I’m not sure where this is headed, but Paramount is in the early stages of a viral campaign for Iron Man 2 that right now looks reminiscent of some of what was done (quite successfully) for The Dark Knight. Last week they released a newspaper clipping which (if real) would have been written right at the end of the first Iron Man movie. It looked like the edges were burnt and torn and it was an article about the revelation that Tony Stark revealed to the world that he is Iron Man.
Today we bring you the second newspaper clip released, which you can see right here (click on image for larger version):
I’ve typed up the text of the article, but it’s nothing ground breaking, it just basically talks about the news conference that Tony Stark held when he returned from his captivity in Afghanistan:
In a move which caused shockwaves in markets around the world, Tony Stark declared that Stark Industries will be getting out of the weapons business. The announcement came hours after the CEO was rescued from terrorists who had been holding him hostage in an undisclosed location in the Middle East.
Sources within Stark Industries have said that the proposed changes in the company’s business structure would likely devastate the weapons giant. Stark is the country’s largest defense contractor and supplies materials, services and technology to some 30 other nations.
Markets from Tokyo to London reeled from the news on Tuesday, with investors stampeding to dump Stark shares. Indexes fell 4% on average.
Stark Industries was founded during World War II by industrialist Howard Stark. When President Roosevelet declared that the United States would build fifty thousand planes to fight the armies of Hirohito and Hitler, Stark rose to the challenge and set about building an astounding one hundred —
I’ve gone over the entire thing and can’t find anything resembling a hidden clue. Like the first one it has torn/burnt edges and looks to be against a rough stone background. These look like the clippings collected by Whiplash in his poster. I know that at some point there will be some website associated with this which will be discovered or revealed in the coming weeks.
What do you think? Any ideas?
Iron Man 2 opens on May 7, 2010.
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WWII=Cap
@790…
I like the viral campaigns, because it doesn’t ruin the plot or anything. We’re given just enough about what happened in between films to tease, tantalize and keep us interested and excited about the upcoming film. The viral campaign for IM2 is fun, and I can’t wait for more intriguing tidbits.
@Steve Rogers…
Not meaning to be picky, but wasn’t Prometheus the one who discovered fire, and then gave it to humanity, and for doing so, was punished by Zeus to be chained to a rock and eagles were sent to eat his liver?
Just wondering, of course.
I have to agree here, Viral campaigns are usually “spoiler free” — they’re intended to do what this thread is doing, create discussion among fans. Or as I am sure marketing execs call it: Word of Mouth Impressions. It’s free advertising to studios.
I remember reading that people found a secret message on the first newspaper clipping. It spelled out some word, but i forget what it was, and where the website was that found it. If i find it, ill post it.
Prometheus stole fire from the Gods and gave it to humans, learned that from Superman Returns.
E. Avila J Rothwell is an anagram for “Viral Wheat Jello”………… yeah other than that, I got nothing.
I would wager that “Stark” and “Secret” might refer to Howard Stark’s Arsenal Robots (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arsenal_%28Marvel_Comics%29)
Or possibly Howard Stark’s involvement in WW2 with the creation of Captain America in some capacity.
Given the context of these images it would appear like Whiplash has a very personal vendetta against Tony Stark (the poster shows Whiplash in front of the cuttings, as if he has assembled them) I’m going to gamble here and guess that the next image will highlight the word ‘SON’. Is it at all possible that Ivan could be Howard STARK’s SECRET SON??? Put up for adoption and given a new identity? The movie may even have his powers be a result of experiments possibly related to the Super-Soldier program. Please forgive me I know very little about the comic storylines and I imagine this would be at odds with the origin of Whiplash in the comics. So… feel free to kick sand in my face and tell me I’m wrong….but it’s just an idea I’m putting out there
Now as far as the picture goes I have very little clue. It looks as if he’s stubbed a cigar out specifically on her (I take it that’s a girl) I guess he doen’t like her either…. Could that person be Natasha Romanoff?? ‘Walking On Air’ like stealthy?? Hmmmm interesting…
Danner said that he followed an article by J M Eddins jr that said: Black Panther battle intensifies. If this is true, this has nothing to do with politics, Black Panther is a Marvel character. He lives in Wakanda, the only place on Earth with deposits of Vibranium (a precious metal which is used to forge Captain America’s shield and a version of it is used to forge adamantium which is forged to Wolverine’s bones as well as Iron Man’s later suits and Whiplash’s whips). In the Wolverine movie, the black ops group consisting of Wolverine and co. go to Wakanda to retrieve some of this metal and a kill a man who refuses to hand it over (presumably Black Panther’s father). By the films time-line, Black Panther would be the right age to be fighting people who are trying to steal the Vibranium.
