so, thanks to this ask I got the other day, I decided to re-watch the first two episodes of Avengers Assemble, thinking it’d be fun to see just how far the show’s come since 2013 (I know, it’s been that long)
but h o l y s h i t was I not expecting to be blown away by just how multilayered those first two episodes were, especially now that we know where things have ended up—I mean, not only am Iconsistently amazed by this show’s thoughtful portrayal of character relationships, but damn did AA hit the ground running with its SPOT-ON Tony Stark characterization; the first two episodes are essentially dedicated to exploring his deepest insecurities, not only in relation to the Avengers but also (and probably most significantly) in relation toSteve.
the biggest question of course that really ties this all together is: why did Tony break up the Avengers in the first place? Because if you remember, the show’s pilot begins in media-res: unlike the MCU or EMH or 616, the AA-verse begins with the Avengers already separated, in that the team had already existed for some time but then “broke up” for undisclosed reasons. It’s heavily implied later on that this decision was primarily made (and executed) by Tony, and, at least at first glance, the reason behind that decision seems to be just because Tony “isn’t a team player”:
BUT HERE IS WHERE THAT SWEET, SWEET CHARACTERIZATION KICKS IN. Everything Tony does in the first two episodes—his choices, his dialogue, his expressions, even his body language—serves to complicate and challenge the assumption that he simply “isn’t a team player.” Tony didn’t disband the Avengers because of his ego or his arrogance or simply because he’d rather “go solo.” The reason is, in fact, the exact opposite: Tony disbanded the Avengers because he cared about them too much.
Let’s unpack this. When we first meet Tony in S1E1, he’s sitting in his mansion surrounded by live feeds of the other Avengers’ whereabouts. Is he out saving the world? No. Is he running Stark Industries? No. Is he out partying and enjoying a “billionare playboy” lifestyle? No. Not even five seconds into the show’s premiere, and our first impression of Tony Stark is already clear: even when disbanded, the Avengers are his number one priority.
The contrast between Tony and the rest of the team is especially significant—the rest of the Avengers are all occupied with their own lives and routines, fighting crime solo as they’d agreed upon doing when they split up. But Tony? The one who ostensibly split up the team in the first place? He’s the one who’s actually occupied with everyone else. His routine revolves around them. Even JARVIS gives us a clue on how often Tony actually spends his time standing guard over a team that no longer exists:
JARVIS may be almost human-like in his capabilities, but it’s important to note that his observations are still largely (or even solely) based on statistics. In other words, the fact that JARVIS comments on Tony’s habits is numerical proof that Tony spends a majority of his time fixated on the Avengers.
Seems pretty odd that Tony would be the one to disband the team then, doesn’t it? These are not the actions of someone who just “isn’t a team player.” In fact, these are the actions of someone who desperately wants to be part of team! So what else is going on?
Here’s the thing about Tony Stark, which we learn as the series goes on (and can deduce from his other reincarnations): he uses his ego as a mask. He always claims to do things for selfish reasons, but in reality, Tony always puts himself last—especially if doing so can ensure the safety of others. A great example of this S1E22 (Guardians and Space Knights), where Tony defies Steve’s orders and faces Galactus without explaining his plan to the team:
Again, at first it seems that Tony is just proving his “not a team player” tendencies. However, by the end of the episode, we realize why Tony left his team in the dark—he realized that the only way to defeat Galactus was to pull a double agent maneuver, which would draw the line of fire away from the Avengers (and Earth) and instead focus it all on himself. His dissent was not about glory or senseless insubordination—it was about valuing the lives of his team over his own.
Of course, I’m not saying this is a good thing; Tony’s inclination to protect rather than rely on the team is a character flaw he spends most of Season 1 trying to reconcile. However, Tony’s protective instincts are not a matter of I must save the day because only I can. His character arc was never about learning to trust his team—far from it, because time and time again, we see that if there’s anything Tony believes in, it’s the Avengers—but rather, Tony’s major character arc was learning to overcome his fear of losing the team. Or, in other words, to accept the reality of loving people who put their lives at stake on a daily basis.
This, in essence, seems to answer the question of why Tony disbanded the team before the start of the series: his fear of losing his friends (his family) caused him to push them away. Returning to the series premiere, when Tony insists on breaking up the team again after they escape Red Skull, we can physically see the toll it takes on him as the Avengers leave the room in disbelief.
