#ivan vanko

[dailymarvelstudios]

Iron Man 2 (2010), dir. Jon Favreau

[swan-of-sunrise]

His Girl Friday

Summary: At Tony Stark's forty-fourth birthday party, the genius-billionaire-playboy-philanthropist and his longtime personal assistant finally address what's remained unspoken but secretly acknowledged between them for many, many years.

Pairings: Tony Stark X F!Reader

Word Count: 2.2k

Warnings/Disclaimers: None

A/N: Hi guys! This is my first time writing a Tony-centric fic and I had a lot of fun with it, so thank you for reading and I hope you all enjoy!

His Girl Friday May 29th, 2014 Avengers Tower, New York City (Fanfiction Masterlist)

Being employed as Anthony Edward Stark’s personal assistant was a challenging and often times perilous job, and that was before he’d announced himself to the world as Iron Man. But (Y/N) (Y/L/N) was no ordinary personal assistant; she stood by the genius-billionaire-playboy-philanthropist when he vowed to stop producing weapons at Stark Industries after being imprisoned by terrorists for three long months, she stuck with him when his secret illness and subsequent erratic behavior drove nearly everyone else away, and she flat-out refused to believe he’d been killed at the hands of the Mandarin. It was evident that Tony Stark was the closest thing she had to a best friend. Lately, however, she’d begun to notice a significant shift in her feelings towards her employer, feelings that definitely went beyond friendship and feelings that she suspected he was feeling as well; she tried her best to keep them at bay, fearful of ruining such a meaningful friendship and throwing away the only job she’d ever truly enjoyed on a baseless suspicion, and thankfully, there were always plenty of distractions to keep herself preoccupied with in her unique line of work.

From her place at the back of the room, (Y/N) scanned over the enormous checklist in her hands to see if she’d missed anything important; the guests were chatting, dancing and taking full advantage of the open bar while the DJ was playing all of Tony’s favorite songs in honor of his forty-forth birthday. All in all, not one of the worst birthday parties I’ve ever planned for him, she thought to herself, a reluctant smile playing on her lips as she recalled the disastrous thirty-ninth birthday party that resulted in the Malibu mansion’s near destruction at the hands of Tony and Rhodey. That particular birthday party was the reason why she’d initially been a little nervous at the prospect of the Avengers attending the soiree, but it only took a brief glance around the bustling common room to see that they were the perfect guests; Steve Rogers and Sam Wilson played pool with Clint Barton and Natasha Romanoff, while Bruce Banner hovered near the back of the enamored crowd of people that surrounded a slightly-inebriated Thor and listened to his enthusiastic re-tellings of the adventures he’d had on Asgard. Pepper and Dr. Helen Cho were seated at the bar and chatted over glasses of Chardonnay while Happy was hyper-focused on his phone, no doubt catching up on an episode of Downton Abbey. With an inward chuckle, the personal assistant returned her attention to her lengthy list of tasks as the classic rock music continued to play.

“Hey beautiful, how ‘bout a dance?”

“Sorry, but I’m worki-” (Y/N) looked up to see Tony Stark himself standing before her, looking as handsome as ever in his expertly tailored black tuxedo and flashing her his signature grin that never failed to make her heart skip a beat. “Hey, you. How’re you enjoying your birthday party?”

Tony tucked his hands into his pockets and shrugged noncommittally. “It’s one of your better-executed extravaganzas, I will say, but it would absolutely skyrocket to the top if I could spend the rest of the evening with my favorite personal assistant.”

(Y/N) arched a skeptical eyebrow. “Tony, I’m your only personal assistant.”

“Exactly, which meant you get the title by default. Yay you!” The billionaire gave her a small applause and she simply heaved an exasperated but fond sigh at his typical theatrics. “C’mon, Girl Friday, you’ve been working your ass off all night and the Birthday Boy says that you should take a well-deserved break.” As his trademark smirk softened into a gentle smile, Tony took his hand out of his pocket and offered it to her in a clear invitation to join him. “Please?”

