Why Does Tony Stark Shoot Falcon When He Says “Sorry”?

You might say Tony was an obnoxious guy, especially when he was against you in some way. But one thing’s for sure: he never intended to use intense violence to solve problems.

However, in “Captain America: Civil War,” there is a moment when Iron Man blasted a shot at Sam Wilson after Sam had lowered his weapon and apologized. 

It looks funny but was deadly serious, totally not Stark’s style.

So, what happened? Did Tony intentionally execute a deadly shot on Falcon? Let’s break it down!

Iron Man’s Blasting Is An Eliminating Shot?

In that moment, Iron Man, backed up by War Machine, flew off to chase the hijacked Quinjet containing Captain America and Bucky Barnes, who had managed to escape with Black Widow’s assistance. 

Rhodes ordered Vision to destroy Falcon’s flight gear with the Mind Stone, but Falcon quickly dodged the android’s attack, which hit War Machine’s Arc Reactor instead, cutting power to the suit hundreds of feet above the ground.

As War Machine fell, Iron Man changed direction to save his friend but was unable to catch him in time before he crashed. 

He immediately ordered F.R.I.D.A.Y. to scan for life signs and contacted emergency medical personnel when she confirmed that War Machine was still alive but left paralyzed.

Falcon also landed and told Iron Man he was sorry, but Iron Man vented his rage by blasting him with a repulsor beam, decisively ending the extended fight.

However, this blast was just a way for Tony to release his anger and prevent further escalation. Tony Stark did not intend to harm or seriously damage Sam Wilson.

While such a reaction might seem extreme to a normal person, Tony Stark’s mentality and circumstances were different.

What Is Happening to Tony?

Far from his image as a billionaire, playboy, genius, and philanthropist, Tony Stark actually has mental issues, particularly Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).

According to the USVA, people with PTSD often exhibit aggressive reactions, such as startling easily when reminded of the trauma.

In Iron Man 3, Tony Stark experiences such reactions and partly admits he has PTSD. This is evident in several moments: he panicked, took it down, isolated himself, and tried to breathe.

The initial cause of his mental issues stems from the Battle of New York, but later it becomes clear that his consequential decisions play a role as well, from Stark Industries selling weapons to terrorists to the incident in Sokovia in Age of Ultron.

Additionally, James Rhodes, or War Machine, is his best friend. Tony partly drags him into the Civil War by consenting to let him use the Iron Patriot suit, placing him on one side of the confrontation.

Arguably, this moment is just a continuation of Tony’s character throughout the Marvel franchise. Not just this time, but Robert Downey Jr. portrayed Tony Stark in the same way in many moments onwards.

How Strong Is Iron Man’s Blasting?

If you aren’t convinced by the reason that Tony Stark’s trauma influenced his blasting, let’s discuss the actual damage potential of Iron Man’s blasts.

Iron Man’s blasts come from his Repulsors, which fire from the nodes in the armor’s palms in the form of concentrated beams or segmented bolts. 

According to various fandom wikis, a single repulsor can generate a maximum concussive force equivalent to 150 pounds of TNT, enough to easily collapse a 10-foot high, 1-foot thick, and 20-foot long concrete wall. 

However, it needs time to charge before firing. Tony Stark can adjust the damage of his repulsors depending on the situation—the longer he charges, the more powerful the blast.

The Iron Armor Tony used in the Civil War is Mark 46, which boasts near-instant charging speed for the repulsors, meaning he could quickly decide the damage he intended for his blast. 

When Tony blasted Falcon, the repulsor blast to the chest gave Falcon an instant black eye and sent him flying back, but it was not lethal.

Also in “Captain America: Civil War,” the only time Tony didn’t hold back his repulsor blast was when he used the Unibeam—the suit’s deadliest weapon, a powerful repulsor blast emitted from the main repulsor located over the Arc Reactor. 

The Unibeam was powerful enough to completely disintegrate most of the Winter Soldier’s prosthetic arm.

To wrap things up: When Tony Stark was hugging James Rhodes and Falcon came to apologize, Tony, still reeling from his trauma, sent Sam away with a non-lethal blast to get some peace.

What do you guys think? Was Tony’s reaction too aggressive? Share your thoughts!