Iron Man: What Does Tony Stark’s Change of Heart Teach Me About Mine?

Most superheroes go through a life changing event. Spider-man got his spider-powers after he was bitten by a spider. The Incredible Hulk got his strength after he was exposed to an overwhelming amount of Gamma-radiation. There are many other examples of these life changing events which endow superpowers on a certain person. Tony Stark’s change centers on his heart.

Here’s how the change occurred in Iron Man (2008). After demonstrating the destructive power of the Jericho missile, Tony Stark is attacked and his military bodyguards are killed quickly. He tries to flee but the terrorists are able to take him down with a bomb that has “Stark Industries” painted on the side. The explosion knocks him off his feet, leaving shrapnel embedded in his chest. These terrorists had been tasked with killing Tony, but once they discovered that they had captured the famous American weapons manufacturer, they hatched a new plan. They plotted to keep Tony alive long enough to have him build them weapons to destroy their enemies.

Tony’s injury was terminal. The shrapnel would continue to inch slowly closer to his heart until it killed him. Although a fellow prisoner came up with a way to delay his death by attaching an electro-magnet to Tony’s chest, it was only delaying the inevitable. Given his dire situation, Tony claimed that he would help the terrorists. However, his actual plan was to build the Iron Man armor so that he could escape. But first, he came up with a way to build a super-powerful electro-magnet, a miniature ARC reactor, to attach to his chest which would not only prevent his death from the shrapnel, but would also become the power source for his armor.

Tony Stark quite literally had a change of heart. He went from being a healthy man with a normal heart to being severely injured. His heart had become a ticking time-bomb unable to survive without the ARC reactor in his chest. Because of his genius intellect, he turned his injury into a source of strength. The reactor allowed him to become Iron Man. Being attacked and having his heart destroyed was a life changing event in more ways than one. It changed his health, his outlook on life, and it motivated him to become a superhero.

In my life as a Christian, God describes my heart as being damaged not by shrapnel, but by sin, both original and actual. I was born with a sinful heart and this sinful heart wants to live a life of disobedience and defiance toward God’s perfect law. Jesus said it like this, “But the things that come out of the mouth come from the heart, and these make a man ‘unclean.’ For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander” (Matthew 15:18-19). If left to myself, I would continue on in these sinful ways and disregard God’s Will.

I find it interesting that Tony Stark’s heart was actually damaged in other ways before he took the shrapnel to the chest. He was extremely self-centered. He loved his wild living and focused on making money at the expense of accountability for his company. After his heart was changed by outside forces – first the bomb and then the electro-magnet – his attitude changed. Afterwards he wanted to help others and make up for the fact that his weapons had fallen into the hands of terrorists.
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My faith is similar. Before God brought me to faith, I was more self-centered than I am now. My sinful nature had free rein. But now, my heart of faith fights against my sinful heart. My heart of faith appreciates the forgiveness of Jesus and wants to focus on helping others to see the message of the Savior. God’s Word reminds me that God is the one who gave me this faithful heart. The Holy Spirit has worked faith in me and led me to trust in Christ. “Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come” (2 Corinthians 1:21-22).

Tony Stark had an incredible change of heart. It took his heart being destroyed for him to see some of his faults and the need to live differently. Christians also experience a wonderful change of heart. Left to myself, my sinful heart would have led me down the path to Hell. Unlike Tony who was able to heal his own heart condition, I could not. I was dead. Amazingly, God stepped in and changed my heart. God speaking through the prophet Ezekiel described this dramatic change of heart saying, “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.” (Ezekiel 36:26) God sent the Holy Spirit into my heart and life to create faith in me. Now I trust in Jesus for forgiveness and eternal life in Heaven. There is still a struggle against sin, but because of the change of heart worked by God, I am saved and I now I can live to serve my God.

Tony Stark’s Change of Heart is Part 2 of a 4 Part Series on Iron Man. Check out Part 1: I Am Iron Man.

Also be sure to check out a previous post which featured music video Save based off of Ezekiel 36 for visual retelling of the change of heart that God has carried out in believers.

Iron Man History

Iron Man: Extremis is one of the essential Iron Man storylines. The story is loosely adapted in the 2013 film Iron Man 3. In the comic, Extremis is a nanotech virus developed by Mia Hanson and Aldrich Killian. It is meant to be a new version of the super-soldier formula which created Captain America. Unfortunately the virus falls into the hand of a domestic terrorist named Mallen. Mallen is able to defeat and nearly kill Iron Man in combat. Since he is dying, Tony makes the choice to inject himself with the Extremis virus. The result changes Iron Man in way that alters the entire landscape of the Marvel Universe.