Iron Man

: "My armor, it 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[src]
Anthony Edward "Tony" Stark was a billionaire industrialist, a founding member of the Avengers, and the former CEO of Stark Industries. A brash but brilliant inventor, Stark was self-described as a genius, billionaire, playboy, and philanthropist. With his great wealth and exceptional technical knowledge, Stark was one of the world's most powerful men following the deaths of his parents and enjoyed the playboy lifestyle for many years until he was kidnapped by the Ten Rings in Afghanistan, while demonstrating a fleet of Jericho missiles. With his life on the line, Stark created an armored suit which he used to escape his captors. Upon returning home, he utilized several more armors to use against terrorists, as well as Obadiah Stane who turned against Stark. Following his fight against Stane, Stark publicly revealed 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 Ivan Vanko who attempted to destroy his legacy. After the Stark Expo incident, Stark reluctantly agreed to serve as a consultant for 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 joined 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.
The 2013 "Mandarin" terrorist attacks forced Stark to come out of retirement to protect his country, inadvertently putting his loved ones at risk and leaving him defenseless when his home was destroyed. Stark continued his mission, finding Aldrich Killian as the mastermind of the attacks. Eventually, Stark defeated Killian, and was prompted to destroy all of his armors with the Clean Slate Protocol after almost losing Potts. However, when the Avengers were officially demobilized due to the War on HYDRA, Stark built more armors and resumed his role as Iron Man, aiding them in the capture of Baron Strucker and acquiring Loki's Scepter.
Once the threat of HYDRA had been ended, at last, Stark, influenced by Scarlet Witch's visions, built Ultron with the help of Bruce Banner as a new peacekeeping A.I. to protect the world and allow the Avengers to retire. However, Ultron believed that humanity threatened the world and thus, according to his program, decided to extinguish humanity. Through the work of the Avengers, Ultron was defeated, however, not without massive civilian cost and many lives being lost during which Sokovia was elevated into the sky.
After the Ultron Offensive, 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 support the Sokovia Accords. Stark was forced to lead a manhunt for his ally Captain America when the latter began protecting the fugitive Winter Soldier, igniting the Avengers Civil War. The result left the Avengers in complete disarray, especially after Stark learned of the Winter Soldier's role in his parents' deaths. Afterwards, Stark returned to New York to mentor and guide Spider-Man into becoming a better hero than he ever was, also becoming engaged with Potts in the process.
In 2018, when Thanos and the Black Order invaded Earth in their conquest to acquire the six Infinity Stones, Stark, Doctor Strange, and Spider-Man convened to battle Thanos on Titan with the help of the Guardians of the Galaxy. When Stark was held at Thanos' mercy, Doctor Strange surrendered the Time Stone for Stark's life. After the Snap, Stark and Nebula remained the sole survivors on Titan. Stark and Nebula used the Benatar to escape Titan, but were stranded in space as the ship was damaged. They were rescued by Captain Marvel, who brought them back to Earth.
In the five years after the Snap, Stark chose to retire from being Iron Man, marrying Potts and having a daughter, Morgan. When Stark devised a method to safely travel through time and space, he rejoined the Avengers in their mission to acquire the six Infinity Stones from the past in order to resurrect those killed by the Snap, and traveled back in time to retrieve the Scepter and regain the Tesseract. During the Battle of Earth, Stark sacrificed himself to eliminate an alternate version of Thanos and his army, who traveled through time to collect their Infinity Stones, saving the universe from decimation and leaving behind a legacy as one of Earth's most revered superheroes.
== Biography ==
=== Early Life ===
==== Troubled Childhood ====
: "What do you remember about your dad?""He was cold. He was calculating. He never told me he loved me, he 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[src]
Anthony Edward "Tony" Stark was born on Friday, May 29, 1970, in Manhattan, New York City, to Howard and Maria Stark. Stark's early life was often dominated by the absence of his father, who he would later describe as both 'cold' and 'calculating'. Growing up, Stark had issues with Howard, who never told his son that he loved, or even liked him. Since Stark was so young, Howard could not tell his son his plans for him. Howard constantly talked about his admiration for Captain America, which caused Stark to develop hatred and resentment towards the super soldier. On one occasion, a young Stark was playing with a remote control car when he accidentally drove the tiny toy into Howard's foot. Howard slapped it out of his hand in a fit of rage and told him to not have him deal with any nonsense. Stark ran outside and repeated that he wanted to go back to school. His butler, Edwin Jarvis, comforted him, saying that a father and son relationship is difficult to maneuver from both sides. On another, his father scolded him for playing with his toys on the Stark Expo map during Howard's filming of the advertisement. However, Stark had a loving relationship with his mother, who was more gentle and nurturing; he enjoyed hearing Maria play the piano.
At a young age, Stark quickly stole the spotlight with his brilliant and unique mind. When he was four years old, he designed his first circuit board. When he was almost seven, he built a V8 motorbike engine. One thing about Stark's childhood that annoyed him was the nanny who cared for him until he was fourteen. Stark attended Phillips Academy in Andover from 1977 to 1984. While he was in high school, Stark hacked into the Pentagon on a dare by some friends. He was admitted early into Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he met James Rhodes and they became lifelong best friends. At sixteen, Stark won the 4th Annual MIT Robot Design Award, which was his fourth consecutive time winning, after inventing robots which he name Dum-E and U. When he was seventeen, Stark graduated at the top of his class from MIT and was awarded summa cum laude. Twelve hours after arriving home from graduation, Howard talked with Stark, who was outside getting a tan in the pool. Howard pushed his son to start doing things in life, but Tony pushed him away, saying that he has a plan. Edwin Jarvis reminded him that he and Maria needed needed to go. As Howard left, Tony slipped off his raft into the pool. Sometime later, Stark's long-serving family butler, Edwin Jarvis, died.
==== 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 from the newsreels."
: ―Tony Stark[src]
In December 1991, when Stark was just twenty-one years old, he arrived home for Christmas after studying abroad. Howard and Maria prepared to go away to the Bahamas for a few days over the Christmas holiday and leave him home alone, although his father remained skeptical about how responsible Stark would be while they were gone. Sadly, the couple was assassinated by the Winter Soldier in Long Island and HYDRA covered up the incident to be a car crash, leaving Stark in grief and struggling to process this tragedy. Stark was notified of the event the following morning and cooperated with the authorities. As he stood before his parent's caskets, he said that this wasn't part of his plan. For a short while, Obadiah Stane took over as interim CEO of Stark Industries.
=== CEO of Stark Industries ===
==== 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."
: ―Award Ceremony[src]
A month after the death of his parents, at the age of twenty-one, Stark inherited Stark Industries and took over from Obadiah Stane, becoming the youngest CEO of a Fortune 500 company in history. Having built himself a custom mansion, Stark created 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 Edwin Jarvis, whom Stark had often credited for helping to raise him.
Eventually, James Rhodes, now a member of the United States Air Force, became the liaison between Stark Industries and the United States Armed Forces, successfully earning Stark billions of dollars with military contracts. Under Stark's leadership with the aid of 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."
: ―Tony Stark[src]
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 on integrated circuits and rejoined the party as soon as possible. While celebrating, he met a scientist named Ho Yinsen who introduced Stark to Doctor Wu, although he swiftly dismissed them both.
While moving through the hotel with his bodyguard Happy Hogan, Hansen, and a group of female attendees, Stark then arrogantly avoided a gifted but crippled scientist, Aldrich Killian, who wanted his financial backing for a scientific think tank, 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 never turning up, wanting to continue spending time with Hansen.
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 leaning towards one another for a passionate kiss.
However, Hogan inadvertently caused a small explosion by breaking a plant stem, causing a brief moment of panic. Stark sent Hogan away and then slept with Hansen, leaving Killian freezing and humiliated on the rooftop. Stark was unaware of Killian's suffering and woke up the next morning while Hansen was working. He completed her formula for her to fix the combustible glitch in Extremis, before discreetly 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 to James Rhodes, Celeste and Eloise[src]
In 2008, Stark and James Rhodes went to a weapons demonstration at the Yuma Proving Ground, where Stark showed off his product's accelerated wave explosion capability, or "AWE". Pepper Potts then gave the weapon's specifics to the generals while Stark and Rhodes went to a nightclub. Stark enjoyed the company of two girls, Celeste and Eloise, while Rhodes tried to convince him not to go to Afghanistan for the demonstration of Jericho. While dancing, Stark was attacked by a man whose girlfriend he had previously seduced, but Rhodes was able to defeat the attacker. Stark declared that he would be alright in Afghanistan thanks to his friend having his back. Stark, Rhodes and the girls then went to his mansion to continue their party.
==== Final Day of Freedom ====
: "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."
: ―Tony Stark and Christine Everhart[src]
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. After Obadiah Stane gave Rhodes a signal saying that Stark was not there to receive it, he accepted 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. Stark arrogantly accepted the award, but then handed it off to a man masquerading as Julius Caesar.
Right when Stark was about to leave the hotel with his entourage, Christine Everhart ran up and tried to get an interview with him for Vanity Fair Magazine. Having been told by Happy Hogan that Everhart was attractive, Stark agreed to her interview. He deflected her questions on the ethics of Stark Industries' weapons manufacturing with some swift quips. Upon being morally questioned, Stark defended his actions by bringing up his father's achievements in World War II and how the company's deals with the military funded much of its scientific breakthroughs. He then turned to seducing Everhart and the two ended up at his mansion, where they slept together.
Early in the morning, Stark 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. Stark's assistant, Pepper Potts, later arrived in the workshop and reminded him about his trip to Afghanistan. Stark remained complacent, unfazed about being late as it was the Stark Industries Private Jet and therefore would wait for him. Potts then discussed matters which required his attention; a Jackson Pollock he bid on, the MIT commencement speech he was scheduled to give, and a form he needed to sign. When Stark complained about being rushed out, Potts revealed it was her birthday and she had already used his money to buy a present for herself from him, much to Stark's amusement.
Finishing his coffee, Stark then finally left his mansion and drove to the Stark Industries Aviation Division 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 wanting 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 held a small party on the plane. While Rhodes reminisced on his time in the United States Air Force, Stark completely ignored his friend and focused his attention on 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."
: ―Tony Stark to United States Air Force[src]
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 for all of America. 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 Air Force 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 as three soldiers sat with him in awkward silence 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 supermodels before he was asked to take a selfie. Posing for the picture, Stark muttered about loving peace while jokingly asking Jimmy Ryan not to make gang signs.
=== Becoming Iron Man ===
==== Kidnapped by the Ten Rings ====
: "What you just saw... That is your legacy, Stark. Your life's work in the hands of those murderers. Is that how you want to go out? Is this the last act of defiance of the great Tony Stark? Or are you going to do something about it?"
: ―Ho Yinsen to Tony Stark[src]
As Stark's convoy drove through Afghanistan to return to the United States Air Force base, they were suddenly attacked by insurgents who blew up the vehicle 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 rushed 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 missiles 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 backward and lose consciousness. The explosion 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 of the Ten Rings 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 sometime later to find Ho Yinsen in his cell in a cave with him and an electromagnet attached to his chest. Hooked up to a car battery, Yinsen explained that the electromagnet was keeping the shrapnel from entering his heart and killing him. Yinsen went on to explain how they had once met in Bern during the 1999 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 waterboarding him 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 ====
: "It is a miniaturized Arc Reactor. We got a big one powering my factory at home. It should keep the shrapnel out of my heart.""But what could it generate?""If my math is right, and it always is... three gigajoules per second."
: ―Tony Stark and Ho Yinsen[src]
Knowing 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 the Ten Rings Base. 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. 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 and escape the Ten Rings' base. Yinsen was both impressed and inspired by Stark's plan and then assisted him in installing the Arc Reactor inside his chest to supply energy to the electromagnet protecting his heart.
During their downtime, 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 called Gulmira where he had a family who he intended to see once he was free from the base. 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 Hamidmi al-Wazar, the leader of this Ten Rings group who told Stark to relax before admiring his Arc Reactor. Al-Wazar compared Stark's work to that of Genghis Khan who had almost conquered the world. Believing they were lying to him, al-Wazar had Yinsen held down and threatened to put a red-hot coal in his mouth until Stark told him to stop. Al-Wazar agreed and then ordered Stark to finally complete the Jericho missile by the very next 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 al-Wazar 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 ====
: "Thank you for saving me.""Don't waste it. Don't waste your life."
: ―Tony Stark and Ho Yinsen[src]
Soon, the pair enacted their escape plan the Ten Rings Base with Stark being slowly fitted into the armored suit while the power from the new Arc Reactor was being downloaded into the suit. However, the booby-trapped door the pair had rigged with an explosive was set off, killing all 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 soldiers would arrive and kill 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, Stark waited in the shadows as Ten Rings terrorists arrived in the room and searched for them, at which point he revealed himself and used all of his new incredible strength to punch them across the room, with the armor being unaffected by their bullets. Stark began making his way through the cave, killing any Ten Rings terrorist he came across by striking them with his armor. When Stark accidentally trapped his metal arm in a rock-strewn wall, a terrorist attempted to kill him by shooting him point-blank in the head, only for Stark's helmet to deflect the bullet and kill the terrorist instead, giving Stark time to free himself and continue forward on his escape mission.
Coming around a corner near the exit, Stark was mortified to find Yinsen lying mortally wounded having been shot multiple times during the escape attempt. However, Yinsen was just able to warn Stark before Raza Hamidmi al-Wazar fired a rocket launcher at his former hostage. Stark 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.
Stark rushed to Yinsen's side and urged him to get back on his feet so he could go to Gulmira to be reunited with his family. However, Yinsen revealed his family was already dead and he would see them at last in the afterlife. Forced to accept the inevitable, Stark thanked Yinsen for everything he had done for him in saving his life, both physically and morally. With his last words, Yinsen reassured Stark that it would be alright to leave him behind and urged him not to waste his life.
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 then used the suit's flamethrowers to kill several terrorists, and destroy their stockpile of Stark Industries weapons which he despised for being stolen from him to be used against the United States Armed Forces, causing several massive fireball explosions to erupt all around him.
Due to the massive amount of bullets being fired at him, the armored suit was eventually badly damaged by the gunfire, forcing Stark to escape using the jetpacks while the entire base erupted in a massive fireball. Stark 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 suit's remains in the desert.
Stark began making his way through the desert, using his jacket to protect himself from the intense heat until finally, a United States Air Force helicopter flew overhead. Stark yelled out for help and collapsed to his knees, wearily making a peace symbol in the air. James Rhodes then rushed out of the helicopter with the military and the two friends embraced each other. Rhodes urged Stark to ride with him next time before taking him 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[src]
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 the 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 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 cheeseburger 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, Howard Stark. 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' 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 in his chest that was now keeping him alive. Although Stane insisted that the Arc Reactor was designed by Howard and Anton Vanko as a publicity stunt, he eventually agreed to help Stark provided he inform Stane 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 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[src]
In the months that followed, Stark retreated from public view and spent much of his time in his mansion, focusing on improving the design of his new armored suit, refining its size, movement, and flight capability far beyond the first design. Stark was aided in building the new suit by Dum-E and U who he had constantly mocked and insulted.
Recalling how the first armor 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, although Stark was only on five to ten percent power, he quickly discovered it was vastly more powerful than he expected and he was launched straight up and painfully crashed into the ceiling, prompting Dum-E to spray Stark with the fire extinguisher upon him landing on the ground, thinking he caught fire.
Making some redesigns to the new armor, Stark developed new stabilizers that 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 visited by Pepper Potts who mistakenly believed 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 backward, much to Potts' horror. Shocked by this, Stark noted 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 PTSD. Stark 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 incomplete Mark II armor, 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.
==== Outdoor Test Flight ====
: "All right, let's see what this thing can do. What's SR-71's record?""The altitude record for fixed-wing flight is 85,000 feet, sir.""Records are made to be broken."
: ―Tony Stark and J.A.R.V.I.S.[src]
Stark eventually perfected the flight power after much trial and error, taking the silver Mark II Armor for its initial test flight as Stark put on the armor 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 its true capabilities.
Stark cheered in utter delight as he soared high across the sky over California and shouted out in gratification at his success, using the mask's system to zoom into the city where a young boy looked on in amazement upon seeing Stark. However, when he pushed the suit to see how high he could fly in an attempt to beat the Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird's record, he learned the suit would freeze at such a high altitude, which disabled its power. Stark fell from the sky, only being able to restart the suit moments before nearly hitting the ground, with Stark exhilarated at avoiding such a near miss.
Having gained all the information about the suit's capabilities that he needed, Stark flew back to his mansion, where he then prepared to analyze 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 through 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 an attached message stating that it was proof that he had a heart.
==== Obadiah 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 said: Here's the line, we don't cross it, this is how we do business. If we're double-dealing under the table... are we?"
: ―Tony Stark and Obadiah Stane[src]
While giving J.A.R.V.I.S. his plans to improve the Mark III Armor in order to fix the icing problems and improve the flight controls, Stark noticed a news report in which Zorianna Kit was reporting on a new charity event at the Walt Disney Concert Hall which Stark was now 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. then confirmed he had not, so Stark left his A.I. to complete the Mark III while he got himself ready to attend.
During his first public appearance since his return to the United States of America, Stark arrived at his own party to be greeted by the press, having an attractive woman trying to speak to him who Stark quickly dismissed as he did not remember her before complimenting the Watcher Informant who he had mistaken for Hugh Hefner. 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 too much 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 organization 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 to him and told him to arrange it through his own team.
Stark, however, was too distracted by seeing Pepper Potts, who he saw in the center 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 wouldn't be able to survive without her assistance, 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 they 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 for claiming to halt the weapons development only to sell weapons to the Ten Rings. When Stark revealed he did not approve any shipments, Everhart informed him that his company did.
Disgusted by this, Stark confronted Obadiah Stane and demanded to know if he was making deals with Raza Hamidmi al-Wazar as well as the United States Armed Forces. Stane refused to answer the question; however, he called Stark naïve for not considering that this sort of thing could possibly be happening. Stane also revealed that he 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 over the fact that his close friend betrayed him.
==== 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!"
: ―Tony Stark and James Rhodes[src]
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 armors, while watching a FBX news report on how Raza Hamidmi al-Wazar and his Ten Rings soldiers were using Stark's own weapons to attack innocent people. Angered by what he was seeing, Stark rose from his seat and used his flight stabilizers to smash the glass doors, realizing they could be used as weapons.
Seeking to do something good with the technology he had created, Stark weaponized his Mark III Armor and flew to Afghanistan. Knowing where al-Wazar's men were attacking, Stark headed for Gulmira, the home village of Ho Yinsen. Upon arriving, Stark 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.
Stark 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 innocent people. Having found his former captor, Abu Bakaar, Stark ripped him through a wall and left him for the villagers to gain their own revenge. While Bakaar was being punished, Stark focused his efforts on destroying the Ten Rings entire stockpiles of Stark Industries weapons.
During the battle, Stark was shot out of the sky by one of the Ten Rings' tanks, so Stark 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 Stark soon finding them directly behind him and attempting to lock on with their weapons, forcing Stark to use his new armor's upgraded flight systems to evade the attacks. As the jets continued targeting him, Stark 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 maneuvering 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 Julius 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 Stark during the chaos of the battle. The pilot ejected shortly afterwards, but his parachute jammed. Without hesitation, Stark 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 his mansion, Stark 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 ====
: "I'm gonna find my weapons and destroy them.""Tony... you know that I would help you with anything, but I can not help you if you're gonna start all of this again.""There is nothing except this. There's no art openings, there's no benefit, there's nothing to sign. There's the next mission."
: ―Tony Stark and Pepper Potts[src]
With the mission to defeat the Ten Rings a success, Stark went back to work in tweaking the Mark III Armor in improving its performance. He was soon joined by Pepper Potts whom he requested go into his office in Stark Industries Headquarters to hack into the database in order to find out where his weapons were being sold to the Ten Rings so he could go in using his armor and destroy them. Potts, however, refused to help him on his mission as she feared that going into these active war-zones would result in him being killed, but Stark refused to listen.
Stark 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 his 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 on 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 by 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 armored suit. To combat this, Stark put his suit on and prepared to battle Stane. While Rhodes admired the armor which he called the coolest thing he had ever seen, Stark 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 would've made your father proud.""It's ready, Tony! Get off the roof! Tony!""How ironic, Tony! Trying to free the world of weapons, you gave it its best one ever."
: ―Obadiah Stane and Pepper Potts[src]
Stark flew straight to the Stark Industries Headquarters where he discovered Obadiah Stane was attempting to execute Pepper Potts, so he charged down and knocked Stane aside, crashing into the motorway and then through a Roxxon Corporation truck. Stane responded by picking up an Audi Q7 holding a family and attempting to throw it at Stark, who put all his suit's power into the Arc Reactor to knock Stane back. Having just caught the Q7 and put it down, Stark was briefly run over by the family who were terrified by the experience.
As Stark recovered, Stane struck again, hitting him with a passing motorcycle and smashing him into a nearby bus. While he was striking him, Stane still continued to mock Stark by claiming that he had built Stark Industries up from nothing back when Howard Stark had been killed. Stane then fired a missile at the bus, as Stark was consumed inside the fireball but was still protected by his suit, despite being launched high into the air.
While Stark hovered in the air, Stane complimented him on his upgrades before noting that his armor had upgrades of its own before flying into the air to then chase Stark down. As they considered what to do, J.A.R.V.I.S. had warned that his Mark III Armor would not survive much longer while Stark decided to fly straight upwards, believing that Stane had not done enough tests on his own armor in order to solve all of its own design issues.
As they soared higher and higher above Los Angeles, Stark soon found that the superior power of Stane's suit allowed him to quickly catch up with him. However, once Stane had managed to grab hold of Stark, claiming that his own armor was more advanced in every way, Stark revealed to him that he had not solved the icing issue his Mark II Armor had encountered, causing Stane's suit to lose power and then proceeded to fall out of the sky.
Losing his own power in his suit, Stark quickly returned to Stark Industries Headquarters where he attempted to get out of the suit, only to be immediately confronted by Stane yet again. Without one of the gauntlets, Stark found himself at a disadvantage as Stane got him in a bear hug and attempted to crush the suit with Stark still inside, until Stark managed to deploy his flares to briefly blind Stane, allowing him to get away for a moment.
While hiding from Stane, Stark told Potts that all his current attempts to defeat Stane were not working so he decided to make a new plan. Stark ordered Potts to overload the main Arc Reactor inside the building and blast the roof with energy in an attempt to defeat Stane. While Potts made her way back into the building, Stark also told her to wait until he had gotten himself clear, promising to buy her some time by fighting Stane.
Stark proceeded to jump onto Stane's back and ripped out important pieces of the armor, taking out his targeting system and effectively blinding Stane. However, Stane soon managed to rip Stark off his back and then threw him across the rooftop, taking off his own helmet as a result. Stark was then left almost defenseless with barely any power left in his suit to fight back against Stane, who opened up his armor and revealed himself.
While he crushed Stark's helmet, Stane began mocking Stark by claiming he had finally made his father proud before shooting at him, with Stark managed to block with his gauntlet before the glass floor underneath him was destroyed. While Stark held on, Potts told him to get off the roof. Stane noted that by trying to rid Stark Industries of weapons, Stark had inadvertently created the greatest one ever while Stane would then use to finally kill him.
While Stane struggled to aim his missiles at him, Stark ordered Potts to overload the Arc Reactor, which caused a burst of electricity which blasted Stark out of the way while frying the Stane's armor, also killing Stane inside. Stane then fell inside the Arc Reactor, causing a massive explosion while Stark fell unconscious from the ordeal. Stark almost died from the lack of power to his Arc Reactor, but J.A.R.V.I.S. managed to keep him alive long enough to be rescued.
==== 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. Yeah. The truth is... I am Iron Man."
: ―Tony Stark and James Rhodes[src]
In the wake of the Duel of Los Angeles as well as his own near-death experience, Stark was aided by James Rhodes who tried to get Stark into an ambulance to see if he had any internal injuries. However, 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 had dropped him off at a small theater. Coulson viewed Stark's fighting strategy from his fight with Obadiah Stane 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.
The next morning, news had spread of Stark's new alter ego, dubbed "Iron Man" by the press. Stark then held a press conference where Agent Coulson gave him a detailed fabricated cover story about his and Stane's whereabouts and advised him to state that Iron Man was his personal bodyguard. However, during the course of the conference, in a moment of self-clarity, Stark instead announced to the public that he himself was indeed 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[src]
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.
==== Palladium Poisoning ====
: "It appears that the continued use of the Iron Man suit is accelerating your condition. Another core has been depleted.""God, they're running out quick.""I have run simulations on every known element, and none can serve as a viable replacement for the palladium core. You are running out of both time and options. Unfortunately, the device that's keeping you alive is also killing you."
: ―J.A.R.V.I.S. and Tony Stark[src]
Unfortunately, Stark's own life was not as good as it appeared, as he was facing a double threat. The first was in the form of his own heart: the Arc Reactor palladium core was poisoning Stark due to overuse of the Iron Man Armor. To maintain appearances, he was forced to drink homemade medicine to counteract the symptoms. Meanwhile, Stark was also aware that the United States Armed Forces were constantly looking to confiscate all his technology.
==== Starting the Stark Expo ====
: "I'm not saying that the world is enjoying its longest period of uninterrupted peace in years because of me. I'm not saying that from the ashes of captivity, never has a greater phoenix metaphor been personified in human history."
: ―Tony Stark to Stark Expo Audience[src]
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 boasted about giving the world its longest running period of uninterrupted peace, Stark left the stage with a video of his father playing.
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 then confronted by a beautiful U.S. Marshal who was waiting beside his car. The Marshal then informed Stark and Hogan that he was now 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."
: ―Tony Stark to Stern[src]
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 since 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 Stark in an effort to force his decision. Competitor Justin Hammer tried to plead his case on the matter; Stark took this opportunity to embarrass both Hammer and Stern with a collection of footage of Hammer Industries and other entities around the world attempting to recreate the technology. Stark arrogantly stated that it would be years before anyone would be able to successfully recreate his tech and he had "privatized" world peace.
==== Making Pepper Potts CEO ====
: "I hereby irrevocably appoint you chairman and CEO of Stark Industries effective immediately. Yeah, done deal. Okay? I've actually given this a fair amount of thought, believe it or not. Doing a bit of headhunting, so to speak, trying to figure out who a worthy successor would be. And then I realized it's you. It's always been you."
: ―Tony Stark to Pepper Potts[src]
Returning to his mansion, 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 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, the CEO of Stark Industries, while he was still the owner of the company, but being only a figurehead. When Potts arrived in his workshop, she and Stark had an argument about his own lack of interest in his company and their resources ever since becoming Iron Man, at which point Stark informed her that he had decided to promote her. Although Potts did not at first believe that he 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 over the job 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 Potts and a notary from the company, "Natalie Rushman", who was actually Natasha Romanoff, an Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D.. Although Hogan hit Stark around the head, he proceeded to kick him away and beat him into surrendering before inviting Romanoff into the ring. Stark looked into Romanoff's eyes before inviting Hogan to train with her instead.
Stark then sat down with Potts to discuss "Rushman", with him bringing up her "history files" and noting that she even spoke Latin and had once been a lingerie model. While they were speaking, Stark and Potts witnessed Romanoff 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 Romanoff was gone, Stark told Potts that he needed her as his new assistant.
==== Monaco Grand Prix ====
: "Well, what's the use of having and owning a race car... if you don't drive it?"
: ―Tony Stark[src]
Just before travelling to Monaco with Pepper Potts and Happy Hogan, Stark finished work on his Mark V Armor. 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 with Vanity Fair; 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 Hammer's 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. He saw that the Arc Reactor's poisoning of his body due to the levels of palladium was now emitting into his skin. Looking up at the mirror and seeing that he likely did not have much time left until he would eventually die 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 Hammer, much to his annoyance as Stark would once again be taking the spotlight away from him.
==== Duel of Monaco ====
: "Were you heading for me or him?""I was trying to scare him!""Because I can't tell! Better security! I was attacked!"
: ―Tony Stark and Happy Hogan[src]
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 along with several other race cars. Stark had managed to crawl out of the car before it could be sliced in half. Despite his best efforts to fight back, Vanko's armored weapons managed to get the better of Stark, who was defenseless.
As Vanko prepared to rip Stark apart, he was forced to use his own wits and cunning to escape the deadly whips Vanko was using. Managing to get behind Vanko, Stark struck him on the back of the head with a car door, but Vanko proved to be unaffected, forcing Stark to dodge out of the way of his attacks. He then tricked Vanko into striking the whips onto gasoline, causing an explosion which separated the pair from each other for a brief time.
With Vanko proving himself too strong to be beaten without his armor, Stark seemed to be running out of options as he was backed into a corner. However, he received aid with the sudden arrival of both Pepper Potts and Happy Hogan, who had driven their own car into the race track and successfully managed to crash it into Vanko, pinning him against the wall and briefly knocking him out cold. Stark then prepared to quickly make his escape.
However, while Stark moaned about Stark Industries' seeming lack of security at the event, Vanko continued to fight despite still being pinned to the wall and began ripping Hogan's car apart with furious strikes from his electric whips. This forced the terrified Potts to then hand Stark his portable briefcase armor, allowing him to don the Mark V Armor ready to do battle against his would-be assassin in the middle of the track, with Iron Man having the upper hand.
Using his new suit, Iron Man attempted to subdue Vanko by firing his repulsor rays at his attacker, but Vanko was able to block those blows with his own armor before using his whips to strangle Iron Man. Vanko flung him across the racetrack into Hogan's car and then back the other way, tightening the whips around Iron Man's neck and shocking him with volts of electricity, which were slowly destroying the suit.
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 Vanko. Once he was close enough, Iron Man punched Vanko in the face a few times before ripping the Arc Reactor out of his chest and crushing it. As Vanko was being dragged away by the police, he laughingly claimed that Iron Man had now lost while Iron Man studied Vanko's Arc Reactor, crushing it in shock.
==== 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[src]
Afterward, Stark decided to pay a visit to Ivan Vanko personally while he was being held in Batiment B3, France to learn how he had acquired the Arc Reactor technology, being led there by Lemieux. Once they were alone, Stark commented on Vanko's armor and even suggested ways that he could improve it, thinking that he would never actually get a chance to. Stark wondered why Vanko would use the technology to kill him rather than for more tangible personal gain.
Vanko revealed that he was the son of Anton Vanko, who had 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, warning that Stark would die now that he proved Iron Man was not invincible. Stark retorted that Vanko would still be in prison either way. As he left, Vanko mentioned Stark's current blood poisoning, taunting that it was a terrible way to die.
==== Ivan Vanko'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[src]
Despite Ivan Vanko having been imprisoned for his crimes, the response to another man using the Arc Reactor technology was immediate, with many people, including Senator Stern, commenting on Stark's failure. While on his private jet returning to the United States, Stark made breakfast for Pepper Potts as they discussed the aftermath of the attack. Stark even suggested that he quit being Iron Man from now on and almost confessed to Potts of his current state, but backed out.
Stark returned to his mansion where he and J.A.R.V.I.S. continued searching for a new Arc Reactor power source while looking over records of Ivan Vanko and his father, Anton Vanko. Stark learned Anton had worked for Stark Industries in the 1960s before being deported under the orders of Howard Stark whilst Vanko was a Soviet physicist arrested for illegal weapons dealing. He was later visited by James Rhodes, who came to warn Stark about the military's wish to take his suits. However, he recognized Stark's unwell state and assisted him by changing the Arc Reactor's palladium core. Rhodes then tried to convince Stark that he did not have to go through his journey alone but Stark remained skeptical.
The next night, feeling more depressed about his future as the poisoning neared its peak, Stark considered canceling his birthday party after learning he had only a week left to live. He was then visited by Natasha Romanoff, undercover as "Natalie Rushman", who prepared Stark a drink and gave him a choice of watches to wear. He posed these questions to Romanoff, asking what she would do on her final birthday. Romanoff replied that she would do whatever she wanted, with whomever she wanted to do it with.
==== 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[src]
Stark decided to attend what could very well be his last ever birthday party and quickly got himself very drunk, partying with the many guests who had come to celebrate. He invited Natasha Romanoff, still known to Stark as "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 attendees. Stark then drank even more alcohol shots to become further intoxicated and even harder to keep in control.
While wearing the Mark IV Iron Man Armor and indulging in many dangerous activities, such as using his repulsor blasts to destroy a watermelon, Iron Man 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 reckless. Despite Potts taking the microphone away from Iron Man and trying to tell the guests that it was time to go home, Iron Man would not listen to reason and instead insisted that his party keep going as he continued to misuse his suit to entertain his drunk guests within his mansion, much to Potts' and Rhodes' dismay as they looked on in concern.
In the end, Iron Man's actions became more and more dangerous and foolish, forcing his friend, Rhodes, to intervene. Rhodes donned the Mark II Iron Man Armor and ordered the guests out of the room before demanding that Iron Man get out of the suit. Iron Man 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 Iron Man into his upstairs bedroom.
Eventually, after almost destroying the entire mansion in the resulting fight, Iron Man managed to subdue Rhodes by smashing his head down on the kitchen counter, before roaring at the onlookers to force them to flee the scene. After Rhodes recovered and knocked him against the fireplace, Iron Man dared his friend to take his shot as they both fired their repulsors at each other, causing a massive explosion. With Iron Man weakened the fight, he could only look on while Rhodes flew away to deliver the armor to the United States Armed Forces.
=== Rediscovering the Element ===
==== Nick Fury's Help ====
: "That thing in your chest is based on unfinished technology.""No, it was finished. It has never been particularly effective until I miniaturized it and put it in my—""No, Howard said the Arc Reactor was the stepping stone to something greater."
: ―Nick Fury and Iron Man[src]
In the aftermath of his fight with James Rhodes, Stark took the Mark IV Iron Man Armor and flew to Randy's Donuts in California, buying himself a box of Donuts and aimlessly enjoying them in the middle of the sign above the shop. While he was relaxing in the morning sun, Nick Fury, Director of S.H.I.E.L.D., approached Iron Man and ordered him to come inside.
Taking a seat inside, Iron Man 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 Iron Man that "Natalie Rushman" was in fact undercover Agent Natasha Romanoff in her Black Widow outfit, who Iron Man tried and failed to fire from Stark Industries. As he and Fury continued their conversation, Black Widow injected Iron Man with Lithium Dioxide to slow down the poisoning in his veins caused by his Arc Reactor. Fury reassured Iron Man that somewhere there was a cure and he simply had not discovered it yet, despite Iron Man insisting that he had already looked everywhere and found nothing.
