Stephen Strange/Tony Stark
| Pairing | |
|---|---|
| Pairing: | Stephen Strange/Tony Stark |
| Alternative name(s): | IronStrange, StrangeIron, DrIron, StraNy, IronDoctor, IronMagic, Awesome Facial Hair Bros |
| Gender category: | Slash, M/M |
| Fandom: | Dr Strange Movieverse/Iron Man Movieverse (Marvel Cinematic Universe) |
| Canonical?: | Non-Canon |
| Prevalence: | common |
| Archives: | Stephen Strange/Tony Stark |
| Other: | |
| Click here for related articles on Fanlore. | |
IronStrange is the pairing of Stephen Strange (Dr Strange) and Tony Stark (Iron Man) from the Marvel Universe.
The two are often referred to as "Awesome Facial Hair Bros" (either in a shippy or a platonic context), as they have similar-looking goatees.[1] The term is a reference to a strip from Invincible Iron Man #3 in which Tony Stark high-fives Dr Strange and calls them "Awesome Facial Hair Bros!"[2]
Canon
Marvel Cinematic Universe
Tony Stark and Dr Strange met for the first time in-universe during Avengers: Infinity War, when the two worked together to defend Earth from Thanos' minions, to protect the Time Stone from Thanos, and to try and defeat Thanos on Titan.
While the IronStrange ship had existed since the release of Doctor Strange, this canon interaction gave the ship a new burst of popularity and brought new fans to the pairing.[3]
Fandom
This article or section needs expansion. |
The IronStrange pairing began appearing in fandom following the release of the Doctor Strange solo film, and received a new lease of life after Avengers: Infinity War featured Tony Stark and Stephen Strange meeting in-universe for the first time.
It is the 4th most popular slash pairing for Tony Stark on Archive of Our Own, and 6th most popular overall pairing for him. It is Dr. Strange's most popular pairing on AO3.
Statistics
- In 2018, IronStrange was ranked 18th on Tumblr's Top 100 Ships of 2018[4]
- As of 24 August 2020, the pairing Tony Stark/Steven Strange has 5021 works on AO3.
Common Tropes & Fanon
Post-Civil War
Many of the early IronStrange fanworks feature Tony dealing with the aftermath of Captain America: Civil War, as Doctor Strange was released six months after Civil War. In these fanworks, Dr Strange is often protective of Tony, sometimes intervening in Avengers disputes on his behalf, or is a source of comfort for Tony in the midst of the Avengers' conflict and drama. In other works, Tony and Stephen help each other deal with their traumatic experiences and the burden of trying to save the world.
These fics are often unkind to Steve Rogers (sometimes to the extent of character bashing), and may feature Steve Rogers/Tony Stark as a past pairing, or Pepper Potts/Tony Stark.
Example fanworks:
- No Second Chances by Wix. When the ex-Avengers get pardoned, Tony must navigate their return to the Compound. Unfortunately, that isn't the only thing he has to navigate in this whole affair and naturally the ex-Avengers aren't going to make it easy for him. Not that he really expected anything else.
- Burning Lines into the Snow by petroltogo. Post CW: It's not just the team that's so broken they are barely able to comprehend how many parts they're missing now, how many have been ripped and twisted and torn. It's Tony as well, right down to the core, the damage so far-reaching even he doesn't know how to fix it. And then there's Strange, who has his own way of covering the cracks.
- No right by boleyn13. “I make people feel like shit. That’s one unique talent I have. Interns, residents, patients, friends, acquaintances, family, lovers… I used to make everyone feel like shit and I didn’t care much. They should just get themselves some thicker skin. I don’t want to make you feel bad… I want to make you feel great. Because that’s what you are. Great.”
- Somebody made Tony forget that he's worth being wanted. Somebody else wants to remind him of it.
Post-Infinity War
| Examples Wanted: Editors are encouraged to add more examples or a wider variety of examples. |
Superfamily/Supremefamily/Strangefamily
Following the release of Spider-Man: Homecoming, a number of IronStrange fanworks feature Tony and Stephen acting as parents (adopted or otherwise) to Peter Parker, a variation on the Superfamily trope. Sometimes called "Supreme Family"/"Supremefamily"[5][6] (in reference to Stephen being the Sorceror Supreme) or "Strangefamily".[7]
Example fanworks:
- No, He's Your Son by heisenfox
- Pint-Sized Parker by flyingonfeatherlesswings. Tony is called away from a meeting to deal with a now toddler-aged Peter Parker, who went snooping around in Stephen Strange's spells.
- Peter Parker's Homecoming by flyingonfeatherlesswings. Five-year old Peter Parker anxiously waits to go to his new home, where his adopted parents, Tony and Stephen Stark-Strange await his arrival.
- Nightmare Fuel by doobler. After facing Thanos, Stephen finds his nightmares are getting worse. Thankfully, he doesn't have to face them alone anymore.
Fanworks
Fanfic
- Dr. Strange and the Rampaging Unicorn by Akira_of_the_Twilight
- True Love's Purrfect Kiss by Akira_of_the_Twilight
- Contractually Obligated by Poetically_Oridinary
- The one where Steve gets jealous and Tony doesn't notice by Stark616
- Ends Are Beginnings by Devil_Spawn
Fanart
| Examples Wanted: Editors are encouraged to add more examples or a wider variety of examples. |
- Fanart : Mid-air Collisions (Kisses), Archived version by razz. Tony is discovering the advantages of a flying romantic partner. (Doctor Strange: "It's levitation, Tony.")
Fanvids
- Tony Stark & Stephen Strange | Light Em Up (Fall Out Boy) by DallasEve
- Ironstrange (Tony Stark x Stephen Strange) - All of me || IW SPOILERS by Bloody Fangirl
- ❃ stephen & tony | this is home by CompelledtoRemember
- E.T || IronStrange Animatic || TheDanielHD by TheDanielHD
- ||BeardBros||Dangerously||FanVid by Kinierr Pine
- SPOILERS! Stephen Strange/Tony Stark || better {ironstrange} by ArwenAmidalaGrey
Zines
Archives and Fannish Links
- Stephen Strange/Tony Stark at the Ao3
Tumblr
References
- ^ Awesome Facial Hair Bros tag on AO3.
- ^ Marvel Comics - Awesome Facial Hair Bros., Know Your Meme. Accessed June 16, 2018.
- ^ Works in Tony Stark/Steven Strange on AO3, filtered to show works created between 23/04/2018 and 16/06/2018.
- ^ "2018's Top Ships". Archived from the original on 2022-05-17.
- ^ "Supreme Family tag on AO3".
- ^ "Supremefamily tag on AO3". Archived from the original on 2022-05-07.
- ^ "Strangefamily tag on AO3". Archived from the original on 2022-01-26.