bullet-proof, has two built-in flame-throwers, a rocket launcher, as well as rocket boosters for jumps, albeit the boosters were faulty and malfunctioned almost immediately after activation. Like all of Stark's armors, this suit enhanced Stark's physical strength beyond the capabilities of any human, allowing him to effortlessly overpower and kill humans, break stone, bend metal and both lift and press many tons. Durability, resilience, stamina and endurance is also raised to inhuman levels, allowing Stark to be unfazed by bullets, tank shots, explosions, and extreme amounts of impactive force, such as impact from falling at high altitudes. It is notable that this version of the armor, unlike the later Mark 2 and Mark 3 armors, does not have an onboard AI system or internal diagnostic display.

The helmet served only as a simple shield, and was not fully sealed. Stark refashioned the special iron-copper-magnesium alloy from disassembled Stark mortar cannons into the Mark I armor, rendering it essentially bulletproof. To power the thruster boots, Stark reportedly siphoned the propellant fuel from four Stark S-class ballistic missiles into two Stark M-class mortars, creating two homemade fuel tanks, welded shut except for valves connecting fuel hoses that led down to the Mark I's legs.

The later model armors' helmet features a retractable visor that delivers a holographic, augmented-reality (AR) display to the wearer. The features of the helmet resemble a human face, with eyepieces and a mouth slit showing the point where the face plate meets the jaw.

The armor's primary weapon, as well as means of propulsion, are repulsors built into the hands and feet. The foot repulsors provide the majority of the propulsion force while the hand repulsors are used as flight stabilizers. Given the intense heat and concussive pressure produced by the repulsors, the ones built into the hands are often used as weapons. When need be, the unibeam repulsor built into the chest-piece can be charged to deliver a powerful, destructive blast.

The Mark II armor was built from basic titanium alloys, giving it a silver sheen. From the Mark III onward, he used a gold-titanium alloy to provide the necessary power-to-weight ratio coupled with the ability to resist icing at high altitudes. As the gold-colored suit seemed a bit ostentatious, Stark took to coloring certain parts of the armor hot-rod red to tone it down a bit without losing the flare he was known for. Later suits were colored a variety of colors, from blue to black to green and even yellow and purple.

Up through the design of the Mark XI, Stark stuck with a basic design and aesthetic, merely improving on the technology and increasing the capabilities. From the Mark XI onward, he began specializing the armor's capabilities, beginning with stealth systems. By the time he built the Mark XV, he began giving the armors individual names to better identify them among the ever-growing set and in terms of the armor's specialized armors abilities.

Iron Man Armors
Tony used his advanced high tech armor to become Iron Man. The armor allows him to fly and contains various weapons for battle. He frequently improves the armor, giving it upgrades for battles and to perfect the systems. Iron Man wears a sophisticated suit of body armor containing various offensive weaponry.

He has a number of suits aside from the current model. Some are mission-specific or prototypes for testing, others are older models kept for nostalgia or for research. He has developed a special briefcase to carry his armor in.

As the multi-billionaire head of a global corporation and a genius-level inventor, Stark can procure or develop additional technology as needed as possible. The Iron Man Armor is arguably one of the most powerful forms of weapons technology developed by Tony Stark on the planet.

Alone, the Mark I was sufficient enough to allow him to go through armed terrorists in order to escape. The Mark II was sufficiently powerful enough to go toe to toe with a more advanced and updated version of the armor (the Mark IV). The Mark III was able to easily dispatch some of the Ten Rings terrorists with ease and battle the Iron Monger suit, however, with some difficulty (due to the fact that it was powered by the first generation mini-Arc Reactor and the Iron Monger was powered by the second Arc Reactor he made upon his return). The Mark V, while lacking additional weaponry and flight capabilities, was still able to take on Vanko while he was just utilizing just the Whiplash harness and Stark relying on his repulsors. The Marks VI and VII proved to be the most powerful generation suits used by Stark.

They were powerful enough to battle hordes of Hammer drones, Vanko with his own advanced armor, survive and battle two Asgardian gods (Thor and Loki, respectively) and hordes of alien foot soldiers and large transports (the Leviathan) with ease. The Marks 8 through 42 proved to be equally powerful generation suits as they were able to battle nano tech-enhanced human soldiers who themselves had enough strength to match any of the armors.

