Iron Man

> "*Sometimes you gotta run before you can walk.*"
> ― Tony Stark
>
>

***Anthony Edward "Tony" Stark*** is a superhero, known as ***Iron Man***. He is the head of *Stark Industries* and a prominent member of the Avengers, who established the *Avengers Campus* initiative. He is one of the most major characters in Disney's marvel theme parks, being behind the *Global Avengers Initiative*, the namesake of Stark Expo, central character of the Iron Man Experience, and a major character in *Avengers Assemble: Flight Force*.

## History

### Background

Tony Stark was born in 1970, the son of industrialist/inventor Howard Stark and his wife Maria of Stark Industries. Tony was an intelligent boy from a young age. At 17, he graduated from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Also in the 1980s he designed the A.I., "JARVIS", modelled after family butler Edwin Jarvis. JARVIS was considered to be the most advanced artificial-intelligence designed at the time.

In 1991, both of Tony's parents died in a car accident, leaving him to inherit Stark Industries. Unknown to Tony, his parents were actually assassinated by the secret Nazi organization HYDRA's brainwashed assassin, "The Winter Soldier". After this incident, Tony was raised by Edwin Jarvis up until the butler's own demise. In 1991, Tony became head of Stark Industries, Tony prioritized selling weapons and warmongering.

### Iron Man

In the 2000s, Tony travelled oversees to sell his weapons to the US government. Tony was subsequently kidnapped by terrorists to work as a weapon designer in a cave in Central Asia. In the incident, shrapnel was lodged inside of Tony's chest which would enter his heart and kill him if not kept at bay with an electromagnetic implant.

For his condition, Tony designed a miniature Arc Reactor based on a giant one created by his father Howard. Tony implanted this reactor in his chest as a form of clean energy to power the electromagnet in his chest. He went on to design a makeshift suit of flying armour to escape from the terrorists and make it back to America. This incident changed Tony, leaving him wanting to move Stark Industries away from weaponry and become a superhero.

Tony's activities in an upgraded suit lead to the newspaper The Chronicle deeming him the mysterious superhero, "Iron Man". Tony later said, "Screw it"and revealed his secret identity to the public, causing him to be confronted by director Nick Fury of SHIELD for the Avengers Intiative.

### Stark Expo Revival

In 2010, Tony revived his father's old, "Stark Expos" which were held, like the World's Fair, in Flushing Meadows, New York City. Around this time, he named his subordinate and partner Pepper Potts as CEO of Stark Industries. After this event, Tony was awarded the Army's distinguished service medal.

### Battle of New York

Iron Man teamed up with SHIELD as part of their counter-force to the trickster god Loki of Asgard whom aimed to take over the world. Tony worked alongside Dr. Bruce Banner, SHIELD agent Black Widow, Loki's brother Thor, and his own father's old ally Captain America for this task. The incident escalated to the Avengers fighting off waves of alien Chitauri from invading New York City and thwarting Loki's plans for world domination. After this, the Avengers went to go try out shawarma at a nearby restaurant.

### Tomorrowland

Not long after the Battle of New York, Stark Industries held an exhibit on Iron Man's technology in the Tomorrowland Expo Center of Tomorrowland in California. This exhibit showed of Stark Industries technology alongside the history of Tony's suits.

### Hong Kong

In the 2010s, Tony Stark started the Stark Expo in Hong Kong to be a world exposition whose theme of ‘A Better Tomorrow Today,’ was meant to inspire and motivate through technological innovation. In the vain of upgrading the Stark Tower in New York City equipped with a giant arc reactor, he had a Stark Tower built in Hong Kong powered by the largest Arc reactor built yet. This would revolve around the Tomorrowland of Hong Kong, connected via Iron Wings to Stark Tower in the main city.

Shortly after opening, Jarvis reported that HYDRA robots lead by Arnim Zola were attacking Stark Tower at the Stark Expo in Hong Kong in order to steal the Arc Reactor. Stark arrived at the scene and attacked the HYDRA robots. With the help of Jarvis, the HYDRA robots were defeated. At the same time, Zola's swarmbots attempted to steal a data-core from SHIELD but were fought off by Ant-Man and the Wasp whom Iron Man contacted, along with the guests of SHIELD recruits overseen by agent Leslie Lam.

### Battle of Sokovia

Around 2015, Tony Stark designed an artificial-intelligence called, "Ultron" to be a proto-fascist program which would, "Protect" the world. This robot turned evil almost immediately and made its base in the Eastern European nation of Sokovia. Here, Ultron replicated into an army of robots which tried to save the world by wiping out humanity, lifting Sokovia's capitol into the sky to use as a meteor impactor. The Avengers were able to foil Ultron's plans and defeat the robots though it devastated the country.

### Global Avengers Initiative

In the aftermath of the attack on Stark Expo, Tony decided to create superhero outposts across the world as a preventative measure as part of the, "Global Avengers Initiative". One of the earliest opened of these was the *Xandarian Outpost* planned for the alien government of Xandar to promote themselves and their technology on Earth. The location of this outpost was the *Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow* in Florida, a location chosen by Star-Lord of the *Guardians of the Galaxy* due to having visited EPCOT as a child in the 1980s. The outpost opened around 2014 and had an incident where it was attacked by the Celestial, Eson the Searcher.

Amongst these were the, "Super Hero Academy" school for young superheroes based out of a mobile-base of the Atlantic Ocean, repurposed from an old SHIELD base. Tony donated his Iron Man tech to this school, and had fellow superheroes teach different subjects while he himself taught Tech 101. The school opened the November of 2016 with Iron Man having attented the opening alongside Captain America, Spider-Man, and Black Widow.

Another part of the initiative was a, "Mission Station" created in Shanghai.