Although her heart was screaming at her to take his hand and allow him to whisk her into an evening of laughter and coy flirtations, the rational part of her knew that she had a job to complete and that anything more than a friendly conversation could jeopardize their platonic relationship. Masking her disappointment with a shrug and apologetic smile, (Y/N) shook her head and held up her checklist for him to see. “I’m sorry, Tony, but I still have so much to do; I’ve gotta do another check-in with Maria and the security team downstairs, make sure that the pastry chef brings out the cake on time, that the waiters serve the guests champagne at the right tempera-Tony!” She exclaimed when Tony’s hand shot out and snatched the checklist out of her grasp. “Anthony Edward Stark, what the hell do you think you’re doing?”

“Getting rid of an obstacle,” Tony easily replied, holding the checklist above his head and snickering when she unsuccessfully attempted to snatch it back. “Seriously, Girl Friday, just one dance and I’ll let you get back to your boring planning. I’ll even avoid bugging you the rest of the night if it means I can spend a little time with one of my best friends.”

Tony’s rare sincerity softened (Y/N)’s heart, and she felt her resolve crumble as she stared into his gleaming brown eyes. “All right, one dance. Do you ever get tired with always getting your way?”

“Nope!” Tony happily popped the ‘p’ and tucked the checklist into the pocket of his tuxedo jacket before offering her his hand once again, and (Y/N) smiled to herself as the billionaire escorted her to the edge of the dance floor and whisked her into a slow dance to Bon Jovi’s ‘Bed of Roses.’ The warmth of his hand on the curve of her waist combined with the feel of his body brushing up against hers caused her heartbeat to quicken its pace, and she silently prayed that he wouldn’t notice the effect he had on her. “You know, I was being serious before. You’ve truly outdone yourself tonight, (Y/N), and can I just say that you look amazing?” Tony’s eyes briefly glanced down at her red chiffon evening gown and he gave her an appreciative nod. “Mm-hmm, hot-rod red is definitely your color. So, what’s your secret? How is it you can organize and schedule a genius-billionaire-playboy-philanthropist’s entire life and look drop-dead gorgeous while doing it?”

(Y/N) chuckled in amusement, the skirt of her gown swirling around her legs as he twirled her in a circle. “We all have our own superpowers; you fight aliens and terrorists in a red and gold Nitinol suit, and I oversee the hectic life of the man inside the suit to the best of my abilities.”

“Not sure which is the more dangerous job, to be honest.” Tony smirked, expertly guiding her back into his arms and holding her slightly closer than he had before. “But if I could do that death-glare that you’ve perfected over the years, then that would sure make my job a helluva lot easier and people would think twice before messing with Iron Man.” (Y/N) arched a brow and in response, Tony snickered. “Yep, there’s the death-glare!”

“I hate to burst your bubble, but this death-glare is tailor-made for Tony Stark and Tony Stark alone,” (Y/N) replied with a wry smile, and the billionaire’s grin widened as she looked into his sparkling brown eyes. They danced together in a comfortable yet expectant silence, almost as if one was waiting for the other to speak first, but both remained quiet while the 80’s power ballad continued to play; it wasn’t until she noticed the way he was biting his lower lip – one of the few tell-tale signs that there was something weighing heavy on the billionaire’s mind – that (Y/N) finally mustered her courage to address him. “You got a lot of cool presents this year, not to mention hundreds of thousands of dollars in charitable donations gifted in your name. Not too shabby, huh?”

Tony shrugged and replied, “I’m a sucker for gifts and I’m beyond stoked that we’ve raised so much in donations, but…” His eyes briefly flicked downwards to focus on the fluttering movement of her chiffon skirt, suddenly appearing as anxious as (Y/N) felt. “Can we play a quick round of Hypothetical Hold’em?”

A nostalgic feeling washed over (Y/N) at the mention of their old game. Back in the more impulsive and less responsible days of Tony Stark, it had been an effective form of decision-making created out of the billionaire’s respect for her opinions and general advice; they hadn’t played very many rounds in the years since he announced to the world that he was Iron Man and while she was happy that he’d grown and matured so much over the years, a small part of her missed their little game. “I’m a little rusty but I think I’ve still got it. Shoot.”

“A guy I know, Walter, he’s got just about everything he could possibly want in life, except the only thing he really wants is something he can’t have. You see,” Tony expertly dipped her and her breath hitched at the sudden movement, their eyes connecting as he continued. “There’s this woman – let’s call her Hildy – and he’s been in love with her for a while. And Hildy, she’s goddamn fantastic: smart, kind, funny, gorgeous, the whole enchilada.”