Returning to 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 Howard was one of the founders of S.H.I.E.L.D. and left a skeptical Stark to go through his father's belongings to find the cure, with Agent Phil Coulson watching over him.
==== Researching His Family ====
: "Dead for almost twenty years, still taking me to school.""The proposed element should serve as a viable replacement for palladium.""Thanks, Dad."
: ―Tony Stark and J.A.R.V.I.S.[src]
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 Howard's notebook with drawings of a "hypercube" and two Captain America comic books. He remained dismissive and bitter over these past relics until watching an old tape of his father, in which Stark discovered a hidden message where Howard told him that he was proud of his son and viewed Stark as his greatest creation.
Stark then drove to the Stark Industries Headquarters, buying some strawberries along the way and met with Pepper Potts, though Bambi Arbogast tried to inform him she was too busy to talk. Once Stark got her attention, he attempted to apologize in his own 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 subtly insulted him before leaving. Stark prepared to leave the office, dumping the strawberries into the bin, but then he noticed the diorama of the 1974 Stark Expo, which he had seen in his father's film reels. Stark disassembled the model 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 holographic image so he could 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 hidden inside the Expo globe in the center and thanked his father for gifting him with it as it would soon save his life.
==== A New Element ====
: "That was easy.""Congratulations, sir. You have created a new element. Sir, the Reactor has accepted the modified core."
: ―Tony Stark and J.A.R.V.I.S.[src]
As Stark put the final pieces together to begin his experiment, he was greeted by 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 with Coulson's assistance. 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, assembling 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 shot through the walls while he aimed it at its target. As the laser hit the newly designed Arc Reactor Stark 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 be able to keep him alive while powering his Iron Man Armors for the foreseeable future. Stark then continued upgrading 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 dying in a prison explosion, revealing he was still alive and bent 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 improved his own armor to be ready for their next battle, Stark donned the Mark VI Iron Man 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. Remembering Justin Hammer's new presentation for the military at the Stark Expo, Stark suited up and flew off to then confront Vanko and stop his evil plans.
==== Battle at Stark Expo ====
: "Rhodey, you still locked on?""Yeah.""Drop your socks and grab your Crocs. We're about to get wet on this ride."
: ―Iron Man and War Machine[src]
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 armored suit, which was a modified version of the Mark II Iron Man Armor. 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. Iron Man then approached Rhodes, warning him that Vanko was still alive.
Suddenly, Vanko seized control of both the Drones and Rhodes' armor, directing them all to attack Iron Man, who then flew across the Expo in a desperate attempt to lose his attackers and cause them all to crash, while ordering J.A.R.V.I.S. to regain control of Rhodes. During the battle, Iron Man did all he could to save the hundreds of attendees fleeing during the chaos, including Peter Parker, who was mistaken for him by a Drone for wearing an Iron Man mask.
Quickly running out of options as Rhodes continued to fire upon him using Hammer Industries weapons, Iron Man tried his best to take out the Drones, flying them all away from the civilians before leading them straight into the Unisphere. Using the his Mark VI Armor's superior maneuvering abilities, Iron Man had managed to escape and cause 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 Rhodes, who was still being controlled by Vanko. Iron Man attempted to block Rhodes' attacks, holding his mini gun at bay until Black Widow successfully overrode Vanko's programming, having broken into the Hammer Industries Headquarters with a little help from Happy Hogan, despite failing to arrest Vanko.
==== Showdown with Ivan Vanko ====
: "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[src]
Iron Man knocked James Rhodes back before Black Widow confirmed that he was safe at last and in control of his own armor. She also complimented Iron Man on his new element which had now stopped his palladium poisoning, causing Pepper Potts to confront Iron Man for not telling her he was dying. While Potts had Justin Hammer arrested, Iron Man helped Rhodes back onto his feet.
Knowing that the remaining Hammer Drones would be coming to their location, both Iron Man and Rhodes then came up with a plan to battle them; however, this only led to an argument between the two friends over who should take the better position in the area, with both of them believing that they had the superior armor and skills. However, before they could make up their minds, the Drones then arrived and surrounded Iron Man and Rhodes; with nowhere to escape to, the pair donned their own helmets and prepared for battle, firing their weapons at the attacking Drones.
As the battle then commenced, Iron Man and Rhodes found that although they could easily defeat each Drone, the numbers began to overwhelm them. While Rhodes 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 lasers to slice all of the remaining Drones in half and finally win the fight.
Upon eliminating the drones, Iron Man and Rhodes were then informed by Black Widow that they had a new enemy coming in, who she warned appeared to be much stronger than all of the previous ones. This was revealed to be Ivan Vanko in his new, more powerful suit of armor. Attempting to kill Vanko before the fight could even begin, Rhodes armed the Ex-Wife Missile, only for it to fail and not even dent Vanko's armor, with Iron Man then noting that it was clearly a Hammer Industries weapon due to being useless in battle.
Iron Man then engaged in a fierce battle with Vanko, with himself and Rhodes throwing all they had at defeating him or damaging his armor enough to cause him to surrender. However, they both found that not only was Vanko's armor too strong, but he had upgraded his whips to the point they were more dangerous than ever before. The pair soon found themselves overpowered by Vanko's improved technology and weapons.
Vanko soon managed to gain the upper hand in the battle when he succeeded in wrapping his electrified whips around Iron Man and Rhodes' throats and slowly tightened them, hoping to break their necks. With no other choice, Iron Man called on Rhodes to use the technique they discovered during the duel at his mansion and fired their own repulsor rays at each other, triggering an explosion in front of Vanko and knocking them all back.
Recovering from the shockwave and getting back onto their feet, Iron Man and Rhodes found Vanko lying on the battlefield, with not only his Mark II 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 all of the Hammer Drones' self-destruct bombs, including one in his own armor. Knowing that these Drones were littered across Stark Expo since he had shot many of them out of the sky, Iron Man quickly flew to rescue anyone remaining there before the Drones exploded and caused major casualties.
Iron Man raced to save Potts amid the series of explosions, pulling her away just in time. Seeing the chaos that he brought with him, Potts quit her position as CEO of Stark Industries, but Iron Man only teased her about the concept of leaving him before finally confessing how important she was to him, and the couple then kissed each other. Rhodes then revealed he was on the roof too before departing with his armor without serious objection from Iron Man, leaving them where he refused to accept Potts' 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[src]
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 claimed 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 Ivan Vanko 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.
==== Consultant for S.H.I.E.L.D. ====
: "The smell of stale beer and defeat. You know, I hate to say 'I told you so', General, but that Super Soldier program was put on ice for a reason. I've always felt that hardware was much more reliable."
: ―Tony Stark to Thaddeus Ross[src]
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 the bar where he found a drunken Ross, who was still dealing with losing Hulk, despite his own prolonged search for him.
The two exchanged insults about each other's recent battles before Stark told him that a team was being put together. Stark annoyed Ross so much that the latter tried to have him removed from the bar, but Stark had already bought and arranged it to be demolished later on, which Stark informed Phil Coulson and Jasper Sitwell on. The task was then completed with Ross refusing to release Blonsky from his custody out of pure spite.
Stark eventually went back to work on improving his armor. He looked back at his previous failures and noted what needed to be improved for his Mark VII armor. Eventually, Pepper Potts gifted him Colantotte Bracelets which were magnetic bracelets. He decided to work them into his armor so he can quickly have his armor come to him if needed.
: "Then leave it urgently."
: ―Tony Stark and Phil Coulson[src]
Stark retrieved the James Rhodes' Mark I Armor and stripped it of all of the new Hammer Industries weapons and turned it back into the Mark II Iron Man Armor. When Rhodes then arrived, Stark informed him that he would never wear that armor again because he made him a new one with improved technology and weaponry. With that, Rhodes became a superhero who dons armored suits like Iron Man known as War Machine. Stark focused his efforts on Stark Tower in New York City which was powered by pure clean energy, with Stark admiring that his own name was lit up.
Upon arriving at Stark Tower, he and Pepper Potts began celebrating the successful creation of their newest, clean energy source for the entire city, with Stark telling her that she could have twelve percent of the credit for Stark Industries' newest breakthrough. Stark was then informed by J.A.R.V.I.S. that Agent Phil Coulson had arrived and now wished to speak with him, to which he refused and even claimed to be a Life-Model Decoy, but Coulson still insisted that he needed to speak to Stark urgently and then let himself into the tower, much to Stark's dismay as he blamed Potts for the security breach.
Coulson informed Stark that the Avengers Initiative was now active in the wake of the Destruction of Project P.E.G.A.S.U.S. at the hands of Loki, an Asgardian who had attacked some S.H.I.E.L.D. Agents, stolen the Tesseract, and took Erik Selvig and Clint Barton as his mind-controlled slaves with the power of his Scepter. Coulson explained that they needed him to come in despite having previously been rejected from the Avengers, handing Stark holographic screens with information about Captain America, Thor, Hulk and Loki for him to study. While Potts and Coulson left the tower, Stark began examining the Tesseract design.
==== Capturing Loki ====
: "Do not touch me again.""Then don't take my stuff.""You don't know what you're dealing with.""Shakespeare in the Park? Doth mother know you weareth her drapes?"
: ―Thor and Iron Man[src]
Stark quickly suited up in his current Mark VI Armor and then traveled straight to Stuttgart, Germany where he then quickly 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. Iron Man jetted right in and blasted Loki with his repulsors and stood tall next to Captain America, aiming every weapon he had and forcing Loki to surrender as they took him into custody.
Escorting Loki onto the Quinjet in handcuffs, the team headed back towards the S.H.I.E.L.D.'s Helicarrier. Iron Man commented on Captain America' fighting skills and subtly mocked his lack of knowledge of modern society since returning from World War II, questioning if he had taken up Pilates. As they were discussing why Loki had surrendered, a sudden thunderstorm had occurred, seemingly unnerving Loki. The Quinjet was then attacked by Thor, the adoptive brother of Loki, who broke in and subdued Iron Man before he could fight back before ripping Loki out from his seat before flying away, leaving Iron Man and Captain America behind.
While Thor threatened Loki atop a mountain in order to learn exactly who Loki's master is, Iron Man blasted straight into him, hurling him onto the forest floor away from Loki. While Thor got his bearings, Iron Man revealed himself and was warned to not touch Thor again, to which he told him not to take his things, referring to Loki. Thor then informed Iron Man he did not understand what was happening, and Iron Man mockingly claimed that Thor looked like he was in a William Shakespeare production in the park, telling him that he looked like he was wearing his mother's own clothing.
The two began to battle as Thor refused to not be allowed to take Loki was to the Asgardian Dungeons as he struck Iron Man who defended himself. During the fight, Thor summoned lightning to his hammer, Mjølnir, and electrocuted Stark; however, this only succeeded in super-charging Stark's suit. J.A.R.V.I.S. inform him that his suit was at four-hundred percent capacity, allowing him to blast Thor off his feet. When Thor attempted to charge at him, Iron Man charged back and managed to push him straight into a mountain, but Thor continued to fight back and caused them to crash land back in the forest where they then continued fighting each other.
Iron Man's armor took a beating during the battle as Thor easily began to crush one of the gauntlets with just his bare hands. Fearing his arm would be shattered, Iron Man responded by shooting Thor in the face, which merely knocked his head back, before head butting him with his helmet. However, Thor's own Asgardian strength allowed him to withstand all of Iron Man's blows and be unaffected as they continued their fight with Iron Man using all the advantages of his suit to try and subdue Thor without killing him so that he could then take him and Loki back into S.H.I.E.L.D.'s custody.
Their fight was broken up by Captain America who demanded that they stop fighting and questioned what Thor was doing on Earth, in which he explained he had come to put an end to Loki's schemes. Captain America then insisted that Thor prove that he was on their side by putting down his hammer, to which Iron Man noted that was a bad move as Thor loved his hammer, just before he was struck by Mjølnir and knocked through a tree just when Thor attacked Captain America. After Captain America matched Mjølnir with his shield, the three managed to calm and Thor got recruited, recapturing Loki and taking him away.
==== Meeting the Avengers ====
: "That's the guy my dad never shut up about? Wondering if they shouldn't have kept him on ice."
: ―Tony Stark to Bruce Banner[src]
They took Loki back to the Helicarrier where Stark had a talk with Agent Phil Coulson and promised to lend him the former's private jet to meet with Audrey Nathan in Portland. Stark then joined the group, complimenting Thor on his fighting skills and pointing out an Agent playing Galaga before noting that Loki needed Iridium in order to control the Tesseract's power. As Stark explained why Loki needed Erik Selvig and Clint Barton, he was questioned about his newfound expertise by Maria Hill and revealed that he had done his research the night before, noting that all Loki needed was a power source to control the Tesseract.
Stark was introduced to Bruce Banner who understood all of his own theories, delighting Stark who then complimented Banner on his own intelligence and ability to turn into Hulk. Director Nick Fury then suggested Stark and Banner work together to try and understand Loki's Scepter, with Captain America comparing it to a HYDRA weapon. While Captain America still struggled to understand a lot of the team's new modern references, Stark and Banner departed for the lap to begin their research, 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 about why the Avengers were assembled.
Stark talked with Banner in their new lab as they discussed all of Selvig's work and inviting him to come work at Stark Tower for a stress free work place, despite Banner claiming that he broke Harlem last time he was in New York City. Stark then tried once to annoy Banner by poking him with a prod in order to test his ability to resist his transformation, only to get no response apart from pain before Captain America entered and demanded he stop, as Banner's transformation would put all the lives on the Helicarrier at risk.
Stark wondered if Banner used jazz or marijuana to keep his cool, to which Captain America found less than funny, telling Stark he was risking the lives of everyone on board the Helicarrier and should be focusing on the issues at hand. Stark, however, suggested that Fury might have other motives for restarting the Avengers Initiative, although Captain America was unconvinced. Banner noted that Loki's comments could have been referring to Stark Tower and the power it supplied. Captain America once again told Stark to remain focused on locating the Tesseract, only for Stark to insult his uniform and send him out of his lab. Stark rudely commented on how his father had so often admired Captain America having worked with him back in World War II.
==== Team Tension ====
: "You're not the guy to make the sacrifice play, to lay down on a wire and let the other guy crawl over you.""I think I would just cut the wire.""Always a way out. You know, you may not be a threat, but you better stop pretending to be a hero."
: ―Steve Rogers and Tony Stark[src]
When Stark noted that he wanted Bruce Banner to be in the fight with them when it came time for it, Banner insisted that he couldn't, calling Hulk a nightmare. Stark then told Banner about how his Arc Reactor was keeping the shrapnel he gained from his kidnapping away from his heart, calling it a terrible privilege, with Banner claiming his situation was not the same. Stark noted all the gamma radiation Banner was exposed to should have killed him and maybe Hulk saved his life.
Stark and Banner learned that S.H.I.E.L.D. was trying to harness the Tesseract's powers to begin Phase 2 and create weapons of mass destruction. Nick Fury soon learned of their schemes and challenged them both, with them soon being joined by Captain America who had also found out that S.H.I.E.L.D. was using HYDRA's technology to learn how to harness it, based on the Red Skull's designs. Just as Fury tried to defend his actions, Stark contradicted him, forcing Fury to confess they were building the weapons in response to Thor and the recent Battle of Puente Antiguo which they were unprepared for.
While Banner called their new team a time bomb, Stark got into a heated argument with Captain America who claimed that Stark was not a hero but a selfish man in a suit of armor, while Stark noted that Captain America was only a hero because of the Super Soldier Serum given to him by Stark's father and Abraham Erskine, leading to Stark challenging him to a fight. During an ensuing argument between the Avengers, Banner inadvertently picked up Loki's Scepter, revealing Loki's control over him. All of Loki's troops then arrived, led by the brainwashed Clint Barton, and attacked the Helicarrier in order to free Loki.
==== Attack on the Helicarrier ====
: "Cap, hit the lever.""I need a minute here!""Lever. Now!"
: ―Iron Man and Captain America[src]
When one of the Helicarrier's engines was destroyed by Hawkeye, Stark quickly suited up in the Mark VI Armor and rushed outside to try and assist in its repair. Iron Man arrived and soon assessed the damage, recruiting Captain America to help him by checking all the main controls while Iron Man went inside the engine: However, Iron Man was soon frustrated when Captain America struggled to understand the modern technology that he was currently looking at due to his lack of exposure to any of it.
While Iron Man and Captain America were working together by the damaged engine, Nick Fury and Maria Hill were unable to stop Hawkeye using one of his arrows to shut down the Helicarrier's power, causing it to fall out of the sky, dramatically shortening the time Iron Man had to save the day. Upon arriving at the engine itself, Iron Man used his laser to cut through the damaged propeller and decided to use his armor's Arc Reactor to restart the engine by hand, telling Captain America to pull a lever in order to free him from the engine before he got shredded inside it when it moved too fast.
Iron Man put all of his might into pushing the engine in order to get in spinning fast enough to lift the Helicarrier back up into the air, saving all of the S.H.I.E.L.D. Agents on board. However, Iron Man soon found it was beginning to move too fast for him to keep up and then asked Captain America to pull the lever, only to learn Captain America was now busy fighting Loki's mind-controlled soldiers. Iron Man was briefly trapped and badly damaged by the propeller until Captain America managed to free him just in time. Iron Man then flew to Captain America's location and subdued the soldier attacking him before his suit lost all power.
==== Something to Avenge ====
: "Loki, he's a full-tilt diva. He wants flowers, he wants parades, he wants a monument built to the skies with his name plastered... Son of a bitch."
: ―Tony Stark to Steve Rogers[src]
With the Helicarrier now safe thanks to their efforts, the duo then learned that during the chaos, Bruce Banner had transformed into Hulk and caused mass destruction before he had escaped from the ship, as well as Thor being ejected from the Helicarrier by Loki who escaped but not before mortally wounding Agent Phil Coulson. When medical assistance was called in for Coulson, it was soon confirmed that he had in fact died from all of his wounds, news which shook Stark to his very core.
Stark and Steve Rogers were then gathered together in the control room where Nick Fury expressed his own deep regret for Coulson's death, presenting Rogers with the Captain America Card Collection he had asked him to sign. While Stark listened in silence, Fury then explained they could not locate the Tesseract, confessing that he was planning on recreating HYDRA weapons with its power before he informed the two that the Avengers Initiative was started so the isolated individuals could become something more and that Coulson died still believing this. Hearing this, Stark got to his feet.
Visiting the site of Coulson's murder at Loki's hand, Stark began talking with Rogers about how Coulson didn't have family, but was dating Audrey Nathan. When Rogers called him a good man, Stark called him an idiot for challenging Loki with the Destroyer Armor Prototype Gun on his own. Stark began claiming that they were not soldiers in a war and he would not be following Fury any longer, noting about how Loki made it personal to draw them in. Rogers went to dismiss the comment but Stark noted that making it personal was Loki's plan, to rip their new team apart.
While rambling on about the theatrics that Loki has pulled off as part of his grand plan for world domination, Stark began to draw closer to finding out where the Asgardian God of Mischief would set off the portal to bring his alien army forth, commenting on how Loki wanted his victory to be seen by the world. 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 then informed Rogers of his epiphany before quickly walking out of the room.
With this new lead, Rogers put on his uniform and regrouped with the other available Avengers while Stark repaired the Mark VI Iron Man Armor so it was battle ready again. Fueled by a desire to avenge Agent Coulson's death, Stark soon had his armor ready to go into battle. While Captain America, Black Widow, and Hawkeye, who had now been freed from Loki's mind control, left on board a Quinjet which they had stolen from S.H.I.E.L.D., Iron Man flew himself straight to New York City in order to finally confront Loki and end his attack, although he found the armor still lost some power along the way.
==== Confronting Loki ====
: "There's no throne, there is no version of this where you come out on top. Maybe your army comes and maybe it's too much for us, but it's all on you. Because if we can't protect the Earth, you can be damn well sure we'll avenge it."
: ―Tony Stark to Loki[src]
Iron Man soon arrived at Stark Tower where he found a device had been installed on the roof powered by the Tesseract that was now being operated by the mind-controlled Professor Erik Selvig. Iron Man ordered J.A.R.V.I.S. to cut the power from the tower, only learn the portal device was already self-sustaining. Failing to convince Selvig to shut down the device, Iron Man blasted it; however, the barrier around the device bounced the blast back.
Iron Man saw that Loki was watching in amusement from the balcony of Stark's penthouse and, seeing that there was now nothing else he could do to stop the invasion, Stark decided to change tactics, land on a platform, remove the Mark VI Iron Man Armor and face off against Loki without any defenses. In a sense of hospitality, Stark offered Loki a drink, but he declined before Stark "threatened" Loki. To buy time to put on his two Colantotte Bracelets, Stark then promised Loki that he would be stopped by the Avengers no matter how long it took them, although Loki still remained unintimidated by the concept.
Stark listed off all the Avengers members to show what Loki was up against, seeing Loki cringe at the mention of Thor. Loki insisted that his Chitauri army would overcome them with ease, so Stark then noted that they had a Hulk on their own side. Stark then promised that even if the Avengers failed to protect the Earth, they would at least avenge it by defeating Loki. The now furious Loki promised that the Avengers would have no time for him when they were fighting a brainwashed Stark. When Loki attempted to enthrall him, the Arc Reactor in Stark's chest was blocking the Scepter from Stark's heart.
Making a performance joke, Stark was suddenly attacked by Loki who vowed to destroy the Avengers before Stark was then thrown out of the window hundreds of feet above the ground. However, Stark just managed to call for the Mark VII Iron Man Armor; it was rocket-propelled to him, and formed the suit around him by connecting to the Colantotte Bracelets he had put on right before he could hit the ground. Iron Man flew back up to Loki and told him there was one other person Loki had pissed off; Phil Coulson, and blasted Loki backwards before he could even react in the name of the late Agent Coulson.
==== Battle of New York ====
: "Call it, Captain.""All right, listen up. Until we can close that portal up there, our priority is containment. Barton, I want you on that roof, eyes on everything. Call out patterns and strays. Stark, you got the perimeter. Anything gets more than three blocks out, you turn it back or you turn it to ash."
: ―Iron Man and Captain America[src]
Iron Man 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. Amazed at what he was witnessing, Iron Man charged upwards and fired all of the Mark VII Iron Man Armor's weapons upon the attacking alien forces. Iron Man recruited the help of Hawkeye by flying by the Quinjet and having him shoot the aliens out of the sky behind him while mockingly asking if they had stopped for drive-thru as they were so late to the fight.
Iron Man fought off the Chitauri and tried to call War Machine, who told Iron Man that he was too busy fighting soldiers working for the Ten Rings, but would come to help as soon as possible. Iron Man then began to chase after a Leviathan, a flying giant alien serpent and the warship to dozens of Chitauri. When he was notified of the arrival of Bruce Banner on the field, Iron Man led the flying serpent towards him, saying he was bringing the party to the others, so that Banner would transform into Hulk and defeat it, with Iron Man firing a tank missile at the Leviathan to destroy it's body and finally kill it.
Iron Man landed on the ground alongside his fellow Avengers. The team were then confronted by hundreds of Chitauri who flew in through the portal as well as several more Leviathans. Captain America gave out orders and instructed Iron Man to take to the skies and fend off more Chitauri as well as keep them within New York City. Captain America then ordered Hawkeye to get onto the roof of one of the skyscrapers in order to inform them of the Chitauri's movements during the battle while also sharpshooting them, so Iron Man flew him up there while Captain America gave out his orders to the other Avengers.
As the Battle of New York began, Iron Man focused on his task of insuring that the Chitauri forces did not leave the city and wreak havoc elsewhere. He soon found himself being chased down by multiple Chitauri Chariots which attempted to shoot him out of the sky, until Hawkeye advised Iron Man to fly towards a tight corner as he noted the Chitauri weren't as good at maneuvering their craft as he was. Iron Man did as recommended and successfully caused the Chitauri Chariots to crash into nearby buildings. However, despite Thor's best efforts to block the portal, they still continued coming through.
Charging throughout the entire battlefield, Iron Man came to the aid of Black Widow who was currently riding one of the Chitauri Chariots to try and reach Stark Tower, who Iron Man soon shot the pursuing Chitauri out of the sky to ensure she could get there. Iron Man then charged through multiple aliens to team up with Captain America, as they used his shield to deflect Iron Man's gauntlet blasts across the multiple enemies, increasing its power as a result. Iron Man then aided Hawkeye by knocking several Chitauri off the building he was on before they could get to him as he continued flying.
Having been told by J.A.R.V.I.S. that all his lasers were not cutting through a Leviathan's armored skin, Iron Man took inspiration from the tale of Jonah by taking out the Leviathan by flying head-first into its mouth and launching missiles from the inside, tearing it apart before crash landing on the street. However, Iron Man soon got battered by numerous attacks. Iron Man asked Thor if he had ever seen Game of Thrones, saying he reminded him of it. Thor asked him how he can joke around during the battle, but was then eaten by a Leviathan. Out of rage, Thor used Mjølnir to get out of the Leviathan.
==== The Nuke ====
: "I got a nuke coming in, it's gonna blow in less than a minute. And I know just where to put it.""Stark, you know that's a one way trip."
: ―Iron Man and Captain America[src]
As the Battle of New York continued, the Avengers found themselves still outnumbered and learned that Black Widow had now found a way to close the portal. Iron Man hindered this as Nick Fury had instructed him that Gideon Malick and the World Security Council had fired a nuclear missile to blow up Manhattan in hopes of ending the invasion. Iron Man soon intercepted the missile and demanded that Black Widow keep the portal open, despite Captain America wishing to close it as soon as possible to end the invasion while they still could.
Iron Man flew it up through New York City and up alongside Stark Tower and finally straight through the portal as he was taken into deep space. Iron Man looked in amazement at what was before him, all while he lost contact with J.A.R.V.I.S. and the oxygen swiftly ran out. As he lost consciousness, Iron Man released the nuclear missile and blew up the Chitauri Command Center, which resulted in the deaths of the Chitauri and Leviathans across the city. However, Iron Man lost power in the Mark VII Iron Man Armor in the process and then fell unconscious back through the portal just before it closed.
As Iron Man fell back to Earth, he was caught midair by Hulk who landed with him back on the ground. Captain America and Thor ran over to Iron Man who appeared to be dead, only for Hulk to scream in his face, waking him up. Iron Man said they should get some shawarma to celebrate, despite not knowing what shawarma was. Captain America told him they'd do that later, since Loki still needed to be apprehended.
==== Battle Aftermath ====
: "If it's all the same to you, I'll have that drink now.""All right, get him on his feet. We can all stand around posing up a storm later. By the way, feel free to clean up."
: ―Loki and Iron Man[src]
Iron Man and the rest of the Avengers returned to Stark Tower, where they found the defeated Loki. As Loki asked if he could have the drink Iron Man offered earlier, Iron Man merely told the other Avengers to apprehend Loki while noting the mess around him.
S.H.I.E.L.D.'s STRIKE team then showed up to take possession of the Scepter, while Stark focused on safely securing the Tesseract in a silver case, with Thor intending it to bring it back to Asgard. Stark, Thor and Loki, along with a few S.H.I.E.L.D. agents, began to take the elevator down the lobby, but as Hulk moved to join them, Stark reminded him that the elevator had a weight capacity and motioned that he take the stairs instead, angering Hulk.
As Stark and Thor made their way through the lobby, they were halted by Alexander Pierce of the World Security Council, which oversaw S.H.I.E.L.D.. Pierce demanded that Thor and Stark relinquish custody of Loki and the Tesseract respectively to him, although Thor refused, citing that Loki would be returning to Asgard and would be punished by Odin. Pierce then ordered Stark to hand over the Tesseract, citing that it had been S.H.I.E.L.D. property for seventy years.
After Stark and Thor refused to relinquish the Tesseract, Pierce attempted to grab the case when Stark would not comply. Pierce's efforts were in naught, as Thor was allowed to take Loki and the Tesseract back with him to Asgard. Following the altercation, Stark and the other Avengers went into the Shawarma Palace where they all ate silently. They were soon interrupted by War Machine, who arrived from the Battle of Hong Kong, and too late to aid Stark and the rest of the Avengers in battle.
After their meal, the Avengers met in Central Park, witnessing Thor and Loki's return to Asgard using the Tesseract. The team then went their separate ways; with Stark saying goodbye to Steve Rogers and shaking his hand before he drove away in his Acura 2012 Stark Industries Super Car with Banner by his side. Stark was later with Pepper Potts in Stark Tower ready to rebuild after the damage that was done.
=== After New York ===
==== Damage Control ====
Feeling all the guilt of his recent actions involving the Battle of New York, Stark invested into the United States Department of Damage Control in order to clear up the wreckage left behind by the Chitauri and the Leviathans that now littered New York City. Putting Anne Marie Hoag in charge of the newly established Damage Control, Stark had Hoag take control away from Adrian Toomes' Crew to work on the clear up of the battle's aftermath, much to Adrian Toomes' great dismay.
==== 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[src]
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".
=== Mandarin Threat ===
==== Armor Obsession ====
: "I guess seventy-two 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[src]
A year and a half after the Battle of New York, Stark continued building up the Iron Legion, creating new suits for all possible eventualities. While in his Malibu Mansion, Stark tested out the new Mark XLII, which was built so that he could now activate and summon various pieces of the armor when needed using micro-repeaters implanted in his body. Stark ignored J.A.R.V.I.S.'s concern about his lack of sleep and the armor's safety briefing, recruiting Dum-E and U to assist him in filming the newest test to Bombay Dub Orchestra's "Jingle Bells".
Stark successfully summoned both of his gauntlets, deciding to have the entire armor assemble at once. However, due to glitches, the pieces started coming too fast to properly attach, forcing Stark to dodge the flying projectiles as they damaged his workshop, with the face and crotch plates hurting him if they impacted by themselves. After slowing down the armor assembly, Stark only had the face plate left and noticed it was upside down, so he flipped himself over to help it fit. Just as Stark celebrated, a final piece for his backside knocked him over, causing the entire suit to fall apart.
Right after testing the new armor, Stark watched the television, only to see that the terrorist the Mandarin had made yet another attack on the United States of America. At the same time, James Rhodes had his own suit rebranded as Iron Patriot under President Matthew Ellis' direct orders.
==== Mental Struggle ====
: "You know I can help, just ask. I got a ton of new tech. I got a prehensile, I got a new bomb disposal. Catches explosions mid-air.""When's the last time you got a good night's sleep?""Einstein slept three hours a year. Look what he did."
: ―Tony Stark and James Rhodes[src]
Stark met with James Rhodes at Neptune's Net for lunch, where he spent much of his time mocking the new Iron Patriot identity, being told that it had tested well with focus groups; the government felt that "War Machine" was too violent a name, which would send the wrong message. Stark then asked Rhodes about the Mandarin's attacks, wanting to know the facts regarding the terrorist.
Rhodes revealed the explosions' origins were unknown due to no bomb casings left behind. Stark argued that he was more than capable of helping with the mission thanks to his advanced Iron Legion, though Rhodes worried that his friend's recent actions were negatively impacting his health. Two children then approached and asked Stark to sign a drawn picture, which he agreed to. The picture showed him in the Battle of New York diverting the missile into the portal above Stark Tower.
As Rhodes continued insisting that Stark let the Pentagon handle the Mandarin since the public is still on edge from the Chitauri Invasion, Stark suddenly lost focus and scribbled a message for help on the drawing, reminded of his near-death experience. The boy asked how Stark escaped the wormhole, leading him to experience a severe anxiety attack as he recalled what he had seen in the battle. Stark rushed to put on his Mark VII suit to test for any faults in his physiology, only to learn nothing was wrong. Taken aback, he then left to return home and resume work on his suits.
After completing and storing away the Mark XLII, Stark called Happy Hogan to get an update on what was happening at Stark Industries, where Hogan was now head of security. After Hogan complained about all of his experiences and embarrassments as Iron Man's bodyguard, he told Stark that Pepper Potts was currently having a pitch meeting with Aldrich Killian at the headquarters, although he failed to flip the screen to show Stark their conversation.
Having discussed meeting Killian in Switzerland back in 1999, Stark and Hogan then conferred if Hogan should follow him, as he did not trust Killian nor the man's bodyguard, Eric Savin. While Hogan advised Stark to pay more attention to Potts, Stark said he missed his friend, with Hogan noting that he missed him too but also how Stark spent more time with the Avengers now. Stark promptly hung up the call and left his phone inside the wine cellar to continue working.
==== Anxiety Confession ====
: "I'm just a man in a can. The only reason I haven't cracked up is probably because you moved in. Which is great. I love you, I'm lucky. But, honey... I can't sleep. You go to bed, I come down here. I do what I know. I tinker. But, threat is imminent, and I have to protect the one thing that I can't live without. That's you."
: ―Tony Stark to Pepper Potts[src]
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 his mansion's door, so he would need to have the wall taken down to get it inside. Deciding to test his new remote-control unit, Stark had his Mark XLII armor sit on the sofa and wait for Potts to come home. Once she arrived and greeted him, Stark lied that he was breaking in the armor.
However, his ruse fell apart when Potts wanted to open the armor to kiss him; she went down to Stark's workshop, catching him watching news reports on the Mandarin. Stark managed to quell Potts' anger by explaining how he's been feeling like an amateur in the big leagues since the Battle of New York; he's just a man in a suit against Asgardians, portals to other worlds and the Chitauri coming through. Stark then admitted that probably the only reason he had not snapped is because Potts moved in with him, for which he is greatly thankful. However, he was also been plagued by nightmares about these hostile forces attacking what he loves most: her.
Because of this, Stark spent most of his time, even when Potts is asleep, building more and more of the Iron Legion to help protect her. Potts comforted him, understanding why he'd been so distant from her since getting involved with the Avengers. As she then left to wash up for bed, Potts turned around and offered to have Stark join her 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 suffered visions of himself in the Chitauri Invasion, causing him to go into distress as he recalled almost dying while destroying the Chitauri Command Center. Potts tried to rouse Stark until the Mark XLII armor came to his aid due to responding to his brainwaves, seeing her as a threat. Stark awoke and deactivated the armor before apologizing to a terrified Potts, 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[src]
Happy Hogan was caught up in the Destruction of the Chinese Theatre, seemingly caused by the Ten Rings working under the orders of the Mandarin. Stark visited his friend at the Cedars-Sinai Hospital, ensuring that the nurses kept Downton Abbey, Hogan's favorite program, on television and they all wore ID tags since Hogan was a "stickler" for those.
