May 19th 2010 By Jordan Newmark

The 12 Biggest Plot Holes in 'Iron Man 2'

To even the casual moviegoer, "Iron Man 2" didn't make any freaking sense.

We are prepared to believe a genius can make an impenetrable suit in a cave with basic tools. But just because a superhero flick is based on a ridiculous premise doesn't mean the rest of the story has to be completely nonsensical.

So these are the biggest problems we caught. Notice anything we missed? Let us know in the comments.

12. How did Iron Man bring about "world peace"? And so quickly? He's just a guy in a suit with a couple of weapons. Can he stop a nuclear attack? No. And, if there is no more war then what does Stark Industries do?

11. How can Lt. Col. James "Rhodey" Rhodes just take a suit? Is there no password protection? No software to keep random people from flying off with it?

10. Why does Tony Stark have a version of Captain America's shield in his office?

9. After the attack in Monaco, Whiplash tells Tony that there's "blood in the water" and the world will come after him now that they know he's not invulnerable and then ... nothing happens. No one comes after Iron Man.

8. If S.H.I.E.L.D. agents are around all the time, why doesn't anyone of them help out when the army of Iron Man drones attacks the Stark Expo?

7. Why does the double blast of repulsor rays from Iron Man and War Machine defeat Whiplash when it didn't hurt them all that badly either time they did it nor did it even have enough power to blow up the room they were in Tony's house the first time?

6. Whiplash attacks Iron Man on international television, but is defeated and sent to jail. Soon after a bomb explodes in his prison cell. Why didn't any of the characters in the movie know about this when it happened? And, why did it take so long for them to find out that Whiplash didn't die in that explosion? Just because the other prisoner had on a similar jumpsuit? Are the police that dumb in Italy?

5. Why doesn't Tony Stark know that his father had a partner that co-developed the Iron Man technology? And that his father had him deported? So the arc reactor is embedded in his chest but he didn't bother to learn anything about the history of it.

4. Why doesn't Whiplash die or even get hurt when he's repeatedly rammed by a car?

3. Why does Pepper Potts as CEO of Stark Industries allow their chief rival Justin Hammer to take center stage at the Stark Expo to show off his weapons which are in direct competition of Stark's weapons?

2. Why does Tony's father hide a clue in the design of the Stark Expo instead of just telling Tony (or anyone else for that matter) about the element he has in mind?

1. Is there honestly no one more qualified to replace Tony Stark as CEO than his assistant, Pepper Potts? Does anyone else work for this billionaire outside of her and Happy Hogan?

One More for Good Measure:

Whiplash is originally somewhere in Russia, right? How did he transport the Whiplash battle suit from there to Monaco without any problems?

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Wednesday 19 May

By SBB

Neutral

If there are horse shoes, are there horse socks?

Monday 31 May

By Rob

Highest Rank

There must be horse skates, because this reviewer just presented a bunch of horse hockey.

Monday 31 May

By Tony

Highest Rank

My biggest question: Why do idiots like the author of this article always get an opportunity to demonstrate their stupidity? Aren't there any requirements as to who gets to write a blog? Free-speech set aside, morons should not be allowed to express their opinions and waste everyone's time!

Wednesday 19 May

By Andrew!

Highest Rank

Oh dear god, here we go
12 - he just said he brought about world peace, basically he just fought a bunch of those 10 rings guys from the first movie
11 - they kinda hinted that Tony programed the computer to let James in because he knew he was gonna die or maybe do something stupid with the armor.
10 - Tony starks dad was a founding member of shield and built Captain america's shield
9 - Justin Hammer comes after tony stark
8 - it happened really fast in the middle of a race track.
7 - they had it turned on low. then higher latter. the power level is variable.
6 - looked like him all blown up. they probably just figured Mr crazy ate a bomb.
5 - it seemed like they kinda hid that.
4 - I dunno
3 - stark doesn't make weapons anymore and its like a worlds fair.
2 - I think he hinted to shield about it. not sure why he hid it.
1 - she seemed like she pretty much was running the company already and tony trusts her.

Wednesday 19 May

By John Adams

Neutral

THANK YOU.. ppl like u man can shut these idiots up..

Friday 21 May

By joe

Highest Rank

4-he has an entire metal suit u just dont see the legs bcuz of the half torn jumpsuit hes wearing

Thursday 20 May

By aimsux405

Highest Rank

Thank you Andrew.

Jordan you are no good at this. Why even bother?

Tuesday 25 May

By Dee

Highest Rank

Thank you thank you thank you!!!!!! Some of these writers just don't know what the heck they be talking about sometimes.

Tuesday 25 May

By J.T.

Highest Rank

The best # 1 question is how does Rhodey know how to operate the suit so easily? It took Stark a pretty good while to get the hang of his suit. Things that make you go hmmmmm.

