Warning: SPOILERS for Iron Man #24
After decades of heroism, Iron Man is finally a villain - and thanks to his massive ego, he believes he's done absolutely nothing wrong. Tony Stark is one of the more flawed characters in the Marvel Universe, and his many insecurities often push him to make drastic and self-destructive decisions. But in Iron Man #24, Tony's enemies are no longer terrorists like the Mandarin - instead, they are the recipients of billions of dollars, with his own name on the check.
In current comics continuity, Iron Man has learned of the missing Ten Rings (not to be confused with the Ten Rings in the 2022 Shang-Chi series) and seeks them out. The rings are being held by a company known as Source Control, an arms-dealing corporation that sells dangerous, experimental weapons to the highest bidder. Tony uses his considerable fortune to buy all of these weapons - and, deciding not to tell the Avengers for fear that his plan will be revealed, only confides in his best friend War Machine.
In Iron Man #24, written by Christopher Cantwell with art by Angel Unzueta, Tony Stark successfully intercepts the Source Control agents attempting to defeat Iron Man during his last deal. He's saved at the last minute by Ironheart; Riri Williams was on her own separate mission to take down the company. Back at his apartment, Tony realizes Riri intends to keep the Ten Rings for herself in the name of performing scientific research. "I cleaned Source Control out," explains Tony. "I now own more weapons than the rest of the known world. It bankrupted me. I've got nothing left."
Iron Man Supports Domestic Terrorism
Tony's assertion that he has "cleaned Source Control out" essentially means he gave billions of dollars to weapons-dealing terrorists...who can either use that money to buy more weapons or finance any number of evil schemes. Meanwhile, Tony eventually lets Riri have the rings without contacting the Avengers (his plan to masquerade as an arms dealer is known only to Tony and Rhodes). Not only has Stark funded domestic terrorists, he's also left one of the world's most powerful weapons in the hands of a brilliant but inexperienced Ironheart. They would be far safer with Captain America and his Avengers...but Tony is far too late to consider this plan.
In what world is Stark not the villain in this scenario? If he had simply worked with his allies, he would've apprehended the heads of Source Control, confiscated their weapons (including the Ten Rings), and remained in good standing with the Avengers. Unfortunately, the fact that Tony acted in this aggressive manner and kept his plan to himself means Iron Man is absolutely a villain - and it's only a matter of time before the Avengers realize what he's done.