eruthros | in which Tony Stark gets down on his knees and begs

So I'm not saying that anybody should, like, go and read the current run of the Invincible Iron Man (written by Matt Fraction, art by Salvador Larroca) or anything, especially since most of it makes me eyeroll all over the place. I'm just saying: wow, Matt Fraction/Marvel, your kinks are showing.

Panels from #503 and #520 and #521; includes noncon-begging-a-bad-guy tropes and tentacles and mind control and torture and being a prisoner and omg how is marvel so racist villains and ableist terms and large images and spoilers. Because I find it really difficult to parse comics dialogue with every other word bolded like it is in the original, I've left that out.

So, first there was this, from #503, in which - for Reasons - Tony Stark is trying to disarm a nuclear bomb that Doc Ock has planted, but Doc Ock keeps distracting him:

Invincible Iron Man #503 page 6 + 12

(link to full-sized page 6+12)

Panel 1: Tony is staring at a cannister with a radiation symbol painted on it (because it's a nuclear bomb, see). Tony is wearing the Iron Man suit without the helmet, and his face is red and bloody. Doc Ock, from mostly offscreen except for one of his tentacles: "Your mind versus mine. To win, you have to lose." Tony: "Shut up, one, and two, you're insane, and three, shut up, you're insane and I'm trying to concentrate--"
2: Two of Ock's tentacles grab Tony around the neck and waist and yank him backward. Doc Ock: "Try harder."
(There's a whole giant fight scene that I've mostly redacted as well as another plotline that I cut out. Back to the fight.)
3: A bunch of Ock's tentacles are around Tony, who is lying prone on the floor. Tony has pulled up part of a tile and left scratches in the floor as he attempts to avoid being pulled backwards. Ock: "No, boy. I'm not done with you yet."

Then Tony realizes he can't disarm the bomb and that he has to just appeal to Doc Ock. It's not entirely clear why he decides to do this - it's elided offscreen. Just cut to:

Invincible Iron Man #503 page 14

(link to full-sized page 14)

Panel 1: Tony is on his hands and knees in front of Doc Ock's tentacles. Tony: "Otto. Please."
2: Tony is kneeling up with his hands together in a prayer position. Tony: "Please, Otto. Stop this. You have to stop this. You can't-- you can't want your legacy to be that you killed millions of people."
3: Doc Ock is resting on his tentacles above Tony; Tony is still kneeling up, but now we're looking up at Ock from behind Tony. Ock: "Can't I? Beg for it, Stark. Call me 'master' and beg for their lives."

(link to full-sized page 16)

Panel 1: Tony, from the front again, still holding his hands together in prayer position. He looks startled. "I-- what?"
2: Closer view of Doc Ock's face. Ock: "Beg your master for mercy. Petition me with prayer."
3: Tony, side view, with one of Ock's tentacles. Tony: "I ... please don't do this ..."
4: Tony: "... master." Tony leans forward to kiss Ock's tentacle. Srsly.
5: Close-up of Doc Ock: "Mmm. I don't think you mean it. Watch this."
6: Close-up on the timer for the bomb which has suddenly changed to thirty seconds. "Time flies for men like me, Stark. See?"

(link to full-sized page 17)

Panel 1: Close-up on Tony looking startled amid the tentacles. Tony: "AAA! Otto! Ot-- Master!"
2: Tony: "Master, please. I beg you. I am begging you--you are right. I am wrong. You're smarter than me and you always were--" A longer shot of Tony, still on his knees surrounded by tentacles; he's reaching up with both hands to grasp Doc Ock's leg.
3: Closer-up on Tony. Tony: "--please--"
4: Close-up of Doc Ock. Ock: "Fine."
5. Tony looking at the bomb or something, possibly while Ock turns away to leave? I find this panel hard to parse. Anyway, Tony: "God-- Oh, God--"

Anyway suffice it to say that Doc Ock wins but decides not to kill billions of people. Later, in Doc Ock's lair:

Invincible Iron Man #503 page 28

(link to full-sized page 28)

Panel 1: A shot of Tony, kneeling and holding Ock's leg, as in a previous panel; this one is green and pixilated to indicate that it's video footage. Tony: "Master, please. I beg you. I am begging you--you are right. I am wrong. You're smarter than me and you always were--"
2: Continued video footage, close up of Tony's face. Tony: "--please--" Doc Ock, from offscreen: "Rewind five seconds."
3: Closer-up version of panel one. Tony: "Master, please. I beg you. I am begging you--you are right. I am wrong. You're smarter than me and you always were--"
4: Closer-up version of panel two. Tony: "--please--" Doc Ock, from offscreen: "Again."
5: Closer-up again version of panel one. Tony: "Master, please. I beg you. I am begging you--you are right. I am wrong. You're smarter than me and you always were--"
6: Closer-up again version of panel two. Tony: "--please--" Doc Ock, from offscreen: "And again."
7: Closer-up still version of panel one, so zoomed that it's super pixilated. Tony: "Master, please. I beg you. I am begging you--you are right. I am wrong. You're smarter than me and you always were--"
8: Close-up on Doc Ock's face. Ock: "Ha ha. Glorious."

