All right, let's see what this thing can do.
What's SR-71's record?
The altitude record for fixed wing flight is 85,000 feet, sir.
Records are made to be broken! Come on!
Sir, there is a potentially fatal buildup of ice occurring.
Keep going!
Higher!
We iced up, Jarvis! Deploy flaps! Jarvis!
Come on, we got to break the ice!
Kill power.
Notes. Main transducer feels sluggish at plus 40 altitude.
Hull pressurization is problematic. I'm thinking icing is the probable factor.
A very astute observation, sir.
Perhaps, if you intend to visit other planets,
we should improve the exosystems.
Connect to the sys. co. Have it reconfigure the shell metals.
Use the gold titanium alloy from the seraphim tactical satellite.
That should ensure a fuselage integrity while maintaining power-to-weight ratio.
- Got it? - Yes.
Shall I render using proposed specifications?
Thrill me.
Tonight's red-hot red carpet is right here at the Disney Concert Hall,
where Tony Stark's third annual benefit for the Firefighter's Family Fund
has become the place to be for L.A.'s high society.
Jarvis, we get an invite for that?
I have no record of an invitation, sir.
... hasn't been seen in public
since his bizarre and highly controversial press conference.
Some claim he's suffering from posttraumatic stress
and has been bedridden for weeks. Whatever the case may be,
no one expects an appearance from him tonight.
The render is complete.
A little ostentatious, don't you think?
What was I thinking? You're usually so discreet.
Tell you what. Throw a little hot-rod red in there.
Yes, that should help you keep a low profile.
The render is complete.
Hey, I like it. Fabricate it. Paint it.
Commencing automated assembly.
Estimated completion time is five hours.
Don't wait up for me, honey.
Weapons manufacturing is only one small part of what Stark Industries
is all about, and our partnership with the fire and rescue community...
- Hey, Tony, remember me? - Sure don't.
You look great, Hef.
We're going to have a great quarter.
What's the world coming to when a guy's got to crash his own party?
Look at you. Hey, what a surprise.
I'll see you inside.
Hey. Listen, take it slow, all right?
I think I got the board right where we want them.
You got it. Just cabin fever. I'll just be a minute.
- Give me a Scotch. I'm starving. - Mr. Stark?
- Yeah? - Agent Coulson.
Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. The guy from the...
Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division.
God, you need a new name for that.
Yeah, I hear that a lot.
Listen, I know this must be a trying time for you, but we need to debrief you.
There's still a lot of unanswered questions,
and time can be a factor with these things.
Let's just put something on the books.
How about the 24th at 7:00 p.m. at Stark Industries?
Tell you what. You got it. You're absolutely right.
Well, I'm going to go to my assistant, and we'll make a date.
You look fantastic! I didn't recognize you.
- What are you doing here? - Just avoiding government agents.
- Are you by yourself? - Yes. Where'd you get that dress?
- Oh, it was a birthday present. - That's great.
- From you, actually. - Well, I got great taste.
Yes.
- You want to dance? - Oh, no.
- All right, come on. - Thank you. No.
Am I making you uncomfortable?
No. No. I always forget to wear deodorant and dance with my boss
in front of everyone that I work with in a dress with no back.
- You look great and you smell great. - Oh, God.
But I could fire you if that would take the edge off.
I actually don't think that you could tie your shoes without me.
- I'd make it a week. Sure. - Really?
What's your Social Security number?
- Five. - Five?
- Right. - Right.
You're missing just a couple of digits there.
The other eight? So I got you for the other eight.
- How about a little air? - Yes, I need some air.
- That was totally weird. - Totally harmless.
It was totally not harmless, by the way.
We're dancing. No one's even watching.
Everybody who I work with... No, you know why?
I think you lost objectivity. I think they just... People... We just danced.
No, it was not just a dance. You don't understand because you're you.
And everybody knows exactly who you are
and how you are with girls and all of that, which is completely fine.
But, you know, then me, you're my boss,
- and I'm dancing with you. - I don't think it was taken that way.
Because it makes me look like the one who's trying to...
- I just think you're overstating it. - You know, and we're here,
and then I'm wearing this ridiculous
dress, and then we were dancing like that and...
- I would like a drink, please. - Got it, okay.
- I would like a vodka martini, please. - Okay.
Very dry with olives, a lot of olives. Like, at least three olives.
Two vodka martinis, extra dry, extra olives, extra fast.
Make one of them dirty, will you?
Wow. Tony Stark.
