To show you why Iron Man is a hero and leader worth following, we rank and discuss his 25 greatest moments in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Have you chosen a side? Are you ready for the face-off between Captain America and Iron Man in Captain America: Civil War? If you believe in protecting the world at all costs — including taking away certain liberties — your philosophy probably aligns with Team Iron Man.
RELATED > Prepare For Civil War: 25 Greatest Captain America Moments In The Marvel Cinematic Universe
Ever since the Battle of New York, the Golden Avenger has had sleepless nights thinking about how to make the world a safer place. He’s made his Iron Man armors more and more advanced, and he created the Ultron artificial intelligence, thinking it could protect the world. Ironically, Ultron almost destroyed it. But has Tony done enough? Apparently not, because he now believes that it’s up to him to push a system of accountability for all powerful beings — including the ones protecting Earth.
This extreme thinking is what will pit Iron Man against Captain America. So which side will you be taking when Civil War breaks out? To advocate Tony’s point-of-view in this summer’s blockbuster event, we give you 25 Greatest Iron Man Moments in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Perhaps seeing the highlights of Iron Man’s heroic career will sway you to his side of things.
Join us as we rank his 25 greatest moments …
Next: #25 - It's the highest form of flattery
#25 – Meeting an Admirer
From: Iron Man 3 (2013)
Tony Stark’s life is pretty much admired by everybody. Women want to be with him, and men want to be him — which is exactly the case of one fan. When Tony commandeers a news van, the owner, Gary, enters while talking with his mother on the phone. He soon realizes that he’s in the presence of the great Tony Stark.
What does any rabid fan do in this situation? Well, he goes about showing Tony how he modeled his whole look after him — hairstyle, pencil-thin moustache and goatee, etc. Gary even went as far as getting a tattoo of the Avenger’s face on his forearm. Yep, there’s a fine line between fan and stalker. Why do I have a feeling that Gary cosplays as Iron Man on the weekends?
Next: #24 - A small quibble between two buddies
#24 – Tony vs. Rhodes
From: Iron Man 2 (2010)
Everybody knows that Tony Stark can be a bit of a jerk sometimes, so imagine an intoxicated Tony. Having a few too many drinks, Tony decides to put on his Mark IV armor and turn his birthday party into a real fiesta. After spinning some records and abusing his weapon, Rhodes decides to take matters into his own hands and stop his friend from making any more mistakes.
Donning the Mark II armor, Rhodes faces off with Tony. The finale of this clash ends with the two of them firing a giant repulsor blast at each other. The result is a spectacular room-leveling explosion that leaves Tony with a headache rivaled only by the night’s libations.
Next: #23 - You tell 'em, Tony!
#23 – Tony Privatized World Peace
From: Iron Man 2 (2010)
Sometimes, idiot politicians and government talking heads need a kick in the butt from someone like Tony Stark. Called to a Senate hearing in Washington DC, Tony is grilled and questioned about his Iron Man technology falling into the wrong hands.
The Senate Committee goes as far as conjuring up lies that other rogue countries are already in advanced development of a similar arsenal. Tony, never taking anything at face-value, hacks the room’s monitors and shows the press and everyone this “advanced development” from actual satellite feeds. They soon see how pathetically primitive each of these rival nations are in their weapons technology.
As Tony humiliates the senators for their exaggerated lies (all because the government themselves want to force Tony into giving his technology to them), he proudly announces to an applauding crowd, “I’ve successfully privatized world peace!” And concludes the session with a smug grin and two peace signs. I just love Tony Stark.
Next: #22 - Buddy, you need to relax and have fun
#22 – Tony Convinces Rhodey to Party
From: Iron Man (2008)
Tony Stark is one of the smoothest talkers in the world. The man can convince anyone that the day is going to be A-okay. As is the case when Tony needed to calm down best friend Jim Rhodes, a colonel in the United States Airforce.
Left standing for three hours at the the airport while waiting for an always late Tony, Rhodes is angered and frustrated at his buddy’s irresponsible nature. On the plane, Tony tries to calm Rhodes with his exuberant charm and sweet talk. Tony finally ends up suggesting the two have some hot saki. Rhodes’s initial answer is a vehement rejection of having fun on a business trip.
