Iron Man: The Real Hero

In today’s society, the concern of people and laws are not about doing good but rather having the appearance of good. People no longer care about what they need to stand for, only that they look like they aren’t sitting down. In fact, men today are treated as outcasts when sticking up for a good thing when it doesn’t have a pleasant appearance. Men such as Thomas Jefferson, Leonidas, Joshua and Jesus, men that represent something greater than what meets the eye, are scarce among us and used to be held in the upmost respect in history.
Today, one man personifies the idea of doing good without needing the appearance of good. This icon is Iron Man, as a hero, and as an image of the greater good. Some would accuse Iron Man of wrong-doing in the area of justice and morality, but there is more than what meets the eye under that metal mask. Iron Man was created in 1963, as an icon of American technology and business against Communism in the Cold War. After the Cold War the focus shifted to more contemporary concerns such as terrorism and corporate crime, as seen in the modern movies.
In 2008, when the first movie was released, Iron Man was portrayed as a rich young playboy who had no care for anybody except himself. Yet in the movie he undergoes a character change and when he becomes Iron Man, he changes his focus off of himself and onto others. He portrays this by disbanding his company’s weapons program when he finds they are double dealing to other countries other than America. From his birth Iron Man was meant as a symbol of idealism, something of a noble cause. So what is the big deal about some superhero being overlooked as an example of virtue?

The big problem is that men are not expected to be what they should be, and their real morality is undermined by the need for an appearance. Because of this false ideology, men like Iron Man are falsely accused for wronging civilization. In reality, Iron Man ought to be held in the upmost respect as a person, and should not be criticized for his outward appearance, but judged based on the goodness of his acts as Iron Man toward humanity. Throughout his history, Iron Man has displayed countless acts of heroism.
He has saved countless lives by means of risking his life for others, receiving nothing in return but gratitude. This is best shown by when he first builds the suit, not knowing what the outcome of it will be, but risking his life anyway to save his friend and himself from captivity. After that he flies into countries that are not even his own to save a people who are being oppressed by terrorists and who he has no affiliation with. Therefore, when people attack Iron Man for doing wrong by breaking laws, it is invalid because of the equity Iron Man displays through his acts of vigilanteism.
Take into account when he flew over restricted airspace to go save the lives of innocent people who were in mortal danger. Was he supposed to let them die because he could break the law of flying over a restricted zone? Of course not, as the Bible does say that we ought to love our neighbor as ourself, and that we ought also to love our enemy, as Iron Man does in saving a people that are not even his own. Therefore, even when Iron Man is putting himself in these type of situations, he cannot be said to have done wrong, for doing nothing for the people would have been more wrong than him leaving them to die.
Yet even with this outstanding display of selflessness, some would still insist that Iron Man still committed acts of wrong-doing, no matter the number of good and noble actions he did. They would assert that Iron Man consistently breaks the law by removing himself from the justice system and taking matters into his own hands. Even though their concern is valid and understandable, it is not relevant according to the definition of wrong-doing. According to Aristotle wrong-doing is “injury voluntarily inflicted contrary to law.
Iron Man’s actions are contrary to some written law, but they uphold unwritten law. His actions do not cause cause voluntary injury, and uphold principles that no written law can overrule, that of defending fellow man, and standing up for what is right. Also, some would accuse Iron Man’s character, as he is a playboy who loves to drink and party. However, this is not relevant to the argument of wrongdoing, and therefore does not effect this topic of discussion.
Therefore, because Iron Man has not done any wrong in his actions of extreme patriotism and display of what is really good, the accusations that are placed on his head as a wrong-doer are invalid. The fact that his minor actions contrary to law are outdone by the equity he displays also proves his innocence against such heinous accusations. Iron Man will continue throughout the ages as an icon of justice and virtue, and will fulfill his role as a real hero; one who displays a selfless yet unwavering strive for something better.