Plot hole: When Mandarin is using his power rings to see the different kinds of suits that Iron Man has built, all the footage is clips of Iron Man using different suits in previous episodes. Assuming the rings had the power to do that, then they should also be able to show Mandarin that Iron Man is Tony Stark, because if they have the power to show Iron Man using different armors down to the most minute detail, then they should also be able to show him removing his armor to reveal Tony Stark underneath. Not to mention that H.O.M.E.R. frequently refers to Iron Man as "Mr. Stark" when communicating with him.
The Armor Wars: Part 2 - S2-E9
Continuity mistake: When the Mandarin is in the jewelry store at the end, he is shown as having only retrieved six of his ten power rings, with the ring in the jewelry store to be his seventh. In addition to previous episodes showing him to having already retrieved all ten rings, when he walks out of the jewelry store and places the ring he just stole on his left hand middle finger, you can see that he now has nine rings, with the thumb of his right hand being the only digit not adorned with a ring. (00:20:59)
Hands of the Mandarin: Part 1 - S2-E12
Continuity mistake: When Iron Man hits MODOK with a repulsor blast, MODOK goes somersaulting backwards. When the shot changes, MODOK is still somersaulting, but his body has flipped 180°. (00:17:56)
Hulk Buster - S2-E11
Continuity mistake: When Leader is saying "It is I who shall acquire the power of the Hulk," his mustache briefly disappears from his face. (00:18:13)
Hulk Buster - S2-E11
Continuity mistake: When Hulk is saying "No save Banner," Iron Man is wearing the left arm section if his armor, even though Hulk tore it off moments earlier and was holding it. (00:15:48)
Hulk Buster - S2-E11
Continuity mistake: When Leader is saying "Nonetheless, I have spared her valueless life," his right hand is raised with the middle and ring fingers touching. When the shot changes, the two fingers are suddenly separated. (00:13:26)
Hulk Buster - S2-E11
Continuity mistake: When Leader is attacking the helicopter, it causes Bruce Banner to fully transform into the Hulk. When Hulk is jumping out of the helicopter, he is shown to have Banner's head, which again transforms into the Hulk's head as he freefalls. (00:06:30)
Hulk Buster - S2-E11
Continuity mistake: After Julia is vanished by the light beam, her binoculars land next to a rock. A couple of shots later, the rock has disappeared. (00:02:00)
The Armor Wars: Part 2 - S2-E9
Continuity mistake: When Iron Man is disarming the bomb, the sclera and irises of his eyes are incorrectly flesh-colored and white, respectively. (00:18:23)
The Armor Wars: Part 2 - S2-E9
Other mistake: When Nick Fury is overseeing the cleanup of Iron Man's attack on Firepower, his fingernails have been drawn on his gloved hands. (00:10:38 - 00:11:03)
The Armor Wars: Part 2 - S2-E9
Continuity mistake: When War Machine emerges from the ocean, the bluish-gray section of his armor is incorrectly colored dark blue. (00:06:11)
The Armor Wars: Part 2 - S2-E9
Continuity mistake: When Iron Man is saying "Maybe I'm working alone these days," the sclera and irises of his eyes are incorrectly flesh-colored and white, respectively. (00:04:16)
The Armor Wars: Part 2 - S2-E9
Continuity mistake: When Iron Man and Stingray emerge from the ocean, Iron Man's right hand is on Stingray's left shoulder. When the shot changes, Iron Man's right hand is now being grasped by Stingray's left hand. (00:04:08)
The Armor Wars: Part 1 - S2-E8
Continuity mistake: When Hawkeye is saying "It's just you and me, Iron Man," the feathers on the right side of the arrows in his quiver briefly change color from white to yellow. Additionally, the head of the arrow nocked in his bow is spherical. When the shot changes, it is forked. (00:17:08)
The Armor Wars: Part 1 - S2-E8
Factual error: When Blacklash and Blizzard have hijacked the airplane, all the passengers are wearing their oxygen masks, indicating that the plane is at a high altitude. When Iron Man crashes through the window of the cockpit to take out Blizzard, there is no corresponding depressurization. (00:12:59 - 00:13:29)
The Armor Wars: Part 1 - S2-E8
Continuity mistake: When H.O.M.E.R. begins speaking to Iron Man during his fight with Crimson Dynamo, he is appearing on a monitor on Iron Man's right gauntlet. When Iron Man is then shown flying downwards towards Crimson Dynamo, the monitor is now gone. (00:02:02)
Hulk Buster - S2-E11
Other mistake: When Hulk throws the ring into the volcano, it is rapidly approaching the lava before Iron Man dives after it and successfully catches it before it lands in the lava. At the rate the ring was falling, it would have landed in the lava well before Iron Man could swoop down and catch it. (00:09:08)
Other mistake: When H.O.M.E.R. is bringing up the map to show where MODOK's likely location is, the states are so crudely drawn that they shouldn't be considered to be a legitimate map. The four corners of Utah, Colorado, New Mexico and Arizona don't line up, Utah is almost entirely square-shaped, Nevada looks like it has been smashed between California and Utah, and the eastern part of New Mexico has been elongated. (00:08:52)
The Armor Wars: Part 1 - S2-E8
Other mistake: In both establishing shots of the wellness center, the water on the fountain in the background is not cascading down. It is just hanging over the edges of each level, resembling icicles. When Iron Man knocks Controller into the fountain, the water is moving properly. (00:08:47 - 00:11:25)
Answer: Gleaned from the Internet: Some critics criticized the premise of so many one-off battles that were introduced and concluded within one or two episodes. Others felt the first-season plot lines were overly simplistic and never progressed or developed through the season. Also, the rivalry between Iron Man and the Mandarin also failed to capture viewer's attention.
raywest ★