Warning: Contains spoilers for West Coast Avengers #6!TheAvengersare Marvel’s mightiest heroes, charged with protecting the world from any and all threats. But the definition of what really makes an Avenger apparently isn’t tied to saving anything. According to Tony Stark’s oldest friend,you’re able to only be a real Avenger ifIron Manhas betrayed youat least once.
This insight comes courtesy ofWest Coast Avengers#6 by Gerry Duggan, Ton Lima, Arthur Hesli, and Joe Caramagna. The issue pits Captain Marvel’s Avengers against Iron Man and War Machine’s West Coast Avengers, fighting overexactly what to do with the new “good” Ultron. Though Tony and Rhodey both believe in his ability to change, their East Coast teammates aren’t so convinced, and the conflict forces Stark to reveal the killswitch he put in place to stop Ultron if it becomes necessary.
For maximum effect, he and Rhodey lied about its existence to all their teammates, leading War Machine to assure Ultron:you can’t be an Avenger until"Tony Stark looks into your face and lies.“It’s a rude, yet surprisingly accurate definition.
Being Betrayed By Iron Man is The Real Avenger Initiation
Tony Stark Has Stabbed Almost All of His Greatest Allies in The Back
Iron Man has been a staple character in the Avengers since the team’s beginning, and yetTony Stark has been a constant source of Marvel drama. His history is littered with ups and downs, both personally, and in his relationships with his friends and teammates. It’s painful to admit, butthe closer a character is to Tony Stark, the higher their chance of getting hurt or lied to at some point, so War Machine’s jab certainly isn’t without merit. If the Avengers are the heart of the Marvel Universe, then joining the team means a considerable chance of getting pulled into one of Tony Stark’s divisive plans or controversies.
10 Iron Man Armors That Prove How Vicious Tony Stark Really Is
Iron Man’s armors have always been flashy and awesome, but sometimes, Tony Stark builds a truly devious suit of armor in order to combat evil.
The most famous and oft-cited example is certainly Tony’s central role in theCivil Warevent, placing him in direct conflict with his friends and teammates, most notably Captain America. Even those who sided with him were not exempt from having the tables turned,as Spider-Man learned after unmasking himselfto the world. Consider how many times Tony has faced a conflict with Scarlet Witch, his questionable effortsto control and even kill Hulk, and the years he’s spent pulling Rhodey in different directions, and even if Tony has grown substantially as a person, his track record speaks for itself.
Iron Man’s Past Actions Earn His Negative Reputation
Tony Stark often thinks of himself as the smartest person in any given room, and even his biggest fans know that he’s more likely to be guided by his ego and arrogance than he’s willing to admit. Making decisions on his own, based on personal logic, is Stark’s regular behavior. In reality, other heroes being left to play catch-up, or understand their role in a plan they didn’t realize was happening is nothing personal.
That’s precisely what Ultron just experienced inWest Coast Avengers#6, sending a clear message about where the former villain’s allegiances now lie. War Machine’s comparison may seem harsh, but few Avengers (if any) have walked away from the team completely unscathed,making Iron Man’s penchant for deception an unofficial rite of passagefor new Avengers.