Heart sinking into her stomach, (Y/N) mustered up a small smile to hide her pain while he slowly righted her. “Hildy sounds wonderful. So, what’s stopping this Walter guy from telling her how he feels?”

“A couple of things, actually.” He took a deep breath. “She’s not just one of his best friends, but…you see, she’s also his personal assistant.”

The din of the party faded away as (Y/N)’s eyes widened in shock at the billionaire’s candid words; if not for the seriousness written across Tony’s face and the longing gleam that had formed in his brown eyes while he stared into hers, she would’ve assumed that he was pulling her leg. But she knew him, knew him far better than almost anyone else in the world, and it was clear as day that he was speaking directly from the heart. “…Oh.”

Tony nodded, the corner of his mouth twitching upwards in a tried and true attempt to hide behind a more lighthearted façade. “She’s taken such good care of him. He was a loose cannon for a long time…still is, in a way, but she’s gotten him through all the tough spots. He’s good friends with some ex-assassins, a super-soldier and a literal god, but she’s the strongest person he’s ever met and the only person he could ever imagine giving his heart to. But as much as he loves her, he’s not willing to roll the dice and risk losing her from his life forever; that’s why he…” Tony cast his gaze downwards and his hand gripped hers tight. “That’s why I never said anything before.”

“So, what changed?” She whispered as she slowly moved the hand that had been resting on his shoulder to press against the spot where his arc reactor once resided, feeling his rapid heartbeat and silently marveling at how perfectly it matched her own.

“Looking across the room and seeing you with your checklist; you’ve planned over a dozen successful birthday parties for me, but that didn’t stop you from treating tonight as if it was the first. It’s one of the thousand ways you show how much you care about me, and that’s what gave me the courage to walk to the back of the room and finally ask you for a dance.”

The booming opening chords of AC/DC’s ‘You Shook Me All Night Long’ filled the room and while more guests took to the dance floor for the lively song, (Y/N) grabbed Tony’s hand and practically dragged him away from the crowd, not stopping until they were tucked away from any prying eyes in Captain Rogers’ nearby office. When she closed the door behind them and turned around, she was met with an apprehensive-looking Tony and her subtle smile grew into an all-out grin as her eyes filled with happy tears. “You love me?”

“I love you,” Tony replied, his voice growing steady and his eyes filling with confidence at her obvious happiness. “C’mon, Girl Friday, you’re killing me here. Do you love me or what?”

Beaming with joy, (Y/N) brought her hands up to cup his face between them and nodded. “You’re such an asshat, but I love you with all my heart.” Tony’s grin grew to match her own and he leaned forward to kiss her, but was halted by her fingers covering his eager lips. “And in the spirit of covering both our asses, I’d like to take this moment to formally tenure my resignation, Mr. Stark.”

“Duly noted, Miss (Y/L/N). And since I’m such a good ex-boss, I’ll send your resume and a letter of recommendation to a certain defrosted super-soldier who could use all the assistance he can get.”

“Becoming Captain America’s personal assistant? It’ll be a cake-walk, but at least I’ll have my favorite hot mess to come home to.”

(Y/N) moved her hand and giggled at how quickly Tony’s arms wrapped around her waist to tug her closer, but her amusement soon gave way to passion as their lips finally met in a long overdue kiss.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A/N: I figured that we all could use a little fluff, and what better way to deliver it than in a friends-to-lovers trope-fest? Thank you all so much for reading and commenting, and I hope that you have a wonderful holiday season!

Fanfiction Masterlist

Marvel Taglist: @brooke0297​

All Works: @crowleysqueenofhell​ @momc95​ @groovy-lady

[why-i-love-comics]

Joe Fixit #5 (2023)

written by Peter David art by Yildiray Cinar & Dee Cunniffe

[nerdbrazil]

[ironman-tonystark]

When Whiplash came at me wearing a harness and carrying a couple of whips, it took me a minute to realize he was there for a bad time not a good one.

[texaschainsawmascara]

Mickey Rourke

[tvandfilm]

IRON MAN 2 (2010) dir. Jon Favreau 300 (2000) dir. Zack Snyder

[tobiasdrake]

Ivan Vanko is honestly a fascinating character who gets horribly misused. There is so much untapped potential in this character, and I'm probably going to be whining about that for the rest of this movie.

