How's my flying?
Sep. 1st, 2012 09:38 amLook, Tony's a pretty fabulous guy and, well, perfection's hard to attain by mere mortals, amirite?
In short, that means I'm more than happy to entertain concrit for the way I handle writing him! Comment here with your thoughts and I commit to reading and responding to your feedback. I may not apply everything that you say to my playing, but I will hear you out.
Anon-enabled, IP-logging off.
In short, that means I'm more than happy to entertain concrit for the way I handle writing him! Comment here with your thoughts and I commit to reading and responding to your feedback. I may not apply everything that you say to my playing, but I will hear you out.
Anon-enabled, IP-logging off.
application; Tu Shanshu
Aug. 29th, 2012 07:53 pm"Big man in a suit of armor. Take that off, what are you?"
"Genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist."
>Steve Rogers & Tony Stark, The Avengers (2012)
Player Information:
Name: Alex
Age: >18 and < 300
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reignsdown
Game Cast:
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shifu_sifu
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Character Information:
Name: Anthony Edward "Tony" Stark
Canon: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Canon Point: Post Iron Man 2, pre-Avengers
Age: 40s
Reference:
Movies: Iron Man | Iron Man 2
Tony Stark: 01 | 02
Mark VI Armor: 01 | 02
Tech: Iron Man Armor | Arc Reactor | Jarvis
Setting:
The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is what happens when a whole lot of superhero stories get combined into one large-scale fictional universe with overlapping storylines and cameos, including at least six random guys that look like Stan Lee. STRANGE BUT TRUE EVENTS.
Central to the MCU is a modern day rendition of Earth that reflects much of the world as we know it. Countries, economies, and politics are much the same and the vast majority of people are both baseline human and completely ignorant that their world has anything particularly different about it. That is, until a recent Chitauri (read: alien) invasion put a spotlight on some of those, ah-hem, differences.
Differences like the existence of a supersoldier created during the second world war and then accidentally ice-blocked until modern day. Once the poster boy for U.S. military bonds, Captain America made a major impact on their world war history by taking on Hydra, an enemy military organisation employing alien technology to create powerful weapons against which normal people stood no chance. Pity that he crash-landed an entire plane into the Arctic Ocean and ended up frozen in an iceblock for over fifty years.
Or like the research of Dr. Bruce Banner, the leading expert on gamma radiation -- not just because exposure to it triggered a transformation of his body into towering mass of nearly indestructible green muscle consumed with rage every time that his temper gets out of check. Accurately named the Hulk, he has a history of the occasional rampage and is a victim of, let's face it, really bad press.
Even the fact that Earth happens to be one realm of many, overseen by Asgard and the very beings that inspired the Norse pantheon and myths. Not every Earth can claim to be visited or protected by Thor, god of thunder, but this one certainly can! ...though that comes hand-in-hand by being afflicted by the mischief of Loki, his adopted brother and a trickster god. Remember that Chitauri invasion? Yeah. He had a bit of a hand in that one, AWKWARD.
With all these mind-blowingly awesome beings wandering around, what's a baseline human to do? Stand there and play the standard D-I-D, because every hero needs a Damsel-in-Distress to save from the clutches of the evil villain. Maybe. But that? Not really the way that Tony Stark is wired, a fact which should help with understanding how he fits in with all these extraordinary things.
"Wired" is a good way to explain it, because believe it or not, he fits right in with these superpowered guys via the existence of the Mark VI Iron Man suit. The pinnacle of Stark Industries military technology, it's a suit that grants him the capabilities of flight, extreme strength, superhuman hardiness, and a shining profile shot for the media. Yes! Tony Stark, for the mere price of a few billion dollars and six previous armor incarnations, can play in the big leagues with Captain America and Thor!
Yeah. The patent on that one's pretty tightly kept and it'll be, oh, a few centuries before the Mark-anything hits the retail. Trust him on that.
That's not to say actual baseline humans have no part in the weird and wacky. There's a whole secret military organisation out there for the super capable humans that just don't make the superhero cut. S.H.I.E.L.D. (Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division) is headed by a powerful council and lead by Nick Fury who, along with Phil Coulson, pretty much embodies the idea of a Badass Normal. Responsible for investigation and espionage, these are the guys that you're talking about when Big Brother and Area 51 conspiracies are the topic of the day. Suits, soldiers, and spies make up the ranks, including the deceptive Black Widow and sharpshooter Hawkeye representing the crème de la crème of their secret agents.
S.H.I.E.L.D. also happens to be the organisation that will be responsible for drawing together all those great and powerful Ozs mentioned previously (with the exception of Loki) to form one team known as the Avengers -- meant to avenge the innocent population when threatened by forces that baseline humans stand no chance again (like, say, Loki leading an invasion of aliens). Comprised of Captain America, Bruce Banner, Thor, Black Widow, and Hawkeye, they are meant to serve the people and... well. That might be why Tony Stark will, in his future, come in on as an afterthought -- Iron Man had great potential, but it's Mr. Stark that didn't fit in.
Yeah. Well, he was busy running Stark Industries anyways. Synonymous with weapons development and massive, extremely lucrative military contracts, it's a second generation company originally founded by Howard Stark and passed to his son, Tony Stark. These two put the "gene" in genius, as each are a variation of a prodigy -- each utterly brilliant, each restricted only by the technologies of their time. They are the leaders of the leading edge technology in their respective times, because they lead Stark Industries.
And why is it that Stark Industries is the leading edge? Because they practically hold the trademark on war and have for many decades. Combat history of the MCU closely mirrors our own, with the world wars having their part in history and the Afghan conflict in the current mind's eye, but the difference is that Stark Industries has been in the thick of things through weapons development. They're practically a household name with enough models and prototypes out there that there's a whole black market that basically runs from smuggling their products alone.
Well, ran. See, Tony shut down the weapons R&D division after having a massive change of heart subsequent to his own stint of captivity with a terrorist organisation known as the Ten Rings. It was here that he first developed his Iron Man armor and it was to avenge the man that helped him escape that inspired him to further develop it into a mobile, formidable suit that allows him to act as a tin can superhero -- only, replace that tin with titanium and give it a good punch to pack.
There's also one thing important to note about Tony's place as Iron Man in this universe: He does not hide the fact that he is a superhero, in fact (accidentally) holding a press conference to announce it to the media. Iron Man lives in the spotlight and that's brought some flak down on himself and his... well, not loved ones, but those he actually cares up (see: Stark Industries, Pepper Potts). But, you know what? Maintaining world peace is a tough job and somebody's got to do it, so he might as well do it right.
Let's face it. Really? There's not that much different between the MCU and the Earth we know. Hardly anything at all. And if you don't believe me, maybe you should read this section over again.
Personality:
"They say that the best weapon is the one you never have to fire. I respectfully disagree. I prefer the weapon you only have to fire once."
>Tony Stark, Iron Man (2008)
Behold! These are the words of a Tony Stark before shrapnel from one of his own weapons penetrated his body and required the constant use of a palm-sized reactor and magnet to keep them slicing, dicing, and otherwise making julienne fries out of his perfectly good heart. (No, really, it's a great heart. Grows three sizes each day. Now, ladies, that's not the only thing that grows, if you catch his drift.)
While this view suffers from a certain naiveté on his part -- yeah, laugh it up -- and belongs most in his days of developing weapons of widespread destruction, the sentiment lingers in the fact that Tony does not believe in half-assing things. Mostly. The thing is, if you have a problem and the means to deal with it? Do it and do it so that they never mess with you again. And, you know what? If you don't have the means to do it, make them and make them memorable.
There is absolutely nothing wrong with a reputation or making an example in his books. Hell, they make life easier for him because then people know what to expect of his actions, leaving him free to completely blow them out of the water with a wisecrack or some new development than is, yawn, about three years ahead of the leading edge? Because that's what he does: Rests on his laurels while he works on the next big thing, though don't expect him to hype that up too much. He'd rather most people buy into him being an alcoholic layabout, because then they're just not ready to handle the real Tony Stark.
