| This article is written from the Real World perspective |  |
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| Series | The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes | ||||||||
| Release Date | September 25, 2010 (Online) October 11, 2010 (Television) | ||||||||
| Episode Number | M 04 | ||||||||
| Writer | Brandon Auman | ||||||||
| Director | Vinton Heuck | ||||||||
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Iron Man has more than he can handle has he battles HYDRA to save the United Nations. But will the arrival of S.H.I.E.L.D. make things easier or worse?
Story
Fury's coming, and he ain't happy
Continuing from the last episode, the S.H.I.E.L.D. helicarrier travels through the sky. Agent Nick Fury looks at the display in the command center. He suddenly asks for an update.
A woman behind sitting behind him, Maria Hill tells him that the helicarrier is five minutes out. She goes on to state that their units are being attacked and cannot respond. Fury says that that's too long. He turns his head and wonders if she has anything useful to him.
When she's in charge she can yell at the subordinates
Maria looks shocked but hears something over her headset. She then reports that Iron Man has arrived at the scene. Fury looks back at the display.
Back at the United Nations, Iron Man is pushed back by a blast of energy. He's hit again, but the third blast knocks him back. He crashes into the pavement creating a large crater as the three HYDRA robots approach.
Iron Man pushes himself up. Inside his suit, Tony asks JARVIS to divert power to the suit's shields and analyze the weapons on the robots. Unfortunately, JARVIS tells him that the shields are non-responsive. Tony looks up to see the approaching robots through his helmet.
Sharp shooter
One raises its massive drill to slam into the ground. Luckily, Iron Man flies up just before it can. It raises its other hand and fires five missiles at him. Iron Man uses his repulsor beam to destroy two but flees from the rest.
He flies through the flag poles causing one to detonate. He flies up and uses his repulsor on the fourth. As the smoke clears a warning goes off and JARVIS talks of a new contact. Suddenly Iron Man is tackled by a robot, crashes into the building, and falls to the ground.
Closest thing to literally being in between a rock and a hard place
Iron Man sits up in a fountain just in time to grab the drill to stop the robot. JARVIS chimes in saying that he finished his analysis, though Iron Man wonders why he finished at that moment. JARIVS explains that they are HYDRA Dreadnought class robots, that have been upgraded with Stark's repulsor technology. Just as the drill reaches his helmet, Iron Man pushes it away so that it hits the ground.
Iron Man stands and decides to use his electromagnetic pulse, but JARIVS points out that there's not enough power. As the robot struggles to free its drill, Iron Man spots the other two Dreadnoughts coming. He diverts all power to the repulsors and fires at them.
The mostly unstoppable force meets the somewhat unmovable object
As he fires the Dreadnoughts activate their own shields. Iron Man focuses both his repulsors on one but cannot get through the shield. He gets even more angry knowing that those shields are his. He then turns to see the third coming at him, but is too late to stop its punch.
Iron Man flies back, through the other two, and into the building. Iron Man crashes to the ground and sits up. He asks for the unibeam but JARVIS says there's not enough power. A Dreadnaught picks him up and tosses him into an armored car.
Iron Man looks up and demands the shields. JARVIS tells him the rebooting sequence is already in progress. As the three robots approach, Iron Man flies up and taunts them to show him more of their stolen technology.
"If I were Iron Man, I'd have this girlfriend who knew my true identity. She'd be a wreck. She'd always be worrying I was going to die, yet so proud of the man I've become. She'd be wildly conflicted, which would only make her more crazy about me."
Across the city, Pepper Potts looks towards the smoke while James Rhodes tries to comfort her. He says that the armor is invincible and Tony will be fine. However, Pepper is worried about Tony, not the armor.
She looks back and explains that Tony is fighting all by himself and that they can do nothing for him. She understands why he fights, just not why he doesn't have help. She then turns back to look at the smoke.
Turning them against each other
Back at the UN, the Dreadnoughts are firing blasts from their eyes. Iron Man dodges one blast causing it to hit the drill arm of another. One robot steps up and blasts flames out of its mouth. Iron Man raises his arms to protect himself but is engulfed in the fire.
Iron Man then flies forward, grabs the Dreadnought by the head, and flies up. Another fires its eye beams at him but he throws the Dreadnought into it. Both crash into the pavement, seemingly defeated.
No mandibles required
Iron Man then zooms in on the robot and scans it to see his Stark Industries technology. Iron Man lands on the robot and rips out his tech. He looks at it just as the third fires its beams hitting him in the back. Iron Man flies up and fires his repulsors but the Dreadnaught protects itself with its shields.