Having ensured that Hogan's health recovery was as comfortable as it could be, a distressed Stark prepared to return home while he was mobbed by the press who had requested a statement about the true cause of the blast. Stark ignored all of the questions and made his way to his car until he was stopped upon being asked if he would kill the Mandarin and put an end to his war against the United States of America. Stark immediately turned around upon being asked this.
He then issued a public threat to the Mandarin, calling him a coward who hid behind the Ten Rings and would not dare face him alone. Without a second thought due to his rage at Hogan's injuries, Stark revealed the address of his Malibu Mansion so they could face off. As he left, Stark smashed the reporter's phone and told him to send him the bill. This resulted in numerous news choppers flying around Stark's home, waiting to film Iron Man vs. the Mandarin.
==== Mandarin Research ====
: "Okay. What do we got here? His name is an ancient Chinese war mantle, meaning 'Adviser to the King'. South American insurgency tactics, talks like a Baptist preacher. There's lots of pageantry going on here."
: ―Tony Stark to J.A.R.V.I.S.[src]
Stark ended up fighting with Pepper Potts over leaving the Malibu Mansion for their own safety, since he carelessly gave up his real address. Stark spent his time in the workshop creating a database on the Mandarin, and recreated the explosion which left Happy Hogan in a coma, searching for any clues that he could find as to what caused the fireball that had killed several people.
With new information from S.H.I.E.L.D. databases, Stark tried to learn who the Mandarin really was. Viewing the holograph of Hogan, Stark found he was pointing at a dog tag belonging to Jack Taggart near the center of the explosion; using this clue, he looked for records of similar explosions of 3,000°C . Ruling out the Mandarin attacks, Stark eventually found one case in Rose Hill, Tennessee, seemingly caused by Chad Davis committing suicide with a bomb vest.
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 told the world his address. Donning the Mark XLII, Stark confronted his visitor, only to find Maya Hansen instead of the Mandarin. Stark eventually realized she was the "botanist" he met in Switzerland but initially mistook Hansen's comments about needing to get him alone as an offer for sex. Stark turned her down, explaining that he was now in a happily committed relationship with Potts, which amused Hansen.
At that moment, Potts dropped luggage from the second floor. Stark nervously asked Hansen if their one-night-stand had resulted in a child. After teasing him by hinting this might be true, Hansen assured Stark that it was not the case and she needed to talk to him about the Mandarin, bluntly warning that he would be killed otherwise. As Hansen met Potts, Stark continued protesting her desire for them to leave the city, insisting he needed to confront the Mandarin and could better protect Potts if they stayed. When Hansen tried to help move them out, Stark stopped her and ended up yelling in frustration about the rabbit he had bought Potts.
==== Destruction of Tony Stark's Mansion ====
: "J.A.R.V.I.S., where's my flight power?""Working on it, sir. This is a prototype."
: ―Tony Stark and J.A.R.V.I.S.[src]
However, as Stark and Pepper Potts were still arguing about what action they should take next, Maya Hansen turned their attention towards their television, which showed a missile currently heading straight towards the mansion fired by Eric Savin. Before they could react, the missile struck the side of the Mansion and sent the pair flying back. With seconds to spare before hitting the wall, Stark signaled his Mark XLII armor onto Potts, protecting her as they slammed into it, with Stark taking the brunt of the impact.
Having been winded by the impact of striking the wall hard, Stark attempted to crawl away but noticed a large chunk of the ceiling was about to fall and crush him. However, Potts appeared wearing his armor and saved his life. Stark claimed to have always said it was not safe to stay in the Mansion and told Potts that they needed to get out. Upon being separated as the Mansion fell apart, Stark ordered Potts to get an unconscious Hansen to safety outside.
While Potts pulled Hansen from the rubble, Stark was forced to avoid the helicopters' attacks as they tried to shoot him down. Once J.A.R.V.I.S. confirmed that Potts and Hansen made it outside, Stark summoned the armor back to himself. Still avoiding the gunshots, Stark collected all the sections of the Iron Man armor, getting saved from a bullet in the back just in time, before triumphantly rising to his feet as he prepared to fight back against his attackers.
Iron Man was unable to call upon the Iron Legion due to the Mansion falling apart around him and trapping them under rubble, so he was forced to defend himself using the new prototype armor, which lacked the offensive abilities of his battle armors. Despite being warned by J.A.R.V.I.S. that both the suit's flight and weapons protocols were not ready and needed time to charge, Iron Man continued fending off the helicopters surrounding him. When a missile had failed to fire, he then simply threw it at the helicopter and shot it with his repulsor, destroying the helicopter in the resulting explosion while the others still fired.
Taking out a second helicopter by launching his grand piano at it, Iron Man had another missile fire at him and fell through the floor into his workshop. Iron Man helplessly watched as Dum-E and U were destroyed along with his armors from Mark I to Mark VII, which were consumed in fireballs. Having been outgunned, Iron Man was pulled into the ocean while his home and possessions were all demolished over him, as the suit was still without adequate power to fly himself to safety.
As the Mark XLII began filling with water, causing Iron Man begin drowning, Savin and the other attack choppers circled above the wreckage, looking for any signs of life. Iron Man was saved when J.A.R.V.I.S. took control of his gauntlet and used it to pull him out of the wreckage and fly away just in time as the power had been restored. Escaping, Iron Man lost consciousness from the strain and left J.A.R.V.I.S. in charge of the suit's flight path.
==== 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. Also, it's Christmas time, the rabbit's too big. Done. Sorry. And I'm sorry in advance because... I can't come home yet. I need to find this guy. You gotta stay safe."
: ―Tony Stark to Pepper Potts[src]
Stark found himself in Rose Hill, Tennessee after J.A.R.V.I.S. followed his initial flight plan to locate the Mandarin. Unfortunately, since the Mark XLII was still a prototype and highly damaged from use, it lacked the link to the Arc Reactor to sustain its own power. Therefore, Stark awoke just as the suit crash-landed in the middle of rural Ross Hill and lost power, including the link to J.A.R.V.I.S.. This left Stark in the cold, with nothing left but his own genius to help him find a solution.
Lacking the power to return to California and with the world at large believing him to be dead from the destruction of his mansion, Stark dragged the Mark XLII behind him as he looked for shelter. Finding a phone booth, Stark called his system back home, leaving a private message for Pepper Potts. Apologizing for putting her in harm's way, Stark stated that he still had to find the Mandarin and therefore, he could not return home just yet, urging Potts to protect herself in the meantime.
Stark broke into a garage belonging to the family of 10-year-old Harley Keener, where he laid down the Mark XLII and attempted to fix the damaged parts until he was discovered by Keener. Despite being threatened with a potato gun, Stark found that he got along well with Keener, who soon reminded Stark of a younger version of himself, a child genius; Keener admired the Mark XLII armor and had recommended using new retro-reflection panels to create a stealth armor, although he claimed to prefer the Iron Patriot name over War Machine for James Rhodes, which Stark highly disagreed with.
Having discussed Keener's home life where he was growing up without a father, Stark mocked him by noting his own father was not there for him. Stark then requested that Keener find him a digital watch, a cell phone, a map of town, a big spring, and a tuna fish sandwich. Stark offered Keener a flash grenade from his suit in exchange, recognizing the signs of a kid being bullied, which Keener accepted while Stark demanded he get his sandwich.
Stark enlisted Keener's help in finding the truth behind the terrorist bombings seemingly involving the Ten Rings and the Mandarin. While being lead to the site, Stark complained about the Dora the Explorer watch he was given. Upon examining the site of the explosion, Stark realized something was amiss as there was no ash-imprint of Chad Davis, who died, and the blast was similar to the Destruction of the Chinese Theatre, with no bomb parts being found.
However, when Keener started asking him about the Battle of New York, the Avengers and whether or not the Chitauri would return, Stark started having another panic attack. At this point, Stark admitted that he should have been on medication to deal with his Post-traumatic stress disorder. Having pulled himself back together and thrown a snowball at Keener, Stark asked where Mrs. Davis could be found, with Keener directing him to a local bar.
==== Battle of Rose Hill ====
: "Do you like that, Westworld? That's the thing about smart guys, we always cover our ass."
: ―Tony Stark to Eric Savin[src]
Seeking information, Stark set up a meeting with Mrs. Davis, the mother of recently killed Extremis-infected soldier Chad Davis. Arriving outside Walker's where he had been told he could find Davis, Stark bumped into Ellen Brandt, who complimented his Dora the Explorer watch, which he proudly noted was limited edition while also complimenting Brandt.
Inside, Stark soon found Mrs. Davis, offering her his condolences for the death of her son. To Stark's surprise, Davis handed him a file on her son's work with A.I.M., which he had not asked for and held key information regarding Chad's death, showing that he had worked along with Jack Taggart. Stark told Davis that he believed her son did not commit suicide but was instead used as a weapon, at which point Davis realized Stark was not who she expected.
Stark and Davis were then interrupted by Brandt, who revealed she was the one that contacted Davis and attempted to arrest Stark. When the Rose Hill Sheriff tried to stop this and questioned what was happening, Brandt claimed to be from Homeland Security before she suddenly used her Extremis powers to murder the Sheriff while Davis hid the file and Stark ran out, still handcuffed. Outside, Stark encountered Eric Savin, forcing him to run for his safety.
Harley Keener briefly distracted Savin before he could shoot Stark. Pursued by Brandt into a restaurant, Stark was forced to fight against the highly trained soldier with no weapons to defend himself. As they fought, Stark noticed that Brandt could heal from most injuries and super-heat anything she touched, using this to burn through his handcuffs. Stark bought himself time to set up a bomb by igniting some fuel with his cuffs to block Brandt's way.
While Brandt walked through the flames, Stark put Chad's dog tags in the microwave and opened a gas valve. As she stepped inside the kitchen, Stark joked that he had dated hotter girls than Brandt, who was currently on fire, and she questioned if those would be his final words. Stark replied that they could be the title of his autobiography before fleeing outside and hiding behind an ice machine. An explosion then erupted, killing Brandt.
As Stark recovered from his fight with Brandt, he suddenly witnessed Savin using his own Extremis powers to bring a water tower crashing down, trapping Stark underneath all of the debris. Savin then held Keener hostage in order to regain Davis' file, but Stark reminded Keener about the flash grenade he had given him from the Mark XLII Armor; this allowed Keener to escape, allowing Stark to then blast Savin with a secret spare repulsor.
Stealing Savin's car keys from his pocket, Stark commandeered his car, taking off with the file from Davis. As Stark prepared to leave, he was followed by Keener, who insisted that Stark thank him for saving him from Savin, but Stark insisted that Keener instead go home to his mother and protect the Mark XLII armor until Stark contacted him. As he left, Stark did thank Keener for all his help but teased him as he drove out of Rose Hill.
==== Locating the Mandarin ====
: "I don't want to clip your wings, here. We're both a little over-excited. I got an issue. I'm chasing bad guys. I'm trying to grab a little something from some hard-crypt data files. I don't have enough juice. I need you to jump on the roof... Right? Recalibrate the ISDNs. Pump it up by about 40%."
: ―Tony Stark to Gary[src]
While driving Eric Savin's car, Stark called James Rhodes, who was overseas hunting down the Mandarin as well. Stark reminded Rhodes how last time he had vanished, Rhodes had searched for him before requesting the login to his Comsat. Rhodes eventually revealed that his password was "WARMACHINEROX", much to Stark's great amusement and Rhodes' own embarrassment.
Stark found a nearby pageant and broke into a WZPZ van in order to use their computers to find out what he needed to know. While inside, Stark was confronted by the cameraman Gary, who froze upon realizing who was there as he was a huge fan of Stark and the Avengers, noting that he had not believed Stark was killed in the destruction of his mansion. Stark amused all of Gary's requests to show his tattoo of Stark and recruited his help.
Stark used Gary's own satellite connection to hack into A.I.M.'s systems, which the file reported was responsible for Chad Davis' death. He watched footage of Aldrich Killian recruiting Davis along with Ellen Brandt and Jack Taggart before they were injected with Extremis, which enhanced their strength and regrew their limbs. Upon seeing one test subject exploding, Stark realized Killian must have sold his technology to the Ten Rings to use as human weapons.
Stark called Harley Keener to check on how the suit was doing; the armor was now 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. had misspoke again, Stark asked Keener to read it aloud. To Stark's shock, the location was correct; this sent him into a panic attack, as he did not have any of his armors or a way to call in the Avengers to help.
Trying to keep Stark calm as he recalled the Battle of New York, which made him panic even more, Keener suggested that Stark build his own gadgets if he would now have to defend himself when he would confront both Killian and the Mandarin. The sudden thought of being independent and focusing on his work snapped Stark out of his panic attack as he drove away towards a gardening store to buy some supplies, macgyvering them into makeshift weapons.
=== Aldrich Killian's War ===
==== Learning the Truth ====
: "What are you, a decoy? You're a double, right?""What, you mean like an understudy? No, absolutely not. Don't hurt the face! I'm an actor.""You got a minute to live. Fill it with words."
: ―Tony Stark and Trevor Slattery[src]
With all of his new homemade gadgets now ready, Stark prepared to infiltrate the Mandarin's home and finally confront and possibly even kill the terrorist in revenge for all of the lives he had endangered, including Happy Hogan. Taking position outside the walls, Stark used binoculars to spy on the compound, spotting several guards watching the entire area as he planned to get past them.
Jumping over the wall, Stark infiltrated the mansion as quickly as he could. Using all his wits and fighting skills, Stark successfully and swiftly knocked out several of the guards, using his newly-made gadgets to gain the advantage as he fired knockout darts at the guards, and used an electrified glove and homemade grenades to get past them all. Stark eventually made it inside the building, where he continued to search through the rooms for the Mandarin.
Stark eventually found a large bedroom filled with movie props, along with the Mandarin's wardrobe; there were also signs that someone was living inside, and Stark came upon two half-naked women in the bed. Hearing someone enter from the bathroom, Stark then hid; the Mandarin entered, speaking in a British accent. Stark ambushed him, holding the Mandarin at gunpoint, and was surprised by the sudden cowardly reaction from the terrorist, demanding answers.
To his horror, Stark soon learned 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 for taking the blame for the explosions. The person who had employed him was Aldrich Killian, who needed to cover up the failures of his Extremis program. Just then, Stark was knocked unconscious by Eric Savin, who took him hostage.
==== Aldrich Killian's Hostage ====
: "What's next for you in your world?""Well, I wanted to repay you with the selfsame gift that you so graciously imparted to me: Desperation."
: ―Tony Stark and Aldrich Killian[src]
Upon awakening in captivity at Aldrich Killian's mansion, Stark was shocked and angered to learn that Maya Hansen was working for A.I.M.; she had used the formula he wrote down in a drunken daze after their night together to better stabilize Extremis but needed money so she joined Killian. Although having forgotten all about that equation, Stark refused to help Hansen better understand it and expressed his disgust over her losing her soul, since he remembered her as a woman who used to have a moral psychology and a sense of right and wrong. Stark tried to appeal to what remained of Hansen's humanity to make her help him escape.
Their conversation was interrupted when Killian arrived and revealed the reasons behind A.I.M.'s actions, and how he was grateful to Stark for teaching him that he needed to control the chaos from behind the scenes. Killian expressed that since Stark left him behind on the roof in Switzerland, it gave him a sense of desperation, which changed his life. Killian went on to discuss Trevor Slattery's role as the Mandarin, acknowledging his over-the-top personality.
Killian compared Slattery's Mandarin performance to him creating a terrorist like Osama Bin Laden or Muammar Gaddafi to blame his failures on. Expressing his desire for Stark to suffer desperation, Killian revealed he had captured Pepper Potts and was infecting her with Extremis, leaving her in danger of exploding; Stark would be now forced to help improve Extremis in order to save Potts' life, with Killian cruelly noting how much pain she was currently in.
While Stark struggled to look at the video feed of the woman he loved suffering, Killian offered to pay him for helping them and began to strangle Stark. Hansen, realizing he had gone too far, demanded Stark's release by threatening to kill herself with an overdose of Extremis and wound Killian in the blast, whilst depriving him of his chief researcher. Stark watched in horror and sadness as Killian murdered her without any remorse. As Killian left Stark to think about his next move, Stark angrily called him a maniac for killing Hansen while Killian claimed to be a "visionary".
==== Break Out ====
: "Put down your weapons, tie yourselves to those chairs, I'll let you live. In five, four... Bang! You should be gone by now. You should have already been gone."
: ―Tony Stark[src]
Stark was left guarded by two of Aldrich Killian's henchmen, one of whom broke Harley Keener's sister's watch. Once he learned the correct time, Stark worked out that his suit would be charged by now and offered the henchmen, one of whom he nicknamed “Ponytail Express”, 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 considerably longer than he expected to arrive.
The reason being that the doors to Keener's barn the pieces were being kept in were chained shut, and therefore the rest of the armor was trapped. Summoning his Mark XLII all the way from Keener's home, Stark was given one of his gauntlets, which he used to shoot Ponytail Express and free himself. A boot then attached itself onto Stark's leg to give him the advantage in the fight against his captors, although Stark still questioned where the rest of the armor was.
Having escaped captivity, Stark was forced to battle several guards from A.I.M., despite only getting a hand and leg part of his suit for the duration of the fight. Stark found that this greatly affected how he could fight, as he struggled to maintain control of flying while wearing only the pieces of armor he had. When one guard grabbed Stark from behind, Stark used the boot's repulsor to launch himself backwards and knock out the guard, stealing his gun in the process.
Keener soon freed the rest of the parts of the Mark XLII, knowing that Stark was in need of his armor. Once the guards were all knocked out, Stark prepared to shoot the last one, only to be amused when the man quickly surrendered to him as he claimed to hate working for Killian and A.I.M.. 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, with his own suit failing to fly.
To Stark's surprise, he ran into James Rhodes, who he thought was in the armor; it turned out that the Iron Patriot suit was stolen by Eric Savin in order to kidnap President Matthew Ellis. Needing a way to go after Killian, Stark and Rhodes interrogated Trevor Slattery, waking him from another drunken stupor. Seeking to save the President, Stark remembered that Slattery had been given a speedboat from Killian and demanded it.
Onboard Slattery's boat, Stark called Vice President Rodriguez to warn him that President Ellis was about to be attacked by Savin posing as the Iron Patriot, with Rodriguez informing them that Ellis was about to board Air Force One. After Rodriguez promised to handle the situation, Stark and Rhodes next discussed who they had time to save, Pepper Potts or President Ellis. Stark decided to remote control his armor so they could save both of them.
==== Saving the Air Force One Crew ====
: "Eleven more to go. Remember that game called Barrel of Monkeys? That's what we're gonna do.""Eighteen-thousand feet.""Come on, people! Everybody, grab your monkey!"
: ―Iron Man and J.A.R.V.I.S.[src]
To protect President Matthew Ellis, Stark remote-controlled his armor to Air Force One, where Eric Savin had already forced President Ellis into the Iron Patriot armor and sent it away. Fighting Savin, Iron Man's armor was briefly disabled by the man's Extremis powers, but he soon managed to shoot directly through Savin's chest and kill him, though at the cost of the plane falling apart around him.
To his horror, Iron Man witnessed all of the passengers onboard being sucked out of the plane through a hole caused by a bomb Savin had planted and now plummeting thousands of feet to the ocean below. With everyone else falling, Iron Man flew out of Air Force One just before it exploded, asking J.A.R.V.I.S. how he could save them all. J.A.R.V.I.S. informed him that the Mark XLII could not carry that many people at the same time.
With no time to spare, Iron Man grabbed ahold of Heather and told her to in turn grab whoever she could reach, explaining that he would send a shockwave through her body so that Heather could not let go of them. Iron Man saved two other passengers while diving down to collect the others, quickly running out of time as they fell towards the ocean. Forming a human chain by the passengers grabbing each other, Iron Man dove for the final passenger once everyone was linked.
With everyone now connected, Iron Man used his thrusters to give them more height before he then safely deposited them in a river. As the people cheered in celebration, Iron Man ensured that they were all okay and complimented the group before turning around to return to the boat and save Pepper Potts. However, when Iron Man was not looking, the armor was knocked apart by an incoming truck, smashing into pieces across the road.
Still back on board the boat, Stark took off his Mark XLII Telepresence Headset and confirmed to James Rhodes that he had indeed saved the passengers. As they prepared to move on to find Potts and Aldrich Killian, Stark was then informed by J.A.R.V.I.S. that the rubble had been cleared out from his Malibu Mansion, finally allowing him to reactivate the Iron Legion. Stark ordered J.A.R.V.I.S. to send the suits to him ready for the next battle against Killian's soldiers.
==== Battle on the Norco ====
: "Yeah. Merry Christmas, buddy. J.A.R.V.I.S., target Extremis heat signatures. Disable with extreme prejudice.""Yes, sir.""What are you waiting for? It's Christmas. Take 'em to church."
: ―Tony Stark and J.A.R.V.I.S.[src]
Stark and James Rhodes had eventually traced Aldrich Killian to an impounded oil tanker called the Norco where he now intended to kill President Matthew 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 due to poor aim, which Rhodes mocked him about. Taking out a light from a long distance, Rhodes quickly proved himself to be the superior marksman due to his training in the Air Force which greatly annoyed Stark.
Outnumbered, Stark summoned the Iron Legion to their aid, all of which were currently being 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. Rhodes looked on in amazement as all the armors flew in together and lined up, awaiting the orders of Stark. Taking delight in his achievements, Stark then wished J.A.R.V.I.S. a Merry Christmas before sending all of the armors into battle, ordering them to target the Extremis Soldiers with extreme prejudice. Stark watched the battle unfolding, ordering Mark XXXVIII to hold up the platform under them and Mark XVII to assist Mark XXXV in the fight.
Stark donned the Mark XXXIII suit and prepared to fly into battle, as Rhodes requested his own armor to fight in. Stark, however, revealed that the armors were only coded to himself and therefore, he had to send the Mark XVII to carry Rhodes to find both President Ellis and the Iron Patriot Armor, much to Rhodes' annoyance. Stark then flew across the battlefield in search for Pepper Potts so that he could take her away from the battle towards safety.
While his suits continued to fight all of the enhanced soldiers, with several of the armors being torn apart by their Extremis powers, Iron Man eventually found Potts unharmed underneath wreckage from a recent explosion. He mocked her about all of this happening because she spent time with Maya Hansen, while trying to get her out without risking the structure falling and crushing her. Reaching out, Iron Man and Potts were able to grab each other's hands.
However, before Stark could free Potts, Aldrich Killian unexpectedly attacked him and damaged the armor's Arc Reactor. Pinning Iron Man down, Killian began slowly burning through his suit with his finger, taunting that Stark should close his eyes and die. Refusing to give in, however, Stark was forced to cut off Killian's arm with the armor's hidden blade and eject from the suit, only for Killian's still red-hot severed arm to burn through the floor underneath Potts.
Seeing that Potts was trapped and being pulled towards a sheer edge, Stark charged through the battlefield as he demanded that J.A.R.V.I.S. provide him with a new suit. As he ran across the Norco, Stark failed to get a new armor and was informed that Rhodes had rescued President Ellis and was taking him to safety. With all of the Extremis Soldiers being kept at bay, Stark began catching up with Potts and leaped from one platform to the other to get to her.
Approaching as close as he could, Stark was still unable to quite reach Potts and begged her to reach out for him as he stretched as far as he could to try and save her life. However, Stark was then forced to watch in utter horror as a jolt from the platform Potts was on caused her to lose her grip and she fell into a pit of fire 200 feet below to a certain death. Stark looked on with complete heartbreak and devastation as he failed to protect the one person he could not live without.
==== Showdown with Aldrich Killian ====
: "Okay, okay! Wait, wait! Slow down, slow down! You're right, I don't deserve her! Here's where you're wrong. She was already perfect. J.A.R.V.I.S., do me a favor and blow Mark XLII."
: ―Iron Man to Aldrich Killian[src]
While Stark continued to react in horror, Aldrich Killian then appeared and mocked him, claiming that if he was in Stark's position, he would have caught Pepper Potts. Infuriated, Stark then ran forward in order to engage in a final fight with Killian. When Killian leaped into the air to strike Stark, he then dived underneath him and donned the Mark XVI armor.
Even with his armor on, Tony found Killian was the superior fighter and the situation was made even worse by his Extremis abilities, which could penetrate any armor with relative ease. Killian used his red-hot limbs to cut through the metal armor and attempt to kill Iron Man. As their duel continued, Iron Man did all he could to subdue Killian, but found that the man could withstand and heal from any strike and his strength also surpassed Stark's, even tearing off part of the Armor from Stark's left hand and healing from having his own left hand broken when they clashed their fists. When he was pinned down, Iron Man again exited his suit to avoid Killian's burning fist.
Having launched himself off the edge of the platform, Iron Man then donned the Mark XL in midair and attacked Killian once again. Iron Man flew Killian across the battlefield but was still unable to tire him out, as all his attempts to stop Killian were met with superhuman combat attacks and his armor was once again cut to pieces by Killian's Extremis powers. Killian almost cut off Iron Man's leg before Stark was finally able to gain the upper hand.
Iron Man was able to avoid death once again by ejecting out of his suit seconds before Killian ripped it apart with his bare hands, falling hard on his back onto the platform below. Standing alone on the platform, Stark, now armor-less due to the rest of the Iron Legion being preoccupied with his command to destroy all of Killian's Extremis Soldiers, awaited the arrival of the Mark XLII but was soon deflated when it crashed and disassembled once again.
Amused at Stark's failed attempt to don another armor to continuing fighting against him, Killian mockingly spoke to Stark about him not deserving Potts and claiming that he was close to making her "perfect" in his eyes by experimenting on her with Extremis. Stark agreed that Killian was right and he did not deserve Potts, but retorted that she already was perfect before sending the Mark XLII onto Killian, trapping him with all the thrusters on full power, eventually pinning him against the wall.
As Killian yelled out in anger at seemingly being defeated, Stark then ordered J.A.R.V.I.S. to activate the armor's self-destruct protocol while he escaped. Diving off the platform, Stark avoided the massive explosion behind him, which seemingly destroyed Killian once and for all. As the fireball continued to grow and destroyed most of the Norco, Stark summoned the Mark XV to catch him as he jumped to safety, only for the armor to fail on the way down by crashing into the platform, causing Stark to crash-land, barely avoiding all of the flames and the debris that followed him down from the explosion.
==== Suit Destruction ====
: "Who's the hot mess now?""It's still debatable. Probably tipping your way a little bit. Why don't you dress like this at home? Hmm? Sport bra. The whole deal."
: ―Pepper Potts and Tony Stark[src]
Lying on the ground, a battered Stark watched as the Mark XLII helmet fell into the fire before him and broke apart. Suddenly, Aldrich Killian emerged from the flames with most of his own skin destroyed seemingly beyond Extremis' ability of reconstruction and still intent on Stark's death. Stark was now powerless and at the mercy of Killian, who proclaimed himself the Mandarin, saying that he was from the start.
During this tirade, Pepper Potts, still alive due to the Extremis in her system, struck Killian to the ground with a large metal pipe, to which Stark was left speechless. The Mark IX armor flew downward in an attack position, and Stark failed to tell J.A.R.V.I.S. to disengage due to losing his earpiece. Potts then jumped off his knee to impale the suit and don one of its gauntlets. Stark watched as Potts sent Killian flying backwards and threw a missile at him, blowing it up with a repulsor blast.
With Killian and all the Extremis Soldiers now dead for good, Stark approached the confused Potts, who took a minute to realize the violence of what she had done while under the influence of Extremis. Stark and Potts teased each other about how he had thought she was dead while she joked about who was the bigger "hot mess" now. Stark apologized to Potts and promised to find a cure for her powers, joking that a relationship with him would always be a mess.
Seeing that Potts was still worried about their future together, Stark decided to give her another early Christmas present and finally ordered J.A.R.V.I.S. to destroy all his remaining Iron Legion armors in Operation: Clean Slate Protocol. Surrounded by the firework-like explosions in the sky, the couple embraced, with Stark asking if Potts was enjoying the show, which she said she did, as he accepted a life without such an obsession of being Iron Man.
=== Temporary Retirement ===
==== A Step Further ====
: "As promised, I got Pepper sorted out. It took some tinkering. But then I thought to myself, 'Why stop there?' Of course, there are people who say progress is dangerous, but I'll bet none of those idiots ever had to live with a chestful of shrapnel. And now, neither will I."
: ―Tony Stark[src]
Stark was able to use his vast resources to cure Pepper Potts of the Extremis, removing her superhuman abilities. Stark used the cure to develop a method to extract the shrapnel within his heart without dying, and two days later, Stark underwent surgery from Doctor Wu in Hong Kong to have it removed.
He used the pieces of shrapnel that had been removed by Doctor Wu to make a necklace, which he gave to Potts. Since Tony Stark's Mansion had been destroyed by Aldrich Killian and Eric Savin, Stark and Potts moved in together at Stark Tower, which he had now redesigned and renamed Avengers Tower ready if he would ever again need to rejoin the Avengers for a future mission to save the world again.
Returning to his home's wreckage, Stark threw his Arc Reactor into the ocean, vowing that he was still Iron Man. He took the remains of his Dum-E and U to repair. 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. He began helping S.H.I.E.L.D. by making repulsor technology for their three new Helicarriers, to avoid the issue that happened during the Attack on the Helicarrier.
==== Therapy Session ====
: "Where did I lose you?""Elevator in Switzerland.""So you heard none of it?"
: ―Tony Stark and Bruce Banner[src]
In the wake of his battle with Aldrich Killian and all of the stress he had endured from the Battle of New York aftermath, Stark retold the entire story to Bruce Banner in the Avengers Tower. Much to Stark's great annoyance, Banner had fallen asleep during the tale, telling his friend that he was not that kind of doctor. Stark ignored this comment and then began telling more stories of his life, much to the dismay of Banner, who proceeded to go to sleep again.
=== War on HYDRA ===
==== Project Insight ====
: "Most of the intelligence community would like to drop me into a dark hole, but even they can't mess with Tony's army of lawyers. So for now, we're privatizing global security."
: ―Maria Hill[src]
Tony Stark was listed as another 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. In the wake of the fall of S.H.I.E.L.D., Stark hired Maria Hill, utilizing his army of lawyers to protect her, 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.
==== Attack on the HYDRA Research Base ====
: "The wall to your left. I'm reading steel reinforcement.""And an air current. Please be a secret door. Please be a secret door. Please be a secret door. Yay."
: ―J.A.R.V.I.S. and Iron Man[src]
Stark and the other Avengers attacked Baron Wolfgang von Strucker's research base. While the other Avengers fought the soldiers on the ground, Iron Man worked on destroying the base's shields to allow the team access. When Iron Man swore during the mission, Captain America told him to watch his language, much to Iron Man's amusement. When the people of Sokovia began being targeted by all Strucker's guns, Iron Man ordered J.A.R.V.I.S. to send out the Iron Legion in order to get the innocent people back to the safety of their homes.
Iron Man soon managed to disable the shields and entered the base; subduing all of Strucker's soldier's with ease. Once inside, Iron Man killed List who was attempting to delete his files before making his way through the hallways. Removing the Mark XLIII, Stark scanned the room in order to find a secret hallway, hoping to find all of Strucker and List's secret experiments, while being informed that during the battle Hawkeye had been badly injured.
While Captain America had successfully captured Baron Strucker, Stark located inside the base the corpse of a Leviathan, which HYDRA had stolen after the Battle of New York, and the Scepter, which had last been seen in S.H.I.E.L.D.'s hands having been taken away from Loki. While Stark was looking at the Scepter and prepared to take it back into the Avengers' custody, Scarlet Witch snuck up behind him and gave him a vision of the future with her powers.
In the vision, Stark saw the Avengers lying dead after a mysterious battle against a powerful enemy. As Stark explored the battlefield, he saw the deaths of his teammates, with Captain America's Shield lying broken in half. Going to Steve Rogers, Stark was surprised when Rogers grabbed his hand, telling him that Stark could have saved them before dying. Stark looked up and saw the Leviathans and Chitauri heading to Earth through a portal in space.
Shaken by what he had seen, Maximoff allowed Stark to retrieve the Scepter, knowing its power would ultimately cause his own downfall. Unaware that he was now being watched by Maximoff and her twin brother Pietro Maximoff, Stark reclaimed the Mark XLIII gauntlet and used it to snatch the Scepter away, originally planning on giving it back to Thor to take back to Asgard to keep the Earth safe from its power, but Stark now had some new ideas about using it.
==== Creation of Ultron ====
: "I see a suit of armor around the world.""Sounds like a cold world, Tony.""I've seen colder. This one, this very vulnerable blue one? It needs Ultron. Peace in our time. Imagine that."
: ―Tony Stark and Bruce Banner[src]
With Baron Strucker now in the custody of the United States Armed Forces, Stark flew the Avengers away from Sokovia on board the Quinjet. Along the way, Stark asked Bruce Banner if it was okay for Doctor Helen Cho to set up all of her own equipment in his lab so she could begin the operation to save Clint Barton's life in the wake of his injuries during the battle.
As they came closer to their destination, Stark had put J.A.R.V.I.S. in charge of flying while he spoke with Thor and Captain America about what was to happen with Loki's Scepter now that they had finally recovered it from HYDRA. Stark requested that he be allowed the chance to study the Scepter before Thor returned it to Asgard to be kept safe, which Thor agreed with before they all discussed having a party to celebrate the capture of Baron von Strucker.
Upon arriving at Avengers Tower, Stark was greeted by both Doctor Cho and Maria Hill, with Stark correcting Hill when she called him boss, claiming that Rogers was the boss despite Stark paying for every they did. While the Iron Legion returned to the tower, Stark checked on Barton's condition while Cho used the Regeneration Cradle to repair his damaged skin tissue, with Stark teasing Barton that he was dying while Barton insisted that he would now live forever.
Continuing his mindset toward protecting humanity while realizing the void that the downfall of S.H.I.E.L.D. created, Stark created an intelligence with the mandate to ensure global peace at any cost. The intelligence, Ultron, who in turn took control on the Ultron Sentries to defend humanity as a sort of makeshift army and allow the Avengers to retire. Seeking to push the Ultron Program forward, Stark recruited Banner by pitching the Program to him and showing him a detailed breakdown of the Mind Stone inside the Scepter, claiming that they could use its detailed brain waves to give life to Ultron, something they had failed to do in all of their past experiments.
When Banner expressed his doubts about the Ultron Program, Stark argued if they were successful, they could finally retire and Banner may not have to worry about facing Veronica. Claiming that with Ultron, the next Chitauri Invasion would never happen again, Stark told Banner that he had a vision of a suit of armor around the Earth, when Banner claimed this sounded like a cold world, Stark said he had seen colder, referring to Scarlet Witch's vision.