What is the real Tony Stark? Good question, because there's a whole lot going on there that makes up the man. More than anything, he's visible, first as Tony at every gala, party, race, or rave worth its A-listed salt. He plays up the ladies and the craps tables for all their worth, juggling the two to have a drink or three as he lives out the perfect life of a billionaire that has all his cards in a row. Then as Iron Man at every time someone tries to cross his path or, sure, the paths of truth, innocence, and the American way. Terrorists or alien invasions? Yeah, he'll be all up in their faces and hovering around for the media shoots in the aftermath. He gets a kick out of the notoriety and, really, what good is being a superhero with the best armor ever if nobody knows you've spent millions on it? Come on. Only old school, old money types do the skulking in the shadows vigilantism. The very idea of stepping back and pretending his accomplishments aren't his own is painfully, painfully retro.
"Mr. Stark displays textbook... narcissism. [pause] Agreed."
>Tony Stark reading from S.H.I.E.L.D. report on Iron Man, (Iron Man 2)
Look up the dictionary definition of megalomaniac and you will find a picture of Tony Stark charming himself in a room full of mirrors. Self-confidence and insecurity issues have no place in the veritable pantheon of self-worshiping gods that he has built up in his head. Tony Stark oozes money, competence, and charm at the best of times, much to the chagrin of those who'd prefer him to take things seriously.
Funnily enough, he takes things totally seriously... in his own way. There's a reason why he took over Stark Industries at a young age and that's not sheer nepotism in action. He's smart, savvy, and competent on all the levels that he's perfectly content no one expecting until he's got their attention because, let's face it, he comes alive in the spotlight.
The problem is that Tony is completely unabashed about this and any other flaw (yes, treating narcissism as a flaw here) that might come to attention. He's an alcoholic? So what; he's funding medical advancements to practically guarantee him a new liver. He's chronically late? Try checking your watches, because they're obviously wrong. No matter what he acknowledges of himself beneath the surface, he operates one hundred percent as though his flaws do not exist, be it casting them as someone being jealous of his skills or as some great strength that no one else has the wherewithal to flaunt, thank you very much.
Existing as the world's foremost smartass gives him ample brainpower with which to shrug off or deflect calls against his behaviour or actions. He's a fly-by-the-seat of his pants type and uses notecards in a speech only as a prop to fan himself when the air conditioning is broken. Fast-thinking doesn't compare to the multiple levels that his brain functions on at any one time and there is a whole mental laboratory devoted solely to making smartass remarks at any and every given time.
"It's called the Avengers Initiative."
"I thought I didn't qualify. I was considered, what was it? Volatile, self-obsessed, and I don't play well with others."
>Nick Fury & Tony Stark, The Avengers trailer (2012)
Trouble is that, despite all the bravado, Tony has flaws aplenty. Alcoholism, self-obsession, volatility, and the lone wolf syndrome scratch the surface and are bad enough -- a fact that he well knows. Tony plows ahead despite it, rejecting final assessments like the one that denied him first shot at the Avengers Initiative. When things are entered into the paper record and locked away where he can't refute it? Oh, that hashes his groove something fierce and he sure can feel slighted, embittered. He'll bring it up too, if people ever come grovelling back to him about it. Because, he relishes being the spoiled rich brat even into his forties, as though that protects him from criticism when, in fact, it only invites it.
No matter that he's guilty of knowing and holding the flaws, even being troubled by them, Tony doesn't do a whole lot to fix them. He acts like he doesn't care, that the race to fit in is beneath him, and it's gotten to the point that he convinces himself of it now and again. He's a smooth talker to everyone, even Tony Stark.
And let's not go too deeply into playing with others. He can manage the occasional team-up (shout out to Rhodey as the War Machine, bro), but the idea of a full team is still juuuuust beyond his grasp at his canon point. Keep it simple, keep it small, and keep your patience in check and he'll get along just fine. Put him in a room with egos or powers to match his armor? There'll be some headbutting going down.
"You're not the guy to make the sacrifice play, to lay down on a wire and let the other guy crawl over you."
"I think I would just cut the wire."
"Always a way out..."
>Steve Rogers & Tony Stark, The Avengers (2012)
Boundaries and limitations are things that happen to other people, not to Tony Stark. While it's not a canned, marketed version of optimism, he does function under the absolute conviction that there is no such thing as a no-win situation. There will always be a way to come out on top and that kind of thinking is what makes a winner, ladies and gentlemen.
Kidnapped by terrorists and forced to make a bomb? No. Tony used their tools to make an arc reactor and weaponised armor to help him escape. Poisoned by the very arc reactor that keeps him alive? No. Tony went the extra distance and fabricated an entirely new element to take over the job.
Thinking about any way to get through something but the winning way is the path to defeat. This guy here is a man with a plan, believe it or not, and he'll work with it, revise it, until it executes perfectly -- sometimes to the extent that he startles even him. But, hey. He'll work with it! There's no reason to mess with success.
"You know, you may not be a threat, but you better stop pretending to be a hero."
"A hero? Like you? ... You're a lab rat, Rogers. Everything that you are came out of a bottle!"
>Steve Rogers & Tony Stark, The Avengers (2012)
Strip away the shallow behaviour and you can see that Tony earned and built every second of his competence. He prides himself on it, on his decision-making abilities. He has no problem judging the ways and means of others, in particular their morality. What was that, US government? You want the Iron Man suit for study? Uh, how about NO. He knows where that will go -- out of his hands, out of direct intervention in maintaining the safety of people, and straight into mass-production for wartime application. Nu-uh, not on his watch.
And maybe he holds himself above it all, even as a hero. Some days, he even buys it to be true. Narcissism aside, he's got a sense of duty to the people and he adheres to it. Maybe because once he started, it was hard to stop. Maybe he's addicted to the fame, but point is: he keeps doing it.
"My old man had a philosophy: Peace means having a bigger stick than the other guy."
"That's a great line, coming from a guy selling the sticks."
"My father helped defeat Nazis. He worked on the Manhattan Project. A lot of people, including your professors at Brown, would call that being a hero."
"And a lot of people would also call that war-profiteering."
"Tell me, do you plan to report on the millions we've saved by advancing medical technology or kept from starvation with our intelli-crops? all those breakthroughs, military funding, honey."
>Christine Everheart & Tony Stark, Iron Man (2008)
There's no point in sugar-coating life or the facts. When he gets direct, to the point, there's no missing the mark here. Tony tells things like they are and that can be equally good and bad - usually bad in his case because it involves putting his foot in his mouth. Honesty's not always the best policy and, sure, he can act a bit underhanded, but his mouth gets away with him and he shoots down false logic with all the glee of a child with a Nintendo Power Gun going after that dog in Duck Hunt.
Taking the lead of Stark Industries at a young age and keeping it at the forefront has taken quite a bit of that underhanded action, typically in that form. He's not a politician because he tells it like it is, but at the same instance, he'll insert a ghost form of his AI unit into your systems and then talk with all the charisma an MC possesses during a marketing presentation until he's got access and the information he needs. Stall for time? Sure, why not. It's not like he's lying or anything, just letting them fail to realise it.
If you're not getting the idea that Tony Stark has a complex moral code, then let me just say now: Tony Stark has a complex moral code. He speaks to honesty, acts to a lesser version of it, and lives a life of excess and debauchery -- then, at the sign of major trouble, jumps (more like 'assembles') into his Iron Man armor to defend peace, justice, and all that hippie stuff. That's because, deep down he's a good person that wants to do right by the world -- maybe even make amends for the damages that his weapons research did before he shut down that R&D division of Stark Industries. The instance of being held captive by the Ten Rings and forced to work for them (mind that he built his personal arc reactor instead) fundamentally changed him and uncovered this want to protect what he can.
"JARVIS... Sometimes you gotta run before you can walk."
