Iron Man might be one of the most popular characters in the entire MCU, but facts are facts: He’s the worst Avenger and one of the peeps who has gone way too far on the odd occasion. This shouldn’t take away from his heroics and how he sacrifices himself for all of humanity in Avengers: Endgame, but hey, he did more than a few things that could be deemed villainous before then.
Whether he’s (unwittingly) selling weapons to terrorist organizations or putting innocent children in harm’s way, Tony Stark has a history of making some questionable choices. So let’s take a look back at all the times when he proves he’s simply the worst.
1. He Was Directly Responsible For The Creation Of Ultron
Tony Stark seems fairly in touch with popular culture. Considering his age, it’s likely he’s heard of a little film franchise called The Terminator from Hollywood money-printing machine James Cameron. It’s a cautionary tale about the dangers of artificial intelligence and the potential for robots to take over and enslave humanity. Well, it appears as if that message went right over Tony’s head as he decided artificial intelligence is the only way to keep the world safe.
Yet, it’s not even earthly technology that he messes with. He tampers with alien technology – something he has no clue about – and thinks it’ll be a good idea for a global defense program. Suddenly, Ultron grows sentient and evil while Tony is the living embodiment of the Surprised Pikachu meme.
2. He Made Pepper A Target By Calling Out The Mandarin Publicly
Why does a superhero keep their identity secret? It’s to protect the ones they love from any potential danger. The truth is Tony Stark doesn’t believe in this method as he reveals himself to be Iron Man to the world in the very first MCU film. However, he doesn’t stop there. He actually gives out the address to his home – where Pepper Potts also stays, by the way – to the evil villain known as the Mandarin, challenging him to make a move.
Well, it happens. Tony’s home is wiped out, and Pepper is put in unnecessary danger because of it. Honestly, Tony seems like the kind of guy who’ll post a selfie with his social security number and then be surprised when he’s a targeted by hackers. Clown.
3. He Caused Aldrich Killian To Break Bad
If Tony Stark hadn’t been a jerk, Iron Man 3 could have been a much shorter film. In the past – 1999 to be exact – Tony meets Maya Hansen and finds out about her creation Extremis, which has the potential to heal the worst of injuries.
Aldrich Killian, a scientist who suffers from a physical ailment, offers them a position at his company Advanced Idea Mechanics, where their combined genius can change the world for good. Tony doesn’t even entertain the idea and instead pulls a cruel prank on Killian. Rejected and in need of acting fast, Killian embarks on a darker path that leads him to become a villain. All of this could have been avoided had Tony agreed to help him from the start… or maybe not just been a total jerk?
4. He Was Cool With His Hero Buddies Being Thrown In A Supermax Prison
Captain America: Civil War is all about being at loggerheads. Some people agree the superhero registration act is a good idea, while others don’t. Tony Stark believes in it and thinks it’s necessary. Many of his Avengers teammates don’t, and he seems to understand their reasoning as well.
Instead of showing support for his friends and removing himself from the situation in an impartial manner, he becomes a puppet (or muppet) for the government that wants to push the act. Even when his pals are thrown into a prison that makes Alcatraz look like Cabo, he watches on and does nothing about it. With friends like Tony, who needs Thanos?!
5. He Brought A Teenager To A Superhero Fight In ‘Captain America: Civil War’
Tony Stark’s behavior in Captain America: Civil War is questionable across the board. There must have been a better way to deal with the conflict through words instead of iron-clad fists. However, his most bizarre moment is recruiting the teenage Peter Parker and bringing him to a super-powered fight at Leipzig/Halle Airport.
That’s not even the wildest part of all this, though. In Spider-Man: Homecoming, he wants to take Peter’s Spider-Man suit away and tells him to stop being a superhero. So he has no problem bringing him into the Avengers mix when he needs him, then he wants to cast him away a while later? Got it.
6. He Somehow Didn’t Know His Own Company Was Supplying Weapons To Terrorists
Ignorance is bliss, right? Yeah, that excuse isn’t going to cut it, Tony. How does the man who proclaims himself “a genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist” have no idea Stark Industries is in the illegal arms race and supplying terrorist organizations?
While it’s understandable he might not be in touch with every detail of his company, it’s a pretty big thing not to do due diligence when supplying something as significant as weapons. Also, did he never watch the news and think the weapons looked a little familiar?
7. He Tried To Murder Bucky Barnes In Cold Blood
Look, it’s understandable Tony Stark is angry at Bucky Barnes after finding out he played a part in (i.e., was responsible for) the passing of his parents. His anger is justifiable, and it makes sense. However, there’s one teeny-tiny detail Tony is forgetting: Bucky was brainwashed.
Having been an Avenger for a few years at this point, Tony is no stranger to the evils of Hydra and how the sinister group operates. Yes, it’s a gut punch to find out the man in front of him is responsible for destroying his family unit, but he needs to take a deep breath here and step away for a second. Bucky didn’t do it because he wanted to – he was made to do it. Sure, Tony doesn’t need to hug him or say “I forgive you” immediately, but to resort to ultraviolence is straight-up severe and wrong.
8. He Named His Inventions To Belittle Others
Tony Stark is a bit of a smarmy and passive-aggressive guy when he wants to be. If he has issues with someone, he goes out of his way to prove his childish point. In some cases, he throws potshots through the naming of his inventions.
First example: The “Binarily Augmented Retro-Framing” device, better known as B.A.R.F. This is Tony’s acronym for Quentin Beck’s self-therapy machine – something that’s meant to help people. Yet, here’s the kicker: He refuses to release it, makes fun of it, then uses it for himself on the sly.
Second example: The “Even Dead, I’m the Hero” glasses, better known as E.D.I.T.H. It’s fairly self-explanatory why he names it this, as Tony is letting everyone know that he’ll always be the best and everyone will need his assistance even when he’s no longer around.
9. He Was A Relentless Womanizer Until He Fell For Pepper Potts
Tony Stark and Pepper Potts make a cute couple. It delights MCU fans that the two find each other in the end. However, before Pepper, Tony lives up to his playboy reputation. Now it’s one thing to go out there and live the single life, but Tony treats the ladies as if they are disposable objects.
He uses them for one-night stands and then instantly moves on to the next one. It is no surprise to see several women hold grudges against him for the way he has treated them in the past – and rightfully so.