Iron Man 3 (May 3, 2013)

The movie to open Marvel’s Phase II was Iron Man 3, the final installment in the most successful solo franchise on this side of the universe. In it, the studio further developed the story of Tony Stark, the one who delivered the final blow to Loki and his army (though Hulk was the one to physically defeat Loki, Stark was the one to drive the nuke into the alien mothership).

Iron Man 3 finds the titular character still trying to deal with the events of the first Avengers flick – he suffers from PTSD and he tries to build as many protective suits as possible, each of them designed to handle a different kind of threat. However, he still hasn’t found the right suit which will help him overcome the threats the Universe has prepared.

His story arc for Iron Man 3 is one of the man trying to deal with his recent past. All his suits are a means of escaping from this past, even if it is impossible. Soon, though, Tony Stark realizes that running away is not possible, so he faces the threats in the only way he knows it: by being himself (a builder, a mechanic, an inventor) and by facing the threat all alone, without the aid of his multiple suits (he does destroy them in the end).

So, in a way, Iron Man 3 is a story of redemption: Tony Stark tries to put his fears aside and focus on what is really important for him. Pepper might need his protection, just like the entire world might need it – but hiding behind the suits won’t do him any good.

His story is then continued in Avengers: Age of Ultron.