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Stark Tower

The Stark Tower Complex is a high-rise building complex appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Located in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, USA, the complex is named after its owner Tony Stark, who is the alter ego of the superhero Iron Man. The structure is composed of a 93-story Main Tower flanked by a 35-story South Building and 55-story North Building. Located at the top of the Main Tower was the Watchtower of the superhero The Sentry, but it has been replaced by Heimdall's observatory.

Stark Tower
The Main Tower of the Stark Tower Complex when Sentry's Watchtower was still attached.
First appearanceThe New Avengers #3 (February 2005)
In-universe information
Other name(s)Avengers Tower
TypeBuilding
LocationsManhattan, New York City
CharactersMighty Avengers
Dark Avengers
New Avengers
Avengers
Iron Man
PublisherMarvel Comics

The Main Tower is informally known as Avengers Tower, as it serves as the headquarters of the superhero team, the Avengers, similar to the Avengers Mansion. Currently, the main Stark Tower is located in Broadway, occupying the space where the Condé Nast Building is in the real world.

The Stark Tower, eventually changed to Avengers Tower, has been shown in various films set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, beginning with The Avengers (2012).

Fictional history

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The Stark Tower Complex was built as a world-class financial and business facility to complement the Midtown Manhattan business district. The building was completed as a gleaming beacon of modern architecture after four years of excavation and construction. It is located in the vicinity of Manhattan's Columbus Circle approximately 10 blocks north of the Baxter Building, headquarters of the superhero team the Fantastic Four.

While initially intending to use the top three floors of the Main Tower as his state-of-the-art bachelor pad, Stark gave them over to the Avengers as their base of operations after their former base, Avengers Mansion, was destroyed.[1] Longtime Mansion caretaker Edwin Jarvis was asked to resume his duties in the new location. Later, when the Sentry became a member of the Avengers, his long-hidden Watchtower appeared, integrating itself atop the Main Tower and the building's existing architecture.[2] Serving as both Sentry's headquarters and as the private residences of Robert Reynolds and his wife Lindy, the 20-story watchtower is operated and maintained by CLOC (Centrally Located Organic Computer), a near-sentient computer of Sentry's own design. The lower levels of the Main Tower, along with both the South and North Buildings, are largely occupied with Stark's subsidiaries and non-profit organizations.

After the passing of the Superhuman Registration Act (SRA), Iron Man was tapped to head the task force charged with enforcing the Act. Subsequently, Stark Tower became the base of operations of the task force. The controversy surrounding the SRA broke the Avengers team apart leaving Tony Stark to form a new team, the Mighty Avengers, who continue to occupy the Main Tower's higher levels. When the Tower became the headquarters of the SRA task force, it was assigned by the government a squad of Cape-Killer guards with the call sign "Force Unit 9".[3][4]

In World War Hulk, a violent battle between the Hulk and Iron Man nearly destroyed Stark Tower.[5] The tower was rebuilt by Stark under his S.H.I.E.L.D. organization, making it S.H.I.E.L.D. property.

Stark Tower becomes the setting for a multi-issue conflict between humans and a murderous Skrull hunting them for sport. During Secret Invasion, many non-powered New York citizens, including Daily Bugle reporter Ben Urich, end up at Stark Tower. Unfortunately, it had become the hunting ground for a Skrull. He is shown killing most of the members of a design firm that had rented space in the building. Ben Urich regains control of the security shutters and the Skrull is tricked into throwing itself out a high window. It dies on impact.[6]

When Norman Osborn took over S.H.I.E.L.D. and renamed it H.A.M.M.E.R., he also took ownership of the tower.[7] After Osborn is removed from power following the Siege of Asgard, the tower is returned to Stark. With the Sentry's death, his watch tower disappeared from the rooftop where it is replaced by Heimdall's observatory as sign of solidarity between Earth and Asgard.[8]

In Fear Itself, the Thing becomes Angir, the Breaker of Souls, after acquiring an Asgardian hammer and destroys the Tower.[9] A new tower was later built on the site of the original.[10]

When the Avengers fell under S.H.I.E.L.D.'s authority, S.H.I.E.L.D. took over the Stark Tower, and made it their Golgotha station.[11]

During the Secret Wars storyline, Stark Tower is destroyed by the Children of Tomorrow during the incursion between Earth-616 and Earth-1610.[12]

Following an eight-month ellipsis, Tony, who is suffering financial difficulties at the time, is forced to sell the rebuilt Stark Tower to a Chinese company called Qeng Enterprises.[13] Tony and the rest of the Avengers relocate to another Stark Tower near Time Square.[14][15]

Reception

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Critical response

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George Marston of Newsarama included the Avengers Tower in their "Best Superhero Headquarters And Hideouts Of All Time" list.[16] Comic Book Resources ranked the Avengers Tower 1st in their "10 Most Iconic Superhero Hideouts In Marvel Comics" list,[17] and ranked the Stark Tower 6th in their "Avengers 10 Best Headquarters" list.[18]

Other versions

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Marvel Adventures

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An alternate version of the Stark Tower appears in Marvel Adventures: The Avengers. It serves as the Avengers' base. The roster who live in it are Captain America, Iron Man, The Hulk, Spider-Man, Giant Girl, Wolverine, and Storm.