Conceptually, Ivan is Tony's shadow reflection. The film is not subtle about this; It opens with Ivan making an arc reactor in a cave barely-lit garage from a box of scraps, echoing Tony's achievement in the preceding film. It wants you to see Ivan as another Tony Stark. The Tony of another story. His equal and parallel.

But unfortunately, this is a busy movie and it doesn't have a lot of time to dwell on that. Iron Man 2's biggest problem is that it tries to do too many things, and they don't always complement each other well.

Looking back on Ivan now, I can't help but wonder what could have been. Ivan seeks revenge against Tony in retaliation for what he perceives to be Tony's father destroying Ivan's family. He wants to avenge his dead father for the life that the Starks allegedly stole from him, but his fury is misplaced.

And when I think about that, I also think about Captain America: Civil War. Tony, in a fit of vengeance, tried to murder Bucky in retaliation for the Winter Soldier assassinating his parents. In that moment, Tony was trying to avenge his parents for the life that Bucky allegedly stole from him, but his fury was misplaced. In that moment, Tony fully became his shadow reflection Ivan Vanko.

And that's a fascinating parallel that is easily overlooked because. Well. This movie wasn't very memorable.

[ivanvankoswhips]

Ivan Vanko sketches I did a while back! Posted on my ig as well @ jackie.fruity|IG

And welcome all! I am probs the first fan acc for Ivan Vanko (Whiplash) from Iron Man 2 ever! Unhealthy obssession over this man and this man only.

Am I the only person to obssess over a character that only appears for like 5 mins in the movie and had a 1-dimensional personality but alr made like an ENTIRE backstory and background and personalities so deep, its deeper than Mariana's Trench itself?

Out of anyone in the Iron Man trilogy, I picked this guy

[stupid-selective-marvel-blog]

Matching pfp for you and your bestie

[kingoftieland]

Much of Mickey Rourke’s performance in Iron Man 2 was CUT! ✂️

[rocksrntpeople]

MCU Rewatch - Iron Man 2

So, turns out I did know what Iron Man 2 is about and just thought that it was Iron Man 3. What the hell is Iron Man 3 then? Something, something, annoying little kid, something, something, Iron Man? Idk, but at the very least this is the last one that makes me go, “what the hell was this about again?”

Granted, Iron Man 2 was a lesson in cinematic dichotomy and I had a hard time feeling engaged with the Ivan Vanko plotline. It seemed super shallow and just generally less interesting than what Stark was dealing with.

So, the main plot of this movie is actually tri-fold. Firstly, we have Tony Stark dealing with palladium poisoning. He’s dying because of the device that’s keeping him alive and it’s the first time he’s dealing with failure somehow, and there’s just a lot of internal strife going on. 

Alongside this is the much more public battle of Iron Man’s identity. The U.S. government wants the Iron Man suit to be a symbol of the US military, to represent power and glory over all through violence, but that’s not who or what Iron Man is. Up against Stark is a bloated (literally) politician and a weapons contractor who may be one of the most annoying characters in the MCU.

And this leads us into the third, kind of shoe-horned-in plot of Anton and Ivan Vanko. When Anton dies at the beginning of the movie, his son Ivan decides that now is the time to take revenge on Stark, as opposed to a few years earlier before he had the Iron Man suit and before Ivan’s dad bit the dust. But okay. And what is he mad about? That Tony Stark’s dad “stole” the arc reactor idea from Anton and then decades later Tony actually made it somewhat useful.

I’m sorry but that is just a stupid plot. So this guy, who’s been trapped in Siberia for decades, finally decides to leave and his motivation is that some guy whose dad used to work with his dad used old technology to create new technology? And he’s going to combat him with…whips? Powered by technology that, not only was totally available to this villain since well before Tony “stole” it, but is also literally impossible for some of the world’s best scientists in top facilities to create?

(Do you remember this, Marvel? It was two movies earlier.)

Meanwhile, the other two plots are doing great work with the whole dueling egos and themes of identity crises between private and public personas. Plus there’s a whole overarching moral lesson of friendship is power!

Once again, chef’s kiss; perfect. It’s clear that Favreau loves Iron Man; it’s where he started and it’s where he thrives. Despite having to shove in a fairly generic action plot, he manages to tie together the rest of the movie to create seriously humanizing moments that endear us to Iron Man.

