Iron Man 3

Iron Man 3. Iron. Man. 3. Was amazing, we all know, but I think, out of the three movies, was also the one with the greatest character development.

However, I noticed a horde of people complaining about how “out of character” Operation Clean Slate was: “that’s CRAZY - he would NEVER blow up his suits!!”

Well actually, yeah, he would. For starters, Tony’s always been reckless, sporadic, and very much an impulsive guy. Examples being when, in the Avengers, he destroyed the Leviathan by flying straight through it - I MEAN WHO THE HELL THINKS THAT’S A GOOD IDEA? 
(answer: Only Tony.)

Also when he decided to test his prototype when being thrown out of a building by a maniacal demigod – anyone else would just use a different suit, but Tony’s always retained that “ready, fire, aim” ideal.

Another example comprises of pretty much the entirety of the second movie; Iron Man 2: Stark Justifying his Life-Threatening Condition by Acting Like a Douchebag. He never thinks about what he’s doing; he goes for it because he has the confidence (or insanity??) to believe it WILL work.

So destroying the creations he worked SO hard to perfect? No biggie. He’s so carefree about the decision as well: “what the hell – it’s Christmas.” … but more than that, he has a huge reason to destroy them in this movie. He explains the suits as a cocoon whilst Pepper describes them as a distraction.

The suits were only his starting point, and Tony didn’t realise this until now. His mindset is adequately summarised by: “sometimes you have to walk before you can crawl." He knows it’s time to move on. This fresh start, in turn, will help him sleep, reduce his anxiety attacks, and prioritise the one person he really and truly cares about.

If there’s anyone Tony WOULD destroy the suits for, it’s Pepper.  I mean, c’mon, he spent the entirety of the movie trying to protect her, risking his own life to do so… so destroying his work for her isn’t reeealllyy that much of a stretch.

Also the suits, metaphorically, are like drugs. One feels such an elation when taking them that one want more.
You base your existence on this sole belief that it helps. In a sense it’s your escape, your one way out of the crappy world you live in. It’s your armour – you know it’ll keep you going after a bad day, keep you strong and independent. but slowly they change you, and your priorities, and your health… until the only way out is to just say “screw it”, pull yourself away, and start over. Sound familiar?

NOW. If there’s one thing we should be complaining about, it’s that Tony drives away, at the end of the movie, in an electric Audi R8. An eco-friendly sports car? C’mon. that’s not cool.