When Batman decided to be a superhero, he used his money to give himself every possible advantage in the field. Iron Man made a similar decision, though he went about it in a much different way. Instead of becoming a top fighter and detective. Tony Stark made himself a powerful suit of armor that would allow him to take on entire armies. It's difficult to say whose way makes more sense, but they've both been pretty effective.
But Iron Man is also like Batman in that there are some characters he just can't seem to beat. Whether he's tripped up by his own arrogance or his opponent is just too powerful, Iron man just can't figure some enemies out.
10 Hulk Smash Iron Man
Does anyone ever really beat Hulk? Even when he gets taken down, the big green monster of the Marvel Universe finds a way to get up and keep fighting. The guy is basically an unstoppable force of nature that tears through everyone and everything.
Even Iron Man's big brain can't dream up a suit of armor to fully take Hulk out of the game, and keeping in mind that Tony Stark is one of the most aggravating people in Marvel and that the Hulk gets stronger the angrier he gets, Iron Man is screwed.
9 Namor Is Simply Too Much
When it comes to getting in fist fights in the oceans, few heroes have the market cornered the way Namor does. Sometimes described as Marvel's first mutant, the leader of Atlantis has fought the Avengers as often as he has sided with them.
Iron Man and Namor have rarely faced off one-on-one but Namor has usually come out on top of the situation when they do. That being said, it would be a surprise to find out that Tony hadn't installed something in his armor to deal with Namor if they ever fight again.
8 Scarlet Witch Is Power Personified
When Scarlet Witch first popped up in Marvel Comics as a villain, her powers seemed odd and somewhat indeterminate. But after a few decades, it has become quite apparent that she is one of the most powerful individuals around.
Outside of catching her with an errant repulsor blast, Iron Man doesn't have a piece of technology that can defeat her mystical might. It's not a fight Iron Man should be getting into without at least Doctor Strange watching his back.
7 Psylocke's Psychic Knife Gives Her An Edge
Few heroes have gone through as big a physical change as Psylocke has over the years. His mind was transferred from her original form and into the body of Kwannon, a notorious assassin. Then, she was transferred back many years later.
Her powers have also gone through several changes. At one point, she created telepathic blades and would cause serious mental damage "stabbing" people with them. Even Iron Man's advanced helmet couldn't stop her from getting to him with one of those weapons.
6 Thanos Does Not Respect Iron Man
Whether it's the comics, the movies, or anything in between, Thanos is one of the biggest baddies Marvel has to offer. Even without the Infinity Gauntlet at his disposal, Thanos is still a huge powerhouse and a brilliant tactician.
Iron Man is one of many, many heroes who has stood up to Thanos over the years. He's also been one of the least effective. Not only does he have nothing to attack the Mad Titan with that would do any real damage, Thanos neither fears nor respects him.
5 Iron Man Has No Answer For Thor
When five superheroes teamed up to deal with the threat of Loki, the world changed forever. This was the first mission of the Avengers, which included both Iron Man and Thor, who were working together for the first but certainly not last time.
But going back that far doesn't mean that their relationship has been an entirely happy one. When Iron Man steps over the line, Thor has been more than happy to put him back in his place. The Golden Avenger simply isn't prepared for the God of Thunder.
4 Black Cat Humiliated Him
Iron Man and Black Cat live in two completely different worlds. Black Cat is an incredibly successful burglar who has flirted with being a hero from time-to-time. On the other hand, Iron Man is one of the best-known heroes on Earth.
At one point, Black Cat busted into Stark's home and stole something. She then used his technology to fabricate her own suit of armor for the getaway. It would have been embarrassing enough if Black Cat had defeated him using her usual abilities but then she beat him with his own technology. Ouch.
3 Annihilus Does Not Fear Any Avenger
While he has yet to show up in the MCU, many believe that it's only a matter of time until the Living Death Who Walks makes his appearance. And when Annihilus arrives, the MCU is in a lot of trouble.
In the comics, it has taken multiple teams of heroes to defeat Annihilus and his armies. Iron Man can't handle the bad guy by himself, let alone the rest of the resources at Annihilius' disposal. He would still fight back but there's no endgame where Iron Man wins.
2 Black Panther Is Superior To Him
It's honestly hard to say how Black Panther feels about Iron Man as he's often put off by Stark's ego. Both men are brilliant and courageous heroes with vast resources and advanced technology at their disposal. But there is one very specific area where they differ greatly.
T'Challa was raised since birth to be the greatest warrior Wakanda has to offer. Tony Stark, on the other hand, has had to design his armor to make up for his combat shortcomings. There's a reason why Black Panther gets the better of their fights.
1 Kitty Pryde Might Be His Kryptonite
Iron Man has spent most of his adult life fighting against the various nefarious villains. As such, it would be expected that only the most powerful and dangerous beings in the universe would be able to take him down. Kitty Pryde isn't generally on that list.
This Mutant's ability is to turn her body intangible and phase through virtually any solid object. When she has done this to Iron Man, it inevitably short circuits his armor. Stark has yet to find an answer to her powers.
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