Summary

• Captain America knows Iron Man better than anyone, recognizing his flaws and calling out his ego.
• Iron Man's methods often put his priorities above others', reflecting his ego and intelligence.
• Tony's heart is in the right place, but Cap understands his flaws and struggles with his noble intentions.

As two of Marvel Comics’ most prominent heroes and iconic Avengers, Iron Man’s friendship is one of the House of Ideas’ most important partnerships. Steve Rogers and Tony Stark have been through good times and bad, cultivating a partnership over the years that arguably positions them as Marvel’s mirror to Superman and Batman. And it’s because of this history that Cap knows Iron Man better than anyone else in the world.

In 2006's Iron Man #7 by Daniel and Charles Knauf, Patrick Zircher, Scott Hanna, Studio F’s Antonio Fabela, and VC’s Joe Caramagna, the Armored Avenger subdues his longtime foe, the Crimson Dynamo, by stopping and restarting his heart. When Captain America questions Tony’s methods, Iron Man argues that it was simply the most expedient way to deal with the situation.

In response, Cap stumps Tony by asking, “Expedient, Tony? Or interesting?” And with Iron Man leaving without a satisfying response, Steve perfectly pegs Iron Man’s greatest weakness.

Cap Recognizes Tony's Flaws Better Than Anyone

Even Iron Man Can't Argue With Steve Rogers

Nobody – not even Captain America – can question the good that Iron Man has done for the Marvel Universe, but Tony Stark’s methods and motivations often leave even his staunchest ers with questions of their own. In many ways, Iron Man’s own ego is his greatest obstacle, and that’s reflected by his own unique crime-fighting and world-saving style. Tony tends to place his priorities over those of anyone else, and far too often believes that his way is the best, if not the only, way to get things done just because of his undeniable intellect.

Captain America knows that Iron Man’s heart is ultimately in the right place, but the Armored Avenger's methods aren’t always the noblest course of action.

After years of fighting alongside one another, Captain America can recognize this fact about Iron Man more than anyone else – after all, it was Steve who was Stark’s greatest opposition when Tony's actions in Civil War placed his priorities over the freedoms of others. Cap even calls this out in Avengers Prime #1 by Brian Michael Bendis, Alan Davis, Mark Farmer, Javier Rodriguez, and Chris Eliopoulos. This is a trait Tony has been working on, but it’s still alive and well in more recent events, like Iron Man’s work as the “Iron God” of New York.

Iron Man's Ego Gets In His Way

Captain America Always Calls Out Tony's Arrogance

Captain America knows that Iron Man’s heart is ultimately in the right place, but the Armored Avenger's methods aren’t always the noblest course of action. Time and again, Tony Stark has put his personal convictions above all else, and it’s cost him and his fellow heroes more than even he cares to it. Iron Man is undeniably a genuine hero, but he’s not without flaws, and his best friend and personal conscience, Captain America, knows this better than anyone.

Iron Man #7 and Avengers Prime #1 are available from Marvel Comics.