Iron Man VS Lex Luthor

Iron Man VS Lex Luthor is the forty-sixth episode of DEATH BATTLE. It stars armored geniuses Iron Man from Marvel Comics & Lex Luthor from DC Comics. Iron Man is voiced by Chuck Huber and Lex Luthor is voiced by Gianni Matragrano.

Description
Marvel and DC square off in this battle of armored geniuses!

Interlude
(*Cues: Invader - Jim Johnston*)

Wiz: Technology, it improves our lives, lets you watch cool shows on the internet, and sometimes, it can help you to rival gods.

Boomstick: Like with Iron Man, the Armored Avenger.

Wiz: And Lex Luthor, arch nemesis of Superman.

Boomstick: He's Wiz and I'm Boomstick.

Wiz: And it's our job to analyze their weapons, armor, and skills to find out who would win a Death Battle.

Iron Man
(*Cues: Iron Man Anime - Opening Theme*)

Wiz: There are the talented... there are the prodigies... and then there's Anthony Edward Stark.

Boomstick: Please, he prefers Tony.

Wiz: Howard and Maria Stark ruled a nine billion dollar military tech empire. They could have anything they ever wanted, except a child.

Boomstick: Then Howard met an ALIEN who decided to build a baby for them.

Wiz: Fearing humanity would perish to more advanced alien races, this child was genetically engineered to lead the world to a new tech age... BUT that was Arno Stark. We don't speak of him. When Howard and Maria were dissapointed with what they created, they adopted Tony instead.

'''Boomstick: Yep, that's the secret origin to Tony Stark. Didn't see that comin', did ya?'''

Wiz: Despite not being the alien-engineered child prodigy, Tony's gifted intelligence and world-changing destiny were obvious at an early age. He graduated from MIT with top honors and a physics and engineering double major when he was just 19 years old.

'''Boomstick: But since this is a superhero origin, it wasn't long before tragedy struck... and by struck, I mean a car crash. And by tragedy, I mean his parents. So all of a sudden, Tony was an orphan. But on the bright side, it also made him the sole heir of Stark Industries. Nice.'''

Wiz: With the entire family fortune at his fingertips, Tony pursued a life of reckless indulgence and mechanical tinkering. War was his income and he enjoyed every bit of it... until the day his eyes were opened.

'''Boomstick: Yeah! Opened with a shrapnel-filled irony bomb!'''

Tony sees the shrapnel bomb and attempts to get away from it, but it detonates, knocking him to the ground.

(*Cues: Iron Man (2008) - Mark I*)

Wiz: Held captive by terrorists in Afghanistan, Tony learned the bomb left shrapnel in his heart, which would kill him in a week. The terrorists gave Tony an ultimatum: construct weapons for them and receive treatment... or be left to die.

'''Boomstick: But being Tony Stark, he chose door number three. He built a space-age pacemaker to save his own life and then built a mech suit around it and murdered his way to freedom. This taught Stark one of life's most important lessons: heroes aren't born...'''

Tony places his suit's mask onto a table.

'''Boomstick: They're built. A lesson which also made for a pretty sweet tagline.'''

Tony: My turn.

Tony unleashes his wrist-mounted flamethrowers at the terrorists, then flies away during a huge explosion.

(*Cues: Iron Man (2008) - Mark II*)

Wiz: But Tony's heart was changed in more ways than one that day. Upon returning to America, he nullified all weapons development at Stark Industries and dedicated his life to saving the world... in his own way.

'''Boomstick: Yeah, we're not talking, like, just donating to charity and being kind to your neighbor. Tony became a one-man army of justice and began creating a new and improved armored suit that the public would eventually dub... Iron Man.'''

(*Cues: Iron Man (2008) - Driving with the Top Down*)

And then he made another one, and another one, and another, another, and then he made like, a shitload more.

Wiz: The Iron Man suits are numerous, but they typically come with a common base set of tools. Generally composed of a gold-titanium alloy, his standard suits have the strength to lift up to 100 tons, fly at supersonic speeds, and come with an onboard intelligence system called J.A.R.V.I.S., which controls his weaponry and can summon other suits at his beck and call.

Boomstick: And for good measure, these babies come loaded head to toe with weaponry, i'm talking shoulder mounted darts, anti-tank missiles, an EMP, and the Iron Man staple: Laser beams!

