Warning! This post contains SPOILERS ahead for A.X.E: Avengers #1
In the latest Marvel one-shot tying into the current Judgment Day crossover event, Iron Man admits he's one of the worst Avengers in the Marvel Universe. Having all sorts of issues combined with some pretty big screw-ups in recent months, Tony Stark hasn't exactly been batting a thousand. As such, Stark's personal judgment from a massive Celestial reveals how he truly sees himself (and it's pretty bleak and depressing).
Remarkably, Iron Man has gone straight from having the corruptive powers of a god in his own series to attempting to revive a cosmic god in Marvel's Judgment Day. Hoping to control the Progenitor Celestial as a means to get the Eternals to stand down from their war with the X-Men, the joint effort with Mr. Sinister and select Eternal defectors massively backfired. Now, the Progenitor has decreed that it will judge the world both individually and collectively, promising to burn the world should the majority be deemed as failures.
Related: Iron Man Named 5 Heroes He Wants to Take His Armor When He Dies
Now, the new A.X.E: Avengers #1 from Kieron Gillen and Federico Vicentini sees Iron Man as the sole Avenger on a team of X-Men and Eternals hoping to activate the Celestial's self-destruct sequence. However, Tony Stark's judgment comes from the Progenitor, resulting in a reality-bending mental gauntlet where versions of his fellow Avengers point out all of his flaws and failings. Beginning with a dead Captain America as a callback to Civil War, Rogers calls Tony weak. Likewise, War Machine and Thor blame Iron Man for giving up his power as the Iron God which had begun to corrupt him. Had he been able to hold it together a little longer, perhaps he could have fought the Celestial and saved everyone. Likewise, Hulk calls out Iron Man's propensity to addiction whether it's alcohol, power, or being the one to save the world (no matter the risks involved).
Why Iron Man Believes He Doesn't Measure Up To The Other Avengers
While it's the Celestial doing the talking as various Avengers, it's really Tony's own long-held insecurities that are coming to light. As such, Iron Man freely admits that he knows he's not the strongest Avenger, feeling as though that's something he'll never be no matter how hard he tries or how many armors he builds. However, the Progenitor still gives Iron Man a pass while taking the form of his father Howard, encouraging Tony to not be so hard on himself and that he's proud of him.
While it's too soon to tell how much of a breakthrough this might be for the Armored Avenger in the future, one can hope that Iron Man might start working on himself more while also cutting himself some more slack. For all his character flaws, Iron Man is still one of the greatest and most dedicated Avengers in the Marvel Universe because he keeps trying to do the right thing as best he can. A.X.E: Avengers #1 is on sale now.