Saturday 29 May

By josh

Neutral

-Just an Add On_

4. If anyone noticed the weapon wiplash is wearing is like a full body brace. it goes from his knee's at some points to his neck. it protects him and 90% of the hits by the car are at 5 miles an hour.

and finally #2 (hehe i said #2)(just kidding)

2. As we see in the video of tonys dad, tony is like ten when his father was designing the park and the science behind it. Second, this assignment was given to tony directly by his father. And for a reason. He could have easily given it to obi or someone else he trusted. or maybe he, like tony in the first movie doesnt trust obi or anyone else (rightfully so as we find out in the first).

Tuesday 01 June

By darian

Neutral

to answer number 2... his dad told shield about it..but no one else ws smart enough to figure it out. so they had to wait until tony grew up..hence why nick fury gave him the video.

Monday 28 February

By John Adams

Highest Rank

you people are just trying too hard to bring the movie down.. these superhero movies are meant to be enjoyed.. who cares about what you think cuzz most of the peolpe liked the movie and i dont kno wat ur problem with it..

Thursday 20 May

By Eric

Highest Rank

Just because the movie isn't a direct simulation of the real world doesn't make it bad. I don't hear you complaining about the briefcase suit? Why because you thought it was cool. Just as unrealistic as Whiplash not getting hurt by the cars. As a comic book movie, there are certain liberties that can be taken. I personally DON'T believe that we are supposed to believe that this movie series is supposed to be possible in real life. They make these movies for the people that LIKED the comics and want to see their faav heros in full action or the ones that want to get into that hero's comic book world. Stop complaining about NON-exhstant plot holes and rate the judge the movie on how well it does in it's genre!

Besides I don't see u complaining about Avitar when it is just as "feasable" as Iron Man.

Wednesday 19 May

By SBB

Highest Rank

when you say "Avatar" do you mean "Pocahontas" but in space? Same plot.

Wednesday 19 May

By windupbird

Highest Rank

I'm pretty sure that Whiplash wasn't stupid enough to just build himself some tentacles but not have that contraption holding the arc reactor around him provide some kind of defense. Also the car only drammed into him once at full speed which still did him out. The subsequent times were pretty low speed collisions (a Rolls Royce isn't really designed for acceleration, they backed up about half a foot before going forward again, and it was half totaled).

Finally, the Rhodey thing was supposed to parallel the Demon in a Bottle arc, where there's some rivalry between him and Tony, Tony deals with alcoholism and Rhodey has to fill in as Iron Man for a while. It ends with the birth of War Machine. In the movie, it's suggested that aware of his impending death Tony was starting to prepare for a successor. Hence Pepper is CEO and Rhodey has access to the suits.

Wednesday 19 May

By Slimsummers

Neutral

You missed the biggest plot hole of them all, the blood poisoning caused by the arc reactor in his chest.

First off, it's not implanted in him and has no direct contact with his blood, it simply plugs into a socket in his chest and provides power to run the electromagnet that keeps the shrapnel away from his heart. How is the Palladium in the arc reactor getting into his bloodstream?

Second, before he came up with the arc reactor the electromagnet was powered by an old truck battery and jumper cables. His invention of the miniaturized arc reactor only did two things, made it possible for him to have a much more portable and long lasting power source, and have a huge excess of power present to power his suit of armor.

As we see with the MKII/War Machine armor, putting the arc reactor in the suit instead of his chest to power the armor is a viable option. One must assume that in that location sufficient shielding or whatever can prevent the exposure to the palladium. At the very least, wearing the suit a few hours at a time versus 24/7 in chest exposure has gotta reduce exposure and lengthen the time you live.

So, the only reason Tony really needs the arc reactor in his chest at this time is to power the electromagnet, a job easily done with a plain old truck battery. Let's see, certain death with the arc reactor versus long life by simply replacing it with a miniature high energy battery pack that I'm sure SI has off the shelf. Gee, I think I'll choose certain death!

A related point is the blood toxicity concentration meter he uses throughout. Let's see, at least 7 months or more from the time he first put the arc reactor in his chest to the time the second movie begins. Check. Blood toxicity 15%. Check. Time from beginning to end of 2nd movie, less than a month. Check. Toxicity at 85%+ last time he checked. HUH?

Tuesday 25 May

By Luvagoo

Highest Rank

Shh, Slimsummers, don't be boring.
(but congratulations on actually finding a relevant plothole, as opposed to this idiot's list. But still, who cares)

Except for that last point - it's called exponential growth.

