Anthony Stark

The New Kid, Visionary, Genius, American Patriot, The Prodigal Son, The Mysterious Bodyguard (by news)
Real Patriot, The Starkster (by James Rhodes)
 Boss (by Happy Hogan)
Wonder Boy (by Justin Hammer)
The Most Famous Mass-Murderer in the History of America (by []Raza]] and Ten Rings)
The Great Tony Stark (by Ho Yinsen)
The Golden Goose, Little Prick (by Obadiah Stane)
Iron Mongers (with Obadiah Stane)
The Consultant
Robotic Wunderkind
Howardson (by Thòr)
Metal Man
Shellhead
Genius, Billionaire, Dad, Playboy, Philanthropist; The Mechanic; The Man That Killed the Avengers (by himself)
Billionaire in a Flying Metal Suit
The Legionnaire
The Homeless Person On The Couch (by Howard Stark)
The Futurist (by Clint Barton)
Man in a Can (by himself)
Tony Stank (by Mail Carrier)
Douchebag (by Stephen Strange)
Chattering Animal (by Ebony Maw)
Big Man in a Suit of Armor, Earth's Greatest Defender (by Steve Rogers
Howard Potts (by himself as an alias during Time Heist)

### Education

Massachusetts Institute of Technology (class of 1987, graduated)

### Occupation

CEO of Stark Industries (formerly)
SHIELD Consultant (formerly)
Department of Damage Control (formerly)

## Familial Information

### Romantic Partners

Maya Hansen (one-night stand, deceased)
Caroline Bergland (former fling, daughter's mother)
Christine Everhart (one night stand)
Virginia Potts (wife)

### Parents

Howard Stark (father, deceased)
Maria Collins Carbonell Stark (mother, deceased)

### Siblings

James Rhodes (best friend/ brother figure)

### Children

Oneleigh Stark (daughter)
Morgan Stark (daughter)

### Residences

Lake House
Stark/Avengers Tower (formerly)
Malibu Mansion (formerly)

## Avenger Information

### Hero Status

Killed in Action (Identity Known)
Active: December 2009-May 2018, October 2023

### Hero Trademarks

Suit powered with technological designs with an in-suit computer

### Proteges

Harley Keener- design protege, gave advice
Oneleigh Stark
Peter Parker (Spider-Man) - designed suit, mentored in hero life

### Loyalties

Stark Industries
Avengers (founding member, until his death)
SHIELD (formerly)
Damage Control (formerly)

> "*You can take away my house, all my tricks and toys. But the one thing you can't take away...I am Iron Man*"
> ― Tony Stark
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**Anthony "Tony" Edward Stark** was a former billionaire industrialist, a founding member of the Avengers and former CEO of Stark Industries, a company started by his father. He was a brash but brilliant inventor, self-described as a billionaire, genius, playboy, and philantropist. With his great wealth and exceptional technical knowledge he was one of the world's most powerful men and enjoyed a playboy lifestyle for many years.

This lifestyle led to a fling with Caroline Bergland which resulted in the birth of his first-born daughter, Oneleigh Stark, in 2004.

He continued to enjoy this playboy lifestyle until 2009, when while demonstrating the latest weapon he had designed, the Jericho, in Afghanistan he was kidnapped by the Ten Rings. With his life on the line, Stark created an armored suit which he used to escape his captors. Upon his return home, he shut down the weapons manufacturing of his company and utilized several more armors against terrorists, as well as his traitorous former business associate, Obadiah Stane. Stark later announced himself as Iron Man, outwardly because he enjoyed the notoriety but according to his daughter also to ensure accountability.

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 challengged by Ivan Vanko who attempted to destroy his legacy. Due to their assistance in both of these battles, 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 worked on his personal relationships.

With the world once again threatened, Stark joined the Avengers and helped defeat the Chitauri and Loki. Due to the battle he developed Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, causing him to build the Iron Legion to safeguard the world so that he could retire. He briefly came out of retirement to end the threat of the Mandarin, Aldrich Killian, and to fight in the War on Hydra, where Wanda Maximoff's manipulation lead to him aiding in creating and then helping to defeat the threat of Ultron. This was the first of several disagreements with his ally Captain America, that with the added issue of Steve Rogers withholding that his parents were murdered and protecting his parent's murderer, led to the dissolution of the Avengers. He during this time also recruited and mentored Spider-Man, whom would not only be his protege but also a son/son-in-law figure when he began dating Stark's daughter.

