10 Times Iron Man Outsmarted Everyone
4. The Extremis App
Although the deed is carried out by an unmistakably evil Iron Man, the creation of the Extremis app does result in Tony outsmarting pretty much everyone - just in a more dastardly way than usual.
Extremis gave its users a perfect physical appearance; and, in its initial free phase, was naturally snapped up by the vast majority of the population. The trick behind this, however, is that this free period was temporary, and that after that, users were required to pay $99.99 a day in order to keep up their facade.
The whole plan is downright fiendish, but it's also dazzlingly effective. In getting basically the world addicted to something that only Stark has only control of, he also gains control of them, letting him do basically whatever he wants in exchange for providing people with their newest addiction.
It's unsettling to see the beloved billionaire being so downright evil, yes, but it's also a potent reminder of just how capable Tony would be of taking over the world were it not for him actually having some morals - somewhere - in the regular Marvel universe.