However, before he’s even aware of it, the uptight Colonel already has a full bottle in his hand, is semi-inebriated, and laying out his feelings to Tony. All this is complemented with scantily clad flight attendants dancing around the two men while an automated stripper pole extends from the floor.
Next: #21 - I'm sure it was a one-sided conversation
#21 – Nice Talk
From: Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)
Strucker’s men were right to fear the Avengers. As Iron Man flies into the fortress, the men unleash a barrage of gunfire — a futile attempt.
Tony Stark, being a reasonable fellow, asks if they can all talk about it. A continuation of gunfire seems to have answered that question with a resounding “no.” With state-of-the-art Stark technology, Iron Man targets all the men at once and fires simultaneous shots, disabling all of them in seconds without killing them.
With the men holding their wounds in pain, Tony tells them that it was a “nice talk.” One of the men answers faintly with, “No, it wasn’t.”
Next: #20: Tony Stark has everything tailor-made
#20 – Creating a New Element
From: Iron Man 2 (2010)
Tony Stark’s arc reactor came with a price. When he originally created it, the arc reactor required a heavy element — palladium. Due to the element being constantly eroded via neutron bombardment, toxins were released into Tony’s bloodstream.
With clues from Howard Stark’s past research and archived film footage (see Greatest Iron Man Moment #12), Tony was able to figure out that his father left him a legacy — the blueprints to a new element. Toiling day and night and rebuilding the infrastructure of his home research lab, Tony was able to create a particle accelerator.
Firing up the particle accelerator, Tony created a whole new element that would be a replacement for palladium. Against JARVIS’s recommendations, Tony inserted the new element into his arc reactor. I guess that’s just how Tony rolls. As the arc reactor fired up, the Golden Avenger ecstatically claimed that it not only re-energized him, but it tasted like coconut and metal.
Next: #19 - Tony Stark, the true definition of an extrovert
#19 – Making a Grand Entrance
From: Iron Man 2 (2010)
When Tony Stark goes somewhere, he wants his presence to be known. I’m talking about the whole shebang — music, thrills, and a cheering uproarious crowd. Nothing can be more true than his dramatic entrance at Stark Expo — a convention showing the latest and greatest offerings from Stark Industries. Think of it like the Consumer Electronics show on steroids … or Super-Soldier Serum.
With AC/DC’s “Shoot to Thrill” playing, Tony, in his Iron Man armor, jumps out from a flying plane. As he boosts to his location, fireworks explode around him, with one actually hitting him (which was most likely on purpose, so he can show off his invulnerability). He finally lands inside a giant dome with thousands of cheering fans and his own line-up of dancing Starkettes, who are scantily clad in Iron Man-themed outfits.
As robotic arms disassemble the armor, the genius behind the technology is revealed in a crisp tuxedo. Continuing to play up the crowd, he finally concludes his grand entrance with arms wide open and the line, “Oh, it’s good to be back!” I guess when you’re Tony Stark, it’s good to be anywhere at anytime.
Next: #18 - Use the Stark ... let it guide your armor
#18 – Tony Testing His New Mind-Controlled Mark XLII Armor
From: Iron Man 3 (2013)
Suffering from stress-induced insomnia, Tony has been working non-stop building up his Iron Man armory. One of the most impressive ones is his Mark XLII Armor (or Mark 42 for those not well-versed in Roman numerals). By injecting sensors into his body, Tony was now able to summon this newest armor to him via his thoughts.
On a first test run, and against JARVIS’s recommendations of rushed experimentation, Tony makes pieces of his armor fly to him and assemble. The test seems successful at first when everything is well-coordinated. Suddenly, pieces start to either miss him completely or fly at him too quickly. Towards the end, Tony is able to get some semblance of control, even after a groin piece attaches itself much too fast and much too forcefully.
With the final face-plate coming at him upside-down, Tony does an impromptu somersault and angles himself just the right way to have the face-plate snap into place. Doing his signature Iron Man one-knee landing, Tony declares, “I’m the best!” Well, life has a way of kicking you in the ass … literally. Unknown to Tony, the final rear-end piece hadn’t assembled. As it flies to him and attaches itself, the force of the impact throws Tony forward, making him violently hit the ground and disassembling his armor.