- Oh, hey. - Fancy seeing you here.
- Carrie. - Christine.
That's right.
You have a lot of nerve showing up here tonight.
Can I at least get a reaction from you?
Panic. I would say panic is my reaction.
'Cause I was referring to your company's
involvement in this latest atrocity.
Yeah. They just put my name on the invitation. I don't know what to tell you.
I actually almost bought it, hook, line and sinker.
I was out of town for a couple months, in case you didn't hear.
Is this what you call accountability?
It's a town called Gulmira. Heard of it?
- When were these taken? - Yesterday.
- I didn't approve any shipment. - Well, your company did.
Well, I'm not my company.
- Please, do you mind? - Have you seen these pictures?
- What's going on in Gulmira? - Tony, Tony.
- You can't afford to be this naive. - You know what? I was naive before,
when they said, "Here's the line. We don't cross it.
"This is how we do business."
If we're double-dealing under the table... Are we?
Tony, your picture, please!
Let's take a picture. Come on. Picture time!
Tony. Who do you think locked you out?
I was the one who filed the injunction against you.
It was the only way I could protect you.
No. No.
The 15-mile hike to the outskirts of Gulmira can only be described
as a descent into hell, into a modern day Heart of Darkness.
Simple farmers and herders from peaceful villages
have been driven from their homes,
displaced from their lands by warlords emboldened by a new-found power.
Villagers have been forced to take shelter in whatever crude dwellings
they can find in the ruins of other villages,
or here in the remnants of an old Soviet smelting plant.
Recent violence has been attributed to a group of foreign fighters
referred to by locals as the Ten Rings.
As you can see, these men are heavily armed and on a mission.
A mission that could prove fatal to anyone who stands in their way.
With no political will or international pressure,
there's very little hope for these refugees.
Around me, a woman begging for news on her husband,
who was kidnapped by insurgents,
either forced to join their militia...
Desperate refugees clutch yellowed photographs,
holding them up to anyone who will stop.
A child's simple question, "Where are my mother and father?"
There's very little hope for these refugees,
refugees who can only wonder who, if anyone, will help.
He's all yours.
What the hell was that? Were we cleared to go in there?
No, they were using human shields. We never got the green light.
Put me through to State. They're going to be all over this.
Get those monitors up!
We got a bogey!
- Wasn't Air Force! - We got the CIA on the line?
I've got Langley on the line. They want to know if it's us.
No, it definitely is not us, sir!
- It wasn't Navy. - Wasn't Marines.
I need answers! Can I please get eyes on target?
- Negative, negative. - Cannot identify.
Get me Colonel Rhodes from Weapons Development down here now!
We ran an ID check and cross-referenced
with all known databases. We have nothing.
Any high altitude surveillance in the region?
We got an AWAC and a Global Hawk in the area.
So this thing just appeared out of nowhere?
How come it didn't show up on the radar?
Got a minimal radar cross-section, sir.
- Is it stealth? - No, sir, it's tiny.
We think it's an unmanned aerial vehicle.
Colonel, what are we dealing with here?
- Let me make a call. - Sergeant, clear a hole.
- Hello? - Tony?
- Who's this? - It's Rhodes.
- Sorry, hello? - I said it's Rhodes.
- Speak up, please. - What in the hell is that noise?
- Oh, yeah, I'm driving with the top down. - Yeah, well, I need your help right now.
It's funny how that works, huh?
Yeah. Speaking of funny, we've got a weapons depot that was just blown up
a few clicks from where you were being held captive.
Well, that's a hot spot.
Sounds like someone stepped in and did your job for you, huh?
Why do you sound out of breath, Tony?
I'm not, I was just jogging in the canyon.
- I thought you were driving. - Right, I was driving
to the canyon, where I'm going to jog.
You sure you don't have any tech in that area I should know about?
- Nope! - Bogey spotted!
- Whiplash, come in hot. - Okay, good, 'cause I'm staring at one
right now, and it's about to be blown to kingdom come.
That's my exit.
Ballroom, this is Whiplash One. I've got the bogey in my sights.
Whiplash One, what is it?
I've got no idea.
- You have radio contact? - Non responsive, sir.
Then you are clear to engage.
Hit it.
That bogey just went supersonic. I got a lock!
- Inbound missile. - Flares!
Wait a second. Bogey deployed flares!
Deploy flaps!
Holy!
That thing just jumped off the radar, sir.
The sat visual has been lost.
No way that's a UAV.
What is it?