Support Powers

 * Flight: One of the armor's most important features is its propulsion system and subsequent ability of flight. The armor can reach speeds as high as Mach 3 in moments. It also has variable control surfaces for active flight control by J.A.R.V.I.S. to automatically stabilize the armor in flight. The armor is able to fly at speeds more than 1500 miles per hour. However, the armor shows it can fly at supersonic speeds at the drop of a hat. By the time of the Battle of New York, the Mark VII armor's flight system was improved with additional boosters on the back. It enables the armor to quickly evade enemy attacks, go faster, and also the ability to better maneuver himself and shoot while in flight; due to the fact that he doesn't have to use his hands to keep himself stabilized all the time now. He was able to reach Tennessee from California in a matter of a few hours.
 * Superhuman Strength: When inside the armor, it amplifies the user's physical strength, allowing Iron Man to lift in excess of 100 tons. Most armors are strong enough to lift and bench press tanks, S.H.I.E.L.D. transporters, cars, or any other heavy objects. Iron Man was also able to fight Ultron's second robotic body, and, when his strength was temporarily boosted by Mjølnir's lightning (increasing his suit's power to over 400% capacity), Iron Man was able to hold his own against the mighty Asgardian Thor. A more unique feat of strength is Tony inside the Mark VI pushing one of the rotors of the S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier.
 * Superhuman Reflexes: While not on par with that of someone with genuine superhuman speed and reflexes like Spider-Man, Iron Man's armors nonetheless have motors for movement, and they are shown to be extremely fast and responsive both in flight and during combat, even against physically enhanced opponents such as Captain America or the Winter Soldier. The suit's coordination and dexterity allows the user to easily maneuver themselves and change directions with great ease during flight.
 * Armor Systems: The armor has remote assistance from J.A.R.V.I.S. who manages the armor's systems at Stark's command, and the armor also has a holographic HUD with heads-up displays for navigation, power level, armor status, weapons systems, vital signs with cellphone and computer connections in the helmet, and a built-in loudspeaker. The armor is powered by a miniature Arc Reactor and has an onboard generator for emergencies. The scanner systems are capable of scanning the environment, weather conditions, and equipment for information.
 * Energy Conversion Power Recharge: The armor is able to absorb and convert energy sources, such as heat, kinetic energy or energy from the planet itself into electricity, directly into the batteries for recharge. Thor struck it with a full lightning blast from Mjølnir, but Stark was amazed to find that all it did was charge up the suit to 475%, allowing him to use a powerful repulsor blast and increase his strength substantially enough to give Thor a decent fight.
 * Self-Contained Life-Support System and Environmental Protection: The armor can be completely sealed for operations in vacuums or underwater, providing its own life support. It is also shielded against radiation. The armor is shown to be capable of operating underwater, but not designed for deep space travel (However, Tony has a new specialized armor designed to help with that situation).
 * Heads Up Display (HUD): The Heads-Up display shows important things for the suit. The Heads Up Display of the Iron Man suit is powered by F.R.I.D.A.Y., Stark's artificial intelligence. The Suit also has Defensive and Offensive sections, able to switch around the sections, resorting to missiles and lasers. The HUD can also be talked to, and F.R.I.D.A.Y. will reply to it. The HUD can scan people, missile identifications, make calls, and give crucial suit credentials such as power. The HUD also has navigational (GPS) support. The suit also has radio capabilities, shown by Tony Stark talking to the Avengers as well as Nick Fury and Maria Hill at the S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier.
 * Armor Summon: Thanks to the new repulsor flight system, as well as the magnetic implants embedded in Tony's forearms, individual pieces of the armor can self-assemble themselves on to Tony or others. Tony is able to remotely summon the Mark XLII to Pepper for her to wear after his home was attacked by the Mandarin's forces. Tony summons the Iron Legion to fight against Aldrich's Extremis solders at the oil drilling platform. Tony is forced into confronting Killian, whom he attempts to defeat by ordering the suit to assemble itself on Killian and then self-destruct. This fails to kill him. Pepper intervenes, using her new Extremis abilities, as well a repulsor shot from a captured Iron Man gauntlet to finish off Killian once and for all. He was also able to use this to summon the gauntlet of the Mark XLIII to pick up Loki's Scepter and also once more defend himself against Steve Rogers' attack during the creation of Vision as well as the chest piece.