Grim things are afoot
On the nearby building, one of the HYDRA soldiers wakes up. He stands and readies a rocket launcher at Iron Man. He watches as Iron Man blasts a car out of the Dreadnought's hands. Just then, the soldiers is blasted from behind by another soldier. The soldier raises his gun to wait.
Preparing his Kamehameha blast
Iron Man flies up and readies a massive repulsor blast. However, the Dreadnought protects itself. The shield drops and it punches Iron Man. He skids back as the Dreadnought approaches. Iron Man uses his legs to keep the robot's flaming mouth away from him.
Iron Man then uses his jet boots to blast the robot's face severely damaging it by melting the head. It then falls back and collapses. Just then JARVIS detects a weapons lock on him as Iron Man is blasted from behind. He skids to a halt as one of the Dreadnaughts looks on. Iron Man stands as it approaches.
Couldn't find a bigger ship?
Suddenly, the Dreadnought is blasted from above. Iron Man stands to see it back up. He sees the robot fall and then blasted apart. He looks up to see jets and the helicarrier approach. It's massive shadow looms over the United Nations buildings.
Iron Man is exasperated that they just now show up. The side of the helicarrier opens up and five men in suits drop down and land in front of the armored hero. The Mandroids stand and order Iron Man to stand down by order of S.H.I.E.L.D. and then ready their weapons.
It's almost like Tony knows who's watching
In the helicarrier, Fury watches video feed of Iron Man as the Mandroid repeats himself. The display then begins to analyze Iron Man's armor. Maria stands and asks him for orders. Fury simply looks on intently.
Quotes
"Update."
"The Helicarrier is roughly five minutes out at this speed. Our local S.H.I.E.L.D. units are under attack and unable to respond."
"That's five minutes too long, Hill. You got any news that's actually useful to me?"
"I, I...Sir. Iron Man has arrived on the scene."
- -Nick Fury and Maria Hill, first lines
"JARVIS, talk to me. Divert all power to shields and analyze that blast."
"Shields not responding."
"That's...not good!"
- -Iron Man and JARVIS
"Analysis completed, sir."
"NOW!? This thing's about to drill through my head!"
"Targets are HYDRA Dreadnought class robots and have been upgraded with repulsor tech weapons."
"That's my tech! HYDRA's using my technology against me!"
- -JARVIS and Iron Man
"Come on you pieces of junk. Show me what else you got. Cause you probably stole it from me too."
- -Iron Man
"I'm sure he's gonna be fine, Pepper. That armor...is invincible."
"I'm not worried about the armor, Rhodey, I'm worried about him. He's all along out there against the people who stole his technology. Tony is out there all by himself and there's nothing we can do to help him. I understand why he feels he has to do this. I just don't understand why he has to do it alone."
- -James Rhodes and Pepper Potts
"Not yet."
- -Grim Reaper, first line
"Sure, now you finally get here."
- -Iron Man, regarding S.H.I.E.L.D.
"Iron Man, by the authority of the Strategic Homeland Intervention and Enforcement Logistics Division you are hereby ordered to stand down. Iron Man, I repeat, stand down by order of S.H.I.E.L.D."
- -Mandroid, first line
"Your orders, sir?"
- -Maria Hill, last line of video
Trivia
- First micro-episode to return to a character previously introduced.
- James Rhodes claims that the Iron Man armor is invincible. The Invincible Iron Man is the name of a comic book series and a movie.
Also based off the logos of Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman.
- The logo used for Stark Industries is the same one used for the Iron Man film.
- Apparently, Iron Man's boots can also function as repulsor beams.
Goofs
- How did Pepper Potts know that HYDRA stole Stark's technology when Iron Man and JARVIS just realized it? There's no indication that JARVIS is in contact with her.
- Just like the previous Iron Man episode, the solid piece of metal that is his faceplate stretches to make his eyes squint.
Continuity
She eventually does become the director of S.H.I.E.L.D. just like in the comics
- First appearance of Nick Fury, Maria Hill, the S.H.I.E.L.D. helicarrier, and the Mandroids.
- First time the HYDRA Dreadnoughts are named.
- First time the name of Tony Stark's company is stated.
- Grim Reaper appears but in disguise. His true identity would not be revealed until "Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D."
- First full use of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s name. It is Strategic Homeland Intervention and Enforcement Logistics Division. It is slightly different than the one used in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
- Nick Fury previously appeared in the Wolverine and the X-Men "Wolverine vs. Hulk". Though there he had grey streaks in his hair meaning that it takes place after this episode.
Background
The micro-episode first aired online on September 25, 2010. It would not debut on television until October 11, 2010.
This micro-episode along with "Iron Man is Born!", "Behold, the Mandroids!", and "Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D." were combined into the full length episode "Iron Man is Born", which aired October 24, 2010.