#ts:im

First of all, a nod to the stunning art that these issues feature. I’m sorry, artists, that you had to work with plotlines so damning. Now that that’s over with, let’s start from the first issue of Tony Stark: Iron Man.

The first thing you’ll probably notice is the result of 616 canon being negatively affected by the characterization of the MCU. Now, the MCU is an entirely different universe. Tony Stark acts differently here because, well... MCU Tony Stark is a different person than 616 Tony Stark. Ultimates Tony Stark is also a different person than 616 Tony Stark. Iron Man Noir is also-- You get the point. These Tonys act differently because they have different natures branching off of the same core. They have different experiences. They have different environments and resources.

So, to understand why it’s totally mega-fucked for 616 Tony’s personality to undergo such a dramatic change, you have to understand what 616 Tony originally was and how he acted.

I have a lot to say about 616 Tony, but we don’t have time for that, so here’s a breakdown from @sineala​ that does an excellent job of giving you the rundown. In essence, 616 Tony is mellow. He’s calmer. He’s charismatic, but in an adult scholarly way. He’s what you’d picture if someone said “respectable businessman” out loud. The closest to 616 Tony the MCU has ever gotten is mid-CW, where Tony’s somber with undertones of guilt and exhaustion. This is him.

616 Tony also has a lot of respect for people. There’s always the odd comic that characterizes him as bigoted in some way, shape, or form, but he consistently puts minorities in positions of power, and for literal decades has appreciated and funded certain charities and organizations that aim to do the same thing. Tony treats people with respect even after they’ve severely wronged him.

So, when the first issue makes our low-key, melancholy Tony Stark who treats people with a professional baseline of respect say wacky shit like this:

We get kind of frustrated.

Not to mention the fact that Tony’s past has also been adjusted to fit the desires of the writers, who seem to have forgotten that Tony was canonically a quiet and sensitive kid (hence why Howard wanted him to “man up” so hard).

"Quiet and sensitive.”

Anyway, here’s further evidence that this run is MCU-ifying Tony Stark in order to make him more friendly to the MCU-to-Comic demographics:

Sitting down onstage to talk to the press is such a Tony thing to do, right?

Well, sure, if you watched Iron Man 1 (and even then, that was one speech! Just one!) If you read any comic featuring Tony at his 616-est, however, you’d figure out pretty quickly that this man likes a podium. His tone is professional, as opposed to conversational. He doesn’t center his whole personality around the fact that he’s an authority figure, but he also doesn’t go out of his way to make himself seem like he’s not. He’s in a position of power. He knows it.

For reference, here’s what “knowing it” looks like. Obviously, this is a more formal occasion than a regular ol’ press conference would be, but... you get the point. This is pretty much his vibe.

And then there’s this bullshit, which is obviously a nod to the MCU in the most shocking and upsetting of ways. Note the trademark pose, the “We are Iron Man,” most likely pointing to both the “I am Iron Man” bit that the MCU had (which 616 Tony didn’t do the second the superhero was popularized, because he was spending all of his time living his life identity-porn style), and maybe the “We are Groot” bit from GOTG.

The thing is, this “We are Iron Man!” mentality fits... no Tony. MCU Tony sees Iron Man as a part of himself. 616 Tony often refers to Iron Man as a separate entity (not concept, but entity) from himself, better and more desirable than him, when he’s having his shittiest days.

And then there’s shit like this, which is objectively shitty. But because Tony’s funky new playboy attitude is comedic and all, he’s going to ignore the fact that Rhodey’s having a post-traumatic episode just piloting the suit (which he’s doing because Tony asked him to, when he could have asked... I don’t know, anyone else?) in favor of being a dick to him.

“You’re all over the place,” says the character who’s canonically diagnosed with MDD and experiences severe PTSD of his own to the other character who has severe PTSD and is being hardcore triggered by something he’s previously referred to as a metal coffin or casket or something.

That’s not even beginning to mention the fact that he’s calling Sunset Bain, a canonically manipulative and shitty ex (who, fun fact, was 5 years older than “undergrad Tony Stark” at MIT, and convinced Tony to keep her a secret from Howard and Maria) “the pretty-but-evil lady.”

So... she’s abusive, but at least she’s hot! And Tony still feels this way about her despite the fact that she, uh... stole some of his ideas, split up with him soon after, and then founded her entire company off of these ideas.

Very cool, Marvel. Thanks for that.

And hey, remember Tony’s fucking awesome quote from Avengers Vol 4?

“I can create a world without war. I can make a world without alcohol or drugs. Without hate or jealousy. But then it wouldn't be the world we live in. Nothing would be learned, nothing would be gained. We wouldn't advance as species.”

Well, here’s a fun fact. He doesn’t give a shit about any of that anymore, because fuck depth, right? Now he wants to ctrl+alt+delete the shit that makes him sad. And obviously, obviously alcoholism is something that’s understandably hated. Of course he’d want to get rid of it ASAP. But this is a guy who practically lives in guilt, a guy who thinks he deserves all the shit he gets and only ever crawls out of it for the sake of his loved ones.

That’s not this Tony. 

And then there’s this. Honestly, I have no words for this. If it were some joke intended for an audience around him, then sure, it could work. It’s not like Tony never makes these kinds of jokes.

But this is just him. Him and a recording of himself in a room. Him, saying “I love the sound of my own voice” to himself despite the fact that we have decades of 616 canon proving the opposite.

There are many, many other issues with these issues (pun intended, but please read it with a cynical, if not completely hostile, tone) and how Tony acts within them, but I’m going to go more in-depth with those in some separate posts.