The following contains spoilers for I Am Iron Man #4, on sale now from Marvel Comics.
While Tony Stark has embarked upon a myriad of adventures as Iron Man, few if any titles have captured the sheer fantasy of his story in quite the same way as I Am Iron Man. Unfortunately, that doesn't mean the series is entirely devoid of low points that may seriously impact the armored hero. In fact, the latest issue has just revealed that Iron Man has a trait commonly associated with Batman that has led him to repeat the Dark Knight's biggest mistake.
After developing a sense of sight that reveals towering monsters hiding right in plain sight, the eponymous hero of I Am Iron Man #4 (by Murewa Ayodele, Dotun Akande, and VC's Joe Caramagna) turns to the one person who he thinks might actually be able to help. Although Doctor Strange is hesitant to believe Tony's story at first, he soon enough realizes the truth of the matter when he uncovers a sort of mystical infection within Iron Man. While Tony does end up making things worse along the way, he is ultimately able to put a stop to the threat with a weapon tailor-made for taking down the most powerful of mystic assailants. Of course, this isn't something the Sorcerer Supreme takes lightly, especially not when Tony initially designed it as his "Strangebuster."
Iron Man is Repeating Batman's Worst Mistake
As Strange is quick to point out early on in their search for answers, Tony has spent years developing all manner of Iron Man suits built specifically to stand against his fellow Avengers. Whereas other stories have seen him outfit Earth's Mightiest Heroes with suits crafted after themselves, the Tony of the primary Marvel Universe has conversely been concerned with taking them out of commission. The most memorable example of this is easily Tony's Hulkbuster Armor which, while necessary on multiple occasions, is just the beginning of the extreme offensive precautions he has taken against the rest of his team.
This is almost entirely parallel to Batman's contingency plans against the rest of the Justice League which fell into the hands of a powerful enemy during the unforgettable "Tower of Babel" storyline (by Mark Waid, Howard Porter, and Steve Scott). Running through JLA #43 through #46 in 2000, "Tower of Babel" saw the Dark Knight's plans for dismantling his fellow heroes unleashed upon an unsuspecting Justice League. Although Batman had good reason to believe he needed these contingency plans, the fact that he secretly developed them against his teammates broke the trust the rest of the League had in him.
Iron Man is Walking a Dangerous Line That He Cannot Afford to Cross
Although Batman has been able to make amends with his team in the years since "Tower of Babel," he generally doesn't show much concern about what other people think of him. Iron Man, on the other hand, very much desires the approval of the rest of Earth's Mightiest Heroes, especially those closest to him. Considering all the inner turmoil that has nearly broken him over the course of his life, Iron Man is someone who genuinely needs other people more than they need him.
Tony hasn't just broken Doctor Strange's trust by revealing his "Strangebuster," he has done so simply by being himself on countless occasions. The secret revealed in I Am Iron Man is merely the latest in a series of unhealthy pattens that serve to shake his team's trust in his inner motivations. Whether it was his vengeful state while imbued with the Power Cosmic or his long-standing habit of lashing out at others out of a deep-seated sense of self-loathing, Tony always manages to find a way to hurt the people who matter the most. Hopefully, that's a habit he can break before it permanently ruins his relationships - or gets one of his teammates seriously injured.