For other uses, see Iron Man (disambiguation) |
For other uses, see Tony Stark (disambiguation) |
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- "Yeah, Iron Man!"
- ―Bruce Banner[src]
Anthony Edward "Tony" Stark was a member of the Avengers popularly known as Iron Man. When the Zombie Apocalypse started, Iron Man and the Avengers attempted to quell the outbreak, only to succumb to the Quantum Virus infection themselves. Two weeks later, the zombified Iron Man, Doctor Strange and Wong were in New York City, where they were able to infect Cull Obsidian and Ebony Maw with the virus. Before Iron Man and his zombie allies could infect Bruce Banner however, they were attacked and killed by Wasp and her army of ants.
Biography[]
Early Life[]
Offering a Job[]
- "Last year, Mr. Stark asked me to join the Avengers."
- ―Peter Parker[src]
In 2017, Stark offered Peter Parker, better known by his superhero identity of Spider-Man, a job with the Avengers. Parker declined his offer.[2]
Zombie Apocalypse[]
Attack on San Francisco[]

Iron Man arrives in San Francisco
In 2018, a virus known as the quantum virus spread throughout the United States of America, causing those infected to become zombies. This national health emergency caused Stark to put his differences aside following the Avengers' conflict and reassemble with Steve Rogers, Natasha Romanoff, and Clint Barton. The four were joined by T'Challa and travelled via Quinjet to San Francisco, California to respond.

Iron Man is attacked by a zombie
However, upon arriving on the Golden Gate Bridge, the hordes of zombies proved too much for them to handle, and Stark was quickly overwhelmed by the horde, infected, and transformed into a zombie alongside his fellow Avengers, excluding T'Challa. As a result of the Avengers' infection, the rest of the world soon rapidly fell to the undead.[2]
Attack on Greenwich Village[]

Iron Man reveals himself as a zombie
- "Tony? Boy are you guys screwed!"
- ―Bruce Banner[src]
Two weeks later, the zombified Stark, along with the zombified Doctor Strange and Wong, emerged from a portal in New York City and fought two members of the Black Order, Ebony Maw and Cull Obsidian. After a brief fight, the three zombies overwhelmed the two Black Order members, turning them into zombies as well.

Iron Man prepares to attack Bruce Banner
Stark then turned his attention to Bruce Banner, though before he could shoot him with his repulsor, the Cloak of Levitation arrived and grabbed Stark by the leg, throwing him into Obsidian. Stark then tried to free Doctor Strange from the Cloak's grasp after Wong was killed, only to direct his attention to Banner once Maw telekinetically held him in place.

Iron Man is decapitated by Wasp
Stark and the zombified Black Order members prepared to feast on Banner, though they were attacked by a sudden storm of ants, impairing Stark while killing the other zombies. Just as Stark recovered and attempted to blast Banner with his repulsors, Wasp enlarged in front of him and used her blaster to shoot his head clean off. His head rolled onto the ground and was then eaten by an enlarged ant, much to Banner's disgust.[2]
Powers and Abilities[]
Powers[]
- Zombie Physiology: Stark was infected with an encephalopathic virus that overloaded his brain's limbic system, turning him into a zombie.
- Infection: Like any zombies, Stark is capable of spreading the virus to others via biting or scratching, which would turn them into zombies.
- Iron Man Armor Capabilities: Due to his lack of innate powers as a human, Stark developed various Iron Man armors powered by a miniaturized Arc Reactor to provide himself with various superhuman abilities. His latest armor, the Mark L, harnesses nanotechnology for additional applications.
- Superhuman Strength: Stark was strong enough to tackle down the brute-sized Cull Obsidian to the ground with relative ease.
- Superhuman Durability: Stark managed to withstand much harm after being thrown into Cull Obsidian by the Cloak of Levitation and survived relatively unscathed against Wasp's swarm of flesh-eating ants unlike his fellow zombie allies.
- Superhuman Speed: Stark was able to fly around with remarkable speed while engaging Cull Obsidian and Ebony Maw.
- Superhuman Agility: Stark was able to outmaneuver Cull Obsidian and Ebony Maw before they could successfully retaliate against Stark and his zombie allies.
- Superhuman Stamina: Stark showed no signs of fatigue even as a zombie while fighting the Black Order members and engaging the Cloak of Levitation.
- Superhuman Reflexes: Even while zombified, Stark was quick with firing blasts from his repulsors while trying to shoot down the Cloak of Levitation while it sporadically flew around in the air.
- Flight: Stark could achieve flight via his suit's propulsion system on his feet and hands, using this to gain an upperhand against the Black Order members in New York City.
- Power Suit:
Iron Man aims his repulsor
Abilities[]
- Expert Combatant: Stark was a remarkable fighter capable of going toe-to-toe and even overpowering the likes of Cull Obsidian and Ebony Maw, two of Thanos' strongest warriors.
- Marksman: Stark could aim and shoot his repulsors without requiring his targeting systems, even while infected.
Equipment[]
- Arc Reactor: Stark used an Arc Reactor to power his Iron Man armors.
- Mark L Armor: Stark wore his Mark L armor when he fought against the zombies in San Francisco, retaining it even when he turned into a zombie himself.
- Iron Man Gauntlet: Stark developed a separate gauntlet that functioned similarly to his normal repulsors on his armor. The gauntlet would be acquired and used by Happy Hogan and later Sharon Carter to fend off against the zombies.
Vehicles[]
- Quinjet: Stark and the Avengers took a Quinjet to San Francisco, where they attempted to fight off zombies. However, the Avengers were zombified during the attack.
Relationships[]
Allies[] |
Enemies[]
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Trivia[]
- Iron Man's likeness is based off of Robert Downey Jr.
- Iron Man's character poster for the episode What If... Zombies?! depicts him with an exposed opening in his armor and flesh around his right abdomen. This detail however does not appear in the actual episode.
Behind the Scenes[]
- The death of Iron Man, coupled with those of his counterparts from the third, sixth and eighth episodes, have led many fans to complain to the What If...? creative team in social media, with A.C. Bradley stating that Tony Stark has accidentally become the show's "Kenny McCormick from South Park".[3]
References[]
- ↑ This character's given and middle names are derived from a Variant from Illusion of Tony Stark's Gravestone and thus is conjecturally treated as the same.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 What If...?: 1.05: What If... Zombies?!
- ↑ Marvel's What If…? team reveals season 1 finale intel: There's 'a bigger plan'