Tony Stark: My old man had a philosophy: Peace means having a bigger stick than the other guy.
Christine Everheart: That's a great line coming from the guy selling the sticks.
[Pepper catches him in Iron Man suit.]
Virginia 'Pepper' Potts: What's going on here?
Tony Stark: Let's face it, this is not the worst thing you've ever caught me doing.
Virginia 'Pepper' Potts: The doctor has to look at you.
Tony Stark: I don't have to do anything. I've been in captivity for three months. There are two things I want to do. I want an American cheeseburger, and the other...
Virginia 'Pepper' Potts: That's enough of that.
Tony Stark: ...is not what you think. I want you to call for a press conference now.
Virginia 'Pepper' Potts: Call for a press conference? What on earth for?
Tony Stark: Yeah, Hogan, drive. Cheeseburger first.
Obadiah Stane: You had a great idea, Tony, but my suit is more advanced in every way!
Tony Stark: How did you solve the icing problem?
Obadiah Stane: Icing problem?
[Iron Monger suit freezes over and deactivates.]
Tony Stark: Might want to look into it.
James Rhodes: This isn't a game. You do not send civilian equipment into my active war zone. Do you understand me? Do you understand that?
Tony Stark: It's not a piece of equipment. It's a suit. It's me!
Tony Stark: Give me a scotch. I'm starving.
James Rhodes: You're not a soldier.
Tony Stark: Damn right I'm not. I'm an army.
Tony Stark: Sometimes you gotta run before you can walk.
Tony Stark: Is it better to be feared or respected? I say, is it too much to ask for both?
Jim Rhodes: What the hell is that noise?
Tony Stark: I'm driving with the top down.
Jim Rhodes: Well, I need your help right now.
Tony Stark: Funny how that works, huh?
Jim Rhodes: Yeah. Speaking of funny, we got a weapons depot that was just blown up a few klicks from where you were being held.
Tony Stark: Well, I'd say that's a hot spot. Sounds ... Like someone stepped in and did your job for you.
Jim Rhodes: Why do you sound out of breath, Tony?
Tony Stark: I'm not. I was just jogging through the canyon.
Jim Rhodes: I thought you were driving.
Tony Stark: Right, I was driving... To the canyon... Where I'm going for a jog.
Jim Rhodes: You sure you don't have any tech in that area I should know about?
Tony Stark: Nope.
Jim Rhodes: Good, because we got a lock on something and we're about to blow it to kingdom come.
[Two F-22 Raptors fall in position behind Stark.]
Tony Stark: Whoops, there's my exit!
Jim Rhodes: You owe me a plane.
Tony Stark: Yeah, well, technically he hit me, so.
Tony Stark: I never got to say goodbye to my father. There's questions I would've asked him. I would've asked him how he felt about what his company did, if he was conflicted, if he ever had doubts. Or maybe he was every inch of man we remember from the newsreels. I saw young Americans killed by the very weapons I created to defend them and protect them. And I saw that I had become part of a system that is comfortable with zero-accountability.
Press Reporter 1: Mr. Stark, what happened over there?
Tony Stark: I had my eyes opened. I came to realize that I had more to offer this world than just making things that blow up. And that is why, effective immediately, I am shutting down the weapons manufacturing division of Stark Industries.
Agent Phil Coulson: I'm Agent Phil Coulson with the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division.
Virginia 'Pepper' Potts: That's quite a mouthful.
Agent Phil Coulson: I know. We're working on it.
Jarvis: Sir, it appears his suit can fly.
Tony Stark: Duly noted. Take me to maximum altitude.
Jarvis: Sir, at 19% power, the odds of reaching that altitude...
Tony Stark: I know the math! Do it!
Tony Stark: Why are you trying to hustle me out of here?
Virginia 'Pepper' Potts: Your flight was scheduled to leave an hour and a half ago.
Tony Stark: That's funny. I thought with it being my plane and all, that it would just wait for me to get there. I mean, doesn't it kind of defeat the purpose of having your own plane if it departs before you arrive?
Tony Stark: Day 11, Test 37, Configuration 2.0. For lack of a better option, Dummy is still on fire safety. [Turns to robot.] If you douse me again, and I'm not on fire, I'm donating you to a city college.
Pratt: Is it true that you went twelve-for-twelve with the Maxim Girls last year?
Tony Stark: That is an excellent question. Yes and no. March and I had a scheduling conflict but fortunately the Christmas cover was twins.
Jim Rhodes: Hey Tony.
Tony Stark: I'm sorry. This is the fun-vee. The hum-drum-vee is back there.
Tony Stark: Yeah. I can fly.
Tony Stark: Pepper, uh, how big are your hands?
Virginia 'Pepper' Potts: What?
Tony Stark: How big are your hands?
Virginia 'Pepper' Potts: I don't understand why...
Tony Stark: Get down here. I need you.
Answer: Tony, even wearing the Iron Man armour, is light enough that the shockwave of the blast throws him out of the way, so he escapes the majority of the explosion's effects. Stane, in his much heavier suit, isn't so lucky and so gets the full impact, which kills him. The flickering of the chest piece is merely a device to show that Tony is still in one piece, even if injured.
Tailkinker ★