With over 50 years of comic book history and as a co-founding member of the Avengers, Iron Man has a plethora of iconic stories over his lengthy superhero career. One of the most defining for the character is 1979's "Demon in Bottle" by David Michelinie, Bob Layton, John Romita, Jr. and Carmine Infantino. The multi-issue storyline would haunt and inform Tony Stark for years to follow, with the Marvel Cinematic Universe even referencing the story.
Even though the Iron Man of today is a very different character from who he was in the late '70s, "Demon in a Bottle" still stands as Stark's defining moment. Now, we're taking a look back at this classic story, how it shaped the modern adventures of the Armored Adventure and other defining moments in the MCU for the character with the general public.
Demon in a Bottle
Starting in 1979's Iron Man #120, the landmark comic story began with Tony Stark's Iron Man armor unexpectedly malfunctioning and leading to the death of an ambassador. The heightened public pressure and scrutiny on his superhero career leads Tony to begin to drastically increase his alcohol consumption, to the visible concern of his supporting cast and fellow superheroes, which caused him to step down as the Avengers' leader for a time.
While Justin Hammer was eventually revealed as the villainous mastermind behind the armor malfunctions and the larger plot against Stark, Tony continued to drink heavily even after Hammer's defeat. This led to the temporary resignation of his longtime butler Jarvis, who went on to sell his shares of Stark International to S.H.I.E.L.D. giving them control of Tony's company. Tony's girlfriend at the time, Beth Cabe, helped bring Tony out of the hole and achieve sobriety before he reconciles with Jarvis and resolves to regain control of his own company.
The Modern Iron Man
Tony's continuing battles with his addiction issues, including alcoholism, would persist throughout the character's history for decades following. In many ways, Tony has always been haunted by his own personal demons, including his past as an arms dealer, but his alcoholism was a harsh reminder of his deep flaws even after becoming a superhero.
This haunted portrayal of Tony would be front and center for Warren Ellis and Adi Granov's relaunch of the character for the 21st century in "Extremis," where he upgraded his outlook and technological capabilities. At the height of Civil War and reeling after the death of his longtime friend Happy Hogan, Tony nearly relapsed into alcoholism before being stopped by the Invisible Woman. During Fear Itself crossover, Tony intentionally relapsed, sacrificing his sobriety to gain Odin's attention in defeating his brother. Following this, Tony would largely remain sober in the past several years.
The MCU Iron Man
At the start of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Tony Stark was immediately established as a heavy drinker, indulging in alcoholic beverages in the morning and in business meetings in the 2008 original Iron Man film. By Iron Man 2, the pressures of being a superhero and facing his own impending mortality due to blood poisoning had led to Tony to significantly increase his alcohol consumption to Pepper Potts and James Rhodes' visible concern, leading to an armored altercation between Tony and Rhodey when an intoxicated Tony goes out of control at his birthday party.
By Avengers and Age of Ultron, Tony is seen drinking more responsibly before seemingly abandoning drinking altogether. Instead, Tony's more defining moments in the MCU appear rooted in his heroic hubris, declaring himself Iron Man to the world at a press conference in the original film's final scene would inform Tony's life throughout both sequels and his decision to support superhero registration in Captain America: Civil War. By his final chronological appearance in Avengers: Endgame, the line would be revisited as his last words prior to using the fully powered Infinity Gauntlet to destroy Thanos and his army at the expense of his own life.