http://www.avengersforever.org/articles/default.asp
Everything was back to normal –
Tony was back and he remembered everything prior to his return, his memory as both young and old Tony, and the things he did while under the influence of Kang. He asked the Avengers to reconvene their court martial to give judgment to his actions. Captain America told him that they did not faulty him for all that happened, since he was being controlled and all that happened was not of his own free will. Iron Man was thus acquitted – but this did not make Tony happy, and he resolved to make sure he, as Iron Man, was never controlled again.
Tony rehired Pepper and Happy – who at this time were divorced, and he wanted to start a new company, not really interested in fighting for his old company which was now renamed Stark-Fujikawa, symbolizing that it was now in majority controlled Fujikawa Japan’s hands. Apparently, with the heroes all gone and considered dead, Tony’s cousin (Morgan) helped broker the buy out, allowing him to live in style as a lame duck director just to ensure the public that there was a Stark on the board of directors.
With Tony’s return, Stark- Fujikawa was gearing for a legal battle – but Tony surprised everyone when he flat out announced to the world that he would instead create Stark Solutions and he’d be acting as consultant to help solve anyone’s company’s problems. This after Tony had a soul searching moment – realizing all that he (in his past life) had been responsible for, and now that he was literally reborn, he wanted to do things differently, starting with focusing his efforts to build and improve, rather than fight and destroy.
Despite this, we could see a wiser, but once again idyllic Tony Stark – and instead of a moustache, he now sported a trimmed beard. He made his peace with James Rhodes and gave him the War Machine armor while Tony decided to continue being Iron Man. He even made a pre-recorded announcement – as Iron Man, that Tony wanted peace, but was not taking chances – and Iron Man would be around to defend Tony against those that thought of harming him.
It was around this time that Tony noticed a fellow Avenger falling into the same trap from whence he came from – Carol Danvers/Ms. Marvel was getting too comfortable with the bottle and he tried helping her, convincing her to get help - but when he saw that she could not help herself he personally testified to ensure that she would not function as an Avenger until she fought and beat the addiction. He even took it upon himself to check on Carol when he moved into the neighborhood, and after a series of events, where Carol saw how her actions were affecting her judgment and performance, she agreed to Tony’s invitation to join him in an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting.
This was evidently a very different Tony once again – but he would still be hounded by past associations, among others being Sunset Bain, from whom Tony was able to retrieve Jocasta’s persona back and turn her into his home and office’s A.I. (people take note Jocasta’s A.I. persona has similarities to Oracle’s computer image, but this happened close to a decade before Oracle started using a similar A.I. looking persona whenever she was meeting the J.L.A.).
Among the other personalities Tony would be meeting would be the Mandarin and Spy Master, who would be responsible for bugging Tony’s new office and hearing Pepper and/or Happy talk to Tony and freely have discussions with him as Tony and/or I.M. – in short, Tony’s I.M. secret would be out in the open.
Tony took a severe beating from the thugs of Spy Master (coupled by the injuries he would later sustain while battling the Mandarin) that made him have a lot of internal injuries – and possible death, had it not been for Natasha Romanoff’s (a.k.a. the Black Widow) timely intervention – an arrival, by the way earlier arranged for by Tony. So even if he were not a precog to avoid such beating up – and his briefcase (containing his armor) being thrown into the river, he was ready for any possibility by having the Widow on hand.
Tony also had the number of Dr, Jane Foster – formerly nurse Jane Foster, assistant to Donald Blake, M.D. (the once mortal guise of Thor), and Natasha rushed him to Dr. Foster. During the course of her treatment, she realized that Tony was not healing properly and consulted with Hank Pym, who upon realization, talked to Tony and explained that the reason for his slow recovery was his use of Iron Man. Once again, a health issue came up that would give Tony pause to using the armor – so he tried the next best thing, remote control.
Unfortunately, control of being Iron Man and the possibility of his being addicted to using the armor because of the rush or thrill would be an issue he would argue with himself for again – and as if on cue, he would fall into the lap of the Controller. Tony would later resolve that such was not the case – he was helping others, and the Iron Man armor was just a tool.
