Iron Man: The Junior Novel is a junior novelization of the film of the same name.
Synopsis[]
Billionaire Tony Stark invents a high-tech suit of armor that he hopes will save the world. But when his stolen designs are used for evil, Stark must wear the suit himself. Will his superhero shell be enough to stop a villain bent on destruction, or will Tony's days as Iron Man be his last?
Plot[]
Tony Stark is presented with the Apogee Award for his presentation, but misses it, forcing Obadiah Stane to accept it in his stead while Stark gambles at a casino. James Rhodes finds Stark at the casino and scolds him for the missing the presentation. While Stark continues to gamble, apathetically losing three million dollars, Rhodes attempts to convince Stark to move his weapons presentation the following day from Afghanistan to Nevada, but Stark insists that the Jericho must be demonstrated in Afghanistan. Pepper Potts attempts to work with Stark, but they are interrupted by Christine Everhart, who interviews Stark about his weapons dealing. Stark expresses no regret and walks away from the interview.
Stark arrives late to his plane and gets scolded for it by Rhodes. Rhodes and Stark eat dinner on the flight, and Rhodes tries to explain what it means to him to be in the United States Air Force, but Stark does not want to hear it and makes fun of him. Once they arrive in Afghanistan, Stark gives a demonstration of the Jericho, destroying a mountain with it and impressing the rest of the soldiers. Stark rides back to the plane with the Air Force, but his convoy is attacked by the Ten Rings, who film a hostage video and keep Stark in their base.
Stark wakes up to find his heart being powered by a generator, having been operated on by Ho Yinsen. One of the Ten Rings' leaders, Abu Bakar, demands that Stark build the Jericho for the Ten Rings, but Stark refuses. However, Stark is confronted with the amount of Stark Industries, and Yinsen inspires him to make an escape plan. Meanwhile, General William Gabriel insists that Rhodes return to the United States of America and stop searching for Stark in Afghanistan. Stark requests supplies which he claims are to build the Jericho, but instead makes an ARK Reactor to power his heart more efficiently than the generator.
Stark turns his focus to a new project, continuing to pretend to be building the Jericho. Stark and Yinsen are interrupted by Raza Hamidmi al-Wazar, the Ten Rings' leader, who does not believe that they are building the Jericho. al-Wazar repeatedly beats Yinsen, who insists that they are building the weapon. Once Raza leaves, Stark trusts that Raza can see what they are really building.
Potts overhears that the Air Force is abandoning the search for Stark and yells at Rhodes for giving up. Against Gabriel's advice, Rhodes decides to go to Afghanistan and resume the search himself. Meanwhile, Stark and Yinsen only require a further week of assembly to finish their project. They play backgammon together, when al-Wazar arrives and demands that they finish the weapon the following day. Instead, Stark dons what they had building, a suit of armor which he uses to escape, although Yinsen is killed in the process. Rhodes finds Stark and brings him to Edwards Air Force Base, where he insists on being taken to Stark Industries Headquarters for a press conference.
At the press conference, Stark announces his intention to end weapons development at Stark Industries, upsetting Stane. Stark meets with Stane and suggests they focus on ARK Reactor technology, so Stane suggests that Stark lay low. Stark begins work on a new ARK Reactor for his chest while the Ten Rings begin to find pieces of the armor he used to escape. Stark has Potts help him replace the ARK Reactor, and although Potts suggests he keep the old one, he wants to throw it away. Stark works on building a new armor, and Potts gives him his old ARK Reactor, preserved with an engraving saying "Proof that Tony Stark Has a Heart." Stark meets with Stane, who tells him that the Stark Industries board is planning to push him out of the company and promises to protect him.
Stark finishes his armor and takes it on a test flight, noting several issues including an icing problem at high altitudes. He realizes a fundraiser is occurring in his name and decides to attend, where he sees Potts and dances with her. They step outside, but then Stark returns into the building to get her a drink. Everhart intercepts Stark and reveals that Stark Industries weapons were being used by the Ten Rings to attack the village Gulmira, angering Stark. Stark approaches the press and publicly recommends divesting from the company, angering Stane, who reveals that he is the one trying to push Stark out of the company.