He was recruited by Doctor Strange in 2018, and fought in the Battle of Titan, where he was able to make Thanos bleed before being beaten into submission. He was prepared to die, but was spared by Strange's surrendering the Time Stone. He then watched as his allies, including Peter Parker, were lost to the Decimation, and spent 22 days lost in space, before a combination of his daughter's tracking and Captain Marvel's abilities returned him to Earth where he spent 5 years in retirement only to be drawn back out for the Time Heist, which led to the undoing of the Decimation.

During the Battle of Earth that followed, Stark gained control of all Six Stones, using them to eliminate Thanos and his forces once and for all, but as a result dying surrounded by his wife, daughter, protege, best friend, Captain America, and Thor.

He was the husband of Pepper Potts, his former assistant with whom he fell in love and began a relationship with after defeating Vanko. By her, he was the father of Morgan Stark. He was the son of Howard Stark and Maria Collins Carbonell Stark. He was a founding member of the Avengers and served as a mentor to his older daughter, who served as the Iron Cross, and her boyfriend, Peter Parker, the Spider-Man.

He was also good friends with his former bodyguard, Happy Hogan, and best friends with James Rhodes, who would later receive a suit of his own and fight along Stark as War Machine.

## Biography

### Early Life

#### Troubled Childhood

> "*What do you remember about your dad?'*
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> 'He was cold, he was calculating, he never told me he loved me, never even told me he liked me. So it's a little tough for me to digest when you're telling me that he said the whole future was riding on me and he's passing it down. I say that and believe that with Oneleigh, but I didn't get that. You're talking about a man whose happiest day was when he shipped me off to boarding school.**"**
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> ― Nick Fury and Tony Stark about Stark's childhood
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Anthony Stark was born on Friday, May 29, 1970, in Manhattan, New York City, to Howard and Maria Stark. Tony had become good friends with Edwin Jarvis, the butler of Stark's family, who watched over Tony throughout all of his childhood.[2] Tony's early life was often dominated by the absence of his own father who he would later describe as both 'cold' and 'calculating'. Growing up, Tony had issues with his father, who Tony has said never told his son that he loved him, or even that he liked him. Since Tony was so young, Howard never was able to tell him his plans for him.[3]

Tony's father would constantly talk about Captain America, to inspire Tony to do great things in life, which highly annoyed him.[4][5] At an early age, Stark quickly stole the spotlight with his brilliant and unique mind. When he was four years old, he made his first circuit board. When he was almost seven, he built a V8 motorbike engine. At sixteen, he won the 4th Annual MIT Robot Design Award.When Tony was seventeen, he graduated *summa cum laude* from Massachusetts Institute of Technology where he also met James Rhodes, and they became best friends. One thing about Tony's childhood that annoyed him was the nanny that cared for him until he was fourteen. While he was in high school, Stark hacked into the Pentagon on a dare by some friends.

#### Losing his parents

> "*I never got to say goodbye to my father. There's questions I would've asked him. I would've asked him how he felt about what his company did, if he was conflicted, if he ever had doubts. Or maybe he was every inch of man we remember from the newsreels.*"
> ― Tony Stark
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In December 1991, when Stark was just twenty-one, Howard and Maria prepared to go away for a few days and leave him alone, although his father remained skeptical about how responsible Tony would be while they were gone. Sadly, they died in a "car crash" in Long Island, leading Stark to become driven in grief for their deaths.For a few months, Howard's business partner Obadiah Stane took over as interim CEO of Stark Industries until Tony officially assumed the role shortly after. Sometime later, Tony's long-serving family butler, Edwin Jarvis, also died.

#### 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.*"
> ― Awards Ceremony
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A few months later, at age 21, Stark inherited Stark Industries, a chief weapons manufacturer for the U.S. military, becoming the youngest CEO of a Fortune 500 company in history, a feat that would only be broken when Stark's own daughter takes the position just after her 18th birthday. Having built himself a custom mansion, Stark made an A.I. system that helped out in the house. He named the system "Just a Rather Very Intelligent System", shortened J.A.R.V.I.S., in tribute to his late butler Edwin Jarvis, whom he had often credited for helping to raise him.

Eventually, James Rhodes joined the United States Air Force and became the liaison between Stark Industries and the United States Armed Forces, successfully earning Stark billions of dollars. Under Stark's leadership with the aid of Obadiah Stane, Stark Industries quickly thrived and became one of the most advanced companies in the world, creating new forms of weapons technology that seemed highly futuristic to most looking on at the weapons.