Wiz: These repulsor blasts draw power directly from the reactor in Tony's chest or chest piece, depending on the time period, to fire high-mass, negatively charged muons as a concussive energy attack. Most commonly, these are fired from the palms of his suit.

Boomstick: But, if the situation calls for a bit more firepower, he can blast an even larger beam directly from his chest piece, UNI-BEAM!

Wiz: All of these features come standard in his most often used suit, Model 13: The Modular Armor.

Boomstick: This armor specializes in adaptability, allowing Tony to swap out it's individual pieces for ones suited to the mission at hand, oh, and it also has an extra casing known as Iron Man Armor model 14, but you can just call it...Hulkbuster.

Wiz: As the name implies, this upgrade was built to contend with one of the universes strongest beings. With the combination of magnetic and hydraulic technology, in addition to the strength of the modular armor, the Hulkbuster can deliver far more powerful punches and hold its ground against the Incredible Hulk, who is strong enough to lift a 150 billion ton mountain.

'''Boomstick: But his most advanced armor yet comes in the form of his Endo-Sym armor. Part metal, part scary space alien parasite, Tony can summon it telepathically, use it to imprison his foes, and even suck up electromagnetic fields. Mmm...electricity.'''

Wiz: It can take hits from Storm's lighting, and shoot repulsor beams so powerful, they can injure meta-humans who are normally able to absorb energy.

Boomstick: Although Tony is a mere man who finds himself fighting with and against unimaginably powerful beings, he has proven time and time again that technology can compete with the world's greatest superheroes.

Wiz: He can survive blows from Thor's hammer, hold his own against Captain America, and move faster than a an Extremis-enhanced superhuman's eye can track.

'''Boomstick: Not to mention, his suit can actually learn and predict its opponents next move, and withstand the fury of several nuclear bombs! Do not underestimate the Golden Avenger.'''

(*Cues: Iron Man TAS (1996) - Opening 2*)

Wiz: That being said, for all their power, the Iron Man suits are hardly flawless.

Boomstick: They've been known to malfunction in life-threatening ways, and consume too much power too quickly, leaving Tony helpless.

Wiz: Tony frequently pushes his suit and his body to their absolute limits, and past them. And his reckless, head-first mentality is responsible for landing him in trouble just as much as it is for getting him out of it. This has led to him setting off a civil war between superheroes, and pissing off the all-powerful Phoenix Force into killing Charles Xavier.

'''Boomstick: What? Charles? But he's the Iron Man.'''

Wiz: And he once built a machine capable of releasing twenty thousand megatons of atomic energy, that's three times more than all of the Earth's known nuclear weapons combined.

'''Boomstick: And then he just blasted it straight into the ground! All because he wanted to see what was at the Earth's core.'''

Wiz: It didn't work out, but Tony's most diabolical nemesis isn't the Mandarin, or even Ultron, it's his lifelong battle with alcoholism.

(*Sound of a pop top is heard*)

Boomstick: Did you say something?

Iron Man: *Dodges a missile from a tank, aims and fires another at it, then walks away as it explodes*

Lex Luthor
Wiz: Superman is among the most powerful characters in all of fiction. He can destroy planets, withstand supernovas, and fly faster than light itself.

'''Boomstick: What kind of person could possibly be the arch-nemesis to someone like him? You'd have to be a god made of magic kryptonite...'''

Lex: WRONG!!!

Wiz: Nope. Just a mortal man with a passion for business, swindling, and green trenchcoats: Lex Luthor.

(*Cues: Mortal Kombat VS DC Universe - Metropolis*)

Wiz: Alexander Joseph Luthor began his rise to the top from the very bottom. As a child he lived in a run down section of Metropolis called the "Suicide Slum". Yes it was that bad. Under abusive parents it was only by sheer willpower that Lex moved on to a better life.

'''Boomstick: Yeah, willpower and some good old fashion Social Darwinism. His parents died in a car crash when their car's brakes failed, leaving Lex alone. Don't feel bad for a second! He used their life insurance money to get out of the ghetto and start his own company, and he's the one who rigged their brakes!'''

Wiz: Although founded through some... legally questionable means, the infamous LexCorp successfully spread it's influence throughout all of Metropolis. In time Lex came to practically run the city itself. Taking ownership of nearly every media outlet, Luthor's positive public image went practically unopposed.