I can't see anything.
Whatever it was, it just bought the farm.
I think bogey's been handled, sir.
- Hello? - Hi, Rhodey, it's me.
- It's who? - I'm sorry, it is me.
You asked. What you were asking about is me.
No, see, this isn't a game.
You do not send civilian equipment into my active war zone.
- You understand that? - This is not a piece of equipment.
I'm in it. It's a suit. It's me!
Rhodey, you got anything for me?
- Mark your position and return to base. - Roger that, Ballroom.
On your belly!
It looks like a man!
Shake him off! Roll! Roll!
I'm hit! I'm hit!
It's confirmed. He has been hit.
Punch out! Punch out!
Whiplash One down.
Whiplash Two, do you see a chute?
Negative! No chute, no chute!
My chute's jammed!
Sir, I've got a visual on the bogey.
Whiplash Two, reengage. If you get a clear shot, you take it.
Major, we don't even know what we're shooting at.
- Call off the Raptors. - That thing just took out an F-22
inside a legal no fly zone!
Whiplash Two, if you have a clear shot, take it!
You've been reengaged. Execute evasive maneuver.
Keep going!
Good chute! Good chute!
- Tony, you still there? - Hey, thanks.
Oh, my God, you crazy son of a bitch.
You owe me a plane. You know that, right?
Yeah, well, technically, he hit me.
Now are you going to come by and see what I'm working on?
No, no, no, no, no, no, the less I know, the better.
Now, what am I supposed to tell the press?
Training exercise. Isn't that the usual BS?
It's not that simple.
An unfortunate training exercise
involving an F-22 Raptor occurred yesterday.
I am pleased to report that the pilot was not injured.
As for the unexpected turn of events on the ground in Gulmira,
it is still unclear who or what intervened,
but I can assure you that the United States government was not involved.
Hey!
It is a tight fit, sir.
Sir, the more you struggle, the more this is going to hurt.
Be gentle. This is my first time.
I designed this to come off, so... Hey.
- I really should be able to... - Please, try not to move, sir.
What's going on here?
Let's face it. This is not the worst thing you've caught me doing.
Are those bullet holes?
Welcome.
Compliments of Tony Stark.
If you'd killed him when you were supposed to, you'd still have a face.
You paid us trinkets to kill a prince.
Show me the weapon.
Come. Leave your guards outside.
His escape bore unexpected fruit.
So this is how he did it.
This is only a first, crude effort.
Stark has perfected his design.
He has made a masterpiece of death.
A man with a dozen of these can rule all of Asia.
And you dream of Stark's throne.
We have a common enemy.
If we are still in business,
I will give you these designs
as a gift.
And in turn,
I hope you'll repay me with a gift of iron soldiers.
Technology.
It's always been your Achilles' heel in this part of the world.
Don't worry. It'll only last for 15 minutes.
That's the least of your problems.
Crate up the armor and the rest of it.
All right, let's finish up here.
Set up Sector 16 underneath the arc reactor,
and I'm going to want this data masked. Recruit our top engineers.
I want a prototype right away.
Hey. You busy? You mind if I send you on an errand?
I need you to go to my office.
You're going to hack into the mainframe and you're going to retrieve all
the recent shipping manifests. This is a lock chip.
This'll get you in.
It's probably under Executive Files.
If not, they put it on a ghost drive, in which case you need
to look for the lowest numeric heading.
And what do you plan to do with this information if I bring it back here?
Same drill.
They've been dealing under the table, and I'm going to stop them.
I'm going to find my weapons and destroy them.
Tony,
you know that I would help you with anything,
but I cannot help you if you're going to start all of this again.
There is nothing except this. There's no art opening.
There is no benefit. There is nothing to sign.
There is the next mission and nothing else.
Is that so?
Well, then, I quit.
You stood by my side all these years
while I reaped the benefits of destruction.
And now that I'm trying to protect the people
that I put in harm's way, you're going to walk out?
You're going to kill yourself, Tony. I'm not going to be a part of it.
I shouldn't be alive,
unless it was for a reason.
I'm not crazy, Pepper.
I just finally know what I have to do.
And I know in my heart that it's right.
You're all I have, too, you know.
Sector 16? What are you up to, Obadiah?
You did not tell us that the target you paid us to kill was the great Tony Stark.
- As you can see, Obadiah Stane... - Oh, my God.
... your deception and lies will cost you dearly.
The price to kill Tony Stark has just gone up.
So, what are we going to do about this?
