Anthony Stark

"His superpower is his mind. His superpower is his ability to invent."


 * -- Robert Downey Jr.

Anthony Stark is a billionaire industrialist and inventor.

He runs Stark Industries, originally started by his father, Howard Stark. His top executive officer and mentor is Obadiah Stane. The company is the chief supplier of weapons to the United States.

Stark is injured and abducted in Afghanistan while performing a demonstration of Stark Industries' lastest weapon, the Jericho Missile. Ironically, it is shrapnel from his own weapon which injures him. The terrorists who abduct him, a group called Ten Rings, want him to build them a Jericho missile. Instead, with the help of Yinsen, Stark builds a high-tech suit of armor and uses it to escape.

Upon returning to America, he gives up producing weapons and refines the armor to become the invincible superhero Iron Man.

Iron Man
During a business trip to Afghanistan to demonstrate Stark Industries' new weapon, the "Jericho" cluster missile, Tony Stark'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. Stark has been captured by the terrorist group Ten Rings, who order him to build a Jericho missile for them. Instead, he and fellow captive Dr. Yinsen secretly build a crude but strong power armor (Mark 1) fueled by a miniature "arc reactor", a smaller version of a power source previously invented by Stark. The arc reactor supplies energy to an electromagnet which prevents embedded shrapnel from reaching Stark's heart, which would kill him. Dr. Yinsen is killed in the ensuing escape attempt when he stalls the guards to buy Stark enough time to power up the suit. Using the suit, Stark kills several terrorists, destroys their weapons stockpile, and escapes, though his suit is destroyed as he crash lands in the desert. Upon being picked up by the Air Force and returning to the United States, Stark 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. Stark retreats from public view, focusing on the design of his power suit, refining its size and flight capability (Mark 2). He asks Pepper to help him take his old arc reactor out and to put in a new one. During his first public appearance since his return to the United States, he is accosted by Christine Everhart, who shows him pictures of Stark Industries weapons in the hands of terrorist groups, including the Jericho missiles he refused to build for them. He also discovers that Stane has been "dealing under the table", supplying weapons to both the U.S. troops and the terrorists, as well as being the one to shut Stark out of the board while he recovers. Faced with the realization of what his company has done, Stark dons the power suit (Mark 3) and flies to Afghanistan, rescuing Yinsen's village from the Ten Rings. In destroying their weapon stockpiles, he accidentally draws the attention of the United States Air Force and his friend and company military liaison, Lieutenant Colonel James Rhodes. Two F-22 Raptors are ordered to take out the unknown target, and during the confrontation one of the Raptors loses its left wing when it accidentally collides with Stark. The pilot ejects shortly afterwards, but his parachute jams. Realizing this, Stark dives down to help the pilot release his parachute before escaping.

Determined to make amends for his mistakes, Stark sends Potts to find the shipping records of Stark Industries, so he can track down the illicit shipments and destroy them. While hacking into the system, she discovers that it was Stane who hired the Ten Rings to kill Stark, but they had reneged on the deal when they realized who the target was. She also discovers that Stane has recovered the power suit prototype and has reverse engineered his own version. However, his team of scientists, not possessing Stark's genius, cannot engineer the miniature arc reactor to power the new suit.

Stane, upon realizing Potts's discovery, steals Stark's own arc reactor from his chest to power his new suit, leaving Stark to die. Using his first reactor, which was not designed to power his latest armor, Stark battles with Stane atop Stark Industries and the surrounding streets, defeating him when the full-sized arc reactor that powers the lab is deliberately overloaded by Potts. Afterwards, Stark's alter ego is dubbed "Iron Man" by the press. Stark holds a press conference where his S.H.I.E.L.D. contacts advise him to state that Iron Man is Stark's bodyguard. However, he instead announces that he actually is Iron Man.

Later, Stark arrives home and is greeted by a mysterious visitor standing by the window. He reveals himself as Nick Fury, Director of S.H.I.E.L.D., warns him that he is not the only 'super hero' in the world, and mentions the "Avenger Initiative".