Boomstick: But everything changed when the Man of Tomorrow showed up.

(*Cues: Injustice: Gods Among Us - Betrayal, Revenge and Murder*)

Wiz: In Lex's eyes, Superman was a massive issue for mankind. If humans no longer had to solve problems themselves, they would surely become a weaker race, completely dependent upon this otherworldly savior.

Boomstick: So Lex began his crusade to remove him from the equation, and then properly insert himself as the leader of humanity.

Wiz: Lex is a cunning strategist and mechanical genius who prefers to place his opponents in un-winnable situations. However if physical strength is required he dons the mighty Warsuit.

Cuts to his intro in Injustice: Gods Among Us where Lex landed on the arena in his Warsuit.

Lex: Must I remind you of my superiority?

(*Cues: Injustice Gods Among Us - Joker's Game/Earth Battle*)

Wiz: The Warsuit is a powerful battle armor created by Superman's other arch-nemesis, the alien god known as Darkseid; and it's been further enhanced by Luthor's own designs.

'''Boomstick: Forged in the fiery pits of Apokolips, Lex's Warsuit is no ordinary piece of machinery. Despite it's less than sleek appearance, it comes equipped with force fields, gauntlet blades, a giant kryptonite axe, and energy blasts powered by kryptonite generators.'''

Wiz: It can also fly and has enough strength and durability to go up against Superman himself.

'''Boomstick: Despite how capable the Warsuit is you may feel it has an obvious weak spot: the giant hole where his head is! But ol' cueball's chrome dome is actually protected by an invisible force field. He just wants his opponents to know exactly who's beating the shit out of them.'''

Lex: Hello Sunshine!

Wiz: Lex's weaponry goes beyond an alien metal suit. In addition to his brilliant strategic mind he also surrounded the Earth with dozens of satellites bearing his name.

'''Boomstick: Their purpose? A giant game of space laser hot potato.'''

Cut to another scene from Injustice: Gods Among Us where Lex's satellite fires a laser that he holds with his hand and throws it at Joker.

(*Cues: Superman/Batman: Public Enemies - Opening Theme*)

Wiz: Being a genius multibillionare it's no surprise Lex's accomplishments match the expectations. He's equalled Deathstroke in combat, stabbed Supergirl, snapped Brainiac's neck, and defeated Power Girl in a single stroke.

'''Boomstick: You can't blame him. I don't think anyone could handle more than a single stroke with Power Girl...'''

Wiz: However Lex is not solely dependent on his Warsuit. He sometimes injects himself to a kryptonite steroid which has made him much stronger than an ordinary human. Capable of surviving wounds nobody reasonably should.

'''Boomstick: Yeah, like the time when a giant gorilla shot him in the chest with a sniper rifle, knocking him out of a helicopter off the edge of a cliff and landing headfirst into a canyon. He was up and banging his robot chick in like a day! Oh, yeah he built a robot version of Lois Lane for, you know, sex and murder.'''

Wiz: Because Lex always wants what he cannot have, and his know-how with robotics goes past insane and into absurd. While confined to a prison cell he built a talking, flying robot that reads Moby Dick at such a high frequency it carved out an escape route through the floor itself. Including perfectly shaped stairs.

'''Boomstick: But most diabolical of all, when no one was looking Lex Luthor took forty cakes. He took 40 cakes Wiz! That's as many as four tens. And that's terrible. '''

Wiz: Strange thing is, that's... actually... officially... canon.

Boomstick: Bastard!

(*Cues: Injustice: Gods Among Us - Justice is Done*)

'''Boomstick: Luthor's hatred of Superman and drive to win are stronger than any machine he can create. Take for example the time Superman threw a satellite at Lexcorp tower, bringing the building down on top of poor ol' Lex. This left the guy with half his face ripped off, all four limbs blasted away, and he was impaled in five different places. Even like that he still refused Superman's help. Wiz, if that ever happens to me do me a solid and...kill yourself in front of me so that my dream of outliving you is complete.'''

Wiz: Never gonna happen. But it's also that same cocky independence that serves as Lex's greatest downfall. When he merged with the Zone Child...

Boomstick: Woah!