Tony would also meet his latest flame, who would ironically be Ms. Rumiko Fujikawa- the one and only heiress to the Fujikawa fortune. So it seemed that, even if he said that his interest in Ms. Fujikawa was purely personal, others in Stark-Fujikawa thought otherwise. Unfortunate for them, Rumiko was a very independent-minded, fun-loving woman, and her sights were set on conquering Tony Stark.
Like others before her, Rumiko would be frustrated several times with Tony’s seemingly choosing work as a priority than spending time with her, and in an act of indiscretion – one to be ‘accidentally’ witnessed by Tony himself (they were both set up), an act designed to would hurt him once again.
Lucky for Tony, he was made of sterner stuff now and he did not slide back to alcohol. And it seems like both Tony and Rumiko would eventually find a way to forgive, forget and get back together. Though still showing signs of a having an active, devil may care attitude Rumiko would
seemingly behave for the sake of Tony.
Tony still felt hounded with the fact that too many foes knew his double life and if he got too close to anyone, they would suffer for it. He found a unique opportunity to make the world forget that he was Iron Man – thanks to a plan by Mentallo to use the cyber astral plane to control everyone’s thoughts. Tony battled Mentallo, who made the mistake of thinking that Tony was a weak willed millionaire. Before destroying Mentallo’s mental control web (as in world wide web), he devised a virus to travel along said web to both destroy the web and make sure that everyone will not remember that Tony Stark is Iron Man.
Tony then selectively revealed himself to others – first the Avengers… and once again, Steve Rogers would find this action questionable, and their friendship once again strained. Later, he repeated the revelation to both Pepper and Happy (though not shown, I would also think he’d have included Rhodey in his list of trusted confidants with the once again secret identity by virtue of his being both a friend, and Avenger)
Cap and IM would debate about the morality of such actions again – while fighting A.I.M. and M.O.D.O.K. This battle eventually led to Cap likewise having to decide a similar moral dilemma – and he reciprocated in the same manner that Tony had done. This made him better understand Tony’s stance – but not necessarily condone the action Tony did. Still, they remained friends.
Tony would find himself in danger with his armor once again – but this time, by way of its having its own installed artificial intelligence and with this, its own consciousness. It initially allowed Tony more liberty – since the A.I. could now function as Iron Man independent of Tony. Tony even allowed it to do his battles – but in one instance, its cold logic made it take a life. Now Tony had to stop the A.I. and in the ensuing struggle, Tony suffered a heart attack and was dying.
The A.I., proving that it was a hero worthy of the mantle Iron Man, sacrificed itself by pulling out vital circuitry – programming these to transform into an artificial heart and take its place as Tony’s new heart – thus did Tony once again have the need for an artificial heart. After all the years, it seemed that Tony’s life had gone full circle.
Tony would once again show signs of being a practical person, he would also find reason not to consider his identity a secret, and in so doing – seemingly out of a whim, reveal to others he is Iron Man, by saving an animal while attending a formal party. I would rather put this forward as change in direction coupled with a change in creative team – hence not really focus on an additional dimension to his character… unless that addition is being wishy-washy.
This seemingly frivolous action had some consequences. According to the U.S. government, since Tony acted in bad faith by not disclosing himself as Iron Man, the government found a loop hole in his contracts and could now likewise renege on its own limitations and resell Stark technology/design that they had to third-party manufacturers. If Stark won’t build their weapons, they would find others that will… using his technology.
Tony thought long and hard about this and contemplated on a possible Armor War again, yet he found a different solution… one more to his and to many others’ liking. Since the position of Defense Secretary was recently vacated (after it was learned that Dell Rusk - the last person to hold the post, was actually the Red Skull), he approached the president and asked if he could be considered for the post. Tony’s credentials were exceptional – a captain of the industry, with a proven track record for understanding technology, weapons and a large bureaucracy.
Tony’s position as Iron Man, the hero, was ironically the same reason he would seemingly be bypassed by Congress, as many saw him exhibiting a lifestyle too wild and ‘cowboyish’. He did not seem to adhere to rules and this was not something they thought would be an asset to anyone occupying the position he was being proposed for - but an emergency; one not by his design… rather, one as a consequence by an over eager undersecretary of Defense suddenly happened.