Next: #17 - Can you set that to defrost?
#17 – War Monger Never Solved the Freezing Issue
From: Iron Man (2008)
This is why product testing exists. In the final fight between Iron Man and War Monger, Iron Man’s arc reactor power is depleted to 15%. Discovering that Obadiah Stane has enhanced the War Monger armor to have flight capabilities, Tony, against JARVIS’s recommendations, makes Obadiah chase him to a higher altitude.
As Iron Man and Warm Monger get higher and higher into the atmosphere, JARVIS counts down the accelerated energy depletion of Tony’s arc reactor. War Monger finally catches Iron Man with Obadiah triumphantly declaring, “You have a great idea, Tony. But my suit is more advanced in every way!” Tony then replies, “How’d you solve the icing problem?”
Obadiah then experiences his systems starting to flicker, eventually dying out. Tony gives him the suggestion of looking into it and hammers down on the top of War Monger’s ice-ridden head. War Monger then free falls towards the city below.
Next: #16 - It's like trying to start a lawn mower
#16 – Manually Spinning the Helicarrier’s Rotors
From: The Avengers (2012)
When Hawkeye, under the influence of Loki’s scepter, detonates an explosion on the Helicarrer, it’s up to Iron Man and Captain America to save the legendary craft from falling out of the sky. Tony, keenly assessing the damage, determines that the super-conducting cooling system needs to get back online … after he clears the debris from the rotors. Is there more? Of course. The rotors themselves need a jump-start.
Before Iron Man goes in, he tells Captain America that a lever will need to be pulled right after the rotors start to spin by themselves. If that lever isn’t pulled, then Iron Man will be overpowered by the rapidly spinning blades. As Iron Man powers up his repulsors, he brings the Helicarrier’s rotors to life. It isn’t long before Iron Man is only seen as a fiery blur. At that time, he quickly requests the lever to be pulled. However, Captain America is under attack by Loki’s brainwashed minions.
Unable to keep up, Iron Man non-chalantly says, “Uh oh,” and is pulled into the blades. When Cap is finally able to pull the lever, Iron Man drops out from underneath, swiftly flies back into the Helicarrier, and tackles an attacking enemy.
Next: #15 - Tony Stark, beta tester extraordinaire
#15 – Testing the Mark II Armor
From: Iron Man (2008)
Tony Stark is a very impatient man. And when he has his mind set on doing something, you can bet he’s going to carry it out … no matter what. After his escape from the Ten Rings via the Mark I armor he built with Yinsen, Tony was determined more than ever to not waste his second chance at life.
Tony retreats to his home research lab and starts working on the next iteration of his latest invention. Armed with the latest technology and weeks of painstaking (emphasis on the “pain” part) research, Tony completes the Mark II armor — a silver armored suit much more sleeker and compact than the Mark I. With the cocky attitude of “sometimes you need to run before you can walk,” Tony takes flight in his new armor. Screaming in exhilaration and excitement, Tony ascends high up into the atmosphere.
It’s a great ride until his suit starts to ice over. With his systems malfunctioning and eventually shutting down, Tony saves himself by breaking the ice around his armor. At the last second before hitting a busy street, Tony fires up his repulsors and barely skims the ground. He arrives home only to perform a not-so-soft landing, making him crash through the roof and right onto a classic car. Hey, at least his robot assistant took the precautionary step of blasting a fire extinguisher at him.
Next: #14 - No tap-in was involved
#14 – Iron Man & War Machine vs. The Hammer Drones
From: Iron Man 2 (2010)
What do you do when you and your bro have a slight disagreement? You talk it out over a nice drone battle. After discovering that Justin Hammer had full control over Rhodey’s War Machine armor, Iron Man leads War Machine and the Hammer drones on chase around New York City — which also entailed an all-out battle with repulsor blasts and every kind of weapons fire imaginable.
The chase ends when Iron Man and War Machine crash inside an expo bio-dome. Knocking out War Machine’s systems, the armor reboots, eventually giving full control back to Rhodey. At this time, the rest of the Hammer drones can be heard making their way to the two friends. With a quick apology and water-under-the-bridge resolution, it’s now Team Iron Man and War Machine. As the Hammer drones arrive in droves, Iron Man and War Machine fight them with every piece of weapons technology at their disposal.
