You know who else is arrogant? Proud? Perhaps has that as their baseline trait in their origin story?
Stephen Strange (origin story) Thor (origin story) Wade Wilson Wanda Maximoff Loki (who deserves to be called out on his shit) Howard Stark (who deserves to be called out on his shit)
Never hear people calling them villains. (Save Loki. Who is one.)
* *
You know who is canonically selfish?
Steve Rogers Stephen Strange T’Challa Wanda Maximoff Pietro Maximoff Wade Wilson Howard Stark (who deserves to be called out on his shit)
Never hear people calling them villains.
* *
You know who else is rich?
Hank Pym Stephen Strange T’Challa (he’s a king) Howard Stark (who deserves to be called out on his shit)
Never hear people call them villains.
* *
You know who else gets angry?
Steve Rogers Clint Barton Thor Bruce Banner (and this one’s dangerous when he does) Hank Pym Peggy Carter
Never hear people calling them villains.
* *
You know who got so angry with someone they spent an entire movie trying to kill or destroy them?
Wanda Maximoff Pietro Maximoff T’Challa
Never hear people calling them villains.
* *
You know who else took a kid onto the battlefield, or fought beside said kid, without saying a word about their age?
Steve Rogers Sam Wilson Natasha Romanov
Never hear people calling them villains.
* *
You know who else helped build Ultron?
Wanda Maximoff Bruce Banner
Never hear people calling them villains.
* *
You know who killed people for their own personal gains?
Wanda Maximoff Pietro Maximoff Thor
Never hear people calling them villains.
* *
You know who stole things or otherwise broke the law for themselves?
Steve Rogers Sam Wilson Scott Lang Thor
Never hear people calling them villains.
* *
You know who else’s backstory hinged upon them killing, or facilitating the killing, of others?
Natasha Romanov Clint Barton Wanda Maximoff Pietro Maximoff Bucky Steve Rogers Bruce Banner Rhodey Wade Wilson Peggy Carter
Never hear people calling them villains.
* *
You know who else injured a (fellow) Avenger – not even including the airport battle?
Steve Rogers Wanda Maximoff Bucky Thor Scott Lang Bruce Banner
Never hear people calling them villains.
* *
You know who else is a genius?
Hank Pym Stephen Strange T’Challa Howard Stark (who deserves to be called out on his shit)
Never hear people calling them villains.
* *
You know who else had bad ideas that affected the world?
Hank Pym Wanda Maximoff Pietro Maximoff Bruce Banner
Never hear people calling them villains.
* *
You know who else sometimes doesn’t listen to advice?
Steve Rogers Bucky Stephen Strange T’Challa Thor
Never hear people calling them villains.
* *
You know who follows others blindly? Perhaps believes in every word this other says?
Sam Wilson Clint Barton Scott Lang
Never hear people calling them villains.
* *
You know who worked for an evil organization?
Wanda Maximoff (willingly) Pietro Maximoff (willingly) Bucky (unwillingly) Natasha Romanov (unwillingly) Clint Barton (if his backstory follows canon; we don’t know enough) (willingly)
Never hear people calling them villains.
* *
You know who else put their loved ones in danger?
Scott Lang Thor Howard Stark (who deserves to be called out on his shit)
Never hear people calling them villains.
* *
You know who sent the kill order for Steve and the others?
General Ross
Rarely hear people call him a villain.
* *
You know who else hits below the belt verbally?
Steve Rogers Clint Barton Scott Lang Thor Hank Pym Natasha Romanov Wanda Maximoff Pietro Maximoff Mrs. Spencer, for gods’ sake Howard Stark (who deserves to be called out on his shit)
Oddly enough, all of these are to or about Tony Stark. Never hear anyone call any of them villains.
* *
You know who else shows, on-screen, the ugliest parts of mental illness?
No one.
Steve Rogers’ depression manifests in sad looks and lonely asides. He never shows the rage or the self-hatred. His reckless behavior is lauded as attempts to protect others. He never self-harms, does drugs, or attempts – or even talks or is shown thinkingabout – suicide. Bucky’s PTSD is practically unseen, despite the fact that it should damn well exist on-screen, in the same depths as Tony’s. It does not. The best you get is more sad looks and pensive tension. That’s it.
Tony rages, acts recklessly, gets drunk, closes himself off, pushes people away, has anxiety that cripples him and makes him even more reckless, is shown tired, terrified, angry, lost, and hurting.
And he’s the one people constantly call a villain. He’s labeled egotistical, self-absorbed, selfish, disgusting. He’s treated like a villain.
So tell me, Tony haters… what is it you really don’t like about Tony Stark?