This emergency threatened Washington, and it just proved to all present that Tony Stark as Iron Man was exactly what the government needed – to ensure that Stark designed products were handled, tested and released properly. Since he likewise saved their collective lives, no one dared go against Stark’s eventual passage for the position of Defense Secretary.
As Sec.Def., Tony wanted to make sure no one abused his designs – and he was now in a better position to do this. It also gave him a clearer understanding of how the government, and its myriad, departments worked. It is here that he first gets a whiff of the Super Heroes Registration Act and its proponents.
As Sec.Def. he also realizes that he now has two loyalties to consider – that of his government position (Tony Stark) and that of his association with the Avengers (Iron Man), which happened to be operating under the auspices of the United Nations, right after their U.S. Security Clearance was recalled. Ironically, he seemed less welcome in the mansion for there seemed to be a lack of trust as to his motives – said lack of trust being give reason when he was acting (with the help of Warbird) as Sec.Def./Iron Man while trying to retrieve a dormant doomsday robot left by Howard Stark in the foundations of the mansion.
As Sec.Def. it is also my understanding that Tony had to offload his shares in any corporation he had to ensure that he had no conflicting interest with his position and his business.
Events would overtake the Avengers at this point and they would find themselves disassembled in its wake. Tony would be of no help to them, as he would be nearly dead drunk by way of artificial means from a trusted source. Tony would also lose his Sec.Def. post when he threatened the Latverian Ambassador in front of the assembled U.N. during an address by him and the Avengers.
Tony Stark - post-disassembled, looked spent, frustrated and according to him – broke. So much so that he had not enough funds to begin all the necessary repairs to the mansion, the grounds nor the necessary operation expenses for the team’s continued existence and other Maria Stark Foundation focused activities. For all intents and purposes he seemed broke. The team honored their dead, disbanded and everyone went their respective ways.
Tony regrouped his finances, refocused on his projects – even those stalled, like the new quinjets and consolidated his fortune – probably selling a few things. He likewise transferred residence to his mansion. Knowing that he hated inactivity, Tony was probably rethinking what he would do with his life- how it would look, post-Avengers, wondering where he would try out his new armor’s additions, when the break-out happened.
To date, Tony still exhibits the caring streak for his employees; he’s still hard to come by as Tony Stark for parties; until her untimely death, he had been seeing Ms. Fujikawa on a regular basis; and he even got to find the time to hire a doctor to cure the Living Laser – a villain who had put his life on danger several occasions.
Tony’s recent loss of Rumiko has made him a bit colder though. He still thrives in solving problems – as his recent adventure with the Extremis proved he was willing to do anything to defeat a villain (or problem). He was not afraid to likewise infect himself with a techno-organic virus that helped him meld seamlessly with his armor – his inner armor now seeps into his marrows, where it stays, ready to come out at a though. This has made his ability to control the armor faster, with less reaction time and definitely, he also has the ability to heal faster – but at what price? Stark gambled – jumping in now and worrying about consequences later.
He also takes a more direct role in a newly formed Avengers, one he was at first reluctant to help build, but at Steve’s seeming insistence –one he is now seemingly in charge of, while letting Steve do the more mundane organizing stuff. His world-view also made him insist on having people on the team who can do things they (meaning Steve and him or almost anyone else in the old Avengers) do – thus getting Wolverine. On Steve’s concern that Logan might not be interested, Tony more than hinted that anyone would be interested – at the right price.
Tony’s use of technology comes naturally – and whether an increasing use of this is due to his better interfacing or due to the extremis, the fact remains that Tony has now shown and even greater mastery of, and advantageous use for technology and the transfer of information.
Still, it is once again this seeming arrogance that Tony displays that rubs him off the wrong way – ha almost fought Logan, likewise rubbed off wrong with Jessica, seemingly manipulates Peter – as he was seemingly manipulated all those years by Sunset, and if Steve does not agree with him, he just ignores the man.
Steve even confronts him upon realizing that he stopped a villain’s heart – only to restart it, hence technically – he had killed the guy. Yet you can’t fault the fact that he also nearly burned another villain to a crisp upon thinking that this guy might have killed Peter, so he still cares for others. At times, he exhibits cold logic – in others he shows strong passion.