When the team becomes overwhelmed by the onslaught, Tony “Schwarzenegger’s” Rhodey (he basically tells him to “get down”). War Machine ducks and Iron Man fires powerful laser blasts from his hands while doing a quick torso spin. The Hammer drones are quickly sliced in half, ending the battle.
Next: #13 - Tony's ultimate sacrifice
#13 – Guiding the Nuclear Missile to the Chitauri
From: The Avengers (2012)
Tony Stark may be arrogant and a little self-centered at times, but he really steps up to the challenge when it counts. As is the case when the people above Nick Fury send a nuclear missile to destroy all of Manhattan in the hopes that this would also win the battle against the Chitauri.
As the missile is fired from a fighter jet, Iron Man chases it down and grabs hold of it. Ignoring the advice of both Steve Roges and JARVIS, Tony is adamant that this is the only way to save Manhattan. He saves his final words for Pepper, who he has JARVIS call. However, as she’s distracted by the news, she doesn’t hear Tony phoning in to tell her goodbye.
Using all the power from his repulsors, Iron Man guides the missile right through the Chitauri portal and sends it to their base. When it detonates, the Chitauri fall dead due to them have a centralized control structure. However, Tony has made the ultimate sacrifice. With his Iron Man armor losing power, he falls unconscious and back through the portal.
Next: #12 - A voice beyond the grave
#12 – Howard Gives a Message to Tony
From: Iron Man 2 (2010)
Pepper Potts once put the joke phrase “Proof That Tony Stark Has a Heart” on Tony’s used obsolete arc reactor. Though it was definitely meant as humor, that description isn’t that far off from Tony’s actual personality. Not known to be sentimental, Tony is usually described as arrogant and a bit selfish.
However, one scene with Tony really pulls on the heartstrings and proves that he’s just a little boy looking for his father’s approval. Tasked with finding a new element to cure himself of his palladium poisoning, Tony goes through his father’s old files looking for any useful research. When he plays old video footage, he’s reminded of how dismissive his father was to him when he was a child.
That is, until he stumbles onto a secret message attached to the tail-end of one of the reels. In it, Howard reveals that everything he has done has been for Tony, and that he knows Tony will not only live up to his expectations, but surpass him. Tony’s gaze completely changes, finally understanding that his father thought of him as his “greatest creation.”
Next: #11 - Better late than never
#11 – Escaping Killian’s Dungeon
From: Iron Man 3 (2013)
Captured and tied up in Aldrich Killian’s dungeon, Tony Stark only has one hope of escape — his Mark XLII (Mark 42) armor. Tony gives his captors multiple warnings that he’ll let them live if they leave now. However, they all take it as a joke.
Tony finally resorts to multiple countdowns as to when his armor will arrive. I say “multiple” because every time he hit “0,” the scene was a big disappointment — Tony was still tied up and his captors were still standing. Finally, on the umpteenth try, a gauntlet and a boot fly to him. He’s able to release himself and fight off two men. Unknown to Tony, the rest of Mark XLII was trapped behind a locked barn door. The pieces are finally set free by Harley, a boy he befriended after the Mandarin’s initial attack.
At Killian’s dungeon, Tony improvises with what he has and fights off the rest of the guards. Right after Tony finishes them off, his armor arrives piece-by-piece. Walking through the halls and out into the open, Tony Stark becomes Iron Man.
Next: #10 - He's all yours
#10 – Rescuing the Villagers from the Ten Rings
From: Iron Man (2008)
Newly painted Mark III armor? Check. Badass ready-to-fight attitude? Check. What else is left? Some bad guys that deserve a lesson to be taught. When Tony watches the news and sees the Ten Rings killing innocent people in Gulmira, he suits up with his newest Mark III armor. There’s no better way to give it a real-world test.
In Gulmira, a father is torn away from his family, instantly prepped to be executed. His son cries and pleads to the Ten Rings to spare his father’s life. The violent terrorists pull the child away and proceed to brutally beat the father. As the father about to be shot, Iron Man launches down from the sky and lands in his signature heroic one-knee pose.