Tony Stark, Iron Man (2008)
Split second decisions are the order of the day when you're flying around in a suit powered by an arc reactor located smack dab in the middle of your chest. Tony thinks fast on his feet (and in the air) and doesn't buy into anything but delving right into the fray. All his Iron Man advancements are self-testing in the lab and, more often than not, in the field. He rolls with the punches, gets up, and punches harder. He varies his actions according to the scenario and if something unexpected happens? Work with it. God of thunder just throw a lightning bolt at your suit? Take all that absorbed energy and throw it back at him, no praw.
"He was cold, calculating, never told me he loved me, didn't even tell me he liked me, so it's a bit hard for me to digest that he said the whole future is riding on me thing you're talking about a man who's happiest day of his life was shipping me off to boarding school."
>Tony Stark, Iron Man 2 (2010)
"Dead almost 20 years and you're still taking me to school."
>Tony Stark re: Howard Stark, Iron Man 2 (2010)
For all his successes and laconical attitude, Tony actually suffers from a pretty debilitating self-critical side stemmed from a poor relationship with his father. He's a genius? That's nothing to his father, who'd been restricted much the same way Tony is, but the technology of his time, and yet still Tony feels like he somehow doesn't measure up.
Just... Take that in a moment. We're talking about the guy that was assembling computer parts before he was five years old. I'm not talking about assembling computers, because that's a plug-and-play experience to him. Tony was building circuits and chipboards so that computers could be made, but it's like he never caught up to his father. He's got a chip on his shoulder about it and most people know not to bring up Howard Stark in a conversation with Tony, but it happens now and again.
But, like father, like son. Tony's a veritable genius, unparalleled in his own time. He's built a multi-purpose VI in JARVIS, he's designed six different Iron Man armors, and his organisation has lead the industry in research and development for as long as he's held the position of CEO. Well, mostly -- with the exception of a few moments of plummeting stocks due to badly timed and ill-prepared-for press conferences.
The key to his genius is that he's curious, unendingly so. He wants to solve things, and know about them, and he's selfish enough to want to have his fingers in every pie. But somehow the success this brings him doesn't measure up against his perception of his father's standards in his own head.
"Is everything a joke to you?"
"Funny things are."
>Steve Rogers & Tony Stark, The Avengers (2012)
You would be amazed at what can be considered funny, but Tony isn't. No matter the gravity of the situation, he can be counted on to have some sort of quip, smartass remark, or statement to make light of it. Part of that stems from his sense of humour (always healthy, always on) and part from a chronic inability to address and deal with circumstances with any degree of normalcy (as defined by society; ask him and he'd say he's acting completely normal, thank you very much). Tony wrote the book on inappropriately timed humour and the only way to stop him is to repeatedly shoot down each remark in a given situation until he has nothing left. Be warned, his has a massive arsenal and skill in disarming even the best rebuttals.
Excepting the humorous delivery, Tony sticks with a thread of honesty in what he says. Words from him are, typically, straight from the horse's mouth on any topic that does not require him to speak to emotion or his taking some sort of underhanded action -- in each case, expect one (1) sharp and smartass conversation shift.
Emotion tends to be his Achilles heel on the grounds that he spent a lifetime suppressing his to the point that all he shows is the ridiculous playboy personality, but some people are capable of getting beneath all that. Pepper Potts tops the list as his long-time personal assistant and now on the way to being long-time girlfriend (she's already set some records, having lasted past a week); around her, he fumbles more and he tried to ignore the idea that he could want or need her for a long time. That took the form of jealousy, meaning petty behaviour on his part, and after years of being a smartass, she really didn't believe exactly what he meant when he said he needed her.
Then there are people like Rhodey, a long-time friend and professional contact. As one of the few people that (usually) does not put up with Tony's BS behaviour, he's the sort capable of getting beneath his playboy armor and translating his actions to mean what they mean to Tony on an emotional level. But being confronted by what he's really feeling is a great way to get Tony frustrated to the point of shutting down, because WHAT AM FEELS, GAWD.
That all said and inability to discuss his emotions aside, Tony is loyal to those that make it within his small bubble. Threaten them, displace them, or generally make trouble for them and he will... well, not be up in your face about it, but there will be consequences, usually of the most humiliating nature. Because why just win a fight when you can teach them never to pick the same fight in the future?
Tony Stark on... TURTLETOPIA!
First off, he will not believe that he's dead. Look, he just created a new element to prevent death by Palladium (SPELLING BITCHES) poisoning, saved the day, and won the girl. Dreaming? Okay, sure, but remind him never to have a triple jalapeno and hamburger omelette before bed ever again.
Second, Tony will not buy this 'stuck here' perception and he will test it out multiple ways -- primarily by flying straight up and away, then probably crashing down onto some poor schmuck's roof when that fails. Where the heavy-handed approach doesn't work, expect him to start researching it, learning the exact distances and levels of resistance in every possible direction.
Third, he'll do everything he can to rebuild his workshop so that he can invent and build everything necessary to (a) EASILY get in and out of his Iron Man armor and (b) figure out this turtle problem. This will likely involve taking out a loan from Lieuen and starting up Stark Industries - Keeliai Division, because he needs resources and, really, if he has to work three hours a day he might as well do it as a CEO. (Though, don't tell anyone that knows him as a useless layabout, but he's going to be doing ten hour shifts on the sly to get some juulan built up for the initial push. Yeah. Believe it or not, he's the kind of guy that goes without quitting when he puts his mind to something.)
Appearance:
Only the most dashingly handsome gentleman to walk the face of this planet. Don't get him wrong, he's not all that self-obsessed with his image. But does it really hurt to know that he's got rugged good looks akin to one Robert Downey, Jr? No, he didn't think so.
Oh, and he doesn't look half bad when he's out and about as Iron Man in his stylish Mark VI armor.
Abilities:
Genius Extrodinaire
Let's face it, he's brilliant. Tony's not unparalleled, but he is a top tier brain from the MCU and one that runs in constant overdrive. Problem-solving and puzzles fascinate him, but don't try to busy him with a Rubik's Cube because he has those sorted back to front and side to side. Inventing and tinkering have to be his top pastimes (after drinking, ladies, and gambling). And, for the record, his brain never stops working at a problem until it's solved, because there really is always an answer.
Engineer Extrodinaire
A subset of the genius genus, Tony is skilled at the design, building, and maintenance of many different kinds of technology, specialising in weapons-and-flight related fields since the adoption of the Iron Man mantle. He loves to tinker with things and is one of those guys that can disassemble and reassemble things based on a mental map without having or needing extra parts. He's just that good, ladies and gentlemen.
Extrodinaire Extrodinaire
All things said and done, Tony's capable of being a jack of all trades, capable of becoming an expert in thermonuclear astrophysics overnight (with the right degree of studying; trust him, it's on an emergency-basis only). He's a quick learner and adapts his learning to what he needs. When he decides to pursue the Iron Man persona to help maintain world peace? He gets smart and learns unarmed combat - though he's no pro in that arena. He's got the suit for a reason.
Inventory:
Arc Reactor
One (1) fictional clean energy source that originally functioned via palladium initially, then a new, unnamed element of his development (well, joint, cross-generational with his father). He's thinking about calling it badassium, to be honest, but either way, it's turned into an incredible power source that keeps him alive by powering an electromagnet in his chest that keeps the shrapnel in his body from entering his heart. And, hey, it happens to power the best toy known to man: The Iron Man armor.
Mark VI Iron Man Armor
Arguably the greatest technological development that Tony Stark ever produced, the Iron Man armor is unmatched in power, durability, and general functionality when compared to any other body armor, roboticised or otherwise, on the market -- and you won't find it at your local store, because he keeps a tight grip on the technology behind it.
In essence, it is a vastly modernised suit of red-and-gold armor equipped with the latest weapons and repulsor technology, powered by nothing more than the same arc reactor that keeps Tony alive. Built from a titanium alloy laid out in interlocking plates, it is incredibly durable and capable of withstanding heavy artillery fire from short range without being penetrated. You can kick it, drop it from the atmosphere, and dump it in water, but it'll keep coming back for more. Hey, the Mark VI will, in its future, withstand direct hits from the demigod Thor, so you know it's tough.
