Hurry up! Get the stuff off the truck! Move!
-What is all this? -Who cares?
The Maggia say rob the truck, we rob the truck.
Watch it!
Huh! Weird.
Put that away and get the crate in the van!
What do you think it does? There's a button.
Take that off! You'll get us in trouble!
Don't touch that!
Parks?
♪ He is a man on a mission ♪
♪ In armor of high tech ammunition ♪
♪ Trapped on the edge of an endless game ♪
♪ His teenage life will never be the same ♪
♪ In a dangerous world he does all he can ♪
♪ He's Iron Man ♪
♪ Iron Man ♪
"I am determined to prove a villain.
If King Edward be as true and just -
as I am subtle, false and treacherous."
Oh, you may have been born to be an actor, Mr. Khan.
You're especially good at the villainous roles.
He wasn't even acting!
That's just how he talks, all snide and smug and jerky.
Didn't he save your life that one time?
Yeah, but he was all smug about it. And jerky.
-And what about snide? -That too.
Tony, why do you hang out with him?
Are you guys still BFF? I can't believe I just said BFF.
Tony?
Tony! Don't ignore me! I'll talk more if I have to.
Sorry, Pepper, what? Did you say something?
You're wearing ear plugs in class?
You really want to get kicked out, don't you?
Yes, and no.
These are wireless headphones, not ear plugs.
They're connected to the armor comms.
The helmet audio is bust, so I'm using these.
And you're wearing them in class because?
I'm scanning the news and police reports. Looking for trouble.
That is the understatement of the year!
Opening the book helps, Mr. Hogan.
For your mid-term assignment, students will be paired up
to perform scenes from classic plays.
Take it seriously. The mid-term is a third of your grade.
Tony! Tony!
RADIO: ...robbery in progress.
The robber is armed with an unknown energy weapon.
Mr. Stark!
Since you've chosen not to do any homework for this class,
or barely show up,
the mid-term will be especially important for you.
And since you show such obvious disdain for the dramatic arts,
Mr. Stark, you will go first.
DANIELS: One scene from Hamlet, along with Miss Potts.
What? Are you serious?!
Er... I mean... Yes, ma'am.
We're being graded separately though, right? Please?
I hope you understand
the seriousness of this... Mr. Stark?
RHODEY: Quick question... Have you lost your mind?
TONY: Shouldn't you be in class, Rhodey?
This isn't funny! Daniels went nuts.
You'll get kicked out of school if you keep this up!
-Whatever you say, Mom. -You're losing it, Tony!
Between Iron Man, Stane, those rings and school,
you're dropping the ball.
I've heard this before, and you know what? Fine.
If something must give, let it be school.
-I don't need it. -What about me and Pepper?
-Do you still need your friends? -I've got to go. I'll call you.
Iron Man!
Is anyone hurt? What happened?
Just a guy...
Some weird suit, but he kept disappearing and reappearing
then he burned a hole through the vault door!
-I didn't even see him do it! -Disappeared?
Where is he now?
Iron Man...
If you knew what was good for you, you'd start running.
Neat trick. Where'd you get that suit?
Jealous?
Were you aware that you're leaking energy?
That's usually not very good for you.
Surrender, and I'll make sure you get medical help.
[chuckles] No, I don't think I'll be surrendering.
Impressed?
I guess.
I'm the Living Laser now, Iron Man, and I'm unstoppable.
The next time this laser fires, it's going to be right through--
You can turn yourself into a laser,
and the best you can come up with is robbing a bank?
That's sad.
[groans]
This... This is...
Oh, no!
[sirens approach]
Come on! Hurry up!
Come on!
So, you ready to rehearse for drama class?
No. I'm hacking Stark's research databases.
Wow! That sounds really fun and all,
but this is one third of our grade.
One third. If we don't do this [laughs nervously] we'll flunk!
Seriously.
The guy at the bank today, he had this.
It's a prototype laser teleportation device,
designed to convert matter to energy and back.
My dad made it.
[gasps] Your dad made stuff for super-villains?
No. He had a room - the vault.
It's where he kept inventions he hadn't finished,
got bored with, or never perfected.