Taking out the offenders with repulsor beams and tiny smart missiles, Iron Man saves the village. However, one cowardly Ten Rings member tries to escape and hide. It’s not long before Iron Man finds him and tears him out from behind a wall. Throwing him to the villagers, Iron Man tells the once bullied victims, “He’s all yours.”
Next: #9 - Protecting her like a Fabergé egg
#9 – Saving Pepper with the Armor
From: Iron Man 3 (2013)
Fueled by insomnia and panic attacks from his experience in the Battle of New York, Tony Stark immerses himself with work. The result is an army of Iron Man armors, with one of them having the ability to be controlled by Tony’s mind — the Mark XLII Armor.
When the Mandarin targets Tony’s Malibu estate with an attack, a rocket explosion blows both Tony and Pepper violently back. As Pepper travels towards a deadly surface of jagged concrete and steel, Tony summons his armor. Piece-by-piece the Mark XLII wraps itself around Pepper until she becomes an “Iron Woman,” protecting her from a deadly impact with the debris.
Next: #8 - Cool guys never look at explosions
#8 – Firing a Rocket and Walking Away
From: Iron Man (2008)
Right after saving villagers in Gulmira, Iron Man launches off to head back home. However, the Ten Rings aren’t going to let someone disrupt their plans that easily. A tank shoots Iron Man out of the sky and he plummets back down, landing with a violent thud.
Getting out of the rubble, Iron Man, annoyed, shakes it off and nonchalantly fires a very modest wrist-mounted rocket at the offending tank. And like all cool guys, he just turns and walks away, knowing what the result will be. Behind him, the tank is destroyed in a glorious explosion. Iron Man then proceeds to destroy the rest of the Ten Rings’ heavy artillery.
Next: #7 - It takes a team effort
#7 – Linking Arms to Save All of Airforce One
From: Iron Man 3 (2013)
Being a genius inventor, Tony Stark is also a master at improvisation. Nowhere is Tony’s ingenuity and creativity better demonstrated than his rescue of all 13 passengers on Air Force One when the aircraft starts to go down.
As an Extremis-enhanced soldier blows a hole through Air Force One, passengers are sucked out into the open, free-falling to the ground. Iron Man first consults JARVIS, who tells him that he can only carry four. Not good enough. Tony needs to save 13 passengers! Defying all odds — because that’s what Tony is good at — Iron Man reaches for the first passenger and tells her that they’ll be playing “Barrel of Monkeys,” where he’ll be electrifying her arm so she doesn’t let go.
One by one, Iron Man saves all the passengers by linking their arms together. Reaching a safe altitude, Iron Man gently glides them into the water where they’ll be retrieved. Crediting everyone with a “good team effort,” Iron Man is unexpectedly hit by an oncoming truck which separates the armor into dozens of pieces. However, we quickly discover that Tony has been remotely controlling his armor this whole time. Yep, Tony Stark is a genius alright.
Next: #6 - It's all about mobility
#6 – Suiting Up with the Mark V at Monaco
From: Iron Man 2 (2010)
Tony Stark takes the meaning of mobility to a whole new level with his Mark V armor. At the Monaco Grand Prix, Ivan Vanko, a.k.a. Whiplash, makes his violent introduction by slicing the front hood off of Tony’s speeding Formula 1 car, flipping it upside down.
Happy Hogan and Pepper Potts see Tony in need and speed to the raceway to save him. Arriving at the nick of time, Happy pins Vanko against a wall with his car. As Pepper yells at Tony to get in, Vanko continues his assault. Happy finally opts to hit Vanko multiple times in order to subdue him. Happy’s efforts are futile which prompts Tony to request his suitcase. But Pepper’s attempts to pass Tony his suitcase are hampered by Happy’s desperate maneuvers at trying to keep Vanko at bay.
When Vanko slices the side of the car off with his energized whip, Pepper sees her chance and tosses the suitcase right in front of Tony, who plunges his fists into the receiving receptacles. The Mark V armor quickly wraps and forms around its owner, transforming him into Iron Man.
Next: #5 - Don't ever take Tony's stuff
#5 – Iron Man vs. Thor in the Forest
From: The Avengers (2012)
What happens when you have two headstrong people wanting the same thing? You get an epic battle that levels a forest. After taking Loki into custody, SHIELD’s Quinjet is invaded by Thor, who wants his brother back on Asgard to stand trial for his crimes. Tony, believing that Loki should be under his custody, goes after Thor.