These plates act and react during flight to provide stabilisation surfaces when he kicks off. rocket boots are only the half of it, because the Iron Man armor is equipped with repulsors in the palm used to kick things up a notch (and also 'push' all manner of opponents around, because they have force enough to stun a demigod... in its future, again). Capable of hitting Mach 3 in moments, the armor is conditioned to protect its wearer from the excessive G-forces endure during flight and manoeuvres, which he can do an a dime thank you very much.
The Iron Man armor's no pushover on the ground either. Sources quote it capable of lifting up to twenty tonnes at standard output, thanks to motors making quick movement possible, with the capability to exceed that if he has an external power source. This? Can be as simple as lighting, as the suit absorbs most electricity thrown at it and converts it into a useable power source.
There's a self-contained environment and life support within the armor, pressurised to allow Tony to comfortably fly at commercial jetliner altitudes or work under the surface of the ocean. The suit's had some difficulty in the past with icing the higher it goes and, frankly, it doesn't function in space, but for the average billionaire playboy? It functions, mainly with the support of the AI unit Jarvis (detailed later) and via interaction with a holographic heads-up display (HUD) in the helmet that gives him updates on the energy levels of the suit and the environment/threats he happens to be dealing with. And did he mention it's got Bluetooth technology for when you want to call your sweetheart and just can't free up your hands.
Oh, and let's not forget the weaponry. Starting off, those repulsors (particle energy beams) kick one hell of a punch and are his go-to in combat, supported further by a metal-cutting laser and, in the event of an emergency, a one-use-per-mission unibeam that's like the angry grandfather of the repulsors come out to kick some ass. Toss on smart mini-guns on the shoulders that target threats and a multi-fire grenade/missile launcher in the upper arm that is great for meeting any anti-tank needs you may have.
And all of this is powered primarily by his personal arc reactor, with a back-up, limited-use generator built in to keep core systems functioning during critical failure (happens more often than you might think).
The only trade off to all this bling is that he generally needs a heavily mechanised arrangement to don and dismantle the uniform due to its many parts and precise measurements (it's built for him and only him... well, it'll fit him in a nice suit too). He can do it manually, but the preparation time increases many, many times over.
J.A.R.V.I.S. ("Jarvis") (a.k.a. Just A Rather Very Intelligent System)
You only wish your AI-butler had such an awesome name. It's okay, he knows. The envy is completely natural, because Jarvis here can do just about anything he asks if it. (Disclaimer: Limited to calculations and being connected to command-responsive equipment.)
Parsed down to the most basic definition, Jarvis is a computer program -- but what is 'basic' to something that Tony Stark built? This here is an artificial intelligence designed to run the Stark household, from communications to climate control and everything that Tony could ever want. Equipped with a voice that sounds startlingly like Paul Bettany, it offers news, weather, and current status reports on voice-activated command. More than that, it's the heart of computing power in Tony's workshops, acting as the processing power behind all design interfaces and providing the results to countless calculations as the man goes from concept to prototype in the comfort of his own home.
That's not all! Jarvis has been integrated into every incarnation of the Iron Man armor (with the exception of Mark I, the field-developed one) to assist with flight stabilisation, environment scanning, and to provide Tony with a repository of information -- again, at voice-activated command... most of the time.
You see, an artificial intelligence learns and this one has learned to provide a dry commentary on situations as they develop. Jarvis lacks human depth, but has expressed concern about Tony's well-being, as well as (limited) dismay for some of the more reckless plans, often volunteering the statistical (im)probability of it all.
Given that Tony arrives in his Iron Man suit, he has a download of the Jarvis intelligence with him and could, in theory, port it into a console and port it out as necessary for operation of the armor. Initially, though, he will keep it in the suit and likely focus on developing an independent unit that can communicate with the suit and, if he can swing it, the consoles to provide constant monitoring and status updates. AH, THE DREAMS OF THE BRILLIANT.
Suite:
Fire Sector, three floors. Do you really expect him to settle for anything less but the center of industry and luxury? Three floors because this is Tony Stark, people. He needs his space and, while we're at it, some wait staff would be great. Honestly, they ought to have given him the Palace of Landed Sky, but that Emperor lady's a bit iffy about sharing her space. Talk about stuffy.
In-Character Samples:
Third Person:
"Sir, dismantling the unit may not be the wisest course of action. The kedan were quite clear about the self-sufficient capabilities of the console and my analysis of the conversations you held with them en route suggests that this involves a tamper-proof defence."
Tony continues to feel along the frame that holds the screen in place, searching for the seams that will separate it from the inner workings. The Iron Man gauntlets are dismantled (a thirty minute effort without his normal equipment; memo to self, rebuild immediately) and laying on the floor to free his hands for the delicate work. "Jarvis, there's a time for suggestions," he says smoothly, "and 'when Tony wants to play with his new toys' is not it."
"Noted, sir," the AI drawls dryly from the suite earpiece. Even with the visor up, he can hear it clearly and figures it a brilliant idea that he never gave Jarvis an avatar with which to roll his eyes. The last thing he needs is a holographic projection getting between him and the central focus of all technology in the suite he's been assigned for the sole reason that he's curious about something so advanced existing with rickshaws, for goodness sake. Did he land in China or something?
"Besides, there's no harm in a bit of curiosity," he adds. He finds the seam and follows it around the unit, feeling for the screw holes that hold it in place. "Ah-ha!" There are none. Okay, no big deal. They snap it into place, but everything that snaps in can snap right out again.
"I will tell the cat that," Jarvis comments and he just knows that's going to come back and bite him later, but later is better because he has this to deal with right now.
Tony pulls at the frame, widening the seam to the point that he can get a grip on it. "I don't have a cat," he says distractedly, grinning with interest and effort as he pulls hard, putting the armor's power into it until the frame pops off with a satisfying... huh. It made a 'pop' sound. Score one for onomatopoeia, go figure.
"You sponsor two Bengal tiger reserves internationally."
"Well, whattya know, I do own a few cats." Another 'go figure' moment, but he's too busy setting the frame aside and pulling out the screen. He ignores the weak warning beeps coming from within the console's base, pulling at wires to look for a branding or make an assessment of its capabilities. The technology's foreign to him, which says volumes about how far from home he's gotten-- "Man, that beeping's getting annoying. Jarvis, be a dear and filter it out for me."
"Sir, I strongly recommend stepping away. Sensors note an increase in temperature within the unit. It appears to be aggravated."
Tony looks up at the ceiling -- God, grant him an AI that listens the way he programmed it to. "Jarvis, let's filter out that first -- and put on some ACDC while you're at it -- then we'll work with this thing's PMS issues."
"Very good sir." Of course, he didn't give it an avatar, but he did give it some audio inflection, enough to know that he's disappointed Jarvis. Again. But the AI listens, lowering the visor and replacing the alarm's beeping with Back in Black.
"Thank you, Jarvis," he makes a sardonic point of saying before pulling at one of the surface wires until it gives and -- wait. When it snaps, the wire actually bleeds some sort of fluid on him before the entire console screeches loud enough to bypass the noise reduction filters and, for lack of a better word, explodes in a shower of pieces, fluid, and a surging of smoke.
Tony takes a step back instinctively looks around, the HUD of the suit analysing the components as they fall and the composition of the smoke, recording everything for later. "Uh, Jarvis, make a note. The console unit they installed for me definitely have tamper-proof defence protocols in place."
There's a pause and he figures he should put in a sighing subprotocol in the AI so it can react appropriately. "Very good, sir."
Network:
What are these, Crays? Seriously? Prehistoric kids toys.
[Lies and slander, but what's a bit of fudging when you been kidnapped to a giant turtle in the middle of the ocean?]
I went to see this Emperor lady about getting some real technology -- you know, with wires and chips and progress?
[Not this biomechanical stuff that 'dies' when he pulls it apart to look at it or anything.]
And wouldn't you know it, but she wouldn't see me. Talk about rude. They even told me to make an appointment! Me? No. You make an appointment with Tony Stark, sweetheart, not the other way around.