This was one of them. It had flaws that made it unstable.
I'd forgotten the vault.
But only one person could have gotten access to it.
PEPPER: Stane!
I must get into Stark Tower, find out what happened.
If he had tech from the vault, who knows what's out there.
Er... Tony, the school called my mom at work.
She wants to see you.
Sit down, Tony. We need to talk.
I know what you're going to say, Mrs. Rhodes.
"School is important, bring up your grades.
This is what my dad wanted," but I can't do it any more.
Obadiah Stane is destroying my dad's company.
I have to focus on that.
In two years, I'll take over and--
Tony, you need to hear this, but not from me.
Dad?
It's a hologram! Why do you have--
Tony, I wasn't just your dad's friend.
I was his lawyer and the executor of his will.
I don't understand.
I can't imagine how hard it was
to lose the only family you have.
I've tried to give you space, to respect your privacy,
but it can't go on like this.
What do you mean?
This is your father's will, Tony.
If you're seeing this, I'm gone,
and I'm truly sorry for that.
But you won't be alone, Tony.
You'll be living with David and Roberta from now on,
and you'll go to school with Rhodey at the Tomorrow Academy.
I've taught you, raised you all on my own,
and maybe it wasn't the best choice for you,
but after losing your mother, I just wanted you close by me.
Dad...
But now, if I'm gone,
if I can't be there to guide you...
HOWARD: Too much money and power can be overwhelming for anyone,
even someone as special and gifted as you.
I can't let you go down the wrong path,
and if you're going to take over Stark International,
you'll have hundreds of employees' lives in your hands.
HOWARD: The company is about more than science and tech.
-It's about people. -I don't understand.
You have to have a normal life, Tony, with balance.
You need to have friends, to go to school,
to learn all the things I couldn't teach you.
I don't want Stark International to be a burden to you.
Roberta, I know you're with Tony now.
HOWARD: He'll never have to worry about money,
but if you see he's struggling or overwhelmed,
or can't maintain an acceptable grade point average...
If he can't, then control of Stark International
should be handed over to the company board.
I didn't show you this before, as you were having a tough time,
but I never thought it would come to this.
Do you understand now, Tony?
You have to do well in school. You have to keep your grades up.
Everything you care about depends on it.
[grunts] Guards...
Guards! I'm burning up in here!
MAN: Knock it off, Parks!
Some of us are trying to sleep here!
Oh, no...
Oh, no!
Somebody help!
It's not fair!
Dad couldn't have known Stane would turn his company evil,
that his tech would end up on the streets,
that his life's work would be used to hurt people.
He couldn't have known I'd be the only one who could stop it.
Tony, we'll get through this.
You know, maybe this isn't the worst thing in the world.
-What's that supposed to mean? -Nothing.
You've been pushing yourself too hard,
neglecting things like--
You know what happens when I don't push myself?
Lives are on the line. If I'm not there, people die!
If you can't understand that, then leave me alone.
Tony... Come on...
You can't take that kind of responsibility.
All Rhodey meant was we--
Get out!
I was doing all of this for you, Dad.
[man laughing]
[laughs maniacally]
[sighs] Tony's not answering my calls.
-Did you see him this morning? -He was gone when I woke up.
Oh, man... Do you think he ran away?
-I'm not that smart. -You're OK! Oh!
Er... more or less.
Kind of stinky. Did you lose your toothbrush?
I... Guys... I'm sorry. I was such a jerk last night.
This is what my dad wanted for me.
This is what I have to do to keep the company.
I have to try, however bad things get.
Ooh! You do kind of stink!
So you're really staying, and I won't flunk drama?
Right, drama... The test.
What er... What's the play again?
Hamlet? What's that about?
Oh, it's about a prince who's er...
pulled in a million directions while trying...
to avenge his dead father.
[laughs] No, seriously, what's it about?
[laughs] Are you kidding me?
Now, who can tell me what method acting is?
[snoring]
PEPPER: Psst! Tony, your turn!
Er... line?
-To be... -That's just sad, Stark.
You guys stink. Maybe we should do another part.
