Anthony Stark

"I am Iron Man. The suit and I are one. To turn over the Iron Man suit would be to turn over myself, which is tantamount to indentured servitude or prostitution, depending on what state you're in. You can't have it."

- Tony Stark

Anthony "Tony" Stark is a billionaire industrialist and inventor. He runs Stark Industries, originally started by his father, Howard Stark. In Afghanistan Tony was captured by Ten Rings, they ordered him to build the Jericho missile for them, instead Stark with Ho Yinsen helped use their resources to build a suit of armor and make their escape. Returning to America, Stark improves his armor and become the invincible superhero, Iron Man.

Stark is still human with the exception of his Arc Reactor in his chest. He is one of the richest, smartest and most powerful men in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. His power however comes from his high-tech battle suit known as the Iron Man Armor, which grants him extraordinary strength, durability, flight capabilities and various on-board weaponry. He is a founding member of the Avengers.

Early life
"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

Anthony "Tony" Edward Stark was born on Friday, May 29, 1970 to Howard and Maria Stark. When he was four years old, he made his first Circuit Board. When he was almost seven he built an engine. When Tony was seventeen he graduated MIT at the top of his class.

At the age of twenty-one, his parents died in a car crash. Later, he inherited Stark Industries. At some time he met James Rhodes, and they became best friends.

Testing weapons in Arizona
"I hate when people tell me my place. Which reminds me, Celeste, Eloise, let's go see my place!"

- Tony Stark

Tony and Rhodes went to a weapon demonstration at the Yuma Proving Ground. Pepper gives the weapon's specifics to the generals while Tony and Rhodes go to a night club. Tony enjoys the company of two girls while Rhodes tries to convince him not to go to Afghanistan. Tony is then attacked by a man whose girlfriend he previously seduced, but Rhodes easily defeats the attacker. Later, Tony, Rhodes, and the girls go to Tony's house.

Last day before transformation
"You've been called the Da Vinci of our time. What do you say to that?" "Absolutely ridiculous. I don't paint." "And what do you say to your other nickname, the Merchant of Death?" "That's not bad."

- Christine Everhart and Tony Stark

After a whole presentation of Tony's successful past, Rhodes is given the honor of presenting Apogee Award to Tony at Caesars Palace. When Obadiah Stane gives Rhodes a signal saying that Tony wasn't there to receive it, Obadiah takes the reward, in Tony's honor. Shortly after the award ceremony, Rhodes brings Tony the award while he is gambling in the casino inside of Caesars Palace. Rhodes gets very angry at Tony for not being present for the award. Right when Tony is about to leave the hotel, Christine Everhart tries to interview him for Vanity Fair. Stark deflects her questions with some swift quips and the two end up spending the night together at Tony Stark's House. In the morning Tony begins working on one of his cars. Pepper, his assistant reminds him about his trip to Afghanistan. He gets to the plane 3 hours late. He and Rhodes soon get drunk and have a small party on the plane. Tony presents his newest weapon, the Jericho Missile.

Afghanistan
"You got a family?" "Yes, and I will see them when I leave here. And you, Stark?" "No." "So you're a man who has everything, but nothing."

- Tony Stark and Ho Yinsen

During the business trip to Afghanistan to demonstrate Stark Industries' new weapon, the Jericho Missile, Tony's convoy is attacked. One of his own company's bombs lands near him and explodes. The blast causes him to lose consciousness and embeds several pieces of shrapnel in his chest, one fragment dangerously close to his heart.

He wakes up some time later with an electromagnet attached to his chest. Hooked up to a car battery, the electromagnet keeps the shrapnel from entering his heart and killing him. Tony has been captured by the terrorist group Ten Rings, who order him to build a Jericho missile for them. Instead, he and fellow captive Ho Yinsen secretly build a power armor fueled by a miniature Arc Reactor, a smaller version of a power source previously invented by Tony's father. The arc reactor supplies energy to an electromagnet which prevents embedded shrapnel from reaching Tony's heart, which would kill him. Dr. Yinsen is killed in the ensuing escape attempt when he stalls the guards to buy Tony enough time to power up the suit. Using the suit, Tony kills several terrorists, destroys their weapons stockpile, and escapes, though his suit is destroyed as he crashes in the desert.

Upon being picked up by the Air Force and returning to the United States, Tony declares that his company will, for the time being, no longer manufacture weapons. His father's friend and business partner, Obadiah Stane, tells him that this move is blocked by the board members shortly after.

Character traits
Tony Stark is an outgoing man who enjoys drinking and gambling, all the while possessing the capacity to become an expert in thermonuclear astrophysics overnight. Tony is shown to be a big fan of Australian hard rock band AC/DC.