Stark returns to his mansion and finishes the Mark III armor while watching a news report about the attacks on Gulmira. Stark throws a party in Dubai as an alibi as he flies to Gulmira in the new armor and defeats the Ten Rings operatives. He is discovered by the Air Force, who attack him. However, when one of the pilots crashes, Stark saves his life and Rhodes convinces the Air Force not to engage. Stark returns to Dubai, where he asks Potts to take him home.
Stane meets with al-Wazar, who reveals that the Ten Rings had reconstructed Stark's armor and offers it to Stane in exchange for a partnership. However, Stane attacks al-Wazar and takes the armor for himself. Meanwhile, Rhodes goes to Stark's mansion and sees his injuries, asking him to stop interfering, but Stark refuses while Stane begins work on his new armor, demanding that the engineers figure out how Stark miniaturized the ARK Reactor.
Stark convinces Potts to go to Stark Industries Headquarters and make a copy of their files, where she discovers that Stane hired the Ten Rings to kidnap Stark. Stane nearly catches Potts, but she avoids getting caught as the two talk. Stane walks Potts out when Phil Coulson, who had been trying to get a meeting with Potts, arrives. Potts leaves with Coulson while Stane incapacitates Stark and steals his ARK Reactor. Potts tells Rhodes what is happening while Coulson mobilizes several S.H.I.E.L.D. agents to return to Stark Industries.
Stane finishes his armor while Stark struggles to get the old ARK Reactor which Potts had preserved for his heart. S.H.I.E.L.D. breaks into the ARK Reactor room's subbasement and gets attacked by Stane. With Rhodes' help, Stark puts the old ARK Reactor in his chest and leaves to fight Stane. Rhodes decicdes not to don an armor of his own and leaves in one of Stark's cars. Potts escapes the building, but is attacked by Stane. Stark arrives and attacks Stane, realizing that the ARK Reactor is about to meltdown. He has Potts deal with the ARK Reactor while he fights Stane, instructing her on how to fix it. The fight goes to the highway, and Stane crushes Stark, but is stopped when Rhodes drives Stark's car into Stane's leg. The circuit on the ARK Reactor is not complete, so Stark goes to the roof of the ARK Reactor building and completes it, telling Potts to wait until he is off the roof to push the Emergency Master Bypass. However, Stane attacks, so Stark has her press it while he is on the roof, killing Stane.
Stark prepares for a press conference with an alibi prepared by Potts. He considers the "Iron Man" alias which the press had given him and asks Potts about their time at the fundraiser, but Potts does not acknowledge it. Stark walks away, awaiting a new life as Iron Man.
Appearances[]
Characters[]
- Tony Stark/Iron Man
- James Rhodes
- Obadiah Stane/Iron Monger
- Tommy
- Pepper Potts
- Christine Everhart
- Happy Hogan
- Jimmy Ryan
- Ramirez
- Adam Pratt
- Ho Yinsen
- Abu Bakar
- Raza Hamidmi al-Wazar
- William Gabriel
- Khalid
- Phil Coulson
- Ben
- Jarvis
- Jim Cramer
- Zorianna Kit
- Amira Ahmed
- Ezil
- Julius Allen
- Viper One
- Scott Campbell
- William Ginter Riva
Locations[]
- "Vibranium Inventor Tony Stark" Universe
- Earth
- North America
- United States
- Nevada
- California
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology (mentioned)
- Chicago (mentioned)
- United States
- Asia
- Afghanistan
- United Arab Emirates
- Russia (mentioned)
- China (mentioned)
- Switzerland (mentioned)
- Bern (mentioned)
- England (mentioned)
- University of Cambridge (mentioned)
- Ukraine (mentioned)
- North America
- Sun
- Moon
- Earth
Events[]
- Stark Industries Weapons Mongering
- World War II (mentioned)
Items[]
- ARK Reactor
- Jericho
- Stark Industries Fragmentation Shell
- Palladium
- Iron Man Armors
- Sonic Taser
- Iron Monger Armor
- Omnium Steel
- Pick-Lock Device
- Mad Money
- AIM-9 Sidewinder
- Myspace (mentioned)
Vehicles[]
- Ford Flathead Roadster
- Stark Industries Private Jet
- Humvee
- Jeep
- F-22 Raptor
- Porsche
- Avalon (mentioned)
Creatures[]
Organizations[]
- United States Air Force
- Stark Industries
- Ten Rings
- Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement, and Logistics Division
- United States Department of Defense (mentioned)
- FBI (mentioned)
- CIA (mentioned)
- Rolls-Royce (mentioned)
- Tuskegee Airmen (mentioned)
Mentioned[]
Trivia[]
- This book is featured in Iron Man 2: 2-in-1 Novel and The Iron Man Collection. In the The Iron Man Collection, it is narrated by Will Damron.
