While superheroes are known for their extraordinary exploits or for having saved the world more than once, many of them sometimes find themselves in horrible situations, which can put their minds to the test. tough test. And if there is indeed one who does not derogate from; the rule is indeed Iron Man, emblematic figure of the universe of Marvel. If Tony Starkhas already alongside death at many times, there are also times in the comics where Stark met a fate some would call worse than death. Here is a selection of those sinister moments experienced by the Golden Avenger.
1) Terminate; Happy Hogan’s life in Civil War
The Civil War story arc is notorious for being deeply divisive; the superheroes of the Marvel universe, with on one side; those who were for the Super-Human Registration Act, and on the other those who were against. However, no matter which side the heroes and villains of this story were on, no one really came out on top. And as if the fact of being considered by many as being the big bad in this story was not enough, Tony Stark also had to living with being responsible for the death of his longtime friend, Happy Hogan. Because the latter found himself in a coma after he and Pepper Potts were attacked by the Spymaster. Civil War then shows us Potts collapsed and desperate, trusting to Stark Happy’s fears of having to keep going. live with irreversible brain damage. If at the beginning Stark refuses any idea of euthanizing his best friend, the distress of Potts as well as the dilemma which she had to face concerning the man she loved will end up convincing him . Stark will then disable the medical system that was keeping Happy alive, allowing him to meet a peaceful death.
2) Destroyed by alcoholism in The Devil in a Bottle
If it has not been very exploited; in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), the fact is that Tony Stark has long had problems with alcohol. And the first time that this problem has really been addressed, it is in the narrative arc The Devil in a bottle (VO: Demon in a bottle), published; in 1979 in the comics The Invincible Iron Man. So the story tells of Stark’s descent into hell after his Iron Man armor fired. and killed a government ambassador. He will claim his innocence, claiming that this must be the result of a malfunction, and will then have to temporarily step down from his position as head of the Avengers. Thus, Tony will begin to sink into the drink, his alcohol consumption increasing considerably, and he will even end up attacking his longtime butler, Jarvis. But the whole thing turns out in reality. to be a set-up by Justin Hammer, who trafficked; Stark’s armor to make it defective. For many fans, The Devil in a Bottle represents the epitome of the story of Iron Man and his struggle with his own demons.
3) Realize that you can be bad in Marvel Team Up: The Golden Child
In the third edition of the Marvel Team-Up comic series, with the saga of The Golden Child, a crazed version of Doctor Doom is unleashed here ;ne, eliminating a whole bunch of Marvel Comics’ greatest heroes. Whether it’s Captain America, Spider-Man, Hulk, Doctor Strange or even the Fantastic Four, all fall under Fatalis’ blows. The problem is that the one hiding under this version of Doom is not Victor Von Doom, but a Tony Stark from an alternate world. And when the “real” Stark discovered it, the latter had a hard time figuring it out. accept the idea that he could become an evil tyrant. This villain even called himself Iron Maniac, at the time when he warned the heroes of Earth that a clash with Titannus, supposed to turn the world upside down, approached them. Unfortunately, this war of Titannus never happened. really exploited, but the idea of an evil Tony Stark was resumed thereafter, notably with the events of AXIS.
4) of Captain America’s death in Death of Captain America
Although the diametrically opposed opinions of Captain America and Iron Man are central to the story of Civil War, Tony Stark felt immense guilt. when Steve Rogers was killed shortly after these events, in a story titled The Death of Captain America. As the Super-Soldier was taken to court to answer for his anti-government actions during Civil War, he will be murdered. by Red Skull brainwashed Sharon Carter. Stark will then be terribly impacted; by the death of his former friend, with the feeling of being responsible for this tragedy. Shortly after, a mini-series titled Fallen Son: The Death of Captain America will go into more detail about how the heroes react to life. the death of this legend, thus leading to; Iron Man acceptance.
5) the wrath of Smart Hulk in Original Sin
Already what to do with Hulk is no small feat in normal times, it gets all the more complicated. when the latter manages to to reconcile the intelligence of Bruce Banner with the extraordinary abilities of the Green Titan, who will be called Smart Hulk over the years. And it is precisely this one. even Iron Man had to face in the comics Original Sin. The general plot takes us alongside Nick Fury and the Avengers, who are investigating the murder of Uatu, a member of the Guardians. One of the direct consequences will then be to reveal some of the darkest secrets of our favorite superheroes. Banner and Stark will remember their first meeting, before they became Hulk or Iron Man. Banner will then realize that Stark played a role in his transformation into the Hulk. This is why he will decide to use the Extremis virus, a project initially developed by Stark, to transform into the Hulk while retaining his intelligence. Stark will then have to deal with; a fearsome version of the Jade Colossus, enraged by this revelation, which will even reach come to end of the armor specially designed to counter it, the Hulkbuster.
And to discover these armors intended for the Ten Rings which are the most dangerous ever designed by Iron Man, see our previous article on the subject, right here.