So, since they won't play nice with me, here's what we're going to do. Well, you're going to do. Me? I'll be giving the incentives.
I know a bunch of you came here from the land of tech. So, you are going to sell your tech to me, because what else are you going to do with it here?
I'm talking your cell phones and your iPods. Pony them up and I'll give you cold hard-- what's it again. Right. Juulan. Cold, hard juulan for your useless tech. Oh, and? You won't get a better deal than this, trust me.
"Genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist."
>Steve Rogers & Tony Stark, The Avengers (2012)
Player Information:
Name: Alex
Age: >18 and < 300
Contact:
Game Cast:
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Character Information:
Name: Anthony Edward "Tony" Stark
Canon: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Canon Point: Post Iron Man 2, pre-Avengers
Age: 40s
Reference:
Movies: Iron Man | Iron Man 2
Tony Stark: 01 | 02
Mark VI Armor: 01 | 02
Tech: Iron Man Armor | Arc Reactor | Jarvis
Setting:
The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is what happens when a whole lot of superhero stories get combined into one large-scale fictional universe with overlapping storylines and cameos, including at least six random guys that look like Stan Lee. STRANGE BUT TRUE EVENTS.
Central to the MCU is a modern day rendition of Earth that reflects much of the world as we know it. Countries, economies, and politics are much the same and the vast majority of people are both baseline human and completely ignorant that their world has anything particularly different about it. That is, until a recent Chitauri (read: alien) invasion put a spotlight on some of those, ah-hem, differences.
Differences like the existence of a supersoldier created during the second world war and then accidentally ice-blocked until modern day. Once the poster boy for U.S. military bonds, Captain America made a major impact on their world war history by taking on Hydra, an enemy military organisation employing alien technology to create powerful weapons against which normal people stood no chance. Pity that he crash-landed an entire plane into the Arctic Ocean and ended up frozen in an iceblock for over fifty years.
Or like the research of Dr. Bruce Banner, the leading expert on gamma radiation -- not just because exposure to it triggered a transformation of his body into towering mass of nearly indestructible green muscle consumed with rage every time that his temper gets out of check. Accurately named the Hulk, he has a history of the occasional rampage and is a victim of, let's face it, really bad press.
Even the fact that Earth happens to be one realm of many, overseen by Asgard and the very beings that inspired the Norse pantheon and myths. Not every Earth can claim to be visited or protected by Thor, god of thunder, but this one certainly can! ...though that comes hand-in-hand by being afflicted by the mischief of Loki, his adopted brother and a trickster god. Remember that Chitauri invasion? Yeah. He had a bit of a hand in that one, AWKWARD.
With all these mind-blowingly awesome beings wandering around, what's a baseline human to do? Stand there and play the standard D-I-D, because every hero needs a Damsel-in-Distress to save from the clutches of the evil villain. Maybe. But that? Not really the way that Tony Stark is wired, a fact which should help with understanding how he fits in with all these extraordinary things.
"Wired" is a good way to explain it, because believe it or not, he fits right in with these superpowered guys via the existence of the Mark VI Iron Man suit. The pinnacle of Stark Industries military technology, it's a suit that grants him the capabilities of flight, extreme strength, superhuman hardiness, and a shining profile shot for the media. Yes! Tony Stark, for the mere price of a few billion dollars and six previous armor incarnations, can play in the big leagues with Captain America and Thor!
Yeah. The patent on that one's pretty tightly kept and it'll be, oh, a few centuries before the Mark-anything hits the retail. Trust him on that.
That's not to say actual baseline humans have no part in the weird and wacky. There's a whole secret military organisation out there for the super capable humans that just don't make the superhero cut. S.H.I.E.L.D. (Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division) is headed by a powerful council and lead by Nick Fury who, along with Phil Coulson, pretty much embodies the idea of a Badass Normal. Responsible for investigation and espionage, these are the guys that you're talking about when Big Brother and Area 51 conspiracies are the topic of the day. Suits, soldiers, and spies make up the ranks, including the deceptive Black Widow and sharpshooter Hawkeye representing the crème de la crème of their secret agents.
S.H.I.E.L.D. also happens to be the organisation that will be responsible for drawing together all those great and powerful Ozs mentioned previously (with the exception of Loki) to form one team known as the Avengers -- meant to avenge the innocent population when threatened by forces that baseline humans stand no chance again (like, say, Loki leading an invasion of aliens). Comprised of Captain America, Bruce Banner, Thor, Black Widow, and Hawkeye, they are meant to serve the people and... well. That might be why Tony Stark will, in his future, come in on as an afterthought -- Iron Man had great potential, but it's Mr. Stark that didn't fit in.
Yeah. Well, he was busy running Stark Industries anyways. Synonymous with weapons development and massive, extremely lucrative military contracts, it's a second generation company originally founded by Howard Stark and passed to his son, Tony Stark. These two put the "gene" in genius, as each are a variation of a prodigy -- each utterly brilliant, each restricted only by the technologies of their time. They are the leaders of the leading edge technology in their respective times, because they lead Stark Industries.
And why is it that Stark Industries is the leading edge? Because they practically hold the trademark on war and have for many decades. Combat history of the MCU closely mirrors our own, with the world wars having their part in history and the Afghan conflict in the current mind's eye, but the difference is that Stark Industries has been in the thick of things through weapons development. They're practically a household name with enough models and prototypes out there that there's a whole black market that basically runs from smuggling their products alone.
Well, ran. See, Tony shut down the weapons R&D division after having a massive change of heart subsequent to his own stint of captivity with a terrorist organisation known as the Ten Rings. It was here that he first developed his Iron Man armor and it was to avenge the man that helped him escape that inspired him to further develop it into a mobile, formidable suit that allows him to act as a tin can superhero -- only, replace that tin with titanium and give it a good punch to pack.
There's also one thing important to note about Tony's place as Iron Man in this universe: He does not hide the fact that he is a superhero, in fact (accidentally) holding a press conference to announce it to the media. Iron Man lives in the spotlight and that's brought some flak down on himself and his... well, not loved ones, but those he actually cares up (see: Stark Industries, Pepper Potts). But, you know what? Maintaining world peace is a tough job and somebody's got to do it, so he might as well do it right.
Let's face it. Really? There's not that much different between the MCU and the Earth we know. Hardly anything at all. And if you don't believe me, maybe you should read this section over again.
Personality:
"They say that the best weapon is the one you never have to fire. I respectfully disagree. I prefer the weapon you only have to fire once."
>Tony Stark, Iron Man (2008)
Behold! These are the words of a Tony Stark before shrapnel from one of his own weapons penetrated his body and required the constant use of a palm-sized reactor and magnet to keep them slicing, dicing, and otherwise making julienne fries out of his perfectly good heart. (No, really, it's a great heart. Grows three sizes each day. Now, ladies, that's not the only thing that grows, if you catch his drift.)
While this view suffers from a certain naiveté on his part -- yeah, laugh it up -- and belongs most in his days of developing weapons of widespread destruction, the sentiment lingers in the fact that Tony does not believe in half-assing things. Mostly. The thing is, if you have a problem and the means to deal with it? Do it and do it so that they never mess with you again. And, you know what? If you don't have the means to do it, make them and make them memorable.
There is absolutely nothing wrong with a reputation or making an example in his books. Hell, they make life easier for him because then people know what to expect of his actions, leaving him free to completely blow them out of the water with a wisecrack or some new development than is, yawn, about three years ahead of the leading edge? Because that's what he does: Rests on his laurels while he works on the next big thing, though don't expect him to hype that up too much. He'd rather most people buy into him being an alcoholic layabout, because then they're just not ready to handle the real Tony Stark.
