`Warning! Spoilers for A.X.E.: Judgment Day #2 by Marvel Comics
The debate of which hero is smarter between Tony Stark and Reed Richards just got even more absurd, as Iron Man is helping reanimate a Celestial and using the moment to throw a shot at his longtime rival. In A.X.E.: Judgment Day #2 by Marvel Comics, Iron Man assists the Eternals in reawakening the Progenitor in the face of the potential destruction to the planet. However, as he helps them, Stark admits that Reed will be jealous of what's about to pull off - using the moment to stroke his own ego.
Tony Stark and Reed Richards are two of the most brilliant minds in the Marvel Universe but are also severely blinded by their own egos. Iron Man has created some of the most incredible pieces of tech in existence but often puts his creations ahead of ethics - while they've often fallen into the wrong hands due to his recklessness. Meanwhile, Reed Richards is also driven by his ego, pushing the boundaries of space and time with his inventions. Now, in the Judgement Day event, Iron Man is trying to prove he's a smarter hero than Reed by making him jealous by awakening a Celestial.
In A.X.E.: Judgment Day #2 by Kieron Gillen, Valerio Schiti, Marte Gracia, and Clayton Cowles from Marvel Comics, Iron Man helps Makkari and Ajak bring the Progenitor back to life to stop the attack from the Hex and Eternals. However, Tony Stark doesn't seem to take the potentially universe-shattering situation as seriously as he should. He admits that pulling off the unlikely feat as a "super-genius" will make Reed Richards "as green as Bruce [Banner]" when he successfully brings the Celestial back online. Yes, Iron Man is seeing the situation as a way to prove he's a smarter hero than Mr. Fantastic.
In the pages of Marvel Comics, Iron Man and Reed Richards have been longtime rivals as they're often battling over who is the smarter hero. However, for Tony Stark to bring up Reed during the dangerous mission of bringing the Celestial back online shows how insecure he is about the situation. Making Reed jealous should be the last thing on his mind - even if it's just a quip.
The decision to bring the Celestial back online ends up backfiring on the Eternals and Iron Man as it awakens and reveals it will seek out Judgment Day against the inhabitants of Earth. So, perhaps instead of worrying about Reed Richards and showing he's the smartest hero, Iron Man should have been more concerned with the mission at hand. A.X.E: Judgment Day #2 by Marvel Comics is in stores now.