History Film / IronMan3

** It's not pointed out explicitly, but Tony has secret accounts to secure significant funds even after going "off the grid", and he's clearly been training in martial arts (he's seen boxing in ''Iron Man 2'', for what that's worth) and firearms.

* EvilSoundsDeep: This version of the Mandarin has a deep {{bass|oProfondo}} voice. [[spoiler:Trevor's actual voice is that of a crazy old Cockney fellow.]]

** Similarly, the ''Marvel Legends'' figures released to tie-in with this movie has Iron Man and Iron Patriot as they appear in the movie, past versions of them both, War Machine, all the parts to build a comic-version Iron Monger [[TheLastOfTheseIsNotLikeTheOthers and...]] [[Film/AvengersAgeOfUltron Ultron.]]

* SpellMyNameWithAnS: Jack Taggert is now "J. Tagg''a''rt"... [[Literature/AtlasShrugged hmmm]]...

* CracksInTheIcyFacade: it's shown that Tony Stark is suffering from PTSD from the events of the first Avengers, having nightmare, panic attacks and constantly obsessing over trying to protect what family he has left. This shows that even a "selfish" hero like him has vulnerable moments and doesn't always think he's invincible

* AdamWesting: Ben Kingsley's role as a [[spoiler:hammy Anglo actor playing an]] AmbiguouslyBrown villain is most likely a reference to his roles in ''Film/PrinceOfPersia'', ''Film/TheDictator'' and ''Film/{{Thunderbirds}}'', among others. It's also likely poking fun at [[spoiler:his background as a former Shakespearean actor who's appeared in some not-so-high art.]]

* SuperPowerMeltdown: Extremis test subjects who are physically and/or mentally unable to control the heat output that goes with their powers explode. It provides the page image.

* SuperPowerMeltdown: Extremis test subjects who are physically and/or mentally unable to control the heat output that goes with their powers explode.

* DeathlyDiesIrae: ''Dies Irae'' is heard as Happy is spying on one of the Mandarin's agents making a drop at the Chinese Theatre, right before there's a massive explosion that nearly kills him there.

* GadgeteerGenius: When deprived of his armour, Tony slowly descends into a HeroicBSOD until an obnoxious [[FromTheMouthsOfBabes kid]] points out, "You're a mechanic, why don't you build something?" One shopping trip later, he's [[Franchise/MetalGear Solid Snake]] with a [[ItMakesSenseInContext spud gun]].

** The Mandarin [[spoiler:as played by Trevor Slattery]] is a combination of Ming the Merciless from ''Franchise/FlashGordon'' and Osama bin Laden (with the long beard).

* ImprobableAimingSkills: Rhodes, in keeping with being a ColonelBadass, is able to shoot through steel cables with a pistol, sometimes while the target is moving .

* AdaptationDistillation: Combines elements of the "Extremis" arc by Creator/WarrenEllis, the "Sentient Armor" arc by Creator/JoeQuesada, the Mandarin's origin story, [[Film/IronMan2 more plot points]] from the "Armor Wars" arc, "The Five Nightmares" arc with Ezekiel Stane, and the [[Comicbook/CivilWar "Civil War"]] story. The trick of all the Iron Man suits fighting at the same time was used in the ''ComicBook/NewAvengers''. And the storyline "Haunted", featuring an incognito Mandarin planning to unleash Extremis, while Tony's sanity is in question following a traumatic battle, a.k.a. ''ComicBook/CivilWar''.

* SparedByTheAdaptation: [[spoiler:Happy getting badly wounded and falling into a coma mirrors what happens to him in the ''ComicBook/CivilWar'' crossover. While that storyline ultimately saw him becoming braindead and eventually either passing on from his wounds or Tony using his connection to the Extremis to shut off his life support and MercyKill him, in the film his wounds aren't as severe and he eventually awakens, allowing him to appear in future films.]]

* RewatchBonus: A lot of things become clearer after you've seen the film once. For example, [[spoiler:President Ellis asks the Vice President how terrorists got his cell phone number. They got it from the VP, who's in on the plot.]] Also, [[spoiler:it's clear from the very first Mandarin broadcaster that it's all faked, as men are "executed" using full power assault rifles but there's not a single drop of blood to be seen.]]

* RewatchBonus: A lot of things become clearer after you've seen the film once. For example, [[spoiler:President Ellis asks the Vice President how terrorists got his cell phone number. They got it from the VP, who's in on the plot.]]

** [[spoiler:The "glitch" of Maya's plant.]]

* DidntThinkThisThrough: After Tony prompts her HeelRealization, [[spoiler:Maya threatens to kill herself with an Extremis overdose if Killian doesn't let Tony and Pepper go. She forgets that the whole reason they kidnapped Tony in the first place was that Maya had hit a dead end in her efforts to perfect Extremis and they needed Tony's genius to finish it. Maya [[YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness isn't really that important to Killian's plans anymore]], so he just shoots her himself and threatens Pepper's life to force Tony to cooperate.]]