An inventive mechanical engineering prodigy, Stark is constantly creating new technology and looking for ways to improve it. At the start of Iron Man, he has little concern for the effect his weapons have on others. However, for all his flaws, Tony is a good man at heart and wants to use his technology to better the world.

In Iron Man 2, Tony is trained in unarmed combat and has become quite formidable on his own when the situation demands it. He was able to hold his own against Rhodey, a Lieutenant Colonel Air Force Combat Pilot. In The Avengers, Tony was able to battle Thor almost to a standstill for a time while in the armor.

From Iron Man to Iron Man 2, Tony has an unique friendship with Rhodey. Rhodey tries to keep Tony on the straight and narrow although he has stated at times it is not that easy. Although they have been friends for many years, Tony's erratic nature at times makes it difficult for Rhodey to choose between Tony and his duty to the military as clearly evident in the second film, however, by near the end of the film, they have once again become friends on one accord.

In The Avengers, Tony has matured to an extent: while around Pepper he is able to openly express his feelings around her. However, upon being around the team, he still shows the same "qualities" that he is known for. He immediately clashes with Steve Rogers due to their very different personalites, and nearly come to blows when the Helicarrier falls under attack. The two quickly put their feud aside to help repair the ship.

Stark quickly strikes up a friendship with Dr. Bruce Banner, as the two have several things in common including a genius-level IQ. Stark relates to him that his arc reactor--which keeps shrapnel from reaching his heart--is a great power that he can control, which is not unlike Banner's abilities as The Hulk. In fact, Stark is the only one who doesn't fear the Hulk, and helps Banner realize that The Hulk is more of a blessing than a curse.

Upon Coulson's death, while he tries not to show it in front of Cap, he shows that his death has greatly affected him. By the time of the battle of New York, he has no problem taking orders from Cap, knowing what is on the line.

Equipment

 * Arc Reactor: Tony, with Yinsen's help, built a miniaturized arc reactor. The arc reactor power the electromagnet that protects Tony's heart from the shrapnel inside his chest, and also the Iron Man armor. In the second movie, he develops a new element for the arc reactor power source. The new arc reactor is extremely powerful. In The Avengers, Stark's arc reactor prevents Loki from taking control of his mind.
 * Armor: Tony uses high tech armor to become Iron Man. The armor allows him to fly and contains various weapons for battle. He frequently improves the armor, giving it upgrades for battles and to perfect the systems.