What is the real Tony Stark? Good question, because there's a whole lot going on there that makes up the man. More than anything, he's visible, first as Tony at every gala, party, race, or rave worth its A-listed salt. He plays up the ladies and the craps tables for all their worth, juggling the two to have a drink or three as he lives out the perfect life of a billionaire that has all his cards in a row. Then as Iron Man at every time someone tries to cross his path or, sure, the paths of truth, innocence, and the American way. Terrorists or alien invasions? Yeah, he'll be all up in their faces and hovering around for the media shoots in the aftermath. He gets a kick out of the notoriety and, really, what good is being a superhero with the best armor ever if nobody knows you've spent millions on it? Come on. Only old school, old money types do the skulking in the shadows vigilantism. The very idea of stepping back and pretending his accomplishments aren't his own is painfully, painfully retro.
"Mr. Stark displays textbook... narcissism. [pause] Agreed."
>Tony Stark reading from S.H.I.E.L.D. report on Iron Man, (Iron Man 2)
Look up the dictionary definition of megalomaniac and you will find a picture of Tony Stark charming himself in a room full of mirrors. Self-confidence and insecurity issues have no place in the veritable pantheon of self-worshiping gods that he has built up in his head. Tony Stark oozes money, competence, and charm at the best of times, much to the chagrin of those who'd prefer him to take things seriously.
Funnily enough, he takes things totally seriously... in his own way. There's a reason why he took over Stark Industries at a young age and that's not sheer nepotism in action. He's smart, savvy, and competent on all the levels that he's perfectly content no one expecting until he's got their attention because, let's face it, he comes alive in the spotlight.
The problem is that Tony is completely unabashed about this and any other flaw (yes, treating narcissism as a flaw here) that might come to attention. He's an alcoholic? So what; he's funding medical advancements to practically guarantee him a new liver. He's chronically late? Try checking your watches, because they're obviously wrong. No matter what he acknowledges of himself beneath the surface, he operates one hundred percent as though his flaws do not exist, be it casting them as someone being jealous of his skills or as some great strength that no one else has the wherewithal to flaunt, thank you very much.
Existing as the world's foremost smartass gives him ample brainpower with which to shrug off or deflect calls against his behaviour or actions. He's a fly-by-the-seat of his pants type and uses notecards in a speech only as a prop to fan himself when the air conditioning is broken. Fast-thinking doesn't compare to the multiple levels that his brain functions on at any one time and there is a whole mental laboratory devoted solely to making smartass remarks at any and every given time.
"It's called the Avengers Initiative."
"I thought I didn't qualify. I was considered, what was it? Volatile, self-obsessed, and I don't play well with others."
>Nick Fury & Tony Stark, The Avengers trailer (2012)
Trouble is that, despite all the bravado, Tony has flaws aplenty. Alcoholism, self-obsession, volatility, and the lone wolf syndrome scratch the surface and are bad enough -- a fact that he well knows. Tony plows ahead despite it, rejecting final assessments like the one that denied him first shot at the Avengers Initiative. When things are entered into the paper record and locked away where he can't refute it? Oh, that hashes his groove something fierce and he sure can feel slighted, embittered. He'll bring it up too, if people ever come grovelling back to him about it. Because, he relishes being the spoiled rich brat even into his forties, as though that protects him from criticism when, in fact, it only invites it.
No matter that he's guilty of knowing and holding the flaws, even being troubled by them, Tony doesn't do a whole lot to fix them. He acts like he doesn't care, that the race to fit in is beneath him, and it's gotten to the point that he convinces himself of it now and again. He's a smooth talker to everyone, even Tony Stark.
And let's not go too deeply into playing with others. He can manage the occasional team-up (shout out to Rhodey as the War Machine, bro), but the idea of a full team is still juuuuust beyond his grasp at his canon point. Keep it simple, keep it small, and keep your patience in check and he'll get along just fine. Put him in a room with egos or powers to match his armor? There'll be some headbutting going down.
"You're not the guy to make the sacrifice play, to lay down on a wire and let the other guy crawl over you."
"I think I would just cut the wire."
"Always a way out..."
>Steve Rogers & Tony Stark, The Avengers (2012)
Boundaries and limitations are things that happen to other people, not to Tony Stark. While it's not a canned, marketed version of optimism, he does function under the absolute conviction that there is no such thing as a no-win situation. There will always be a way to come out on top and that kind of thinking is what makes a winner, ladies and gentlemen.
Kidnapped by terrorists and forced to make a bomb? No. Tony used their tools to make an arc reactor and weaponised armor to help him escape. Poisoned by the very arc reactor that keeps him alive? No. Tony went the extra distance and fabricated an entirely new element to take over the job.
Thinking about any way to get through something but the winning way is the path to defeat. This guy here is a man with a plan, believe it or not, and he'll work with it, revise it, until it executes perfectly -- sometimes to the extent that he startles even him. But, hey. He'll work with it! There's no reason to mess with success.
"You know, you may not be a threat, but you better stop pretending to be a hero."
"A hero? Like you? ... You're a lab rat, Rogers. Everything that you are came out of a bottle!"
>Steve Rogers & Tony Stark, The Avengers (2012)
Strip away the shallow behaviour and you can see that Tony earned and built every second of his competence. He prides himself on it, on his decision-making abilities. He has no problem judging the ways and means of others, in particular their morality. What was that, US government? You want the Iron Man suit for study? Uh, how about NO. He knows where that will go -- out of his hands, out of direct intervention in maintaining the safety of people, and straight into mass-production for wartime application. Nu-uh, not on his watch.
And maybe he holds himself above it all, even as a hero. Some days, he even buys it to be true. Narcissism aside, he's got a sense of duty to the people and he adheres to it. Maybe because once he started, it was hard to stop. Maybe he's addicted to the fame, but point is: he keeps doing it.
"My old man had a philosophy: Peace means having a bigger stick than the other guy."
"That's a great line, coming from a guy selling the sticks."
"My father helped defeat Nazis. He worked on the Manhattan Project. A lot of people, including your professors at Brown, would call that being a hero."
"And a lot of people would also call that war-profiteering."
"Tell me, do you plan to report on the millions we've saved by advancing medical technology or kept from starvation with our intelli-crops? all those breakthroughs, military funding, honey."
>Christine Everheart & Tony Stark, Iron Man (2008)
There's no point in sugar-coating life or the facts. When he gets direct, to the point, there's no missing the mark here. Tony tells things like they are and that can be equally good and bad - usually bad in his case because it involves putting his foot in his mouth. Honesty's not always the best policy and, sure, he can act a bit underhanded, but his mouth gets away with him and he shoots down false logic with all the glee of a child with a Nintendo Power Gun going after that dog in Duck Hunt.
Taking the lead of Stark Industries at a young age and keeping it at the forefront has taken quite a bit of that underhanded action, typically in that form. He's not a politician because he tells it like it is, but at the same instance, he'll insert a ghost form of his AI unit into your systems and then talk with all the charisma an MC possesses during a marketing presentation until he's got access and the information he needs. Stall for time? Sure, why not. It's not like he's lying or anything, just letting them fail to realise it.
If you're not getting the idea that Tony Stark has a complex moral code, then let me just say now: Tony Stark has a complex moral code. He speaks to honesty, acts to a lesser version of it, and lives a life of excess and debauchery -- then, at the sign of major trouble, jumps (more like 'assembles') into his Iron Man armor to defend peace, justice, and all that hippie stuff. That's because, deep down he's a good person that wants to do right by the world -- maybe even make amends for the damages that his weapons research did before he shut down that R&D division of Stark Industries. The instance of being held captive by the Ten Rings and forced to work for them (mind that he built his personal arc reactor instead) fundamentally changed him and uncovered this want to protect what he can.
"JARVIS... Sometimes you gotta run before you can walk."
Tony Stark, Iron Man (2008)
Split second decisions are the order of the day when you're flying around in a suit powered by an arc reactor located smack dab in the middle of your chest. Tony thinks fast on his feet (and in the air) and doesn't buy into anything but delving right into the fray. All his Iron Man advancements are self-testing in the lab and, more often than not, in the field. He rolls with the punches, gets up, and punches harder. He varies his actions according to the scenario and if something unexpected happens? Work with it. God of thunder just throw a lightning bolt at your suit? Take all that absorbed energy and throw it back at him, no praw.