#### Creating Demons

> "*A famous man once said, 'we create our own demons'. Who said that? What does it even mean? It doesn't matter; I said it because he said it, so now he was famous and then basically getting said by two well-known guys.*"
> ― Tony Stark
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n New Year's Eve in 1999, Stark, with his scientist paramour Maya Hansen, attended a science conference in Bern, Switzerland. There Stark got so drunk he could barely give his speech and rejoined the party as soon as possible. While celebrating he met a scientist named Ho Yinsen who introduced him to Doctor Wu, although Stark swiftly dismissed them both and moved through the party.

While moving throughout the hotel with Happy Hogan and Hansen, Stark then arrogantly avoided a gifted but crippled scientist, Aldrich Killian, who wanted Stark's financial backing for his own science company, Advanced Idea Mechanics. Once they were alone in an elevator together, Stark then purposely told the excited Killian to meet him on the rooftop of the building to discuss him working with Stark Industries, with the intention of not even turning up.

Back in Hansen's hotel room, Stark looked at her new research into a project known as Extremis which had the potential to regrow human limbs if she could get enough funding. Stark was amazed by the concept, although Hogan was less impressed and played with a nearby plant despite being told not to. Stark and Hansen then went to her bedroom where they continued flirting with each other before then leaning towards each other for a passionate kiss.

However, Hogan inadvertently caused a small explosion by touching the plant, causing a brief moment of panic. Stark sent Hogan away and then spent the night with Hansen, leaving Killian freezing on the rooftop where he even considered committing suicide out of complete humiliation. Stark was unaware of Killian's suffering and woke up the next morning, completed Hansen's formula for her before walking out and returning home, leaving Hansen behind.

#### Becoming A Father

> "*6 pounds and 9 ounces...you looked up at me, my name on your little wrist tag, like I had all the answers, and I was so scared I wouldn't have the ones you'd need.*"
> ― Tony Stark about the birth of his daughter, Oneleigh Stark
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In May 2003, Stark met and had a brief sexual fling with a young medical school student studying in the area, Caroline Bergland. This fling led to a pregnancy that Bergland, despite Stark having objections to becoming a father, insisted on seeing through. The child, a daughter, was born January 25th, 2004, weighing 6 pounds and 9 ounces. She was given the first name, Oneleigh, by her mother while Stark choose to give her the middle name, Maria, after his own mother, her grandmother. Stark was afraid of raising a child due to the idea that he could make a wrong choice and damage her life, so he and Bergland reached a silent agreement that would remain in place from the time of the child's birth for the next five years. This agreement was that Stark had a patchy presence in his daughter's life, rarely seeing her if ever but providing in terms of gifts and monetary means for things like language classes, keeping updated on his daughter's life from afar via updates provided by the child's godfather, James Rhodes, and his assistant, Pepper Potts, who, for this purpose, remained in touch with Bergland.

In January 2009, for his daughter's fifth birthday, after hearing that his daughter had taken after him and had taken to messing around with electrical circuitry and building with such, bought and sent her a circuit building kit that would allow different circuit designs and creations.

### Demonstrating Weapons In Arizona

> "*I hate when people tell me my place. Which reminds me, Celeste, Eloise, let's go see my place!*"
> ― Tony Stark
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Stark and James Rhodes went to a weapon demonstration at the Yuma Proving Ground. Pepper Potts gave the weapon's specifics to the generals while Stark and Rhodes went to a night club. Stark enjoyed the company of two girls while Rhodes tried to convince him not to go to Afghanistan for a weapons demonstration, stating that despite Stark not seeing her he did have a daughter that he should think about before touching down in an active war zone. Stark quipped back 'have thought about her, still want to go, that is a complete answer'. Stark was then attacked by a man whose girlfriend he previously seduced, but Rhodes was able to defeat the attacker. Stark, Rhodes and the girls went to Tony Stark's Mansion in order to continue the party.

### Final Day of Freedom

> "*Miss Brown, it's an imperfect world but it's the only one we've got. I guarantee the day weapons are no longer needed to keep the peace, I'll start making bricks and beams for baby hospitals."*
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> "You rehearse that much?"
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> "Every night in front of the mirror before bed time."
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> "I can see that."*"*
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> ― Tony Stark and Christine Everhart
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After a presentation of Stark's successful past, James Rhodes was given the honor of presenting the Apogee Award to him at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. When Obadiah Stane gave Rhodes a signal saying that Stark was not there to receive it, Stane took the award in Stark's honor. Shortly after the award ceremony, Rhodes brought Stark the award while he was gambling in the casino inside of Caesars Palace. Rhodes got angry at him for not being present.