Then there’s how he treats Maria Hill… and though we may argue that she deserved it, Tony’s belittling her did not help give the New Avengers any brownie points with the new S.H.I.E.L.D. Is it any wonder, now that they find themselves not being fully trusted by, nor their fully trusting S.H.I.E.L.D.?
Tony wants to get things done fast. He does not mind taking short cuts and won’t mind manipulating others, nor does going through ‘extra legal’ means to get his point across… so long as it does not harm anyone. Remember, he hired the Crimson Dymano to stage an attack to Tony Stark while in Washington to get some media mileage on the Super Hero Registration Act, banking on Spider-man being there to make sure no one got hurt.
He was after sinking the proposal in so many legislative red tape and arguments, and he would have succeeded too – his Sec.Def. days helped him understand how the system worked after all. Unfortunately, he can’t control everything, but he is also a realist to know when his efforts are defeated. He reacts by doing the best he can… he joins the pro rank, to help minimize damage.
He has taken a stance, one he prays is right, but one he is willing to fight for.
He has his value systems based on beliefs and one of these is the need for order and control. He’s a practical person and many are willing to follow him through difficult times – for he has proven that he does care for them. He takes the lead and ensures that things go right. He’s done it in his business, he tried doing the same with the Avengers and the ‘Illuminati’ idea also sprung form this need to better coordinate (thus in some way control) the super hero community’s resources.
Tony is all too human, capable of slips or mistakes – but he admits these mistakes and picks himself up. He has sacrificed his health for others as Iron Man. He proved time and again that he is a hero. He may, at times, not disclose everything for certain reasons, and he’s willing to be mentor to a less worldly Peter Parker. But I can’t help thinking that it was also because he knows he may need Peter by his side should the actions of the SHRA come to the fore.
To Tony, the need for the many may have to outweigh the need of a few. This is logical. He may find life like chess, where sacrifices need to be made to get the bigger picture.
This is Tony Stark.
Is he less a hero because he is not as noble as others? No…
Is he too practical that he comes across as crass and uncaring? At times…
Is his stance in the Civil War the right side? Depends on how you look at it… he believes he is doing well for the community. He believes he is adhering to the law. He believes this is needed.
He’s in it ‘til the end… wherever that is… whatever it takes.
Everything was back to normal –
Tony was back and he remembered everything prior to his return, his memory as both young and old Tony, and the things he did while under the influence of Kang. He asked the Avengers to reconvene their court martial to give judgment to his actions. Captain America told him that they did not faulty him for all that happened, since he was being controlled and all that happened was not of his own free will. Iron Man was thus acquitted – but this did not make Tony happy, and he resolved to make sure he, as Iron Man, was never controlled again.
Tony rehired Pepper and Happy – who at this time were divorced, and he wanted to start a new company, not really interested in fighting for his old company which was now renamed Stark-Fujikawa, symbolizing that it was now in majority controlled Fujikawa Japan’s hands. Apparently, with the heroes all gone and considered dead, Tony’s cousin (Morgan) helped broker the buy out, allowing him to live in style as a lame duck director just to ensure the public that there was a Stark on the board of directors.
With Tony’s return, Stark- Fujikawa was gearing for a legal battle – but Tony surprised everyone when he flat out announced to the world that he would instead create Stark Solutions and he’d be acting as consultant to help solve anyone’s company’s problems. This after Tony had a soul searching moment – realizing all that he (in his past life) had been responsible for, and now that he was literally reborn, he wanted to do things differently, starting with focusing his efforts to build and improve, rather than fight and destroy.
Despite this, we could see a wiser, but once again idyllic Tony Stark – and instead of a moustache, he now sported a trimmed beard. He made his peace with James Rhodes and gave him the War Machine armor while Tony decided to continue being Iron Man. He even made a pre-recorded announcement – as Iron Man, that Tony wanted peace, but was not taking chances – and Iron Man would be around to defend Tony against those that thought of harming him.
It was around this time that Tony noticed a fellow Avenger falling into the same trap from whence he came from – Carol Danvers/Ms. Marvel was getting too comfortable with the bottle and he tried helping her, convincing her to get help - but when he saw that she could not help herself he personally testified to ensure that she would not function as an Avenger until she fought and beat the addiction. He even took it upon himself to check on Carol when he moved into the neighborhood, and after a series of events, where Carol saw how her actions were affecting her judgment and performance, she agreed to Tony’s invitation to join him in an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting.
