Iron Man and Nebula were polar opposite characters. Iron Man, born into money, had a laid-back, sarcastic personality. Nebula, subject to ridicule thanks to her adoptive father, Thanos, had a no-nonsense attitude and was often short-tempered.
The two, however, ended up trapped in space on a Benatar. So you might be wondering how these two polar opposites ended up in such a situation.
Iron Man and Nebula were the only survivors on Titan following the Blip. To escape the planet, they hopped into a damaged Benatar and were stranded in space. When all hope seemed lost, Captain Marvel received their beacon and rescued them.
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Why Was Iron Man Trapped In Space?
During Avengers: Infinity War, Iron Man (Tony Stark) was one of several Avengers battling Thanos on Titan. Following the battle, Thanos retreated from Titan, retrieved the Mind Stone from Wakanda, and evoked his infamous Blip, killing half the universe.
This forced Stark to retreat in the Benatar. He needed to return to Earth and reunite what remained of the Avengers in hopes of ultimately defeating Thanos. However, since the ship’s fuel cells were damaged, he was instead trapped in space.
It wasn’t an ideal situation for Stark, since the Benatar lacked an adequate food, water, and oxygen supply to house him for an extended period.
After three weeks, Stark realized he wouldn’t make it any longer. Believing his death was imminent, he recorded a message, hoping Pepper Potts would find and hear it.
How Did Captain Marvel Find Iron Man and Nebula?
Captain Marvel (Carol Danvers) rescued Iron Man and Nebula right before their oxygen supply ran out. As Danvers approached, Stark was falling asleep, but prior to dozing off, he spotted a light traveling through space.
When you first watch Endgame, it may seem as though Danvers just knew where to find Stark and Nebula. However, this wasn’t the case.
Nick Fury sent Danvers an emergency page, which prompted her to meet with the surviving Avengers on Earth. While here, she discovered a homing beacon on a Benatar. Danvers followed that beacon, which let her track Stark’s and Nebula’s location.
Joe Russo, who directed Endgame, stated Danvers discovering this beacon was a “missing narrative.” However, if you watched the end-credits scene following Captain Marvel, you saw Danvers approaching the Avengers.
![Captain Marvel x Avengers: Endgame – ‘Where's Fury’ Post-Credits Scene [HD]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/Y7cfBolKKHI/0.jpg)
Problem was, we never saw a true follow-up from that meeting to Danvers’ rescue. In other words, neither Captain Marvel nor Endgame gave an adequate explanation of how Danvers discovered the Beacon that led to Stark’s and Nebula’s rescue.
Interestingly, in Infinity War’s post-credits, we did see Fury page Danvers as he disintegrated during the Blip. Thanks to this scene, it showed us how Danvers ended up in 2018 since, if you remember correctly, Captain Marvel was set in the 1990s.
Why was Nebula With Iron Man in Endgame?
Stark wasn’t the only one aboard the Benatar. Nebula, a Luphomoid and Thanos’ adopted daughter, was also with him. To discover why Nebula ended up on the Benatar with Stark, we need to explore how she got to Titan in the first place.
Before the two crossed paths, Thanos held Nebula in captivity. She managed to escape and embark for Titan, where she asked the surviving members of the Guardians of the Galaxy to meet her.
When she arrived, Nebula helped the Avengers suppress Thanos. But after she realized he had killed Gamora, Star Lord (Peter Quill) attacked the Titan. Quill’s lapse in judgment broke the Avengers’ hold on Thanos, allowing the latter to gain the upper hand in the battle.
Thanos nearly killed Stark in the struggle. But Dr. Strange rescued Stark by giving the Time Stone to Thanos. Following the trade off, Thanos only needed the Mind Stone to have access to all six Infinity Stones.
He arrived in Wakanda in pursuit of the Mind Stone, which was in Vision’s possession.
Vision knew Thanos was after the stone, so he convinced Scarlet Witch (Wanda Maximoff) to kill him. This action would destroy the Mind Stone, preventing Thanos from retrieving it.
Problem was, Thanos was able to use the Time Stone to prevent Maximoff from killing Vision. After a struggle, Thanos gained possession of the Mind Stone, and it allowed him to complete his mission to destroy half the universe in an act that became known as the Blip.
Back on Titan, Nebula was the only other Avenger to survive the Blip. And since the Benatar was the only way off of the ravaged planet, she was forced to travel with Stark.
Was Nebula at Tony Stark’s Funeral?
During their time on the Benatar, Nebula and Stark struck up a friendship. We saw Nebula with a true smile for the first time during a scene where the two played paper football to pass the time.
This served as a turning point for both characters in their respective arcs. Stark was in the process of becoming a more selfless individual while Nebula’s smile signified that the otherwise serious character was also beginning to show her lighter side.
Stark’s arc was completed following his famous Snap, which ended Thanos during Endgame’s climax. Following the Snap, we see Stark’s funeral, which most of the surviving Avengers attend.
Nebula attended the funeral at Stark’s homestead. Shortly after Pepper Potts sent off what remained of Tony Stark’s Arc Reactor, the camera shifted to everyone in attendance, and you can see Nebula standing with the remaining Guardians of the Galaxy.
The camera gives us a close up on Nebula before it continues to shift to the other characters.
Conclusion
While they were polar opposite characters, Iron Man and Nebula were the only two Avengers who survived the Blip on Titan. This forced them to create an unlikely alliance, but they bonded over their time on the Benatar.
After roughly three weeks of living together on the Benatar, they were rescued by Carol Danvers, who returned them to Earth. This rescue came thanks to a beacon sent from their ship that occurred during Danvers’ meeting with the Avengers.
Nebula was also present at Stark’s funeral, along with most of the surviving Avengers and characters associated with them.
Sion Fawkes has been covering Star Wars since January 2022, expanding his expertise in Star Wars Canon, Legends, and MCU. When not writing, you can find Sion in the gym or running trails. He also likes watching sports and listening to audiobooks.