With Banner now on board, he and Stark spent the next three days before it was returned to Asgard attempted to sync the Mind Stone from the Scepter into the Ultron Program in order to finally give life to Ultron. However, after three days of constant experimentation with the system, Stark and Banner admitted defeat, believing that there was no way for Ultron to be given life. J.A.R.V.I.S. recommended that Stark leave the project and attend to his party guests.
==== The Avengers Party ====
: "Right, so, if I lift it, I... I then rule Asgard?""Yes, of course.""I will be re-instituting prima nocta."
: ―Tony Stark and Thor[src]
At a party hosted at Avengers Tower, celebrating their recent defeat of HYDRA and the capture of the Scepter and HYDRA's current leader Baron Strucker, Stark welcomed not only his own teammates, but also several allies of the team such as Sam Wilson and Maria Hill, with Doctor Helen Cho agreeing to attend the party as she had heard that Thor would also be attending. Stark also decided to invite several World War II veterans to the party who spent their time with Thor and Steve Rogers, drinking ancient Asgardian alcohol which got one attendee too drunk to walk.
While drinking with Thor, Stark listened as James Rhodes attempted to impress them with stories of how he had secured a tank while in his War Machine Armor, with nobody impressed. Stark and Thor then began debating if either Pepper Potts or Jane Foster was the more impressive girlfriend, with Stark noting all of Potts' work with Stark Industries which caused Rhodes to walk away with Hill, leaving Stark and Thor to continue the girlfriend debate alone.
As the party went through the night, many of the attendees returned to their home, including Wilson, leaving Stark and the Avengers along with Hill and Cho as the only remaining non-team members there. As the remaining group joked and drank together around a table, they began to discuss Thor and his power to lift Mjølnir. As the debate went on, Clint Barton decided to try to lift Mjølnir himself, with Stark joking about him not being able to get it up. Stark then stepped up, joking that he wanted to rule Asgard if he picked it up.
Stark initially tried to lift it on his own, when that failed he called for the help of James Rhodes to no more avail, even with the Mark XLIII gauntlet. All the other Avengers then each decided to have a go at lifting the hammer, with Bruce Banner joking about Hulking out and Steve Rogers only slightly moved it while Natasha Romanoff refused it even try. Upon his defeat, Stark looked for fingerprint recognition software on the hammer which Thor still had denied.
=== Ultron Offensive ===
==== Attack on Avengers Tower ====
: "Reboot. Legionnaire, we got a buggy suit.""There was a terrible noise... and I was tangled in... in... strings. I had to kill the other guy. He was a good guy."
: ―Tony Stark and Ultron[src]
As the group laughed, a sudden loud ring echoed through Avengers Tower as they turned to see one of the Iron Legion robots stepping out of the darkness to confront them. While Stark tried to get J.A.R.V.I.S. to shut down the robot, it introduced itself as Ultron, claiming that it was there for peace in their time. When questioned about its true intentions, Ultron told them it intended to destroy the Avengers in order to achieve peace as they listened in horror.
Ultron then sent out all his Sentries to attack the Avengers. Without his Mark XLIII armor to defend himself, Stark was quickly separated from James Rhodes and was forced to use whatever had come to hand to battle the robots. Grabbing a knife, Stark jumped onto the back of one of the many attacking robots that he had once designed himself and attempted to damage it's inner wiring in mid-air, eventually succeeding as they fell to the floor together.
In the wake of the brief battle, which concluded when Hawkeye had handed Captain America his shield which he used to destroy the final robot, Stark and the Avengers were faced with the main Ultron form. Refusing to listen to the robot's threats to them any longer, Thor then destroyed Ultron's robot body with Mjølnir, although one of its own Sentries had already escaped with the Scepter in its hand and had claimed that it would attack all of the Avengers again.
==== Team Argument ====
: "A hostile alien army came charging through a hole in space. We're standing three hundred feet below it. We're the Avengers. We can bust arms dealers all the livelong day, but that up there, that's... that's the endgame."
: ―Tony Stark[src]
With the Avengers now all gathered together, Stark began examining the Ultron robot to understand what caused it to attack them all. He listened closely as it was soon learned that Ultron had successfully accessed Avengers Tower's files and escaped through the internet, with James Rhodes and Maria Hill worrying that he may also gain access into the nuclear codes. When it was noted that Ultron had claimed to have killed somebody, Stark revealed that he had learned that Ultron had destroyed J.A.R.V.I.S.' mainframe in a rage.
While Stark and Helen Cho discussed Ultron's possible motives for turning against him, Thor then stormed in and grabbed Stark by the throat, accusing him of bringing destruction onto the Earth. Thor explained he had lost the Scepter, claiming Ultron was created by Stark messing with something he did not understand. As Stark had started to laugh, despite Bruce Banner telling him to stop, he claimed it was funny they did not understand why it was needed.
Stark defended himself, claiming that he was coming up with a new solution to end the war that would destroy the Earth based on the vision recently given to him by Scarlet Witch. Stark then recalled the Battle of New York, claiming that what was out in space would destroy them all if they did not plan ahead. As Steve Rogers claimed they could beat that threat as a team, Stark claimed that they would fail, with Rogers telling him they would still be a team.
Seeking leads, the team began searching for wherever Ultron was heading next and later learned that Ultron had built himself a new body and had murdered Baron Strucker in his prison cell and had recruited the aid of Wanda and Pietro Maximoff. Upon learning of Baron Strucker's death, it was noted that this was likely a smokescreen to throw them off, with all of their own information on Strucker having been deleted off their computers.
Forced to use old S.H.I.E.L.D. files, the team researched anyone who was connected to Strucker who may be able to find a new lead. Stark soon pointed out Ulysses Klaue, noting that he had almost done a deal with him to sell Stark Industries weapons. Stark explained that Klaue was known for having a brand on his neck that marked him as a thief of Wakanda, the land where vibranium was made, so they all assumed that Ultron would go to him for the metal.
==== 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[src]
Stark led the team to Johannesburg where they found Ultron, along with Pietro and Wanda Maximoff, taking the vibranium having just cut off Ulysses Klaue's arm in a fit of rage. Confronted Ultron, Iron Man attempted to talk him into surrendering, but Ultron refused, with the Maximoff siblings backing him up and insulting Iron Man's legacy. When Iron Man questioned what the vibranium was for, Ultron responded by suddenly attacking Iron Man.
They engaged in a fierce battle, with Iron Man taking on Ultron alone while Thor and Captain America fought the Ultron Sentries and the Maximoff twins, and both Hawkeye and Black Widow fighting against all of Klaue's soldiers who had come to defend their own employer following Ultron's assault on him. As their battle continued, Iron Man and Ultron flew out of the Churchill and across the Salvage Yard, still firing all of their own weapons at each other.
Eventually, Iron Man brought down Ultron and threatened him with a missile; however, Ultron revealed that he had already transferred his mind into another Sentry body and explained that the team had been mentally taken down by Scarlet Witch, who had proceeded to cause Bruce Banner to transform into Hulk in the middle of South Africa and had started to destroy everything he could. Responding by destroying Ultron, Iron Man then went after Hulk.
==== Duel of Johannesburg ====
: "That little witch is messing with your mind. You're stronger than her, you're smarter than her, you're Bruce Banner. Right, right! Don't mention puny Banner. Okay. In the back? Dick move, Banner."
: ―Tony Stark to Hulk[src]
Knowing that many innocent civilians would undoubtedly be killed in Hulk's rampage, Iron Man was forced to leave Ultron behind and called on Black Widow to try and calm Banner down, only to be told by Hawkeye that Romanoff was unable to go into battle. Iron Man called upon his Mark XLIV and Veronica in an attempt to subdue Hulk himself.
However, despite soon being trapped inside Veronica's enforced and electrified metal cage, the enraged Hulk had soon managed to break himself free. Ordering the South African police to stand down from the fight, Iron Man tried to get through to Bruce Banner by telling him that Scarlet Witch was messing with his mind, telling him that Banner was stronger and smarter than her. However, the mention of Banner's name only seemed to enrage Hulk even further.
When all of Iron Man's attempts to calm Hulk down had failed, the two began to fight. Hulk launched a car at Iron Man, knocking him back, so Iron Man responded by flying to Hulk and dragging him face first through the concrete. When Hulk damaged the armor, Stark called for extra parts and used its many capabilities to try to knock Hulk down. With Hulk charging at him, Iron Man kept him at bay with his gauntlet beam while his arm was repaired.
Hulk charged forward and the pair smashed their fists into each other, causing a shockwave through Johannesburg. Pinning Hulk to the ground, Iron Man began repeatedly punching him in the face and begging him to go to sleep and finish their fight; however, Hulk's rage only continued to build. Iron Man attempted to trap his arm with the Hulkbuster Armor and fly him out of the city in order to protect the people, with Hulk still fighting back.
As Iron Man attempted to fly Hulk out of the city, he continued to fight back and forced Iron Man to crash land on the side of a large building. As Hulk tried to rip him apart, Iron Man pushed him against a wall and tried spraying gas in his face, although this tactic had almost no affect. As they continued fighting, Iron Man was aware that behind him an elevator filled with people were standing just feet away from the battle as they attempted to escape.
When he was kicked back with incredible force, Iron Man crashed into the elevator filled with innocent people, forcing him to catch it before it hit the ground as he ordered everyone to get out while they still could. Iron Man then proceeded to use the elevator as a weapon as he slammed it down onto Hulk's head. Once Hulk was stunned, Iron Man hit him across the face, knocking out one of his teeth, an action which Iron Man then soon regretted.
The enraged Hulk then proceeded to smash Iron Man across the city, attempting to rip out the Arc Reactors powering the Mark XLIV armor. Despite trying to get assistance from Veronica, Hulk proved to be too strong as he tore the armor apart. Eventually, Iron Man resorted to dropping Hulk through a building still going through construction; this massive impact seemingly calmed Hulk enough that Stark could knock him out with a final massive punch to the head.
==== The Barton Home ====
: "I'm the man who killed the Avengers. I saw it. I didn't tell the team, how could I? I saw them all dead, Nick. I felt it. The whole world, too. It's because of me. I wasn't ready. I didn't do all I could."
: ―Tony Stark to Nick Fury[src]
With the battle over, the Avengers were flown away on the Quinjet. Stark spoke with Maria Hill who told him of all the reactions to the Avengers' actions in South Africa and talks for Bruce Banner's arrest. Hill also suggested that they should go somewhere to rest. Clint Barton told Stark to get some sleep because they would land soon. When Stark asked him where they were going, 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 children. Although Stark at first assumed it was a lie as Barton was a S.H.I.E.L.D. spy, Barton explained to them that the reason the team were still unaware of his family was due to Director Nick Fury helping him to have this second peaceful life just 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 Scarlet Witch had been able to use her new powers to pull the team apart. When the conversation moved to how Stark and Banner inadvertently created Ultron, they then proceeded to argue and debate on simply whether or not Stark should have ever experimented on Loki's Scepter. Stark explained his action by using the argument that the reason they fight is to end the fight.
Just as Rogers was making his point, Laura Barton then asked Stark if he could help to fix their tractor. While Stark examined the broken tractor, Nick Fury revealed himself; Stark realized that Maria Hill had called him. Fury tried to convince Stark that Scarlet Witch had just tricked him, but Stark said that the vision he had seen where all of his friends are dead would be in the future, if Stark would not do everything he could to save them and all of humanity.
Having gathered together the entire team, Fury then showed himself to the rest of the Avengers and started to discuss their next move to stop the Ultron Offensive. Fury told them that his contact people in "NEXUS" in Oslo had informed him that Ultron had attempted to get America's nuclear codes but somebody was changing the codes all the time. While Stark played darts, being outplayed by Clint Barton, he told the group he would go to NEXUS to find Ultron's new enemy.
When Natasha Romanoff noted she had hoped Fury had more to offer, Fury gave them a speech to inspire them to get up and fight against Ultron, telling them to stand up and fight as a team once again. This led to them discussing Ultron's motives at which point, Bruce Banner then realized that Ultron wanted always to improved his body, so he needed Helen Cho and her Regeneration Cradle device to create his ultimate body which he could use to become unbeatable.
==== Hacking the NEXUS ====
: "I'm just a guy looking for a needle in the world's biggest haystack.""How do you find it?""Pretty simple. You bring a magnet."
: ―Tony Stark and World Hub Tech[src]
Stark then made it clear to Steve Rogers that if Ultron succeeded in uploading himself to the synthetic body, he might be stronger than any of them. Nick Fury then told them that he will take Bruce Banner to the Avengers Tower and said to Stark that he needed Maria Hill. As the Avengers flew to Seoul, Stark was inside the NEXUS Internet Hub searching for the person who prevented Ultron from obtaining launch codes for nuclear missiles.
While hacking into the NEXUS to find Ultron's new enemy, Stark was shocked to find out it was J.A.R.V.I.S., who erased his memory and had scattered himself all 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 from getting the codes. Restoring J.A.R.V.I.S.'s memory, Stark then sent his own programming back towards Avengers Tower.
==== Birth of 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[src]
Having learned what he needed to at the NEXUS, Stark then went back to the Avengers Tower where Bruce Banner and Clint Barton waited for him. Greeting Stark upon his arrival at the Tower, Barton was with the Regeneration Cradle with the synthetic body inside it. Barton informed Stark that Ultron had also successfully kidnapped Natasha Romanoff during the Battle of Seoul, so Barton began his 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 the idea of messing with the body, finding the situation to be a time-loop they were all now stuck inside since first activating the Ultron Program; however, Stark argued that this was the right move and they did not have the time for the decision to be argued by the other Avengers. Stark was able to convince Banner that the new being Ultron had created could be a benefit by giving it J.A.R.V.I.S. as a core persona, and prevent megalomania.
As the two were almost finished preparing to upload J.A.R.V.I.S. into the Cradle, Steve Rogers with Wanda and Pietro Maximoff came and ordered him to shut it down. Stark and Banner refused, shocked that Rogers had recruited the Maximoffs as they recalled how Wanda's powers had caused the Duel of Johannesburg. When Rogers tried to convince them, Stark argued that whatever had already happened was nothing compared to what was still incoming.
To try and end the dispute before it got out of hand, Quicksilver then responded by speeding around the Cradle and unplugging all of the cables, until he was then subdued by Hawkeye's quick thinking. This action then led to a brief clash between the group, with Stark calling on parts of his Mark XLIII armor and shooting at Rogers, who in turn threw his shield at Stark, while Banner and Wanda Maximoff had a brief fight in which she knocked him back with her powers.
Just as their fight was getting underway, Thor had suddenly charged straight into Avengers Tower and revived the synthetic body with a massive bolt of his lightning as Stark and the others looked on in shock and horror. The living body then jumped out of the Cradle and looked around its surroundings while the group looked on. The being then briefly attacked Thor until he looked out over New York City and calmed down as the Avengers moved down to speak to it.
The living body apologized and called itself Vision and claimed to wish to assist them in their fight against Ultron. Thor explained that while in the Water of Sight he had seen Vision in his dream and the Mind Stone, one of the six Infinity Stones, that is in Vision's forehead. At first, the team did not trust Vision's motives, but as proof of his honor, Vision handed Thor Mjølnir. A shocked Stark was congratulated by Thor for creating a new worthy ally.
Having successfully tracked down Ultron to Sokovia where he was planning on using Baron Strucker's former base to begin his schemes, Stark and the other Avengers got themselves prepared for what could be possibly their final battle. As Stark was talking with Rogers and Banner, he noted that if any of the Ultron Sentries got away, then they had lost. When Stark noted Ultron was waiting for him, Vision confirmed that Ultron hated Stark most of all.
Getting on board the Quinjet in order to fly to Sokovia and confront Ultron for the final time, Stark and the other Avengers listened as Captain America gave a speech in which he told the team that their priority would be to get the people of Novi Grad to safety before fighting Ultron's army. Looking at Stark, Rogers noted that Ultron believed the Avengers were what was wrong with the world, and this was their chance to prove that he was wrong.
==== Battle of Sokovia ====
: "Come to confess your sins?""I don't know, how much time you got?""More than you."
: ―Ultron and Iron Man[src]
The Avengers had eventually tracked Ultron down in Sokovia, where he had taken Natasha Romanoff to be held in a secret cell. Before leaving, Stark first installed a new AI, F.R.I.D.A.Y., into his newest suit as he no longer had J.A.R.V.I.S. to assist him. As the rest of the Avengers helped to evacuate the civilians out of Novi Grad and Bruce Banner went to free Romanoff from her cell, Iron Man confronted Ultron in the city's church right in the center of Sokovia.
Ultron revealed himself to Iron Man, showing that he had created a new near indestructible body for himself made from the vibranium he had stolen from Ulysses Klaue, and a drill that had emerged from the center of the church which dug deep underground, also revealing a vibranium detonator with a mechanism located underground. As the machine was activated, Iron Man went to understand how to stop it while Vision then came to confront Ultron himself.
As Vision succeeded to disconnect Ultron from the internet. Ultron 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 all the Avengers fought against the Ultron Sentries and made sure that the civilians were safe, Stark and F.R.I.D.A.Y. debated about a way to make sure the city would not be able to hit the ground.
While flying around the still rising Novi Grad, Iron Man witnesses one building falling off the edge of the drop, with F.R.I.D.A.Y. informing him that there were still people trapped inside. Without a moment to spare, Iron Man flew into the building to find a terrified family, so he ordered them to get into the bathtub as he flew them down to the ground to safety. Iron Man warned Captain America of more Sentries heading his way, although Rogers was hit regardless.
Eventually through lots of planning with F.R.I.D.A.Y., Iron Man came to the idea that he and Thor can destroy the entire city in the air by attacking it from the top and the bottom. With it seeming there was no hope of saving all of the civilians, Nick Fury and Maria Hill arrived with a new Helicarrier and a fleet of Lifeboats, helping all of the Avengers with evacuating Novi Grad while War Machine helped with the battle as he and Iron Man fought the Sentries together.
As Iron Man did all that he could to keep the Lifeboats filling with civilians safe, he continued discussing how to destroy Ultron's core, coming out with a plan to supercharge the inside from below. When one Lifeboat was damaged, Iron Man flew up and pushed it the rest of the way to the Helicarrier. Iron Man was informed by Thor that Ultron was now heading towards the core so Iron Man called on the Avengers to come together and stop him from activating it.
==== Protecting the Drill ====
: "Rhodey, get the rest of the people on board that carrier.""On it.""Avengers... time to work for a living."
: ―Iron Man and War Machine[src]
The Avengers came together to guard the vibranium drill in order to keep the Ultron Sentries from activating it to prevent the city from falling. As they prepared for the battle and destroyed the nearby Sentries, Iron Man mocked Black Widow for taking too long to arrive and joked she was messing about with Bruce Banner, while she noted that not every member of their team could fly.
With all the Avengers assembled around the core, Iron Man looked on as Ultron gathered his army of Sentries, with Thor challenging his might by questioning if this was the best he could do. Having shown off his entire army, Ultron questioned how they possibly hoped to stop him, with Iron Man then quoting back Captain America's earlier words by telling Ultron that they would do it together, which caused Ultron to send in his hordes of Ultron Sentries.
As the army of Ultron Sentries charged into the church in an attempt to rip the Avengers apart and activate the key, Iron Man and the rest of the team used all of their might to fight back against the hordes of robots. As Iron Man flew around the church in his Mark XLV army, he assisted Scarlet Witch and all of the other Avengers by shooting the Sentries, cutting down their numbers swiftly. Using teamwork, the Avengers soon began defeating the entire Ultron army.
Seeing the he was losing the battle, Ultron attempted to get involved himself in order to regain control, attacking Vision; however, he was soon knocked back out of the church when Vision used the power of the Mind Stone to push him down. Seeing this, Iron Man and Thor joined in, using the armor beams and Mjølnir's lightning to destroy Ultron's vibranium armor before Hulk then smashed him across the city and scared off the remaining Sentries.
With Ultron seemingly defeated, Iron Man ensured that the civilians were evacuated onto the Helicarrier while he went under the rock to overload the core. However, while Iron Man was cutting through the metal, Quicksilver was killed by Ultron before one sentry caused the city to fall. Iron Man and Thor succeeded in exploding up Sokovia before it hit the ground. The Ultron Offensive was then ended when the final Ultron Sentry was then destroyed by Vision.
=== Leaving the Avengers ===
==== Saying His Goodbyes ====
: "I will miss you, Tony.""Yeah? Well, it's time for me to tap out."
: ―Steve Rogers and Tony Stark[src]
Following the Battle of Sokovia, Stark chose to retire as an active duty member of the Avengers, although he continued to support the Avengers financially, having converted his father's old warehouse in upstate New York into the Avengers Compound.
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 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.
As he bade farewell to Rogers, Stark mentioned that perhaps he would build Pepper Potts a house in the country like Clint Barton did and told Rogers that one day he too would retire before driving off. Later, Stark was asked by the media about the Hulk incident, to which he responded that public concerns about Bruce Banner were "baseless" and "irresponsible." Because of his activities as Iron Man, Stark and Potts took a break from their relationship while Stark continued his own work.
==== Investigating Spider-Man ====
Through YouTube, Stark soon became aware of the existence of a masked superhero in New York City named Spider-Man, who was strong enough to catch a speeding vehicle with his bare hands. Impressed, Stark noted that Spider-Man's strength was stronger than some of the Avengers and began looking into him. He then discovered that he was a fourteen-year-old student named Peter Parker who resided in Queens, and that he had gained his abilities after being bit a spider. Stark was further impressed after discovering that Parker had created his Synthetic Webbing and Web-Shooters on his own using over-the-counter materials, and wondered what Parker could do if he had access to the resources the Avengers had. As a result, Stark considered Spider-Man as a candidate for a potential future Avenger, and created an upgraded suit for him.
==== Facing the Consequences ====
: "That was nice, what you did for those young people.""Oh, they deserve it. Plus, it helps to ease my conscience."
: ―Miriam Sharpe and Tony Stark[src]
Stark gave a guest lecture at his alma mater, MIT, where demonstrated the students his latest device, the Binarily Augmented Retro-Framing, created by Quentin Beck, which aimed to recreate and relive traumatic memories to help with regret. The demonstration of the technology included Stark's last meeting with his mother and father. Then he followed with a speech where he introduced the September Foundation grant and announced that every student had been made an equal recipient of it, giving them all the proper funding to move forward with their own inventions and ideas.
He then read from the teleprompter 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 MIT 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, grabbed 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 blamed Stark and the Avengers instead; which deeply unnerved him.
=== Avengers Civil War ===
==== 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[src]
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 involving Crossbones, both Stark and Ross went to the Avengers Compound, where he tried to convince the Avengers to sign the Accords.
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, including the Battle of New York and the Battle of Sokovia, with Ross presenting them with both the number of casualties caused and the expense of the damages. While the presentation was stopped for upsetting Wanda Maximoff, Ross told them the Accords would be signed in just a few days.
With Ross gone, the Avengers moved into another room to read and debate the Accords, with Sam Wilson and James Rhodes almost immediately clashing on their different views. Vision then noted that perhaps their own existence had caused the conflicts they were fighting. As all the Avengers debated whether to sign it or not, Stark remained silent, with Steve Rogers realizing that Stark had already chosen his own side, which was to be pro-Accords.
Stark gave them the story of Charlie Spencer and how he had been killed in Sokovia. He pointed out that the group needed to be put in check or they were no better than the bad guys, while also pointing out his role in Ultron's creation. However, Rogers saw the Accords as a block to keep the Avengers from where they needed to be, while Stark noted that if they did not decide to make this decision themselves, it would be done to them soon with far graver consequences for all of them.
Stark and Rogers both argued with each other and then Stark even got surprising support from Natasha Romanoff, who had previously expressed her disdain for this kind of government oversight in the wake of the HYDRA Uprising and the Battle at the Triskelion. Their argument ended when Rogers left the room upon hearing news that Peggy Carter had died in her sleep, while Stark remained unchanged in his opinion that signing was the right decision.
==== Fighting with a Friend ====
: "I'm glad Howard got married. I only knew him when he was young and single.""Oh, really? You two knew each other? He never mentioned that. Maybe only a thousand times. God, I hated you."
: ―Steve Rogers and Tony Stark[src]
Seeking to continue supporting the Sokovia Accords, Stark went into the Joint Counter Terrorist Centre where he assisted with the fallout from the Bombing of the Vienna International Centre. When Stark was informed that Captain America and Falcon had tried and failed to save the Winter Soldier from being arrested, Stark greeted them both upon their arrival, noting that Secretary Thaddeus Ross wanted them both prosecuted for their all of actions.
Having also asked Vision to keep Wanda Maximoff inside the Avengers Compound in order to protect her, in the wake of her accident in Lagos had resulted in her US Visa being removed. Sitting down with Steve Rogers, where he once again attempted to convince him to sign the Sokovia Accords. Presenting Howard Stark's pens which had been used by Franklin D. Roosevelt to sign the Lend-Lease bill, hoping this could help to change Rogers' mindset on the Accords. When Rogers asked about Pepper Potts, Stark revealed that now they were taking a break from their relationship, with Rogers then apologizing for bringing it up as he did not know.
As Stark noted how after Aldrich Killian's War he had destroyed the Iron Legion for Potts, but since then he had armored up again and again to stop HYDRA and Ultron, admitting that Ultron was his own doing and that he did not want to stop being Iron Man, and he had hoped signing the Accords could win Potts back. They then briefly discussed his own father's relationship to his mother before Rogers admitted he could not ignore bad situations from happening.
Begging Rogers to sign, Stark promised that Bucky Barnes would not be sent to a Wakandan prison. As Rogers seemed to consider signing, they discussed adding safeguards to the Accords. However, when Stark noted that Maximoff was locked up, Rogers confronted him about locking up a child, something Rogers saw akin to Japanese Internment during World War II, with Stark insisting that he was just doing what needed to be done for the Avengers, until Rogers walked out.
==== Escape from the JCTC ====
: "Please tell me you brought a suit.""Sure did. It's a lovely Tom Ford, three-piece, two-button. I'm an active-duty non-combatant."
: ―Natasha Romanoff and Tony Stark[src]
During Bucky Barnes' psychological assessment, Stark watched closely as the the physiatrist questioned him about his time as an assassin for HYDRA. During the questioning, however, a power failure occurred and Barnes freed himself and tried to escape. While Everett Ross tried to sort out their situation, Stark contacted F.R.I.D.A.Y. and went to confront Barnes himself without his Iron Man Armor to defend himself with from the furious Barnes.
Stark engaged Barnes, backed up by Natasha Romanoff and Sharon Carter. Stark used his gauntlet to fight him by first firing flash beam towards the Winter Soldier which briefly blinded him before blocking a gunshot with the gauntlet and then ripping the gun apart: However, Barnes managed to overpower him. Barnes escaped, but Stark knew Barnes was most likely still with Steve Rogers, who, along with Sam Wilson, had also managed to escape from their custody.
While the base recovered from the Winter Soldier's escape, Stark was greeted by Secretary Thaddeus Ross who informed him that due to his involvement in helping their target escape, a special force unit would deal with Rogers. Stark, however, convinced Ross to let him bring them in, promising to wear the Mark XLVI to bring him in, which Ross accepted. As he left the base, Ross gave Stark thirty six hours before lethal force would be utilized.
As Stark considered what to do, Romanoff reminded him that they were understaffed, with Stark questioning if she knew where Hulk was, despite Romanoff noting that Bruce Banner would not be on their side. Thinking of possible allies, Stark informed Romanoff that he knew of someone, and as Romanoff approached T'Challa to ask for his help, Stark flew to New York City to recruit Spider-Man.
==== Recruiting Peter Parker ====
: "Better tell Aunt Hottie I'm taking you on a field trip.""Don't tell Aunt May.""All right, Spider-Man."
: ―Tony Stark and Peter Parker[src]
Having deduced Spider-Man's true identity as Peter Parker, Stark decided to pay him a visit at home. He waited for him to return from school where he openly flirted with his aunt, May. As Parker returned, Stark persuaded him to trick his aunt into thinking that Parker had applied for Stark's scholarship.
Stark entered his room with Parker and was soon impressed by how Parker used the technology he had retrieved from the trash to build himself computers and other technology. When Parker attempted to explain that he had not applied for the grant, Stark stopped him before he then showed Parker videos of him as Spider-Man saving civilians, complimenting him on his powers as they watched footage of him stopping a car with his bare hands; stating that the car was three thousand pounds and going forty miles per hour when Parker stopped it.
Parker denied that the person in the video was him, claiming it was edited footage, but Stark quickly found his Spider-Man Suit and equipment, forcing him to admit the truth. Stark asked him if anyone knew who he was, to which Parker informed him that nobody else knew. Stark then complimented Parker on his Web-Shooters and was surprised to learn that Parker had built the webbing himself before Stark joked about Parker's suit and told him he needed an upgrade.
Stark questioned why Parker became Spider-Man, being told that he only wanted to use his powers for the benefit of the people, noting that he believed that if he did not do the right thing with his powers, then good people would get hurt as a result, which Stark understood completely. Believing that Spider-Man could now be of great benefit during the upcoming Clash of the Avengers, Stark sat next to Parker and decided to officially recruit him into his own team.
Impressed, Stark asked him if he wanted to go to Germany, and jokingly told Parker that he would tell his aunt that he was taking Parker on a field trip, to which Parker responded by webbing Stark to the door. When Parker agreed to help him, Stark tasked Happy Hogan with delivering Parker his new suit and accompanying him to Germany.
==== Failed Negotiations ====
: "I'm trying to keep you from tearing the Avengers apart.""You did that when you signed.""All right, I'm done. You're gonna turn Barnes over and you're gonna come with us. Now!"
: ―Tony Stark and Steve Rogers[src]
Stark learned of Steve Rogers' plan was to escape from the Leipzig-Halle Airport, so he and his teammates evacuated the airport and waited for Rogers and his team. Rogers soon showed up and Stark, with his newest armor and attempted to convince him to turn over the Winter Soldier to the authorities and surrender before Secretary Thaddeus Ross ordered that lethal force would be taken.
Rogers insisted that Helmut Zemo had posed as the psychiatrist interviewing Bucky Barnes and was behind everything. Iron Man noted that Barnes was responsible for the Bombing of the Vienna International Centre which had killed T'Chaka and many others, and therefore needed to face justice, while Rogers claimed that Zemo was planning on unleashing more of the Winter Soldiers. Stark soon found that their negotiation was going nowhere.
As a result, Stark called in Spider-Man to steal Captain America's Shield and to tie Rogers' hands using his Web-Shooters. Much to Iron Man's annoyance, Spider-Man was more concerned about meeting his hero, Captain America, and therefore acting immaturely during the encounter, forcing Iron Man to tell him to calm down. With Rogers now trapped, Iron Man ordering him to listen to his views on the Sokovia Accords, but Rogers remained uncompromising.
Before they could take in Rogers, Hawkeye used an arrow to free him before Ant-Man returned the shield to Captain America. As the Mark XLVI's sensors then detected the rest of the renegades making their way towards the Quinjet, Iron Man flew off to confront Hawkeye and Scarlet Witch, telling War Machine to take on Captain America before ordering Spider-Man to keep his distance and web up his foes from afar. Iron Man quickly caught up with Hawkeye and Scarlet Witch, managing to block their path with missile strikes.
With his two former allies now seemingly trapped, Iron Man began joking that Scarlet Witch had hurt Vision's feeling as she escaped from the Avengers Compound, with Scarlet Witch expressing her disgust at being locked away while Iron Man claimed it was for her own protection after the Lagos Catastrophe. Iron Man then casually greeted Hawkeye and asking about what he had been up to during his retirement from the Avengers, asking if he played golf.
As they were talking, Hawkeye then deliberately fired an arrow to miss Iron Man, which he shot out of the sky and joked that Hawkeye had finally missed a shot. Hawkeye, however, then revealed that this was a deception as it had now left Iron Man open to being pinned under several cars by Scarlet Witch. With Iron Man now trapped underneath all of the crashed cars, F.R.I.D.A.Y. alerted him he was in danger which Iron Man noted he was already aware of.
Freeing himself, Iron Man helped Black Widow up after she, Black Panther, and War Machine had nearly been killed by Captain America and Ant-Man using the Pym Particle Discs to throw a truck at them. Seeing the single mindedness that was driving Rogers, Iron Man was left with no choice but to call in his trump card: Vision to come into the battle and give them the advantage they needed to finally bring all of Captain America's team members into their custody.
==== Clash of the Avengers ====
: "Okay, anybody on our side hiding any shocking and fantastic abilities they'd like to disclose, I'm open to suggestions."
: ―Iron Man[src]
Eventually, Vision fired a powerful burst from the Mind Stone to attempt to cow Captain America into submission before offering him a final chance to surrender. Regrouping his team, Iron Man stood across from Captain America's team to try and force his ally to stand down. However, Captain America refused again, forcing Iron Man to order his team into battle with the directive to capture their renegade teammates alive.
Iron Man engaged Captain America in one on one melee combat before Hawkeye fired an explosive arrow towards the Mark XLVI to no effect other than knocking him back. As the Avengers all fought each other across the airport, Iron Man later chose to attack Falcon in a midair battle, before Hawkeye fired a volley of arrows towards Iron Man. The Mark XLVI's systems were able to easily trace the path of the arrows and then destroy them all one by one.
As Iron Man prepared to take down Hawkeye with a carefully aimed shot, 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 and was disabling it from the inside, teasing him that the voice he could hear was his conscience. Iron Man and Ant-Man continued to mock each other before, getting fed up, F.R.I.D.A.Y. ejected him via the usage of fire retardant foam sending him falling back to the ground.
When it became clear Iron Man's team would win the battle, Ant-Man inverted his powers and grew to sixty feet in height, turning himself into Giant-Man. Iron Man looked on in amazement as Giant-Man grabbed War Machine out of the sky. As Iron Man ordered Giant-Man to free War Machine, he was then attacked by Falcon, who fired the Redwing drone to stun Iron Man in mid air. While the drone threw off Iron Man's flight plan, it shattered apart against the armor.
Working with War Machine and Spider-Man, the three attempted to find a way to stop Giant-Man while he helped Captain America and Bucky Barnes to get away. Spider-Man soon came up with an idea to managed to recreate a moment from The Empire Strikes Back, calling it a really old movie which caused War Machine to question Iron Man on how old Spider-Man really was. While Spider-Man used his Web-Shooters to tie up Giant-Man's legs, Iron Man and War Machine flew up and hit him hard in the chin.