This was evidently a very different Tony once again – but he would still be hounded by past associations, among others being Sunset Bain, from whom Tony was able to retrieve Jocasta’s persona back and turn her into his home and office’s A.I. (people take note Jocasta’s A.I. persona has similarities to Oracle’s computer image, but this happened close to a decade before Oracle started using a similar A.I. looking persona whenever she was meeting the J.L.A.).
Among the other personalities Tony would be meeting would be the Mandarin and Spy Master, who would be responsible for bugging Tony’s new office and hearing Pepper and/or Happy talk to Tony and freely have discussions with him as Tony and/or I.M. – in short, Tony’s I.M. secret would be out in the open.
Tony took a severe beating from the thugs of Spy Master (coupled by the injuries he would later sustain while battling the Mandarin) that made him have a lot of internal injuries – and possible death, had it not been for Natasha Romanoff’s (a.k.a. the Black Widow) timely intervention – an arrival, by the way earlier arranged for by Tony. So even if he were not a precog to avoid such beating up – and his briefcase (containing his armor) being thrown into the river, he was ready for any possibility by having the Widow on hand.
Tony also had the number of Dr, Jane Foster – formerly nurse Jane Foster, assistant to Donald Blake, M.D. (the once mortal guise of Thor), and Natasha rushed him to Dr. Foster. During the course of her treatment, she realized that Tony was not healing properly and consulted with Hank Pym, who upon realization, talked to Tony and explained that the reason for his slow recovery was his use of Iron Man. Once again, a health issue came up that would give Tony pause to using the armor – so he tried the next best thing, remote control.
Unfortunately, control of being Iron Man and the possibility of his being addicted to using the armor because of the rush or thrill would be an issue he would argue with himself for again – and as if on cue, he would fall into the lap of the Controller. Tony would later resolve that such was not the case – he was helping others, and the Iron Man armor was just a tool.
Tony would also meet his latest flame, who would ironically be Ms. Rumiko Fujikawa- the one and only heiress to the Fujikawa fortune. So it seemed that, even if he said that his interest in Ms. Fujikawa was purely personal, others in Stark-Fujikawa thought otherwise. Unfortunate for them, Rumiko was a very independent-minded, fun-loving woman, and her sights were set on conquering Tony Stark.
Like others before her, Rumiko would be frustrated several times with Tony’s seemingly choosing work as a priority than spending time with her, and in an act of indiscretion – one to be ‘accidentally’ witnessed by Tony himself (they were both set up), an act designed to would hurt him once again.
Lucky for Tony, he was made of sterner stuff now and he did not slide back to alcohol. And it seems like both Tony and Rumiko would eventually find a way to forgive, forget and get back together. Though still showing signs of a having an active, devil may care attitude Rumiko would
seemingly behave for the sake of Tony.
Tony still felt hounded with the fact that too many foes knew his double life and if he got too close to anyone, they would suffer for it. He found a unique opportunity to make the world forget that he was Iron Man – thanks to a plan by Mentallo to use the cyber astral plane to control everyone’s thoughts. Tony battled Mentallo, who made the mistake of thinking that Tony was a weak willed millionaire. Before destroying Mentallo’s mental control web (as in world wide web), he devised a virus to travel along said web to both destroy the web and make sure that everyone will not remember that Tony Stark is Iron Man.
Tony then selectively revealed himself to others – first the Avengers… and once again, Steve Rogers would find this action questionable, and their friendship once again strained. Later, he repeated the revelation to both Pepper and Happy (though not shown, I would also think he’d have included Rhodey in his list of trusted confidants with the once again secret identity by virtue of his being both a friend, and Avenger)
Cap and IM would debate about the morality of such actions again – while fighting A.I.M. and M.O.D.O.K. This battle eventually led to Cap likewise having to decide a similar moral dilemma – and he reciprocated in the same manner that Tony had done. This made him better understand Tony’s stance – but not necessarily condone the action Tony did. Still, they remained friends.
