Sir Charles, I don't understand how you find it fitting to juxtapose Nolan's version of
Batman, which is very grounded in reality, with the fantastical versions of Iron Man found in the comics. It's completely illogical, and as far as the debate is concerned, "unfair."
Of course, I expected something like this to happen. After all, we are comparing wildly different world's when we debate DC vs. Marvel. Still I find it rather egregious that a supposed comic buff would debate using evidence from contrasting sources: movies vs. comics.
The fact is, the titular and early DC characters are very much grounded in familiar reality, even with their Superpowers. That's what makes them all so relatable to readers. They all have these extraordinary powers and abilities, and yet they still possess a fragility that makes them human--makes them NOT invincible. This is self-evident in Nolan's
Batman trilogy, and appears to be the case in the upcoming
Man of Steel.
My earlier post was argued based of these observances. I compared and contrasted Bruce/Bat's to Tony/I.M based on their on screen realities; based on their most sensible realities, as it relates to our own, and not on the farfetched, fantastical, paradigms we are so often witness to in contemporary comic story-lines, which is your (Sir Charles) primary source evidence. If you are going to harangue us about what Tony Stark/Iron Man is
capable of then you have to be open to what Bruce Wayne and Batman are also capable of. It's not a one way street, and your opinion is not the end-all-be-all on the matter.
Now a really ridiculous criticism by some of you T.S/I.M supporters is that it's silly to make arguments that take into consideration the separation of Tony Starks from the Iron Man shell. Why is that a silly argument? Why shouldn't that possibility be accounted for in a debate that explores the relative strengths and weaknesses of the two subjects, in their entirety? Y'all Iron Man fanboys are not even being realistic with yourselves. Y'all want to harp on Tony's/Iron Man's strengths but don't even want to consider his biggest weakness? Com'on Son!!!
Tony Stark's biggest advantage in this duel is his Iron Man shell, but it's also his biggest weakness--FACT!!!
As previously mentioned, in my earlier post, without his Iron Man shell, he's DONE. And as for Extremis--how convenient. That whole arc is evidence of the aforementioned point. It was developed to patch up that very significant loose end which served as a reminder of Tony Stark's greatest vulnerability: that without his Iron Man shell, and the Superhuman powers if affords him, he's about as pathetic as any other "regular" human in the Marvel universe. And the icing on the cake--the fact that Extremis was not even a Tony Stark invention; in other words, let's entertain the possibility that, in a reality where Bruce Wayne's and Tony Stark's worlds coalesce, Maya Hansen, in exchange for a blank check for her cancer research, gives billionaire playboy Bruce Wayne all the info and data as well as live samples of the Extremis virus. What now?
Tony Stark is weak. Bruce Wayne is not. Tony Stark develops different iterations of his Iron Man shell because no one shell is absolute, either. Each has it's faults and limitations, that's why he's had to create so many different types over the years. Bruce Wayne, on the hand, and relatively, has kept it simple. Why? Because his strength is NOT dependent on his Batman shell. Even if he is deprived of his Bat suit, he remains just as dangerous. Tony Stark loses his Iron Man shell, and he's nothing.
Here we have two cases where one hero is dependent on his suit/shell and the other is not. The former hero's abilities and effectiveness are directly dictated by the shell he chooses to "wear" that day; the same is not true for the latter hero, whose abilities and effectiveness remain the same even if he's wearing a pajamas. I don't know about you, but if I had to go with one, I'd go with the guy whose strengths are innate, and not extrinsic and coupled to some specific shell which may not even be the right "equipment" for the job given any number of circumstances...
. What's that saying, "it's the man that makes the suit and not the other way around"...
Ohh and I'll just leave this here...
View media item 353822
Obviously, Bruce Wayne can make fancy suits too.
I'll check back tomorrow to see what other exaggerations y'all have come up with...
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