There’s a lot to like about this movie, but it’s mostly in the quiet moments, the atmosphere, the snappy comebacks Stark tosses out like nothing. The cuts to the Vanko story were often jarring and felt like commercial breaks cutting into what I really wanted to watch.

And to be completely honest, what I wanted to watch was a lot of world and character building. We’re still in the dawn of the MCU here, and Iron Man 2 and 3 do a lot of heavy lifting as far as establishing new characters and letting viewers see how the rest of the world responds to superheroes.

I was more excited to see Black Widow than I thought I would be. I don’t dislike her or anything, but when she came on screen it was electric, like this is it, the world is expanding. She doesn’t belong here; she’s not part of the Iron Man team. Yet here she is, meddling.

Along with Romanov, we also get Coulson on the scene again and of course, Nick Fury. The little nods to Thor throughout the film were shockingly enjoyable. I didn’t know shit about Thor when this came out, so going back knowing everything that will happen…it’s a whole new kind of tension. This is gonna be a theme for a while, I think. The MCU ball doesn’t really start rolling until after Captain America shows up.

While SHIELD is basically only in the movie to give Iron Man some much needed pep talks, the rest of the cast does a great job supporting Tony Stark. He doesn’t make it easy, but by the end he’s friends with Rhodey again (after getting into a mech fight and having Rhodey steal one of the suits), he saved the public from US military contractors, he gets together with Pepper finally, and he even gets a message from his father validating his love for him! Come on! Everyone is in Iron Man’s corner!

Except, obviously, the main bad dude Vanko (and also that idiot Hammer). This guy kept saying “you lose” like he didn’t waste his life in Siberia being evil, and then just…explodes. Okay; girl, bye.

Can we talk about how cool this movie is for a second? As time goes on, the movies begin to rush the action a bit, especially as the battlefields become more complex, but in Iron Man 2 the actions make sense.

For example, Tony Stark’s germ thing. There are many possible reasons why he might have an anti-germ thing, primarily the fact that he’s dying throughout most of the movie, but what’s awesome is how he asks Pepper to put on a mask when she’s coughing, how he refuses to take things handed to him, how he shirks away from people trying to touch him. Those little continuity details make a big difference.

I especially loved when Black Widow and Happy are fighting at Hammer Industries and you can literally see Happy fighting in the background while Black Widow has a whole long fight scene.

(And yeah, yeah, yeah, I know it’s a little ridiculous that she got changed and moussed her hair in the car. I don’t care; I overlooked Vanko and I’ll overlook the little Black Widow gaffes too.)

Then, there are so many awesome shots done for no reason other than Iron Man is cool as fuck. 

Whereas Iron Man established Tony Stark’s character, Iron Man 2 established his new personality, the one that can just barely handle failure and needing help and overall considering the impact of his actions beyond his immediate circle.

Most of the MCU characters have this type of personality evolution, and it’s one of my favorite elements of the franchise. Stark will undergo a few personality shifts throughout the series, as you’d expect since he was the first one in. I’m very excited!

Speaking of personality shifts, I’m so excited for Thor! I have just a bit of hatred for the original Thor characterization, but the other characters are great, the plot is decent, and it’s just really amusing to see this fancy, stuck-up Thor, knowing what’s to come for the character.

Iron Man 2 gets a 6/10 for me overall. Definitely one of the weakest MCU movie, but it had plenty of redeeming qualities.

[moontheoretist]

