3. Iron Man 2 (2010)
The Score: 4 StarsThe Avenger's Role: Back at the forefront, Tony Stark discovered that his own metallic heart was slowly but surely causing him to die. There's always a catch, isn't there? Seemingly consigned to his inevitable fate, Stark encountered the vengeful Whiplash in a brutal Formula One race where he got the chance to show off a new suit-in-a-case suitcase (see what he did there?). From here on out, the famed billionaire began to plunge himself into a depression of booze and parties, eventually culminating in a blazing row between the suit-clad Stark and his pal James Rhodes, who'd stolen his own War Machine suit to boot. When Stark awoke from the battle, he found none other than Nick Fury, the Black Widow and Agent Coulson on his doorstep. While that's pretty much every fanboy's fantasy, Tony was none too pleased, refusing to save himself from his death until he discovered that his father Howard Stark had unlocked the key to his survival. Once he was cured, Tony donned the Iron Man suit once more, racing to the Stark Convention to save Pepper from Justin Hammer's corrupted robot army, Whiplash and a rogue-wire War Machine. The pair of robot-like heroes teamed up for a devastating battle against their foes outside the stadium, wiping out Whiplash from the face of the Earth in the process. Finally, after a good day's work, Stark discovered that SHIELD's Nick Fury only wanted him as a consultant on the Avengers Initiative in light of recent events. Meanwhile, Coulson got on the line with Fury to inform him that it wasn't the hammered Golden Avenger they had to deal with anymore, but rather an altogether different kind of hammer.
The Review: I still hold a soft spot for Iron Man 2 amongst all of the unneccesary criticisms it seems to fall under from fans. Sure, Whiplash and Hammer weren't as iconic foes as IM1's Stane, yet all the same, the Avengers arc narrative elements for me actually added to the fun of the whole experience. Better yet, the special effects were beautiful, the majority of the cast on top form once again, and there were plenty of exciting set-up for days to come in the Marvel Cinematic Universe!