An airborne Iron Man tackles Thor and crash lands him into a forest. The two trade a few quips at first, with Iron Man doing most of the insulting. The verbal feud quickly escalates to a battle of Mjolnir-powered lightning and repulsor blasts. At one point, Thor unknowingly charges Iron Man, which allows the Golden Avenger to blast Thor with a full dose of his own medicine.
When Captain America steps in to stop the fight, Thor attempts to strike him. However, Cap raises his shield in defense. As the two legendary weapons collide, a powerful shockwave knocks the three Avengers over and levels the forest. That, my friend, is how you end a super-powered fight.
Next: #4 - Maybe he should be called 'Iron Men'
#4 – Summoning the Iron Legion
From: Iron Man 3 (2013)
Tony Stark isn’t just a popular guy among people. He seems to be a popular guy among machines too … well, he built them, so they better be loyal. In the final battle with Aldrich Killian and his Extremis-enhanced soldiers, Tony calls forth his Iron Legion — dozens of armored suits coded to him and ready for battle.
With the enemy outnumbering them, Rhodey makes the comment that he would kill for some armor. Tony, with one more trick up his sleeve, looks towards the distance where the familiar glow of a repulsor beam rapidly flies towards them.
Soon, Tony and Rhodes are greeted by the Iron Legion awaiting orders for their next move. Tony tells JARVIS to target the heat signatures of all the Extremis targets. And with that, the armored suits go to work, each battling the enemy in its own specialized way.
Next: #3 - Delivered in 30 seconds or less
#3 – Mid-Air Joining with the Mark VII Armor
From: The Avengers (2012)
Tony, in a barely functioning Iron Man armor, retreats to Stark Tower where Loki awaits him. JARVIS quickly makes note that the Mark VII isn’t ready for deployment. However, the impatient Tony is always up for trying out new things. After having his current armor disassembled from his body via robotic arms, Tony enters his home and pours himself a drink while also offering one to Loki.
Tony warns Loki that he needs to fear the Avengers, which are composed of the best of the best. As Tony continues his speech, he stealthily puts on a pair of silver bracelets. Tony continues to explain to Loki that there is no endgame to what he’s playing.
The egomanical Loki then approaches Tony and attempts to control him by touching his scepter to Tony’s chest. Unknown to Loki, Tony is protected by his arc reactor. A frustrated, unamused Loki throws Tony across the room. Tony calls out to JARVIS, preparing his trusty AI to execute his plan.
As Loki lifts Tony up by his neck, Tony commands JARVIS to “deploy.” Loki violently throws Tony through the window where he freefalls towards the ground. Suddenly, a red-and-gold casket-like object shoots out and accelerates towards Tony. As it’s sensors lock onto Tony’s silver bracelets, the Mark VII armor wraps and assembles itself to him.
Iron Man fires his repulsors seconds from hitting the ground. Boosting back up to Loki, Iron Man hits him with a powerful repulsor blast and dedicates it to Phil Coulson.
Next: #2 - Tony instantly bulks up
#2 – Iron Man vs. Hulk – Debut of the Hulkbuster
From: Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)
Under Scarlet Witch’s control, Bruce Banner becomes an enraged Hulk and goes on a rampage in an African city. Iron Man quickly calls his orbital tracking platform, Veronica, for assistance, prompting the Mark XLIV armor — better known as “The Hulkbuster” — to be launched.
The Hulk is first encased in a reinforced prison that he breaks out of by digging underground and then bursting through the streets. With the Mark XLIV armor’s modular pieces fully assembled around Iron Man, he implores Hulk to listen to reason. This only angers the green giant even more. The Hulk stampedes towards him and an epic battle ensues. At one point, the Hulkbuster has its arm torn off, but Veronica quickly replaces it with a spare.
Seeing the devastation from their battle, Iron Man attempts to fly the Hulk out of a populated area. However, the Hulk’s rage-fueled strength veers them off course and into a building. Iron Man saves an elevator full of people and then uses the empty lift to hit the Hulk. Using all his might for a single punch, Iron Man actually knocks out one of the Hulk’s teeth. The Hulk, infuriated more than ever, pummels Iron Man.
