Marvel Cinematic Universe Wiki

The recent release of the book "Marvel Studios' The Marvel Cinematic Universe: An Official Timeline" requires a lot of analysis. Members of WikiProject:Timeline team are working on editing pages in response to the information revealed in the book. If you wish to contribute, please do not immediately edit these pages, and instead visit the Timeline Discussion.

READ MORE

Marvel Cinematic Universe Wiki
Register
Advertisement
Marvel Cinematic Universe Wiki
For other uses, see Iron Man (disambiguation)
Multiverse Discovered
"He discovered that there were universes stacked on top of his own..."
The subject of this article is set in an alternate universe that is encompassed by the Marvel Cinematic Universe franchise. Its events are not considered part of the main universe's timeline.

Iron Man is the official novelization of the film of the same name.

Synopsis[]

Millionaire industrialist Tony Stark's genius for designing and building high-tech, ultra-destructive weapons for America's armed forces has inspired critics to dub him the modern-day Leonardo da Vinci–as well as "merchant of death," a moniker he embraces with cool arrogance. But when he's ambushed and kidnapped in the middle of a war zone, Stark comes face-to-face with his own mortality . . . and his true destiny. Now, thanks to him, enemy forces are about to meet their maker. And the world of warfare is about to meet its future–a weapon of mass destruction that walks and talks. When man and machine unite, it can only mean one thing: It's time to stand ready or stand back–but don't stand in the way, or else risk the mighty metallic fury of...IRON MAN.

Plot[]

This section requires expansion

to be added

Appearances[]

Characters[]

Locations[]

Events[]

Items[]

Vehicles[]

Sentient Species[]

Creatures[]

Organizations[]

Mentioned[]

Differences between Book and Film[]

  • The book starts off with the idea that Tony Stark is bored, something not mentioned in the film. The book ends by stating he will never be bored again.
  • The book states that Tony Stark was born in 1973, not 1970, and places his parents' deaths in 1994, not 1991.
  • When in Las Vegas, Stark loses $3 million on a game of roulette but does not really care. However, this scene does appear in a deleted scene included on the film's DVD/Blu-Ray releases.
  • It is revealed that J.A.R.V.I.S. stands for Just. A. Rather. Very. Intelligent. System.
  • Stark's drinking habit is more prominent. Both James Rhodes and Ho Yinsen mention that he drinks more than most men, but still seems unaffected. It is also stated that Howard Stark was an alcoholic.
  • Jimmy Ryan, the soldier who wanted to take a picture with Stark in the HUMVEE, owned a Mets watch. Stark later notices that one of the terrorists is wearing the watch, angering him. When Stark escapes, the man is killed and Stark crushes the watch, since he is unable to pick it up due to the bulky suit.
  • Ramirez is portrayed as a male in the book, rather than female in the film.
  • When giving his "shopping list" to the terrorists, Stark throws in a washing machine. The washing machine served no purpose other than to distract the terrorists from the other stuff he was ordering, which if they had bothered to check, would not have made a missile. Abu Bakaar eventually makes them do his laundry. The latter part of this scene was included as a non-canon deleted scene on the Marvel Cinematic Universe Phase One Box Set. 
  • The book discusses what Rhodes and Pepper Potts were doing during Stark's captivity. Rhodes is forced to return to the United States and eventually, Potts convinces him to go back and search. Rhodes is ordered to stay in the States but talks his way into leading the search for Stark.
  • Stark thinks a lot about Potts during his captivity.
  • Potts cries on her way to pick up Stark at the airport. Happy Hogan notices and hands her a handkerchief, but says nothing.
  • The press conference where Stark promises to stop Stark Industries' military weaponry manufacturing is filled with hundreds of reporters, not a small group. Also, they do not sit down.
  • It is explained that Stark went to see Rhodes in the hanger because he wanted Rhodes to man the suit. However, Stark realizes that Rhodes would do what the military wanted him to, which is the opposite of what Stark wants. Obadiah Stane later says that it is because Rhodes is part of "the war machine," hinting at his future persona.
  • Dum-E, who notably sprayed Stark with a fire extinguisher during his test flights, is not in the book at all.
  • During the Mark II test, it was Jarvis who turned off the suit's power rather than the icing from the upper atmosphere because one of his directives is to protect Stark's life; Stark had been so mesmerized by the moon that he failed to realize how high he was going and Jarvis was unable to reach him until the power went out.
  • Stark does not battle the Ten Rings right after the charity event. He instead throws a party at his house in Dubai and leaves during the fireworks, providing him with an alibi. This was shown in a deleted scene included on the film's DVD/Blu-Ray. 
  • Iron Man does not get away from the F-22 Raptors. He is shot down with a missile and believed by them to be dead.
  • Potts does not catch Stark taking off his armor after the battle in Gulmira. After the F-22 battle, he returns to the Dubai house severely injured while still in the armor. Stark refuses to go to the hospital when he returns to the states. This is also included in the above-mentioned deleted scene on the film's DVD/Blu-Ray.
  • Raza Hamidmi al-Wazar mentions that he works for someone whose ring he wears, likely the Mandarin. Stane says that they shouldn't get him involved. Later, Stane takes Al-Wazar's ring for unknown reasons.
  • How Potts first met Stark is detailed; she found an accounting mistake that Stark made and personally brought the papers to him. The nickname "Pepper" came from when Potts bluffed that she had pepper spray when security tried to have her removed from the CEO's office. It was then that Stark hired her as his personal assistant.
  • Potts does not go to S.H.I.E.L.D. willingly as she does in the film. Agent Phil Coulson initially believes that it is Stark, not Stane, selling weaponry to the Ten Rings and they must have let him go in exchange. When Potts tries to convince him that it was Stane, Coulson has her taken in for questioning.
  • Before stealing the miniature Arc Reactor, Stane brings Stark a pizza and resignation letter, stating that they can no longer work together.
  • Rhodes actually tries to put on the Mark II suit but his head is too big for the helmet.
  • Stane is called Iron Monger throughout the finale while it was only used once in the film and not in a direct reference to Stane.
  • Rhodes actually drives Stark's Audi into the Iron Monger, saving Stark's life and smashing his car. This is shown in the deleted scene on the film's DVD/Blu-Ray.
  • Iron Man never takes Iron Monger into the upper atmosphere. Instead, he gets away when Iron Monger is caught in a bus explosion. This scene was included on a deleted scene on the film's DVD/Blu-Ray.
  • The large Arc Reactor was damaged in the fight between Iron Man and Iron Monger. Potts' actions were not to defeat Stane at Stark's orders, but to release the Arc Reactor's energy before an explosion destroyed all of Los Angeles. Using the energy release to defeat Stane was an afterthought.
  • The book makes direct references to the Black Sabbath song. Stark even plays the song while in his suit during his attack in Yinsen's village.
  • Nick Fury's scene is not included in the book, perhaps to keep it a secret in the film.

References[]

Advertisement