Tuesday 01 June

By zsandmann

Neutral

It isn't just powering the electromagnet though, in the comics, it is also a pacemaker. Tony's heart was severly injured by the shrapnel. The electromagnet keeps the shrapnel away but the ARC basicly powers his heart. You can see in the film when he takes it out periodically to clean it or replace the core he gets very weak and pale. That isn't just from the shrapnel pressing in. The socket is embedded in his chest, and you can see how the core is smoking when he changes it. All that smoke is burnt palladium, that's how it is getting into his blood. Also, it may not be spoken, but I assume the toxicity is exponential, meaning at the beginning it wasn't affecting him so much but the more he uses the ARc the faster he burns the palladium, the faster he gets poisoned. You can see in this film he is using the suit much more than the first film.

Wednesday 19 May

By Vox Populi

Highest Rank

This might help
12.) When Tony declares he has brought about world peace, he wasn't saying that he guaranteed it, he is referring to an earlier statement he made to the senate panel that since the Iron Man suit, the world has enjoyed its longest period of uninterrupted peace, and that statement was just an example of his epic narcissism by taking credit for something that was only correlated.
11.) Twice during the movie (maybe more) Rhodes keyed into Tony's basement twice with his own passcode, and JARVIS recognized him as an authorized user, hence why he and pepper can command Jarvis as well, and probably why the only person who was allowed to fly war-machine was Rhodes, since in the first and up to the middle of the second movie, rhodes' official position was the military's liason to Stark. kind of a high up position to be still a flyboy unless he was the only one that was allowed to pilot it. (that is until hammertech was installed)
10.) since it was in his dad's crate of things that was delivered to him by shield, im going to guess either he built the damn thing, or he WAS captain america (not familiar with the actual comic story)
9.) He never made Tony, or Iron Man actually bleed. it was a threat, and a warning. Whiplash said "if you make a god bleed, then the people will cease to believe in him, and the streets and water will fill with blood" Tony has created a persona of this indestructible man who can stop any army, whiplash was not describing what happened, he was describing what will happen (foreshadowing: great plot device in which a future act is mentioned or hinted at earlier in the work) he would have defeated iron man with his new suit, and America would lose its protector, and peace would no longer be guaranteed.
8.) if iron man suit's weapons can take out a tank, why would a bunch of government suits be equipped to take out drone versions of the same damn thing? and shield was helping, hence why black widow got involved and rebooted war machine.
7.) the iron man suit's pulse weapons are also jet stabilizers, notice when he takes off or lands he can change the amount of energy being released by the devices to increase or decrease his speed, stark and rhodes were fighting to prove a point, and obviously didn't want to hurt each other, and upping the power of the pulse weapon/stabilizer allowed a greater reaction which would've provided the needed force to take out Whiplash.
6.) Whiplash was freed because Justin Hammer paid an exorbitant amount of cash to get him out of there, he had cooperation from members of the Italian police forces in monaco, and earlier in the film the police chief was telling tony how they had no records on the man, he was a ghost, and when they switched him out with the other man, they didnt have any records to compare the prisoner to, and therefore probably just pronounced him dead instead of going with the much more inciteful report of "we lost the guy who also created an arc reactor but is using it for evil" probably just a whole lot less paperwork.
5.) Tony was never a big part of his dad's life, and vice versa, earlier in the film he says his dads happiest day was when he shipped him off to boarding school, but you see a DIRECT challenge to that statement when tony's father says on the film reel that his greatest invention ever was tony. the man worked for shield, and he obviously had the political clout to get anyone he wanted deported and to cover it up, he was after all a part of a secret government organization, and they probably helped facilitate this whole cover-up.
4.) i honestly have no answer for this other than maybe the possibility that the chassis for his first prototype was made from forged iron and therefore was bearing the brunt of the impact and keeping his torso safe.(legitimate plot hole)
3.) earlier in the movie when he unveiled the stark expo, he said its purpose was to leave behind a legacy, to allow the ideas of the worlds best and brightest to be given a stage to show the world, hammer even asked tony, and tony just simply asked for proposals and working prototypes before he got him a spot, pepper just happened to be in charge of tony's company when hammer finally got something working.
2.) back to this whole recurrent theme of legacy that was dominant in IM2, tony's father discovered the element that could solve all of the worlds problems, but he also knew that it could cause way more damage if misapplied, by keeping the element a secret and with shield, it allowed for them to make sure the discovery didn't fall into the wrong hands, tony's father declared he was limited by his technology, and he was very right, he made the decision that that would be his legacy to Tony, his real legacy, not the company, but this element, it was something so powerful that he trusted his son with finishing the puzzle, and no one else.
1.)Pepper Potts was his assistant on paper, but she was already practically running the company once tony built iron man, and unveiled it, Jarvis was Tony's real personal assistant, Tony was the stark figurehead, but Pepper was the one who made all the decisions, she just presented her ideas to tony, or demanded that he get on the decision in order to protect the company, she was already doing his job, and he just made it official.
Bonus.) bribes and shipping containers. Ever seen "lord of war"?

watch a movie more than once if your going to say that it was nonsensical and full of plot holes. boom.