Defensive Powers

 * Durability: The armor is made up of a strong light weight Titanium Alloy, with interlocked plates for the shell, and a chest plate protecting the Arc Reactor. It has been shown to withstand tremendous amounts of punishment. The armor can withstand tank shells exploded in close proximity to Stark, and a resulting fall from several thousand feet up, followed by hits by 20mm Vulcan shells and a high speed collision with a F-22 Raptor with only minimal cosmetic damage. It was able to survive a full-on fight with an older generation suit throughout Stark's house, the fights with the Hammer Drones and Whiplash, and having several cars dropped on top of him by Scarlet Witch, all of which resulted in taking relatively minor damage. Most of all, it protects the wearer from the effects of extreme g-force. It even allows him to withstand some of Thor's attacks, although Thor proved he could crush the suit's gauntlet frame with his strength. He was able to withstand the force of a turbine from the Helicarrier's engines when he got it to work again after removing the debris blocking it. It is also able to withstand a full-on assault from the Chitauri forces' energy weapons. The Mark 42 was able to take damage from having most of Tony's house collapse on him at the bottom of the ocean and being hit by a Mack truck (although, Tony was not in the armor and was remote controlling it).
 * Advanced Combat Analysis: The Mark XLVI armor and component artificial intelligence F.R.I.D.A.Y. have the ability to analyze people's specific fighting patterns, and in turn, find a counter to said fighting style. When Stark proved unable to defeat Captain America in hand to hand combat, he had FRIDAY analyze the pattern of Rogers' moves and find the openings. Once she had done so, Stark brought Rogers down in a matter of seconds.

Offensive Powers
"I think you should lead with that next time."
 * Repulsors: Particle weapons in the palm gauntlets that shoot beams or blasts of concussive and explosive force, allowing them to can repel physical and energy-based attacks. Early repulsors needed time to recharge after use, but, because of the new Arc Reactor, they are able to fire at a moment's notice. The repulsors show to be strong enough to kill regular humans with one strike, destroy most stone and metal objects with ease, and destroy unmanned battle drones. When the suit is charged with additional power, the repulsors are powerful enough to stun even a superhuman with sufficient durability like Thor. It also enabled him to stun Loki on two occasions and take down numerous Chitauri foot soldiers and airships with ease. His repulsors shot down two of the three attack helicopters that destroyed his house and took out Extremis-enhanced soldiers. The repulsors now can fire in the form of segmented bolts and blasts instead of just beams. Also, by the sixth armor, the repulsor's can become small laser like welding beams, which Stark used to install an Arc Reactor for Stark Tower. The ones on the Mark XLVI are capable of launching targets off their feet and can even incapacitate Captain America during their fight.
 * Unibeam: A more powerful version of the repulsor beams. It is located in the chest. However, it requires more power from the Arc Reactor to use and cannot be used as often. He used a blast to kill Eric Savin after the many times Savin had taken several shots from his repulsor blasts. The Unibeam is powerful enough to disintegrate the Winter Soldier's prosthetic arm.

- War Machine


 * Lasers: A powerful weapon in the gauntlet wrists that can cut through any common metal. However, it is not strong enough to penetrate a Leviathan's shell. It has been shown to be very proficient against the Hammer Drones but Stark stated it only had a one-time use. It has been improved and has been used on several occasions in later models. They draw power from the Arc Reactor for more sustained operations, and can theoretically reduce the armor energy reserves to a drained state if operated indefinitely.
 * Smart Mini-guns: Small anti-personnel guns in the shoulders that can target individual targets at once and fire at a moment's notice. It's proved to be highly effective against unarmored foot soldiers. They could be used to incapacitate rather than killing, allowing them to be used to incapacitate HYDRA agents during the assault on Baron Wolfgang von Strucker's research base in Sokovia.
 * Tank-Missile: Among the most proficient of the armor's weapon system are the missiles which he first used against a tank sent by the Ten Rings. The armor holds a multi-fire adhesive grenade launcher in the upper arm. It includes Anti-Tank, Armor-Piercing rounds. In later models, the armor has mini-rockets hidden in a secret compartment in the boosters on the back, that blew up numerous Chitauri ships. Stark was able to destroy a Leviathan by flying into its mouth and launching them throughout its body with missiles in compartments in his knees. He was able to use a missile hit by a repulsor to take down an attacker.
 * Direct Cybernetic Interface: Thanks to micro-repeaters injected into his left forearm, Stark can mentally and remotely control the Iron Man armors beginning with the Mark XLII either as a whole or in pieces with a combination of gestures and thought. This is further augmented by a holographic headset, which allows Stark to see through the Mark XLII's primary camera and allowing for complete remote control of the armor as though he were wearing it. The system was still in the test phases when Stark was forced to use it during his campaign against Aldrich Killian, and had a tendency to fail at random.
 * Armor Link: Stark can mentally command the armor with his thoughts even when he is fully unconscious. The Mark XLII almost attacked Pepper Potts in bed when Stark was having a nightmare. Potts' screams woke Stark in time to shut down the armor. He also can use a holographic headset that mimics the armors heads up display and allows him to remotely control the armor as if he were inside it. He used this headset to remotely pilot the Mark XLII while he was on a speed boat with James Rhodes searching for Killian. He sent the armor aboard Air Force One to battle and kill Eric Savin and save its surviving occupants. Two years later he displayed these abilities with regards to the Mark XLIII, being able to summon pieces of it on telephonic command.