Armor Capabilities
The Iron Man Armor is arguably one of the most powerful forms of technology developed by Tony Stark. Alone, the Mark I was sufficient enough to allow him to go through armed terrorists in order to escape. The Mark II was sufficiently powerful enough to go toe to toe with a more advanced and updated version of the armor (the Mark IV). The Mark III was able to battle the Iron Monger suit, however, with some difficulty (due to the fact that it was powered by the first generation mini-arc reactor and the Iron Monger was powered by the second arc reactor he made upon his return). The Mark V, while lacking weaponry and flight capabilities, was still able to take on Vanko while just utilizing just the Whiplash harness. The Marks VI and VII proved to be the most powerful generation suits used by Stark. They were powerful enough to battle hordes of Hammer drones, Vanko with his own armor, survive and battle two Asgardian gods (Thor and Loki, respectively) and hordes of alien foot soldiers and large transports (the Levithan).
 * Flight: One of the armor's most important features is its ability of flight. The armor can reach speeds as Mach 3 in moments. And also have variable control surfaces for active flight control by J.A.R.V.I.S. to automatically stabilize the armor in flight. The armor is able to fly at speeds more than 1500 miles per hour. In the movie, the armor shows it can fly at supersonic speeds. In The Avengers, the armor flight was improved with additional boosters on the back. It enables the armor to quickly evade enemy attacks and go faster than ever. Also this gives Tony the ability to better able himself to shoot while in flight, due to the fact that he doesn't have to use his hands to keep him stabilized.
 * Strength: Tony inside the armor is capable of lifting 20 tons and can achieve higher levels of strength when powered by a sufficient source. The armor shows to be strong enough to punch through a stone wall, catch a mini van than putting it down safely. It is also enabled Tony to stun Thor, catching him off-guard as well as turn the turbine of one of the Helicarrier's engines and battle Chitauri foot soldiers with ease.
 * Reflexes: The armors have motors for movement. It is shown to be extremely fast and responsive in flight, and during the fights.
 * Armor Systems: The armor have remote assistance from J.A.R.V.I.S. who manages the armor's systems at Stark's command, and the armor also have a holographic HUD with heads-up displays for navigation, power level, armor status, weapons systems, vital signs with cellphone and computer connections in the helmet, included a loudspeaker. The armor is powered by a miniature arc reactor and has an on-board generator for emergencies. The scanner systems are capable of scanning the environment, weather conditions and equipment for information. And have flare launchers on the hips.
 * Durability: The armor is made up of a strong light weight Titanium Alloy, with interlocked plates for the shell, and has a chest-plate protecting the arc reactor. It shows to withstanding tremendous amounts of punishment. The armor can withstand a tank shell exploded in close proximity to Stark, and a resulting fall from several thousand feet up, followed by hits by 20mm Vulcan shells and a high speed collision with an F-22 Raptor with only minimal cosmetic damage. It was able to survive a full-on fight with an older generation suit throughout Stark's house. It was able to withstand the fights with The Hammer Drones and Whiplash, taking minor damage. It also protects the wearer from the effects of extreme g-forces. It even allows him to withstand some of Thor's attacks, although it was starting to take damage. Both he and Thor were struck in their heads with Captain America's shield to get their attention and stop them from fighting; there was no damage either. He was able to withstand the force of the turbine from the Helicarrier's engines when he got it to work again after removing the debris blocking it.
 * Energy Conversion Power Recharge: The armor is also able to absorb and convert nearby or fare away energy sources, such as heat or kinetic energy or energy from the planet itself into electricity, or even drain energy directly into the batteries for recharge. In The Avengers, Thor strikes it with a full lightning strike from Mjolnir to Stark but Stark is amazed to find that all it did was charge up the suit to 400%, allowing him to use a powerful repulsor blast.
 * Self-Contained Life-Support System and Environmental Protection: The armor can be completely sealed for operations in vacuums or underwater, providing its own life support, it is also shielded against radiation. In The Avengers, the armor shows to operate underwater, as Stark uses it to activate the arc reactor connected to Stark Tower. But not designed for deep space travel, as the armor's systems failed, when Stark is teleported through the Chitauri portal into space, causing him to lose consciousness as he plummets back to Earth.
 * Repulsors: A particle beam weapon in the palm gauntlets. Can repel physical and energy-based attacks. Early repulsors needed time to recharge after use, because of the new arc reactor they become able to fire at a moments notice. When combined with an attack from another repuslor beam, it can create an energy shockwave that decimate a small area like when Tony and Rhodey both fired their repulsors at each other and the resulting event destroy much of Stark's house. They later used it to defeat Ivan in his new Whiplash armor. The repulsors shows to be strong enough to punch through The Hammer Drones. When the suit is charged with additional power, the repulsors are powerful enough to stun even Thor. It also enabled him to stun Loki on two occasions and take down Chitauri foot soldiers.
 * Unibeam: A more powerful version of the repulsor beams. It is located in the chest. However, it requires more power from the arc reactor to use and cannot be used as often.
 * Lasers: A powerful weapon in the gauntlets that can cut threw common metals with no apparent effort, it however is not strong enough to penetrate a Leviathan's shell. It shows to be very proficient against the Hammer Drones but for one-time use. It has been improved and has used on several occasions in The Avengers. They draw power from the arc reactor for more sustained operations, and can theoretically reduce the armor energy reserves to a drained state if operated indefinitely.
 * Smart mini-guns: Small anti-personnel guns in the shoulders that can target individual targets at once and fire at a moments notice. It's proved to be highly effective against unarmored foot soldiers.
 * Missiles: The armor holds a multi-fire adhesive grenade launcher in the upper arm. Including Anti-Tank, Armor-Piercing rounds. In The Avengers, The armor has mini rockets hidden in a secret compartment in the boosters on the back, that blew up numerous Chitauri ships. Tony is able to destroy a Leviathan by flying into its mouth and launching them throughout its body.

Friends and Allies

 * James Rhodes - Best friend and ally.
 * Pepper Potts - Former administrative assistant and girlfriend.
 * Christine Everhart - Temporary love interest.
 * Ho Yinsen - Fellow captive in Afghanistan, and eventual friend.
 * Nick Fury - S.H.I.E.L.D. Director.
 * Phil Coulson - S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent, and friend
 * Natasha Romanoff - Avengers teammate.
 * Happy Hogan - Personal driver and friend.
 * Steve Rogers - Avengers teammate.
 * Thor - Avengers teammate.
 * Clint Barton - Avengers teammate.
 * Bruce Banner - Avengers teammate and friend.
 * Thunderbolt Ross - Associate who Stark met with to discuss the Avenger Initiative.
 * Howard Stark - Father.
 * Maria Stark - Mother.

