Warning: This post contains spoilers for the Marvel Comics seriesInternational Iron Man. And some for Captain America: Civil War, for that matter.
Since it was revealed a few years ago that the effortlessly charming billionaire playboy Tony Stark was adopted, his biological parentage has been the cause of interesting debate. Considering his power as both Iron Man and the head of Stark Industries, his genetic link is on par with Jon Snow in Game of Thrones.
That question of parentage has now been answered in the seriesInternational Iron Man, and the answer is shocking, to say the least. Earlier, the series had revealed that Tony Stark's biological mother was Amanda Armstrong, a well-known musician who doubled as a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent.
Tony then and now [Credit: Marvel Comics]
The mystery of Tony's biological father was revealed in the series finale,International Iron Man Issue 7. Amanda met a fellow agent named Jude, who saved her life during a mission in Germany. Although later captured by the terrorist organization Hydra, the pair managed to escape, and started dating for two years before Amanda fell pregnant, which prompted her to quit S.H.I.E.L.D.
However, tragedy was about to strike. Just one week before Amanda was due to give birth, Jude confessed to becoming a double agent, exchanging information with Hydra. This sparked a furious response from Amanda, who drove a pair of scissors deep into his neck, killing him.
Amanda Armstrong kills Jude / Marvel Comics
The Truth Behind Tony Stark's Parentage
Amanda never fully recovered from the ordeal, choosing to put the child up for adoption instead of raising him as her own. Howard Stark took custody of the baby, now named Tony Stark, who would grow up to inherit his adopted father's multibillion-dollar company Stark Industries.
In an interview with Entertainment Weekly prior to the series release, writer Brian Michael Bendis talked of the decision to explore Stark's background:
"He’s going to find out this year, and in this brand new book, the quest for who he is and why he’s wired the way he is — which is very unique and different — is something he’s gonna face. We have some really great stories to tell about Tony."
Marvel quickly rescinded that storyline, using the superhero equivalent of "it was all a dream," by claiming that the backstory was created by the Red Skull using a Cosmic Cube. In reality, it's likely a combination of a ploy to shift copies and a response to the backlash, which in particular highlighted Captain America's particular anti-Nazism, and Hydras undeniably likeness to the antisemitic group.
Captain America's devotion to Hydra / Marvel Comics
Could This Impact The MCU?
Stark's link is less blatant, though, and could eventually work its way into the fabric of the MCU. The theme of family played an integral role in the latest offering Captain America: Civil War, in particular with both Black Panther — whose father was assassinated — and Iron Man.
Not only does Stark launch a charity in his parents' names, but a large part of Baron Zemo's evil plan to get the Avengers to turn on each other centers around the revelation that Bucky was responsible for killing Stark's parents when in Winter Soldier mode. Before that, it was understood that Stark's parents had been killed in a car accident.
It's not entirely inconceivable that in the resulting investigation, the truth of Stark's adoption could come to light. Considering his biological mother killed his biological father due to different values while working on the field, could this then lead to Stark's imminent withdrawal from Avengers duty, and the end of Iron Man in the MCU?
More questions will be answered when the impact of the revelation is explored in the Invincible Iron Man series, which launches in November.
What do you think of the revelation Stark has ties with Hydra?
![Tony then and now [Credit: Marvel Comics]](https://images.moviepilot.com/image/upload/c_limit,h_1000,q_auto,w_710/ozibute7imckzfxhbxqf.jpg)
