5 Times Tony Stark Was the Villain (And Not Just in Civil War)

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In a universe teeming with Marvel’s mightiest superheroes, Tony Stark, alias Iron Man, stands out as one of the most revered yet complex characters. Despite his status as a respected hero, Tony harbors significant flaws, battling alcoholism, displaying haughty arrogance, and appearing calculating and detached. A notable instance where Tony’s villainous side emerged was during the storyline known as Civil War. In this tale, Tony allied with the government to apprehend superheroes who declined to disclose their identities publicly. The actions he took during this conflict fractured numerous relationships and led to the loss of lives, including those of Goliath and Captain America. Civil War is not an isolated incident of Tony’s questionable behavior; many of his decisions have left a trail of destruction in their wake, affecting countless lives negatively.

Although Iron Man is often viewed as a hero, his arrogance and harsh methods have occasionally driven him towards villainous acts on numerous occasions. Here are five particularly reprehensible actions that Tony Stark has committed throughout his life.

1) Selling Weapons

Tony Stark’s journey, as presented in the comics, is not a swift transformation from arms dealer to hero, unlike his portrayal in the Marvel Cinematic Universe films. Unlike being saved by his own creations, it was a random trip mine that nearly took Tony’s life. This incident did not immediately turn him away from weapon dealing; instead, he continued to sell weapons of mass destruction for several years after. It wasn’t until the Vietnam War ended that he decided to stop manufacturing and distributing these deadly arms. However, on occasion, he would still sell weapons to the highest bidder. Despite any remorse Tony may feel now, it cannot erase the fact that many lives were lost due to the weapons he helped create and distribute.

2) Attacking Everyone During the Armor Wars

In the storyline known as “Armor Wars”, it was revealed that several of Tony Stark’s armor blueprints had been stolen. Determined to protect his inventions from misuse, Stark embarked on a solo mission to track down and destroy any instances of his technology that had been stolen. Although his intentions were initially noble – he wanted to prevent his designs from falling into the wrong hands – his single-minded pursuit led him to take aggressive action against individuals who were unconnected to the thefts. This included attacking the government-approved hero, Stingray, which placed him at odds with the U.S. government. He also attacked S.H.I.E.L.D., the Soviet Union, and even Captain America. This rampage ultimately resulted in Tony being kicked out of the Avengers. Despite successfully apprehending those responsible for the thefts, the harm Tony caused to his reputation lingered for years.

3) Exiling the Hulk From Earth

The Incredible Hulk is infamous for his uncontrollable and destructive temper. Fearing his unpredictable nature, Tony Stark and the Illuminati group decided to exile the Hulk by launching him into space in a rocket. Unfortunately, the Hulk’s spacecraft crash-landed on an alien planet where he was forced into gladiator combat. Over time, he rallied against the oppressive rulers of this planet and assumed power as their king. However, years later, the Hulk’s spaceship malfunctioned and killed many in his kingdom, including his spouse. In response, the Hulk declared war on the Illuminati and Earth, causing massive destruction across the globe in what became known as the “World War Hulk” saga. Ironically, Tony played a part in triggering this interplanetary conflict through indirectly provoking the wrath of the vengeful Hulk.

4) Working with Kang

In a contentious Marvel tale, it was disclosed that Tony Stark had been collaborating with the villainous time-traveling character Kang the Conqueror for years, intending to bring down Earth’s top superheroes, the Avengers. Stark subsequently eliminated two of those heroes, Yellowjacket and Gilgamesh. The Avengers ventured back in time to enlist a younger, more virtuous version of Tony Stark to battle his evil counterpart. Following the demise of the older Tony, the teenage Tony assumed the role of Iron Man. This storyline was met with widespread disapproval by fans, leading Marvel to revise the timeline. Now, the events of the older and younger Tonys’ conflict are treated as though they never occurred by Marvel.

5) Everything He Did as Superior Iron Man

During one of her maniacal phases, Scarlet Witch swapped the personalities of numerous superheroes and villains. Eventually, she undid the enchantment, but Tony Stark, now evil, employed his reversed spell shield to preserve his villainous identity. As the malevolent Superior Iron Man, Tony devised an app named Extremis 3.0, granting users freedom to modify their physical appearances at will. However, after tantalizing everyone with a taste of the app’s powers, Tony required each user to pay $99.99 daily for continued use. In a cruel twist, he cured Matt Murdock (Daredevil) of his blindness before instantly reversing it once more. After the Marvel Multiverse was rewritten in an Incursion Event, Tony regained his heroic status. The citizens of the Marvel Universe are grateful that Tony’s morality has been restored and that he’s back to being a hero.

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2025-08-04 16:10