In 2005, Marvel Studios reacquired the rights to develop the Iron Man character. It was a move that positioned the movie studio for massive success with its Marvel Cinematic Universe movies. As a result, 2008’s Iron Man became the first movie in the MCU Phase One. With a budget of $140 million, Iron Man was a massive hit at the box office, with a revenue of $585.8 million.
The movie’s protagonist Tony Stark was played by Robert Downey Jr. Tony Stark/Iron Man is one of those superheroes you hate to love but can’t deny he’s extremely good at beating the bad guys. Although we now know his fate in MCU’s Phase Three Avengers: Endgame, let’s reminisce on the character’s growth by looking at epic scenes from the first Iron Man movie.
Tony Stark in Afghanistan
Credit: Iron Man
After successfully inheriting Stark Industries from his father, Howard Stark, Tony Stark decides to go to Afghanistan to showcase his company’s new missile, Jericho. The billionaire playboy and genius never misses a moment to show off and goes on to thrill his buyers with his company’s manufactured weapons.
Tony Stark Is Captured
Credit: Iron Man
As Stark’s convoy makes its way out of the exhibition ground, things go awry. A militant group called the Ten Rings attacks the convoy and uses one of Stark’s company missiles to explode his convoy truck.
Tony Stark awakes to see himself as a prisoner of the Ten Rings and away in a cave. The group’s leader Raza, informs Stark that he’ll grant him freedom after he builds a Jericho missile for his group. A few minutes into the movie, a billionaire playboy becomes a prisoner of war.
The First Iron Man Suit Is Created
Credit: Iron Man
As a prisoner of the Ten Rings, Stark meets a fellow prisoner, Yinsen, who helps him stay alive. As a result of the explosion from the convoy attack, Stark had metal shrapnels in his body that could kill him if it got to his heart. Yinsen, a doctor, created an electromagnetic device and implanted it to prevent the shrapnel from reaching Stark’s heart.
Tony Stark agrees to make Jericho for the Ten Rings but is well aware that he and Yinsen would never be allowed to leave the cave alive. So they both create an armor/machine that is strong enough to withstand bullets and equipped with its weapons.
Before the Iron Man suit is complete, the Ten Rings get wind of what they’re actually building and try to kill Stark and Yinsen. Yinsen offers to distract the emerging militants for the suit to charge fully. Yinsen loses his life in the process. Stark wears the makeshift Iron Man suit and arc reactor and uses them to escape and destroy his prison cave.
Tony Stark Focuses on Building Iron Man
Credit: Iron Man
Back home in California, having seen what his company’s weapons can do if it falls into the wrong hands, Stark chooses to stop the production of weapons. Unfortunately, this decision doesn’t go well with Tony’s father’s old partner, Obadiah Stane, one of Stark Industries’ managers.
Tony focuses on building an ultimate machine in the form of a suit that he can control. Although the first Iron Man prototype suit is lost in the desert, he uses the idea and works with his home’s Artificial intelligence J.A.R.V.I.S to create a more advanced suit.
Stane Vs. Iron Man
Credit: Iron Man
A not-so-pleased Obadiah Stane goes rogue and solicits the help of the Ten Rings to make a suit. After successfully creating the suit, Shane breaks into Stark’s home, ambushes Tony Stark, and steals his arc reactor from his chest.
Stane and Tony Stark face off in a fight as Stark tries to overpower him. With Stane’s suit being powered by Stark’s superior arc reactor, Iron Man is no match. He asks Potts for help to overload the arc reactor at Stark Industries. The resulting surge disorients Stane as he falls into the reactor and dies.
Tony Stark Admits to Being Iron Man
credit: Iron Man
With part of Stark Industries destroyed, a press conference was set up to explain the cause of the damage. Agent Phil Coulson of S.H.I.E.L.D helps create an alibi for Tony Stark to make it all go away. Asked to stick to the script and read out information on cards, Tony Stark decides it’s time to unveil the face behind the mask. He admits on the live broadcast that he is Iron Man.
Tony Stark Meets Nick Fury
Credit: Iron Man
Although the scene is part of the post-credit scenes, it is the first time Tony Stark gets introduced to Nick Fury, Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. Fury tells him he’s not the only superhero in the world and wants to discuss more about the Avenger Initiative.
Follow Us
