Civil War Blog Catastro-party: Day Four - Opposing Side Character

Day Four - Opposing Side Character 

Tony Stark//Iron Man

 

     The whole Marvel franchise began with Tony Stark in 2008 and how he transitioned from careless playboy to an honorable superhero. Tony himself will be the first to admit that he is no saint and he's perfectly fine with that. He's flawed, he has demons, a legacy he must continue and a past he cannot seem to escape. Maybe that's why people love Tony Stark so much. While he is an incredible superhero with a multiload of gadgets (that seems to expand with each film), he is still very, very human.

     In Marvel films where we have to deal with Tony Stark and his superhero alter-ego, the Iron Man, Tony is often met with somewhat hostile attitudes toward others due to his oftentimes arrogant nature. However, like all the other Avengers, Tony also has a dark side that he has learned to hide very well. What is extraordinary about Tony is that he (out of all the other Avengers) feels so deeply and so passionately. And it's these deep emotions that forever compel Tony to do what he believes is right.

     While Tony may be plagued with undesirable qualities such as arrogance and narcissism, they certainly do not cancel out his deeper attributes of compassion and good will. So, the question is, why does Tony forever come off as a condescending asshole? Because that's just how Tony Stark rolls. There is no denying that Tony is a genius and his genius is how he became truly famous in the first place. So why not play the arrogant genius card? Also, Tony's deep emotions and feelings for the people around him could be detrimental to his ability to reason and so he keeps these feelings down; while he may not hide them, he certainly does downplay.   

     Unlike the other superheros, Tony does not strive for civic sainthood. He never wanted to become a hero in the first place. He simply wanted to right what he done (or thought he had done wrong). Then the world latched on to his idea and blew it out of proportion. And of that world wants something from Tony Stark, then he will definitely deliver. While Steve Rogers attempts to be equal in his role as an ordinary man and a super soldier, Tony wants to be as separated from his alter-ego as much as possible. Because how can a man save humanity if he cannot save himself first?