I’m definitely going back to Iron Man.
Used to be a time where I chose my heroes based on the powers they had/were given. I was a Wolverine guy. He had his crazy cool healing ability and hardly aged. I was envious of course, being a guy who doesn’t want to die (like ever). After that guy came Batman, a character that needs no introduction. My Bat-phase was on and off for years, but it was never as deep seated as Marvel’s own Jeckyll and Hyde. I thought The Hulk was all there was in life, because he had this rage button that, when depressed, caused the world to blow up. Not surprisingly, I was that guy in my elementary years. Eventually I moved on to Spiderman. He was bit by a radioactive spider and, after experience jaded him, decided to use his mind and powers in the best possible fashion. I was even more stoked when he came out publicly as the man behind the webs (Civil War). It doesn’t take a psych degree to tease out that I’m into heroes that, in a sense, make their own fate from the skills they develop vs. being born or falling into (often quite literally) some sort of power.
That brings me back to Tony Stark. The Iron Man found his own way, though he inherited his empire. He built his first suit from scraps, under duress. In other words, he worked hungry and earned the right to be a hero because of what was ultimately at stake. I for one chose heroes that are a reflection of myself. I have always felt that somewhere inside of myself is the raw ability to be a very successful individual who makes a real difference in the world. I take from Stark the inspiration to draw upon what I have and what I know to do something great.