As a last resort, Iron Man throws the Hulk downward and through the top of an in-progress skyscraper while firing multiple rockets. The skyscraper collapses around the Hulk, finally rendering him unconscious.
Next: #1 - A second chance that should not be wasted
#1 – Escaping the Ten Rings — Birth of a Hero
From: Iron Man (2008)
Kidnapped and held hostage by the Ten Rings, Tony Stark’s life is saved by Yinsen, who removes shrapnel embedded around his heart. Tony later finds out what his captors want — build them their own Jericho missile. Though they say that they’ll release him once he’s done, Tony knows that it’s all a lie. With motivation from Yinsen, Tony gets to work.
The first thing Tony builds is an arc reactor to replace the makeshift electromagnet inserted into his chest by Yinsen. As days pass, Tony and Yinsen work together to construct something that looks nothing like a missile — the MK I armor. The Ten Rings, catching on to their hostages’ plans, enter the cave prison unannounced, causing a booby trapped door to explode.
Both Tony and Yinsen, well into their escape plan, start the power-up sequence for the MK I — but it’s taking a bit too long. Yinsen runs off and attacks their captors to buy Tony more time. When the sequence finally finishes, Tony unleashes the MK I onto the Ten Rings.
The unstoppable Tony pauses his advance when he runs into Yinsen, who’s dying from being shot. Still hopeful that Yinsen will live to see his family, Tony urges him to move. Yinsen finally comes clean, revealing that his family is already dead and he’s going to go see them now. With a mixture of both sadness and gratitude washing over his face, Tony thanks Yinsen for saving him. Yinsen’s last words to Tony are to not waste this second chance at life.
An angered Tony, more determined than ever, emerges from the cave and releases a full range assault on the awaiting terrorists. After destroying their camp and artillery, Tony launches into the sky with the MK I’s rudimentary flight system. As he clears the danger zone, he comes crashing back down to the desert, destroying the MK I in the process.
Tony’s befriending of Yinsen and his experience with the Ten Rings affected him deeply. A changed man, Tony Stark would later be known to the world as a hero … as Iron Man.
Do these align with your favorite Iron Man moments in the Marvel Cinematic Universe? Do you have other favorite moments that weren’t listed? Let us know in the comments, we’d love to hear from you!
Next: Prepare For Civil War: 25 Greatest Captain America Moments In The Marvel Cinematic Universe
Captain America: Civil War – Official Synopsis: Captain America: Civil War picks up where Avengers: Age of Ultron left off, as Steve Rogers leads the new team of Avengers in their continued efforts to safeguard humanity. After another international incident involving the Avengers results in collateral damage, political pressure mounts to install a system of accountability and a governing body to determine when to enlist the services of the team. The new status quo fractures the Avengers while they try to protect the world from a new and nefarious villain.
Captain America: Civil War has a United States release date of May 6, 2016. It will be directed by Anthony Russo and Joe Russo, written by Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely, star Chris Evans as Steve Rogers / Captain America, Robert Downy Jr. as Tony Stark / Iron Man, Scarlett Johansson as Natasha Romanoff / Black Widow, Sebastian Stan as Bucky Barnes / The Winter Soldier, Anthony Mackie as Sam Wilson / Falcon, Paul Bettany as Vision, Jeremy Renner as Clint Barton / Hawkeye, Don Cheadle as James “Rhodey” Rhodes / War Machine, Elizabeth Olsen as Wanda Maximoff / Scarlet Witch, Paul Rudd as Scott Lang / Ant-Man, Emily VanCamp as Sharon Carter / Agent 13, Tom Holland as Peter Parker / Spider-Man, Frank Grillo as Brock Rumlow / Crossbones, William Hurt as Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross, Chadwick Boseman as T’Challa / Black Panther, Daniel Brühl as Helmut Zemo, John Slattery as Howard Stark, Kerry Condon as F.R.I.D.A.Y., Martin Freeman as Everett Ross, Alfre Woodard as Miriam Sharpe, Marisa Tomei as May Parker, John Kani as T’Chaka, and Hope Davis as Maria Stark.