I know what you're going through, Pepper.
Tony. He always gets the good stuff, doesn't he?
I was so happy when he came home.
It was like we got him back from the dead.
Now I realize,
well, Tony never really did come home, did he?
He left a part of himself in that cave.
Breaks my heart.
Well, he's a complicated person.
He's been through a lot. I think he'll be all right.
You are a very rare woman.
Tony doesn't know how lucky he is.
Thank you. Thanks.
I'd better get back there.
Is that today's paper?
Yes.
Do you mind?
- Not at all. - Puzzle.
Of course.
Take care.
Ms. Potts? We had an appointment. Did you forget about our appointment?
Nope, right now. Come with me.
- Right now? - We're going to have it right now.
- Yeah, walk with me. - Okay.
I'm going to give you the meeting of your life. Your office.
Yeah, we've been working our best to do it.
Absolutely, we're... I'm going to have to call you back.
Mr. Stane? Sir, we've explored
what you've asked us, and it seems as though there's a little hiccup.
- Actually... - A hiccup?
Yes, to power the suit, sir, the technology actually doesn't exist.
- So it's... - Wait, wait, wait. The technology?
William, here is the technology. I've asked you to simply make it smaller.
Okay, sir, and that's what we're trying to do, but honestly, it's impossible.
Tony Stark was able to build this in a cave! With a box of scraps!
Well, I'm sorry. I'm not Tony Stark.
Tony?
Tony, are you there? Hello?
Breathe.
Easy, easy.
You remember this one, right?
It's a shame the government didn't approve it.
There's so many applications for causing short-term paralysis.
Tony.
When I ordered the hit on you,
I worried that I was
killing the golden goose.
But, you see, it was just
fate that you survived that.
You had one last golden egg to give.
Do you really think that just because you have an idea, it belongs to you?
Your father, he helped give us the atomic bomb.
Now, what kind of world would it be today if he was as selfish as you?
Oh, it's beautiful.
Tony, this is your Ninth Symphony.
What a masterpiece. Look at that.
This is your legacy.
A new generation of weapons with this at its heart.
Weapons that will help steer the world back on course,
put the balance of power in our hands.
The right hands.
I wish you could've seen my prototype.
It's not as...
Well, not as conservative as yours.
Too bad you had to involve Pepper in this.
I would have preferred that she lived.
What do you mean, he paid to have Tony killed?
Pepper, slow down. Why would Obadiah...
Okay, where's Tony now?
I don't know. He's not answering his phone.
Please go over there and make sure everything's okay.
Thank you, Rhodey. I know a shortcut.
Good boy.
Tony?
Tony!
Tony! You okay?
- Where's Pepper? - She's fine. She's with five agents.
They're about to arrest Obadiah.
That's not going to be enough.
Section 16. Section 16. There it is.
My key's not working. It's not opening the door.
Oh, wow! What's that? It's, like, a little device?
It's, like, a thing that's going to pick the lock?
You might want to take a few steps back.
That's the coolest thing I've ever seen.
Not bad, huh? Let's do it.
You need me to do anything else?
Keep the skies clear.
Damn!
Next time, baby.
Looks like you were right. He was building a suit.
I thought it'd be bigger.
How do you think the Mark One chest piece is going to hold up?
The suit's at 48% power and falling, sir.
That chest piece was never designed for sustained flight.
Keep me posted.
Pepper!
- Tony! Tony, are you okay? - I'm fine. How are...
- Obadiah, he's gone insane! - I know.
- Listen, you'd better get out of there. - He built a suit.
Get out of there right now!
Where do you think you're going?
Your services are no longer required.
Stane!
I love this suit!
- Put them down! - Collateral damage, Tony.
Divert power to chest RT.
Power reduced to 19%.
Lady!
No, no, no, no, no, no!
For 30 years, I've been holding you up!
I built this company from nothing!
Nothing is going to stand in my way.
Least of all you!
Impressive! You've upgraded your armor!
I've made some upgrades of my own!
Sir, it appears that his suit can fly.
Duly noted. Take me to maximum altitude.
With only 15% power, the odds of reaching that...
I know the math! Do it!
Sir, you're not going to believe this. That thing is back.
Get me Major Allen. Scramble the jets!
Not necessary, people. Just a training exercise.
Yes, sir.
- Thirteen percent power, sir. - Climb!
- Eleven percent. - Keep going!
- Seven percent power. - Just leave it on the screen!
Stop telling me!
You had a great idea, Tony, but my suit is more advanced in every way!
