12 Reasons Tony Stark Is The Worst MCU Avenger

Tony Stark seems fairly in touch with popular culture. Considering his age, it's likely he's heard of a little film franchise called The Terminator from Hollywood money-printing machine James Cameron. It's a cautionary tale about the dangers of artificial intelligence and the potential for robots to take over and enslave humanity. Well, it appears as if that message went right over Tony's head as he decided artificial intelligence is the only way to keep the world safe.

Yet, it's not even earthly technology that he messes with. He tampers with alien technology - something he has no clue about - and thinks it'll be a good idea for a global defense program. Suddenly, Ultron grows sentient and evil while Tony is the living embodiment of the Surprised Pikachu meme.

Why does a superhero keep their identity secret? It's to protect the ones they love from any potential danger. The truth is Tony Stark doesn't believe in this method as he reveals himself to be Iron Man to the world in the very first MCU film. However, he doesn't stop there. He actually gives out the address to his home - where Pepper Potts also stays, by the way - to the evil villain known as the Mandarin, challenging him to make a move.

Well, it happens. Tony's home is wiped out, and Pepper is put in unnecessary danger because of it. Honestly, Tony seems like the kind of guy who'll post a selfie with his social security number and then be surprised when he's a targeted by hackers. Clown.

If Tony Stark hadn't been a jerk, Iron Man 3 could have been a much shorter film. In the past - 1999 to be exact - Tony meets Maya Hansen and finds out about her creation Extremis, which has the potential to heal the worst of injuries. 

Aldrich Killian, a scientist who suffers from a physical ailment, offers them a position at his company Advanced Idea Mechanics, where their combined genius can change the world for good. Tony doesn't even entertain the idea and instead pulls a cruel prank on Killian. Rejected and in need of acting fast, Killian embarks on a darker path that leads him to become a villain. All of this could have been avoided had Tony agreed to help him from the start… or maybe not just been a total jerk?

Ignorance is bliss, right? Yeah, that excuse isn't going to cut it, Tony. How does the man who proclaims himself "a genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist" have no idea Stark Industries is in the illegal arms race and supplying terrorist organizations?

While it's understandable he might not be in touch with every detail of his company, it's a pretty big thing not to do due diligence when supplying something as significant as weapons. Also, did he never watch the news and think the weapons looked a little familiar?

Captain America: Civil War is all about being at loggerheads. Some people agree the superhero registration act is a good idea, while others don't. Tony Stark believes in it and thinks it's necessary. Many of his Avengers teammates don't, and he seems to understand their reasoning as well.

Instead of showing support for his friends and removing himself from the situation in an impartial manner, he becomes a puppet (or muppet) for the government that wants to push the act. Even when his pals are thrown into a prison that makes Alcatraz look like Cabo, he watches on and does nothing about it. With friends like Tony, who needs Thanos?!

Tony Stark's behavior in Captain America: Civil War is questionable across the board. There must have been a better way to deal with the conflict through words instead of iron-clad fists. However, his most bizarre moment is recruiting the teenage Peter Parker and bringing him to a super-powered fight at Leipzig/Halle Airport.

That's not even the wildest part of all this, though. In Spider-Man: Homecoming, he wants to take Peter's Spider-Man suit away and tells him to stop being a superhero. So he has no problem bringing him into the Avengers mix when he needs him, then he wants to cast him away a while later? Got it.