How The Avengers: Endgame Ending Changed The Comics

7. How Tony Stark 'Dies' In The Comics

The only time Tony has 'died' was during 'The Crossing', a controversial comic book event from the nineties, where the older Stark was replaced by a less corrupt teenage self.

Later retconned thanks to Avengers Forever, the arc revealed that Tony had actually been a brainwashed agent of Kang the Conquerer. When Tony sees his younger self, he's able to snap out of his control and sacrifice himself in battle, leading his teenage self to pick up the pieces in the present day.

It should come as a relief to MCU fans that The Crossing didn't actually influence any elements of Endgame, but the aforementioned Forever actually did. Kurt Busiek and Roger Stern's comic boasted a brilliantly introspective look back at the history of Earth's Mightiest Heroes, and wiped away any elements of Tony's brainwashing in the process.

Before Forever came around, the adult Tony was resurrected by Franklin Richards. Later storylines have seen the character leave the Iron Man mantle behind for prolonged periods, either due to ill health or to some other personal crisis, but nothing compares to the sacrifice the character makes in Endgame.