So i typed in walking on air and googled it and it brought up this guy http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/3/34/Thor-305.jpg/250px-Thor-305.jpg
named “air walker” notice he is with thor. Backstory is he got powers from galactus faced the fantastic four was defeated then was saved by galactus and turned into a machine then went after thor so im thinking since there is no relation with iron man maybe this is something pertaining to the avengers movie. oh and this pic shows him with a skirt just like the guy in the newspaper clip.http://images4.wikia.nocookie.net/marveldatabase/images/4/49/Gabriel_Lan_%28Earth-616%29.gif
sorry this is the link for the guy in the skirt
http://images4.wikia.nocookie.net/marveldatabase/images/4/49/Gabriel_Lan_%28Earth-616%29.gif
I think that we might be leading to a more developed image of whiplash. When the image of Mickey Rourke in the basic outfit was released there was a lot of backlash about it barely being a threat to the great Iron Man outfit. I could see them leading us into Whiplash’s bigger costume by showing what led him to his bigger costume. Mirror the psychology of the character like WB did with TDK viral campaign and Joker.
ummm…Steve…Prometheus gifted fire and alternatively favored humans by giving them the better parts of meat from sacrifices. Hence Zeus angrily creating Pandora, bane of men, and of course Pandora’s box.
The guy you’re referring to is in fact Sisyphus. Google it. Or read Camus’ “Myth of Sisyphus”
He had to repeat his moving of the boulder as punishment similar to how Prometheus was chained to a mountain to be eaten for eternity (as he’s healed everyday)
well the first one had some word mispelt near the end and when you take out the wrong letters it spells NUDE.
You are all only focusing on what you see! Think out of the box, or rather out of the newspaper clipping. Who is collecting these newspaper clippings? The obvious answer is Whiplash, but if it were someone else, who would it be?
Nice! Yea you guys struck me out looking on the Prometheus thing. You understand the metaphor I’m seeing though right? With this new weight on his shoulders?
That being said, I now think I was wrong. The third “clue” was just released and it looks like more partial newspaper clippings. They look an awful lot like the clippings that are behind Whiplash on the Whiplash poster.
The headline says “Stark Situation PARALYZED.” [emphasis added]
In the first volume of the Iron Man comics, Tony Stark was hit in the spine with a bullet, rendering him paralyzed from the waist down — which stripped him of his ability to walk. In response, he designed the Telepresence armor that incorporated a “bio-chip” that allowed him to control the armor with his brain. The Telepresence armor gave him the ability to WALK by using signals transmitted from his brain.
This also corresponds to the “WALKING on Air” title below the article. Iron Man obviously spends much of his time in the air, and perhaps his new IM armor re-grants him the ability to walk.
All a stretch, I know. But maybe that scene in the trailer where Stark is on the ground with Whiplash approaching is a scene where Stark is first shown as paralyzed.
I always wondered how Stark controlled the armor in the Iron Man movie. In some scenes he’s using voice command, in other scenes it seems like he’s just using brain signals. The Telepresence armor would tie up that loose end.
Oh, and another thing…
I just found out that the Telepresence issue is Vol 1, #281…..and the first time War Machine was introduced was Vol 1, #281. Hmm….
In the whiplash poster,you see alot of clippings behind him.The “clues” are clippings.Instead of looking in-depth into the clippings isn’t it obvious to assume that they are signifying whiplash is clipping them.The highlighted words “secret-stark-confession” is reffering to whiplash knowing a secret about stark.Maybe not tony but his father,we can only speculate.It’s also apparent that whiplash has a vendetta against tony stark by the look of all the clippings.My guess,whiplash is either tony’s brother or was experimented on by tonys father maybe?
Perhaps the burn hole in the picture of the article is a clue?
try not to see it as a newspaper on a wall. but rather as a shape or outline. think of the wall as a jacket. the greek columns as red and white stripes. and imagine a star on top. doesnt it look like captain america opening his jacket revealing his costume underneath
try not to see it as a newspaper on a wall. but rather as a shape or outline. think of the wall as a jacket. the greek columns as red and white stripes. and imagine a star on top. doesnt it look like captain america opening his jacket revealing his costume underneath