Right when Stark was just about to leave the hotel with all of his own entourage, Christine Everhart ran up and tried to get an interview with him for her magazine Vanity Fair. Having been told Everhart was attractive, Stark agreed to her interview, all while he deflected her questions with some swift quips. Upon being morally questioned, Stark defended his actions and turned to seducing Everhart, as the two ended up at Tony Stark's Mansion where they had sex.

In the morning Stark had left Everhart in his bed to be greeted by J.A.R.V.I.S. and escorted home while he began working on one of his cars. His assistant Pepper Potts then arrived and reminded him about his trip to Afghanistan. Stark remained complacent, unfazed about being late as it was his own plane therefore it would wait for him. Potts then revealed it was her birthday, noting she had used Stark's money to buy a present for herself from him.

She then added that she had talked to his daughter's mother and though Bergland was not thrilled about her 5 year old playing with electricity, Oneleigh loved the circuit kit that Stark had sent her for her birthday. Stark continued to remain unfazed and simply stated that his daughter didn't need to know who sent the kit, to which Potts demanded to know why Stark was avoiding his beautiful, intelligent daughter. He dodged the question and told Potts that she was stepping over the line.

Finishing his coffee, Stark then finally left his mansion and drove to the airport followed by his bodyguard Happy Hogan, who struggled to keep up with his boss who drove exceptionally fast. He got to the plane three hours late and found Colonel James Rhodes was still there waiting for him to finally turn up, incredibly annoyed to have been left waiting for so long, although Stark was not bothered at all. He then got onto the plane and sat down along with Rhodes who tried to discuss business between Stark Industries and the United States Armed Forces, while Stark all wanted to do just drink and then relax, much to Rhodes' continued great annoyance.

Despite wanted to discuss his work, Stark managed to convince Rhodes to have a drink with him and before long, he and Rhodes had gotten completely drunk and had a small party on the plane. As Rhodes discussed his work in the United States Air Force, Stark completely ignored his friend and focused his attention of the air hostesses who had begun undressing and dancing around a pole in the middle of the plane for both of their entertainment.

### Becoming Iron Man

#### Kidnapping 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 about Tony Stark
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As Stark's convey drove through Afghanistan to return to the United States Armed Forces base, the convoy was suddenly attacked by insurgents, who blew up the car in front trapping them. Stark watched in utter horror as the soldiers stepped out only to be gunned down right in front of his own eyes, leaving his ears ringing from the many explosions. While soldiers were dying around him, Stark got outside and attempted to find some cover and call for help.

While Stark was using his phone in his attempt to contact someone for assistance, one of Stark Industries' own bombs suddenly landed right by him, Stark saw this and desperately attempted to get away, however he was too slow and the bomb exploded right beside him. The resulting blast caused Stark to be thrown backwards and lose consciousness and embedded several pieces of shrapnel into his chest, several fragments dangerously close to his heart.

While falling in and out of consciousness, Stark felt incredible pain as an operation was performed on his chest in an attempt to remove the pieces of shrapnel and save his life. Eventually, Stark dazed away to find himself in front of a camera as some various terrorists were now reading out a ransom note to an unknown viewerwhile Stark could only look on in dismay with various guns aimed directly at him. The shock of seeing this made Stark lose consciousness again.

He woke up some time later to find Ho Yinsen in his cell with him and an electromagnet attached to his chest. Hooked up to a car battery, Yinsen explained that the electromagnet kept the shrapnel from entering his heart and killing him. Yinsen went on to explain how they had once met in Bern during the 1990salthough Stark had been too drunk to remember. Just as Stark questioned where they were, someone banged on the door from the other side.

As Yinsen ordered Stark to get onto his feet, they were greeted by Abu Bakaar, who had Yinsen translate as he welcomed Stark as the greatest mass murderer in the entire history of the United States of America. Bakaar explained that he now wanted Stark to rebuild the Jericho missile for him, however Stark simply refused to help them. As a direct result of refusing to help the Ten Rings, Bakaar had Stark tortured by drowning him in freezing water repeatedly.

Stark was then taken outside of the cave where Bakaar showed him how the Ten Rings had an incredible supply of his Stark Industries weapons, including guns and missiles which were being used against the United States Armed Forces, which clearly horrified Stark. As Bakaar continued his earlier conversation, he told Stark that they had all the materials needed for him to build a Jericho missile, promising that if he began immediately then once he was done, he would be returned home. Stark agreed to the job, although he noted to Yinsen that Bakaar would never actually allow him to get away, with Yinsen confirming that this was true while Bakaar smile at them.