How'd you solve the icing problem?
Icing problem?
Might want to look into it.
Two percent.
We are now running on emergency backup power.
- Potts! - Tony! Oh, my God, are you okay?
I'm almost out of power. I've got to get out of this thing. I'll be right there.
Nice try!
- Weapons status? - Repulsors offline. Missiles offline.
Flares!
Very clever, Tony.
- Potts? - Tony!
This isn't working.
We're going to have to overload the reactor and blast the roof.
- Well, how are you going to do that? - You're going to do it.
Go to the central console, open up all the circuits.
When I get clear of the roof, I'll let you know.
You're going to hit the master bypass button.
It's going to fry everything up here.
Okay. I'm going in now.
Make sure you wait till I clear the roof. I'll buy you some time.
This looks important!
I never had a taste for this sort of thing,
but I must admit, I'm deeply enjoying the suit!
You finally outdid yourself, Tony!
You'd have made your father proud!
It's ready, Tony! Get off the roof!
Tony!
How ironic, Tony!
Trying to rid the world of weapons, you gave it its best one ever!
- Pepper! - And now I'm going to kill you with it!
- You ripped out my targeting system! - Time to hit the button!
- You told me not to! - Hold still, you little prick!
- Just do it! - You'll die!
Push it!
Tony!
You've all received the official statement of what occurred
at Stark Industries last night.
There have been unconfirmed reports that a robotic prototype malfunctioned
and caused damage to the arc reactor.
Fortunately, a member of Tony Stark's personal security staff...
"Iron Man." That's kind of catchy. It's got a nice ring to it.
I mean, it's not technically accurate. The suit's a gold-titanium alloy,
but it's kind of evocative, the imagery, anyway.
Here's your alibi.
Okay.
- You were on your yacht. - Yeah.
We have port papers that put you in Avalon all night,
and sworn statements from 50 of your guests.
See, I was thinking maybe we should say it was just Pepper and me
alone on the island.
- That's what happened. - All right.
Just read it, word for word.
There's nothing about Stane here.
That's being handled. He's on vacation.
Small aircraft have such a poor safety record.
But what about the whole cover story that it's a bodyguard?
He's my... I mean, is that... That's kind of flimsy, don't you think?
This isn't my first rodeo, Mr. Stark.
Just stick to the official statement, and soon, this will all be behind you.
You've got 90 seconds.
Agent Coulson?
I just wanted to say thank you very much for all of your help.
That's what we do. You'll be hearing from us.
- From the Strategic Homeland... - Just call us S.H.I.E.L.D.
Right.
- Let's get this show on the road. - You know, it's actually not that bad.
Even I don't think I'm Iron Man.
- You're not Iron Man. - Am so.
- You're not. - All right, suit yourself.
You know, if I were Iron Man, I'd have this girlfriend who knew my true identity.
She'd be a wreck, 'cause she'd always be worrying that I was going to die,
yet so proud of the man I'd become.
She'd be wildly conflicted, which would only make her more
crazy about me.
Tell me you never think about that night.
- What night? - You know.
Are you talking about the night that we danced and went up on the roof,
and then you went downstairs to get me a drink,
and you left me there, by myself?
Is that the night you're talking about?
Thought so.
- Will that be all, Mr. Stark? - Yes, that will be all, Miss Potts.
And now, Mr. Stark has prepared a statement.
He will not be taking any questions. Thank you.
Been a while since I was in front of you. I figure I'll stick to the cards this time.
There's been speculation that I was involved in the events that occurred
on the freeway and the rooftop...
I'm sorry, Mr. Stark, but do you honestly expect us to believe that
that was a bodyguard in a suit that conveniently appeared,
- despite the fact that you... - I know that it's confusing.
It is one thing to question the official story, and another thing entirely
to make wild accusations, or insinuate that I'm a superhero.
I never said you were a superhero.
Didn't? Well, good, because that would be outlandish and fantastic.
I'm just not the hero type. Clearly.
With this laundry list of character defects,
all the mistakes I've made,
- largely public. - Just stick to the cards, man.
Yeah, okay. Yeah.
The truth is
I am Iron Man.
Jarvis!
Welcome home, sir.
"I am Iron Man." You think you're the only superhero in the world?
Mr. Stark, you've become part of a bigger universe.
You just don't know it yet.
Who the hell are you?
Nick Fury, Director of S.H.I.E.L.D.
I'm here to talk to you about the Avenger Initiative.