Summary

  • Iron Man's most heroic moments include saving innocents in Gulmira and destroying his weapons to right his wrongs.
  • Tony Stark publicly admitting that he is Iron Man shows his growth as a superhero and his commitment to helping others.
  • Iron Man's sacrifices, such as flying a nuclear missile into space and sacrificing himself to defeat Thanos, highlight his selflessness and dedication to protecting the world.

As the first and one of the most prominent superheroes in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, it is no surprise that Iron Man has a wide range of heroic moments in the franchise. Debuting in 2008’s Iron Man, Robert Downey Jr.’s iteration of Tony Stark captivated viewers with a combination of strong characterization, pathos, and accuracy to the comic book source material, but this was only the beginning for his definitive portrayal of the Armored Avenger. Four years and one sequel later, Iron Man joined the ensemble cast of The Avengers, a film that changed the Hollywood landscape and cemented superhero films as an A-list genre.

Iron Man would star in a third solo film and co-star in three more Avengers sequels (in addition to Captain America’s third solo outing), further establishing him as a cultural icon and one of the main heroes of the MCU itself. Just as Iron Man’s arsenal of weapons-laden armored suits kept growing until Stark’s final appearance in Avengers: Endgame, so too did his many heroic deeds, both as Iron Man and Tony Stark. In all of Iron Man’s MCU appearances, here are his 10 most heroic moments.

Related: Iron Man's 10 Most Powerful Weapons In The MCU

10 Tony Stark Destroys Stark Tech Weapons & Saves Innocents In Gulmira

Iron Man holding up his laser hand in 2008 Iron Man movie

After escaping Ten Rings captivity in Afghanistan, Tony Stark, seeing the error in his weapons-dealing ways, has Stark Industries cease production of weapons - a controversial decision, to say the least. After seeing a news report showing the Ten Rings continuing to use advanced Stark Weapons in Gulmira, Stark personally intervenes, using his Mark III Iron Man armor to defeat a contingent of Ten Rings forces, rescue endangered innocents, and destroy his company’s weapons. A seemingly hopeless situation for Gulmira’s populace is instantly ended with Iron Man’s appearance, with the Ten Rings terrorists’ weapons and tactics proving no match for Stark’s armor.

9 Tony Stark Publicly Admits That He's Iron Man

Robert Downey Jr I Am Iron Man Speech

While Iron Man’s actions in Gulmira and the defeat of Obadiah Stane (Iron Monger) saved numerous lives, they were, ultimately, Tony Stark cleaning up his own messes in his new persona. Tony Stark only truly grew into the role of a superhero at the end of Iron Man, when he reveals that he is, in fact, Iron Man, during a press conference. By the start of 2010’s Iron Man 2, Stark was not only making reparations for his callous past, but he was also proactively working to help people. Stark rescued civilians from disasters and continued to fight Ten Rings terrorists overseas as Iron Man, even with his identity public.

8 Iron Man Flies A Nuclear Missile Into Space

the avengers iron man missile

The third act of The Avengers sees the titular superhero team finally assemble to repel an army of Chitauri invaders from New York City. Under Captain America’s leadership, Iron Man provided air support, helping to prevent the Chitauri from spreading outside of Midtown. When the World Security Council ordered a nuclear strike on New York, however, Iron Man directed the missile into the Chitauri portal, knowing it would likely cost him his life. The missile struck the Chitauri Command Center, and Stark miraculously fell back through the portal to New York.

7 Iron Man Rescues The Surviving Crew & Passengers Of Air Force One

Tony Stark rescues Air Force One passengers and crew with his Mark 42 Iron Man suit in Iron Man 3.

In one of the most intense scenes in Iron Man 3, Tony Stark uses the Mark 42 Iron Man armor to kill Eric Savin, but not before he detonated explosives aboard Air Force One, sending 13 passengers out of the plane without parachutes. While Iron Man is often shown using his suits and ingenuity to defeat his enemies, rescues are few and far between. Using his Mark 42 armor’s features creatively, Stark rescues all 13 passengers, slowing their descent and dropping them safely into a river.

