Tony: Comic vs. Movie version?

[angel_inoshi]

So, I had planned on talking about what a surprise it was that 616!Steve turned into a mutant Spider monster that spews baby spiders from his mouth....But, I decided to post this question to you all, and was just curious about your general thoughts.

With the Avengers movie coming out, it's no secret that we have been getting an influx of new Steve/

Comments

[penumbren]

Hmmm. From reading that tumblr post, I think that person is only seeing what Tony Stark (especially the movie!Tony) wants them to see.

Everything they described is there, totally. I love the description of "laugh at you and move on," because he would do that. However... comic!Tony has never quite been at that same level of "Fuck you, I'm Tony Stark." Well, maybe Ult!Tony, although he'd say it with a grin. And probably toast you at the same time. The getting angry instead of crying? I love that. It's a great description. It's pretty much true of Tony in any verse; witness the ending of Ultimate Armor Wars, which just about had me in tears.

It's a recognizable rant coming from a movie fan. The movies are what drew me in, but I wanted to get to know the source material, even though I didn't care at all for Iron Man when I read comics in my younger days. Even though I was (and still am) completely in love with RDJ!Tony, I think comic!Tony (in any form) is a richer, more complex person. Even with Marvel screwing him up all the time. I don't see many fics where Tony falls apart just because Steve doesn't love him, although if they're being written as One True Loves, it's not really that implausible, to a certain degree.

I think movie!Tony actually does have that same self-loathing, but I think it's a) not as pronounced, since he's newer to the game and hasn't had so very many things/people throwing his past/screwups/personality/whatever in his face, and b) better hidden, since movies aren't exactly known for allowing a lot of introspection into the hidden depths of their characters. There are hints of it in both movies, along with the sheer determination to Fix Things that's always driven him. I don't agree with the "he wouldn't have the troubles he has" bit because movie!Tony just isn't at the same point in his life as 616!Tony. 616!Tony may be younger, but he's gone through a hell of a lot more, and movie!Tony just doesn't have the experience, or the character development, that comic!Tony does.

I don't think I actually prefer one over the other. In fic, it depends on how well they're written. Val's story had me snorting a lot because, god yes, Tony is a DICK in that story, but it's completely believable for the movieverse. It would be OOC for Ult!Tony or 616!Tony, but for movieverse? Perfect. I'm completely in love with the character of Tony Stark, largely due to his complexity, and being able to see him in all these different versions actually makes it that much more fun for me. (I will, however, always hear Tony in my head as RDJ, regardless of what I'm reading.)

Stopping rambling now because I could really write a book on this topic.

[angel_inoshi]

You pretty much nailed my thoughts exactly. I kept thinking...well, yes...Tony can be all you described, but he's so much more. The only time I really ran across a weeping Tony was because of the aftermath of Civil War - because he did cry....In The Confessions.

The movies initially drew me in as well, and I do love RDJ!Tony, but as you said...comic!Tony has so much depth...it's what makes him a believable character. People are complex and can be so many things on different levels. But, mostly I'm glad I wasn't just seeing things in RDJ!Tony that wasn't there. [fear alleviated] LOL...

As you said, if written well...I love about any version of Tony from Armored Adventures to MA to Noir. I think in my mind, if the universe isn't specified I automatically default to 616 unless I can see....Oh this was for movie verse, or this is MA. Though I think in my head Tony's voice is more of his EMHs voice actor...maybe because I haven't watched the movies in awhile. I hear Chris Evans as Cap...

But no, thanks for your input, I'm just curious what people thought. Especially since Fraction can make me sad [angst] But no write a book <3 Oooor more fanfics <3<3<3 <-----[wants to do fanart] Actually, I was wondering, can I draw a Halloween pic based on your fic "What Lies Inside"?

[penumbren]

I think part of the reason I love the movies so much is because there's so much hinted at without being drawn out, due to the limitations of the genre. It does make writing about movie!Tony a little easier, because there's less history but there's a lot more room to experiment with. I have Urges to write movieverse fic but nothing's really come to me. (With the exception of the very short little thing I posted to AO3 a while back, and that almost doesn't count.) But overall, movie!Tony is just... shallower. Not because he's a shallow person (at least, not so much as at the beginning! ;), but because he just doesn't have the depth that all of that backstory brings to comic!Tony.

The EMH voice actor cracked me up, because I'm convinced they cast him at least partly because he sounded close to RDJ. He's definitely got the timing down for quick comebacks.

More fanfic is very very very probable. I'm tossing around some ideas, but I'm wanting to work on something original for NaNo so that I might be able to screw up my courage and actually submit something.

And of course you can! Please, feel free to draw stuff from anything I write if it strikes your fancy. I just ask that you let me know... so I can and admire, mainly. ;)