As it turns out, the bomb contained radioactive material, but it was a fake - and the reason Tony couldn't defuse it is that it wasn't actually functional. So Doc Ock basically just planted a fake nuclear bomb for the sole and exclusive purpose of making a Tony Stark begging sex tape. So that happened.

And then this month there is this, in which - for Reasons - okay, you know what, the plot doesn't make any sense and it's so woobie Tony Stark that I can't deal, plus the choice of villains makes me cranky (why do they keep bringing back the Mandarin why oh wait it's because they're racist assholes). Whatever, the only important context is that Tony Stark has decided to quit being Iron Man (Rhodey and Pepper are doing the superheroing instead) and quit running Stark Resilient for reasons of how it puts a TARGET on other people's HEADS and now he is packing up his office to leave:

Invincible Iron Man #520 page 19

(link to full-sized page 19)

Panel 1: Tony is drawing something at his desk; he's surrounded by boxes and talking to the Mandarin (I KNOW) on bluetoothstarkphone. The Mandarin: "Tell me, Stark, what are you doing?" Tony: "Oh, just doodling around. Packing up my office. Why?"
2: The Mandarin: "You're drawing a kind of squid, for lack of a better term. A titanomech. Very large. Ambulatory on tentacle-like appendages." Closer shot of Tony, who has turned away from his work, startled. Tony: "Cute trick. You've got cameras hidden in my office somehow, Mandarin?"
3: MANDARIN CITY. (I KNOW). Somebody is bowing in front of the Mandarin, who is sitting in a big chair with steam-stuff coming off his hand. The Mandarin: "Even better."

(link to full-sized page 20)

Panel 1: Still in Mandarin City; the Mandarin, face in shadow, is holding a grey metal thingy. The Mandarin: "What happened at Hammer Industries was a mistake. The price we pay for lack of rigidity and precision. Surely you understand that in any technical venture it is always the human element that fails in unpredictable ways." Tony, on the phone: "Are you lonely, Mandarin? Do you want a friend or something? Because I have enough friends."
2: Now in Tony's office again; Tony's standing up and has turned to face the camera, so that we can really focus on the events of these panels. Tony: "Now tell me how you knew I was--" The Mandarin, on the phone: "Punch yourself in the face, Stark."
3: Close-up of Tony; his expression is blank and his fist is in front of him.
4: Close-up of Tony; he's just punched himself in the face. Tony: "GGGFWAAH--"
5: Close-up of the Mandarin's hand on the grey metal thingy. The Mandarin: "I'm in your head, Stark. Quite literally, hidden in your very source code. Ever since you tried to wipe your mind clean I have been a part of you. You want to know how to stop the bloodshed and save your people?"
6: Close-up of the Mandarin; his face is still in shadow, but now we get to see his little bluetooth thing. Important nod for realism I guess. The Mandarin: "Kneel and call me 'master.'"

(link to full-sized page 21)

Panel 1: A big. nearly full-page panel, of Tony Stark kneeling next to all his boxes. He's looking down at the floor; one hand is holding up the phone, and the other is relaxed on his lap. Tony: "Yes..."
2: Extreme closeup of just Tony's lower face and the hand with the phone. "...master." NEXT: THE FUTURE.

So then in #521 Tony Stark ends up in a sort of superhero prison where people are mind controlled and have bombs in their chests and torture devices and Tony is supposed to build giant tentacular robots but he doesn't have the equipment and basically it's marvel comics:

Invincible Iron Man #521 page 11

(link to full-sized page 11)

Panel 1: Tony, offscreen: "You don't have eggs. You get me these things, I can make it. The Mandarin, back to camera: "That was not the deal."
2: Tony, offscreen: "The deal was you'd give me everything I needed to make the Titanomechs and I'd make them on your budget and schedule-- --hey--" The Mandarin has turned around and is pointing one of his rings at Tony.
3: Tony: "We're just talking here. No reason to--" The Mandarin: "SILENCE!"
4: The Mandarin's hand is surrounded by white glowy-electric-field-thingy; so is Tony Stark, who is clutching his head and screaming "AAA."

(link to full-sized page 12)

Panel 1: The Mandarin: "No. I was being disrespected." Two guards are standing over Tony Stark, whose body is still electrical-auraing a little, as he says "Ooh-- Okay-- Okay--.
2: The two guards are holding Tony up. Tony: "--Jus' pretty sure thas gonna start causing brain damage soon... the List. Master."
3: (continued) "Just steal it. You don't even have to spend any money. I don't care. You get me the list, I can get you your mechs."

