Part I // Part II // Part III
In the last post, I covered Iron Man and the establishment of Tony Stark as an interesting and layered character. The purpose of this post is to share the scenes I've saved from the rest of Phase 1. At the beginning of this phase, Tony is a rebellious lone wolf with trust issues. By the end, he's a member of a team -- who still has trust issues. (As they say, lifelong habits die hard.) Along the way, we learn a little more about what makes the guy tick.
This scene is one of my guilty pleasures. While there's absolutely no question Tony is being a cocky-ass bastard here, Senator Hydra and That Sleeze Justin Hammer also deserve to be humiliated, so -- yeah. I'm just going to sit here and enjoy the schadenfreude. Plus, there's more going on here than meets the eye. Not too long ago, Tony was betrayed and nearly killed - twice! - by someone inside his own company. Of course he's going to want to keep his new tech to himself. It's not just about stroking his own ego (though that's definitely a factor too).
This scene, on the other hand, just makes me sad. Rhodey is such a good bro. Unfortunately, Tony is too damned stubborn to admit he's in trouble -- a fault he carries with him through the rest of his arc. Being real? Being open? He eventually manages that with Pepper, but he struggles - really struggles - to be honest with the other Avengers. Why? Well, I think one reason will be revealed below.
This is actually Tony's emotional low point in Iron Man 2 - the point at which he's given up completely - but I also can't help laughing at that opening shot. Sorry, but Tony in the giant donut is truly classic -- just pure comedy gold. Then we cut to another big laugh line: "I told you, I don't wanna join your super secret boy band." Except he kind of does; when he learns Nat has deemed him unsuitable for the Avengers Initiative at the end of the movie, he actually seems genuinely wounded. Which just goes to show, once again, that the bravado is a façade -- that what Tony says about himself is not always trustworthy.
This scene is absolutely beautiful; I honestly cannot praise it enough. We see where Tony gets his engineering mindset - "Everything is achievable through technology." We see where Tony gets his sarcasm - "I'd like to personally show you... my ass." We see that Howard Stark loved his son but was so occupied with his work that he failed to show his affection when Tony was in the room -- which is probably a major reason why Tony himself has his own issues with intimacy. Overall, the elegant way this tells the entire story of Tony's formation in just a few minutes is just -- *chef's kiss*. Hell, even the score is perfect.
As I've mentioned elsewhere, I think this scene is weirdly, absurdly adorable. I mean, you have to give the guy credit for trying -- even if he is being completely ADHD and screwing it all up. In all seriousness, though: the fact that this happens after Tony hears his Howard's message is telling. I think he's realized that if he pushes everyone away, he will only repeat his dad's mistakes. Of course, the fact that he's had this epiphany doesn't change his fundamental difficulties with communication -- or his tendency to be distracted by desk ornaments. :) (By the way, I think it's also good that Pepper rebuffs Tony here. He has been irresponsible up until this moment, so he should be forced to earn Pep's forgiveness.)
"Doth mother know you weareth her drapes?" So. Funny. No further commentary required.
More funny stuff. The way Tony glides into this scene all cocksure is just textbook Phase 1 for the character -- and yes, I enjoy it in spite of myself. Also? The Science Bros meet! On re-watch, I've decided I really like me some Science Bros. See below.
So Tony pisses Steve off here, but Bruce? He's actually enjoying himself. Seriously: watch his face. I think it's a relief for Bruce to spend time with someone who's not afraid of The Other Guy -- someone with enough insane courage to tease him like he's normal. This is another reason why Tony, despite his many warts, is so special; because he struggles with his own shadow, he just accepts Bruce as an equal with no questions asked. Indeed, later on, he even encourages Bruce to see the Hulk as a possible blessing (in another nice scene I unfortunately don't have a clip for). I'm telling you: there's a core of pure goodness in Tony. It's just buried beneath layers of defensive nonsense.
Speaking of layers of defensive nonsense...
Once you've seen Civil War, you realize this scene works on two levels. The first level, of course, is its place within the self-contained plot of The Avengers. Steve and Tony haven't gotten off on the right foot - and no wonder given how Tony enters the fight in Germany - and Loki's scepter is only intensifying their personality clash. On the second level? In a very real - if not literal - sense, this is a fight between two sons of Howard Stark. Tony's been hearing how great Captain America is his whole life -- and secretly fears he comes up far short in comparison. So yes: Tony is going to goad the "old man" into a fight if only to knock Steve off his pedestal -- and no, there's no way in hell he's going to back down or otherwise show vulnerability. It's stupid -- but also very human.
This is a pretty good bridge for the whole ensemble (though the bridge in Ultron is better), but since we're focusing on Tony here: The way this sequence shows Tony's emotional turmoil without making it explicit by having Tony berate his late ally for being an idiot? That's a good, subtle bit of writing. Also good is his response to Steve's attempt to be comforting and conciliatory. Tony's a scrapper who's already survived several attempts on his life through sheer force of will, so no: he isn't going to accept that there's such a thing as a no-win scenario. (Not here, at any rate.) And the ferocity of his rejection of the soldier label? Very, very revealing. The final scene I'm covering in this post sets Tony up for future movies, but this scene does as well by giving us a glimpse of Tony's developing weariness.
Oh, and when he cracks Loki's plan by realizing he and the trickster demigod have one thing in common - "He wants a monument built to the skies with his name plastered... son of a bitch!" - I definitely laugh out loud.
Yeah, I've already cited this confrontation as evidence that Tony is brave. Or crazy. Or crazy brave. As Tony would say, "Jury's out." But you know what really struck me about this scene on re-watch? When Tony describes the Avengers, he leaves himself out. Evidently, he still doesn't quite feel accepted as part of the team. Evidently, he still feels like a man apart. That might also explain why he has trouble leveling with his teammates in Ultron.
So here we are: the turning point. This is the moment Tony demonstrates his capacity for self-sacrifice. It's also the moment he realizes the enormity of the threat our fragile Earth now faces -- and while he tries to brush off his near-death experience with jokes and food suggestions, we can see in his eyes that he's been permanently marked.
And thus begins Phase 2.
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