1. Baiting The Mandarin – Iron Man 3
Is arrogance dumb? For the purposes of this list, we’re going to say yes, especially where Tony Stark is concerned. Iron Man 3 sees the billionaire playboy philantrhopist come up against his arch-nemesis the Mandarin, and when the nation is attacked by bio-terrorists, Stark launches into action.
After his friend has been injured in one of the attacks, a very upset Tony issues a public statement challenging the Mandarin despite knowing nothing about him. In fact, not only does Tony insult the unknown terrorist, but he gives out his home address to the press, instructing the Mandarin to come and find him. Predictably, the villain does just that.
Tony Stark’s ill-advised challenge sees his home destroyed and the hero narrowly escaping with his life. What’s more, Tony still knows nothing about the Mandarin, and falls for one of the most notoriously misguided bait-and-switches in the history of cinema. For a hero who is supposedly one of the most intelligent men on Earth, Tony Stark sure can be stupid at times.
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