Gotta keep calling him master, obv. Anyway, Tony's more dangerous than the rest of the captured superheros, right? Especially since he just can't help being a HERO. So he has to be kept in line and remember who his master is. And he has to have his very own chastity belt. No really.

Invincible Iron Man #521 page 22A

(link to full-sized page 22A)

Panel 1: LATER. Zeke looks up from his machine to see Tony standing silhouetted in the doorframe. Zeke: "Tony."
2: A closer shot of Zeke and Tony at a desk. Zeke: "Tony, what happened?" Tony, who is wearing a big unwieldy green metal vest-thing with riveted straps that go down between his legs: "Hah. They beat the hell out of me, man."

(link to full-sized page 22B)

Panel 1: Tony, who is apparently having trouble sitting down and is being helped by Zeke: "He locked me in this vest so the repulsor in my chest can't ... I don't get to help anyone like that until it comes off. And if it comes off, they'll kill you first."

Between those two shots, it is totally clear that the straps of the metal vest thing go down around his genitals, on the outside of his pants, which I guess means he can never change his pants without the guards' help with the rivets. There is a reason most people wear these things under their underwear, Tony.

Anyway that was this week's release, so. Next week, on the Invincible Iron Man: Will Tony call someone "Master" again? Because they make him do it to save his FRIENDS? Even though he doesn't want to? Signs point to yes.

This post was brought to you by "I can't even, Matt Fraction."

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

From:

thingswithwings

THIS IS ALL SO AMAZING THAT I CANNOT EVEN DEAL. OH TONY STARK. ALWAYS BEING FORCED TO SUBMIT AND THREATENED WITH SEXUAL VIOLENCE. I LOVE EVERYTHING.

I think my faaaaaavourite part, of many faaaaaaaaaavourite parts, is when Tony kisses Doc Ock's tentacle, because Doc Ock DID NOT EVEN ASK FOR THAT, TONY. YOU CAME UP WITH THAT ON YOUR OWN. BECAUSE YOU KNOW HOW TO DO FORCED SUBMISSION BY NOW. omg. Everything, I love.

From:

chagrined

THAT WAS MY FAVORITE PART TOO, IT SEVERELY BROKE MY BRAIN AND I MADE THIS ~NOISE~ AND MY NEW HOUSEMATES WHO ARE NOT USED TO ME AND MY NOISES THOUGHT I HAD INJURED MYSELF OR THERE WAS SOMETHING SERIOUSLY WRONG WITH ME OR SOMETHING *__________*

From:

thingswithwings

DON'T WORRY HOUSEMATES AND NEIGHBOURS

IT'S JUST THE SOUND OF TONY STARK BEING THE BRATTIEST PRETTIEST SUB

THIS IS WHAT THAT SOUNDS LIKE

From:

eruthros

He just goes, hmm, what does Otto want to get out of this? Oh I know! Sexual violence!

From:

chagrined

*___* I CAN'T EVEN

I WISH I WEREN'T SO BROKE, THIS MAKES ME WANT TO START READING MORE COMICS AGAIN

From:

eruthros

Ha, well, the Matt Fraction run takes foreeeeever to get any plots done, and I spend a lot of time going "wait, but - we didn't even - why is this happening?" (Maybe because I don't know enough comics canon, idk, but even so.) So it would really take a lot of money to follow the story arcs!

From:

anatsuno

WHOA.

From:

eruthros

I KNOW, RIGHT? 503 was amazing enough; I can't believe they did it again so soon!

From:

kate_nepveu

. . . wow.

Do you think they *realize*?!

From:

eruthros

I don't know! I feel like it's pretty obvious, but maybe it's not?

Regardless, I know that some fan people notice, because Tony has to get down on his knees and beg people for his friends' lives every other day in a lot of fanfic. :)

From:

kate_nepveu

Somehow this is a trend I have missed!

From:

isagel

Oh, TONY. Bless.

I was just having a discussion the other day with a friend who writes excellent Tony/Steve where I said I love reading the pairing, but I can't really feel it to write it myself, because I see them both as sexually submissive and so all the components aren't there to have it click for me. And then there was this slight sense of having fallen down the rabbit hole because apparently all people don't find it obvious that Tony Stark is the subbiest of subs? Sometimes I don't realize that not everyone sees characters through a sexual power dynamics filter. This to say that, oh, Tony Stark, even the comics know you are the subbiest of subs. <333333

(He kisses Doc Ock's tentacle, ohmygod!)

From:

cesare

I see them both as sexually submissive

+1!

Steve is the try-hardest obedient sub, who will nevertheless safeword and step right out of the scene in a heartbeat if a line is crossed.

Tony is the brattiest of brats who wants to be shoved down and kept there, and he'll fuck himself up to get that treatment. Boundaries? What are boundaries?