#### Avengers Campus California

Starting the late August of 2019, Tony would next transform his father's old Industrial Complex in Orange, California into the first, "Avengers Campus". Tony would found an organization for young engineers called the *Worldwide Engineering Brigade* which made their base here, within an old Stark Motors building previously used by Tony's father. Stark also brought in those from the nation of Wakanda, PYM Tech, and allowed for the fortress of the alien collector Taneleer Tivan to station themselves on the land.

During their stay in this campus, the Worldwide Engineering Brigade destroyed much of Howard's old lab with Pym Particles from Scott Lang. Tony texted Scott and threatened them to clean up the mess.

#### Avengers Campus Paris

While the California base was being run, Tony was setting up a new outpost in Paris, France which he asked Wasp for assistance in creating. Leading up to the opening, Stark collaborated with Princess Shuri of Wakanda and the *Wakanda Design Group* to engineer the Vibranium-powered *Avengers Deployment Vehicles*.

While on the campus, the alien empire of the Kree sent various warheads at the Earth with the only superhero ally present to assist Iron Man being Captain Marvel. Stark had no Avengers members on hand with several being occupied fighting Ultron on the Disney Wish while Rocket of the *Guardians of the Galaxy* were occupied escaping the Collector's Fortress. Because of this, Captain Marvel and Tony recruited various guests of Avengers Campus to ride his space-ships, "Hypersonique" with them and successfully take out the missiles.

While on the campus, Avengers Campus Paris was visited by the Guardians of the Galaxy looking for new recruits. When FRIDAY recognized that Star-Lord and Gamora were arranging a, "Dance-off" to find recruits, she played Stark's, "Inspirational playlist". Upset by Stark's taste in music, Star-Lord had Rocket hack into FRIDAY and play the Guardians' own playlist. This upset Stark so when FRIDAY went back online, he asked for her to have the Guardians meet him at the QG. Rocket then hacked FRIDAY to thank FRIDAY while the Guardians made their escape.

One night, Tony spent an evening with Thor in the training centre of the headquarters. The two were observed by Redwing, with Thor laughing at Stark struggling to lift his hammer, Mjolnr, as he is not worthy.

## Appearances and allusions

### Disney Cruise Line

#### Marvel Super Hero Academy

Tony Stark canonically established this school, his helmet appears on display, his Arc reactor is in the crest, and he is mentioned as teaching Tech 101. The Daily Bugle also mentions how he was in attendance of the school's opening.

### Disneyland/DCA

#### Avengers Campus

##### PYM Test Kitchen

Wasp's giant cellphone will sometimes show texts from Tony, asking for assistance in creating the Avengers Campus of Paris. Wasp will also get texts about Tony from Hank Pym, asking to keep an eye on him, and Peter who asks her not to tell Tony about Peter's Spider-Bots ravaging the campus.

##### Web Slingers: A Spider-Man Adventure

This attraction revolves around the Worldwide Engineering Brigade, which Tony founded. S.H.A.R.I.N. mentions Tony by name in the pre-show for his funding.

#### The Buena Vista Bugle

Iron Man was briefly mentioned by, "Mirna the Fashion Maven".

#### Innoventions

Innoventions had a Stark Industries display made to tie-in with Iron Man 3.

### Disneyland Paris/Walt Disney Studios Park

#### Avengers Assemble: Flight Force

Tony is a major character in this attraction.

#### Guardians of the Galaxy: Dance Challenge!

Tony Stark's, "Inspirational playlist" is played by FRIDAY to provide Star-Lord with music before it is hacked by Rocket. At the end, FRIDAY relays that Iron Man wants to talk with the guardians at headquarters before they choose to flee.

#### Skyline Bar

Iron Man can be seen flying past the window.

#### Stark Expo: Make Way for a Better Tomorrow!

Iron Man appears on a screen in this show.

### Hong Kong Disneyland

#### Iron Man Experience

Iron Man is the protagonist of this attraction.

### Walt Disney World

#### Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind

While not referenced in the attraction, Tony's *Global Avengers Initiative* has been identified as the creators of the Xandarian Outpost.

#### Jock Lindsey's Hangar Bar

In this bar is a sign reading, "The Iron Fireman" with the word, "Fire" blotted out so it says, "Iron Man" along with the design of a man in an iron suit. Additionally, Tony's father Howard Stark has keys left in the lost & found.

## In other media

### W.E.B. of Spider-Man

Tony Stark appears in this story and is mentioned as founder of the Worldwide Engineering Brigade.

## Trivia

* Iron Man's comic-book protégée Riri Williams AKA Ironheart is referenced as a member of the Worldwide Engineering Brigade.
* The parks identify Tony Stark as having had his heart injured in Central Asia as it was in the comics, while in the MCU it was injured in the Middle East.
* One of Iron Man's most prominent villain enemies, Fin Fang Foom, may be depicted on a totem pole in the queue to *Guardians of the Galaxy - Mission: BREAKOUT!*. His enemies the *Ten Rings* have appeared alongside Shang-Chi. Justin Hammer's business Hammer Industries has been referenced in the Daily Bugle.

## References

1. ↑ https://awesome.blog/2017/01/iron-man-experience-hk-disneyland.html
2. ↑ Exhibit was themed to Iron Man 3, which is set shortly after the events of the Avengers
3. ↑ https://disneycruiselineblog.com/2017/04/look-re-imagined-oceaneer-club-lab-aboard-disney-wonder/
4. ↑ https://dlnewstoday.com/2019/08/photos-a-closer-look-at-avengers-campus-projects-coming-to-disney-parks-at-d23-expo-2019/
5. ↑ https://www.laughingplace.com/w/news/2021/06/04/marvel-character-text-messages-at-avengers-campus/
6. ↑ https://disneylandmaps.files.wordpress.com/2016/06/4-3.jpg