Abilities
"When did you become an expert in thermonuclear astrophysics?" "Last night."

- Maria Hill and Tony Stark

"TONY STARK WAS ABLE TO BUILD THIS IN A CAVE! WITH A BOX OF SCRAPS!" "Well, I'm sorry. I'm not Tony Stark."
 * Genius Level Intellect: At age four Stark built his first circuit board, at age six his first engine, and at seventeen he graduated summa cum laude from MIT. As a child, he built Dum-E and U., his personal lab assistants. Stark is one of the smartest humans in the world, rivaled only by fellow geniuses like Bruce Banner, Hank Pym and Helen Cho.

- Obadiah Stane and William Ginter Riva

"I'm trying to do the job you were meant to do."
 * Master Engineer: Stark is a gifted engineer and has been able to make many complicated inventions at a young age. Even in a cave with very few resources, Stark and Ho Yinsen were able to make the Mark I armor and the first miniature Arc Reactor. Stark made his A.I. system, J.A.R.V.I.S., from scratch. He was also able to program his armors to fly to his body and the bodies of others. Stark was able to use simple supplies he got from a hardware store to build a home-made arsenal which he used to infiltrate the Mandarin's mansion. Stark was able to help Bruce Banner construct the Hulkbuster, create the Ultron AI, download J.A.R.V.I.S. into the Vision android. He was able to help Peter Parker create new Web-Shooters and the Spider-Man Suit, capable of focusing Spider-Man's superhuman senses within less than half a day.
 * Master Scientist: Tony Stark is very resourceful and knowledgeable in many different fields of science, being able to attach an Arc Reactor to his chest in order to save his life, to synthesize a previously unknown element discovered by his father and to modify Maya Hansen's Extremis formula.
 * Expert Hacker: Tony is a highly skilled hacker, as he had managed to crack the Pentagon's firewall, while still in high school.

- Pepper Potts


 * Expert Businessman: At the age of twenty-one, Tony took over Stark Industries because both of his parents had died in a tragic car accident. Since then, Stark has helped the company grow, and get more business partners. Stark is extremely well-respected in the business world, able to command people's attentions when he speaks on economic matters by virtue of the fact that he is savvy enough to have, over the years, built up Stark Industries into the premier weapons supplier to the U.S. military for years. He is known for having his employees' loyalty, as well as his impeccable business ethics. However, upon his return, he now strives to be environmentally responsible in his businesses such as turning away from making weapons.
 * Expert Tactician: Stark has made many split-second decisions that have saved people's lives. Despite preferring to work on his own, Stark has proven to be a skilled and tactful leader when the situation calls for it.
 * Martial Artist: Stark is trained in unarmed combat by Phil Coulson and Happy Hogan, and has become quite formidable on his own when the situation demands it. He was able to hold his own against James Rhodes, a Lieutenant Colonel Air Force Combat Pilot. He was also able to battle Thor almost to a standstill for a time while using the Mark VI armor. Tony further refined his hand-to-hand combat skills and became skilled in martial arts, being able to take down the guards at Aldrich Killian's Mansion with ease using a homemade arsenal, and holding his own to evade and confront the Extremis Soldiers and Aldrich Killian on the Norco. However, Tony's combat skills are still not on par with someone as formidable as the Winter Soldier, who overpowered and knocked out an unarmored Tony rather quickly. However, while he was in his Mark XLVI armor, he was able to take down Bucky with ease and had the upper hand, as well as being able to hold his own against both Winter Soldier and Captain America simultaneously. Tony notably had the assistance of F.R.I.D.A.Y.'s combat analysis in order to hold his own against Captain America's superior fighting skills, though Rogers was still ultimately able to defeat Tony due to a last second distraction.
 * Marksman: Although he usually uses his armor, in some situations Stark is able to wield handguns with ease, using them to escape from A.I.M. operatives while not having access to his armor.
 * Pilot: Stark demonstrates a strong understanding of aerodynamics and air crafts, allowing him to perform complex maneuvers while flying in the Iron Man armor. His aptitude also extends to ground-based vehicles, allowing him to efficiently drive in high-speed racing competitions such as the Monaco GP.
 * Multilingualism: Stark speaks his native English, as well as some French, along with a little Spanish, Italian, and Latin.