While Stark sat by the fire and considered his new and terrible situation, Yinsen joined him and explained that what he had seen out there, with the Ten Rings holding his weapons, was the legacy of Tony Stark. When Yinsen called on him to do something, Stark simply questioned what the point was if he was likely going to be dead within a week regardless of anything, so Yinsen told him that this only meant it was an important week for him. Stark would later state that he thought of leaving the legacy that he had seen to his young daughter simply by virtue of her name, stating later that she didn't deserve to have that rest on her shoulders. He said he vowed then that if he survived he was going to make change so that it wouldn't rest on her.

#### Building The First Armor

> "*"This is our ticket out of here."*
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> "What is it?"
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> "Flatten them out and look."*"*
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> ― Tony Stark and Ho Yinsen
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Knowing that their captors would never keep up their end of the deal, Stark began the work asked from him with Ho Yinsen, however he had instead had begun to make a plan to escape. Stark recruited Abu Bakaar to bring in the supplies he needed into their cave, using Yinsen as his translator while he began breaking all of the various weapons apart.

In order to improve Stark's condition, he and Yinsen then created a miniature Arc Reactor, a smaller version of the same power source previously invented by his father, Howard Stark, and Anton Vanko, which they would soon embed into his chest to supply energy to the electromagnet protecting his heart. Stark concentrated on his own technical work, all while Yinsen continued to tell Stark everything he knew of the Ten Rings and what their plans were for them.

Having successfully built the Arc Reactor, Stark told Yinsen that he would not be using it to power his heart, but to power something larger for a brief time. With that Stark showed Yinsen his plans, hidden with multiple blueprints, to build a suit of armor which he would soon be using to finally break them out of the cave. Yinsen was both impressed and inspired by Stark's plan and then assisted him in installing the Arc Reactor inside his chest.

> "*Do you have a family?*
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> I do. And I will see them when I leave here. And you, Stark?
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> No, I mean I have a daughter but I don't see her. She probably doesn't even know who I am, so she won't miss me.
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> Why don't you see her?
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> She's better off without me.
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> No child is better off without their father, Stark. What about a girlfriend?
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> No.
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> So you're a man that has everything and nothing.*"*
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> ― Tony Stark and Ho Yinsen
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During their down time, Stark and Yinsen played board games to keep themselves entertained. During one of their games, Stark asked Yinsen where he was from, as Yinsen explained he was from a small town call Gulmira where he had a family who he intended to see once he was free on the cave. When Yinsen then asked the same question, Stark admitted that he had no family waiting for him, acknowledging that he had a young daughter but that he didn't see her so she probably didn't even know who he was to miss him. When Yinsen asked why, Stark stated that his daughter was better off without him with Yinsen denying that that was possible. Yinsen then asked Stark about a girlfriend which Stark shook his head to, causing Yinsen to note that Stark had everything but yet still nothing.

Stark and Yinsen then returned to their work, pulling apart pieces of the various Stark Industries weapons that were supplied to them and tearing them apart. They then fused the pieces together and turned them into plates ready to be added to the armor once that was completed. However the pair ensured that their work was still kept random enough that the Ten Rings would be unable to figure out their deception until it was at last too late for them.

Their work was one day interrupted by Raza, the leader of this Ten Rings group who told Stark to relax before admiring his Arc Reactor. Raza compared Stark's work to that of Genghis Khan who had almost conquered the world. Believing they were lying to him, Raza had Yinsen held down and threatened to put a red-hot coal in his mouth until Stark told him to stop. Raza agreed and then ordered Stark to finally complete the Jericho missile by the next very day.

Fearing for their lives if they did not get out as soon as possible, together Stark and Yinsen secretly began building the final stages of the armored suit to help them escape, with Stark focusing on the body of the armor while Yinsen wired up the final pieces of the mechanics. Fusing together the various large parts of steel to fit his own body, Stark then fitting the armor with various missiles and flame throwers, preparing himself for every eventuality as he knew Raza and the Ten Rings would put all their strength into stopping their escape. Once it was almost complete, Stark placed the still steaming Iron Man helmet onto Yinsen's desk and they prepared to finally put their upcoming escape plan into action.

