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specsnsarcasm · 7 years ago

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Iron Man, Imperialism, and the Military-Industrial Complex

Was re-watching Avengers: Age of Ultron today and there’s a problematic line that I never really paid attention to until now.

[Note: I don’t know if this happened in the comic books, but I’m just focusing on the film and the film universe].

After Ultron has attacked the group, they’re trying to find out its next move. In one scene Tony explains that there’s a black market arms dealer he used to know (Claw):

Captain America: What dialect?

Bruce: Wakanada? W- wa- Wakanda!

[Tony and Cap look at each other, worried].

Tony: If this guy got out of Wakanda with some of their trade goods…

Cap: I thought your father said he got the last of it.

(Wait, wut?)

Let’s break this down, shall we?

When Cap says that “[he] got the last of it,” he is ever-so-casually referring to Howard Stark potentally getting the last of a country's limited supply of vibranium, the extremely rare, extremely valuable metal, that was dubbed the strongest metal in the world. It's also one of the materials that comprises Cap’s shield. The implications of this statement are huge! This not a throw-away line!

As a multinational corporation and former weapons manufacturer with its hands in some questionable arms dealings, it is well-established that Stark Industries is built, at least in part, with blood money. The above line could potentially add another dark footnote to Stark’s legacy.

Because the audience is already familiar with Howard, we’re led to believe that he is on the side of the angels, and that he is keeping the metal from falling into the wrong hands.

Okay, but…

That is until you consider that history is written by the winners, and - Oh. F^CKING. Wait! Where have I heard this story before??? That’s right! It’s the story of how Western powers forcibly removed valuable resources from colonies, and kept them for their own purposes! (Say nothing of its stolen "people resources"! 👀). Going into another country and plundering their natural resources is imperialism. It doesn’t make Howard Stark look great.

Lucky, we know from the 'Black Panther' comic story that King T'Chaka (T'Challa’s dad) only sold minute quantities of Wakandan vibranium to outsiders. But that still doesn’t change the fact that Cap’s line implies that Howard Stark didn’t know that! As far as he was concerned, he "got it all"! And why would he celebrate this? Did he think it would be in "safer hands" with him? Because if so, that's some grade-A, paternalistic bullsh*t right there.

Secondly, it's a bit troubling how cavalier everyone is about dispensing this fact! Tony, however seems to know that his father didn’t get the entire supply because he refers to vibranium as a Wakandan “trade good,” which would mean that it is presumably still being "traded" (is it really thought?) even after Howard Stark’s death in the 90s. So maybe Howard didn’t know until after Cap went in the ice? Or maybe he never found out that there was still more of it.

The line might be an oversight or they could be trying to weave some elaborate story arc with Tony grappling with Howard’s legacy, or Tony vs Wakanda (unlikely). It could be a little mistake that comes back to bite them in the ass, but at this point in the MCU, its unlikely, as that’s not the main story. Personally, I think that this was a case of poor writing. Just a way to add a thread of continuity into the set-up for Black Panther.

Why the need for such cynicism and skepticism around this seemingly throw away line? Well, unfortunately, it just highlights the horrible reality of a world in which the real "Wakandas" of the world - African nations - were not allowed to exist in isolation from the West and thus follow a trajectory in which they thrive as a result. The reality is that entire countries comprised of "Howard Starks" have historically “gotteb the last of it” in many many countries, and benefitted at others expense as a result, thus making the fantasy and wish-fulfillment of 'Black Panther' in some ways, more significant than the other superhero movies.

Anyway, all of this made me think about the Starks and their legacy. Iron Man is one of my favourite Marvel movie characters (along with Spidey, Wolverine, and Storm), but the line made me question the fact that neither he, his father, nor their company have ever really been held accountable for their crimes against humanity. E.g. If a person committed a murder and got away with it, but then spent the rest of their life trying to atone for it by feeding the poor, caring for the sick, and otherwise trying to be a better person, that doesn’t absolve them of what they did or does justice still need to be done? In the same vein, a little guilt, fun vigilantism, and ego inflation is not justice. Yes, Tony saw *some* of the consequences of his actions, and saw Yinsen and those soldiers die. He has been trying to make amends ever since by divesting from weapons division of his company, charities, grants, etc. and Iron-manning. But is that the same as facing up to consequences? That takes courage and humility.

Am I advocating for Tony Stark to go to jail? For the purposes of the film and the fantasy, no. It’d be a pretty boring movie watching Tony Stark sit in a prison cell somewhere (although he did kind of sit in a cell in 'Iron Man', which was where he found his moral centre, so maybe not boring after all?). Moreover, arms dealing, while morally reprehensible, is technically speaking, legal.

Still, when I think about Howard and Tony not receiving many consequences for their actions, it rubs me the wrong way. Tony still gets to sit in Stark Towers (the penthouse that blood money built) with Pepper, parties, toys, gadgets, and cars, living the good life. And after everything, he STILL creates Ultron, another mass-murdering weapon, with impunity. Even though it works out, it’s clear that he hasn’t really learned important lessons.

I suppose this happens all the time in real life, which is why I think it annoys me. He’s the embodiment of things that are wrong with the real world. Namely, that privileged, rich men get to do what they want and stand on the broken backs of others while claiming to be, wholly on their own, exceptional and exempt. They push their own agendas and get away with selfish, bad behaviour. I go to movies and comic books to escape that! Haha There’s order and justice there! So even though we like characters, we can still view them critically. After all, the media and art we consume hold a revelatory mirror.

Tony has always been a reluctant hero, which made him complex and fun to watch. He’s never claimed to be a boy-scout. I wouldn’t want him to be. He's flawed and struggles to do the right thing, which makes him more accessible and human-seeming compared to Cap, at times. But that line brought everything into sharp focus for me. His position later on in Civil War (re: the accords and regulation) is a well-intentioned but misguided step. He meant well, and wasn't entirely wrong, but there were bigger things at play there.

Either way, I’m SUPER excited to see what they do with Black Panther CANNOT wait!

#iron man #tony stark #avengers: age of ultron #wakanda #vibranium #captain america #imperialism #howard stark #black panther #movies #captain america: civil war #my review of

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