Family

 * Grandfather
 * Grandmother
 * Howard Stark † - Father
 * Maria Stark † - Mother

Allies

 * Stark Industries
 * Pepper Potts - Former Girlfriend and Former Assistant
 * Happy Hogan - Close Friend and Former Bodyguard
 * Maria Hill - Employee and Former S.H.I.E.L.D. Deputy Director
 * J.A.R.V.I.S. - Creation, Partner, Assistant and Close Friend
 * F.R.I.D.A.Y. - Creation, Partner and Assistant
 * Christine Everhart - One Night Stand
 * Ho Yinsen † - Fellow Captive and Friend
 * Edwin Jarvis † - Former Butler of the Stark Family
 * Avengers - Former Teammates
 * Iron Man's Team
 * Natasha Ramonoff/Black Widow - Former Assistant (as Natalie Rushman)  and Former Teammate
 * James Rhodes/War Machine - Best Friend and Military Liaison
 * Vision - Creation
 * Captain America's Team - Former Teammates and Temporary Enemies
 * Steve Rogers/Captain America - Former Team Leader, Close Friend and Rival
 * Clint Barton/Hawkeye
 * Sam Wilson/Falcon
 * Wanda Maximoff/Scarlet Witch - Former Enemy and Enthraller Turned Former Teammate
 * Thor - Former Teammate
 * Bruce Banner/Hulk - Collaborator, Colleague and Close Friend
 * Pietro Maximoff/Quicksilver † - Former Enemy Turned Teammate
 * S.H.I.E.L.D. (First Incarnation)


 * Nick Fury - Former Director
 * Phil Coulson - Former Liaison and Friend
 * Jasper Sitwell † (former)
 * Oracle Corporation
 * Larry Ellison
 * Elon Musk
 * Maya Hansen † - Former Love Interest
 * Helen Cho - Friend
 * Harley Keener - Friend
 * Gary
 * Mrs. Davis
 * Erik Selvig
 * Matthew Ellis
 * Laura Barton - Hostess
 * Thaddeus Ross
 * Joint Counter Terrorist Centre
 * Everett Ross
 * Sharon Carter
 * T'Challa/Black Panther
 * Peter Parker/Spider-Man - Recruitment and Mentee
 * May Parker - Hostess

Enemies

 * Obadiah Stane/Iron Monger † - Former Business Partner
 * Ten Rings
 * Raza †
 * Abu Bakaar †
 * Omar †
 * Lina - Love Interest turned Enemy
 * Rodriguez - Ally turned Enemy
 * Hammer Industries
 * Justin Hammer
 * Hammer Drones
 * Ivan Vanko/Whiplash †
 * Loki
 * Chitauri
 * Leviathans
 * A.I.M.
 * Aldrich Killian † - Former Fan turned Enemy
 * Eric Savin † - Victim
 * Ellen Brandt † - Victim
 * Trevor Slattery
 * HYDRA
 * Wolfgang von Strucker †
 * List † - Victim
 * Senator Stern
 * Bruno Horgan/Melter
 * Ultron † - Creation
 * Ultron Sentries †
 * Ulysses Klaue- Former Acquaintance
 * Bucky Barnes/Winter Soldier - Temporary Ally and Attempted Victim
 * Scott Lang/Ant-Man
 * Helmut Zemo
 * Vulture