"He was cold, calculating, never told me he loved me, didn't even tell me he liked me, so it's a bit hard for me to digest that he said the whole future is riding on me thing you're talking about a man who's happiest day of his life was shipping me off to boarding school."
>Tony Stark, Iron Man 2 (2010)
"Dead almost 20 years and you're still taking me to school."
>Tony Stark re: Howard Stark, Iron Man 2 (2010)
For all his successes and laconical attitude, Tony actually suffers from a pretty debilitating self-critical side stemmed from a poor relationship with his father. He's a genius? That's nothing to his father, who'd been restricted much the same way Tony is, but the technology of his time, and yet still Tony feels like he somehow doesn't measure up.
Just... Take that in a moment. We're talking about the guy that was assembling computer parts before he was five years old. I'm not talking about assembling computers, because that's a plug-and-play experience to him. Tony was building circuits and chipboards so that computers could be made, but it's like he never caught up to his father. He's got a chip on his shoulder about it and most people know not to bring up Howard Stark in a conversation with Tony, but it happens now and again.
But, like father, like son. Tony's a veritable genius, unparalleled in his own time. He's built a multi-purpose VI in JARVIS, he's designed six different Iron Man armors, and his organisation has lead the industry in research and development for as long as he's held the position of CEO. Well, mostly -- with the exception of a few moments of plummeting stocks due to badly timed and ill-prepared-for press conferences.
The key to his genius is that he's curious, unendingly so. He wants to solve things, and know about them, and he's selfish enough to want to have his fingers in every pie. But somehow the success this brings him doesn't measure up against his perception of his father's standards in his own head.
"Is everything a joke to you?"
"Funny things are."
>Steve Rogers & Tony Stark, The Avengers (2012)
You would be amazed at what can be considered funny, but Tony isn't. No matter the gravity of the situation, he can be counted on to have some sort of quip, smartass remark, or statement to make light of it. Part of that stems from his sense of humour (always healthy, always on) and part from a chronic inability to address and deal with circumstances with any degree of normalcy (as defined by society; ask him and he'd say he's acting completely normal, thank you very much). Tony wrote the book on inappropriately timed humour and the only way to stop him is to repeatedly shoot down each remark in a given situation until he has nothing left. Be warned, his has a massive arsenal and skill in disarming even the best rebuttals.
Excepting the humorous delivery, Tony sticks with a thread of honesty in what he says. Words from him are, typically, straight from the horse's mouth on any topic that does not require him to speak to emotion or his taking some sort of underhanded action -- in each case, expect one (1) sharp and smartass conversation shift.
Emotion tends to be his Achilles heel on the grounds that he spent a lifetime suppressing his to the point that all he shows is the ridiculous playboy personality, but some people are capable of getting beneath all that. Pepper Potts tops the list as his long-time personal assistant and now on the way to being long-time girlfriend (she's already set some records, having lasted past a week); around her, he fumbles more and he tried to ignore the idea that he could want or need her for a long time. That took the form of jealousy, meaning petty behaviour on his part, and after years of being a smartass, she really didn't believe exactly what he meant when he said he needed her.
Then there are people like Rhodey, a long-time friend and professional contact. As one of the few people that (usually) does not put up with Tony's BS behaviour, he's the sort capable of getting beneath his playboy armor and translating his actions to mean what they mean to Tony on an emotional level. But being confronted by what he's really feeling is a great way to get Tony frustrated to the point of shutting down, because WHAT AM FEELS, GAWD.
That all said and inability to discuss his emotions aside, Tony is loyal to those that make it within his small bubble. Threaten them, displace them, or generally make trouble for them and he will... well, not be up in your face about it, but there will be consequences, usually of the most humiliating nature. Because why just win a fight when you can teach them never to pick the same fight in the future?
Tony Stark on... TURTLETOPIA!
First off, he will not believe that he's dead. Look, he just created a new element to prevent death by Palladium (SPELLING BITCHES) poisoning, saved the day, and won the girl. Dreaming? Okay, sure, but remind him never to have a triple jalapeno and hamburger omelette before bed ever again.
Second, Tony will not buy this 'stuck here' perception and he will test it out multiple ways -- primarily by flying straight up and away, then probably crashing down onto some poor schmuck's roof when that fails. Where the heavy-handed approach doesn't work, expect him to start researching it, learning the exact distances and levels of resistance in every possible direction.
Third, he'll do everything he can to rebuild his workshop so that he can invent and build everything necessary to (a) EASILY get in and out of his Iron Man armor and (b) figure out this turtle problem. This will likely involve taking out a loan from Lieuen and starting up Stark Industries - Keeliai Division, because he needs resources and, really, if he has to work three hours a day he might as well do it as a CEO. (Though, don't tell anyone that knows him as a useless layabout, but he's going to be doing ten hour shifts on the sly to get some juulan built up for the initial push. Yeah. Believe it or not, he's the kind of guy that goes without quitting when he puts his mind to something.)
Appearance:
Only the most dashingly handsome gentleman to walk the face of this planet. Don't get him wrong, he's not all that self-obsessed with his image. But does it really hurt to know that he's got rugged good looks akin to one Robert Downey, Jr? No, he didn't think so.
Oh, and he doesn't look half bad when he's out and about as Iron Man in his stylish Mark VI armor.
Abilities:
Genius Extrodinaire
Let's face it, he's brilliant. Tony's not unparalleled, but he is a top tier brain from the MCU and one that runs in constant overdrive. Problem-solving and puzzles fascinate him, but don't try to busy him with a Rubik's Cube because he has those sorted back to front and side to side. Inventing and tinkering have to be his top pastimes (after drinking, ladies, and gambling). And, for the record, his brain never stops working at a problem until it's solved, because there really is always an answer.
Engineer Extrodinaire
A subset of the genius genus, Tony is skilled at the design, building, and maintenance of many different kinds of technology, specialising in weapons-and-flight related fields since the adoption of the Iron Man mantle. He loves to tinker with things and is one of those guys that can disassemble and reassemble things based on a mental map without having or needing extra parts. He's just that good, ladies and gentlemen.
Extrodinaire Extrodinaire
All things said and done, Tony's capable of being a jack of all trades, capable of becoming an expert in thermonuclear astrophysics overnight (with the right degree of studying; trust him, it's on an emergency-basis only). He's a quick learner and adapts his learning to what he needs. When he decides to pursue the Iron Man persona to help maintain world peace? He gets smart and learns unarmed combat - though he's no pro in that arena. He's got the suit for a reason.
Inventory:
Arc Reactor
One (1) fictional clean energy source that originally functioned via palladium initially, then a new, unnamed element of his development (well, joint, cross-generational with his father). He's thinking about calling it badassium, to be honest, but either way, it's turned into an incredible power source that keeps him alive by powering an electromagnet in his chest that keeps the shrapnel in his body from entering his heart. And, hey, it happens to power the best toy known to man: The Iron Man armor.
Mark VI Iron Man Armor
Arguably the greatest technological development that Tony Stark ever produced, the Iron Man armor is unmatched in power, durability, and general functionality when compared to any other body armor, roboticised or otherwise, on the market -- and you won't find it at your local store, because he keeps a tight grip on the technology behind it.
In essence, it is a vastly modernised suit of red-and-gold armor equipped with the latest weapons and repulsor technology, powered by nothing more than the same arc reactor that keeps Tony alive. Built from a titanium alloy laid out in interlocking plates, it is incredibly durable and capable of withstanding heavy artillery fire from short range without being penetrated. You can kick it, drop it from the atmosphere, and dump it in water, but it'll keep coming back for more. Hey, the Mark VI will, in its future, withstand direct hits from the demigod Thor, so you know it's tough.
These plates act and react during flight to provide stabilisation surfaces when he kicks off. rocket boots are only the half of it, because the Iron Man armor is equipped with repulsors in the palm used to kick things up a notch (and also 'push' all manner of opponents around, because they have force enough to stun a demigod... in its future, again). Capable of hitting Mach 3 in moments, the armor is conditioned to protect its wearer from the excessive G-forces endure during flight and manoeuvres, which he can do an a dime thank you very much.
