Tony Starks first taste of armored adventure came when he escaped captivity inside his Mark I Iron Man armor. His first act as a superhero, however, came when he suited up in the Mark III armor to save the villagers of Gomera. They were under attack by the same group of terrorists that kidnapped Tony in the films opening scene. Iron Man is probably the coolest superhero in the genre, as partially demonstrated by his flight and landing in Gomera. What this entrance shows is that Iron Man is also a badass. A body shot to the first terrorist in Starks view sends him flying before a series of repulsor blasts make quick work of several more bad guys. Technology is always the ace up Tonys sleeve, which is demonstrated to great effect when his targeting system thwarts the remaining terrorists attempt to hide behind human shields. Iron Man spares one final terrorist from the onslaught, leaving his fate to the suddenly empowered villagers. At this point in the film, the audience was probably already won over by Robert Downey, Jr.s portrayal of Tony Stark, but this scene cemented Iron Man as a superhero to be reckoned with in what would become a new era for the genre.
