If you are a fan of Iron Manand Tony Stark, the title of this article must have challenged you, since here, Iron Man is definitely killing Tony Stark, and not in the prettiest way. Explanations.
Warning, this article contains spoilers concerning the Iron Man #18 comics (by Christopher Cantwell, Lan Medina, Frank D’Armata and Joe Caramagna). Do not continue reading if you do not want to read it.
tony stark’s transformation
Tony Stark has been a lot in his lifetime, but his most recent transformation into a cosmic god is easily one of the worst trials the hero has had to endure. After being confronted by his loved ones, Tony slaughtered everyone except Patsy Walker (aka Hellcat). Even after watching him kill the people he cares about, Patsy always wanted to help Tony to get out of it, and to find the cause of all these problems. Unfortunately, the truth is that Tony’s worst enemy is his own alter ego: Iron Man guided him. towards destruction from the very beginning.
Among the bodies of those whose lives he tookTony Stark remains speechless indeed, frozen, full of guilt, until Patsy Walker draws them both into his mental universe. In this space, both characters are able to talk about everything that got Tony to where he is now. We then learn that Tony risked crossing the line (spinning him into madness) more times than he’s ever admitted, all because of his desire to make the world a better place, in any way he can.
Over time, Tony Stark and Iron Man have become two half-separated, compartmentalized, and unsuccessful characters. While the second achieved fame, the first was neglected, and weakened against his alter ego, going to the gates of death. Very quickly, Tony’s vices and addictions began to affect his actions as Iron Man, not to mention his judgment, creating terrible dissension and great conflict between him and his fellow heroes. These same inherent issues also destroyed many of Tony’s personal relationships, outside of those built through his Iron Man career.
Between iron man or tony stark, you have to choose
After bringing back the people he killed and letting go of the cosmic power that made him a God, Tony went one step further, relinquishing any sense of his former alter ego. What does this mean? Well, when Tony gets mugged in the park, for example, he gives up without a fight. Previously, Iron Man’s armor was helping Tony survive a fatal injurybut Tony Stark renounces Iron Man, and this, at the risk of his life, as you can see.
Assuming that Tony survives in the situation in which he now finds himself, he will probably be forced to confront in the future the part of himself which he has, until now, conscientiously avoided. If he fails to do so, it will only be a matter of time before Iron Man gets the upper hand, and kills him, one way or another. So, will Tony Stark be able to abandon Iron Man for good, or will the latter end up killing him? We will wait for the continuation of the comics for learn more about the issue.
And if you want to know why Iron Man is a danger to the universe, you can check out our previous article on the subject.