Wiz:... it's not what you think. He gained, and I quote, "Infinite Power".

Boomstick: And to secure a spot on somebody's watchlist.

Wiz: The only catch was that he could not use his powers to harm others. But because all he wanted to do was kill Superman, he tried it anyway.

Boomstick: So Superman just straight up punched the god out of him!

Wiz: Well that's hardly accurate...

Boomstick: C'mon how else would you describe that?

Wiz:...fair enough. Even so when the Earth is threatened, you can count on Lex Luthor to look his enemies in the eye and fight for his people, and then exploit the hell out of them afterward.

''Lex: (While beating up and shooting Parasite) You know what happens when you take on Lex Luthor? The same thing that's gonna happen to Superman!''

Death Battle
At a warehouse in Stark Industries, Lex takes out one of Tony's guards with a laser pistol. He then uses a scanner and finds a large black box and is attacked by another guard. His force field deflects the guards' bullets and then shoots him.

(*Cues: Iron Man: Armored Adventures - Theme Song*)

It then cuts to Tony working on another Iron Man suit.

J.A.R.V.I.S: Sir, we have a visitor.

Tony sees Lex on the security monitor and looks back at a crystal he has as the alarms go off.

Lex: All clear.

Lex opens the black box and finds Dragon Balls, a Keyblade, and a powerful crystal in it.

Lex: (Laughing) What a joke.

(*Cues: Iron Man - Black Sabbath*)

He takes the crystal as Iron Man flies in.

''Tony: Hands off baldy! What's that you got there?''

Lex turns around holding the crystal.

''Tony: Oh yeah! (Tony blasts the crystal out of Lex's hand) It's mine. I'll send you the bill.''

Lex summons the Warsuit and gets into it.

(*Cues: Devil May Cry - Public Enemy*)

''J.A.R.V.I.S: Actually sir, I should remind you. The contents of this warehouse belong to Miss Potts.''

Tony: Pepper?

J.A.R.V.I.S: I'll forward the estimated damages fee to her account.

''Tony: Great. Be discrete about it.''

J.A.R.V.I.S: One of us has to be.

Luthor laughs as he flies towards Stark and activates his force fields.

''Lex: Remember my face Stark. It'll be the last thing you ever see.''

FIGHT!

Iron Man and Luthor charge towards each other and shoot their repulsors, clashing with each other as Luthor pushes Stark back. Iron Man tries shooting his repulsor blasts at Lex but they do not penetrate his force field. He launches his missles but Luthor uses his shield as the missles damage more of the artifacts in the area.

J.A.R.V.I.S: His systems are confusing my targeting, also adding two million to your charges.

Tony: Not now J.A.R.V.I.S! What do we got here?

''J.A.R.V.I.S: I am having difficulty determining the suit's alloy. Alien perhaps?''

While he's talking, Iron Man tries punching Luthor multiple times, but nothing seems to be working.

Lex: (Laughing) My suit is invincible!

Iron Man charges up his repulsor blasts and aims for Luthor's head.

Tony: How about this part?

He fires it resulting in an explosion, but it still doesn't phase Luthor as he grabs Stark and slams him around. Luthor crushes Iron Man's leg while holding him upside down.

Lex: I thought you were smart.

''Tony: Hey, you're the one who looks like a giant rusty trash can with legs. No judging!''

Luthor slams him again and tosses him into a Gundamseen in the room which destroys more stuff.

J.A.R.V.I.S: Sir, I estimate that will be a 583 million dollar fee.

''Tony: Woah! Woah! That one's on him!''

Lex takes out his kryptonite axe and swings it at Iron Man, who dodges it and uses his force field. Lex laughs as he unleashes a laser on most of the room while Tony blocks it.

''Tony: Here we go! Activate the EMP!''

Iron Man's EMP spreads to a far range and affects Luthor's suit.

''Lex: What? Impossible!''

''Tony: All right! Come to Mama! Heave Ho!''

Iron Man picks up the Batmobile and tosses it at Lex.

Lex: Wait, is that the...?

Before he can say what it was Lex slices it in half with his axe, causing it to explode.

J.A.R.V.I.S: That one might actually make a dent in your wallet.

''Tony: What are you talking about? It's just a car.''

Tony then sees everything about the prices of the Batmobile.