#### Escaping The Ten Rings

> "*Thank you for saving me."*
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> "Don't waste it. Don't waste your life."*"*
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> ― Tony Stark and Ho Yinsen
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Soon the pair enacted their escape plan with Stark being slowly fitted into the armor 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 arrived and killed them. With no other choice Yinsen took a gun and held back the terrorists, while Stark's suit still continued to power up.

Once the suit had power, Iron Man waited in the shadows as the Ten Rings soldiers arrived in the room and searched for them, at which point he revealed himself and used all of his new incredible strength to punch them across the room, with the armor being unaffected by their bullets. Iron Man began making his way through the cave, killing any Ten Rings terrorist he came across by striking him with his armor. When Iron Man accidentally trapped his arm in a wall, a terrorist attempted to kill him by shooting him point blank in the head, only for the bullet to bounce off and kill the terrorist instead, with Iron Man freeing himself and continuing forward on his escape mission.

Coming around a corner near the exit, Iron Man was mortified to find Yinsen flying mortally wounded having been shot multiple times during the escape attempt. However Yinsen was just able to warn Iron Man before Raza fired a rocket launcher at his former hostage. Iron Man managed to dodge the shot and returned fire, shooting a missile at the Ten Rings leader which caused him to be badly burnt and trapped underneath the heavy falling rubble.

Iron Man rushed to Yinsen's side and urged him to get back onto his feet so he could go to Gulmira be reunited with his family, only for Yinsen to reveal that his family were already dead and he would see them at last in the afterlife. With his last words, Yinsen reassured Stark that it would be all right to leave him behind and urged him not to waste his life, while Stark thanked him for everything he had done for him in saving his life both physically and morally as well, noting that he was going to do right by his young daughter like Yinsen had suggested.

Angered by Yinsen's death, Stark stepped outside to confront the rest of the terrorists who were waiting for him; the suit protected him from the onslaught of bullets, and he used the suit's flame-throwers to kill several terrorists, destroy their stockpile of Stark Industries produced weapons that had been stolen from him and used against the United States Armed Forces which he despised, causing several massive fireball explosions to erupt all around him. He, as he did so, vowed to himself that the first change he was going to make to the legacy that his daughter would inherit would be to end the synoymnity of their family name with weapons and destruction.

Due to the massive amount of bullets being fired at him, the Iron Man suit was eventually badly damaged by the gunfire, forcing Stark to escape using the jetpacks while the entire Ten Rings Base erupted in a massive fireball. Iron Man soured above the blast, though his suit began to fall apart and was finally destroyed as he crashed in the desert, although it still saved Stark from the impact. With no other need for it, Stark left the original armor in the desert.

Stark began making his way through the desert, using his jacket to protect himself from the intense heat until finally a helicopter flew overhead, causing Stark to yell out for help and collapse to his knees as he made a peace symbol in the air. James Rhodes then came out of the helicopter and hugged his friend before taking him back to safety. Upon being picked up by the Air Force Stark was then finally returned to the United States of America at long last. The first thing that he requested during the flight home was that his daughter's mother be contacted and arrangements be made that he could have his daughter present when he landed, agreeing to whatever terms were needed to get this arrangement.

#### 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 in a press conference
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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. He could see that, per his request, his young daughter was there holding the hand of his assistant. He was greeted happily by the young child, who exclaimed 'Daddy' and ran forward to meet him. He got down as far as he could, supported by his friend, James Rhodes, in order to embrace the child as she ran into his arms. Her reaction to his return contradicted what Stark had said to Ho Yinsen in Afghanistan (that his daughter wouldn't even know who he is). He kissed her little forehead, happy to have made it home so that he could see her and that she was there to greet him, before being helped back to his full height by Rhodes and taking Oneleigh's hand. To Stark's disgust, there was a stretcher waiting to take him to hospital, which he rejected. Stark then walked over with the young child to meet 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. He then replied that it would be back to work for all of them.

Stark then sat in Happy Hogan's car with Potts; who insisted that he go straight to the hospital to check himself over in the wake of his kidnapping. However, Stark once again refused to get any medical treatment as he buckled Oneleigh into the booster seat between himself and Potts, 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.

As they drove, Stark's young daughter excitedly told him that she had known he was alive the entire time, even though he had been presumed dead by most. He bought cheeseburgers for her too when they stopped for them, and he smiled as he listen while she excitedly told him about the last couple months and told him how much science and math she knew, revealing extremely high intelligence for her young age as well as an avid interest in technology.

