Do you think Tony Stark needs the damaged heart as part of his origin?

[maczero]

I'm an Iron Man fan but I've never felt that the damaged heart thing added much to the character. It doesn't seem to have the same emotional impact on Tony as for example Bruce Wayne losing his parents. In fact, I'm hoping the EMH's version of the character forgoes the whole needing technology to live angle. Am I alone in this?

 

[Video Beagle]

Well, EMH has it in there.

Does he need it? Not really.. It's not a cause for his origin (as you mention Batman's parents) so much as a plot element. It gives him a weakness...makes him less of a tool.

I mean, if you think about Stark, he's not someone the common man is going to like too much....Rich, handsome, was given every opportunity in the world by his family, and has the greatest toys in the world...the heart gives him a chink in his armor.

That said, I liked when in the comics he had the heart fixed, and was really annoyed when they re-damaged it so he'd be stuck in the suit again. It's one thing for an origin story where you want to get people on board with a new character. It's another thing to believe that one of the richest men in the world who has access to the greatest technology available can't get a heart transplant.

 

[Munkiman]

Not only is it an interesting weakness, a chink in the Iron Man armor, it also provides Tony a constant reminder of his own mortality, and of why he became Iron Man. I like it.

 

[Wonderwall]

I think it's important for his origin or else he doesn't have an organic reason to become Iron Man or do the things he does. I've always liked that weakness and it's good way to put him in peril when his suit fails him and he needs to use his head to figure a way out. Still I don't mind if they heal him as it would make sense to look for a cure or treatment rather than constantly have it...as long as they don't give him the same weakness once he's cured of it.

 

[kid rabbit]

I aways thought the robot heart was cool made him half machine

 

[AlgeaX]

I think the injured heart is an important part of the origin. The origin of Iron Man, like those of Spider-Man and Dr. Strange, is the story of a man being struck down for his own huberis. In that kind of story, it's important that our hero suffer some lasting loss that symbolises that humbling. For Peter that was the death of Uncle Ben, for Stephen it was his career and wealth, and for Tony it's his heart.