While Iron Man has become one of the most popular Marvel Comics characters in recent memory–thanks, in part, to the live-action portrayal of the character in the MCU–some fans may not be aware of his other codename, one that turns Iron Man’s most iconic film quote into a dark prophecy.
Tony Stark aka Iron Man made his Marvel Cinematic Universe debut with Marvel Studios’ very first film, Iron Man, and he made his last appearance in the epic MCU crossover event Avengers: Endgame. While Iron Man details Tony Stark’s origin, Avengers: Endgame gives fans the ultimate payoff with an ending that gives Iron Man the perfect send-off. In truly poetic fashion, Iron Man’s story is beautifully book-ended within the MCU. At the end of Iron Man, Tony Stark proclaims himself as the armored hero, and then at the end of Avengers: Endgame, he does the exact same thing with the now-iconic statement, “I am Iron Man”.
In Iron Man 2020 #1 by Dan Slott, Christos Gage, and Pete Woods, Arno Stark–the brother of Tony Stark who took over Stark Unlimited upon Tony’s alleged death– is called into action against a group of rogue A.I. terrorists who are threatening human lives amid their uprising. In an effort to take them down, Arno tracks down the leader of this movement, Aaron Stack, and tells him to put an end to all of this once and for all. Stack quickly retreats to a hidden base where only artificial life is permitted entry to avoid conflict with Arno Stark's Iron Man, which is where readers meet a version of the original Tony Stark who believes himself to be a digital representation of his creator, a man who has decided to go by the name Mark One–a reference to Iron Man’s first suit of armor.
Mark One, Tony Stark’s OTHER Codename, Corrupts the MCU’s Iron Man
When Stack introduces Mark One to his little robot companion–a simple android he just ‘liberated’ and coerced into joining his movement–this version of Tony Stark makes it clear that he is nothing more than a copy of the original, a mere idea Tony Stark had when he first became a hero, and then he says the now-iconic words, “I am Iron Man”. However, when Mark One says the phrase, he means that he is only Iron Man with no amount of the real Tony Stark in him at all–seeing himself as just another piece of tech Stark created. Since this comic series takes place in Tony Stark’s future, this version of the character is a grim look at what Stark is destined to become.
Tony Stark says, “I am Iron Man” in the MCU with a boastful sense of pride and accomplishment. The first time he said it, he was owning up to the fact that he was, in fact, a superhero. The last time he said it, Iron Man was reminding Thanos exactly who beat him. In this Iron Man 2020 issue, however, that quote is transformed into something much more bleak as ‘I am Iron Man’ insinuates that ‘I am not Tony Stark’ when Mark One says it in this context. Being Iron Man suddenly becomes empty, artificial, and void of humanity rather than the heroic statement of triumphant pride that it is in the MCU–proving that Iron Man’s other codename turns his most iconic quote into a dark prophecy.