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Iron Man is a great leader with a mixed bag of issues. This Marvel superhero has weaknesses that make him relatable to his fans. Moreover, his response to his problems is very human, making him a typical case study.
In Marvel movies and comics, Tony Stark is shown battling various issues, such as addiction and PTSD. His mental health issues were openly represented in Iron Man 3 in the form of a panic attack, bringing awareness to mental health.
The MCU has shouldered social responsibility by showcasing superheroes with mental health problems. Moreover, fans are driven to think that mental health issues are not weaknesses and that the correct approach can help them find a cure.
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Iron Man: A case study on mental health
With the recent recognition of mental health as a common issue, Iron Man’s battle with mental illness makes it acceptable for his fans. As such, survivors from war-torn zones often face post-traumatic disorders. However, the stigma attached to these problems is brushed away when superheroes showcase mental health problems.
In the comics, Tony Stark has been shown to have a major alcohol addiction – to the extent that it affected his normal functions. He was depicted as an alcoholic who had trouble controlling his dependence.
While Tony Stark tries to control his alcoholism, his more serious mental illness is PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder). This manifests in one scene of Iron Man 3, where his anxiety makes him rush into his suit before his knees buckle under him.
At that point, he asked J.A.R.V.I.S. to check his vitals for physical problems. When J.A.R.V.I.S. informed him that he only had a panic attack, Tony seemed surprised.
Since the introductory scene of the anxiety attack, Tony has been repeatedly shown to face the same. Like other PTSD patients, he chose denial of the problem over the solution. He also exhibited moments of self-doubt and depression. This is what humanizes the problem and makes it more acceptable for viewers.
Iron Man: History of his PTSD
The reason for Tony Stark’s PTSD lies in an occurrence in The Avengers, when MCU heroes gather to fight an extra-terrestrial attack from Loki’s Chitauri army. Since New York City was the battleground, the US government launched a missile on the city to destroy the enemy.
The Marvel superheroes were against this plan as that would have caused huge collateral damage and death. Tony Stark intercepted the missile and planned to pass through the galactic portal and destroy the Chitauri ship with the missile. When he realized that it might be a “one-way trip,” he wanted to call his wife to say goodbye but could not due to broken connectivity.
While he managed to nuke the alien ship, his suit lost its powers. At the same time, Black Widow started to close the portal to keep the aliens out. For a moment, it looked as if the billionaire superhero had perished in this act, but he fell unconscious through the portal towards Earth.
These few moments of near-death experience had a psyche-wrecking impression on him. Every time there was a danger of massive proportions, Tony showed all the typical signs of a panic attack. Soon, his anxiety turned to an obsession which he tackled by spending sleepless nights building suits.
What may have caused Iron Man to have PTSD?
Tony Stark, the head honcho of Stark Industries, was also a person with a high IQ. He believed that he could find a solution to any problem. However, during the battle of New York in The Avengers, he realized that there were intergalactic enemies and problems bigger than he could handle. This may have shaken his self-esteem in the wrong way.
Moreover, the morally responsible Tony’s biggest fear seemed to become the cause of others’ harm. Initially, he was horrified when he realized how his father’s company was responsible for war atrocities. Later, Scarlet Witch exposed his deepest fear and saw himself at fault for the death of all Avengers in the Age of Ultron.
The American Psychiatrist Association and Psychology experts claim that each trauma victim has a different response. Some of them display a delayed response. Traumatic neurosis and delayed stress syndrome seem to be the case for Tony Stark. To answer his trauma, he developed an Iron Man suit that would give him the power to save situations and shield himself.
However, his suit was also his source of trauma. It added to his power but remained a constant reminder of past events triggering his bad memories. This vicious cycle caused him to get addicted to his suits.
Besides Iron Man, other Marvel characters, such as Star-Lord, The Punisher, and The Hulk, are also struggling with different expressions of PTSD. This presents a platform to openly talk about mental health issues and erase any shame related to them.