“This does confuse me,” Thor said, “Tony is a man of importance and wealth on Midgard. He clearly has vassals who do as he instructs and he has the AI who are programmed to serve him, but he does not have servants or guards of any type. Is it not the custom to have such nobles in your society protected from more commonplace individuals who would do them harm?” Clint blinked. He had to rehash Thor’s words through his head and his brain kept getting stuck on the realization that Thor thought Tony was royalty. He snorted and shook his head, “Tony’s a private citizen,” he said, “What makes him different from every other Joe Schmoe out there is his crazy brain and his money. Really, it’s the money that sets him apart. Without it, he’d not be able to do half the shit his brain comes up with.” Thor frowned, “Perhaps you have not seen it, but the social customs of your world do bend to Tony’s will, as they would bend to any man of power. Perhaps you do not have princes and kings as we do on Asgard, but Tony is cut of that cloth. He is a leader and those around him obey his rules.” “Tony’s a dude with millions and millions of dollars,” Clint said, “Born to a family that’s known for building a company that sold weapons for war for decades. If that’s what it takes to be a prince, then for sure, he’s a prince, but no one just obeys him.” “Your companion does,” Loki said quietly, “She bends a knee to his figurative throne. It is the responsibility of a royal guard to lay their life down for their king and that is what she did.” “Natasha doesn’t just obey him blindly,” Clint snapped, “It’s not like that.” But he could tell Loki didn’t believe him. “It isn’t. She didn’t just swear loyalty to him for nothing.�� Ivan switched off the stove, removed the pan from the heat and the fried ham slices from the pan. “Tony may lead, but he does not do so as royalty.” He began to plate his own sandwich. “I think I would know what royalty looks like,” Thor said, “As I am royal myself.” He looked a little too smug for Clint’s liking, but Clint wasn’t sure how to refute it. Tony did have the ability to command people like a prince did and Clint doubted that even the US Senate would be able to make Tony bend to their will and hell, Natasha had faced off with a super strong monster for him and he had those goddamn AI that could see or hear everything. “Well of course you would see royalty in Tony, since you are royal yourself,” Ivan said, placing sliced cheese on his sandwich, “A dog looks a horse and simply thinks it is a bigger dog. The dog does not understand things outside of it’s relatively limited scope of understanding.” Clint felt the temperature of the room plummet. Like, actually, physically plummet. His next breath in was cold and the hair on the back of his neck stood on end. Every instinct inside of him told him to drop out of sight, to take his food and run, but he managed to resist the urge for one reason. Loki’s icy glare was pinned to Ivan, while Thor blinked at him, as if actually surprised to be compared to a dog. Ivan didn’t visibly react to the cold temperature, just picked up some slices of cucumber and said, “Tony is not royal. Tony is a mechanic. He approaches his life as a series of problems to fix, not as though he is a gift for those around him to receive. There is nothing divine about him. The wounds that he got that will hinder him the worst are those that are on his hands, for he toils among those of the world who work for a better life and future. Look harder at the man and you will see the truth of it.” Clint’s mouth opened and he said the first thing he thought of, which was, “You know, horses are actually a lot less intelligent than dogs. They’re bigger, sure, but they can be dumb as a rock.” When Ivan looked at him, he shrugged and said, “Worked in a circus. They kept horses for a few tricks. Now an elephant, those fuckers are intelligent.” Loki half rose from his seat but Thor’s hand was suddenly on his shoulder, pushing him back down. “You dare,” Loki said, lips pulling back in a sneer, “Insult us in this manner-” Ivan’s dark gaze settled on Loki and Clint was surprised that the alien prince actually shut the fuck up in the middle of his hissing. “You dare abuse the hospitality of a man I admire for his strength and ethic. Did you think you could come here and do as you please simply because you think yourself our betters for your birth?” He gave a frosty smile, “Eat his food. Live in his home. Wear the clothing he provides. But do not insult him by saying he is like you. I will not let you belittle his worth.” “It is an honor to be compared to royal blood,” Thor said stiffly, his hand still pressing down on Loki’s shoulder. “At least so is the custom upon Asgard. Clearly, royal birth means little to those of Midgard.” He glanced to Clint with a growing frown. “Hey don’t bundle me with the Russian,” Clint said, “I’m American. We just flipped off our royal masters and kicked them off our soil. The British can keep their ancient queen for forever as far as I’m concerned.” Unprompted, Ivan said, “We put our royals in a mass grave. The people do not need a king.” There was a flicker of confusion on Thor’s face that was pushed down under a grim expression. His knuckles where white on Loki’s shoulder but Clint thought that had something to do with the way Loki looked like he wanted to lunge across the counter at Ivan. His hands were, suspiciously, beneath the counter. Clint thought that was very suspicious because he was friends with Natasha. He picked up the plate with Natasha’s sandwich on it slowly. He might have to make a run for it, if things got prickly. He wasn’t going to get his legs broken in a fight against Thor or Loki. Even if Ivan was both terrifying and had balls of pure steel. And was probably also some level of commie insane, with the whole kill the royals nonsense. “Prince or not, Tony is a man of great material wealth and success. Even if I were to offer to pay him back for his hospitality, there is little I could give. I am on a personal quest here and have limited access to the power to which I am accustomed. You do not wish for us to take advantage of him, I can respect that desire,” Thor said seriously, “But what else can I do but accept it in exchange for future favors, or perhaps companionship?” Ivan looked at Thor like he was an absolute idiot. Clint recognized that look from Natasha too. It was creepy how much everyone could look like Natasha when they were dealing with people they considered to be an idiot. When the silence continued, longer than Clint was comfortable with, and long enough for Ivan to decide that Thor was actually asking for advice, he said simply, “Get a job.”