Trivia

 * When Tony Stark calls Rhodes, the ringtone is the original Iron Man theme song from the.
 * He considers calling his autobiography "A Cheap Trick and a Cheesy One-Liner".
 * Tony Stark's official net worth stands on $12.4 billion.
 * So far, every Marvel Cinematic Universe movie that Bruce Banner was in, Stark was in as well. That theme continues in any film they are mentioned. In Thor, Dr. Selvig mentions a "pioneer in Gamma radiation" and when the Destroyer arrives Agent Coulson questions if it is "Stark's". Vaguely relevant in Captain America: The First Avenger, Stark's father is involved in Project Rebirth, the same program that is recreated by Banner in The Incredible Hulk. During the events of Captain America: The Winter Soldier, both Stark and Banner are mentioned twice: Stark is mentioned as the engineer behind the turbine systems of Project Insight and "Iron Man" is part of the bargain Fury has with Pierce over delaying Project Insight, while Agent Sitwell lists "Bruce Banner" in his Zola Algorithm monologue and Fury mentions Banner as the mind behind Tetrodotoxin B.
 * The reason why Tony's arc reactor changes from an inverted pyramid back to a circular shape in The Avengers is because Director Joss Whedon personally disliked it, so most likely it was only kept in future films to honor continuity (although the inverted pyramid remains within the circular arc reactor if one simply looks close).
 * Starting with the Mark IV (and expecting the Mark V), the armors no longer use Stark's Arc Reactor as a power source. Instead, the suits each have their own individual Arc Reactor as seen when Killian damaged the one powering the Silver Centurion armor and Stark's own Reactor remained unscathed.
 * Tony Stark bookends the Battle of New York. He was the first to shoot back when the Chitauri began streaming through the portal, and ended the battle by hitting the Chitauri Command Center with a nuclear missile.
 * Other than his cameo in The Incredible Hulk, Tony Stark has been grabbed by the throat in every film he appeared in.
 * Stark is prone to dramatic pauses followed by an unemotive "Son of a bitch" in the event of an epiphany, as demonstrated when he realized Loki was seeking to use Stark Tower to mount his assault on New York and the revelation Helmut Zemo had framed The Winter Soldier for murder.
 * Stark has a prototype shield of Captain America.
 * Stark's de-aged appearance in Captain America: Civil War is based on Robert Downey, Jr.'s appearance in the 1987 film .
 * Hawkeye mockingly calling Stark "The Futurist" is a reference to a studio album that Robert Downey, Jr. made in 2004.
 * Method Man mentions Iron Man in his song "Bulletproof Love" in the Luke Cage episode Soliloquy of Chaos.

Behind the Scenes

 * Robert Downey, Jr. was uncredited for his appearance in The Incredible Hulk.
 * Before Robert Downey, Jr. was cast as Tony, and  were interested in playing Iron Man. Cruise, in particular, was going to act in and produce the film. Cage played another Marvel superhero in Ghost Rider. According to Jon Favreau,  and Sam Rockwell are among the actors that were considered for Tony Stark during pre-production. Rockwell would appear in Iron Man 2 as Justin Hammer.
 * Favreau had planned to cast a newcomer in the role but ultimately chose Downey (a fan of the comic) because he felt the actor's past made him an appropriate choice for the part.
 * "The best and worst moments of Robert's life have been in the public eye," the director explained. "He had to find an inner balance to overcome obstacles that went far beyond his career. That's Tony Stark. Robert brings a depth that goes beyond a comic book character who is having trouble in high school, or can't get the girl." Favreau also felt Downey could make Stark a "likable asshole", but also depict an authentic emotional journey once he won over the audience. Downey had an office next to Favreau during pre-production, which allowed him greater involvement in the screenwriting process. He brought a deeper sense of humor to the film not present in previous drafts of the script.
 * Downey stated that he initially pushed Joss Whedon to make Stark the lead in The Avengers, "Well, I said, ‘I need to be in the opening sequence. I don’t know what you’re thinking, but Tony needs to drive this thing.’ He was like, ‘Okay, let’s try that.’ We tried it, and it didn’t work, because this is a different sort of thing, the story and the idea and, the theme are the theme, and everybody is just an arm of the octopus."
 * A recurring theme in the Iron Man films is birthdays. In Iron Man it is Pepper Potts' birthday; in Iron Man 2, it is Tony Stark's birthday, and in Iron Man 3, it is Christmas (Jesus Christ's birthday). It can even be said that in The Avengers it is the "birth" of The Avengers and in Avengers: Age of Ultron it's the "birth" of Ultron and Vision.
 * Throughout The Avengers, Tony is seen wearing a Black Sabbath t-shirt, a reference to the band's song "". Despite the fact the song was created with no link to the Marvel comic, the Iron Man film series have often adapted the song to use in film and advertisements. However, in the novelisation of the first film, Stark chooses the name himself rather than being given it by the press, naming his alter-ego after his favorite song.
 * Actor Simon Williams portrays Tony Stark in-universe. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 features a poster for a biopic of Stark, which is an obvious parody of the poster for the film  starring  in the.