PoB

During Iron Man they get to a scene where Tony Stark tests his flight stabilizers and gets way too close to this car collection – and then I remembered that, in tomorrow’s The Dark Knight trailer, there’s a scene with Bruce Wayne driving a Lamborghini (I might have mispelled the name).
And that got me thinking. Or, at least, it left the idea, since Iron Man is so awesome I let the thinking for later.

Both men – Tony Stark and Bruce Wayne – are very similar. Both have no family except for a faithful assistant who organizes their lives – in Tony’s case, Pepper Potts; in Bruce’s, Alfred. Both have very similar details and various drastic differences, but the similarity on human identites led me to do this:

A hero showdown! Who’s the better hero? Who uses best his resources? Who’s got a better life, deadlier villains, and cooler attitude?
Remember, fanboys, I’m doing this for fun. I obviously side with Tony Stark… and you’ll see why. Now, let’s get started. Oh and, this only reflects the latest movie adaptations.
Let’s see… where do we begin?

THE MEN BEHIND THE MASKS

Let’s start with who exactly these two men are.
They’re both wealthy industrialists involved in the weaponry business… but the similarities end there.

Tony Stark is a playboy – he enjoys life to the fullest. He’s got a sarcastic attitude and is a bit of a jerk, until the day he’s caught by terrorists and forced to work for them. Seeing what becomes of his creations and enlightened by a very wise man called Yinsen, who saves his life by preventing shrapnel from piercing his heart, Stark decides to rescue both by creating a suit of armor to escape. Yinsen dies in the process, which deeply moves Stark and makes him give up the company’s route and dedicate his life for others.

Stark’s a true genius, unlike Bruce Wayne. Also unlike Bruce Wayne, he’s sarcastic and knows how to enjoy what he has, even if that makes him extremely shallow. Eventually, he learns the value of life and becomes a better person, but keeping the same sense of humor and taste for the good things in life.

Bruce Wayne, on the other hand, lived a little boy’s joyful life until two events. First, he carelessly falls into a well and gets scared by bats, which leaves a trauma. Second, his parents get killed, which makes him depressed for life.
He’s also rich, but he’s not a genius, and while Tony Stark helped make his father’s company better, Bruce doesn’t do anything, he just sits around while others do the job.

If Bruce Wayne had to rely on himself on the situation that shaped Tony Stark as a hero, he’d die. The car battery that kept him alive would run out, unless Lucius Fox pulled a deus ex machina and saved him. Still, his heroics rely too much on other’s technology and deception. The fear he inspires on his enemies also affect his public image, and while it may give him a cool “dark” look, doesn’t make him the best hero a city can have. Plus, if you want to find a “emo hero”, look no further – Bruce Wayne’s a true nutcase, to the point some fans refer to Batman as his true personality, which the movies reflect. This is a guy who’ll never find happiness in life.
Tony Stark, however, never went through the hardships Bruce had to as a child, until he was in his thirties and was captured. Tony, therefore, grew spoiled and might have been incapable of dealing with such a tragic loss as Bruce did. Yet, in the end, everything Tony creates comes from his own mind, which he proves effectively when he manages to make the Mark I out of scraps.
Neither hero is extremely relatable, as they’re both rich playboys, one being a genius, the other being slightly insane. However, Tony Stark has human character flaws, unlike stoic little Bruce, and he learns to mature and get past them, while Bruce Wayne can’t – which is why he doesn’t get the girl in the end.

So, Tony Stark wins here.

Next up is the alter-ego contest – Batman versus Iron Man!

THE ALTER-EGOS

Okay people, seriously – everyone finds Batman cool because he’s all dark and stuff.
But is it just me, or is Batman a guy in a bat-suit, running around a city gliding – he doesn’t even fly, he glides.
He’s rich, right? It wouldn’t take much for him to get the best technology out there and create amazing stuff with his suit. Sure, he’s got that Tumbler car and the new bike, but those aren’t very helpful, unless he just wants to drive somewhere.

Now look at Iron Man. He’s got a better taste of colors – he had the suit made of titanium and gold to resist low temperatures, but instead of walking around on a gold suit, he painted it “hot-rod red”. It looks perfect and you all know it… even if it took a Mark I and a Mark II to get there.
Plus, his suits get better and better. The later two are the pinnacle of technology, a true “one-man army” suit which alone could defeat an entire enemy army. As the movie puts it, five Mark Is are enough to conquer all of Asia.

Now, I know many of you would argue on me here, but honestly, look at them. On the right, a loony in a suit based on a rodent who just hides in the shadows to defeat his enemies. On the left, you got a state-of-the-art exoskeleton.
I don’t have any doubts left – even if you count Batman’s “dark” style, Iron Man wins. Iron Man could destroy the Tumbler in fifteen seconds, just like he does with the tank. Batman couldn’t defeat Iron Man in a fair fight, unless he played dirty and removed his life support – which he wouldn’t be able to, as he’d have to get to him head-on.
Plus Iron Man’s Mark I had a flamethrower.

And that’s it for now – I got more for this, but it’s not for today. I’m going to talk about sidekicks, villains, and even love interests. Who knows? Maybe Batman’s get better on those categories. Or maybe not.
But, so far, Iron Man’s winning, and I got my money on him for the rest. Tony Stark for the win!