''Tony: Seriously? What kind of car was that? Where do I get one of those?''

Lex then tosses the box that contains the Hulkbuster armor at Stark

Lex: Wake up sunshine...

J.A.R.V.I.S: Watch your left

Iron Man is unable to react in time and the box sends him crashing outside the warehouse into the city. Lex flies out of the warehouse and takes out his axe.

''Lex: Thanks for the fun Stark. It was... smashing.''

Tony then breaks out of the box wearing the Hulkbuster armor.

(*Cues: Most Epic Battle Anime - SiTE-n0w1*)

''Tony: No problem pal! Thanks for the suit.''

They charge at each other. Luthor swings the axe, but Tony's able to crush the blade. Iron Man starts punching Luthor, but Luthor's able to counter them. Iron Man then grabs Luthor and drags him up a building (similar to the Hulk in Age of Ultron) before throwing him and blasting him to the streets near a gas station. They grab each other, but Luthor's energy overwhelms the Hulkbuster.

''J.A.R.V.I.S: That current damaged your battery. Power is at fifteen percent and dropping fast. I recommend a new plan of attack.''

(*Cues: Most Wondrous Battle Music Ever - AZPV*)

Tony: I have a plan, attack!

Tony tries punching down Luthor's force field as the villain laughs.

J.A.R.V.I.S: Power at 10%.

''Lex: You call that power? Ha! You are nothing!''

Tony: J.A.R.V.I.S, reroute all power to the arm and leg hydraulics.

Lex: I have seen true power, you are nothing more than another ant to crush under my...

Tony breaks through the force field.

Lex: Well how about that?

Tony charges up a punch.

Tony: Good night cueball!

Lex catches Tony's punch as the Hulkbuster shuts off.

Tony: What's going on?

J.A.R.V.I.S: We're out of power.

Tony: Ugh, figures.

Luthor starts setting up coordinates for his satellite, preparing his large laser.

''Lex: Fool, you're just like all the rest. Building a suit to save the world and trying to play God.''

Lex holds the large laser in his hand and prepares to throw it at Stark.

''Lex: Let me tell you something Stark! There's only one man in the world who could play such a role!''

Luthor then throws the charged attack at Stark, causing a large explosion and sending Stark into a building. Lex flies forward.

Lex: Me.

(*Cues: Most Wondrous Battle Music Ever - MKAlieZ*)

Tony's Endo-Sym armor then assembles before Lex's eyes to help the fallen hero. Iron Man breaks out of the rubble in his new suit.

''Tony: I don't know Lex. Being a god can't be too hard. I mean, I'm the most intelligent capable person on the planet. I'm not playing God. All this time... I've been playing human.''

Iron Man charges at Lex full speed, breaking through his shield and knocking him back. Lex tries throwing a large kryptonite explosion at Tony, but Iron Man absorbs the power. Lex then tries using flamethrowers on his foe, but Iron Man dodges all of it and grabs Luthor's arms.

Tony: I'll take this!

Iron Man then absorbs a lot of energy from Luthor's suit, significantly powering it down.

''Lex: What? What did you take?''

Tony: Everything.

Tony charges up the power and breaks Lex out of his suit. He tosses Lex towards the street through a building and then tosses him back up into the air.

Tony: Here's the big one!

Iron Man unleashes a large Unibeam attack that disintegrates Lex, killing him. Tony then lands on the ground as a bulding near him collapses.

Tony: That was Pepper's building wasn't it?

J.A.R.V.I.S: Phone call from Miss Potts.

Tony: Tell her I'm not here, I'm uh, jogging!

J.A.R.V.I.S: Already answered, sir.

Pepper: Tony?

''Tony: Uh, hi Pepper! How are you?''

''Pepper: Why did J.A.R.V.I.S just deposit five billion dollars for... (a part of the Gundam collapse near Tony.) collateral damage?''

''Tony: I'm not here. I'm jogging.''

Tony hangs up the call and flies off.

K.O!

Tony summons the 2D Proton Canon from the Marvel vs Capcom games and fires it, destroying the rest of Luthor's suit.

Results
(*Cues: Iron Man 3 - Can you dig it*)

Boomstick: Bullseye!