While they succeeded with knocking down the giant Ant-Man, as he fell, Ant-Man had managed to knock Spider-Man out of the air and onto the concrete from a great height prompting Iron Man to fly down to check on him. When he was satisfied with Spider-Man's state, he decided it was time to send him back to New York City threatening to call his Aunt May if the enhanced youth did not listen to him. Despite protesting, Spider-Man soon collapsed from exhaustion.
Iron Man flew off to chase after the now hijacked Quinjet containing Captain America and Barnes, who had managed to get away with the assistance of Black Widow who had subdued Black Panther from them. Iron Man 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, taking the power out of the suit in hundreds of feet above the ground.
As War Machine fell towards the ground, Iron Man changed direction and tried to save his friend but was just 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 War Machine was still alive, but is left paralyzed. Falcon also landed and told Iron Man he was sorry, but Iron Man vented his rage by blasting him with a repulsor beam, decisively ending the extended fight.
==== Clash Aftermath ====
: "It must be hard to shake the whole double agent thing, huh? It sticks in the DNA.""Are you incapable of letting go of your ego for one goddamn second?"
: ―Tony Stark and Natasha Romanoff[src]
With the Clash of the Avengers over, Stark arrived at the Columbia University Medical Center, checking on James Rhodes' current state as his body was X-Rayed. Stark then questioned exactly how Vision could make a mistake like that and Vision admitted he had been distracted by Scarlet Witch, which neither he nor Stark had known could happen.
Stark then stepped outside of the operating room when he was then approached by Natasha Romanoff, to whom he then explained Rhodes' condition before he told her that he was disappointed she allowed Steve Rogers and the Winter Soldier to escape, inadvertently leading to Rhodes' accident. Although Romanoff insisted that they had made all of the wrong actions in trying to resolve their situation, Stark insults her by calling her a double agent for assisting Rogers. Natasha, in turn, calls him over for letting his ego get the best of him.
Stark gives her a half-hearted warning by telling her that T'Challa had informed Thaddeus Ross about her betrayal and that the government and the Joint Counter Terrorist Centre would likely come to arrest her. When she insisted they went about this wrong, he then commented that betraying people was something Romanoff seemed unable to help. Stark then watched as she fled the facility to go underground, showing that he was losing faith in all of his former teammates.
==== 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[src]
In order to find Steve Rogers, Stark went to visit the Raft, where his teammates were imprisoned. 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, had been killed by Helmut Zemo from Sokovia. She told him that Zemo had framed Barnes for the terrorist attacks as Stark realized that he had been wrong all along.
Upon arriving at the Raft, Thaddeus Ross greeted Stark who tried to immediately organize the hunt for Zemo in order to bring him to justice; however, Ross noted that in the wake of the Clash of the Avengers he would not be taking orders from Stark, claiming that Stark was lucky not to be arrested himself. Although Ross did not believe Stark, he allowed him to speak to the prisoners, with Stark being noticeably disturbed at how Scarlet Witch's powers were being kept under control.
As Stark walked through the cell block, Clint Barton got to his feet and expressed the fact that he was enraged at Stark's supposed betrayal of his former Avengers teammates. Stark argued that he did not know that Barton would end up there, with Barton noted the place was for criminals, which Stark had made them all. Stark argued that Barton had walked away from his wife and children to break the law, accusing Barton of choosing the wrong side to fight for.
As Stark walked away, Barton slammed his hands against his cell wall and accused him of being willing to break their backs, referring James Rhodes' injures during the recent fight. Stark then walked past Scott Lang, who said Hank Pym was right not to trust the Starks, due to his relationship with Howard Stark. Stark, however, calmly asked him who he is as he walked past, much to Lang's disappointment.
As he approached Sam Wilson, who asked about Rhodes' condition, Stark asked him to tell him where Steve Rogers had gone. Wilson did not want to do it, but Stark admitted that since learning about Zemo he knew that he was wrong not to listen earlier and that he wanted to help Rogers. Stark knocked out the audio feed, so Wilson then told him that Rogers was heading for the a HYDRA base in Siberia, telling Stark to go alone to assist Rogers in stopping Zemo.
Knowing Ross would be of no aid with the hunt for Zemo due to his desire to bring the Winter Soldier in custody for his believed part in T'Chaka and many other deaths, Stark decided to withhold the information. As Stark made his way towards his helicopter, Ross questioned if Wilson had given him intel about where Rogers was, but Stark denied it and promised not to answer all Ross' calls if he contacted the Avengers Compound while he departed.
While onboard his own helicopter, Stark then considered how he now would approach Rogers in the wake of everything that had happened before he donned the Mark XLVI in his helicopter and flew to Siberia, using the rain to cover his movements in the hope that Ross would not follow him and arrest Rogers. However, Iron Man was unaware that Black Panther was actually following behind him while onboard his own Jet to find and kill Barnes once and for all.
==== Helmut Zemo's Secret ====
: "Did you know?""I didn't know it was him.""Don't bullshit me, Rogers! Did you know?""...Yes."
: ―Iron Man and Captain America[src]
Entering the HYDRA Siberian Facility, Iron Man pulled open the doors and saw Captain America and Bucky Barnes were waiting for him, ready with their defenses. Greeting the pair, Stark noted that Rogers seemed defensive, with Rogers noting it had been a long day, before Stark told Barnes that he was not currently targeting him because he had decided to listen to Rogers' points.
Noting that Thaddeus Ross did not know that he was there, and he wanted to keep it that way as he was currently violating the Sokovia Accords by even talking with Rogers without Ross' approval. Stark agreed to put aside the arrest warrant for the two to help them find Helmut Zemo before he could unleash the Winter Soldiers, with Stark calling Barnes the Manchurian Candidate and asking him to put down his weapon as he promised they would not fight.
Upon reaching the main room, however, all 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 for the Battle of Sokovia. Blaming the Avengers for the loss of his family, he had orchestrated a plot to tear them apart.
Zemo then played the video footage of the night that Stark's parents died, revealing that HYDRA used the Winter Soldier to assassinate them in order to steal the Super Soldier Serum inside their car trunk. Stark watched in complete horror as the footage showed the Winter Soldier brutally killing Howard Stark by using his Prosthetic Arm to crack his skull before breaking Maria Stark's neck without emotion before shooting the camera that had captured their deaths.
Having finally learned the truth of what happened to his parents, Stark processed everything that he had just been shown before he then demanded Rogers to tell him if he had known that Barnes had killed his parents. Rogers responded that he had known their deaths had been ordered by HYDRA, but was unaware that Barnes had been the killer. Stark 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. Horrified that his friend and fellow Avenger had been lying to him for years, Stark took a step back to consider his next actions in response to this news.
==== Battle at the HYDRA Facility ====
: "This isn't gonna change what happened.""I don't care. He killed my mom."
: ―Captain America and Iron Man[src]
Already enraged by the fallout of Captain America' questionable and biased actions over the past few days, Iron Man snaps and attacked Bucky Barnes to avenge his parents. Iron Man struck Captain America in the face and shot the gun out of Barnes' hand before flying him across the facility and pinning him down by forcing his foot against his arm and aiming his blaster shot at his skull.
While they fought, Helmut Zemo made his escape from the facility. Iron Man attempted to shoot Barnes point blank in the face, but Captain America ran to his aid and threw his shield at his to deflect the attack before he attempted to push Iron Man off Barnes. Acknowledging their friendship, Iron Man tried to force Rogers out of the fight using the leg clamps which Rogers soon broke free of. Iron Man grabbed Barnes and flew him into the wall.
Barnes managed to use his prosthetic arm to damage Iron Man's repulsor beam in his hand by crushing it. In response, Iron Man aimed a missile directly at Barnes' face, which he managed to push out of the way, causing it to destroy much of the entire HYDRA Siberian Facility around them. While the pair became separated, the Barnes regrouped with Captain America while Iron Man was briefly trapped under all of the debris.
As Barnes made his way towards the exit, Iron Man freed himself and chased after him, only for Captain America to stand in his way. Captain America insisted that Howard and Maria's deaths were not Barnes' fault as HYDRA had control of his mind and it had been ordered by Vasily Karpov, but this falls on deaf ears as Iron Man ordered him to move. Captain America damaged Iron Man's leg stabilizers before Iron Man used the laser to trap Captain America while he went for Barnes.
While Iron Man quickly caught up with his target, who was attempted to climb up the building to reach the helicopter hatch in the roof, Iron Man kicked him across the facility and took aim at him yet again with a deadly kill shot. However, Captain America refused to stand down from the fight, deflecting a lethal repulsor back at Iron Man, disabling the Mark XLVI's targeting system and using a wire to pull him down when Iron Man continued to chase after Barnes.
When Captain America threw his shield at him, Iron Man was able to shoot it out of the air, leaving Captain America now defenseless and unable to aid Barnes. As he could no longer target Barnes with his missiles, Stark opted to trap Barnes within the bunker for their final showdown. With F.R.I.D.A.Y. informing him that his weapons systems could not target him, Iron Man used his own eye to aim and shoot at Barnes, destroying the main hatch and trapping him inside.
With Barnes now trapped inside, Iron Man charged towards him as they engaged in hand-to-hand combat until Iron Man began crushing him under the Mark XLVI's weight. Holding him there, Iron Man then questioned if he even remembered killing his mother and father, with Barnes insisting that he remembered everyone who he had killed for HYDRA. Captain America jumped at the pair, knocking himself and Iron Man back down to the ground floor.
==== Final Showdown ====
: "That shield doesn't belong to you! You don't deserve it! My father made that shield!"
: ―Tony Stark to Steve Rogers[src]
As Iron Man and Captain America faced each other, Captain America insisted that nothing would change what happened all those years ago. Here, Iron Man stated in no uncertain terms that he was done listening to Rogers as the Winter Soldier had killed his own mother, which he would not forgive before Stark then charged forward and attacked his former friend, willing to even kill him in order to get to the Winter Soldier.
Iron Man quickly overpowered him in melee combat before Bucky Barnes intervened by striking him with Captain America's Shield, turning the fight into a two on one brawl. Iron Man responded to the uneven odds by blasting Captain America with a repulsor before he was forced against the wall by Barnes. Barnes attempted to remove the suit's Arc Reactor with his robotic arm to which Iron Man unleashed a Unibeam that disintegrated the majority of the arm.
A recovered and enraged Captain America then stormed at Iron Man in order to defend Barnes from being executed, deflecting repulsor fire with his shield before forcing Iron Man back against the wall and pummeling him relentlessly. Despite having the Mark XLVI to protect himself from all of the attacks, Iron Man soon found himself outmatched due to the Super Soldier Serum that had given Captain America all of his strength and his superior fighting skills.
Realizing he was incapable of competing with Captain America in close quarters hand-to-hand combat, Iron Man ordered F.R.I.D.A.Y. to analyze Captain America's movement patterns to find weaknesses to exploit. Iron Man overpowered Captain America in combat and then blew away the shield and brutally beat him into submission, using his suit's strength and repulsors to give himself the advantage and attacks Captain America. Unable to counter them all, Rogers is overwhelmed.
Exhausted from the fight, Captain America tried once again to reason with Iron Man, defending Barnes as his friend before Iron Man commented that he had also once been his friend. Iron Man then beat Captain America down even more and tossed him aside. When Captain America got to his feet to continue the fight, claiming that he could do this all day, Iron Man aimed his repulsor beam directly at his face and gave Captain America a final chance to stand down and end the fight.
As Captain America stood unyielding, Iron Man realized he would never stand down and charged a repulsor. A wounded Barnes grabbed Iron Man's boot, distracting him and Iron Man kicked Barnes in the face. This diversion allowed Captain America to turn the tide of the battle, using his own shield to destroy the Mark XLVI's helmet. Instead of killing Iron Man, however, Captain America smashed his shield into the main Arc Reactor, destroying it and leaving his armor now completely powerless.
Left covered in blood and now running purely on the suit's backup miniature Arc Reactors, Iron Man was unable to continue fighting as Captain America reclaimed the shield and helped Barnes onto his feet. But as he watched them leaving, Iron Man claimed that Captain America did not deserve his shield, since his father had made it in World War II. Captain America reluctantly drops his vibranium shield, returning it to the Stark family, and left the scene with Barnes, leaving Iron Man behind alone.
==== Spider-Man's Beginning ====
: "Don't do anything I would do. And definitely don't do anything I wouldn't do. There is a little gray area in there and that's where you operate."
: ―Tony Stark to Peter Parker[src]
After his battle in Siberia, Stark and Happy Hogan dropped Peter Parker back off at his apartment in New York City and told Hogan to give the Spider-Man Suit to Parker. A shocked Parker asked if he was allowed to keep it, which Stark confirmed. He also advised Parker not to do anything rash and not to stress Hogan, who would monitor all his activities.
Parker then asked when would their next mission happen, with Stark assuring Parker that someone would call him up. Stark then hugged Parker, covering up by saying he was getting the door for him and he and Hogan drove off. For two months, Parker would report to Hogan about all his activities as Spider-Man, telling him about the crimes he stopped as the Spider-Man, which Hogan would then send to Stark himself along with Parker's activities as the Spider-Man.
==== Picking Up the Pieces ====
: "Tony, we have a problem.""Ah, please hold."
: ―Thaddeus Ross and Tony Stark[src]
With his friendship with Captain America seemingly done for and the rest of the team either on the run or locked away, Stark had started searching for a new purpose for the Avengers in the wake of their leadership falling apart all around them. Having taken Peter Parker to his home, Stark returned to the Avengers Compound where he began considering what the Avengers could become without Captain America.
At the same time, Stark had also developed some new technology in order to help James Rhodes to walk again in the wake of his injury during the Clash of the Avengers. When Rhodes fell while testing the technology, they discussed the fallout of the Sokovia Accords and Rhodes' belief that they had done the right thing. Stark then received a package from the mailman, who misread his name as "Tony Stank" to Rhodes' amusement as he began mocking Stark.
Stark found a phone and letter which he recognized to be in Steve Rogers' handwriting, apologizing for keeping the truth about Stark's parents from him, telling Stark if he would need Rogers' help, 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. Stark put Ross on hold by pretending to be busy with something else, thus letting Rogers and his Avengers team escape successfully. Some time later, Stark was contacted again by Ross in regards to Natasha Romanoff, but he put him on hold once again.
=== Launching a Satellite ===
: "You've been in here for two days straight. There's no international incident right now. Nothing that requires the Avengers' attention. Nick Fury hasn't called. SO what's so important? Why push yourself so ha—""If I don't push myself, people die. It's that simple."
: ―Happy Hogan and Tony Stark[src]
As Stark continued working, he started to starve himself, so Happy Hogan tried fruitlessly to get Stark to eat. Stark refused and chose to focus on his new Iron Man armor instead, so Hogan put the fast food he had ordered on the table while Stark asked for the specifics of the food. Stark showed Hogan the schematics for the armor, and Hogan voiced his concern that Stark was pushing himself too hard. Stark simply replied that if he did not, people would die.
After some time, Hogan asked if Stark had heard from Steve Rogers, and Stark replied that he had not. He took inventory on what needed to be done on the suit of armor, reflecting on the events that occurred during his kidnapping in Afghanistan. He concluded that the armor's repulsors were not getting enough power and asked Hogan for help. He took a gadget Hogan was holding from him and placed it down while Hogan asked about Peter Parker. They talked about how talkative Parker was, and Stark tested his gauntlet, blasting a wall that crumbled completely.
Stark continued to work, prompting Hogan to sarcastically comment about how it seemed effective. They went for a walk, and Stark suggested they keep track of the Avengers better so they could be prepared for future threats. Stark told Hogan about the time he attempted to lift Mjølnir, and asked him to reach out to whomever he could. Hogan commented on how weird the world was getting due to the coming threats, so Stark said that he had thought about it. He described the feeling he felt during the Battle of New York, wanting a way to access technology at the same level as Asgard.
Stark returned to his workspace and received a call from Pepper Potts, telling him that he was late to an interview. Stark prepared for the interview as he contemplated the fact that they would need both technology and magic to protect the world. During the interview, Stark got distracted, and the interviewer, Chalmers, asked how Stark spent his time. Chalmers talked about people viewing the Avengers as a threat, though Stark said that the Sokovia Accords would handle that. Chalmers asked about the battle between Stark and Hulk in Johannesburg, so Stark quickly left the interview.
Hogan contacted Stark and reminded him that Stark Industries would be launching their communications satellite and that he was meant to meet Maria Hill at the launch. On the ride to the launch, Stark explained to Hogan that the satellite would send nano-satellites in all directions to be able to detect anything that was coming. Stark and Hogan watched the launch, and Stark explained to Hill that it would take a month for the nano-satellites to reach their positions. Stark expressed his hope of not finding anything, prompting Hill to comment that nothing would be a waste of money. At Hill's prompting, Stark added that if they found anything, he hoped they would be friendly. On the return trip, Stark thought about the experience of flying and wondered if the Iron Man armor was space-worthy. He thought about the icing problem he experienced with the Iron Man Armor: Mark II and determined that he would try to make one that could fly in space.
Some time later, Stark spent the weekend at the Avengers Compound monitoring the nano-satellites he launched and thought the task to be impossible. He was joined by Happy Hogan, who had brought takeout, saying that he thought Stark needed company. Hogan told Stark that he finally spoke to Peter Parker and said that his heart was in the right place. The two watched the monitors and Hogan used his fork to emulate the computer pinging, which Stark and Hogan laughed at. Stark stepped outside to take a call, and returned to find Hogan wearing the gauntlets to one of his Iron Man armors. Hogan said that they were heavier than he thought, and Stark commented that the same was true of the whole suit.
=== Advising Spider-Man ===
==== Encounter with Vulture ====
: "Can't you just be a friendly... neighborhood Spider-Man?""But I'm ready for more than that now!""No, you're not."
: ―Tony Stark and Spider-Man[src]
When Stark was attending a party in India, Spider-Man tried to stop illegal smugglers working for Vulture, but only to end up being dropped and drowned in a lake. Stark used the tracker he installed in the Spider-Man Suit and sent Mark XLVII remotely to save him, arriving just in time to pull Spider-Man out of the lake before he could drown.
Taking Spider-Man to a nearby park to calm down, Stark then asked him what he had been thinking trying to take down those criminals instead of letting other people to handle this. Parker questioned if he had put a tracker in the suit, to which Stark admitted that he had put everything in his suit, including the heater which dried him. Parker asked if those people were the Avengers only to be told by Stark that it was below their own pay wage to go after Vulture.
Stark asked Parker to forget about Vulture because he said so, accidentally screaming in the middle of the party. He then said to him to continue helping the little people, but Parker was convinced he was ready for more now, claiming that Stark also thought so when had took on Captain America during the Clash of the Avengers. Stark ensured him that if he had wanted to, Captain America would have defeated him with some ease during their previous fight.
Stark finished the call by telling Parker that if he saw the weapons being sold by the Vulture's Crew again, he was not to get involved himself and to immediately to call up Happy Hogan and let him deal with the situation. Having given Parker this advice, Stark then hung up the call and sent the Mark XLVII back to the Avengers Compound while he drove away from the party, leaving Parker then to consider everything that he had just been advised to do by Stark.
==== Ambush at the Staten Island Ferry ====
: "Please, this is all I have. I'm nothing without this suit.""If you're nothing without this suit, then you shouldn't have it. Okay? God, I sound like my dad."
: ―Peter Parker and Tony Stark[src]
Deciding to take Peter Parker's information seriously, Stark alerted the FBI to Vulture's illegal activities. Days later, Stark called up Parker to apologize and praise him for his actions in saving his classmates in Washington, D.C.. Parker, however, was in the middle of trying to stop Vulture's crew in the middle of a weapons deal at the Staten Island Ferry and spent the phone call trying to distract Stark before he eventually hung up on him, much to Stark's annoyance.
Suspicious, Stark decided to suit up in his Mark XLVII and arrived just in time to see the Ferry; Parker was on about to be torn apart thanks in part to Spider-Man's and Vulture's recent battle, during which a rogue Chitauri Gun had lost control and fired all the way down the ferry. As Spider-Man had already defeated both Shocker as well as Mac Gargan, Iron Man then proceeded to fix the Ferry by pushing it back together while Spider-Man could only just watch on.
By using his own Stark Industries technology and the lasers in his armor, Iron Man used them both to meld the cut in the Ferry back together. When Spider-Man had asked if there was anything he could do to help, Iron Man simply told him that he had done enough before finishing saving the ferry. Iron Man then ordered Spider-Man to meet him in New York City so that he could then chastise Spider-Man for disobeying him and putting his own and other people's lives at risks by his own actions.
Parker accused Stark about not caring what was happening with the stolen weapons, only for Stark to step out of his suit and told Parker that he did listen to him and that he was the one who contacted the FBI. Furthermore, Stark revealed that he was in fact the only one who believed in Parker's potential, despite his age, and that if someone had died there due to his actions, it would be on his conscience and if Parker himself died, then his death would be on his mind forever.
Parker told Stark that he was just trying to be like him, only for Stark to tell him that he wanted him to be better than him and demanded Parker give the Spider-Man Suit back, much to Parker's dismay as he claimed that he was nothing without the suit. Stark replied that if he was nothing without the suit, then he shouldn't have it, while noting that he's starting to sound like his own father. Parker - much to his reluctance - gave the suit back and Stark sent him home to his Aunt May with some clothes Stark had bought him.
==== Spider-Man's Offer ====
: "With a little more mentoring, you could be a real asset to the team.""To the– to the team?""Yeah. Anyway, there's about fifty reporters behind that door. Real ones, not bloggers. When you're ready, why don't you try that on? And I'll introduce the world to the newest official member of the Avengers: Spider-Man."
: ―Tony Stark and Peter Parker[src]
In the wake of Spider-Man successfully stopping Vulture and his crew from stealing an entire plane full of the Avengers' weapons and technology directly from Avengers Tower, Stark decided to send Happy Hogan to Peter Parker's school in order to take him into the Avengers Compound. Upon arrival, Stark met up with Parker and apologized for being so harsh on him previously and told him that his actions in stopping Vulture proved he was ready to be a hero.
Stark explained that he had gathered together reporters to meet him before showing Parker the new version of the Spider-Man Suit, as Stark told him to put it on, so he could introduce him to a bunch of reporters as the newest member of the Avengers, noting he would have a room by Vision. However, Parker declined, wanting to stay on the streets and look out for the citizens of New York City as a friendly neighborhood Spider-Man, much to the great surprise of Stark.
Stark, although a little disappointed, accepted Parker's decision, still offering him one last chance to take his offer which Parker said no to, telling Hogan to take Parker back home. Before leaving, Parker then asked if that was a test, to which Stark lied and said it was. However, as soon as Parker exited the building, Pepper Potts came through asking where Parker was as all of the reporters were waiting, only for Stark to say that he was now not going to be there after all.
Now wondering what they were going to tell the press, Stark asked Hogan for the engagement ring which the latter had been keeping for years. Potts, however, assured them that they would be able to come up with something better and kissed Stark before they went out to meet the press although Hogan still threw Stark the ring as a last resort. Stark had the second suit delivered back to Parker, believing that the young hero had earned the right to wear it again.
=== Return to Stark Industries ===
Months later, working at the Avengers Compound, Stark, guilty that he got distracted, began work on a suit that could be used by him to defend the world by himself.
While working on his new Mark L armor, Stark was visited by Maria Hill, who tried to convince him to call Rogers and work out their grievances. Stark briefly considers calling Rogers, but decided that he needed to prepare for the apocalypse on his own. Hill then informed Stark that Vision had turned off his transponder, and was off-grid. Stark became irritated after Hill made a remark that the last uncontrolled robot he created almost wiped out humanity, and claimed that the world needed all Avengers. An embittered Stark sent Hill away, and fired her from her position at Stark Industries. Around this time, Stark also presented Peter Parker with an official Stark Industries certificate of internship completion, and the pair posed for a photo. Stark then framed the photograph and kept it amongst his personal belongings.
=== Infinity War ===
==== Meeting Doctor Strange ====
: "Tony Stark, I'm Doctor Stephen Strange. I need you to come with me. Oh, uh, congratulations on the wedding, by the way.""I'm sorry, you giving out tickets to something?""We need your help. Look, it's not overselling it to say that the fate of the universe is at stake."
: ―Doctor Strange and Tony Stark[src]
In 2018, while jogging in Central Park, Stark told Potts about a vivid dream that he had where they had a child named Morgan after Pepper's eccentric uncle. Despite Stark's claims on how real the dream felt, Potts assured him that she was not expecting a child and suggested that if he wanted to have a kid, he would not have made another suit of armor. Stark reinforced that the armor was only there to protect her and their future children, but Potts rebuttaled by stating that the armor was not required in order to raise a normal family.
Stark then declared that there would not be any more surprises between them and promised Potts a dinner date in light of their recent engagement. Doctor Strange then appeared from a portal and told Stark that he would need to talk to him. Having never met Strange, Stark became skeptical at his statement, but Strange reiterated that the fate of the universe was at stake; bringing Bruce Banner out to stress how urgent the matter was.
==== Convening at the New York Sanctum ====
: "Thanos. He's a plague, Tony. He invades planets. He takes what he wants. He wipes out half the population. He sent Loki. The attack on New York. That's him!""This is it... What's our timeline?"
: ―Bruce Banner and Tony Stark[src]
After meeting Doctor Strange and reuniting with Bruce Banner, Stark was taken inside the New York Sanctum. He was informed by Wong, who explained the history of the Infinity Stones; Strange named all of the stones that were known such as the Space, Reality, Power, Soul, Mind, and Time. Stark inquired the enemy's name and was informed by Banner that it was Thanos, explaining that he had acquired the Power and Space Stones; making him the most powerful being in the universe.
Having learned that Thanos was the one who pulled the strings behind Loki and the Chitauri Invasion, Stark realized that he was the one who was really responsible for his fear and anxiety in the ensuing years since the Battle of New York. Leaning and stretching against the Cauldron of the Cosmos, Stark remarked on Strange's use of language, getting hit by the Cloak of Levitation, much to his allowance. Stark suggested disposing the Time Stone, but Strange and Wong informed him they were sworn to protect it.
As Thanos had two stones and the other two were not on Earth, the best move would be to protect Vision, who had the Mind Stone embedded in his head; however, Vision had disappeared two weeks earlier. Only the fugitive Captain America could possibly find him. Banner insisted that Stark call Rogers, only for Stark to explain to Banner that he and Rogers had fallen out, and that they were not on speaking terms. Banner would convince Stark to call Rogers by telling him that Thanos had killed their teammate Thor. However, before Stark could place the call, they were interrupted by the sound of agitation in the streets and debris flying through the air.
==== Attack on Greenwich Village ====
: "Hear me and rejoice. You are about to die at the hands of the children of Thanos. Be thankful that your meaningless lives are now contributed to the balance–""I'm sorry, Earth is closed today. You better pack it up and get out of here."
: ―Ebony Maw and Tony Stark[src]
Leaving the Sanctum to investigate, the four found people fleeing and screaming in panic, as a Q-Ship sent by Thanos had arrived, devastating the surrounding city with powerful winds. Outside the New York Sanctum, the Q-Ship was confronted by Tony Stark, Bruce Banner, Doctor Strange and Wong. As Stark commanded F.R.I.D.A.Y. to evacuate the surrounding area and mobilize emergency response teams, Doctor Strange cast the Winds of Watoomb, neutralizing the powerful winds created by the Q-Ship.
As Ebony Maw and Cull Obsidian arrived from their Q-Ship, they demanded the Time Stone, kept in the Eye of Agamotto, from Strange, only for Stark to rudely rebuff and commanded the two to leave Earth. To Stark's embarrassment, Banner tried and failed to turn into Hulk; as they did not have time to understand why, Stark benched his friend from the fight. Stark donned his nanotech Mark L armor and blasted away Obsidian, astonishing Banner.
Maw then sent Iron Man flying into the air while directly assaulting Strange and Wong with his telekinetic powers, throwing debris at the Masters. As Strange began using an attack, Iron Man returned and blasted off a car that was aimed at him and Wong. He then commanded Strange to also flee and get the Time Stone away from the city, who refused. Iron Man attempted to assault Maw again, only to be engaged by Obsidian, who sent Iron Man flying into Washington Square Park, encountering Banner.
While holding off Obsidian to protect Banner, Iron Man was joined by an arriving Spider-Man and told him about what was going on with the situation. Iron Man tasked him with rescuing the unconscious Strange as he held off Obsidian. As the battle continued, Iron Man was caught by Obsidian's hammer and was about to be killed, only to be saved by Wong. Once Wong trapped Obsidian from another location, Iron Man broke free and invited him to his wedding, flying afterwards.
==== Ascent to Space ====
: "Tony? Oh, my God. Are you all right? What's going on?""Yeah, I'm fine. I just think we might have to push our 8:30 res.""Why?""Just 'cause I'll probably not make it back for a while."
: ―Pepper Potts and Tony Stark[src]
After finishing his battle, Iron Man managed to locate the Q-Ship and flew towards the sky while deploying Item 17A from the Avengers Compound. Beginning to run out of oxygen, Spider-Man removed his mask as he was unable to breathe as much as he could. Iron Man commanded Spider-Man to let go and fall in order to catch him. Spider-Man told Iron Man that he must save the wizard as he was told by him, but Iron Man retorted his statement that he would not be able to breathe as the ship moved upward.
As he exhaustively started to pass out, Spider-Man was nearly suffocated as the ship left Earth's atmosphere and he fell off the ship as he could not breathe anymore. Falling down, Spider-Man was rescued by the intervention of Iron Man, who summoned the Iron Spider Armor. As the suit manifested around him with nanotech particles, Spider-Man swiftly recovered with an acrobatic landing and was able to breathe and contact Iron Man.
As he caught up with Parker, Stark told him farewell up on the ship and commanded F.R.I.D.A.Y. to send him back to Earth, using his parachute to descend into orbit. Stark latched onto the hull to cut a hole and board the Q-Ship, to look for wherever Doctor Strange and Ebony Maw went. Getting a call from Pepper Potts, Stark answered the call and told her that he was on the ship, only to lose reception halfway at Potts' expense.
==== Rescue of Doctor Strange ====
: "Saving his life is more of a professional courtesy.""You've saved nothing. Your powers are inconsequential compared to mine.""Yeah, but the kid's seen more movies."
: ―Iron Man and Ebony Maw[src]
On board the Q-Ship, Stark was joined by the Cloak of Levitation, who showed him to Doctor Strange and the Time Stone. As they prepared their next move, observing from above, they were surprised by the appearance of Spider-Man, who had also stowed away, much to Stark's horror. As Stark berated Peter Parker for disobeying his orders, Parker reasoned that he could not act as a friendly neighborhood Spider-Man without a neighborhood to defend.
Listening to Parker's response and knowing that he could not argue against it, Stark had no choice but to team up with him and decided to give him assess of the situation. Walking towards the ledge, Stark told Parker where Ebony Maw was holding Strange captive and asked for any ideas to distract him. Thinking quickly, Parker immediately suggested a plan that reminisced a scene from Aliens. Once he listened, Stark would then follow the plan before Strange would be further tortured by Maw.
As Maw continued to probe Strange for the Time Stone, Iron Man suddenly appeared behind him. As part of Parker's plan, Stark fired a missile past Maw, into the wall of the Q-Ship. The missile caused a hull breach, instantly sucking a screaming Maw into the vacuum of space to his death. However, Strange himself was inadvertently caught in the vacuum, and the Cloak unsuccessfully attempted to rescue him.
Leaping in, Spider-Man managed to grab Strange, and with aid from his new armor's artificial spider limbs, he was able to narrowly pull him to safety, allowing Iron Man to seal the breach using his nanobots. Stark noted that the Ship was on an automated course bound for an unknown location. Strange insisted that Stark commandeer the ship to return them and the Time Stone to Earth, although Stark was reluctant.
Stark suggested a proposal for an attack on Thanos' territory, where he would not be expecting. Although initially at odds, Strange reluctantly agreed with Stark's plan, after he told of his history over the years about Thanos' discourse. After agreeing, Strange reminded Stark that he would prioritize saving the Time Stone over either Stark or Parker's lives, asserting he would let them die if it would mean keeping the Stone from Thanos' hands. Satisfied by Strange's display of morality, Stark would then officially recruit Peter Parker to the Avengers.
==== Encountering the Guardians ====
: "I'm gonna ask you this one time. Where's Gamora?""Yeah, I'll do you one better. Who's Gamora?""I'll do you one better, why is Gamora?"
: ―Star-Lord, Iron Man and Drax the Destroyer[src]
Arriving at their destination, Stark and Peter Parker steered the Q-Ship with an arm piece and attempted to safely land on the barren planet, Titan. Despite the attempt to avoid contact with the planet's surroundings, the ship crash-landed. Doctor Strange protected Stark and Parker from the impact of the crash-landing by shielding them through holographic Mandalas.
Stark acknowledged that he owed Strange a debt for saving their lives from the crash. Parker appeared upside down and asked them if there was something that could implant eggs in his chest. Stark angrily commented to him to never say anything pop culture related, but Parker was stating that something was coming towards them. Following Parker's warning, a grenade rolled into view, and the three got thrown back when its energy pulse was fired.
The three were then immediately ambushed by the Guardians of the Galaxy, Star-Lord, Drax the Destroyer, and Mantis, each believing the other to be working for Thanos. Star-Lord immediately started firing at Iron Man, and a chase in the air ensued. Stark launched a missile at Star-Lord while in the air but was pinned by his Gravity Mine in retaliation. Escaping Quill's Gravity Mine, Iron Man then flew over to Drax in order to capture and pin him down. As the brief scuffle ended at a stalemate, Spider-Man was held at gunpoint by Quill.
Turning off his helmet, Star-Lord then asked Stark where his missing teammate, Gamora, was. Agitated with his abrupt attack, Stark replied with a question that confused Quill and then asked who the three humans were that he was attacking. Parker answered his question by saying that they were the Avengers. Eventually, once Mantis informed Stark about being acknowledged by Thor, both parties learned that they were both after Thanos and an alliance was formed between them.
==== Making a Plan ====
: "Did you hear what I said?""I stopped listening after you said, 'We need a plan.'"Okay, Mr. Clean is on his own page."
: ―Tony Stark and Drax the Destroyer[src]
Analyzing the situation and the surroundings, Stark realized that their only advantage was that Thanos was coming to them, and thus the element of surprise could be utilized. The plan was simple: draw Thanos in, pin him down, and take the Infinity Gauntlet. As Stark tried to come up with a plan to stop Thanos, Drax yawned at the middle of the plan. Star-Lord explained that listening and not winging it was not what they would do, and Spider-Man questioned what exactly the rest of the Guardians of the Galaxy were doing.
