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 superheroIron 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 Located at the top of the Main Tower was the Watchtower of the superhero The Sentry, but it has been replaced by Heimdall's observatory.
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
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
Critical response
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]
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 an 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
Television
Stark Tower appears in The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes, though it is only seen in a few episodes since the team is primarily based in the Avengers Mansion. It is prominently featured in the episode "Alone Against A.I.M.", where A.I.M. raids the Tower and unleashes Technovore to target Tony Stark.
Stark Tower, modeled after the Marvel Cinematic Universe incarnation, appears in Avengers Assemble.[21] This version acts as the Avengers' headquarters after the destruction of the Avengers Mansion in the pilot episode "The Avengers Protocol". In the episode "Avengers Disassembled", part of the tower is destroyed after Iron Man destroys his arc reactor to stop Ultron from taking over his satellites.
Introduced in The Avengers,[24] this version is located in Midtown Manhattan and powered by its own independent arc reactor, capable of sustaining itself for a year without any cost to the city. The tower's unique power sustainability leads Loki to use it to harness the Tesseract and transport the Chitauri army to Earth. After the battle between Loki's forces and the Avengers, the upper levels of the tower are destroyed. However, Stark and Pepper Potts are later seen planning to rebuild and revise it. Furthermore, the tower sits on top of the MetLife Building, with Stark purchasing the building and deconstructing its upper half to accommodate the construction of Stark Tower.[25]
In Avengers: Age of Ultron,[27] the Tower is the Avengers' main base and features a lounge area, three laboratory areas, a machine room, a gym, a relaxation area, and a locker room. There, Stark and Bruce Banner work on a project and create Ultron. The Avengers host a celebratory party there, where Rogers invites Sam Wilson to attend and Stark invites James Rhodes. After the party, Ultron reveals himself and attacks the Avengers. Later, the Avengers return to the Tower along with new recruits Wanda Maximoff and Pietro Maximoff,[28] where the android Vision is created.
In Doctor Strange, the Tower is seen in an establishing shot before Stephen Strange's car accident and again during Strange's battle with Kaecilius' Zealots in the Mirror Dimension.
In Spider-Man: Homecoming, Happy Hogan is inside the Tower getting the last of the Avengers' items transported onto a cargo plane, as the Tower is being sold.
Stark Tower appears in Marvel: Ultimate Alliance. After the S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier UNN Alpha is damaged in an attack of Doctor Doom's Masters of Evil, Tony Stark offers his property as a provisional base of operations. The heroes are based there up until the mission in the Valley of Spirits, after which they relocate to Doctor Strange's Sanctum Sanctorum. Near the end of the game, the heroes return to Stark Tower to free it from Doom's control.
Stark Tower appears in Spider-Man: Web of Shadows. This version serves as a rescue shelter and a temporary hospital during the symbiote invasion, housing S.H.I.E.L.D. agents, caravans, airships and un-infected civilians, as well as electric barricades to repel symbiotes.
Avengers Tower appears as a hub level in Marvel Heroes. Both playable and non-playable heroes, as well as S.H.I.E.L.D. agents can be seen at the tower.
Avengers Tower appears as a stage in Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite. In the game's story, it is relocated to New Metro City following the merging of the worlds, and serves as the headquarters for the allied heroes.
