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I Am Iron Man (MHA) Chapter 237: MCU Marathon (2)
🕑 Added 2025-06-23 14:59:20 +0000 UTC[Third Person's PoV]
“Just sit back down and enjoy the movie. You’re getting on my nerves,” Tony grumbled playfully as he leaned forward and effortlessly scooped Melissa up in his arms.
She burst into laughter, kicking her feet slightly as he carried her the short distance back to the couch and gently plopped her into her spot. He repositioned her so that her legs draped comfortably across his lap. Melissa, still giggling uncontrollably, clutched at her stomach.
“I’m sorry, I’m sorry!” she wheezed between fits of laughter. “But it’s just too funny. I’m dying to know what other things you’ve said before that were references I didn’t catch. Like—how many times have you quoted the other Tony without me realizing it?”
Tony rolled his eyes with a long, exaggerated sigh. “You’d be surprised,” he muttered, although a faint smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth.
Still grinning, Melissa raised her hand and summoned a large bowl of popcorn into existence. Though it wasn’t technically real—it was just a simulation courtesy of their environment—it was good enough for her, and it smelled buttery and warm. After all, what was a movie night without popcorn?
Without missing a beat, she stretched her leg out and tapped the virtual start button with her toe. The screen flickered and the movie resumed, the room momentarily falling into a comfortable silence.
BOOM!
The sudden explosion on the screen made Melissa flinch. Her smile vanished in an instant as her eyes widened in surprise.
On the screen, the simulated version of Tony Stark had just been ambushed. His convoy was in ruins, and his soldiers were being wiped out one by one in a brutal assault.
Tony, sitting beside her, couldn’t help but laugh. Not at the violence, but at the stunned expression frozen on Melissa’s face.
Melissa didn’t say a word. Her gaze was fixed on the screen, transfixed. Tony’s on-screen counterpart was diving behind a rock, bleeding and disoriented. A missile landed nearby—its side stamped clearly with the Stark Industries logo.
She winced as it detonated, sending the movie Tony flying backwards, blood splattering across his chest from embedded shrapnel. The sight was jarring.
And yet… fascinating.
Melissa leaned forward slightly without realizing it, her fingers dipping into the popcorn bowl. She began munching absentmindedly as the story unfolded. The cave. The terrorists. Tony being held hostage. The mysterious man named Yinsen introducing himself.
She remained quiet for a while, her eyes glued to the screen.
“So that’s… how the first Arc Reactor came to be?” she finally muttered, awe in her voice. “It was literally made to keep him alive…”
Tony nodded silently, eyes fixed on the movie. He had seen this so many times before—but watching it with Melissa somehow made it feel new.
“I’m glad you didn’t have to go through all that in our world,” she said softly, turning to him with a small, tender smile.
“That’s a blessing I’ll never take for granted,” Tony replied without looking away.
They continued to watch as the screen-version of Tony built the MARK I armor piece by piece, metal clanking, sparks flying. Then came the escape attempt. Yinsen’s sacrifice. The firefight. The moment Tony, in his crude, heavy armor, tore through the cave like a walking tank.
Melissa’s eyes shined with admiration. “So cool…” she whispered as the screen Tony was blasted into the desert, his armor destroyed pieces everywhere.
She didn’t say much after that. The story had her completely. Her legs eventually slipped off Tony’s lap as she leaned forward, resting her elbows on her knees, her attention locked onto the screen. The bowl of popcorn sat on Tony’s lap now, and he lazily reached in every so often, content to let her absorb the rest.
She lit up during the scenes of Tony tinkering with his new suits—the testing phase, the mishaps, the triumphs. Her favorite scene was clear: the moment Tony, with his armored arm, sat alone watching the news, methodically tightening a screw, his expression unreadable and focused.
Before Tony stood on-screen, addressing the journalists crowding before him. Cameras flashed like a thunderstorm, blinding and relentless. He glanced down at the cue cards in his hand—cards carefully crafted to maintain secrecy and deflect attention. But after a pause, he looked back up at the sea of expectant faces.
“I am Iron Man,” he declared.
The press room erupted into chaos. Reporters shouted questions, cameras clicked furiously—and the screen cut to black.
Melissa shot to her feet, her eyes sparkling. “Holy fuck! That was good!” she exclaimed, clapping her hands together with genuine excitement. “It makes me want to leave this place and start building something right now!”