Ultimate Universe

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An alternate version of the Stark Tower appears in the Ultimate Universe as the corporate headquarters of Stark/Stane, one of the largest companies of the technocratic North American Union, a power bloc that includes the former United States territories after its central government was dissolved in 1969. It served as an office of Howard Stark and Obadiah Stane as both jointly were responsible for running the corporation as business parners, with Stark heading research and development and operating as Iron Man while Stane served as its public face.[19]

After Obadiah Stane is killed during an assault on a international event in Latveria and Howard Stark disappears inside the City, the Maker's Council takes advantage of the resulting power vacuum and Tony Stark's rebellion against their rule over Earth, conducting a false flag attack on the Tower by making use of a Stark/Stane satellite, framing Tony and his allies as terrorists.[20]

In other media

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Television

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Film

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Avengers Tower as depicted in Marvel Studios' Avengers: Age of Ultron.

Stark Tower, and later renamed Avengers Tower, appears in the Marvel Cinematic Universe:

Video games

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Merchandise

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References

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  1. ^ "Every Avengers Headquarters (So Far)".
  2. ^ New Avengers #10
  3. ^ "New Avengers #25 Script (jinxworld.com)" (DOC). Retrieved 2007-12-17.
  4. ^ Brian Michael Bendis (w), Jim Cheung (p), Livesay (i). "New Avengers Disassembled" New Avengers, no. 25 (December 2006). Marvel Comics.
  5. ^ World War Hulk #1 (August 2007)
  6. ^ Secret Invasion: Front Line 1–5
  7. ^ Dark Avengers #1
  8. ^ Siege #4 (2010)
  9. ^ Avengers (vol. 4) #14
  10. ^ Avengers Assemble #1
  11. ^ Avengers (vol. 5) #35
  12. ^ Secret Wars (vol. 2) #1
  13. ^ Avengers (vol. 6) #0
  14. ^ Brian Michael Bendis (w), David Marquez (p), David Marquez (i). Invincible Iron Man (vol. 2), no. 1 (October 2015). Marvel Comics.
  15. ^ "New Brevoort Formspring". Retrieved 2015-10-11.
  16. ^ Marston, George (January 14, 2023). "The best superhero headquarters and hideouts of all time". Newsarama. Retrieved March 26, 2023.
  17. ^ Avina, Anthony (September 6, 2019). "10 Most Iconic Superhero Hideouts In Marvel Comics, Ranked". Comic Book Resources. Retrieved January 9, 2023.
  18. ^ Allan, Scoot (March 2, 2020). "The Avengers 10 Best Headquarters, Ranked". Comic Book Resources. Retrieved January 9, 2023.
  19. ^ Ultimate Invasion #2. Marvel Comics.
  20. ^ Ultimate Universe #1. Marvel Comics.
  21. ^ Mitovich, Matt Webb (March 8, 2013). "Disney XD Sets Premieres for Marvel-ous New Avengers and Hulk Animated Series". TVLine.
  22. ^ Fischer, Russ (March 19, 2015). "New 'Daredevil' Motion Poster Has Avengers Tower and Glimpse of a New Costume". /Film.
  23. ^ Burton, Jamie (July 7, 2021). ""Loki" Episode 5 was filled with Easter eggs to please hardcore Marvel fans". Newsweek.
  24. ^ "What we learned from The Avengers trailer" by James Hunt, [1] Archived 2012-04-27 at the Wayback Machine DenofGeek.com. Published on Oct 12, 2011
  25. ^ Boucher, Geoff (May 24, 2013). "'Avengers' deconstructed: Helicarrier, Stark Tower design secrets". The Los Angeles Times. Retrieved May 26, 2013.
  26. ^ Lussier, Germain (March 14, 2014). "Exclusive: Tony Stark's Avengers Tower Debuts As Easter Egg In 'Captain America: The Winter Soldier'". /Film. Retrieved March 14, 2014.
  27. ^ Tilly, Chris (July 16, 2014). "Marvel's Kevin Feige Discusses Avengers Tower And Hulkbuster Armor In Age Of Ultron". IGN. Archived from the original on July 17, 2014. Retrieved July 16, 2014.
  28. ^ White, Brett (March 25, 2015). ""Avengers" Fun Facts Reveal New Scarlet Witch, Hulkbuster Details". Comic Book Resources. Archived from the original on March 27, 2015. Retrieved March 25, 2015.
  29. ^ Hood, Cooper (July 8, 2019). "Avengers Tower Has Changed In Spider-Man: Far From Home - But For Who?". Screen Rant.
  30. ^ Paterson, Ewan (September 7, 2018). "Spider-Man PS4: 32 Secrets, References And Easter Eggs You Must Find". WhatCulture. Retrieved August 14, 2022.
  31. ^ Thwaites, Sarah (November 17, 2022). "Every Marvel Snap location (and what they do)". Polygon. Retrieved August 4, 2023.
  32. ^ Danielson, Matthew (October 30, 2022). "Every Location in Marvel Snap (& How They Work)". Screen Rant. Retrieved August 4, 2023.
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