Summary

• Iron Man's son redeemed himself by mirroring MCU's Iron Man's heroic sacrifice in Avengers: Twilight #6.
• James Stark flew a bomb into space, willing to sacrifice himself for the greater good, just like his father did in the MCU.
• In a twist, Tony Stark sacrificed himself in James' place, dying where MCU's Tony Stark survived, adding depth to Marvel's storyline.

Warning: Contains SPOILERS for Avengers: Twilight #6! The wayward son of Avengers. Not only did he the ranks of Earth’s Mightiest heroes just as the Avengers were on the precipice of being murdered, but he did so with a genius nod to an iconic MCU scene.

In Avengers: Twilight #6 by Chip Zdarsky and Daniel Acuña, the heart-pounding miniseries finally reaches its conclusion - one that is quite literally explosive. The Red Skull is on the verge of launching a full-scale nuclear assault on Washington, DC in order to cement his reign as the leader of the United States. This, after years of Red Skull controlling the country from the shadows, as he’s now ready to claim America out in the open for the entire world to see - and Tony Stark’s son, James, is right there alongside him.

However, the Avengers of this reality rise up to stop the Red Skull, and in the end, they’re victorious. Captain America kills Red Skull himself, but the Ultron suit the villain was wearing was set to detonate moments after Red Skull’s heart stopped beating. Realizing how wrong he’d been to stand with Red Skull, James Stark grabbed his former mentor and flew him into space with his own Iron Man suit. James was stopped by his father, who sacrificed himself so that his son might live, though not before James’ initial heroic actions mirrored those of his father’s MCU counterpart.

Iron Man’s Son Had His Own ‘Chitauri Nuke’ Moment in Avengers: Twilight

In the first Avengers film, Iron Man grabs a nuclear bomb meant for New York City during the Chitauri attack, and flies it into the sky through the portal to the Chitauri mothership, as he was willing to sacrifice his life to save countless others. This is one of the greatest acts of heroism displayed by Tony Stark in the MCU, which is why it’s so perfect that the same was displayed by his son. James Stark effectively copied the actions of his father’s MCU variant, as he, too, was willing to sacrifice himself by flying a bomb into space.

Not only that, but James did so as an act of redemption, having been pulled from the depths of corruption and finding the strength to turn on the man who he once saw as his surrogate father. MCU’s Iron Man was fighting for what was right from the start, while James was fighting against what he was taught was right all his life. That doesn’t necessarily make his actions more heroic, but it does make them infinitely harder, yet Iron Man’s son found the strength to do it all the same.

Marvel Comics’ Iron Man Died Where MCU’s Tony Stark was Spared

Avengers: Twilight’s Iron Man Sacrificed Himself in His Son’s Stead, Dying Where MCU’s Tony Lived

James Stark wasn’t the only ‘Iron Man’ who copied Tony Stark’s MCU moment, as Tony’s own Avengers: Twilight variant did the same when he caught up with James and took his place. Just like MCU’s Iron Man, this Tony grabbed hold of a bomb meant to kill the innocent and flew it into space, only this time, he died as a result. Seeing this moment play out as it did in Marvel Comics gives new weight to Iron Man’s near-death experience in Avengers, as fans literally witness the horrific tragedy that nearly came to in the MCU.

Giving James Stark a heroic moment mirroring that of the MCU’s Tony Stark was a brilliant move by Marvel Comics to not only cement him as a reformed hero, but to prove that he’s worthy of being an ‘Iron Man’ of the same caliber as the iconic MCU Avenger. Only time will tell if readers will see any more of James Stark’s story in Marvel Comics, but even if not, they can rest assured that this future timeline is in the good hands of a true hero, and a worthy Iron Man.

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