Plurk paste

In many ways, Tony plays exactly the part he has set up for himself: genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist. The first can hardly be denied; He has taken over his equally intelligent father's company and empire, and in many ways improved and expanded on the platform left for him. If advanced robotics and the artificial intelligent program JARVIS that runs his house and nearly everything else he owns isn't a testament to what his mind can create, then his implementation arc reactor technology, his quick understanding of thermonuclear astrophysics helps a bit. But they're not just his designs, his abilities as a mechanic and engineer are equally unparalleled: He did create his first Iron Man suit in the desert out of scrap metal, after all, and made his own miniature Hadron Collider in his basement workshop. Not quite your typical science fair project, but Tony easily moves from one project to the next. He's earned his reputation.

Billionaire goes without saying. Tony is loaded, and has always been well-off. Growing up as a Stark meant always being ahead of the times, and it can be assumed by the small clip we were able to see when his father was making a promotional video, probably a lot of of nannying and being raised by hired help. His main house is in Malibu, California, hanging off a private cliff next to the ocean. In the basement garage and his workstation, he has five top of the line cars that he drives for the fun of it. (He has drivers, remember.) Tony never has any problem flaunting his wealth, either. Blowing his money in casinos is just a drop in the bucket for some weekend fun. You never see him wearing the same suit and tie once. He has his own private plane (most likely designed by himself) and holds conventions and fundraising events in his name. His status on the economic ladder has never been questioned.

Tony Stark is, unarguably, quite the ladies man. Being rich and famous is generally a good place to start, but being charming, handsome, and quick-witted doesn't hurt, either. He is notorious for bringing women home, and we've never seen him promise to call them the next day. A night with Tony Stark is an opportunity you shouldn't pass up, just don't hope that he remembers who you are the next time you meet up, no matter how much time has passed. He has no problems charming even the most stubborn nay-sayer into bed. Though it is not stated whether or not he is being entirely monogamous after hooking up with Pepper, he isn't seen in the company of other women in Avengers, but that might be at least partly due to the fact he's too busy saving the world. He is a shameless flirt.

That is not to say, however, he is a man without morals. He isn't known for being particularly empathetic or giving; he is known for being self-serving and self-absorbed. And he is, there is no arguing that. Tony Stark's ego may only be rivaled by Dark Matter in the universe, and that's just a rough estimate. But his life takes a sudden change when he is kidnapped in Afghanistan and sees the true impact of his work. For once, Tony really starts to learn to not turn a blind eye to someone other than himself. That is not to say that he has always been without appreciation for other people: growing up as a prodigy child and essentially used as a figurehead of a company while people went behind your back does tend to make it difficult to really understand other people, but he was capable of forming his own version of close relationships; Pepper and Rhodey being good examples. It is not until he dons the not-so-secret identity of Iron Man that feeding his own ego leads to benefit others. But he doesn't stop there: he continues to work towards technology that will help cease dependency on energy sources that are depleting and overall hurting the environment. It's a complete 180 from making that which destroys, but it's Tony's way of giving back to the world and making up for his past mistakes. His ego, however, stays wonderfully intact through it all, he just has an epiphany and some support of those close to him.

It's not always easy to be in Tony Stark's inner circle. A lot of babysitting tends to be involved, mostly because he keeps to his own idea of a schedule and has to be reminded that the rest of the world still turns. It shouldn't, but it does. But you're there because he trusts you, and it's a very exclusive club. The main members consisted of Obediah, Pepper, and Rhodey before the whole destruction of the world thing, but Obediah proved to be only out to profit from Stark Industries. And though Rhodey wasn't always supportive in Iron Man 2, he has been true to doing what he thinks is in Tony's best interest. Pepper, as Tony says on his own, is the only person he has. With no family, his personal assistant of ten years has become the closest to him, and she essentially keeps his entire life from becoming a chaotic mess. He really could not function the way he does without her. The first Avenger he befriends is easily Bruce, both having a common interest, and more than that, he is someone who can actually think and talk on Tony's level; there aren't many of those in the world. Steve becomes a sort of frienemy that Tony enjoys teasing, but knows he can rely on and even goes so far as to take orders from him during the battle for Earth. Natasha, he does not trust easily due to her double agent entrance into his life, but she is good at what she does. (Sometimes too good.) He can act dismissive and talk over them, poke and prod at them (sometimes literally), but he does have a soft spot for them and even does some decidedly selfless things because of them.

This bleeds into the final thing he calls himself: a philanthropist. He doesn't just take over his father's company, he improves upon it and then completely changes it's direction. Tony knows what he wants to do, and even when it's unpopular, moves forward, and it ultimately pays off.

Tony has a sharp tongue and quick wit, which he uses in every situation, whether it's appropriate or not. This can grate people, and though he rarely outright laughs at something, it's very clear when he is amused at his own jokes. Not everything is a joking matter, however, and his remarks often betray his true feelings in serious situations. He is wonderfully skilled at word games, going back from being brutally honest to almost cryptic; it's whatever be suits his purpose. It's something he enjoys, as well as a coping mechanism.

Besides being a suave and brilliant rich man, he is not without his own strange set of personal quirks.He tends to ramble a bit when he really gets on a topic, almost like his mouth can't quite keep up with his barrage of thoughts, often adding on edits to the end of his sentences. It's mostly snarky humor, but he can get wrapped up in technical jargon when he's involved in the moment. Tony tends to think out loud, perhaps partly because he is used to feedback and quirky remarks from JARVIS, but it may also just be the easiest way for him to sort out and understand his own thoughts. Though it's hinted at in the movies, shown more so in the comics, Tony is rarely seen without a drink in his hand, if it can be avoided. Alcohol can be a bit of a crutch when he's not sure what to do with himself, and being a bit of a partier doesn't help. He also doesn't like being handed things. He tolerates them from Pepper, it seems. Or if it's booze; that is always acceptable.