Mantis explained what they would do in an uncomprehending statement to which both Parker and Stark were completely dumbfounded. Stark told Star-Lord to get his team together, and when Quill expressed that while the plan was solid, he should execute it instead of Stark for a better outcome. As the plan was being formulated, Doctor Strange used the Time Stone to view millions of different outcomes of the coming conflict against Thanos, to which he said there was only one future conflict in which they won.
==== Battle of Titan ====
: "Piece of cake, Quill.""Yeah, if your goal is to piss him off!"
: ―Iron Man and Star-Lord[src]
When Thanos arrived on Titan, he was immediately greeted by Doctor Strange. Thanos recounted to the sorcerer how Titan was a beautiful planet with too little food and resources to go around for its people. When the Titans faced extinction, Thanos' "merciful" resolution was genocide across multiple planets.
At this moment, Thanos realized too late that Strange was not alone, and had lured the Titan into an ambush. Before he could react, he was immediately crushed underneath a massive piece of a spaceship hull, dropped on him by Iron Man. Using the Power and Reality Stones, the Titan freed himself by violently detonating the debris, before instantly transforming the rubble into an enormous swarm of bats.
The swarm quickly set upon Iron Man, forcing the Avenger to flee. Thanos was then bombarded by a renewed assault from Iron Man, who rained missiles down on the Titan. Unfazed, and with the Gauntlet freed, Thanos activated the Power and Space Stones. In a second, the explosive energy of Stark's missiles was absorbed by the Gauntlet and redirected at Iron Man in a concentrated beam of fire, blasting the Avenger far away into a spaceship husk.
With Thanos restrained, the group had executed the final step of their plan, as Mantis beckoned the others to hurry before Thanos broke her hold. Iron Man and Spider-Man moved to forcefully pull the Gauntlet from the Titan's hand. Flying in, Star-Lord confronted Thanos, before demanding the location of Gamora. Thanos began to react in anguish, with Mantis sensing that he was mourning. Nebula began to realize in horror that he sacrificed Gamora for the Soul Stone.
In denial, Star-Lord angrily asked Thanos to tell him that Gamora was alive, only for Thanos to lament that he had no choice but to kill her, confirming Nebula's suspicions. Enraged, Star-Lord began to question Thanos for his actions. Observing this, Iron Man attempted to restrain him from any contact with Thanos, only for Star-Lord to ruthlessly attack him without thinking, inadvertently breaking Mantis' control over the Titan.
Freed from his trance and now truly furious, Thanos quickly escaped his restraints and brutally overpowered the group. Iron Man made another desperate assault on Thanos, only for the Titan to turn to Titan's nearby moon. Using the Power and Space Stones, Thanos immediately pulverized the moon's surface, before hurling its fragments down on his opponents as a hail of meteors, incapacitating Iron Man.
==== Last Man Standing ====
: "Stark.""You know me?""I do. You're not the only one cursed with knowledge.""My only curse is you."
: ―Thanos and Iron Man[src]
Before Thanos could finish off Doctor Strange in their brief confrontation, Iron Man, being the final Avenger standing, restrained Thanos' gauntlet using a nanotech clamp. To the Avenger's surprise, Thanos recognized and called him by his name of Stark, before noting that they were both "cursed with knowledge."
Unfazed from Thanos' statements, Iron Man blamed him for his existences to be a curse, and attacked him first, blasting him with missiles. With Thanos distracted, Iron Man began attacking him relentlessly with his nanotech suit, kicking the Titan with his enhanced boosters before he could recover. Anchoring his feet to the ground, Iron Man immediately struck Thanos again with repulsor-powered battering rams, beating him back into a wall.
Recovering quickly, Thanos tore off Iron Man's helmet with his bare hand and punched him to the ground. As Iron Man reformed his helmet just in time, Thanos quickly ripped the clamp from the Gauntlet, and blasted him with a concentrated beam from the Power Stone. Iron Man then managed to block the blast by forming a shield. Boosting towards Thanos, Iron Man swiftly pinned the Gauntlet to the ground using a foot clamp before pummeling the Titan's face with a repulsor-boosted hammer, with enough force to make him bleed.
Unfazed from the damage upon his face, Thanos simply taunted the Avenger, for giving so much labor and struggle only to shed a single drop of blood. Thanos then effortlessly ripped the Gauntlet free from Iron Man's hold, flipping the Avenger onto his back. Thanos began to brutally beat Iron Man with his fists, breaking off more and more of his armor with each strike to the point of which he could not defend himself any longer.
With Iron Man helpless to resist, Thanos followed with a powerful punched with the Power Stone into the Avenger's abdomen, sending him flying across the area and damaging his armor. Desperate and missing much of the upper half of his armor, Iron Man attempted to hold off Thanos with his repulsors, relocating the nanites on his leg to form new repulsors. Closing in, Thanos began beating the Avenger once again, destroying his helmet.
Stark attempted to defend himself with his bare hands, only for Thanos to grab and trap his left hand. In an attempt to fight back, Stark immediately shifted the nanites from his left arm to his right arm to form a sword, and wildly stabbed at the Titan. However, Thanos simply tore the sword from Stark's hand and ruthlessly stabbed him in the abdomen with it, ending the fight. Cradling Stark's head in his hand, Thanos revealed his respect for Stark.
Nevertheless, Thanos said he hoped those who survive when he ended his mission would remember Stark and he prepared himself to kill him, only for Strange to intervene, offering the Time Stone in exchange for Stark's life. After Thanos took the Time Stone and left Titan, Stark would heal his wound, using the last of his nanites. Asking Strange why he would give up the Stone, Strange informed Stark that they were now in the endgame.
==== Thanos' Victory ====
: "Mr. Stark? I don't feel so good.""You're all right.""I don't— I don't know what's happening. I don't... I don't wanna go. I don't wanna go, sir, please. Please, I don't wanna go."
: ―Peter Parker and Tony Stark[src]
Stark and his allies could only wait for Thanos to achieve his goals, and he unlocked the powers of all combined Infinity Stones. Many of his allies began disintegrating into ash, including Doctor Strange and the Guardians of the Galaxy on Titan, much to his horror and distress. Stark attempted to reassure Star-Lord before his demise and was then told by Doctor Strange that this outcome was inevitable.
Stark could only helplessly watch as Spider-Man then began disintegrating in his arms. Stark hugged the boy in an attempt to comfort him as Spider-Man begged Stark to save him until he accepted his fate and emotionally apologized for failing him. In the end, only Stark and Nebula remained on Titan. As Nebula somberly said in despair that Thanos had achieved his goal, Stark began mourning over the loss of his friends and Thanos' victory, unable to do anything but accept it, as he clutched Spider-Man's ashes.
==== Returning to Earth ====
: "Oxygen will run out tomorrow morning. And that'll be it. And Pep, I... I know I said no more surprises, but I gotta say, I was really hoping to pull off one last one."
: ―Tony Stark[src]
Directly after the Snap, Stark and Nebula used the Guardians of the Galaxy's ship, the Benatar, to get off Titan. Over the course of time they spent, Stark and Nebula discovered that the ship's fuel cells had been cracked during the climax of the Battle of Titan. Attempting to fix it, they at least partially succeeded by working around the damage and tried to make it back to Earth; however, the Benatar ran of flight power after only two days and gradually began running out of air, the former of which stranded the ship. Stark and Nebula attempted to fix this as well, but they simply failed to do so, leaving them lost in space.
Twenty-two days after the Snap, Stark and Nebula played a few rounds of Table Football in the bridge of the Benatar. As Nebula tried to catch one of the paper shards, Stark said that she would not need to do that and taught Nebula on how to play by letting their fingers still in position. As they continued to play more of the game, Stark and Nebula were eventually almost tied up and asked her if she would like to try again. Stark tried to make a goal but lost his aim, letting Nebula win the game and showed respect to her with a handshake.
Stark went to the front of the Benatar to record a message to Pepper Potts, using his helmet from the Battle of Titan. After Stark turned on the switch to record from his helmet, he told Potts that if she would find the video of this recording, she should not post it on social media due to the sad situation he was in. Stark reflected on the past days of his survival, such as meeting Nebula, getting treatment from his injuries, fixing the ion charge from the ship that saved them forty-eight hours of time, and eating the remaining food rations.
Stark had then told Potts that the oxygen from the ship would run out the following morning, and that he hoped to pull off one last surprise. Stark told to not feel bad about his predicament and maybe just grovel and feel guilt for next upcoming weeks while he would be gone. Stark began to drift off from the recording and finished the recording by saying he would promise to dream about Potts since it was always what he dreamed about. After finishing the recording, Stark put on his jacket and drifted off to sleep before Nebula put him in the captain's chair.
While deeply sleeping from the chair for hours, Stark felt a slight arise of light coming from his face, causing some irritation. Stark suddenly awoke due to a beaming light outside the Benatar and as the glowing settled, Captain Marvel revealed herself to be the glowing light, much to his surprise. As the group had decided to return to Earth, Danvers subsequently started to carry the Benatar back to Earth, locating across the Avengers Compound where Stark would resign.
Getting the attention from the Avengers at the Facility, Captain Marvel landed on the ground where the Benatar had settled. Stark would be helped out by Nebula and Steve Rogers, once he got out of the ship's doorway. An emotional Stark told Rogers that he was unable to stop Thanos, to which Rogers had responded back saying he could not as well. Stark then looked at Rogers and told him that he lost Peter Parker in the process. Before he had anything else to say, Stark was then greeted by an overwhelmed Potts.
At the Avengers Compound, the remaining Avengers conversed about the possible location of Thanos since the remaining days of him arriving to Earth. As the slide of pictures that were shown off from their system, Stark saw a picture of Parker as one of the casualties of Thanos' Snap, leading him to look down and reminisce on his failure to protect the kid. Stark then asked the team about where Thanos was, to which Rogers responded that they had no lead.
Stark looked over to Thor and asked the team what had happened to him, leading Rocket Raccoon to tell him that he was guilty of failing to kill Thanos. While Rocket talked about the failure of each trying to stop Thanos, Stark was completely surprised to see a talking raccoon, thinking he was a stuffed Build-A-Bear. When Rogers told Stark they had been hunting Thanos for weeks and asked him if he had any indications of where Thanos could be, Stark mockingly erupted and told Rogers that he was beaten.
Stark talked to the team about the vision he had that he did not want to believe and saw it coming. As Rogers tried to tell him that he needed to focus, Stark angrily told Rogers that he needed him in past tense, but it was too late to do that. As he began to fumble around the table and took off his tube from his arm, Stark then confronted Rogers, explaining that his attempt to build a suit of armor around the world was to prevent the very situation they were in.
Stark then recalled the events of the Avengers Civil War, as he lost without the aid of Rogers, despite Rogers saying that if they lost, they would lose together. After giving up his Arc Reactor to Rogers in order to stop Thanos, Stark overcame his exhaustion and fainted in front of the team. Bruce Banner gave Stark a sedative, so that he could rest and heal due to his long duration in space. While Stark was resting, the remaining Avengers had found Thanos, only to realize the Infinity Stones had been destroyed, leading Thor to decapitate Thanos.
=== A Normal Life ===
==== In Mexico with Bruce Banner ====
: "Tony mostly drank, just sat around, like, complaining about Steve.""Oh, Steve.""It was a good time during a hard time."
: ―Hulk and She-Hulk[src]
Stark and Bruce Banner briefly went to a private island. There, Stark helped Banner merge himself with the Hulk. They also created a house as well as a bar, where Stark often complained about Steve Rogers. In the end, Stark and Banner both carved their initials into the bar.
==== Reunited Again ====
: "Tony, I get it. And I'm happy for you. I really am. But this is a second chance.""I got my second chance right here, Cap. Can't roll the dice on it. If you don't talk shop, you can stay for lunch."
: ―Captain America and Tony Stark[src]
Stark eventually married Pepper Potts and had a daughter, named Morgan, and relocated to a cabin in New York. Despite losing his allies and half the universe's population to Thanos, Stark began to feel a sense of peace in the five years that followed.
In 2023, Stark walked outside of his cabin and began to give his attention from Morgan so that she could get some lunch. After not having Morgan's attention, Stark sat down and called her full name again, to which Morgan got out of the tent with her mother's Mark XLIX helmet. Stark told Morgan not to wear the helmet since it was an anniversary gift for Potts, before taking her helmet off and asking if she was hungry for lunch. Stark then asked where Morgan found the helmet before picking her up, being told that she found it in his garage.
While Stark and his daughter were about to enter back into the cabin, he was approached by Steve Rogers, Natasha Romanoff, and Scott Lang, who proposed their idea of traveling back in time to acquire the Infinity Stones from the past in order to reverse Thanos' actions in the present. Stark disagreed with the group's decision to use Quantum energy to mess with the time scale or else they would never return to their original timeline.
Once Lang told Stark that he came back from the past, he told Lang that his case was a billion-to-one chance of a cosmic fluke, thus it could not happen, being told that the group was pulling a Time Heist. Stark continued to tell the group that it was pipe dream to travel back in time: However, Rogers and Romanoff told him that they could get everyone back by snapping their fingers to do it. Stark still kept himself skeptical for not having a logical set to pull off a time heist.
When Lang sat down with Stark by saying that they would follow strict rules of time travel, he reluctantly rejected his proposal with concern about following logic from Back to the Future, saying that it was not how quantum physics should work. Despite the group taking a stand to fix what had happened to everyone, Stark still pursued on not joining the heist before Morgan was told to save him by Potts. Rogers told Stark this was their second chance, but he told Rogers that he already had one and still offered them to stay for lunchtime.
==== Solving Time Travel ====
: "I figured it out, by the way.""You know, just so we're talking about the same thing...""Time travel."
: ―Tony Stark and Pepper Potts[src]
At night, while washing the dishes after dinner, Stark accidentally sprayed an old photo of himself and Peter Parker with water and began cleaning it with a rag. Missing Parker's existence and pondering on the idea of time traveling, Stark decided to take it upon himself on testing out one of the theoretical models that would work with Scott Lang's Quantum Tunnel.
Going up to his worktable, Stark began working on a Time-Space GPS that would enable the device that could have particle factoring and a spectral decomp to travel through the device. Despite his skepticism, Stark was in complete shock once the device had successfully rendered. Being bewildered by this discovery, Stark let out a swear before noticing Morgan sitting on a staircase and told that she should not swear around the house and should go to bed.
Stark told Morgan that he had something on his mind, to which she wondered if she wanted juice pops, much to his agreement on getting some after his discovery. After Stark and Morgan finished their juice pops, Stark told her go to bed and sleep before being told to tell a story. After telling a quick a story, Stark told Morgan that he loved her tons before being told back that she loved him three thousand, much to his loving surprise. Once Stark had got Morgan to sleep, he went into the living room where Pepper Potts was reading a book.
While talking to Potts and looking towards his lab table, Stark quickly admitted on figuring out how time travel would work. Much to Potts' surprise on his incredible discovery, Stark sat down with her and was told they were lucky to have survived, unlike everybody else. Potts told Stark that he could do something about his discovery, but he told her that he could stop trying to save everybody: However, Potts admitted that trying to get him stop was one of her failures.
Smiling at the prospect of Potts not giving up on him, Stark admitted that sometimes he would feel like he should put his optimism in a locked box and drop it at the bottom of a lake so that he could finally rest. Potts then questioned that if Stark was able to rest now, to which he decided on helping his team on pulling the Time Heist. Realizing that the chances of survival were improbable and not guaranteed, Stark recorded a parting message to his family in the event that he would die under any circumstances.
=== Time Heist ===
==== Returning to the Avengers ====
: "We got a shot at getting these stones, but I gotta tell you my priorities. Bring back what we lost? I hope, yes. Keep what I found? I have to, at all costs. And, maybe not die trying will be nice.""Sounds like a deal."
: ―Tony Stark and Steve Rogers[src]
Despite Stark's initial refusal to help, the remaining Avengers continued to research the possibility of Time Travel, and attempted to send Scott Lang through time but instead sent time through him, turning Lang into a baby, child, and old man. With no other option to undo the Snap, the Avengers almost lost all hope but just then, Stark arrived at the Avengers Compound, much to the surprise of Steve Rogers.
Once Stark had parked his car in front of Rogers, he rightly guessed that the Avengers' first attempt to time travel was a failure. When Rogers asked Stark why he arrived at the compound, Stark got out of his car and told him that the EPR paradox had affected Lang by letting time go pass through him. Rogers guessed that Stark had solved time travel, to which he admitted on inventing a Time-Space GPS. Stark then reconciled with Rogers, noting that resentment was corrosive, and he hated it. Rogers said he hated resentment as well.
Stark then talked about the conditions of his life before joining the heist, wanting the Infinity Stones to bring back the people who were dead but not having to die trying. As they both agreed, Stark and Rogers reconciled and worked on the Time Heist. Before they could work on the heist, Stark gave Rogers back his shield, although Rogers was hesitant, Stark further told him that his father, Howard Stark, made it for him and he needed to get it out of the house before Morgan would find it and take it sledding.
Knowing they would get a team together, Stark walked inside the Avengers Compound with equipment on him, noticing Thor's arrival, and made fun of his resemblances for looking like The Big Lebowski. Stark asked Rocket Raccoon on how he was working with the time machine, only to be insulted after mistakenly misnaming him. Stark then produced the Advanced Tech Suit with help from Hank Pym's designs and worked with Bruce Banner to send Clint Barton to the past.
The operation was a success as Barton landed in his homestead at a time before the Snap before returning to 2023. Following this, Stark worked with the Avengers to determine the best times and locations to travel back to. During their brainstorming session, Banner noted they only have enough Pym Particles for one round trip each, and the Infinity Stones had a lot of different places throughout history.
Stark further noted that each group was going through their history, which would mean there were not a lot of convenient spots to just drop in every given timeline. With each brainstorming session, the team's decisions had been concluded being New York City in 2012, Asgard in 2013, and Vormir and Morag in 2014. The Avengers then decided to pull off their heist the following day, prompting Stark to use his helmet to record a message for Morgan in the event that he did not survive. Additionally, he named one of his A.I. systems E.D.I.T.H., standing for "Even Dead I'm The Hero", which he uploaded into one of his glasses. Believing that their efforts to resurrect the victims of the Snap would be successful, Stark arranged for the glasses to be given to Nick Fury following the latter's resurrection in the event that he died, with the explicit purpose of having Fury hand it down to Peter Parker.
The next day, as the team had gathered around the circle, Stark and the rest listened up for Rogers' speech about how they lost friends, family, a part of themselves but now they might have a chance to get them back. Knowing that this plan was the fight of their lives, Stark looked at Rogers being told that they were going to win for whatever it would take. Once the team was in position, Stark told Banner to activate the tunnel. As the team had finally united on the platform, Stark and his group traveled through time to 2012.
==== Infiltration into Stark Tower ====
: "Thumbelina, do you copy? I've got eyes on the prize. It's go-time."
: ―Tony Stark to Ant-Man[src]
The first team, comprised of Stark, Scott Lang, Steve Rogers, and Hulk, traveled back to New York City on May 4, 2012 during the Battle of New York. Rogers informed the group that they all knew their positions on where the Infinity Stones were. While they talked about keeping an eye on each other and getting out as quickly as possible, Hulk from 2012 had smashed a Chitauri soldier through wreckage, much to the group's dismay.
Hulk was assigned to find the Time Stone at the New York Sanctum, smashing things along the way to not give any suspicions. Stark and Lang went to Stark Tower to retrieve the Tesseract, while Rogers focused primarily on the Scepter. Stark climbed onto the Chrysler Building and focused on the Avengers from 2012 interrogating Loki. Stark told Rogers to get inside Stark Tower, noted they were almost wrapped up on capturing Loki.
Stark, with a shrunken Lang on his shoulder, quietly entered Stark Tower successfully without being noticed. While Stark watched his past self and the Avengers clear from clean-up duty and capture Loki, he commented on the size of Captain America's buttocks being crapped into his former uniform. After Black Widow grabbed the Scepter, the STRIKE Team had entered the building, leaving Stark and Lang to hide out of sight. Stark further noted that the STRIKE team was part of HYDRA before quieting Lang's voice.
Stark then flicked Lang towards his 2012 self in order to get closer to the Tesseract. Once their plan had settled out, Stark proceeded to flee out of the tower and located the Scepter near an elevator so that Rogers could meet up with other S.H.I.E.L.D. agents. While Rogers had to capture the Scepter from Agent Jasper Sitwell, Stark managed to get a S.H.I.E.L.D. uniform and went undercover while his past self arrived on the spot of where they met Alexander Pierce.
Stark then ordered Lang that he was on the area of where his past self was located and told him to go into 2012 Stark's shirt. While Lang went under 2012 Stark's shirt, he smelled Axe body spray on 2012 Stark's shirt, having 2023 Stark to explain he had one under a desk for emergencies. Under Stark's guidance, Lang entered the inside of his Arc Reactor and was told to pull the lever that would temporarily give Stark's past self a mild cardiac arrest. When Lang damaged it, Stark's past self suffered a heart attack.
Using the distraction caused by 2012 Stark's collapse to their advantage, 2023 Stark told the security guards that 2012 Stark might need some help. While 2012 Stark had suffered pain from his heart, 2023 Stark had noticed Lang pushing the briefcase with the Tesseract and began to take it, walking away to escape. Despite successfully obtaining the Space Stone, an enraged 2012 Hulk busted through the door, sending both Stark and the case flying.
The case then popped open and landed at the feet of 2012 Loki, who quickly grabbed the Tesseract and escaped with it. Stark woke up from his sudden knockout, much to his shock from the brute force from Hulk. Lang then jumped onto Stark and told them that part of the plan was not supposed to happen, leading him to tell Lang that they messed up the plan. Stark had to go back to the alleyway empty-handed.
==== Infiltrating Camp Lehigh ====
: "Let me tell you. That kid's not even here yet, and there's nothing I wouldn't do for him. Good to meet you, Potts.""Yeah. Howard... Everything's gonna be all right. Thank you for everything you've done... for this country."
: ―Howard Stark and Tony Stark[src]
Stark and Lang met back with Steve Rogers, who had been successful in getting the Scepter. With only enough Pym Particles for a return journey home, Lang lectured the group that they would not be coming home. Suddenly getting an idea, Stark had an idea of getting more Pym Particles to take back the Tesseract, telling Rogers that it was in a military installation.
Stark told Rogers that he did not know the exact date, but he knew where to go but decided to go improvise on which date the Tesseract and Pym Particles were there. Stark began to set up a date as April 7, 1970 before Rogers entrusted Lang to bring the Scepter to 2023. When Lang told them if they failed, there would not be a way to come back home, Stark dismissed him and began to suit up, leading the pair to travel further back in time to the date that was settled and take the Tesseract that was in possession of S.H.I.E.L.D..
Arriving in 1970 New Jersey, Rogers and Stark infiltrated Camp Lehigh, where they discovered a doorway that was holding information in plain sight. Once Stark looked at the doorway closely, he examined the inner walls with his glasses, knowing that they could follow them around using the elevator. Stark and Rogers then took the elevator route while a S.H.I.E.L.D. worker looked over to them suspiciously.
Once Stark wished Rogers good luck as he arrived on the floor that he tracked down, he managed to get inside a facility where the Tesseract had been held through his lenses and eventually found it near a vault. Stark then burned the ridges of the lock with his armor's gauntlet, began to capture the Tesseract, and put it inside a briefcase that he stole. However, in the attempt, Stark ran into the 1970 version of his father, who was looking for Arnim Zola. Once Howard started asking questions, Stark told him that he was a visitor from MIT, covering up his identity as "Howard Potts."
Despite Stark's success in stealing the Space Stone, Howard engaged his alternate son in conversation, leading them to take it by going outside. While Rogers worked to obtain more Pym Particles from the 1970 version of Hank Pym, Stark talked to his alternate father about the flowers he was carrying, being noted that Howard's wife was expecting a gift from him after working so long and that a child was coming along.
Once outside with his alternate father, Stark was told that Howard's baby would be called Almanzo, much to Stark's surprise, and said to take his time. Howard asked his alternate son if he was nervous when his child was born, responding that he did, in fact. As Howard followed up with further questions, Stark told his alternate father that he just raised the kid as what he learned from his father, as they shared their experiences with their childhood. Stark then went on to talk about what he learned from his father, telling him that no amount money had bought a second of time.
As they both had reconciled each other's fatherhood, Stark noticed Rogers by the base and noted that he had the Tesseract locked up in the briefcase. With his alternate father ready to leave, Stark told him that it was great meeting him before hugging, much to Howard's confusion. Stark clarified to thank for what he had done for his country and proceeded to leave the camp, finally getting to reconcile with his alternate father. With the tools to get back home, Stark and Rogers traveled back to 2023.
==== Death of Natasha Romanoff ====
: "Do we know if she had family?""Yeah. Us."
: ―Tony Stark and Steve Rogers[src]
The entire team of Avengers had now escaped from the past and had retrieve each individual Infinity Stone. Once Stark had arrived back from 1970, Hulk made a brief statement on making sure if anybody had all of the stones. Upon arriving in the present, however, Stark learned that Natasha Romanoff sacrificed herself on Vormir in 2014 so that Hawkeye could obtain the Soul Stone.
Stark, along with the rest of the Avengers, took a moment of silence once Barton had told the rest of Romanoff's death. After the team had mourned Romanoff's death, they headed on by the lake and Stark asked Rogers if Romanoff had any family, to which Rogers told him that the Avengers were the only family she had ever gotten. Despite of the team's assurance, Thor was in denial that Romanoff was fully gone, leading Stark to tell him that he just asked a question.
Stark witnessed Thor ranting about getting her back by using the Infinity Stones; however, Barton argued against him, considering that the sacrifice could not be undone. While Hulk was listening, he angrily threw a bench, and Stark listened on as Hulk claimed that they would have to not let Romanoff's sacrifice be in vain, before proceeding with their plan to use the stones to bring back the victims of the Snap.
==== Assembling the Infinity Stones ====
: "Everyone Thanos snapped away five years ago and just bringing them back to now, today. Don't change anything from the last five years.""Got it."
: ―Tony Stark and Hulk[src]
With help from Rocket Raccoon and Hulk, Stark forged the Nano Gauntlet, capable of harnessing the power of the six Infinity Stones. Once Stark precisely moved all the Infinity Stones with his holographic tech and successfully finished putting them on the Nano Gauntlet, he was completely shocked and happy to finish, before Rocket Raccoon had startled him.
After settling the gauntlet down on a table, Stark noticed that Thor volunteered to bring everyone back from the dead, only to be stopped on his tracks. While Thor had to explain to the team that he felt responsible to save the universe, Stark understood his reasoning but noted that Thor was in no critical condition. Hulk then volunteered to wield the gauntlet, noting what Thanos did with the Infinity Stones, which almost killed him and that none of them could survive.
It was decided that Hulk would be the one to wield it, and Stark specified that Hulk bring back the victims of the Snap to their present and not change anything else, fearing that his daughter would no longer exist. After Stark told F.R.I.D.A.Y. to lock down the Avengers Compound, he watched Hulk put on the Nano Gauntlet and initially struggled to wield the Infinity Stones, while the version of Nebula from 2014 modified the Quantum Tunnel to allow 2014 Thanos and his forces to arrive in 2023.
Despite the immense pain that he suffered due to his use of the stones' raw energy, Hulk was then able to snap his fingers, but fell to the ground unconscious shortly after doing so. Stark used his suit to cool down Hulk's scorched arm as Ant-Man saw several birds suddenly appear out of nowhere, while Barton received a call from his wife who had initially perished in the Snap, indicating that Hulk was successful in reversing the Snap.
Despite their victory, however, the Avengers were unable to celebrate as 2014 Thanos' ship, the Sanctuary II, had arrived in 2023 and opened fire on the Avengers seconds later, burying the Avengers Compound in rubble and leading War Machine, Hulk, Barton, and Lang to be trapped inside while Stark, Steve Rogers, and Thor stayed on top. Once Stark survived the rubble, he walked towards Rogers' unconscious body on the ground and woke him up, giving back his Shield. As Rogers questioned on the situation, Stark grimly commented that messing with something like time had a strong chance to cause backlash.
==== Thanos' Offensive ====
: "You know it's a trap, right?""Yeah. I don't much care.""Good. Just as long we're all in agreement... Let's kill him properly this time."
: ―Thor and Tony Stark[src]
After the Snap was undone, Stark, Captain America, and Thor discovered Thanos from the alternate 2014, who was fully aware of his plan's success and his fate, had arrived on Earth. Stark asked Thor what Thanos had been doing, to which he was doing nothing. As Rogers asked Stark where the Infinity Stones were, he noted that they were underneath the rubble.
Thor told the group that his arrival could be a trap, but Stark admitted he could not care less. After Thor understood their agreement, Thor summoned his armor and wielded both Stormbreaker and Mjølnir while he, Captain America and Stark confronted Thanos, who was sitting and waiting for them. As the three walked over to confront Thanos, Stark listened to his lecture about how they could not live with their failure and realized that there were those that remembered what was, who were unable to accept what could be, much to Stark's agreement as he gloated on their stubbornness to Thanos.
Thanos, having seen the files from his Nebula's memory and now believing that the universe would be ungrateful for him "correcting" it, had decided on a new plan to decimate the entire universe and start over with no one remembering the massacre. Stark watched with fury as the Mad Titan proclaimed his new goals, knowing that his universe would be born out of blood before Thanos threatened to kill him and the team. The four engaged in a fight, having Iron Man to equip his hidden blade from his hand and start blasting Thanos with his repulsors.
Iron Man then used his extra repulsors from his back and told Thor to blast his lightning from behind, in order to increase the amount of fire power. As Thor began to charge up his lighting powers, Stark was immediately blasted with huge amounts of energy that powered up his suit, aiming at Thanos for an attack. Thanos blocked Iron Man's beams with his Double-Edged Sword and, as he grew closer, broke out of the laser.
Thanos used this opportunity to grab Iron Man with both his hands only to witness Thor using Stormbreaker to hit Mjølnir, which he then used Iron Man as a human shield to knock him down and flew him across the field. After he rolled all over the ground, Iron Man was quickly hit by a near pile of rubble which had briefly put him in an unconscious state, becoming stalemated from the fight then on. The other Avengers had to fight Thanos without Stark, leading to one of them getting beaten relentlessly.
While Captain America tried to fight Thanos with all his might, Thanos eventually gained the upper hand and called out his entire army to the ground such as the Black Order, Chitauri, and the Outriders. Captain America stood up against Thanos' giant army alone until Doctor Strange arrived with the reinforcements to battle Thanos' army. Stark then woke up from his concussion and witnessed his allies coming back from the dead, including Pepper Potts in her Iron Suit.
==== Battle of Earth ====
: "You said one out of fourteen million, we win, yeah? Tell me this is it.""If I tell you what happens, it won't happen.""You better be right."
: ―Tony Stark and Doctor Strange[src]
With the rest of the Avengers in place with all of their allies and other worlds had gathered around to battle Thanos' army, Iron Man dropped down to line up with them as they all began to prepare for battle. Stark landed closely with his teammates and noticed Captain America holding Mjølnir, assembling the team to fight for their planet.
The entire team and other forces began to charge with fury attentions, running towards Thanos' forces as he sent his Black Order, Chitauri army, Sakaaran army, and the Outriders to kill them all. Iron Man flew across the battlefield with his allies and began to use his unibeam to attack any nearby threats. Iron Man then teamed up with Pepper Potts, who was donning her own Iron Armor, and fought alongside each other in aerial combat.
While attacking the many Outriders that were trying to kill him from above, Iron Man landed on the ground and blasted many incoming Outriders with his laser beams. While successfully winning his fight, Iron Man was then attacked by Cull Obsidian, landing onto a piece of rubble after getting knocked down. Iron Man tried to kill Obsidian with his repulsors but was proven to be ineffective. Iron Man was then saved by Spider-Man, who pulled Obsidian down onto the ground with usage of his Web-Shooters, allowing Ant-Man to crush Obsidian to death.
Stark removed his own helmet to catch his breath after being almost killed, only for Parker to give him a hand while he was on the ground. Parker told Stark about himself being in space and was turned into dust moments when he passed out. Parker further noted that Doctor Strange was there with him on Titan and began to wake him up to tell the rest that they would need him. Stark, who happily grew closer to Parker after listening to him again, silently told the boy to hold him and hugged him afterwards during the battle that was going on.
Stark flew over to Doctor Strange, who was bringing down a group of Thanos' forces into another dimension during the battlefield, and asked him whether this was the one the fourteen million futures that they would win. Strange told him that if Stark knew what needed to happen, it would not happen. Much to his skepticism, Stark decided to keep being optimistic and told Strange that he hoped that he was right about the outcome. Shortly after Thanos' airstrike on the battlefield, Captain Marvel destroyed the Sanctuary II, much to Stark's surprise.
Upon Captain Marvel retrieving the Nano Gauntlet from Spider-Man, she lost the item in an explosion, which landed on the ground. After discovering the Nano Gauntlet in front of him, Stark prevented Thanos from getting the Gauntlet by tackling him, only to be knocked down and stalemated once again. While Stark rested for a while, he was knocked out. Thor, Captain America, and Captain Marvel tried to kill Thanos, only to fail due to his fighting powers.
After recovering from his knockout, Stark turned to Strange, who, visibly shocked, signaled to him that this was the one timeline he foresaw where they won. Finally realizing why Strange sacrificed the Time Stone five years ago to save his life and what had to be done, Stark briefly grabbed Thanos' arm, clinging onto the Nano Gauntlet, but was knocked to one side. Thanos triumphantly declared himself inevitable, before snapping his fingers once more.
==== Self-Sacrifice ====
: "I am... inevitable.""And I... am... Iron Man."
: ―Thanos and Iron Man[src]
Despite seemingly having won over the fight for the Nano Gauntlet, nothing happened when Thanos snapped his fingers. Once Thanos looked over to Stark, he revealed to Thanos that he had transferred all six Infinity Stones to his Iron Man Armor, much to Thanos' horror of this discovery.
Stark bonded all six Infinity Stones onto the knuckles of his hand and felt the energy surging onto his body. Once he had all of the Stones at his disposal, Stark looked over to Thanos again and replied to him by declaring that he was Iron Man before taking a long, deep breath. Stark snapped his fingers at Thanos. As he watched, all of his surrounding troops and armies turned into dust and, accepting his inevitable defeat, sat down and crumbled into ash.