Tony chuckled, lounging back against the couch cushions with a smug grin. “Glad to know it still holds up.”
Melissa turned to him, teasing. “By the way… that last line? ‘I am Iron Man’? You totally felt cool saying that during the time we were picking out our hero names, didn’t you?”
Tony gave a shameless grin and nodded. “Highlight of my school year. Still one of my favorite moments to this day.”
She laughed, sauntering over to the couch and plucking the half-empty bowl of popcorn from his lap before settling down beside him again—this time claiming his lap for herself. She placed the bowl in her lap, shifting to get comfortable as Tony wrapped his arms around her waist from behind.
Melissa glanced over her shoulder with a gleam in her eye. “Alright, so… what’s next? I need more. It’s like—I’m addicted or something.”
Tony tilted his head thoughtfully. “Next, it’s either Iron Man 2 or The Incredible Hulk. Your choice.”
Melissa opened her mouth to respond, but Tony held up a hand.
“Hold on. Before that… you need to watch this.”
“Watch wha—?”
The screen lit up again as a post-credit scene began. Tony Stark walked into his home in darkness, only to find a figure standing in the shadows.
Melissa immediately fell silent.
The mysterious man stepped forward, revealing a long black coat, a calm demeanor, and a familiar face. The music swelled as he spoke:
“I’m here to talk to you about the Avenger Initiative.”
Melissa’s jaw dropped. “Wait. Was that… a post-credit scene?”
“Yup,” Tony confirmed with a grin. “They’re kind of a tradition in the MCU. A teaser for what’s to come.”
Melissa shook her head, impressed. “That’s genius. Honestly? I love it.”
Tony stretched slightly. “So, what’ll it be? Iron Man 2? Or Hulk?”
“Well… since we just watched Iron Man, maybe we should space them out a bit,” she mused. “Let’s start with The Incredible Hulk.”
“Excellent choice,” Tony said, queuing up the film.
As the opening scenes played, Melissa immediately squinted at the screen.
“Wait a second… That’s not Bruce. Who the hell is that?”
Tony chuckled. “Actor swap. Long story short: it’s still supposed to be Bruce Banner, but played by a different actor. I don't really remember the reason for the actor swap I just know they're supposed to be the same person”
“Huh… weird,” Melissa said, leaning back into his chest again as the movie picked up pace.
She quickly became absorbed in the story—especially when Bruce’s blood accidentally contaminated a drink and ended up halfway across the world.
“Okay, hold on,” Melissa said, pausing the movie. “I swear this is the third time I’ve seen that old guy. Are they just running low on background actors?”
Tony burst out laughing, covering his face. “No, no—that’s Stan Lee. He’s one of the original creators of Marvel. He appears in every movie as a cameo. It’s tradition.”
“Seriously?! That’s… that’s actually amazing,” Melissa said with a grin, resuming the movie.
As the plot progressed, she became quieter, more focused. The scenes with the Hulk held her attention fully—especially the action sequences. Her eyes widened at the intense battle between Hulk and the Abomination.
She absentmindedly reached for some popcorn, grabbing a handful, and then without looking, fed a few pieces into Tony’s mouth. Tony didn’t even flinch—just accepted the snack with amusement.
“And you’re telling me you actually fought something like that?” she asked in disbelief as the climactic battle raged on.
Tony nodded. “Yup. Although, to be fair, MCU Hulk is toned down compared to his comic counterpart. In the comics, the madder Hulk gets, the stronger—and bigger—he becomes. One of his most powerful versions is called World Breaker Hulk. And trust me, he earns that name.”
“Damn…” Melissa muttered. “I guess I’m finally starting to understand why everyone’s so terrified of him.”
Soon, the movie ended, and the screen transitioned into another post-credit scene. This time, Tony appeared again—walking into a dimly lit bar in a crisp suit.
Melissa’s eyes widened in excitement. “Oh my god, this is so cool. I can’t even imagine what it must’ve been like seeing this all unfold when the movies were first released.”
Tony smirked, watching her reactions with clear amusement.
“Just wait,” he said. “You haven’t seen anything yet.”
Comments
DerkKill
You forgot to also consider the Hulk Titan version.
Juanpa Issler
I'm already imagining Melissa's reaction when she sees Natasha and Tony's deaths in the MCU. Although I'm more curious to see what she'd think about Civil War and Tony's decisions in that movie.