* EvenEvilHasStandards: [[spoiler:Maya is working with Killian for [[PragmaticVillain pragmatic reasons]]. She wants to develop the formula and save lives, even if the ends don't justify the means. Maya protests getting Pepper hurt when she's kidnapped, however, doing all she can to make sure Killian doesn't hurt her, because Pepper is an innocent party. When Killian reveals he injected Pepper with the formula, Maya turns on him. This gets her killed]].

* HowDoIShotWeb: [[spoiler:When Tony puts Pepper into the Mark 42 armor and tells her to get Maya and herself out of the house, she tries to blow out a plate glass window to escape through. Unfortunately, she can't get the hand-mounted repulsor to work -- until it fires accidentally when she drops her hand to her side, and throws them both through the glass.]]

* {{Jerkass}}: Everyone who is subjected to the Extremis is a violent, sadistic, ax-crazy asshole with zero empathy, with the exception of Pepper, which is understandable in that she never fully completed the transformation. Whether this is the way they always were, a side-effect of the Extremis, or due to them being so addicted and afraid of going back to being handicapped that they'll do anything to stay in Killian's going graces, isn't explored. However, it also serves to make them all AssholeVictims when Tony decides to stop fucking around and start using lethal force.

* JokeNameTag: The film begins with Tony Stark at a party, with a name tag reading "You know who I am"

** The BigBad injects Pepper with Extremis. [[ColdBloodedTorture The process is very painful, possibly deadly]], and there's no real reason to do it other than to add hurt to Tony.

** Another is when Maya shows up at Tony's house. Maya is standing around while Tony and Pepper argue like an old married couple (including about the giant stuffed bunny), when:
--->'''Maya:''' Uh, guys? ''Guys?'' '''''GUYS!?''''' Should we be worried about '''''THAT?!''''' [[spoiler:''[a missile hits the house seconds later]'']]

--->'''Tony:''' We all make our own demons.

* OlderThanTheyLook: Maya never says her age, but unless she is supposed to be a Teen Genius in the 1999 flashback, she has to be at least five to six years older than Creator/RebeccaHall (Hall was born in May of 1982, and would have been 17 at the time of the 1999 flashback scene; and was 30 years old at the time of filming for the movie).

** Killian to Pepper. He wants her as a "trophy" to get back at Tony.

* StrawmanHasAPoint:[[invoked]] {{Exploited}} and {{Subverted}}. The Mandarin uses past atrocities committed by the United States against Native Americans, Asian immigrants and other minorities to justify his own acts of terror, claiming them as PoeticJustice. Aside from the fact that he is still killing innocent people for crimes committed by their ancestors, [[spoiler:"The Mandarin" is just a stage actor, his "terrorist attacks" were mostly human experiments GoneHorriblyWrong, and the actual villains- Aldritch Killian and [=AIM=], don't give a damn about the historical crimes of the United States beyond the excuse it provides them, and are in fact planning to profit off of the American war industry.]]

* SurprisinglyRealisticOutcome: Tony almost died at the end of 'Film/{{The Avengers|2012}}''. He's a ShellShockedVeteran now, struggling to cope, which is rather unusual for superhero movies, who often have characters shrugging off life-threatening adventures.

* TraitorShot: Just before [[spoiler:Killian and his goons arrive to kidnap Pepper]], the camera briefly lingers on [[spoiler:Maya]]. As Pepper turns to answer the door, [[spoiler:Maya]]'s expression changes, her eyes taking on an ominous look which hints that she knows what's about to happen.

* PragmaticAdaptation: The Mandarin. YellowPeril wouldn't fly, especially with Chinese investors, so Kingsley is cast as an AmbiguouslyBrown bad guy with JustAStupidAccent, and a little twist in his back-story. [[spoiler:Namely, he's actually not the Mandarin at all. This wound up backfiring; while most fans didn't mind the initial RaceLift, more than a few felt insulted at the twist and the attempt to make Aldrich Killian the real Mandarin. Whether or not ''All Hail the King'' was made to placate them, it ''has'' left the door open for a more traditional Mandarin to appear later. As such, the Mandarin will be the BigBad in ''Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings'' where he will joust against Marvel's greatest Asian superhero, ComicBook/ShangChi, and thus neatly avoid any YellowPeril implications]]

[[header:[[center:[-'''Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse -- Phase 2'''\\
'''''Iron Man 3''''' | ''Film/ThorTheDarkWorld'' | ''Film/CaptainAmericaTheWinterSoldier'' | ''Film/{{Guardians of the Galaxy|2014}}'' | ''Film/AvengersAgeOfUltron'' | ''Film/AntMan1''\\
'''[[Film/TheAvengers2012 <<< Phase 1]] | [[Film/CaptainAmericaCivilWar Phase 3 >>>]]'''-]]]]]

* HurtingHero: Tony, suffering from post-traumatic stress after the events of ''Film/{{The Avengers|2012}}''.