Enemies

 * Raza
 * Ten Rings
 * Obadiah Stane
 * Ivan Vanko
 * Justin Hammer
 * Loki
 * Chitauri
 * Mandarin
 * Eric Savin
 * Jack Taggert
 * Aldrich Killian

Appearances/Actors

 * Marvel Cinematic Universe (7 films)
 * Iron Man (First appearance) - Robert Downey Jr.
 * Iron Man 2 - Robert Downey Jr. and Davin Ransom (young)
 * The Incredible Hulk - Robert Downey Jr.
 * The Consultant (Recycled Footage) - Robert Downey Jr.
 * Thor (Mentioned only)
 * The Avengers - Robert Downey Jr.
 * Iron Man 3 - Robert Downey Jr.
 * Marvel Cinematic Universe (9 comics)
 * Iron Man: Fast Friends
 * Iron Man: Security Measures
 * Iron Man 2: Public Identity
 * Iron Man 2: Fist of Iron
 * Iron Man 2: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
 * The Avengers: Black Widow Strikes
 * The Avengers Prelude: Fury's Big Week
 * The Avengers: The Avengers Initiative
 * Iron Man 3: Prelude

Quotes

 * Tony Stark: [looking through Natalie's resume] "She's fluent in French, Italian, Russian, Latin. Who speaks Latin?"
 * Pepper Potts: "No one speaks Latin. It's a dead language."


 * Agent Phil Coulson: [Over telephone] "Mr. Stark, we need to talk."
 * Tony Stark: "You have reached the life model decoy of Tony Stark, please leave a message."
 * Agent Phil Coulson: "This is urgent."
 * Tony Stark: "Then leave it urgently."


 * Tony Stark: [examines Loki's helmet] "Make a move, reindeer games."


 * Steve Rogers: "Is everything a joke to you?"
 * Tony Stark: "Funny things are."


 * Steve Rogers: "Big man in a suit of armor. Take that off, what are you?"
 * Tony Stark: "Genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist."


 * Tony Stark: "Yeah, takes us a while to get any traction, I'll give you that one. But let's do a head count here: your brother the demi-god; a super soldier, a living legend who kind of lives up to the legend; a man with breath-taking anger management issues; a couple of master assassins, and YOU, big fella, you've managed to piss off every single one of them."

Behind the scenes

 * Robert Downey Jr.'s name was uncredited in The Incredible Hulk.
 * Favreau had planned to cast a newcomer in the role but ultimately chose Downey (a fan of the comic) because he felt the actor's past made him an appropriate choice for the part.
 * The best and worst moments of Robert's life have been in the public eye," the director explained. "He had to find an inner balance to overcome obstacles that went far beyond his career. That's Tony Stark. Robert brings a depth that goes beyond a comic book character who is having trouble in high school, or can't get the girl. Favreau also felt Downey could make Stark a "likable asshole", but also depict an authentic emotional journey once he won over the audience. Downey had an office next to Favreau during pre-production, which allowed him greater involvement in the screenwriting process. He brought a deeper sense of humor to the film not present in previous drafts of the script.
 * Downey stated that he initially pushed Whedon to make Stark the lead revealing in The Avengers, "Well, I said, ‘I need to be in the opening sequence. I don’t know what you’re thinking, but Tony needs to drive this thing.’ He was like, ‘Okay, let’s try that.’ We tried it and it didn’t work, because this is a different sort of thing, the story and the idea and the theme is the theme, and everybody is just an arm of the octopus."
 * Iron Man 3 director Shane Black says, "Tony Stark is now relying on these suits to feel like he's in any way capable. He surrounds himself with these things almost like a blanket. In The Avengers, he fought aliens, but he was the one character I would not have picked to fight aliens. Now we've taken advantage of the fact that he's fought aliens and he talks about it.

Trivia

 * Before Robert Downey Jr. was cast as Tony, Nicolas Cage and Tom Cruise were interested in playing Iron Man. Cruise in particular was going to act in and produce the film. Cage played another Marvel superhero in Ghost Rider. According to Jon Favreau, Clive Owen and Sam Rockwell are among the actors that were considered for Tony Stark during pre-production. Rockwell would get a part in Iron Man 2 (2010) as Stark's rival Justin Hammer.
 * Tony Stark's ringtone is the original Iron Man theme song from the 1966 TV series.
 * Tony's screen time in The Avengers is 37:01.
 * The song Tony uses for his introductions in Iron Man 2 and The Avengers was "Shoot to Thrill" by AC/DC. Conversely, the band's recent music video for the song features scenes from Iron Man 2 interspersed with the band's on-stage performance at a concert in Buenos Aires, Argentina (from the DVD Live at River Plate).
 * Robert Downey Jr's performance as Tony Stark ranked 48 on Empire Magazine's Top 100 Greatest Movies Characters.

Gallery

 * See: Tony Stark/Gallery