Futurism/Old School Progressivism
In the MCU, Tony applies his arc reactor technology to the alternative energy sphere. He also dumps his considerable funds into other bleeding edge research and a number of charitable concerns. This is not just because he's supposed to be the Elon Musk of these movies; it's 100% in line with the comics. In the 80's, for example, Tony spends several issues using his armor to build a freakin' space station because he's genuinely passionate about the possibilities of the final frontier. (By the way, those issues are absolutely precious to me. I was legitimately heartbroken to see that station destroyed later on.)
Will Do Anything to Keep His Tech Out of Questionable Hands
This pretty much describes the plot of Iron Man, does it not? Tony finds out his inventions have been funneled to terrorists, so he shuts down his weapons division and then scares Pepper by flying into combat zones to destroy everything that's his -- and he does all of this with a noteworthy emotional intensity and obsessive focus that foreshadows what he will one day become.
Now, dear reader, let me introduce you to "Armor Wars." "Armor Wars" is an amazing arc written by David Michelinie in the late 80's in which Tony discovers by accident that members of the Marvel Rogue's Gallery are using Stark tech and promptly goes halfway insane trying to track it all down. All unapproved users are on his target list, and if that means he has to break into a federal prison and, in the process, disable Captain America, well -- it is what it is. The reaction here is so extreme, in fact, that Tony has to fire himself - and, at the end, fake Iron Man's death temporarily - to avoid the public relations shitstorm. And all the while, the West Coast Avengers can only boggle helplessly at what's come over their dear friend.
The driving force behind both of these stories? "If my name's on it, I'm responsible for how it's used."
Major Health Crises
We all know about Tony's palladium poisoning in the MCU -- and how it nearly killed him. Well, in the comics, Tony nearly dies more than once. In the early days, the problem is repeated heart hiccups (which are eventually resolved by artificial heart technology). Late in volume 1, on the other hand, the problems are neurological. Tony, you see, gets shot by a creepy stalker ex (which is rather tabloid-y, I must admit), and to resolve the resulting paraplegia, he agrees to have an experimental biochip implanted in his spine. Unfortunately, that chip turns out to be a parasite (one designed by a disgruntled competitor) that takes over his entire nervous system and eventually destroys it. For a while, Tony functions using his armor and/or a full-body external neural net, but repeated physical strain (from being Iron Man, natch) eventually overwhelms these compensatory systems. Ultimately, Tony ends up in cryogenic suspension while researchers try to work out how to reprogram the parasite.
Yeah, it's a lot of comic book science hooey, but wow, some of the things they do with this plot are truly awesome. See the next three bullet points.
Using the Armor to Escape
Tony hates helplessness in all his incarnations, it seems, and will use his armor to avoid it if he can. In the MCU, we see this in the first act of Iron Man 3 especially (see previous posts in which said movie is discussed). In the comics, meanwhile, Tony retreats to his Iron Man persona to avoid the frustrations of the above-mentioned neurological degeneration (which are aggravating enough that he repeatedly loses his temper and, in one scene, punches and breaks a mirror).
Daddy Issues
While Tony's in cryo, we take a trip down memory lane and learn that Howard Stark was himself an alcoholic and a hard man who demanded his son be tough and uber-masculine ("Stark men are made of iron"). So the daddy issues in the MCU are also a direct lift from the comics (although the MCU softens what's in the source material quite a bit).
Drawing Strength from Suffering -- Eventually
As already established, no version of Tony I've encountered handles set-backs like a stoic philosopher; MCU Tony and 616 Tony both have episodes in which they sink into despair over their respective plights. But in either medium, Tony also has the capacity to take all of his sorrows and use them to make himself strong. In the comics, for instance, we have this scene, in which Tony overcomes an attempt at mind control by channeling his recent difficult history (click to embiggen):
And then we have this, in which Tony defeats VOR/TEX and gets his own body back by, once again, using his intimate knowledge of pain:
And in the MCU? Well, we have that scene between Tony and Bruce in The Avengers in which Tony tells Bruce that he sees his trauma as a "terrible privilege" and encourages Bruce to look at his own inner monster in the same light. And then there's Endgame. Many people online have made the following insightful observation: Tony doesn't scream when he wields the Infinity Stones. Thanos screams like a little bitch when the power of all six stones courses through him, but Tony? As his body is being burned from the inside out - as flames are crawling up his arm and face - Tony stays. fucking. silent. until his iconic snap. How the hell is this fragile mortal able to handle the stones so calmly? Where the hell does that strength come from? I'll tell you: it comes from his suffering.
God, I'm crying over this character again. As regular readers are no doubt aware, I am a disabled chronic pain patient. Watching Tony transmute similar struggles into something this incredible is an inspiration to me personally. It honestly makes me feel that I myself can make my stupid, messy life into something good.
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