The new Iron Man 2 trailer has appeared to much fanfare, as the sheeple begin to salivate over the return of their military-industrial complex savior. Well, you’ll excuse me if I’m not excited about the so-called “super” hero known as “Iron Man.” I know he is not all the media would have you believe. I know that Iron Man, AKA Tony Stark, is a heartless businessman who cares for nothing more than the padding of his own massive bank account.

Tony Stark is more than just an opportunist and war profiteer. He’s also got a shameful secret he’d like to keep hidden. A shameful union-busting past, as stated in the explosive headline of this post.

The winter of 1972-1973 was a heady time in our history. As the illegal and wasteful war in Vietnam was coming to a close, those who’d spent years protesting it were looking forward to their next challenges — the environment, women’s rights, and worker’s rights. Meanwhile, the weapons manufacturers who’d profited from the war were licking their wounds, and as a reliable and bloody source of income was being staunched, they had to look elsewhere for ways to make money.

Tony Stark was no different. As the head of the weapons manufacturing company Stark Industries, he had to work to ensure his own bottom line. His plan was to “share” his technology with other countries.

There was only one problem with this grand scheme to increase Stark Industries’ already record profits. His workers wanted to unionize. To make their voices heard, the workers organized a work stoppage.

Naturally, Mr. Stark, the man who’d made so much money creating weapons of destruction that were used to slaughter not only our “enemy,” but also innocent women and children, was angry by this turn:

You’ll note that Mr. Stark is untroubled by his employees’ concerns about their own rights, and the violations of the rights of others. He is worried about his own “re-ordering of priorities,” another way of saying “maintaining my own bottom line when the business of war is winding down.” It’s also telling that Stark equates “loyalty” with “accepting what the boss gives them.”

Now that the war was ending and Stark couldn’t rely on the US armed forces to purchase his product, Stark was looking to expand into other countries; not merely to sell his weapons, but to open new manufacturing plants where the labor is far less expensive, and safety regulations far less stringent, even non-existent.

Stark called the leader of the union, and made an unsuccessful attempt at intimidating him over the telephone. But the union leader, Gene Kahn, was having none of it, and hung up on Stark. Now, Stark was feeling even more pressure, and saw a genuine threat to his massive profit-making machine:

Again, Stark’s thoughts are on his own income flow (“production quotas”), and the possible end of his weapons manufacturing company. Not for the welfare of the workers whose sweat and labor have provided him with a fantastic life of almost unbelievable wealth and privilege.

Having had no luck intimidating the union leader, Stark dons the armor of his alter ego, Iron Man, and shamefully went outside Stark Industries to attempt to intimidate his employees.

Think about this for a moment. Iron Man, in his super armor that grants the wearer the ability to fly, and to shoot laser repulsors from his hands, and gives him the strength to lift cars, goes outside Stark Industries to manhandle striking workers with nothing more than picket signs and the righteousness of their cause to protect them.

But have you ever tried to use righteousness to protect yourself against an onslaught of repulsor beams?

Having failed to intimidate the workers, Iron Man next decided to pay a visit to the union leader. Presumably to “negotiate.” Of course, Iron Man’s idea of negotiation is just more intimidation and strong-arm tactics, and a violation of Gene Kahn’s rights, by breaking into his home.

Iron Man shatters a window, endangering everyone inside Gene Kahn’s private residence (because he’s been eavesdropping on a private conversation and he didn’t like some of the things he heard Kahn saying). Clearly, Iron Man has no regard for property rights, or freedom of speech. And when the men inside try to protect themselves against someone who has broken into Kahn’s home with fists raised, ready to fight, he calls it “attempted murder.”

I’d like to address the fact that Gene Kahn is actually Iron Man’s old enemy, The Mandarin. As we’ve seen from this incident, Iron Man has demonstrated that he is a menace who believes that the fact that he has physical strength (his armor), and massive wealth (Stark Industries) gives him the right to punish anyone who opposes him. Stark/Iron Man is also a member of the “super” hero team called The Avengers, which includes an agent of the federal government called Captain America and a god called Thor.

Tony Stark/Iron Man is part of a privileged class. The working-class men who toil in his company have little chance against him. Only someone who has battled him in the past could possibly offer the kind of meaningful support that the workers need to stand up to such a man.

Moreover, in this instance The Mandarin is not doing anything illegal. His “crime” is to attempt to help Stark Industries’ exploited workers unionize, so that they can negotiate — with Tony Stark, AKA Iron Man — for better working conditions, pay, and health benefits.

And when you work for Stark Industries, you need the best health care benefits you can get. You never know when the Skrulls are going to attack one of Stark’s plants, searching for the Avengers.

Callously, and with no regard for the safety of others, Iron Man began a battle with The Mandarin, who is forced to defend himself. In the ensuing fight, Iron Man was sent sailing through a brick wall, sending debris flying everywhere.

Bricks rained down upon the pedestrians unlucky enough to be caught walking by the scene of Iron Man’s crime.

I hope that, when “Iron Man 2” opens in May, the sheeple will come to their senses and ignore this pitiful attempt at rehabilitating Tony Stark’s image. The man is a union buster, and deserves to be shamed for it. It is especially disheartening that working class men and women would spend their money supporting a man who has fought so hard to prevent them getting their fair share.

Trailer for the movie you should not see:

Images taken from Iron Man issue 57, April 1973. These images are the property of Marvel comics and are used here in the fair use context of critical discussion.

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Ricky Sprague

Ricky Sprague occasionally writes and/or draws things. He sometimes animates things. He has a Twitter account and he has a blog. He scripted this graphic novel about Kolchak The Night Stalker. He is really, really good at putting links in bios.

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