1. Tony's Arc
Tony Stark had a good, but not great character arc in the first film. His eyes were opened to all the damage his company had done, so he sought redemption by fighting the forces that used Stark Enterprises weaponry to spread terror. That was much better than Tonys arc in
Iron Man 2 since there really wasnt one. The third film, however, takes the character of Tony Stark on a much more introspective journey. In
Iron Man 3, Tony Stark has a lot on his plate. His inability to effectively cope with his post-traumatic stress leaves him in a place where he can only save his life with Pepper by admitting he is vulnerable. His genius and wit cannot get him out of his anxiety attacks and they cannot protect him from what is to come. As Tony loses his suit and digital companion, Jarvis, he is subjected to another unwelcome lesson in that his actions, even the ones that seem minor, have consequences. Moments that were meaningless to him became the key motivating factors for people like Aldrich Killian. One night in Switzerland inspired a threat to the entire country. This was worse than Tonys discovery in the first film. Its one thing to learn of the damage done by being an absentee boss, but quite another when ones direct behavior led others down such a destructive path. In order to rebuild himself, Tony has to go back to his most basic sense of what he is, a mechanic. He builds and fixes things. That is how Iron Man was created in the first place, and how Tony once saved his own life. The rediscovery of his foundation allows Tony to build himself back up, starting small with crude weaponry before bringing back the Mark XLII. In the end, Tony sees that he does not need the armor. It kept him safe at a time he could not survive without it, but he stayed in that cocoon for too long. He permanently severs his dependence on the electromagnet that powers the suit by having all of the shrapnel removed from his chest. Tony is now free to be Iron Man, but only when and if he chooses.