10 Times Iron Man Was A Real Jerk
RDJ may play a charismatic Tony Stark on the silver screen, but the comics paint a different picture.
If there's one thing you can say about Robert Downey Jr's portrayal of Tony Stark, aka Iron Man, it's that he was a beloved character. His charismatic performance helped make the MCU the most financially successful film franchise in history, and there wasn't a dry eye in the theatre when Tony died at the end of Avengers: Endgame.
While that's how the MCU opted to portray Iron Man, the comics have been a bit different. In many instances, Stark is a pompous ass who doesn't get along well with anyone who doesn't agree with his chosen courses of action.
Despite this, he's an effective leader who has commanded the respect of most of the superhero community. But that doesn't mean he hasn't rubbed more than a few the wrong way every now and again. Many of his actions are done without consultation from the heroes he's working with, and this has gotten him into trouble numerous times over the years.
To put it plainly, Tony Stark can be a real jerk to his friends and coworkers. He's said and done things only a megalomaniacal egomaniac would do. Despite this, Tony remains one of the most powerful and influential superheroes throughout the Marvel Universe, even if he's a jerk every once in a while.
10. When He Got Cap Killed
Marvel's Civil War was one of the biggest crossover events in the publisher's history, and it had ramifications that would affect the Marvel Universe for years. No two characters were more impacted by the events than Iron Man and Captain America, who died shortly after his surrender.
Eventually he came back (as superheroes often do), but shortly before he was killed, Tony set out to prove himself victorious to the world. He decided the best way to handle the capture of Steve Rogers was to parade him outside for everyone to see. He wanted the world to see that he captured Cap, and he was going to answer for his crimes.
Out walks Cap, people boo, some cheer, and Cap ends up taking some fatal gunfire as a result. Tony never wanted Cap to get killed - far from it. He was only trying to let the world know that he was right, and Cap was wrong, but he was reckless in dealing with it.
Cap would never have been killed had he been kept in lockup where he was safe. That's what happens with every other prisoner who is facing a hearing, but no. That wasn't good enough for Tony, who had to show off his prize. Doing so resulted in the death of a man who personified American patriotism.