Upon arriving at Stark Industries Headquarters, Stark was then enthusiastically greeted by Obadiah Stane before making his way inside, holding the hand of his scared young daughter as he was nearly swarmed on his way into the building. During the press meeting after looking towards the back of the gathering where Oneleigh stood holding the hands of Potts and Rhodes, Stark finished his burger and compared his experiences to how he never said goodbye to his father and that he never got to ask his father if he was ever conflicted about what their company did. He said that he had wanted to make the world better and safer for the young people of following generations and had been horrified to learn that devices he created were being used to end the young lives that he had created them to protect with no on taking any responsibility for it. 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. This had been a decision that Stark would later acknowledge he made in order to spare his daughter having to inherit such a legacy from her name.

As their companies's stock market began to plummet, Stark had a meeting with Stane beside the giant Arc Reactor, holding the hand of his young daughter while they waited for her mother to arrive to pick her up from him. Stane advised him to reconsider the decision as he feared it would ruin the company. Stark insisted that they should take another look at the Arc Reactor technology based on his work with Ho Yinsen, proving this theory by showing Stane the Arc Reactor on his chest that was now keeping him alive, the five year old with him seeming almost terrified at the device. As Stark soothed the little girls fears he declared that Arc Reactor technnology could work, although Stane insisted that the Arc Reactor was designed by Howard Stark and Anton Vanko as a publicity stunt, he eventually agreed to help Stark provided Stark inform him of his next intentions before calling for sudden, unexpected press conferences. At that point, Caroline Bergland had arrived and Stark merely nodded to Stane before taking Oneleigh out to her mother.

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 requested that she set up a face to face meeting between himself and Bergland as soon as possible as he wanted to reevaluate their custodial arrangement of their daughter, deciding that he had survived the experience and had nothing to fear to keep him from being involved in Oneleigh's life. When Potts nodded and asked what to do with the old Arc Reactor he told her to bin it as he no longer had any more use for it.

While he waited on a response from his daughter's mother, Stark went to meet with James Rhodes who was giving a speech to new members of the United States Air Force. Stark interrupted the talk and teased his friend who then ordered the men to leave them in peace. When Rhodes questioned what Stark was doing there, he was told that Stark was working on a big new project, which seemed to delight him until Stark revealed it was not military. Rhodes then recommended that Stark get his mind straight instead.

### Fighting For Custody

> "*I don't want to have to take you to court over this but I will, Carly'*
>
>
> 'Is that a threat, Anthony?'
>
>
> 'It's a promise, Caroline'
>
>
> 'Then I promise this, go ahead take me to court Tony because for 5 years we have asked for, and expected, nothing from you and you have delivered in fine fashion. Take me to court and a judge will hear that too, watch how quickly they give sole custody to me.'
>
>
> 'I can't fix things, or prove that I want to, if you won't give me a chance to, Carly.**"**
>
>
>
> ― Tony Stark and Carly Bergland discussing custodial issues regarding their daughter, Oneleigh Stark
>
>

Bergland ignored Stark's requests to meet face-to-face, not answering the calls or texts making this request. With this being the case, Stark sent Happy Hogan to collect her from her job, compensating for any lost revenue that may result from her absence, and bring her to his Malibu Mansion, knowing that she would not be able to get away when cornered at her place of employment like that.

When Hogan arrived with her, Bergland demanded to know why Stark would jeopardize her employment, which she likened to taking food straight from their daughter's mouth. Stark notes that he had been trying to get a meeting with Bergland for a week and a half and she had ignored his polite requests for a meeting which had prompted him to take extreme measures. She stated that she had allowed him to see their daughter per his request, and that when in a couple of years he decided he wanted to see her again she would consider it, but that they had nothing to take about. She then turned and tried to leave.

Stark then stated that their present custody arrangement about Oneleigh was no longer going to work for him, stopping the 29 year old mother in her tracks. When she demanded to know what he meant by that he informed her of his desire to be a part of his daughter's life, calling for joint custody in which he wanted every other weekend at least visitations, alternating holidays and whatever else came with it.

Bergland countered that he spent 3 months in a cave and suddenly cared about a daughter that he had spent five years not caring about. Stark stated that he had always cared and that he had rights regarding Oneleigh as his name was on her birth certificate. Bergland predicted that he would be interested in being a father for a limited short time and then decide it bored him at which point she stated he would break his daughter's heart by returning to ignoring her existence. She stated that she had to protect Oneleigh from this as their daughter was at an age where she would notice when he did this and be hurt by it.