Behind the Scenes[]
Continuity[]
The junior novelization of Iron Man has substantial differences with the film. Some of these are smaller, such as the film shown at the Apogee Award ceremony being narrated by James Rhodes rather than a separate narrator, the Arc Reactor's name being spelled as ARK Reactor, and the Stark Industries Fragmentation Shell reading "Stark Munitions" rather than "Stark Industries." Other differences are bigger and contradictory with the film. For example, Tony Stark walks away from his conversation with Christine Everhart and does not have sex with her. Furthermore, Stark and Rhodes do not drink on the flight to Afghanistan, but rather eat dinner. Furthermore, Stark does not witness the deaths of the soldiers that were protecting him in the Humvee, but rather sees Rhodes. Furthermore, Stark recognizes Raza Hamidmi al-Wazar without needing introduction. Abu Bakaar's name is changed to Abu Bakar, and he speaks Arabic rather than Dari. Al-Wazar also does not threaten to burn Ho Yinsen, instead repeatedly hitting him. Furthermore, rather than crashing into a wall, Stark's first test of the Mark II armor sends him crashing into a pile of cardboard boxes.
The scene at the fundraiser does not include Phil Coulson, even though Coulson is in the book. During the Battle of Gulmira, Bakar is not present. Rather than save Ezil's father, Stark saves Ezil himself, along with his dog Arto. Stark does not leave an insurgent for the residents to deal with. Furthermore, al-Wazar and Obadiah Stane discuss al-Wazar's superior. Rhodes visits Stark after the Battle of Gulmira, but Pepper Potts yells at him about the Air Force hurting Stark. Rhodes sees Stark injured and asks him to stop out of concern and insists that it is not for them to decide what is right, but Stark claims he is wrong. Furthermore, when Stane nearly catches Potts stealing data, he walks her all the way out of the building. Finally, Stark's alibi for the Duel of Los Angeles is having been on a yacht called the Avalon rather than the city Avalon. This alibi is also provided by Potts, not Coulson.
The novel also includes several deleted scenes from the movie, including one in which Stark loses three million dollars while gambling. In another deleted scene, Rhodes pleads with William Gabriel to allow him to search for Stark in Afghanistan, but Gabriel refuses. The novel also includes the scene in which Stark asks for a washing machine among the materials he claims to need to rebuild the Jericho. However, rather than getting killed like in the deleted scene, Bakar only gets punched as punishment for using the washing machine. The book also includes several scenes in which people from the United States expressed concern for Stark during his kidnapping. It also contains the deleted scene in which Stark holds a party in Dubai, using it as an alibi for the Battle of Gulmira. The novel uses another deleted scene in which Rhodes drives a car into the Iron Monger Armor.
Due to the junior novelization having substantial differences with the events portrayed in the film, this material is deemed to be non-canonical to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The book was sold in Iron Man 2: 2-in-1 Novel, along with Iron Man 2: The Junior Novel, and in The Iron Man Collection, along with Iron Man 2: The Junior Novel and Iron Man 3: The Junior Novel. Since Iron Man: The Junior Novel is compatible with Iron Man 2: The Junior Novel, but Iron Man 2: The Junior Novel is not compatible with Iron Man 3: The Junior Novel, this book is considered to share a universe with Iron Man 2: The Junior Novel.









