Warning: Contains spoilers for Avengers: Twilight #3!!Since Iron Man’s introduction, there have been countless variations of his classic suit of armor, and now Tony Stark’s son has added his own design to the mix. James isn’t following in his father’s heroic footsteps just yet, so his choice to take on the mantle is bad news for the Avengers. The new Iron Man can withstand a direct hit from Thor, and he won’t be easy to beat.
Avengers: Twilight #3 – from Chip Zdarsky, Daniel Acuña, and Joe Caramagna – featured James Stark taking a major step in his life, debuting his first Iron Man armor after his repeated reluctance to suit up. Pressure from Red Skull, who is masquerading as James’ mentor and father figure, Jarvis, eventually caused him to give in.
In his debut, James’ armor seems every bit as powerful as Tony’s. In his introductory fight, he took on Captain America, the new Hawkeye, Ms. Marvel, and a recently returned Thor.
Iron Man’s Son Takes His Armor To The Next Level In Avengers: Twilight
James opted for a more ominous look, leaving his suit to look more like his father’s prototypical model instead. In every other way, his armor surpasses Tony’s first suit.
Tony Stark’s first suit was a desperate cobbling together of pieces and parts. It could not stand up against the armor James invented and spectacularly unveiled in Avengers: Twilight #3. They’re comparable only in color; rather than follow his father’s heroic color palette of red and gold, James opted for a more ominous look, leaving his suit to look more like his father’s prototypical model instead. In every other way, his armor surpasses Tony’s first suit, and a great many of the subsequent ones, meaning the similarities end with appearance.
As Twilight #3 depicts, there’s hardly a better test of armor than going against a god. Thor’s surprise return caught James off-guard, but it didn’t exactly stop him. Surviving that attack, as well as already engaging in a fight with Captain America and his other allies, is a testament to just how much James can withstand. His suit wasn’t strong enough to overcome the newly assembled Avengers, but it did allow him to stand against them on his own. After the pilot run, James is likely to continue improving the suit, too, so he’ll face the team again with upgrades.
James Stark Is Every Bit As Smart As Tony (& That’s Not A Good Thing)
[James Stark] sees [his armor] as a way to leave his father’s legacy behind and doesn’t want to give it up now that he’s had a taste of what it can do.
Perhaps the most unsettling reveal of Avengers: Twilight came with the discovery that Tony Stark had been kept preserved and “alive” following his supposed death, so his son and those he worked with could mine him for his genius. James frequently visited what remained of his father to get ideas, resulting in the suits worn by the Iron Cops and other staples of the fascist government. That makes the Iron Man armor even more remarkable, as James did not use his father to create his suit. It is borne entirely by his mind, and proves he has the same talent.
Moreover, the armor serves as added motivation for James, despite his initial refusal to use it. He sees it as a way to leave his father’s legacy behind and doesn’t want to give it up now that he’s had a taste of what it can do. That means the new Avengers are going against someone just as smart as one of their founding members, and it won’t be easy. James Stark’s next Iron Man suit may be strong enough to take down the new Avengers before they get started.