Stark stated that he wasn't going to that, to which she replied that how many times had he said that right before he did what he had just said he wasn't going to. He stated that he wanted to do right by Oneleigh, countering an argument Bergland made about his shutting down weapons manufacturing was going to bankrupt him and the company leaving their daughter with nothing, by saying he was doing it for her so that she didn't grow up to have the blood on her hands that he did because of her family name. When Bergland said that maybe Oneleigh's last name should be changed and tried to leave again, Stark threatened to take her to court for his rights to their daughter. She laughed and told him to do so given that he had been an absentee dad, she imagined a judge would grant her sole legal and physical custody of the young girl, and then she could block him from having anything to do with her.

He stated that he had returned changed from Afghanistan and that he wanted a chance to prove that he was devoted to his daughter, but that he couldn't do that if Bergland wouldn't even let try. Stark pleaded with the young mother to give him a chance to not be his father, who was everything to everyone except around to be a father. Bergland could see sincerity and relented, stating that if he could remain involved in Oneleigh's life for the following 6 months, including being around for every other weekend visitations, she wpuld consider talking about a more legally binding joint custody agreement, but that she would never let him back into their daughter's life again if he went back to his old ways of ignoring Oneleigh. Stark agreed and Bergland stated that the coming weekend would be his first visit.

### Continuing Becoming Iron Man

#### Suit Upgrades

In the months that followed, Stark retreated from public view and spent much of his time in the Mansion, focusing on improving the design of his new armored suit, refining its size, movement, and flight capability far beyond the original design. Stark was aiding in building the new suit by Dum-E and U who he had constantly mocked and insulted. During this time he also kept his word and had regular visitations with his daughter. He had her design ideas for her bedroom in the house for him to personally put together for her. He was surprised over these visits to find that she had an admiration for him despite his absence from her life during the previous years of her life. He also found that she had an advanced intelligence for her young age and an interest in engineering and robotics. He encouraged this by showing her some of the robotic equipment in his workshop and teaching her the basics of designing robotic equipment. He would find out later that during these visits she would sneak out of bed to watch her father work through the glass entryway to his workshop from the stairs, and she would watch as he built his suit piece by piece.

While working on a new suit, recalling how the Mark I 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, but quickly discovered it was vastly more powerful than he expected and he was launched straight up and painfully crashed into the ceiling.

Making some redesigns to the new armor, Stark developed new stabilizers which would attach to his hands and give him a new level of control while in the air. While testing out the new designs, Stark was joined by Pepper Potts who mistakenly believed that Stark was designing new weapons for Stark Industries which he then denied, claiming that this design was not a weapon but it was completely harmless. However Stark had once again underestimated the power of the design and a single blast from the stabilizer sent him flying backwards, much to Potts' horror. Shocked by this, Stark noted that he was not expecting that and began making adjustments. Stark quickly hid the design away as his daughter came down the stairs calling for him.

Potts informed him that Bergland had apologized for getting Oneleigh to him late, citing a understaffing at the hospital that kept her later. Stark then scooped his daughter up in his arms and said that that couldn't be helped. Potts then informed him that Obadiah Stane had arrived back and was upstairs. Stark then carried his young daughter upstairs, asking her about her day, where Obadiah was playing the piano having brought pizza back from New York with him from his Stark Industries board of directors meeting. Stane informed Stark that board had decided to block him out of the company in the wake of his kidnapping, believing that he was now suffering from PTSD. Stark furiously argued the decision as his daughter selected music cds and dvds for them to listen to and watch during his visit, but was told it was final. Stane then requested to take a look at the Arc reactor, to which Stark motioned for his daughter, who ran over to his arms, and refused. Carrying her towards the steps to the workshop, and simply calling goodnight when Stane requested to come see what Tony was working on.

He then took his daughter down to the workshop where he had hidden away all of his Iron Man suit pieces and gadgets, and began helping her in building a miniaturized version of his robot DUM-E, which she named Smart-E, insisting that she was going to be nicer than Stark was to his robot. He smiled at the excitement that she showed at the process of designing and building, with them finishing for the night and watching a movie. They finished the robot on the second day of her visit and he observed her homework, which he noted was far below her intelligence level.

When Caroline Bergland arrived that Sunday, she had with her a folder of legal documents. Stark frowned at this as he held his daughter in his arms, worried that those documents would mean him being shut out of his daughter's life. When he asked what they were, Bergland set them on the table, aware that Stark did not like being handed things.The contents were revealed to be documents making legal the custody arrangement between the two of them regarding their daughter.