Wiz: Both Tony and Lex possessed incredible pieces of technology, but only one was naturally prepared for anything. Although it's true that Lex could trade blows with Superman in his Warsuit, the only reason he lasted as long as he did is because many of its weapons are based on kryptonite, great for battling kryptonians, only ok against everybody else.

'''Boomstick: Yes the Warsuit could take hits from Superman, making it more than a match for even the Hulkbuster's power, but even against the very enemy it was designed to kill, the Warsuit only lasts so long. '''

Wiz: Iron Man's greatest advantage was being able to adapt his strategy by remotely summoning and changing suits. The Endo-Sym in particular could counter nearly anything Lex could throw at it.

'''Boomstick: Plus Iron Man has far more actual combat experience. Lex treated physical combat as a last resort, beneath him, while Tony straight up enjoys it. Lex just wasn't suited for this battle.'''

Wiz: The winner is Iron Man.

Trivia

 * The connection between Iron Man and Luthor is that they are both philanthopist geniuses and legendary comic book characters outfitted with iconic war-suits.
 * This is the seventh episode in which a Disney owned character and Warner Bros. owned character were pitted against each other, the first six being Rogue VS Wonder Woman, Luke Skywalker VS Harry Potter, Thor VS Raiden, Batman VS Spider-Man, Batman VS Captain America, Deadpool VS Deathstroke and after this is Green Arrow vs Hawkeye.
 * It is also the sixth Disney win, the fifth Marvel VS DC fight, and the forth Marvel victory.
 * This episode is likely being done to commemorate the movie Avengers: Age of Ultron.
 * If so, this is the eighth episode to be done for commemoration. The last seven were Luke Skywalker VS Harry Potter, Thor VS Raiden, Terminator VS RoboCop, Luigi VS Tails, Godzilla VS Gamera, Kirby VS Majin Buu and Ragna VS Sol Badguy.
 * It is the sixth time that the contestant being commemorated won.
 * On the day this episode was released (April 29th, 2015), Lex Luthor was officially released in the DC Comics MOBA, Infinite Crisis.
 * Iron Man was first revealed on Twitter before the Release of Guts VS Nightmare and both combatants would have been announced if re tweeted 2,000 times yet before that happened, Guts VS Nightmare was released.
 * Iron Man's preview aired earlier on April 15th but was taken down and then put back up. This is due to them mistaking the genetic alien made baby to be Tony when it was actually Arno, but they corrected the mistake.
 * This is the fifth Death Battle episode to pit a hero character against a villain character, the first four being Yoshi VS Riptor, Starscream VS Rainbow Dash, Kirby VS Majin Buu and Guts VS Nightmare.
 * This is also the fifth time that the hero won.
 * So far. there's no villain won over the hero.
 * The Stark Industries building where the fight begins is loaded with references to comics, anime, and other series, with seven Dragon Balls, a Keyblade, a Gundam (represented as the RX-78-6 Murdock Gundam), and the Batmobile (represented as the version from Batman: The Animated Series).
 * The crate containing the Hulkbuster suit bears the logo of the Weyland-Yutani Corporation from the Alien series.
 * This is the fourth member of the Avengers to be in a Death Battle, the first three were Thor, Spider-Man, and Captain America.
 * This is the third battle to feature an Avenger facing a DC character, the first four were Rogue VS Wonder Woman, Batman VS Spider-Man, and Batman VS Captain America.
 * Tony's line "I have a plan, Attack!" is a direct quote from the first Avengers film.
 * This is the second battle in which "Bullseye!" is stated by Boomstick after the battle, the first being Ragna VS Sol Badguy.
 * This is the first fight to feature facial motion capture, as ScrewAttack employee Parker Bohon provided the facial capture for Tony.
 * Comic book writer Tom Taylor, who is currently the writer for Superior Iron Man and wrote the comic book tie-in to Injustice: Gods Among Us, both of which were factored into the fight, saw the battle and on Twitter said he "totally approves of this".
 * Iron Man's section mentions Tony Stark being captured in Afghanistan by terrorists, but features images from his very first issue, where Tony was captured during the Vietnam War.
 * In Iron Man's analysis, Wizard and Boomstick briefly mention the Avengers vs X-Men comic, and the next Death Battle, Beast Vs Goliath, features a member of the X-Men, Beast.
 * Iron Man's quote after activating the Endo-Sym Armor come from Superior Iron Man #3.