Since he was merely a mortal man wielding the powers of the universe, the devastating force of the snap charred the right side of Stark's face and body. Stark collapsed among the debris of the Avengers Compound. The physical toll from the Gamma Radiation and the raw energy from the Infinity Stones were too much for him to endure. War Machine met up with Stark and discovered that he was seriously injured from the Stones moments before Spider-Man arrived.
Parker tried to speak to Stark while he was slowly resting and began to feel pain. After being told that they won the battle, Parker was taken away by Rhodes, leaving Pepper Potts to try to speak to him. Stark softly uttered a greeting to Potts as his last words, having her ask F.R.I.D.A.Y. to check his vitals. Potts told Stark that he could rest now, as he began to smile at her before he died. Holding Potts' hand, Stark looked over to his right, leaving his Arc Reactor to lose its power.
Once the Iron Man Armor was deactivated, Stark died in peace with his sacrifice, surrounded by Potts, War Machine, and Spider-Man, with Thor and Captain America looking onward, all devastated and honored by Stark's selfless act to save the universe. The Avengers, Guardians of the Galaxy, and Captain Marvel all took a knee to honor the legacy of Stark and his righteous sacrifice.
=== Legacy ===
==== Funeral and Tributes ====
: "This time travel thing that we're gonna try and pull off tomorrow, it's... it's got me scratching my head about the survivability of it all. But then again, that's the hero gig, right? Part of the journey is the end. What am I even tripping for? Everything is going to work out exactly the way it's supposed to. I love you 3000."
: ―Tony Stark to Morgan Stark[src]
Stark's sacrifice saved Earth, therefore ensuring the continued survival of all living creatures in the known universe. However, his death profoundly impacted his friends and family. Many of Stark's closest friends were most clearly affected, having witnessed Stark's death firsthand, as they had most defining relationships with him. A week after his death, Stark's message to his wife and daughter, which he recorded prior to executing the Time Heist in the event of his death, was shown to them in the presence of Happy Hogan, James Rhodes, Steve Rogers, Bruce Banner, Thor and Clint Barton, all of whom Stark considered close family.
Stark's funeral was held at the Stark Eco-Compound where he was mourned by his family, the Avengers, Guardians of the Galaxy, Doctor Strange and Wong, the van Dyne family, T'Challa and his sister and general, Nick Fury, Maria Hill, Thaddeus Ross, May Parker, Barton's family, and Harley Keener. Stark's original Arc Reactor, the one gifted to Potts as "proof Tony Stark has a heart," was placed on a wreath, which was set adrift on the lake.
After the funeral, Hogan asked Morgan if she was hungry, to which she answered she wanted a cheeseburger. Remembering Stark's first request upon his return to the United States of America from Afghanistan, Hogan promised to take care of Morgan in her father's absence by giving her all the cheeseburgers she wanted.
==== Worldwide Impact ====
: "Everywhere I go, I see his face. And the whole world is asking who is gonna be the next Iron Man, and... I don't know if that's me, Happy. I'm not Iron Man.""You're not Iron Man. You're never going to be Iron Man. Nobody can live up to Tony. Not even Tony. Tony was my best friend. And he was a mess. He second-guessed everything he did, he was all over the place. The one thing he did that he didn't second-guess was picking you. I don't think Tony would've done what he did... if he didn't know that you were going to be here after he was gone."
: ―Peter Parker and Happy Hogan[src]
The worldwide impact and outpouring of grief over Tony Stark's death was massive. Across the world, Stark's memory and legacy that he left behind as an Avenger was memorialized, notably in various forms of artwork, media, and merchandising. Murals commemorating Stark were found in cities such as New York, Venice and Prague. One such tribute was Heart of Iron: The Tony Stark Story, a biographical film about Stark and his legacy made shortly after his death. Another tribute was established at the New Jersey AvengerCon, where Stark and Romanoff were given a memorial in recognition of their sacrifice. A girl named Riri Williams adopted the name "Ironheart" after creating an armor of her own based on Stark's work.
In particular, the void that Stark left as the world's most renowned superhero led to speculation as to who would succeed him, which Quentin Beck had sought to exploit. Peter Parker, Stark's protégé, did his best to live up to his mentor's reputation, although Happy Hogan stated that no one, not even Stark himself, could live up to his name. Stark's necessary arrangements to anoint Spider-Man as part of his legacy were accomplished a year after his death when his glasses, outfitted with the E.D.I.T.H.—which stood for "Even Dead I'm the Hero"—A.I., allowed Parker complete control of Stark Industries weapons, drones, inventions, and the ability to hack any electronic device. Nick Fury, who had decided to take a vacation, instructed Talos to impersonate him and deliver the glasses to Parker.
After Parker's identity as Spider-Man was revealed to the world by Beck as revenge, one of the articles to be released during this time mocked the idea he could live up to Stark, dubbing him "Iron Man Jr". Although Matt Murdock was able to get the legal charges against the teenager dropped, Parker's reputation was ruined, with the public split into pro-Spider-Man and anti-Spider-Man groups. Murdock also noticed that Hogan was eager to defend Stark's legacy but warned him that he would need a lawyer amid an investigation into missing Stark technology. After May Parker's death and the end of the Spider-Man Multiversal Crisis, with knowledge of Parker wiped from the world to end the crisis, Parker met Hogan by May's grave, where Hogan reflected on how he had lost both Stark and now May. Inspired by his conversation with Hogan and other experiences, Parker continued his life as Spider-Man.
== Personality ==
: "You stood by my side all these years while I reaped the benefits of destruction. And now that I'm trying to protect the people that I've put in harm's way, you're going to walk out?""You're gonna kill yourself, Tony. I'm not gonna 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[src]
Many people in the media thought that Tony Stark was only just an egocentric playboy. As an adult, he was renowned for being casually arrogant, apathetic, callous, and a hedonist who enjoyed the finer things in life, namely drinking, gambling, partying and flirting. 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 Stark's heart lay loneliness, as Ho Yinsen aptly described him as: "A man that has everything, but has nothing." Even following his reformation and birth as Iron Man, this stigma surrounding Stark persisted as many were quick to point fingers at him believing his arrogance and callous attitudes were the cause of many problems even if he would have only a tenuous connection to the issue at hand.
Before his kidnapping, Stark was a self-centered, arrogant person, caring for few people outside his closest friends. Even during this period of his life, he had a moral code believing the weapons he developed were being used exclusively by the United States and its allies for peaceful purposes, being appalled to discover that they were being sold on the black market. He also funded large humanitarian inventions and programs via his arms dealings, something he felt justified manufacturing weapons.
During the following years, however, Stark matured, gradually becoming more of a team player and less arrogant and cynical. He even began opening up and having a real relationship with Pepper Potts. Stark's exploits as Iron Man have led him to reevaluate his life, thus he 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. Despite this attitude, Stark is an exceptionally brave and selfless individual as shown when he single-handedly faced a near-omnipotent Thanos armed with nothing but a knife without hesitation, a trait that earned him the Titan's genuine respect as a hero.
His experiences while imprisoned by the Ten Rings, especially his injury and seeing his weapons being used by terrorists, hardened Stark into a brave, determined, and somewhat ruthless fighter. Seeing firsthand how innocent people were being harmed by his weapons and business while he remained ignorant greatly enraged him, resulting in him being uncaring in killing his foes, though he avoided doing so when he could. He was also willing to kill to protect his allies and friends, boldly saying he would kill Drax if Star-Lord killed Spider-Man. Despite this, he was not merciless, as he offered several of Aldrich Killian's men a chance to stand down, allowing the sole survivor to leave peacefully upon doing so. Even when confronted by Captain America's betrayal, he offered the man several chances to step aside.
Even after starting a new life as a superhero, Stark kept his sense of humor and his penchant for showmanship, the latter being demonstrated in his armor's red and gold color schemes, 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.
Stark was also known for being exceptionally intelligent, innovative and resourceful, having built a miniaturized Arc Reactor from scratch in Afghanistan. His intellect 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 Captain America that he would simply "cut the wire" when given the scenario of laying on barbed wire to let others cross it. 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 Stark 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, as he was quick to shift over to weapons more suited to the situation or having F.R.I.D.A.Y. scan Captain America's fighting style for openings to predict and exploit. He further displayed his combative pragmatism during the Battle of Titan by first restraining the Infinity Gauntlet before unleashing an unrelenting barrage on Thanos.
Stark could also be a reliable friend, and occasionally showed affection toward his teammates. Hence, Stark 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 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 Parker, whom Stark considers attractive, Tony was in fact the only Avenger who believed in Parker and sought out his aid. When Tony was caught up by the terrifying vision of Scarlet Witch, he was possessed and haunted with great fear of losing all his fellow Avengers while he could have done something to save them, and having to live on after they had all been murdered, which was the primary motivator of him starting the Ultron Program. During the Avengers Civil War, however, Tony became distant and hardened towards his former teammates, especially Captain America, for their unwillingness to negotiate or hear the other side's arguments, though he still cared for them. When they fought in Siberia, Tony tried to avoid hurting Rogers, who aggressively protected Bucky Barnes, destroying Tony's arc reactor to do so. Both Stark and Rogers never fully lost their trust in each other, though when they reunited, Stark mercilessly held the rogue Avengers responsible for the schism that had divided the team and left Earth unprepared for Thanos, noting that they had ignored his warnings and obstructed his desire to prepare. Five years later, however, Stark abandoned this attitude, noting that resentment was "corrosive" and not a feeling he enjoyed.
After the Battle of New York, Stark 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 Stark to build the first Iron Legion, and then the Ultron AI, so that the only threats against Earth were from Earth itself. His fear gave him something of a perfectionist personality and caused him to so intently focus on issues and problems that he unconsciously ignored other matters around him which led to a strain in his relationship with Pepper Potts and his somewhat negative reputation in the Avengers.
Compared to his fellow Avengers, however, Tony was very forward-thinking, always seeing a "big picture," willing to take risks, compromise his morals and dabble in shades of gray to achieve results. As seen with the Sokovia Accords, Stark was willing to endure hardships in the present to build a better future. He was also confident of his ability to negotiate, a belief supported by him negotiating a deal that would have made the Capture of Winter Soldier legal, though he knew that this talent had its limits, expressing regret that he could do nothing to free the rogue Avengers from the Raft. This more nuanced behavior often put him at odds with his fellow Avengers, especially Captain America, who were content with the status quo. Combined with his unpredictability, some people such as Scarlet Witch thought he was destructive, with her believing that Ultron's inability to distinguish between saving the world and destroying it comes from Tony.
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 behavior extended to both allies and foes.
Stark was much closer to his mother, Maria Stark, than to his father Howard with whom he had mixed feelings for, as he thought he was "cold and distant," which Nick Fury, however, claimed to be false. He still cared for him a great deal as he wished he could've said goodbye. While he was researching a new element for his Arc Reactor, Tony came across a message left by Howard, telling his son that his “greatest creation” was him.
Though having learned more of Howard's flaws and shortcomings, Stark still retained lingering issues with his father using his parenting as an excuse for being such a strict mentor to Spider-Man. He was aware of this flaw, however, and consciously attempted to grow out of it. During the Time Heist, after talking with his alternate father Howard and realizing how difficult it was for Howard to raise him due to having an abusive father as well and having had experiences as a father, Tony finally came to reconcile with Howard and even shed his façade temporarily by hugging his father and saying that he loved him.
Following the Avengers Civil War, Stark adapted into a new role: that of a mentor to the inexperienced superhero, Spider-Man. He connected with Parker due to the similarities between that of him and Stark, such as their love of science, technology, and heroic deeds, yet Stark was not blind to Spider-Man sharing some of his flaws and does his best to stop him from making the same mistakes Iron Man himself has made in the past. Like most mentors, Stark encourages Parker to be more forward-thinking and imaginative with his abilities while also being conscious of Peter's limitations and wanting to keep him out of fights he felt were too dangerous. Though he could come off as somewhat aloof and detached in his dealings with Spider-Man, this was all done with the intent of making Parker a better superhero than Tony ever was, and after the defeat of Vulture, Stark believed he had succeeded even going so far as to offer the young hero a spot in the Avengers. Some months later, their relationship had strengthened to the point that Stark was openly saddened by Parker's death upon Thanos' completion of the Infinity Gauntlet.
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 and after the Avengers Civil War whereupon the armors became incredibly streamlined and were designed to emulate a second skin. However, he does claim after the Clean Slate Protocol, that despite being without his suits he is still Iron Man.
In spite of his love of the spotlight, the idea of a normal life intrigued Tony greatly as he made attempts to extradite himself from the Iron Man persona and indeed, prior to his involvement in the Infinity War, pondered the possibility of he and Pepper having children together. After the disastrous outcome of the Infinity War, Tony indeed decided to retire and marry Pepper, having a daughter called Morgan Stark. His familial life allowed Tony to find a sense of peace and contentment as a husband and father and this was the primary reason of his refusal to return to being a superhero when presented with a potential chance to undo it all but in the end his guilt over Parker's death allowed him to overcome this and he showed the same amount of selflessness as he had before, willingly sacrificing himself to kill Thanos and his whole army. Despite the agonizing pain he was subjected to as he died, he had accepted his fate, refusing aid and instead finding comfort in the presence of his friends and loved ones, dying with no regrets.
== Powers and Abilities ==
=== Powers ===
: "This is only a first, crude effort. Stark has perfected his design. He has made a masterpiece of death. A man with a dozen of these can rule all of Asia."
: ―Raza Hamidmi al-Wazar to Obadiah Stane[src]
* Iron Man Armor Capabilities: Tony Stark did not possess any innate powers; instead, he used a miniature version of the Arc Reactor to charge the various suits that provided him with superhuman strength, endurance, durability, and a variety of weapons. His original advanced technology combined with his extraordinary intelligence and adaptive combat skills made Tony Stark one of the most formidable superheroes in the world. With the exception of the Mark I Iron Man armor, almost all of the Iron Man suits shared a common design and capability set. The suit was a powered exoskeleton with armored plating, capable of enhancing the wearer's strength, speed, agility, and endurance. The suit was 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 Armor: Mark I, while in captivity in Afghanistan was crudely designed and bulky, but still had the necessary capacity to help him escape his captors. Due to its rudimentary design, and Stark's lack of more sophisticated resources, the Mark I did not have an onboard AI system or augmented-reality (AR) displays like the later armors. The helmet served only as a simple faceplate and was not fully sealed. The later model armors' helmet featured a retractable visor that projected a holographic AR displays to the wearer. The Mark II was built from basic titanium alloys, giving it a silver look. From the Mark III onward, Stark used a gold-titanium alloy to provide the necessary power-to-weight ratio coupled with the ability to resist icing at high altitudes. Until the development of Mark V, Stark focused on refining basic systems shared by all later models, ignoring the ease of putting on and taking off armors, resulting in Mark II, III, and IV all having lengthy and uncomfortable suit-up and suit-off periods. Stark designed and constructed a ring specifically for easily donning and taking off his Mark VI armor until he can finally solve the issue without compromising on functionality. It wasn't until the Mark VII that the issue was finally resolved, through enabling armors to move in one whole set on its own without the user in it, and open up to fit the user inside when needed, allowing Stark to don his armor within seconds for the first time. This culminated in the Mark L, which used nanotechnology to seamlessly materialize the armor over Stark. He frequently improved the technology put into his armors, giving them upgrades for battles and to perfect the onboard systems. He had created a collection of suits for him to choose from; some are mission-specific or prototypes for testing out various capabilities, others are older models kept for nostalgia or for research. The Iron Man Armor is arguably one of the most powerful man-portable weapons on the planet.
** Superhuman Strength: When inside the armor, Tony's physical strength was amplified, allowing him to lift great amounts of weight. With his first suit, he could lift 900 pounds. Even while wearing early models, Stark could send fully grown men flying with his strikes, break down metal doors and punch through stone and concrete. Most armors were strong enough to lift and bench press tanks, S.H.I.E.L.D. Lifeboats or cars. Iron Man was also able to fight Ultron's second robotic body, and when his strength was temporarily boosted by Mjølnir's lightning, it increased his suit's power to over four hundred percent capacity. Iron Man was able to hold his own against the mighty Asgardian Thor himself. When in his Hulkbuster armor, he was able to go toe-to-toe with Hulk. A unique feat of strength was when Iron Man pushed and jump-started one of the rotors of the S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier while in the Mark VI. With the Mark XLVI, he and War Machine were able to knock down Giant-Man.
** Superhuman Durability: The armor was made up of a strong lightweight Titanium Alloy, with interlocked plates for the shell, and a chest plate protecting the Arc Reactor. It was able to withstand tremendous amounts of punishment. The armor could withstand tank shells exploded in close proximity to Stark, and a resulting fall from several thousand feet up, followed by hits by twenty millimeter Vulcan shells and a high-speed collision with an 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 protected the wearer from the effects of extreme g-force. It even allowed 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 was also able to withstand a full-on assault from the Chitauri forces' energy weapons. The Mark XLII 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, Stark was not in the armor and was instead remote-controlling it.
** Superhuman Speed: Iron Man's armor has allowed him to reach immense speeds. Even from his third armor, which can fly at 1,500 miles per hour, he was able to keep up with an F-22 Raptor. While he improved his armor, his speed improved. He could move so fast that the wind that his suit generated was powerful enough to move a parked car. When his mansion was destroyed, his armor was able to fly from Malibu to Rose Hill, Tennessee in less than 24 hours, while he was unconscious. Separate parts of his armor were also able to fly themselves from Rose Hill to Aldrich Killian's Mansion in Miami in minutes. In addition, the Iron Legion flew from Malibu to Florida in minutes as well. By the Attack on Greenwich Village, Stark had upgraded his armor by so much that he was able to conjure himself even more powerful thrusters to catch up to the Q-Ship that was already reaching orbit. While it was never seen, Stark's top speed was greater Mach 5 with the Mark XIX and the Mark XL, and the Mark VI's enhanced jet boots could theoretically reach Mach 8.
** Superhuman Agility: Iron Man could use his increased agility very well in battle. He was able to spin around many Chitauri Chariots while shooting at them. He also accurately shot many Ultron Sentries while flying and dodging them. With his advanced combat mode in his armor, he was able to fight Captain America as well.
** Superhuman Stamina: Iron Man could fight in battle for more time that any of the Avengers, showing no signs of fatigue during the Battle of New York while the super soldier, Captain America had to take a short break.
** Superhuman Reflexes: While not on par with that of someone with genuine superhuman speed and reflexes like Spider-Man, Iron Man's armors nonetheless had motors for movement, and they were 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 allowed the user to easily maneuver themselves and change directions with great ease during flight.
** Flight: One of the armor's most important features was its propulsion system and subsequent ability of flight. The armor could reach speeds as high as Mach 3 in moments. It also had variable control surfaces for active flight control by J.A.R.V.I.S. to automatically stabilize the armor in flight. The armor was able to fly at speeds more than fifteen hundred miles per hour. However, the armor showed it could 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 enabled 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 didn't have to use his hands to keep himself stabilized all the time.
** Power Suit: The armor had remote assistance from J.A.R.V.I.S. or F.R.I.D.A.Y., who managed the armor's systems at Stark's command, and the armor also had 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 scanner systems were capable of scanning the environment, weather conditions, and equipment for information. The armor was 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. This allows him to charge his suit up higher than capacity and deliver a stronger counterattack. The armor could be completely sealed for operations in vacuum or underwater, providing its own life support. It was also shielded against radiation. The Heads Up Display of the Iron Man suit was powered by F.R.I.D.A.Y., Stark's artificial intelligence. The Suit also had Defensive and Offensive sections, able to switch around the sections, resorting to missiles and lasers. The HUD could scan people, missile identifications, make calls, use a GPS, and give crucial suit credentials such as power. Thanks to the new repulsor flight system, as well as the magnetic implants embedded in Tony's forearms, individual pieces of later armors could self-assemble themselves onto Tony or others. Iron Man could summon small circular thrusters that could open up and attach to a surface to aid Iron Man in difficult situations. Tony could launch two disc-like projectiles consecutively with retractable metal fibers that could form a powered clamp to bind enemies. It was powerful enough to bind the legs of Captain America. The Mark XLVI armor had the ability to analyze people's specific fighting patterns, and in turn, find a counter to said fighting style which he used on Captain America. Stark's first Iron Man suit had flamethrowers mounted on each arm which he used during his escape from the Ten Rings base, but they didn't make it to future armors. Thanks to micro-repeaters injected into his left forearm, Stark could 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. There were particle weapons in the palm gauntlets that fired beams or blasts of concussive and explosive force, allowing them to repel physical and energy-based attacks. Early repulsors needed time to recharge after use, but, because of the new Arc Reactor, later repulsors were able to fire at a moment's notice and with far more controllable degrees of intensity. By the sixth armor, the repulsors could become small laser-like welding beams, which Stark used to install an Arc Reactor for Stark Tower. Later, repulsors became capable of launching targets off their feet without killing them, meaning they could function with intensity low enough to incapacitate and render targets unconscious. By the time of the Mark L and Mark LXXXV, the repulsors could generate energy that could rapidly repel large and heavy targets with ease. A more powerful version of the hand repulsor located in the chest called a Unibeam, which was powerful enough to disintegrate the Winter Soldier's prosthetic arm. Small anti-personnel guns in the shoulders that could target individual targets at once and fire at a moment's notice. The earliest incarnations of the armor held a multi-fire adhesive grenade launcher in the upper arm. Among the most proficient of the armor's weapon system was the missiles which he first used against a tank sent by the Ten Rings. In later models, the armor had mini-rockets hidden in a secret compartment in the boosters on the back, that blew up numerous Chitauri ships. From the Mark XLIII onward, the missiles used by the armor can explode on impact rather than first attaching to the target, with the launchers for the missiles usually being located on either the arm or shoulder. In response to the Mark XLVI's aiming system being damaged during the Battle at the HYDRA Siberian Facility, Stark added auto-targeting missiles to his nanotech suits, which he used during the Battle of Titan. Stark had a powerful weapon in the gauntlet wrists that could cut through any common metal, but was originally a one-time use. He used this during the Battle at Stark Expo, the Attack on the Helicarrier, the Battle of New York, the Battle at the HYDRA Siberian Facility, and the Ambush at the Staten Island Ferry. Stark could protrude a hidden blade from the arm of the Silver Centurion armor, which he used to cut off Aldrich Killian's hand. At the beginning of the Clash of the Avengers, Iron Man launched a device that emitted an electromagnetic pulse on a helicopter that prevented Captain America and Winter Soldier from escaping with it. When he upgraded to nano-technology, Iron Man was able to create many weapons including bigger repulsors, a dagger, a shield, and he could even summon the armor around his body after he incorporated it into his arc reactor. His nanotech suits have no gaps in the armor like the Mark XLVI, through which Ant-Man was able to infiltrate. Stark upgraded to an energy shield with the Mark LXXXV after Thanos destroyed his nanotech shield on Titan.
=== Former Powers ===
* Nigh-Omnipotence: During the Battle of Earth, Stark managed to steal the Infinity Stones from the Nano Gauntlet worn by Thanos using the nanotechnology in his armor and use said nanotechnology to create an Infinity Gauntlet of his own to allow him to harness the Stones, thus granting him nearly unlimited levels of power and allowing him to do almost anything he desired with a simple snap of his fingers, as he used the power of all six Stones to wipe Thanos' armies and even Thanos himself out of existence, but this came at the cost of his life as his body could not bear the extreme amounts of energy unleashed by using all six Stones at once.
** Death Inducement: After switching out the Infinity Stones from the Nano Gauntlet worn by Thanos into his own armor, Stark shaped an Infinity Gauntlet out of nanotechnology in the armor to safely handle the Infinity Stones. With one snap of his fingers, Stark collectively used the Infinity Stones to decimate all of Thanos' forces and even forcing Thanos to disintegrate into ashes, ending the Mad Titan's existence. However, due to Stark's human physiology, his body could not bear such a taxing use of the Infinity Stones, even with his armor, so the process also ended up fatally wounding Stark.
=== Abilities ===
: "Yeah. Big man in a suit of armor. Take that off, what are you?""Genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist."
: ―Steve Rogers and Tony Stark[src]
* Genius-Level Intellect: Stark was one of the smartest humans in the world, surpassing even his late father, Howard Stark, while rivaled only by fellow geniuses like Bruce Banner, Stephen Strange, Hank Pym, Leo Fitz, Jemma Simmons, Helen Cho, with Thanos, who easily deluded Iron Man into believing Loki was unaided in his invasion while in actuality he had much of his resources from Thanos, and Shuri, the smartest person in the world, being the only ones to outclass him. As a result, Stark was known by the nickname "The Da Vinci of Our Time", and despite initially being deemed unfit for the Avengers Initiative, Nick Fury and Black Widow still respected Stark's genius enough for him to be recruited as a consultant for S.H.I.E.L.D. Stark's genius extended to his prolific mechanical engineering, electronic and electrical engineering, scientific, computer, business, strategic, piloting and linguistic skills. Throughout his life, Stark accomplished numerous intellectual feats, such as constructing scores of highly advanced technological exoskeletal armors, figuring out a method for synthesizing a new element, discovering a means of allowing Time Travel through the Quantum Realm, and outsmarting the past rendition of the Mad Titan Thanos in battle.
: "Tony Stark was able to build this in a cave! With a box of scraps!""Well, I'm sorry. I'm not Tony Stark."
: ―Obadiah Stane and William Ginter Riva[src]
* Master Engineer: Stark was an extremely talented and prolific engineer and robotics technician, having been able to make many complicated inventions at a young age, building his first circuit board at age four, his first engine at age six and Dum-E and U, his personal lab assistants, during his childhood. He then went on to construct numerous innovative Stark Industries weapons for the US military as an adult, most notably the Jericho, as well as leading Stark Industries to become the largest tech conglomerate in the world. Even in a cave with very few resources, Stark and Ho Yinsen were able to make the Iron Man Mark I armor and the first miniature Arc Reactor. Indeed, Obadiah Stane's group of well-equipped scientists failed to replicate the miniaturized Arc Reactor, while multiple world governments similarly failed to replicate Stark's Iron Man armors with the Feebles. He was also able to later program his Iron Man armors to fly to his body and the bodies of others, eventually able to remotely control his armors from vast distances away, via telepresence headset. Stark was equally brilliant in software and holographic engineering, with his custom-built mansion being highly technology-integrated and wired to be run through his personal A.I. assistant, J.A.R.V.I.S., whom Stark created from scratch. Stark would later go on to create the back-up A.I. systems F.R.I.D.A.Y., J.O.C.A.S.T.A., T.A.D.A.S.H.I., and Karen, in addition to installing the Training Wheels Protocol into the Spider-Man Suit, as well as re-assembling and restoring the memory of J.A.R.V.I.S. after finding the AI's remnants in the NEXUS world Internet hub. Moreover, Stark was able to help Nick Fury improve turbines on S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarriers, as well as help Bruce Banner construct the Hulkbuster (capable of overpowering and knocking Hulk unconscious, despite the latter's great strength and durability), create the Ultron AI, and download J.A.R.V.I.S. into Vision android. Stark also equipped several of his fellow Avengers with upgraded weaponry, notably the electroshock batons of Black Widow, and a new uniform with electromagnetic panels for Captain America, to help the latter more easily retrieve his vibranium shield. Stark similarly equipped Spider-Man, upgrading his Web-Shooters, creating a new Spider-Man Suit, capable of focusing Peter's superhuman senses, in addition to also eventually creating the Iron Spider Armor for Parker. Even with limited resources and simple hardware store supplies, Stark was able to use them to build a home-made arsenal, with which he infiltrated the Mandarin's mansion. Indeed, Stark was even able to give a lecture on integrated circuits while drunk to the point that most other men, according to Ho Yinsen, wouldn't have been able to stand. Stark was even capable of creating a nano-tech version of the Infinity Gauntlet that while not quite equal in terms of durability to the original, was still sufficient to have allowed Hulk to undo the Snap.
: "When did you become an expert in thermonuclear astrophysics?""Last night."
: ―Maria Hill and Tony Stark[src]
* Master Scientist: A exceptional scientific prodigy, Tony Stark was ingeniously resourceful, knowledgeable, and brilliant in many different fields of science, particularly physics, but also computer science, chemistry, and neuroscience, having graduated summa cum laude from MIT at age seventeen. Hence, he was 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 Howard Stark, to understand Erik Selvig's thermonuclear astrophysics notes on the Tesseract overnight, impressing S.H.I.E.L.D. deputy director, Maria Hill, and to modify Maya Hansen's Extremis formula. Stark, however, notably admitted to Bruce Banner surpassing him in the fields of radiophysics, particle collisions, and bio-organics, although at the same time, Bruce openly acknowledged Stark surpassed him in the field of physics, as in 2023, Stark proved capable of figuring out and creating the blueprints of a time-travel machine, something Bruce failed miserably at and a feat that genuinely surprised him.
: "At age of 21, the prodigal son returns and is anointed the new CEO of Stark Industries."
: ―Award Ceremony[src]
* Master Businessman: At the age of twenty-one, Stark took over Stark Industries due to his parents' death, thereby becoming the youngest CEO of a Fortune 500 Company in history. Since then, Stark helped the company grow, and gain more business partners, with Stark Industries eventually becoming the largest tech conglomerate in the world under his leadership. Stark was therefore extremely well-respected in the business world, able to command people's attention when he spoke on economic matters by virtue of the fact that he was savvy enough to have, over the years, built up Stark Industries into the premier weapons supplier to the US military for years. He was known for having his employees' loyalty, as well as his impeccable business ethics. However, upon his return, he strived to be environmentally responsible in his businesses such as turning away from making weapons. Nick Fury also notably recruited Stark as a business consultant for S.H.I.E.L.D., which continued until the fall of the agency in the HYDRA Uprising. Moreover, Stark and the US government would later go on to joint purchase the United States Department of Damage Control, which Stark spearheaded so effectively in all post-battle cleanup, that Toomes Salvage Company promptly went out of business.
: "I cracked the Pentagon's firewall in high school on a dare."
: ―Tony Stark[src]
* Master Hacker: Stark was an extremely skilled hacker, as he had managed to crack the Pentagon's firewall on a dare, while still in high school. As an adult, Stark successfully used J.A.R.V.I.S. to hack into the S.H.I.E.L.D. database and learn of Phase 2, and, after successfully hacking into the NEXUS world Internet hub, Stark was able to discover J.A.R.V.I.S.' scattered remnants from all across the Internet.
: "Stark, we need a plan of attack!""I have a plan. Attack."
: ―Captain America and Iron Man[src]
* Expert Tactician: Stark, while a somewhat brash tactician, every so often made many split-second tactical decisions that either saved people's lives or overpowered his adversaries, though he usually had J.A.R.V.I.S.', and later F.R.I.D.A.Y.'s assistance in this. Notable instances of this include when Stark swiftly saved Gulmira from the Ten Rings, when he defeated Iron Monger with Pepper Potts' covert help, when he had War Machine use their combined repulsor blasts to defeat Whiplash, when he personally relocated a nuclear weapon sent by the World Security Council into outer space destroying the Chitauri Command Center effectively ending their invasion, when he managed to save all falling passengers of Air Force One, when he and War Machine saved Matthew Ellis and destroyed the Extremis Soldiers with the Iron Legion, when he used F.R.I.D.A.Y.'s combat analysis to gain the upper hand against Captain America, and also when he promptly saved and fused back together a sinking NYC ferry. In addition, when Spider-Man was uncertain what to do in the Avengers Civil War, Stark promptly reminded him of their discussed plan for him. Stark also used his mechanical ingenuity to rectify his mistakes of the past to prepare for the future by upgrading his armors, such as installing a parachute in Spider-Man's suit, a heater after crashing near Rose Hill as well as a GPS tracker after he was kidnapped by the Ten Rings, and developing a nanotechnology suit to avoid covert intrusion (after his suit was invaded by Ant-Man during the Clash of the Avengers), which contained larger cannons (after his Hulkbuster Repulsors were ineffective against Hulk during the Duel of Johannesburg), foot thrusters with greater speed, automatic aim-missiles, flight stabilizers (after his suit was rendered unstable for flight due to receiving a beatdown from the combined efforts of Captain America and Winter Soldier), and tools to assist in combat, such as battering rams, shields, and blades. Nonetheless, Stark's tactics were usually brash and lacked subtlety, as he mentioned to Captain America upon their first meeting that his plan of attack concerning Thor was simply to attack. However, Stark did learn from his mistakes, as he opted to take the Infinity Stones from the Nano Gauntlet rather than taking the gauntlet itself from Thanos, a course of action that had previously failed, and then decimating the Mad Titan's forces, ultimately outsmarting him in the end.
: "What the hell was that?""It's called mixed martial arts."
: ―Happy Hogan and Tony Stark[src]
* Expert Combatant: Stark was trained in unarmed combat by Phil Coulson and Happy Hogan, and became quite formidable on his own without the Iron Man armor when the situation demanded it. Hence, he was able to hold his own against War Machine, a Lieutenant Colonel Air Force Combat Pilot, during their armored brawl, despite himself being drunk at the time, and ultimately losing the fight. He was also able to battle Thor almost to a standstill for a time while using the Mark VI armor, though only because Mjølnir enhanced the armor to over 400% capacity and Thor was holding back. Stark further refined his hand-to-hand combat skills and became highly skilled in martial arts, being able to take down the guards at Aldrich Killian's Mansion with ease using a homemade arsenal, and defeat the Extremis Soldiers as well as hold his own reasonably well against Aldrich Killian on the Norco. He was also able to outfight and ultimately subdue the Scarlet Witch-controlled Hulk while wearing the Hulkbuster during their fierce duel and easily take out several Ultron Sentries in close combat. Although still outclassed by master level combatants; such as the Winter Soldier and Captain America, Stark proved capable of standing up to them by combining his fighting skills with his ingenuity, as he blinded Barnes before going up against him in hand-to-hand combat and managed to counter and disarm him of his gun and land a single punch but was quickly overpowered and knocked out due to being unarmored and while Stark was wearing his Mark XLVI armor, he was able to repeatedly overtake Winter Soldier and restrain him by using repulsors to enhance his speed and pin him down before he could react, although he got beaten in their last altercation and was able to briefly pummel Captain America using the same method and though ultimately pummeled by Rogers, upon using F.R.I.D.A.Y.'s combat analysis and his armor's repulsors combined, he was able to overwhelm Captain America briefly before inevitably being defeated. He was even capable of briefly standing up to Thanos, as he was able to block some of Thanos' attacks and land remarkable blows and get a grip on the Titan using the weapons and repulsors available to his nano-tech armor, but was ultimately severely outclassed, as he was near entirely unable to defend himself against Thanos' far superior fighting experience in a straight fist-fight and even armed with a sword, he was easily disarmed and stabbed.