Iron Man 2
Six months after revealing his Identity to the world and has since then helped maintain world peace., Tony Stark appears as Iron Man at the grand Opening of The Stark Expo in Flushing Meadows, New York, continuing the Legacy his Father started. Unfortunately Tony's life isn't as good as it appears as he is faced with two threats. One in the form of his own heart, it seems the Arc Reactor palladium core is poisoning him causing him a slow pain full death due to over uses of the Iron Man armor. The second threat is from A Senate committee hearing, led by Senator Stern, demanding that Stark release the technology of the Iron Man armor for military application. Stark refuses believing that it's not in the best interested of the Americain people for the military to posses that they'll use as a weapon that could very well be used against America. Senator Stern tries to turn Stark's best friend .Lt. Colonel James Rhodes against him in effort to force him. Competitor Justin Hammer tries to plead his case in the matter, Tony takes this opportunity to embarrassed both Hammer and Stern with a collection of video footage of Hammer and others around the world attempting to recreating the technology. Tony arrogantly states that it will be years before anyone will be able to successfully recreate the tech.

Tony returns to his home where he and J.A.R.V.I.S. try to find a solution in finding a new power source for the Arc Reactor. Uncertain of his outcome of survival Tony appoints his former personal assistant Pepper Potts (CEO of Stark Industries), replacing her with Natalie Rushman. Growing increasingly despondent and thrill-seeking as a consequence of what he believes to be his impending death, Tony races at the Monaco Grand Prix, Where Ivan Vanko who has constructed an arc reactor of his own, along with whip-like energy weapons attacks Stark. With the aid of Pepper and Happy Hogan who hands him his portable briefcase armor. Stark dons the Mark V armor and defeats Vanko. Afterward, Stark pays Ivan a visit in a french prison to find out how he acquired the technology, During the conversation Vanko reveals that he's the son of Anton Vanko, who collaborated with Howard on the first arc reactor but was deported to the Soviet Union and died in poverty. Ivan blames the Starks for his family's fate, and seeks revenge. Ivan also mentions he's fully aware of Stark's current heart poisoning.

Tony heads back home with Pepper to celebrate his upcoming Birthday, On Route home Tony attempts to tell Pepper the truth behind his current series of reckless acts. Wanting to escape from all his current problems Tony tries to convince Pepper to take a detour in Italy. Unfortunately due to the media pressure of the recent incident in Monaco with Whiplash has everyone on edge demanding that Stark turn over the technology now. Vanko escapes prison thanks to Justin Hammer who intends to use Vanko's knowledge of Stark's technology to create his own army of armored warriors to discredit Iron Man.

Stark throws what he believes will be his last birthday party and gets drunk while wearing the Iron Man armor and indulges in dangerous activities, forcing his friend, Rhodey, to intervene. Rhodes dons Stark's Mark II armor and after almost destroying Stark's house in the resulting fight, delivers the armor to the military. The next day, Nick Fury, director of S.H.I.E.L.D., approaches Stark, revealing Natalie as undercover agent Natasha Romanoff and that Howard Stark was a S.H.I.E.L.D. founder. Fury gives Stark some of Howard's old material to aid in finding a cure for the palladium poisoning. A hidden message in the diorama of the 1974 Stark Expo proves to be a diagram of a new element's atomic structure. With the aid of his computer J.A.R.V.I.S., Stark synthesizes the new element and cures himself. Afterward, Vanko contacts Stark, revealing he is still alive and still set on revenge. Stark dons The Mark VI armor and files off to the Expo.

At the Expo, Hammer unveils his new military drones, captained by Rhodey in a heavily weaponized version of the Mark II armor known as War Machine. Stark as Iron Man arrives to warn Rhodey, but Vanko seizes control of both the drones and Rhodey's armor, setting them to attack Iron Man. Potts has Hammer arrested while Stark's bodyguard Happy Hogan and Romanoff race to Hammer's Queens facility. They find Vanko has already left, but Romanoff is able to turn over control of the Mark II armor to Rhodey. Eliminating the remaining drones, Stark and Rhodey are confronted by Vanko in his new, more powerful suit of armor. He is defeated when Stark and Rhodes fire repulsor rays at each other, triggering an explosion beside Vanko. Too injured to continue the fight, Vanko ignites his and drones' self-destruct bombs, apparently killing himself in the process. Stark races to save Pepper amid a series of explosions. Pepper quits her position as CEO, and she and Stark kiss. Rhodey departs with the Mark II armor without serious objection from Stark.

