Tony Stark's iconic MCU line, "I am Iron Man," is an unforgettable part of movie canon, but in the hands of Doctor Strange, it also became an incantation powerful enough to bring the Armored Avenger back to the land of the living.
Tony Stark and Iron Man are one and the same. After all, while other heroes are more than capable of stepping outside of their identity to pass on their legacy, there’s no longer any real distinguishable difference between the Tony Stark identity and that of the Iron Man. Invincible Iron Man #23 by Matt Fraction and Salvador Larroca reinforces this notion when a comatose and amnesiac Tony Stark requires the aid of the one and only Master of the Mystic Arts, Doctor Strange.
During the events of Dark Reign, a confrontation with Norman Osborn leaves Tony in a vegetative state with the Armored Avenger having deleted his mind in order to keep dangerous secrets out of Osborn’s hands. The process of rebooting his identity with a years-old backup is a tricky one, leaving Iron Man trapped in a mysterious and deadly mindscape alongside copies of his parents and mysterious robotic sentries. As Doctor Strange enters Tony’s mind to help him through the process, he advises an amnesiac Tony to remember the truth by having him repeat the mantra, “I am Iron Man.” And though a terrified Tony is initially hesitant to leave his dream state, an attack by a robotic sentry finally reminds him of the truth that kickstarts his return to the land of the living: he is Iron Man.
"I am Iron Man" is the line that defined Tony in the movies, punctuating the final moment of 2008's Iron Man, and the character's death in 2019's Avengers: Endgame. However, this sentence isn't just a boast, but the mission statement of Tony's identity. As one of the most notable heroes to shed the concept of a secret identity, there’s very little to distinguish Stark from his persona as the Armored Avenger and Strange essentially says as much in this issue. With characters like Batman or even Superman, there are arguments about whether their identities of Bruce Wayne and Clark Kent are truly who they are, or whether they’re simply masks that hide the true heroes beneath. However, when it comes to Tony Stark, there is no question: Tony Stark and Iron Man are the same person - a fact that is both Tony's biggest flaw and his greatest strength.
Despite having handed the mantle to James Rhodes in the past, Tony has insisted many times since that the Iron Man armor is an extension of his own genius, and that only he and it together can actually be understood as the true Iron Man. Tony's 'rebirth' came at a time when Civil War had turned him into a villain, and so the phrase isn't just a personal revelation, but a recommitment to the core themes the character stands for, as Doctor Strange helps him return to a time when he was less compromised.
Being Iron Man is an expression of Tony's genius and commitment to helping the world, making it an identity that represents the best of who he can be, even as his worst impulses can still surface and even take control. As in the MCU, Doctor Strange's "I am Iron Man" resurrection of Tony Stark is a statement of agency, identity, and aspiration, and something Tony Stark has psychically linked with his best and most heroic self, allowing him to constantly rededicate his life to being a better man.