His body is locked up, face pained, as if he’s one breath away from begging everyone to return. But he doesn’t; again, Tony puts his desires last. He wants more than anything for the team to be together again—how could he not, after being reminded of what he’s been missing all this time, of how good it feels to be fighting side by side with his friends again? But Tony thinks letting them go truly is the right answer, that going after Red Skull himself will ensure that no one else gets hurt. Because even though they did win the fight, it was too close of a call. Steve almost died, and so did he, though the former is what scares Tony the most:
THIS right here is the crux of why I think Tony disbanded the Avengers. I believe that, sometime after the team got together the first time, Steve and Tony confessed their feelings for each other. However, doing so only intensified Tony’s existing fears—now, every time they stepped onto the battlefield, Tony not only risked losing his friends, but, most importantly, the man he loved. Nothing in the world was worth that risk. So, instead, Tony let Steve (and the team) go.
This certainly is just a headcanon, but two moments in particular convince me of its viability. First: when Tony tries to disband the team a second time, Natasha stops him with:
which, consequently, is a phrase KNOWN for being “break-up vernacular.” If Nat had been close to both Steve and Tony before, it’s entirely possible that she is using a direct quote here, referring back to their break-up that caused the team’s ultimate split. Even if she wasn’t, her choice of words could imply that she’s making those conclusions on her own from careful observation. Second: right after this scene, we see Clint and Natasha standing in Tony’s hall of statues, reminiscing on the team:
All I have to say about this is that the symbolism of two superspies (who are known for their observational skills) having this conversation while gazing up at a statue of Captain America was not lost on me.
But this is not where the story ends. Despite Tony’s precautions, the plot of episode one, as we all know, is exactly his worst nightmare come to life: for a moment, Tony truly believes Skull has killed Steve. Distance, as it turned out, did nothing to soften the blow. So, Tony reforms the Avengers, barrels ahead into Skull’s lair, saves Steve, and then almost loses his own life in the process when Skull steals his arc reactor. Then, when he tries to break the Avengers apart again, Steve implores him:
What strikes me here is Steve’s choice of words. At this point, the other Avengers have already left the room. The word “survived” feels deliberate; after all, the only people that really were at risk of losing their lives in the episode were Steve and Tony. The “we” no longer seems to apply to the whole team, but rather just the two of them. This is a personal conversation. The return of an old and familiar argument. Steve knows Tony’s fear—shares it, even—but he’s trying to show Tony that caring for others doesn’t have to be a weakness. Look at what we just survived, he says, because it’s true; Steve and Tony have literally just lived through what they feared the most, what caused them to break up the team in the first place, and they didn’t lose each other after all. The impossible is possible, Steve is trying to say.
This, I think, also highlights the fundamental difference in which they solve problems. Tony, as a futurist, sees many solutions. He sees every dead end, every worst case scenario, and works to minimize the blast zone by drawing the target on his own body, the one variable he knows he can manipulate and control. Steve, by contrast, is tenacious. He focuses on what’s right in front of him, and attacks problems as they surface. One step at a time. For him, the answer is simple: the future may be dangerous, but they’ll always be stronger together.
In some way, I think Steve knows Tony realizes this, which is why when Red Skull and Modok return to destroy Tony’s mansion, Steve runs out of the room saying:
By which he actually means: “fix that attitude.” Let go of your fears. See just what you’re capable of. Because when Tony does finally save the day by destroying MODOK’s mind control microbots, they have this conversation:
Not only is this moment incredibly sappy, but it’s also charged with double meaning. At this point, Tony has had two episodes worth of time to think. He’s realized that his love for the team (and Steve) isn’t something he can distance himself from. By the end of the episode, they’ve cheated death multiple times, and have lived to tell the tale. Perhaps Tony thinks: maybe Steve was right. We are stronger together. For the Avengers to really work, Tony needs to believe in himself.
I think that, all along, is what Steve’s wanted most, because if there’s one thing Steve believes in, it’s Tony. It’s always been Tony. And Steve loves him, wants him to share that belief, wants Tony to see just how amazing he can be, how bright the future looks through Steve’s eyes—the future that Tony helped build for him in the first place.
You lead, I’ll follow, Steve says, and so Tony does what he does best, what he’s craved, what he’s missed: he leads. The mansion is destroyed by the end of the episode, but it’s just as well: it’s the symbolic deconstruction of Tony’s fears that kept him isolated, a contrast to how we saw him in the beginning of episode 1—sitting in that very mansion, alone, insulated by a cocoon of screens. Now, instead, he builds a new home. Looks forward with hope rather than fear.
And that, my friends, is just the start of season one.
Captain Neverever 