Observer Effect by Ramabear (RyMagnatar)

This moment when Ivan Vanko tells two Asgardian Princes to FIND A JOB. Can this bitch slap less? No. I don’t think so. SLAP, IVAN! SLAP!

[fic-ive-read]

Link To The Fic

[themaybewoman]

Marvel (ik that’s really broad hehe)

Psssh I could always talk marvel (esp old marvel)

Blorbo (favourite character, character I think about most often): you guys might find this surprising but Tony Stark

Scrunkly (my “baby”, character that gives me cuteness aggression, character that is So Shaped): Tony Stark :) like in im3?? those puppy dog expressions?? and whenever he talks to Pepper Potts???

Scrimblo Bimblo (underrated/under appreciated fave): Clint Barton - no need to say more, he’s very underappreciated; the grounding force of the avengers? Hello!?

Glup Shitto (obscure character, one that appears in background for .2 seconds and I won’t shut up about it for a week): Maya Hansen - seriously this girl is so forgotten and she’s literally SO SMART SHE CREATED EXTREMIS!!!

Poor Little Meow Meow (problematic/unpopular/controversial/otherwise pathetic fave): Helmut Zemo

Horse Plinko (character I would torture for fun): in terms of whump or because I hate them? Lol. I’m going with the spirit of whumptober and saying Peter Parker - I’d whump the shit out of him to show my love. (In terms of disliking them though, Justin Hammer - too annoying)

Eeby Deeby (character I would send to superhell): Ivan Vanko, Aldrich Killian, and all those slimeball n*zi villains

[themattress]

I Grade: Whiplash

Appearance: It’s literally just a shirtless Mickey Rourke wearing some weird-looking tech. How ridiculously unimaginative. While he gets a Crimson Dynamo-inspired mech suit in the climax, the nighttime lighting of the sequence works against it much like it did to Iron Monger.

SCORE = 2

Performance: Mickey Rourke put his heart and soul into portraying Ivan Vanko, and a little of that can still be glimpsed in the movie....but not nearly enough, as much of his performance was actually removed in editing, which remains a huge sore spot for the actor to this day.

SCORE = 3

Motivation: Ivan Vanko has an incredibly engaging motivation - his father, Anton, had helped Howard Stark develop the arc reactor, but then the Cold War kicked in and he betrayed Howard by trying to sell it to the Soviet Union. His plot was uncovered, he was deported back to his home country and locked in a Gulag for his failure. After being released, he lived a depressed life watching Stark Industries achieve worldwide fame without him, even dying in front of his son after bemoaning this. So all Ivan wants to do is destroy Tony Stark and his company in the eyes of the world, to achieve vengeance for his father. It’s not just hate that fuels him, but love, which humanizes him greatly even with the film’s editing interfering. 

SCORE = 4

Villainy: And despite such a great motivation, he barely does anything in the movie! He has one smackdown with Tony Stark, then gets arrested, then brought to Justin Hammer in order to do his bidding and assist in his villainy for the rest of the movie until the last minute where he goes rogue in the climax, fights Tony and Rhodey, then dies by his own hand. Weak.

SCORE = 2

Resolution: Like I said, he fights Tony and Rhodey, then dies by his own hand. And that’s not a bad resolution, him killing himself in order to take Tony with him is totally in line with his character; it’s just disappointing that it follows such a lack of activity. Why did we waste so much time on Justin Hammer’s antics instead of building up the far more compelling villain?

SCORE = 3

Final Grade: 2.5; could’ve been great, should’ve been great, but tragically wasn’t great.