* Marksman: Although he usually used his armor, Stark proved to be a quite skilled marksman, as he easily wielded handguns to escape from A.I.M. operatives while not having access to his armor. When his armor's targeting systems were inconveniently compromised by Captain America, with solely his naked eye, Stark was able to precisely shoot at the hatch's pivot of the HYDRA Siberian Facility, successfully preventing Winter Soldier from escaping outside.
* Expert Pilot: Stark demonstrated a strong understanding of aerodynamics and aircrafts, allowing him to perform complex maneuvers while flying in the Iron Man armor while being chased by F-22 Raptors. His aptitude also extended to ground-based vehicles, allowing him to efficiently drive in high-speed racing competitions such as the Monaco GP. He also was able to fly the Avengers Quinjet that he designed.
: "Non, non. S'il vous plaît. Tout ira bien."
: ―Tony Stark[src]
* Multilingualism: Stark was fluent in his native English, as well as French, Spanish, Italian, Latin, and Dari. He was able to have a French conversation with the guard before interrogating Ivan Vanko.
== Equipment ==
=== Iron Man Armors ===
* Iron Man Armor: Mark I
* Iron Man Armor: Mark II
* Iron Man Armor: Mark III
* Iron Man Armor: Mark IV
* Iron Man Armor: Mark V
* Iron Man Armor: Mark VI
* Iron Man Armor: Mark VII
* Iron Legion
** Iron Man Armor: Mark VIII
** Iron Man Armor: Mark IX
** Iron Man Armor: Mark X
** Iron Man Armor: Mark XI
** Iron Man Armor: Mark XII
** Iron Man Armor: Mark XIII
** Iron Man Armor: Mark XIV
** Iron Man Armor: Mark XV
** Iron Man Armor: Mark XVI
** Iron Man Armor: Mark XVII
** Iron Man Armor: Mark XVIII
** Iron Man Armor: Mark XIX
** Iron Man Armor: Mark XX
** Iron Man Armor: Mark XXI
** Iron Man Armor: Mark XXII
** Iron Man Armor: Mark XXIII
** Iron Man Armor: Mark XXIV
** Iron Man Armor: Mark XXV
** Iron Man Armor: Mark XXVI
** Iron Man Armor: Mark XXVII
** Iron Man Armor: Mark XXVIII
** Iron Man Armor: Mark XXIX
** Iron Man Armor: Mark XXX
** Iron Man Armor: Mark XXXI
** Iron Man Armor: Mark XXXII
** Iron Man Armor: Mark XXXIII
** Iron Man Armor: Mark XXXIV
** Iron Man Armor: Mark XXXV
** Iron Man Armor: Mark XXXVI
** Iron Man Armor: Mark XXXVII
** Iron Man Armor: Mark XXXVIII
** Iron Man Armor: Mark XXXIX
** Iron Man Armor: Mark XL
** Iron Man Armor: Mark XLI
* Iron Man Armor: Mark XLII
* Iron Man Armor: Mark XLIII
* Iron Man Armor: Mark XLIV
* Iron Man Armor: Mark XLV
* Iron Man Armor: Mark XLVI
* Iron Man Armor: Mark XLVII
* Iron Man Armor: Mark XLVIII
* Iron Man Armor: Mark L
* Iron Man Armor: Mark LXXXV
=== Weapons ===
* SIG Sauer P229R: Stark obtained one of these handguns from one of the guards at Aldrich Killian's Mansion, using it to escape and discover the truth behind the Mandarin while threatening Trevor Slattery. Stark retrieved another of these guns, carrying it to the Norco until he regained his armors.
* Kimber Custom: During his escape from Aldrich Killian's Mansion, Stark disarmed a guard of his gun and used it alongside his Mark XLII repulsor to threaten another guard into willingly surrendering.
* MAC-10: Once equipping his Mark XLII repulsor and thruster to aid in his escape, Stark disarmed Ponytail Express of his weapon and used in tandem with his repulsor to neutralize the other guards attempting to kill him. However, his lack of trigger discipline and bad aim led him to just discard the gun after emptying the magazine.
* Nuclear Missile: During the Battle of New York, Stark was informed by Nick Fury that a nuclear missile was about to hit the city. Stark intercepted the missile and flew it through the wormhole. He used it to destroy the Chitauri Command Center and end the battle.
=== Other Equipment ===
* Bulletproof Vest: Stark had gone on his business trip to Afghanistan to demonstrate Stark Industries' new weapon, the Jericho Missile. As a precaution, he was wearing his Bulletproof Vest under his shirt. When his convoy was attacked, one of his own company's bombs landed beside him and had exploded, embedding several pieces of shrapnel in his chest despite the protection of the vest.
* Stark Medical Scanner: Worried about his palladium poisoning, Stark developed a device to measure his blood toxicity by pricking his finger with a needle.
* Colantotte Bracelets: Stark was gifted the bracelets by Pepper Potts and worked them into his Mark VII armor. With this, he was able to summon his suit to save himself from a fall off of the Stark Tower.
* Iron Man Gauntlet: Designed as a detterent, Stark used the gauntlet to apprehend the escaping Bucky Barnes.
* Tony Stark's Glasses: Glasses that are worn by Stark and contain artificial intelligence interfaces like F.R.I.D.A.Y. and E.D.I.T.H..
=== Vehicles ===
* Humvee: Tony Stark was being transported back to Bagram through the Kunar province in Afghanistan in a Humvee convey after a business trip. However, his convoy was attacked by the Ten Rings and Stark was kidnapped.
* Stark Industries Private Jet: A jet flown by Stark and Rhodes on their way to Afghanistan. It was also flown by Pepper Potts while she watched the Battle of New York on the TV.
* 1932 Ford Model B Roadster: One of the cars at his mansion, Stark tinkered with the car's engine. It also gave him inspiration for the color-scheme of his armor.
* Rolls-Royce Phantom VII: Happy Hogan drove Stark and Potts in this after he came back from his kidnapping. During the Duel of Monaco, it was sliced into pieces by Whiplash's electrical whips.
* 1949 Mercury Coupé: Stark kept this antique car in his garage in the mansion lined up in a similar fasion to his other cars.
* 1967 Shelby Cobra 427: Stark owned a blue and white model of these cars, that was crushed during his first flight test for the Iron Man Armor: Mark II.
* Wolf-Ford: Stark decided to drive himself the Stark Industries sponsored car in the Grand Prix de Monaco, until the car itself was destroyed by Ivan Vanko.
* Audi R8: Stark got a 2010 Audi R8 early and drove this car to the Stark Industries Charity Event at Walt Disney Concert Hall. Sometime later, he drives this car to visit Potts at Stark Industries Headquarters.
* Acura 2012 Stark Industries Super Car: After winning the Battle of New York the Avengers gathered in Central Park to see Thor and Loki teleport back to Asgard. Tony Stark and Bruce Banner then left in the Acura 2012 Stark Industries Super Car.
* Quinjet: Stark has used the Quinjet for transportation to travel around the world and take out threats during active missions as a member of the Avengers.
* Q-Ship: After Doctor Strange was kidnapped by Ebony Maw, Stark and Peter Parker broke into the Q-Ship to rescue Strange. Stark killed Maw by ejecting him into space and rescued Strange, then decided to use the ship to travel to Titan and stop Thanos.
* Benatar: Following the Battle of Titan, Stark and Nebula fixed Star-Lord's ship and left the planet. It would break down after 24 days of travel, but eventually, they were rescued in deep space by Captain Marvel, who delivered them to Earth.
== Designs ==
* Arc Reactor
* J.A.R.V.I.S.
* Dum-E and U
* Holotable
* Accelerated Wave Explosion
* Jericho
* Gamma Ray Projector
* Stark Sonic Cannon
* Stark HUD 2020
* Stark Medical Scanner
* Tony Stark's New Element
* Colantotte Bracelets
* Bus
* Iron Legion
* Project Insight Helicarriers
* Iron Man Mark XLII Telepresence Headset
* Veronica
* Ultron
* F.R.I.D.A.Y.
* J.O.C.A.S.T.A.
* T.A.D.A.S.H.I.
* E.D.I.T.H.
* Iron Man Gauntlet
* Tony Stark's Glasses
* Spider-Man Suit
** Spider-Drone
** Karen
** Training Wheels Protocol
** Baby Monitor Protocol
* Web-Shooters (2nd Generation)
** Spider-Tracer
** Spider-Signal
* James Rhodes' Leg Braces
* Iron Spider Armor
* Nano Gauntlet
== Facilities ==
* Stark Mansion: The Stark Mansion was the primary residence of the Stark Family, including Stark, his father, his mother, and Edwin Jarvis in New York City, New York. In 1991, Stark stayed in the house over Christmas break, during which his parents were killed.
* Phillips Academy: Stark attended high school at Phillips Academy and befriended the students there, some of whom dared him to hack the Pentagon.
* Massachusetts Institute of Technology: Stark attended MIT and was one of the smartest to come out of it. He won several awards at the school, including the first four Robot Design Awards, the fourth being for the invetion of Dum-E and U. Stark graduated top of his class at seventeen years old. Many years later, he presented B.A.R.F. to the students and introduced the September Foundation grant, which was given equally so that every student could move forward with their inventions. Stark was confronted by Miriam Sharpe about her son's death, causing him to feel guilt about his actions as a superhero.
* Tony Stark's Mansion: Stark lived in a mansion in Malibu, where he brought several one-night stands, including Eloise, Celeste, and Christine Everhart. He spent a significant amount of time in the garage making new inventions and working on his Iron Man Armors. It was also where he gave himself a new Arc Reactor and kept the old one. Stark was visited by Nick Fury in his mansion one night, telling him about the Avengers Initiative. Stark continued to operate as Iron Man from his mansion, and had J.A.R.V.I.S. work on a cure for his Palladium poisoning. Stark met with Pepper Potts in his mansion to promote her to CEO of Stark Industries and met with Natalie Rushman in the mansion, hiring her as his assistant. Realizing his impending death, Stark threw himself a birthday party in the mansion, which was interrupted by James Rhodes wearing the Mark II Armor, leading the two to fight and damage the mansion. Stark was kept under house arrest in his mansion by S.H.I.E.L.D. until he could cure his palladium poisoning, leading him to create a new element which cured it. In 2013, Stark and Potts lived together in the mansion, but Stark was busy focusing on new armors, saving people, and his PTSD-induced nightmares. Stark began to investigate a series of attacks from the mansion, and threatened the man responsible, leading him to send missiles at his mansion, blowing it up. Stark later returned to where the mansion was to dispose of his arc reactor.
* Stark Industries Headquarters: Stark operated Stark Industries out of the company's headquarters. Stark returned from his kidnapping by the Ten Rings and went to Stark Industries Headquarters to announce in a press conference at the headquarters that he would stop producing weapons. He then conversed with Obadiah Stane about their Arc Reactor that powered the facility. Stane turned on Stark and the two fought, leading them to Stark Industries Headquarters, where Stark and Pepper Potts used the large arc reactor to kill Stane. Stark announced his identity as Iron Man to the public at the company's headquarters and continued to run the company from there until he gave the company to Potts. Stark met with Potts in her office, hoping to make amends for his recent behavior and found a scale model of Stark Expo, causing him to realize that the blueprint for a new element was hidden within it.
* Demolished Bar: Phil Coulson, on behalf of S.H.I.E.L.D., sent Stark to annoy Thaddeus Ross so much that he denied the request for Emil Blonsky's release and inclusion in the Avengers Initiative. Ross tried to have Stark removed from the bar, but Stark ended up buying it and scheduling it for demolition.
* Walt Disney Concert Hall: Stark learned that he was not invited to a charity event at Walt Disney Concert Hall, so he decided to show up anyway. At the hall, Stark talked with Obadiah Stane, who advised him not to draw too much attention. Phil Coulson found Stark at the party and scheduled a meeting with him, but Stark brushed him off. Stark found and danced with Pepper Potts, and the two joked with each other before stepping outside together. Stark left to get them drinks, but was confronted by Christine Everhart, who revealed that Stark Industries weapons were still being sold by Stark Industries. Stark confronted Stane about the discovery, prompting Stane to reveal that he was the one who had Stark pushed off the board of Stark Industries.
* Stark Expo: Stark continued his father's tradition and turned apart of Flushing, New York into the Stark Expo, where a year-long exposition would be held, and people could demonstrate new technologies. He flew in from the air to center stage to announce the start of the expo, but was then served with a subpoena and had to go to Washington, D.C. Stark later went to the expo to confront Justin Hammer about his partnership with Ivan Vanko, who seized control of Hammer's drones and attacked the expo. Stark and James Rhodes fought Vanko together, defeating him and saving the expo.
* United States Capitol: Stark was questioned at the Capitol by a Senate Armed Forces committee about the use of his Iron Man suit technology. The hearing was over relatively quickly, with Stark humiliating Senator Stern and leaving confidently.
: "How does it look?""Like Christmas, but with more... me."
: ―Pepper Potts and Tony Stark[src]
* Avengers Tower: Stark owned a tower in New York City, which he worked with Pepper Potts to finalize Stark Tower. He and Potts started to celebrate, but were interrupted by Phil Coulson, who recruited Stark to work with the Avengers. Stark confronted Loki in the tower to distract him, but the Battle of New York started from the tower soon anyway. Stark and the rest of the Avengers defeated Loki in the tower, which had taken heavy damage. Stark decided to fund the Avengers, redesigning it as a new headquarters for the team. The Avengers held a party at the tower to celebrate the recovery of the Scepter, but were attacked by a newly created Ultron. The Avengers then proceeded to search for Ultron in the tower, going through their files until they came across Ulysses Klaue. They left to confront Klaue, and later returned to the Avengers Tower with Wanda and Pietro Maximoff to warn the Avengers about Ultron's plan. Stark worked with Bruce Banner to upload the remnants of J.A.R.V.I.S into the synthezoid body created by Ultron to create Vision, who was then born in the tower. The Avengers then planned to defeat Ultron in the tower.
* HYDRA Research Base: Stark attacked a HYDRA research base with the rest of the Avengers and broke into the facility. He found a secret passage and discovered a room full of Chitauri weapons. Wanda Maximoff then caused him to hallucinate and have a vision of his teammates dying and blaming Stark while Chitauri attacked Earth.
* Avengers Compound: The Avengers relocated their base of operations to a facility upstate. Stark left the team, but continued to fund it as Steve Rogers and Natasha Romanoff invited War Machine, Falcon, Scarlet Witch and Vision as new members of the team. Stark rejoined the team and worked on new Iron Man Armors out of the compound, meeting with Happy Hogan and helping James Rhodes heal from his injured leg. Stark brought Peter Parker to the compound as an attempt to recruit him as the newest Avenger, offering him the Iron Spider Armor, but Parker denied in favor of staying a friendly-neighborhood Spider-Man. He monitored his nano-satellites from the compound, hoping to prevent future alien threats. Stark was stranded on Titan during Thanos' Snap, but was rescued by Carol Danvers and brought to the Avengers Compound, where he scolded Rogers for the result of the Snap. They planned to kill Thanos, but were unable to save lives. Five years later, Stark returned to the compound to help the Avengers with their Time Heist, managing to successfully undo the effects of the Snap, but brought an alternate Thanos to their timeline. Thanos destroyed the compound, leading to a fight in which Stark sacrificed himself to kill Thanos, dying in the process.
* Clint Barton's Homestead: An incident with the Hulk turned public opinion against the Avengers, Stark and the team went to Clint Barton's homestead to lay low. While there, Stark and the team were surprised to learn that Barton had a family. Stark and Steve Rogers chopped wood and discussed the future of the Avengers, and the team later realized what Ultron was planning, so they left to defeat him.
* HYDRA Siberian Facility: Stark went to a HYDRA facility in Siberia to help Steve Rogers and Bucky Barnes stop Helmut Zemo from reactivating the Winter Soldiers. However, Zemo revealed that he had killed the Winter Soldiers and that Barnes had killed Stark's parents years prior. This led to a battle between Stark, Rogers, and Barnes, in which Rogers broke Stark's armor and left him.
* Raft: Stark went to the Raft to ask Sam Wilson about what Steve Rogers was planning. Stark convinced Wilson to reveal Rogers' plan to stop Helmut Zemo in Siberia. Stark then left and went to Siberia to help Rogers and Bucky Barnes.
* New York Sanctum: Stark was brought to the New York Sanctum by Stephen Strange, where he, Strange, Wong, and Bruce Banner discussed Thanos' impending arrival. The group argued about how to properly prepare for Thanos' attack, and Banner suggested calling the Avengers. Stark hesitantly perpared to call Steve Rogers, when they were distracted by the arrival of the Black Order.
: "Tony built it for me a few years ago."
: ―Bruce Banner to Jennifer Walters[src]
* Bruce Banner's House: Stark built a house in a remote spot in Mexico for Bruce Banner to live in. He equipped the house with a lab full of Stark Industries technology so that Banner could work to combine himself with Hulk.
: "You built this bar by hand?""Oh, yeah.""That's impressive.""Yeah, me and Tony."
: ―Jennifer Walters and Bruce Banner[src]
* Bruce's Bar: Stark and Bruce Banner built a bar near Banner's house. They spent together in the bar, building it while Stark drank and complained about Steve Rogers.
* Stark Eco-Compound: Stark and Pepper Potts moved into a compound in upstate New York and raised their daughter, Morgan, together. In 2023, Stark was approached at the compound by the Avengers, asking help creating time travel and undoing Thanos' Snap. Stark refused and the team left, but that night started working on it and figured out how to Time Travel. He put his daughter to bed and talked to Potts about the solution and resolved to help.
* Camp Lehigh: Stark broke into Camp Lehigh with Steve Rogers in an alternate timeline, where he found the Tesseract and planned to bring it back to his timeline. He was stopped by his father, who he talked to about parenting. Stark and Rogers then returned to their timeline.
=== Prisons ===
* Ten Rings Base: Stark was kidnapped and brought to the Ten Rings' base, where he was held hostage and Raza Hamidmi al-Wazar demanded that he recreate the Jericho missile. Instead, Stark built the Iron Man Mark 1 Armor with Ho Yinsen and escaped, killing his kidnappers.
* Aldrich Killian's Mansion: Stark infiltrated Aldrich Killian's mansion in hopes of finding the person responsible for recent terrorist attacks, but only found Trevor Slattery. Stark was knocked out by Eric Savin and woke up in a sub-ground level of the mansion, zip-tied to a bare bed post where Maya Hansen and Killian himself tried to coerce Stark into improving Extremis. He eventually escaped using the watch Kenner gifted him to summon the Mark 42 armor.
== Relationships ==
=== Family ===
* Howard Stark, Sr. † - Grandfather
* Grandmother †
* Howard Stark † - Father
* Maria Stark † - Mother
* Mother-in-Law
* Morgan - Uncle-in-Law
* Pepper Potts/Rescue - Wife
* Morgan Stark - Daughter
=== Allies ===
* Stark Industries
** Edwin Jarvis † - Former Butler and Friend
** Happy Hogan - Close Friend and Former Bodyguard
** Bambi Arbogast - Employee
** Samantha Carlisle - Employee
** T. Bennett - Employee
** Trixie - Employee
** Jesse - Employee
** Stark Industries Racing Team
*** Abby Rose - Former Date
* Maya Hansen † - One-Night Stand
* Ho Yinsen † - Friend and Savior
* Wu - Doctor
* Wu Jiaqi - Doctor
* J.A.R.V.I.S. - Creation and Former Assistant
* Christine Everhart - One-Night Stand
* Jennifer - Fling
* Eloise - Temporary Date
* Celeste
* Saul
* United States Air Force
** William Gabriel
** Sullivian
** Jimmy Ryan †
** Adam Pratt †
** Ramirez †
** Ronald Coultrap
** Ralph Mays
** Whiplash 1 - Former Enemy
** Scott Campbell - Former Enemy
* Ben
* Watcher Informant
* Hugh Hefner
* Ezil
* Nate - Fan
* Sharon - One-Night Stand
* Gorani Insurance
** Michael Gorani
** Evetta Gorani
* Bundespolizei
* Oracle Corporation
** Larry Ellison
* U.S. Marshal
* United States Congress
** United States Senate Committee on Armed Services
*** Larson
*** Elkin
*** Busard
*** Gibson
*** Clements
*** Goodwin
*** Carlino
*** Beckman
* Elon Musk
* Lemieux
* Adam Goldstein
* Rebecca
* Rebeca
* Mike Charles
* Honey
* S.H.I.E.L.D.
** Phil Coulson † - Friend
** Garrett
** Galaga Guy
* H.O.M.E.R. - Assistant
* Nick Fury's Crew
** Nick Fury
** Maria Hill † - Former Employee
** Cameron Klein
* Avengers - Teammates and Friends
** Steve Rogers/Captain America - Close Friend, Former Leader, and Temporary Enemy
** Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow † - Former Assistant and Temporary Enemy
** Bruce Banner/Hulk - Close Friend and Temporary Enemy
** Thor - Temporary Enemy
** Clint Barton/Hawkeye - Temporary Enemy
** Wanda Maximoff/Scarlet Witch † - Former Enthraller and Temporary Enemy
** Pietro Maximoff/Quicksilver † - Former Enemy
** Vision † - Creation
** James Rhodes/War Machine - Best Friend
** Sam Wilson/Falcon - Temporary Enemy
** Peter Parker/Spider-Man - Protégé and Savior
** Scott Lang/Ant-Man - Temporary Enemy
** Carol Danvers/Captain Marvel - Savior
* Erik Selvig
* United States Department of Damage Control
** Anne Marie Hoag
* Harley Keener - Friend
* Gary
* Mrs. Davis
* Matthew Ellis
* Helen Cho
* Laura Barton
* Cooper Barton
* Lila Barton
* F.R.I.D.A.Y. - Creation and Assistant
* Karen † - Creation
* Thaddeus Ross - Temporary Enemy
* MIT Liaison
* CIA
** Everett Ross
* Sharon Carter
* Joint Counter Terrorist Centre
* Golden Tribe
** T'Challa/Black Panther †
** Shuri
* May Parker †
* FBI
* Chalmers - Interviewer
* Masters of the Mystic Arts
** Stephen Strange/Doctor Strange - Former Rival and Savior
** Wong - Savior
* Guardians of the Galaxy
** Peter Quill/Star-Lord - Former Enemy
** Drax the Destroyer - Former Attempted Victim
** Mantis - Former Enemy
** Nebula - Former Teammate and Friend
** Rocket Raccoon - Former Teammate
** Groot
* Gerald - Pet
* E.D.I.T.H. - Creation
* Howard Stark - Alternate Father
* Dora Milaje
** Okoye
* Jabari Tribe
** M'Baku
* Border Tribe
* Wakandan Royal Guard
* Bucky Barnes/Winter Soldier - Former Attempted Victim
* Brunnhilde/Valkyrie
* Warsong
* Korg
* Miek
* Einherjar
* Ravagers
** Kraglin Obfonteri
* Howard the Duck
* Hope van Dyne/Wasp
* Gamora	
=== Enemies ===
* Ten Rings - Kidnappers
** Xu Wenwu †
** Raza Hamidmi al-Wazar †
** Abu Bakaar
** Omar †
** Ahmed †
** Naib
** Cordo Gaines
** Aiden Julius
* Obadiah Stane/Iron Monger † - Former Friend and Attempted Killer
* Lina - Former Love Interest
* Jenkins
* Roxxon Corporation - Business Rivals
* Hammer Industries
** Justin Hammer - Business Rival
** Hammer Drones †
* Turner
* Ivan Vanko/Whiplash † - Attempted Killer
* Global Incorporated - Business Rivals
** Omar
** Mitch
* Loki † - Attempted Killer
* Chitauri
** Leviathans
** Chitauri Gorillas
* HYDRA
** Alexander Pierce †
** Wolfgang von Strucker/Baron Strucker †
** List † - Victim
** Jensen
** Stern - Temporary Ally
** Jasper Sitwell † - Former Ally
** Brock Rumlow †
** Jack Rollins
* A.I.M.
** Aldrich Killian † - Former Fan, Attempted Killer and Attempted Victim
** Eric Savin † - Victim
** Ellen Brandt † - Attempted Killer and Victim
** Ponytail Express
* Trevor Slattery
* Rodriguez
* Vanessa
* Ultron † - Creation and Attempted Killer
** Ultron Sentries
* Ulysses Klaue † - Former Contact
* Klaue's Mercenary
* Miriam Sharpe
* Quentin Beck's Crew - Former Employees
** Quentin Beck †
** William Ginter Riva
** Victoria Snow
** Gutes Guterman
** Janice Lincoln
** Doug
* Helmut Zemo/Baron Zemo
* Black Order
** Ebony Maw † - Victim
** Cull Obsidian † - Attempted Killer
* Thanos † - Attempted Killer
* HYDRA
** Alexander Pierce
** Jasper Sitwell
** Brock Rumlow
** Jack Rollins
* Loki
* Avengers - Situational Enemies
** Steve Rogers/Captain America
** Tony Stark/Iron Man - Alternate Self
** Thor
** Bruce Banner/Hulk
** Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow
** Clint Barton/Hawkeye
* S.H.I.E.L.D. - Situational Enemies
** Phyllis Jenkins
* United States Army - Situational Enemies
** Chesler
* Nebula †
* Thanos † - Attempted Killer and Victim
* Black Order
** Ebony Maw † - Victim
** Cull Obsidian † - Attempted Killer
** Proxima Midnight † - Victim
** Corvus Glaive †
* Sakaarans
* Outriders
== Trivia ==
* In the comics, Tony Stark is a member of the Illuminati, a group made of the smartest and most powerful characters in the Marvel Universe, including Blackagar Boltagon, Stephen Strange, Bruce Banner, Medusalith Amaquelin, Hank Pym, and T'Challa.
* When Stark calls James Rhodes in Iron Man, Rhodes' ringtone is the original Iron Man theme song from the 1966 TV series.
* The reason why Stark's Arc Reactor changes from an inverted pyramid back to a circular shape in The Avengers is because Joss Whedon personally disliked it.
* Starting with the Mark IV (with the sole exception of the Mark V), the armors no longer use the Arc Reactor within Stark's chest 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.
* Stark's de-aged appearance in Captain America: Civil War is based on Robert Downey, Jr.'s appearance in the 1987 film Less Than Zero.
* 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.
* Stark has his own flavor of Ben & Jerry's ice cream called Stark Raving Hazelnuts, which Doctor Strange states as being "a bit chalky."
* Stark was 5'9 and weighed 185 lbs.
* Archive footage of Tony Stark from Iron Man was used in the trailers of Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.
== Behind the Scenes ==
* Tony Stark/Iron Man was considered to make his live action debut in The Death of the Incredible Hulk. However, his appearance was scrapped along with the idea to introduce She-Hulk.
* Robert Downey, Jr. was uncredited for his appearance in The Incredible Hulk.
* Before Robert Downey, Jr. was cast as Tony Stark/Iron Man, Tom Cruise, Nicolas Cage, Leonardo DiCaprio, Timothy Olyphant and Hugh Jackman expressed interest or were considered for the role of Iron Man. Cruise, in particular, was going to act in and produce the film until commitments to the Mission: Impossible franchise meant that he couldn't participate. Cage played another Marvel superhero Johnny Blaze/Ghost Rider in Ghost Rider and was attached to the role. Hugh Jackman was originally offered the role of Tony Stark/Iron Man in Iron Man, but he turned it down in order to star in X-Men Origins: Wolverine, in the end Robert Downey, Jr. was cast instead. According to Jon Favreau, Clive Owen 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.
* Robert Downey, Jr. practices the "Wing Chun" martial arts style, which Tony Stark also demonstrates in-universe as seen on a training dummy in Iron Man 3 and in Stark's unarmored fight against the Winter Soldier in Captain America: Civil War.
* Tony Stark's fondness of hamburgers was requested by Robert Downey, Jr., who decided to quit drugs and become sober while eating a "disgusting burger" that made him think something really bad was going to happen if not.
* 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."
* Throughout The Avengers, Stark is seen wearing a Black Sabbath t-shirt, a reference to the band's song "Iron Man". Despite the fact the song was created with no link to the Marvel comics, the Iron Man film series have often adapted the song to use in film and advertisements. However, in the novelization 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 a parody of the poster for the Danny Boyle film Steve Jobs, starring Michael Fassbender in the title role.
* Richard Cetrone, Greg Fitzpatrick, Mike Justus, Oakley Lehman, Daniel Stevens, Clay Donahue Fontenot, Glenn Foster, Paul Vallespi, Tanner Foust, Trevor Habberstad, Douglas Robson, Ben Wright, Kofi Yiadom, James Young and John Flanagan were stunt doubles for Robert Downey, Jr. in the role of Iron Man.
* Brian Schaeffer was a stand-in for Robert Downey, Jr. in the role of Iron Man.
== References ==
The Marvel Cinematic Universe Wiki has a collection of images and media related to Iron Man.
The Marvel Cinematic Universe Wiki has a collection of quotes related to Iron Man.
# ↑ Jump up to:1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13 1.14 1.15 1.16 1.17 1.18 1.19 1.20 1.21 1.22 1.23 1.24 1.25 1.26 1.27 Iron Man
# ↑ Jump up to:2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10 2.11 2.12 2.13 2.14 2.15 2.16 2.17 2.18 2.19 2.20 Iron Man 3
# ↑ Jump up to:3.00 3.01 3.02 3.03 3.04 3.05 3.06 3.07 3.08 3.09 3.10 3.11 3.12 3.13 3.14 3.15 3.16 3.17 Avengers: Age of Ultron
# ↑ Jump up to:4.00 4.01 4.02 4.03 4.04 4.05 4.06 4.07 4.08 4.09 4.10 4.11 4.12 4.13 4.14 4.15 4.16 4.17 4.18 4.19 Captain America: Civil War
# ↑ Jump up to:5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 Spider-Man: Far From Home
# ↑ Jump up to:6.00 6.01 6.02 6.03 6.04 6.05 6.06 6.07 6.08 6.09 6.10 6.11 6.12 6.13 6.14 6.15 6.16 Avengers: Endgame
# ↑ Jump up to:7.0 7.1 7.2 Tony Stark's S.H.I.E.L.D. File
# ↑ Marvel Studios Canada on X - October 17, 2023
# ↑ Jump up to:9.00 9.01 9.02 9.03 9.04 9.05 9.06 9.07 9.08 9.09 9.10 9.11 9.12 9.13 9.14 9.15 9.16 9.17 9.18 9.19 Iron Man 2
# ↑ Howard Stark's S.H.I.E.L.D. File
# ↑ Jump up to:11.00 11.01 11.02 11.03 11.04 11.05 11.06 11.07 11.08 11.09 11.10 11.11 11.12 The Avengers
# ↑ Jump up to:12.0 12.1 12.2 12.3 Iron Man 2: Public Identity
# ↑ Guidebook to the Marvel Cinematic Universe - Iron Man
# ↑ Jump up to:14.0 14.1 14.2 Avengers: Infinity War: The Heroes' Journey
# ↑ Jump up to:15.0 15.1 The Wakanda Files: A Technological Exploration of the Avengers and Beyond
# ↑ Jump up to:16.0 16.1 Iron Man: Fast Friends
# ↑ Iron Man: I Am Iron Man!
# ↑ Iron Man 2: Nick Fury: Director of S.H.I.E.L.D.
# ↑ Iron Man 2: Security Breach
# ↑ Iron Man: Limited Edition
# ↑ Jump up to:21.0 21.1 Iron Man Royal Purple Custom Comic
# ↑ Iron Man 2: Fist of Iron
# ↑ Jump up to:23.0 23.1 The Avengers: Iron Man Mark VII
# ↑ Iron Man 2 - Deleted Scene
# ↑ Tom Holland Confirms Popular Fan Theory: Spider-Man Was In 'Iron Man 2'
# ↑ Jump up to:26.0 26.1 26.2 26.3 26.4 Iron Man 3 Prelude
# ↑ Jump up to:27.0 27.1 Marvel One-Shot: The Consultant
# ↑ The Incredible Hulk
# ↑ Google+ Profile/WHiH World News
# ↑ The Avengers: The Avengers Initiative
# ↑ Thor: The Dark World Prelude
# ↑ Jump up to:32.0 32.1 32.2 32.3 32.4 32.5 Spider-Man: Homecoming
# ↑ Jump up to:33.0 33.1 Captain America: The Winter Soldier
# ↑ Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.: 1.20: Nothing Personal
# ↑ Avengers: Operation HYDRA
# ↑ Ant-Man
# ↑ WHiH Newsfront: 1.05: WHIH EXCLUSIVE: Scott Lang Interview
# ↑ Twitter Profile/WHiH Newsfront
# ↑ Black Widow Prelude
# ↑ Avengers: Infinity War Prelude
# ↑ Captain Marvel Prelude
# ↑ Jump up to:42.0 42.1 42.2 42.3 42.4 42.5 42.6 42.7 42.8 42.9 Avengers: Infinity War
# ↑ She-Hulk: Attorney at Law: 1.01: A Normal Amount of Rage
# ↑ Avengers: Endgame - Deleted Scene
# ↑ Ms. Marvel: 1.01: Generation Why
# ↑ Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
# ↑ Spider-Man: No Way Home
# ↑ Jump up to:48.0 48.1 Marvel Studios Visual Dictionary
# ↑ Mark XIX
# ↑ Mark XL
# ↑ Mark VI
# ↑ Every Hero in 'Avengers: Infinity War' Explained by the Russo Brothers | WIRED
# ↑ Translates from French to: "No, no. Please. Everything will be fine."
# ↑ The Evolution Of Iron Man's Suits
# ↑ Here's How 'Captain America: Civil War' Created A Young Tony Stark
# ↑ Comics Scene: No. 9. Starlog Communications International, Inc. October 1989. p. 70.#
# ↑ Robert Downey Jr. on Burger King in 'Iron Man': A Disgusting Lifesaver
# ↑ Iron Man (book)
# ↑ Nathan Fillion Will Cameo as Simon Williams/Wonder Man in Guardians of the Galaxy 2
Preceded by:
Obadiah Stane	CEO of Stark IndustriesTony Stark1992 – 2010	Succeeded by:
Pepper Potts
== External Links ==
* Iron Man on Marvel Database
* Iron Man on Wikipedia