Tony would find himself in danger with his armor once again – but this time, by way of its having its own installed artificial intelligence and with this, its own consciousness. It initially allowed Tony more liberty – since the A.I. could now function as Iron Man independent of Tony. Tony even allowed it to do his battles – but in one instance, its cold logic made it take a life. Now Tony had to stop the A.I. and in the ensuing struggle, Tony suffered a heart attack and was dying.
The A.I., proving that it was a hero worthy of the mantle Iron Man, sacrificed itself by pulling out vital circuitry – programming these to transform into an artificial heart and take its place as Tony’s new heart – thus did Tony once again have the need for an artificial heart. After all the years, it seemed that Tony’s life had gone full circle.
Tony would once again show signs of being a practical person, he would also find reason not to consider his identity a secret, and in so doing – seemingly out of a whim, reveal to others he is Iron Man, by saving an animal while attending a formal party. I would rather put this forward as change in direction coupled with a change in creative team – hence not really focus on an additional dimension to his character… unless that addition is being wishy-washy.
This seemingly frivolous action had some consequences. According to the U.S. government, since Tony acted in bad faith by not disclosing himself as Iron Man, the government found a loop hole in his contracts and could now likewise renege on its own limitations and resell Stark technology/design that they had to third-party manufacturers. If Stark won’t build their weapons, they would find others that will… using his technology.
Tony thought long and hard about this and contemplated on a possible Armor War again, yet he found a different solution… one more to his and to many others’ liking. Since the position of Defense Secretary was recently vacated (after it was learned that Dell Rusk - the last person to hold the post, was actually the Red Skull), he approached the president and asked if he could be considered for the post. Tony’s credentials were exceptional – a captain of the industry, with a proven track record for understanding technology, weapons and a large bureaucracy.
Tony’s position as Iron Man, the hero, was ironically the same reason he would seemingly be bypassed by Congress, as many saw him exhibiting a lifestyle too wild and ‘cowboyish’. He did not seem to adhere to rules and this was not something they thought would be an asset to anyone occupying the position he was being proposed for - but an emergency; one not by his design… rather, one as a consequence by an over eager undersecretary of Defense suddenly happened.
This emergency threatened Washington, and it just proved to all present that Tony Stark as Iron Man was exactly what the government needed – to ensure that Stark designed products were handled, tested and released properly. Since he likewise saved their collective lives, no one dared go against Stark’s eventual passage for the position of Defense Secretary.
As Sec.Def., Tony wanted to make sure no one abused his designs – and he was now in a better position to do this. It also gave him a clearer understanding of how the government, and its myriad, departments worked. It is here that he first gets a whiff of the Super Heroes Registration Act and its proponents.
As Sec.Def. he also realizes that he now has two loyalties to consider – that of his government position (Tony Stark) and that of his association with the Avengers (Iron Man), which happened to be operating under the auspices of the United Nations, right after their U.S. Security Clearance was recalled. Ironically, he seemed less welcome in the mansion for there seemed to be a lack of trust as to his motives – said lack of trust being give reason when he was acting (with the help of Warbird) as Sec.Def./Iron Man while trying to retrieve a dormant doomsday robot left by Howard Stark in the foundations of the mansion.
As Sec.Def. it is also my understanding that Tony had to offload his shares in any corporation he had to ensure that he had no conflicting interest with his position and his business.
Events would overtake the Avengers at this point and they would find themselves disassembled in its wake. Tony would be of no help to them, as he would be nearly dead drunk by way of artificial means from a trusted source. Tony would also lose his Sec.Def. post when he threatened the Latverian Ambassador in front of the assembled U.N. during an address by him and the Avengers.
Tony Stark - post-disassembled, looked spent, frustrated and according to him – broke. So much so that he had not enough funds to begin all the necessary repairs to the mansion, the grounds nor the necessary operation expenses for the team’s continued existence and other Maria Stark Foundation focused activities. For all intents and purposes he seemed broke. The team honored their dead, disbanded and everyone went their respective ways.
Tony regrouped his finances, refocused on his projects – even those stalled, like the new quinjets and consolidated his fortune – probably selling a few things. He likewise transferred residence to his mansion. Knowing that he hated inactivity, Tony was probably rethinking what he would do with his life- how it would look, post-Avengers, wondering where he would try out his new armor’s additions, when the break-out happened.
