5) Iron Man Defeats Iron Monger – Iron Man
Obadiah Stane – former partner of Stark’s late father, and current Manager of Stark Industries – takes great exception to Tony Stark’s decision to halt weapons manufacturing and begins to undermine him at every turn. At Stark’s request, his own PA, Pepper Potts, investigates Stane’s conduct within the company and uncovers a diabolical scheme. Not only has he been supplying The Ten Rings with weapons and trying to replace Stark as the head of the company, but he is also behind the terrorist group’s attempt on Stark’s life in the first place.
Knowing that Stark is closing in, Stane has The Ten Rings supply him with pieces of Stark’s prototype Iron Man suit – then eliminates the terrorists. He has Stark Industries scientists reverse-engineer a new, bigger suit for himself – The Iron Monger – but finds his plan stalled before completion due to the scientists’ inability to replicate the mobile arc generator designed by Stark.
While Pepper Potts is reporting her findings to Agent Phil Coulson of S.H.I.E.L.D – identified as a counter terrorism agency – Obadiah Stane confronts Stark at his home, overpowering him and taking his arc generator from his chest. Alone, and once again near death, Stark drags himself to his original arc generator and, inserting it into his chest, dons his Iron Man suit to pursue Stane.
In attempting to apprehend Stane, Coulson and Potts find themselves under attack from the newly powered up Iron Monger suit, until Stark intervenes. He finds himself out-matched, however, as his first-generation arc generator is far less powerful, leaving his Iron Man suit running at half-capacity. Instead, he leads Stane to the top of the Stark building while instructing Potts to overload the giant arc generator located inside. The resulting electrical surge renders Stane unconscious and he tumbles into the heart of the exploding reactor – to his death.
6) Tony Is Briefed About The Avengers Initiative – Iron Man
Having defeated Obadiah Stane/The Iron Monger, Tony Stark returns to work, holding a press conference to address rumours that he was somehow behind the extraordinary scenes captured by witnesses and news crews during the epic Iron Man/Iron Monger showdown. The existence of the suit had previously been a well-guarded secret, due to military concerns around the implications of its usage. Stark, however, is caught in the moment. Instead of reading his US military-approved script, in which he is supposed to deny all knowledge, he makes his stunning admission to the gathered media: “I am Iron Man.”
Arriving home he finds a stranger in his lounge, who greets him with the question, “Do you think you are the only superhero in the world?” Remaining in the shadows, the man strolls around the window bay, seemingly at ease. “Mr. Stark, you have become part of a much bigger universe. You just don’t know it yet.”
When Stark challenges him to reveal his identity, the man steps into the light. He is tall, wearing a long dark coat and sporting an eye-patch.
“I’m Nick Fury. Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. I’m here to talk to you about The Avenger Initiative…”
7) Bruce Banner Attempts To Replicate The Super-Soldier Serum, But Turns Into The Hulk Instead – The Incredible Hulk
One of the people looking to re-create the Super-Soldier Serum that made Captain America was Dr. Bruce Banner. His pioneer work in gamma radiation research caught the attention of the military, particularly General Thaddeus E. “Thunderbolt” Ross, the father of Banner’s work colleague and lover Dr. Betty Ross, who believed that Bruce was the best option to make Super-Soldiers more than a one-off reality. Like a lot of funding in military technology, no expense was spared as Banner set about unlocking a 70 year mystery, but in the process he ended up creating something entire unexpected, and in some ways, much more powerful.
What happened next is not exactly clear. There was an accident of some kind, but whether it was mechanical, technological or human is uncertain. What is certain, though, is that Banner was exposed to a massive amount of gamma radiation. Instead of killing him, the gamma radiation changed his DNA, allowing him to transform into an indestructible green behemoth whenever he gets angry.
During that first transformation, Banner destroys the lab and everyone inside ends up either injured or dead. With the fearsome power of the Hulk now just one bad mood away, Banner goes on the run as a fugitive from the law. Nipping at his heels though is General Ross, who smelling success of some kind considers Banner’s body to be government property. One way or another, Ross wants his super-soldiers.
8) Tony Stark Is Attacked And Nearly Humiliated By Ivan Vanko – Iron Man 2
Monaco is the epitome of luxury and opulence, but in Iron Man 2 it becomes ground zero for Tony Stark’s descent into despair and recklessness as Iron Man faces his biggest challenge since the fight against the Iron Monger. Otherwise, it would have been a pretty good day, as Tony, Pepper, Happy and Tony’s new assistant Natalie* take in a Formula-1 race featuring a Stark sponsored stock car. Faced with the idea of his pending death from his increasingly toxic blood, Tony decides to do something crazy and dangerous: drive the Stark car himself. It all seems to be going well until one of the mechanics walks onto the track, takes out a pair of electrified whips, and proceeds to start taking apart Stark’s ride.
Ivan Vanko, a Russian engineer who feels betrayed by Stark’s family, wastes no time taking out vengeance on Tony, and despite a lack of Iron Man armor, Tony manages to hold his own. Pepper and Happy race out onto the track with the briefcase Iron Man armor as there’s gradually less and less car for Tony to use as a deflection. Finally in possession of some armor, Tony manages to make quick work of Vanko, even as his electro-whips prove a formidable weapon against Iron Man. Still, Vanko ends up in the custody of authorities and Tony ends up with a bigger complex. He had promised that it would be years before anyone could duplicate his technology, but that time was running out, and so was his own.
*Natalie is, of course, S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Black Widow, but we’ll find that out later.