Is Ironman a Villian?
Feb. 15th, 2008 08:43 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
lydamorehouseI've been slowly catching up on all the various Marvel titles as I can find them, particularly the CIVIL WAR series. All I can say is that I think that Brian Michael Bendis et. al. are totally setting Ironman up as a villian. And, because of that, every time I see an ad on TV for the new Ironman movie starring Robert Dowing, Jr., I can't help but think it's all part of a government propoganda campaign.
We all know that Tony Stark/Ironman is tight with the current administration, after all.
I mean, JM Straczinski overtly connects Stark Enterprises (Ironman's corporation) with Halliburton (yes, it's really there. It's on the second page of Amazing Spider-Man #535: CIVIL WAR.) And, there's what, only 30% of the country that doesn't GET that equals evil, right? There are also implications in New Avengers that Tony Stark might have been doing a little insider trading based on the foreknowledge that the Civil War was coming down the pike. He had been broke at the end of AVENGERS DISASSEMBLED, after all, and now...? How are those government contracts working out for you, eh, Mr. Stark????
Plus in CIVIL WAR: Spider-Man Peter Parker asks to see where the heroes are kept who don't comply with the Hero's Reigstration Act (think Patriot Act, as it was precipitated by a horrific attack on a school, not unlike 9/11). Ironman very patiently explains that the heroes are sent to a Negative Zone prison without a trial. For how long? Forever, unless they sign the Hero Registration Act. How is that legal? Spider-Man wants to know. Well, explains Ironman, the Negative Zone isn't on American soil and not subject to American laws.
Sound familiar, anyone? Does anyone think that Guantanamo wasn't wrong???
And, Spider-Man, who's tag line is "with great power comes great responsiblity" and who is arguely one of the most MORAL of all heroes in the Marvel Universe, looks at all this and decides he can no longer support a government that condones these actions. And Spider-Man, after initally going along with the law, decides, along with Captian America before him, to go rogue. Of course, this all ends in the death of Captain America and the end of the superhero civil war.
Tony Stark/Ironman is now the director of S.H.I.E.L.D., a dubious moral position, as well, since S.H.I.E.L.D. exists as the US/UN clean-up crew. We know from New Avengers that S.H.I.E.L.D. is not beyond violating international treaties to mine for weaponizing "vibranium" in the Savage Land.
We also see Ironman actively spy on Spider-Man and "give" Spider-Man a new armored suit, which at first seems generous. The suit protects Spider-Man from the other super-powered heroes he's expected to take down, but we discover Ironman has built a fail-safe into the costume so he can immobilize/control Spider-Man in case he ever does decide to go rogue. Dude. That is just WRONG.
Now I'm reading the latest Captian America issue (#34) wherein Winter Soldier accepts a new Captain America suit/costume made by Tony Stark/Ironman, and I'm thinking... don't you read the other titles, Bucky? Don't trust that man as far as you can throw him, which, given that you kicked his a** in the previous issue, is pretty dang far.
We all know that Tony Stark/Ironman is tight with the current administration, after all.
I mean, JM Straczinski overtly connects Stark Enterprises (Ironman's corporation) with Halliburton (yes, it's really there. It's on the second page of Amazing Spider-Man #535: CIVIL WAR.) And, there's what, only 30% of the country that doesn't GET that equals evil, right? There are also implications in New Avengers that Tony Stark might have been doing a little insider trading based on the foreknowledge that the Civil War was coming down the pike. He had been broke at the end of AVENGERS DISASSEMBLED, after all, and now...? How are those government contracts working out for you, eh, Mr. Stark????
Plus in CIVIL WAR: Spider-Man Peter Parker asks to see where the heroes are kept who don't comply with the Hero's Reigstration Act (think Patriot Act, as it was precipitated by a horrific attack on a school, not unlike 9/11). Ironman very patiently explains that the heroes are sent to a Negative Zone prison without a trial. For how long? Forever, unless they sign the Hero Registration Act. How is that legal? Spider-Man wants to know. Well, explains Ironman, the Negative Zone isn't on American soil and not subject to American laws.
Sound familiar, anyone? Does anyone think that Guantanamo wasn't wrong???
And, Spider-Man, who's tag line is "with great power comes great responsiblity" and who is arguely one of the most MORAL of all heroes in the Marvel Universe, looks at all this and decides he can no longer support a government that condones these actions. And Spider-Man, after initally going along with the law, decides, along with Captian America before him, to go rogue. Of course, this all ends in the death of Captain America and the end of the superhero civil war.
Tony Stark/Ironman is now the director of S.H.I.E.L.D., a dubious moral position, as well, since S.H.I.E.L.D. exists as the US/UN clean-up crew. We know from New Avengers that S.H.I.E.L.D. is not beyond violating international treaties to mine for weaponizing "vibranium" in the Savage Land.
We also see Ironman actively spy on Spider-Man and "give" Spider-Man a new armored suit, which at first seems generous. The suit protects Spider-Man from the other super-powered heroes he's expected to take down, but we discover Ironman has built a fail-safe into the costume so he can immobilize/control Spider-Man in case he ever does decide to go rogue. Dude. That is just WRONG.
Now I'm reading the latest Captian America issue (#34) wherein Winter Soldier accepts a new Captain America suit/costume made by Tony Stark/Ironman, and I'm thinking... don't you read the other titles, Bucky? Don't trust that man as far as you can throw him, which, given that you kicked his a** in the previous issue, is pretty dang far.