These panels are incredible :D

From:

thingswithwings

Yes yes exactly! Steve is into service submission and Tony is into forced submission! These are my characterizations tooooooooooooo.

From:

meri

You speak truth. So much truth. (This is why I love them in a threeway, because DYNAMICS!)

From:

isagel

This, exactly. They're very different types of subs, but both subs nonetheless. Steve is the type who will work, work, work to be perfect, to fulfil every command to the very best of his abilities; if you're looking for a sub who will kneel with perfect form and jump to obey every order almost before it's uttered, that's Steve. And Steve basks in being praised when he's truly earned it. Tony would never do anything with perfect form or obey eagerly, because then there would be nothing to be punished for, and he craves being punished. Also, while Steve would probably thrive in a D/s relationship with strict rules, where his duties are clearly defined, Tony probably wouldn't last long in any relationship that wasn't adaptable, with plenty of room for all parties being impulsive and going with the flow. I think the core difference, though, is probably that Steve's submissive headspace is about pushing the limits of "this is how much I can do," while Tony's is about "this is how much I can take". It's a subtle difference, but it does make the same acts look quite different from inside their respective heads. [/ramblings]

From:

cesare

Ramble away, as far as I'm concerned! I'm thrilled that I'm not the only one who sees it this way. These are exactly the Steve and Tony characterizations that

helens78 and I have been writing in our D/s-everywhere AU. We've been pairing both of them (temporarily) with Charles (everyone's in a similar age cohort because that's why AUs rock) and it's partly for the contrast-- Tony and Charles do RACK, starting with drinking before the cuffs come out; Charles and Steve pursue their mutual perfectionism together, model dom and model sub in carefully architected scenes.

I love the distinction between what I can do/what I can take. YES.

From:

isagel

And this is why the Bound & Determined 'verse is the greatest thing ever. I haven't been commenting nearly enough, but truly it's one of my favourite stories of all time, and ohmygod is it Monday yet? You do know how to end a chapter at the worst (best) possible moment. I'm spending my vacation with my best friend, and she's just been catching up on the second half of Unbound in one go. She's currently reduced to a state of "Why isn't there more Bond Angst, whyyyyyy?" It's quite tragic. *g* (We tend to refer to this universe as the Bond Angst story, because I originally sold it to her on the grounds that she's never met a story with soulbond-related angst she didn't like, and Unbound is the ultimate in bond angst.)

The Tony/Charles RACK scenes are amazing. One of my favourite details in the story, really. And then you imagine all the times Tony did that with people who weren't as responsible and kind-hearted as Charles, and, yeah, that's pretty much Tony Stark in a nutshell. Oh, and I also love the friendship between Charles and Tony; it reads very right.

And now my friend found out I'm writing this comment, and wants me to ask "Why isn't anyone killing Shaw yet?" Heh.

This comment brought to you by random excited fangirling. :D

From:

eruthros

Yes! Agree! Such a bratty sub, omg. Who kisses Ock's tentacle! For Reasons!

From:

some_stars

Oh...my god. I am sort of rocking back and forth slightly with my lips pressed together to keep from cackling and/or squeeing? Because he KISSED THE TENTACLE and PUNCHED HIMSELF IN THE FACE and oh my gosh, this is really something.

From:

eruthros

It is amaaaazing, I love how much Tony does this in comics canon.

From:

lotesse

Just. Is this real life, or is it just fantasy?

From:

eruthros

Seriously! Sometimes I see art and go "waaaaait, is that fanart or a panel of a comic I haven't read?" It's usually comics canon.

From:

lilacsigil

Oh, Matt Fraction, if only you put half as much effort into your plots and other characters as you do into this particular scenario...

From:

eruthros

Ha, I know, I'm all the time going "but wait - why? - no seriously, what is even - " I think the plots make much more sense if I think of them as ways to maneuver Tony into this scenario.

From:

toft

.... wow. Thank you for sharing those with us. Gosh.

From:

eruthros

You're welcome :)

From:

epershand

Wow. Just wow.

I had a feeling Tony was subby. I didn't realize he was THIS subby.

From:

eruthros

Comics!Tony has a long and varied history of being this subby! Sometimes I forget that it's actually canon, and then I look at the comics again and go "oh gosh, that wasn't in my head?"

From:

fightingarrival

That's beautiful. It's the best thing about the Iron Man comics; Tony Stark suffers so well and so often. Have you ever read The Mask in the Iron Man arc from vol. 3? It's glorious/em>. And by glorious I mean his armor gains sentience, grows jealous when he uses another armor, abuses him, forces him inside itself, kidnaps him to an isolated tropical island, ties him up and abuses him some more, then handwave plot resolution and Tony mournfully buries his sentient armor after it gives up its heart to save his life. I don't know if any story can replace that one in my heart. So, so great.