Related: Every Version Of The MCU Iron Man Armor Tony Stark Built

6 Tony Stark Evacuates Citizens Away From Ultron's Attack In Sokovia

Iron Man Mark 45.

Another example of Iron Man rescuing civilians is seen in Act 3 of Avengers: Age of Ultron. As Ultron attempted to turn Sokovia's capital city into a doomsday weapon, Iron Man and the rest of The Avengers evacuated its populace as best they could. In addition to stabilizing a damaged SHIELD craft full of civilians, Iron Man also thwarted Ultron’s plans for the city by destroying it in midair, preventing it from plummeting to the ground and creating a potential extinction-level event.

5 Tony Stark Builds Peter Parker A Better Spider-Man Suit

The MCU’s iteration of Spider-Man is introduced in Captain America: Civil War, with Tony Stark recruiting the young superhero to his contingent of Avengers. In addition to this, Stark also gave Peter Parker a major upgrade to his decidedly low-tech Spider-Man suit and web-shooters, gifting him the “Stark Suit” which, as Spider-Man: Homecoming reveals, contains an array of functions and weapons, ranging from web firing modes to even an “instant kill” mode that Peter Parker avoids using against The Vulture and his henchmen. Tony Stark further upgrades Spider-Man’s gear by giving him the nanotech Iron Spider suit in Avengers: Infinity War.

4 Iron Man Helps Spider-Man Save Civilians On The Staten Island Ferry

Iron Man in Spider-Man Homecoming

Even after unlocking the Stark Suit’s full arsenal of devices and weapons, Spider-Man is in over his head when battling The Vulture aboard the Staten Island Ferry in Homecoming. After one of Vulture’s weapons splits the ferry in half, Spider-Man attempts to hold the vessel together with his webbing, only for his efforts to fail. Iron Man, using his Mark 47 suit, successfully repairs the ferry and prevents any civilian casualties.

3 Iron Man Follows Thanos' Q-Ship Into Space

Iron Man aka Tony Stark in Avengers: Infinity War

Iron Man, Doctor Strange, Wong, and Spider-Man found themselves battling Ebony Maw and Cull Obsidian in Act 1 of Infinity War. Attempting to obtain the Time Stone from Strange, Maw captured the Sorcerer Supreme and fled Earth in a Q-Ship, with Iron Man in pursuit. Despite having had his hands full with Ebony Maw earlier and knowing that boarding the Q-Ship was likely a one-way trip, Stark stays the course and defeats Maw, allowing him and his allies to take the fight to Thanos himself.

2 Tony Stark Invents Time Travel To Undo Thanos' Snap

tony stark discovering time travel in avengers endgame

Five years after The Avengers failed to stop Thanos from wiping out half of the universe’s population, Tony Stark had, despite everything, found peace, starting a family with Pepper Potts. When his teammates revealed a possible way to reverse The Snap, Tony Stark does what seems impossible and creates time travel technology to allow The Avengers to retrieve the Infinity Stones from the past. After the “Time Heist,” Stark and the rest of The Avengers successfully resurrect everyone killed by Thanos in The Snap.

1 Tony Stark Sacrifices Himself To Defeat Thanos With The Infinity Stones

tony stark iron man in avengers endgame

With the majority of Earth’s defenders now battling the forces of Thanos, Iron Man and his Avengers teammates struggle to prevent The Mad Titan from enacting a far more devastating version of The Snap with their recovered Infinity Stones. Tony Stark steals the Infinity Stones from Thanos at the last moment and uses them to wipe out Thanos and his army, though this comes at the cost of his own life. In his last act in the MCU, Iron Man sacrifices himself to defeat Thanos and ensure that everyone he fought to bring back will not be killed again.

Key Release Dates