“Iron Man 3” will easily be one of the biggest movies of the year, but have you ever thought about the deeper symbolism behind Iron Man and Tony Stark? The two parts of the same character have become staples in the Marvel Universe but few ever stop to think about the true symbolism of Iron Man.
Iron Man 3
Iron Man: All the Best the Money Can Buy
When Stan Lee developed the ideas of Iron Man and Tony Stark, the division was growing between the rich and the poor and the young were growing up with a disdain for anyone with money. The ultra rich character was quickly accepted, but few people thought about his style of dealing with crime.
Instead of relying o superpowers or a magical weapon from another dimension, Tony Stark tries to solve problems with money and technology. If he finds a flaw in his suit, he uses countless sums of money to make improvements. He is a hero who symbolizes how so many problems can be taken care of with enough funding and the proper technology.
Check the Batteries
In the early days of the character, Iron Man was constantly running out of juice and having to take time to recharge. This is still touched on in the movies (even tough it is not as often as in the initial issues of The Avengers). We are reminded how all power has limits and we cannot rely on “endless” streams of power.
Technocrat
Tony Stark is the ultimate technocrat as he is almost always working on pushing the boundaries of technology and the need to rely more on tech. Remember, if the magnets in his chest were to fail, he would die. His reliance on technology is second to none in the comic book world.
The Crutches and Crosses
Tony Stark’s greatest struggles have not been with Mandarin or any other character from the printed pages. The man behind Iron Man had his greatest struggles with alcohol. For years, we watched him use a crutch to help him deal with the problems of the world. In recent years, we have seen him struggle to overcome alcoholism and stay away from the bottle forever. Iron Man reminds us that no matter how strong a superhero is, he or she sometimes needs to be saved from himself or herself.