To date, Tony still exhibits the caring streak for his employees; he’s still hard to come by as Tony Stark for parties; until her untimely death, he had been seeing Ms. Fujikawa on a regular basis; and he even got to find the time to hire a doctor to cure the Living Laser – a villain who had put his life on danger several occasions.
Tony’s recent loss of Rumiko has made him a bit colder though. He still thrives in solving problems – as his recent adventure with the Extremis proved he was willing to do anything to defeat a villain (or problem). He was not afraid to likewise infect himself with a techno-organic virus that helped him meld seamlessly with his armor – his inner armor now seeps into his marrows, where it stays, ready to come out at a though. This has made his ability to control the armor faster, with less reaction time and definitely, he also has the ability to heal faster – but at what price? Stark gambled – jumping in now and worrying about consequences later.
He also takes a more direct role in a newly formed Avengers, one he was at first reluctant to help build, but at Steve’s seeming insistence –one he is now seemingly in charge of, while letting Steve do the more mundane organizing stuff. His world-view also made him insist on having people on the team who can do things they (meaning Steve and him or almost anyone else in the old Avengers) do – thus getting Wolverine. On Steve’s concern that Logan might not be interested, Tony more than hinted that anyone would be interested – at the right price.
Tony’s use of technology comes naturally – and whether an increasing use of this is due to his better interfacing or due to the extremis, the fact remains that Tony has now shown and even greater mastery of, and advantageous use for technology and the transfer of information.
Still, it is once again this seeming arrogance that Tony displays that rubs him off the wrong way – ha almost fought Logan, likewise rubbed off wrong with Jessica, seemingly manipulates Peter – as he was seemingly manipulated all those years by Sunset, and if Steve does not agree with him, he just ignores the man.
Steve even confronts him upon realizing that he stopped a villain’s heart – only to restart it, hence technically – he had killed the guy. Yet you can’t fault the fact that he also nearly burned another villain to a crisp upon thinking that this guy might have killed Peter, so he still cares for others. At times, he exhibits cold logic – in others he shows strong passion.
Then there’s how he treats Maria Hill… and though we may argue that she deserved it, Tony’s belittling her did not help give the New Avengers any brownie points with the new S.H.I.E.L.D. Is it any wonder, now that they find themselves not being fully trusted by, nor their fully trusting S.H.I.E.L.D.?
Tony wants to get things done fast. He does not mind taking short cuts and won’t mind manipulating others, nor does going through ‘extra legal’ means to get his point across… so long as it does not harm anyone. Remember, he hired the Crimson Dymano to stage an attack to Tony Stark while in Washington to get some media mileage on the Super Hero Registration Act, banking on Spider-man being there to make sure no one got hurt.
He was after sinking the proposal in so many legislative red tape and arguments, and he would have succeeded too – his Sec.Def. days helped him understand how the system worked after all. Unfortunately, he can’t control everything, but he is also a realist to know when his efforts are defeated. He reacts by doing the best he can… he joins the pro rank, to help minimize damage.
He has taken a stance, one he prays is right, but one he is willing to fight for.
He has his value systems based on beliefs and one of these is the need for order and control. He’s a practical person and many are willing to follow him through difficult times – for he has proven that he does care for them. He takes the lead and ensures that things go right. He’s done it in his business, he tried doing the same with the Avengers and the ‘Illuminati’ idea also sprung form this need to better coordinate (thus in some way control) the super hero community’s resources.
Tony is all too human, capable of slips or mistakes – but he admits these mistakes and picks himself up. He has sacrificed his health for others as Iron Man. He proved time and again that he is a hero. He may, at times, not disclose everything for certain reasons, and he’s willing to be mentor to a less worldly Peter Parker. But I can’t help thinking that it was also because he knows he may need Peter by his side should the actions of the SHRA come to the fore.
To Tony, the need for the many may have to outweigh the need of a few. This is logical. He may find life like chess, where sacrifices need to be made to get the bigger picture.
This is Tony Stark.
Is he less a hero because he is not as noble as others? No…
Is he too practical that he comes across as crass and uncaring? At times…
Is his stance in the Civil War the right side? Depends on how you look at it… he believes he is doing well for the community. He believes he is adhering to the law. He believes this is needed.
He’s in it ‘til the end… wherever that is… whatever it takes.
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