10 Iron Man Fates Worse Than Death

While, on a personal level, actual death is a fate far worse than a faux demise, it's extremely scummy on a grander scale when the dust settles to reveal that you faked your own death and caused your nearest and dearest to mourn you.

For Tony Stark, that was exactly what he did during the War Machine arc of 1992.

The 'fate' element here meant that ol' Shellhead could avoid the public spotlight in order to heal up from the numerous injuries, nerve damage, alcoholism and mental traumas he'd battled over the years. Iron Man #169 saw Tony first hand over the Variable Threat Response Battle Suit to long-time pal James Rhodes. Skipping ahead 15 issues, the Armored Avenger faked his own death in order for Rhodey to both run Stark Enterprises and to first take on the heroic mantle of War Machine.

In reality, Tony had placed himself in suspended animation and manipulated his friends into thinking he'd perished. So angry at the later reveal of all this, Rhodes severed his ties with Stark and ventured out on his own under the aforementioned War Machine guise.

Sure, Tony has often been an arrogant asshat who rarely thinks of others - particularly at this point in the character's history - but even Stark must've felt like quite the dirtbag upon realising the impact his faked death had on his loved ones.

Not cool, Tony. So, so not cool, man.