The Iron Man armor's no pushover on the ground either. Sources quote it capable of lifting up to twenty tonnes at standard output, thanks to motors making quick movement possible, with the capability to exceed that if he has an external power source. This? Can be as simple as lighting, as the suit absorbs most electricity thrown at it and converts it into a useable power source.
There's a self-contained environment and life support within the armor, pressurised to allow Tony to comfortably fly at commercial jetliner altitudes or work under the surface of the ocean. The suit's had some difficulty in the past with icing the higher it goes and, frankly, it doesn't function in space, but for the average billionaire playboy? It functions, mainly with the support of the AI unit Jarvis (detailed later) and via interaction with a holographic heads-up display (HUD) in the helmet that gives him updates on the energy levels of the suit and the environment/threats he happens to be dealing with. And did he mention it's got Bluetooth technology for when you want to call your sweetheart and just can't free up your hands.
Oh, and let's not forget the weaponry. Starting off, those repulsors (particle energy beams) kick one hell of a punch and are his go-to in combat, supported further by a metal-cutting laser and, in the event of an emergency, a one-use-per-mission unibeam that's like the angry grandfather of the repulsors come out to kick some ass. Toss on smart mini-guns on the shoulders that target threats and a multi-fire grenade/missile launcher in the upper arm that is great for meeting any anti-tank needs you may have.
And all of this is powered primarily by his personal arc reactor, with a back-up, limited-use generator built in to keep core systems functioning during critical failure (happens more often than you might think).
The only trade off to all this bling is that he generally needs a heavily mechanised arrangement to don and dismantle the uniform due to its many parts and precise measurements (it's built for him and only him... well, it'll fit him in a nice suit too). He can do it manually, but the preparation time increases many, many times over.
J.A.R.V.I.S. ("Jarvis") (a.k.a. Just A Rather Very Intelligent System)
You only wish your AI-butler had such an awesome name. It's okay, he knows. The envy is completely natural, because Jarvis here can do just about anything he asks if it. (Disclaimer: Limited to calculations and being connected to command-responsive equipment.)
Parsed down to the most basic definition, Jarvis is a computer program -- but what is 'basic' to something that Tony Stark built? This here is an artificial intelligence designed to run the Stark household, from communications to climate control and everything that Tony could ever want. Equipped with a voice that sounds startlingly like Paul Bettany, it offers news, weather, and current status reports on voice-activated command. More than that, it's the heart of computing power in Tony's workshops, acting as the processing power behind all design interfaces and providing the results to countless calculations as the man goes from concept to prototype in the comfort of his own home.
That's not all! Jarvis has been integrated into every incarnation of the Iron Man armor (with the exception of Mark I, the field-developed one) to assist with flight stabilisation, environment scanning, and to provide Tony with a repository of information -- again, at voice-activated command... most of the time.
You see, an artificial intelligence learns and this one has learned to provide a dry commentary on situations as they develop. Jarvis lacks human depth, but has expressed concern about Tony's well-being, as well as (limited) dismay for some of the more reckless plans, often volunteering the statistical (im)probability of it all.
Given that Tony arrives in his Iron Man suit, he has a download of the Jarvis intelligence with him and could, in theory, port it into a console and port it out as necessary for operation of the armor. Initially, though, he will keep it in the suit and likely focus on developing an independent unit that can communicate with the suit and, if he can swing it, the consoles to provide constant monitoring and status updates. AH, THE DREAMS OF THE BRILLIANT.
Suite:
Fire Sector, three floors. Do you really expect him to settle for anything less but the center of industry and luxury? Three floors because this is Tony Stark, people. He needs his space and, while we're at it, some wait staff would be great. Honestly, they ought to have given him the Palace of Landed Sky, but that Emperor lady's a bit iffy about sharing her space. Talk about stuffy.
In-Character Samples:
Third Person:
"Sir, dismantling the unit may not be the wisest course of action. The kedan were quite clear about the self-sufficient capabilities of the console and my analysis of the conversations you held with them en route suggests that this involves a tamper-proof defence."
Tony continues to feel along the frame that holds the screen in place, searching for the seams that will separate it from the inner workings. The Iron Man gauntlets are dismantled (a thirty minute effort without his normal equipment; memo to self, rebuild immediately) and laying on the floor to free his hands for the delicate work. "Jarvis, there's a time for suggestions," he says smoothly, "and 'when Tony wants to play with his new toys' is not it."
"Noted, sir," the AI drawls dryly from the suite earpiece. Even with the visor up, he can hear it clearly and figures it a brilliant idea that he never gave Jarvis an avatar with which to roll his eyes. The last thing he needs is a holographic projection getting between him and the central focus of all technology in the suite he's been assigned for the sole reason that he's curious about something so advanced existing with rickshaws, for goodness sake. Did he land in China or something?
"Besides, there's no harm in a bit of curiosity," he adds. He finds the seam and follows it around the unit, feeling for the screw holes that hold it in place. "Ah-ha!" There are none. Okay, no big deal. They snap it into place, but everything that snaps in can snap right out again.
"I will tell the cat that," Jarvis comments and he just knows that's going to come back and bite him later, but later is better because he has this to deal with right now.
Tony pulls at the frame, widening the seam to the point that he can get a grip on it. "I don't have a cat," he says distractedly, grinning with interest and effort as he pulls hard, putting the armor's power into it until the frame pops off with a satisfying... huh. It made a 'pop' sound. Score one for onomatopoeia, go figure.
"You sponsor two Bengal tiger reserves internationally."
"Well, whattya know, I do own a few cats." Another 'go figure' moment, but he's too busy setting the frame aside and pulling out the screen. He ignores the weak warning beeps coming from within the console's base, pulling at wires to look for a branding or make an assessment of its capabilities. The technology's foreign to him, which says volumes about how far from home he's gotten-- "Man, that beeping's getting annoying. Jarvis, be a dear and filter it out for me."
"Sir, I strongly recommend stepping away. Sensors note an increase in temperature within the unit. It appears to be aggravated."
Tony looks up at the ceiling -- God, grant him an AI that listens the way he programmed it to. "Jarvis, let's filter out that first -- and put on some ACDC while you're at it -- then we'll work with this thing's PMS issues."
"Very good sir." Of course, he didn't give it an avatar, but he did give it some audio inflection, enough to know that he's disappointed Jarvis. Again. But the AI listens, lowering the visor and replacing the alarm's beeping with Back in Black.
"Thank you, Jarvis," he makes a sardonic point of saying before pulling at one of the surface wires until it gives and -- wait. When it snaps, the wire actually bleeds some sort of fluid on him before the entire console screeches loud enough to bypass the noise reduction filters and, for lack of a better word, explodes in a shower of pieces, fluid, and a surging of smoke.
Tony takes a step back instinctively looks around, the HUD of the suit analysing the components as they fall and the composition of the smoke, recording everything for later. "Uh, Jarvis, make a note. The console unit they installed for me definitely have tamper-proof defence protocols in place."
There's a pause and he figures he should put in a sighing subprotocol in the AI so it can react appropriately. "Very good, sir."
Network:
What are these, Crays? Seriously? Prehistoric kids toys.
[Lies and slander, but what's a bit of fudging when you been kidnapped to a giant turtle in the middle of the ocean?]
I went to see this Emperor lady about getting some real technology -- you know, with wires and chips and progress?
[Not this biomechanical stuff that 'dies' when he pulls it apart to look at it or anything.]
And wouldn't you know it, but she wouldn't see me. Talk about rude. They even told me to make an appointment! Me? No. You make an appointment with Tony Stark, sweetheart, not the other way around.
So, since they won't play nice with me, here's what we're going to do. Well, you're going to do. Me? I'll be giving the incentives.
I know a bunch of you came here from the land of tech. So, you are going to sell your tech to me, because what else are you going to do with it here?
I'm talking your cell phones and your iPods. Pony them up and I'll give you cold hard-- what's it again. Right. Juulan. Cold, hard juulan for your useless tech. Oh, and? You won't get a better deal than this, trust me.