At a debriefing, while showing news footage of another superhuman event, Fury informs Stark that while Iron Man is a suitable candidate for the "Avengers Initiative", Stark himself is not. S.H.I.E.L.D. wants Stark in a consultant position, to which Stark agrees on the condition that Senator Stern present himself and Rhodey with their medals for bravery.

The Incredible Hulk
Stark appears briefly in The Incredible Hulk, set after the events of Iron Man 2. After failing to capture the Hulk and the Abomination is defeated General Ross goes to a bar to drink. Tony Stark walks in and the two trade a few jabs at each other. Tony finishes by saying "We're putting together a team." Ross replies "Who's we?" He also mentions the Super Soldier Serum and saying "it was put on ice for a reason".

Thor
Phil Coulson mentioned to a fellow Shield agent that Stark "never tells [him] anything" when he encounters The Destroyer armor in the desert and assumed that this one of Stark's latest armor until it opens up and reveals it's an unman armored weapon that fires upon Coulson and the rest of the Shield unit agents.

Character traits
Stark is an outgoing man who enjoys drinking and gambling. At the start of the movie he has little concern for the effect his weapons have on others.

Friends and Allies

 * James Rhodes: Stark's best friend and and the liaison between Stark Industries and the military in the department of acquisitions.


 * Virginia Potts: Stark's administrative assistant and love interest.


 * Christine Everhart: A reporter who interviews Stark, she is also a romantic interest.


 * Yinsen: Stark's fellow captive in Afghanistan, who treats his wounds and helps him build the first Iron Man suit.


 * Nick Fury


 * Phil Coulson


 * Black Widow


 * Happy Hogan: Stark's personal driver and friend.


 * Captain America / Steve Rogers: Avengers teammate.


 * Thor: Avengers teammate.

Enemies

 * Raza: A terrorist with orders to kill Stark, Raza instead chooses to keep him alive in the hopes of obtaining a Jericho missile from him.
 * Ten Rings: The terrorist faction that Raza belongs to, and wishes to rule.
 * Obadiah Stane: Stark's second-in-command, who wants control of the company. When Stark declares he will no longer manufacture arms, Stane steals the blueprints for the Mark I armor to create his own, bigger version (Iron Monger)
 * Ivan Vanko: Russian mechanic who attacks Stark on the track as Whiplash. After Stark defeated him with his Mark 5 Iron Man armor, he when to see Ivan in his prison cell to ask why he attacked him on the track. Later Ivan escapes seeks gains resources from Justin Hammer.
 * Justin Hammer: Business rival.

Appearances/Actors

 * Canon (6 films)
 * Iron Man (First appearance) - Robert Downey Jr.
 * Iron Man 2 - Robert Downey Jr.
 * The Incredible Hulk - Robert Downey Jr.
 * Thor (Mentioned only)
 * The Avengers - Robert Downey Jr.
 * Iron Man 3 - Robert Downey Jr.
 * Animated Canon (5 films)
 * Ultimate Avengers (First appearance) - Marc Worden
 * Ultimate Avengers 2 - Marc Worden
 * The Invincible Iron Man - Marc Worden
 * Next Avengers: Heroes of Tomorrow - Tom Kane
 * Ultimate Avengers 3

Behind the scenes
SPOILERS AHEAD!!! Late last year Paramount Pictures invited a select group of online press to the set of the action-heavy comic book-inspired movie Iron Man and made the film’s stars, as well as director Jon Favreau, available for interviews. The scene being shot the day the press visited the set involved Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr) returning to his Malibu home after a long period away.

Downey described what was taking place:"He’s been back home, he’s had a press conference, and he’s talked to his partner in front of this legacy energy device that he’s in essence miniaturized, which is keeping him alive, but he’s back home. But back home, there’s nothing that’s normal in this whole film, he’s just back home – did you see that pad? And he’s not just back home, but he’s home and there isn’t a big wait staff, and he doesn’t have a gal on his arm, and his assistant’s not around, so it’s a very kind of isolated opulence."

Trivia
Tony Stark's mobile phone ring is the original Iron Man theme song from the 1966 TV series.