"My honour'd lord, you know right well you did;
And, with them, words of so sweet breath compos'd
As made the things more rich. Their perfume lost,
Take these again, for to the noble mind
Rich gifts wax poor when givers prove unkind. There, my lord."
"Ha, ha, are you honest?"
-"My lord?" -"Are you fair?"
"What means your lordship?"
"That if you be honest and fair,
your honesty should admit no discourse to your beauty."
Oh... OK. Works for me!
[footsteps approach]
I can memorize thousands of lines of computer code...
Why can't I do this?
Relax. You've still got time before the performance.
We'll go through it until you've got it.
It doesn't even have to be good. Just say the lines.
Doesn't have to be good? I'm going to be a laughingstock!
She rented a theater, Rhodey.
She's got the whole school as an audience!
And isn't it kind of evil to schedule a test at night?
Wow! He's in a rush.
Something must be... going on. Something big.
I want Iron Man here, and I want him now!
Do you hear me out there, Iron Man?
And if Iron Man doesn't show,
I'll turn this entire city into a pile of smoking ash!
Open fire!
[laughs]
The Living Laser? The guy from the bank job?
The energy leak must have changed him.
I have to do something.
The police, they'll be hurt - or worse.
-Tony... -But I've got the test.
If I miss it, if I fail, I'll lose Stark International.
Rhodey, what am I supposed to do?
You fight, you save lives,
but you don't have to do it by yourself.
Right now, the city needs Iron Man.
You go kick this guy's tail, get to the theater on time
and Pepper and I will find a way to deal with school.
Don't worry, man. We'll make this work. Together.
Thanks. I owe you one, Rhodey.
Yeah. Pay me back by staying alive.
Now, go, and don't be late!
Oh, no! He's not coming, is he?
I'm gonna fail! What happened?
Super villain. Times Square. It's bad.
Well, that's really inconvenient!
Stupid super villains! The drama test is in 40 minutes!
Then we've got 39 minutes to figure out a plan.
[groans]
You are about to get a very, very bad sunburn.
Laser, get away from him!
It's OK. I only want you.
I wanted to thank you.
When we met, you said something to me. Do you remember?
You said that for a guy who can turn into a laser,
robbing banks was dumb.
And you were right, so I came up with something better.
Yeah? What's that?
I'm going to be the man who fried Iron Man.
Is that the best you can do? Sad.
Argh!
[grunts]
Listen to me. You need help.
The energy from the equipment you were using has changed you.
-It could be fatal! -Like I care.
All my life, I've been a nobody, but now I'm somebody.
I'm the Living Laser!
[chuckles]
Oh, you're somebody?
That's funny coming from someone who doesn't have a body now.
You're laughing at me?
I was wrong. You don't need a doctor - you need a therapist!
And you should have stuck to robbing banks.
That tickled.
Perfect.
All right, no more jokes. You can't win, Iron Man!
You don't even know what power is!
I am power!
You can't even touch me, but I can touch you.
You think I can't get through that armor?
Watch me!
Urgh!
COMPUTER: Integrity at risk. Shielding failure imminent.
Unable to compensate for energy frequency.
[grunts] The frequency... He can change his frequency!
That's why the repulsors didn't work.
His energy form is on a different wavelength!
Computer, alter the frequency of all weapons systems
to match the Living Laser. Now!
COMPUTER: Analyzing. Frequency matched.
You want power, Laser? Have some more!
Urgh! How?
That's not possible!
I'm the Living Laser! You can't touch me!
Touch.
Aargh!
Well, that was... Hamlet!
[muttering]
BOY: Look what she's wearing.
Well, good of you to join us, Mr. Stark.
You and Miss Potts may proceed.
I... I can't remember anything.
I don't know the lines. I can't!
It's OK. Just relax!
"Yet here, Laertes? Aboard, aboard, for shame!"
"Those friends thou hast, and their adoption tried."
BOTH: "Grapple them unto thy soul with hoops of steel."
Wooh! Thanks, guys!
That's not in the play, Mr. Stark!
Sorry. "This above all: to thine own self be true."
♪ Iron Man ♪
♪ He is Iron Man ♪
♪ Iron Man ♪