Question: Why did Stark reveal he is Iron Man at the press conference? This makes no sense at all to me.
Charles Austin Miller
4th May 2008
Iron Man (2008)
Answer: Short version, he has a big ego and wanted the recognition. Also, in recent Marvel comics continuity there's been a superhero registration act, forcing superheroes to reveal their identities to the public. Tony Stark has been championing this cause "to tie the knots of friendship between ordinary humans and superheroes". His revelation in the movie could be laying the groundwork to tie into that in some way.
Answer: He's a womanizing multibillionaire with a power supply where his sternum should be. Of course he gave up his secret. It doesn't take a genius (and Stark is one with all caps) to figure out that he had a choice between intimacy or his secret identity.
11th May 2018
Iron Man (2008)
Question: How did Stane's guards round up the ten rings? They didn't appear to have any weapons when they arrived, and the ten rings appeared to outnumber them.
Answer: Given that Stane was carrying (and used) the small, easily-concealed paralysis device, it may be assumed that his entourage were carrying (and using) the devices, also. They simply paralyzed the 10 Rings guards.
The Ten Rings members were shown kneeling with their hands on their heads, though. They wouldn't be able to do that if they had been paralyzed.
That doesn't negate the probability that Stane's entourage used the paralysis device on a few guards to demonstrate the effect, whereupon the other toady guards simply surrendered.
2nd Nov 2017
Iron Man (2008)
Question: When Stark and the men protecting the soldiers are attacked by terrorists, the terrorists fire a weapon that fires a lot of rounds, that go through the a jacket, the soldier's body, and the car's door. Does such a weapon exist in real life? Is so, what is it called?
Answer: It's called an anti-personnel device (or anti-personnel explosive) that showers a target area with shrapnel distributed every 2 inches. It's intended to kill every person within its blast radius. The curious thing is that Tony Stark was untouched in the first anti-personnel attack, even though his bodyguards and the HumVee were perforated.
Answer: It could be a manual triggered claymore, small ones are able to penetrate light armor up to 50meters (55yards).
Answer: Later in the scene, Stark realises the terrorists are using Stark Industries weapons. In the Marvel Universe, as is evidenced by the various Iron Man armors/weapons, Stark Industries makes some pretty awesome weaponry.
Answer: It could be armor piercing ammunition, which would go through certain materials, but it's more likely that it was just done for dramatic effect with a few liberties taken on what real world weapons are capable of.
6th Nov 2017
Iron Man (2008)
Question: How did the ten rings the make the two vehicles explode in the scene where the attack Tony and the military? I didn't see any missiles hit them.
Answer: The Ten Rings terrorists probably had C4 explosive buried under the road and exploded them remotely when the vehicles went over them. The terrorists had planned this assault far ahead.
Answer: It's important to remember that Obediah Stane was secretly supplying the terrorists with cutting-edge military technology produced by Stark Industries (much of it invented by Tony Stark himself). The terrorists didn't need "improvised" explosive devices, because they were using state-of-the-art Stark Industries equipment and ordnance. In fact, just a moment before he is mortally wounded by the anti-personnel explosive, Tony is horrified to see "Stark Industries" printed on the bomb casing.
Answer: The lead vehicle most likely ran over an IED (improvised explosive device) that would have been buried in the road like a landmine. It's also possible the IED was remotely triggered by the terrorist waiting to ambush the group.
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Answer: Tony underwent a dramatic metamorphosis during his captivity at the beginning of the film: In just a matter of screen-minutes, he transformed from a vulgar, egotistical merchant of death into a superhero fighting for life and freedom. As soon as he was rescued, he even held an impromptu press conference to announce a whole new mission statement for Stark Industries. Everyone thought Stark had lost his mind. Even the U.S. military and S.H.I.E.L.D. were still making up stories to cover for Tony's erratic behavior, right up to the end, at which point he puts all of the coverup and rumor and disinformation away once and for all: He is Iron Man, and this is his company, and this is how it will be run. It's not as if Tony Stark needs a secret identity, and his open admission wiped the slate clean for everything that follows.
Charles Austin Miller