Warning: Contains spoilers for Avengers: Twilight #6!!

Summary

• Iron Man makes the ultimate sacrifice to save his son, James Stark, in Avengers: Twilight #6.
• Tony Stark's legacy lives on as he gives his life to stop Red Skull and protect his loved ones.
• Avengers: Twilight #6 shows the personal side of Iron Man as he fights for family and friends.

Being a hero means sacrifice, and Iron Man is no stranger to the latter. Equal parts genius and arrogance take Tony Stark a long way, but he’s repeatedly shown that he’s willing to embrace his own death to save the world and the people he loves, much like he did in the MCU. In Avengers: Twilight, Tony dies to give his son, James Stark, a chance to live as a hero.

Avengers: Twilight #6 marks the conclusion of the timeline in which the world's heroes have been forced to retire or move underground, leading the way for the Red Skull to rise to power. Iron Man spends decades being farmed for his ideas as a preserved and half-alive head. Meanwhile, his and the Wasp's young child, James, is raised by Red Skull in disguise and taught to detest his superhero parents.

Once the truth is revealed, James attempts to take down Red Skull, but Tony seizes his one last chance to save his son. Just like in the MCU, Tony's death allows others to continue on without him and rebuild the world.

Iron Man Dies to Save His Son and Let the Country Start Over

Avengers Twilight #6 by Chip Zdarsky, Daniel Acuña, and Cory Petit

In the bleak world of Avengers: Twilight, Iron Man spends the majority of his life suffering under Red Skull’s thumb and watching the world crumble, all while his son grows up being manipulated and lied to. By the time he has a chance to speak for himself, James is too deep into Red Skull's delusion to listen. Nonetheless, Tony's primary goal is protecting his kid, and he makes that clear the second he puts on the suit again. Though he's still an Avenger, determined to help his friends and the country, his focus in Avengers: Twilight is personal.

Iron Man's choice to die in James' place and take out Red Skull makes for an interesting contrast to his final MCU moments, but there are plenty of parallels, too. Both Thanos and Red Skull are willing to kill thousands of innocent lives to further their ends, and Iron Man plays the ultimate hero by stopping them. While it doesn't necessarily need to be Tony in either scenario, he accepts the burden willingly. Both deaths also allow others, including his children, to rebuild in his absence. The Wasp captures it succinctly by telling James that "sometimes when you win, you also lose."

Avengers: Twilight Rewards Iron Man for His Sacrifice

Tony Stark Receives a Hero's Welcome in the Afterlife

Defeating Red Skull means Tony misses out on his newly reunited family and friends, but his sacrifice isn't in vain. James is shown rebuilding the destroyed Avengers Mansion, while Iron Man himself is ushered to Valhalla, courtesy of Thor. Bruce Banner is there, too, and it's an afterlife and retirement they've both more than earned. It may not be as sweet as Tony spending more time with his wife and son, but it is a fitting end for a man who saved the world. Iron Man gave his life to protect his son, letting him die a hero once again.

Avengers: Twilight #6 is available now from Marvel Comics.