The Story of Tony Stark/Iron Man (Marvel Cinematic Universe)

Chitauri Invasion: Team Tension

Stark talked with Bruce Banner in their new lab as they discussed all of Erik Selvig's work and inviting him to come work at Stark Tower for a stress free work place, despite Banner claiming that he broke Harlem last time he was in New York City. Stark then tried once to annoy Banner by poking him with a prod in order to test his ability to resist his transformation, only to get no response apart from pain before Steve Rogers entered and demanded he stop, as Banner's transformation would put all the lives on the Helicarrier at risk.

Stark wondered if Banner used jazz or marijuana to keep his cool, to which Rogers found less than funny, telling Stark he was risking the lives of everyone onboard the Helicarrier and should be focusing on the issues at hand. Stark however suggested that Nick Fury might have other motives for restarting the Avengers Initiative, although Rogers was unconvinced. Banner noted that Loki's comments could have been referring to Stark Tower and the power it supplied. Steve once again told Tony to remain focused on locating Loki, only for Stark to insult his Uniform and send him out of his lab.

Stark commented on how his father had so often admired Rogers having worked with him back in World War II. When Stark noted that he wanted Banner to be in the fight with them when it came time for it, Banner insisted that he could not, calling Hulk a nightmare. Stark then told Banner about how his Arc Reactor was keeping the shrapnel he gained from his kidnapping away from his heart, calling it a terrible privilege, with Banner claiming his situation was not the same. Stark noted all the gamma radiation Banner was exposed to should have killed him and maybe Hulk saved his life.

Stark and Banner learned that S.H.I.E.L.D. was trying to harness the Tesseract's powers to begin Phase 2 and create weapons of mass destruction. Fury soon learned of their schemes and challenged them both, with them soon being joined by Captain America who had also found out that S.H.I.E.L.D. was using HYDRA's technology to learn how to harness it, based on Red Skull's designs. Just as Fury tried to defend his actions, Stark contradicted him, forcing Fury to confess they were building the weapons in response to Thor and the recent Battle of Puente Antiguo which they were unprepared for.

While Banner called their new team a time bomb, Stark got into a heated argument with Rogers who claimed that Stark was not a hero but a selfish man in a suit of armor, while Stark noted that Rogers was only a hero because of the Super Soldier Serum given to him by Stark's father and Abraham Erskine, leading to Stark challenging him to a fight. During a ensuing argument between the Avengers, Banner inadvertently picked up Loki's Scepter, revealing Loki's control over him. All of Loki's troops then arrived, led by the brainwashed Clint Barton, and attacked the Helicarrier in order to free Loki.