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INT—ON TOP THE LAUNCH PAD—DAY
IRON MAN stands on a small launch pad. A VERTICAL SHAFT stretches above him, up, up, finally lost in the shadows. Iron Man has a DIGITIZED VOICE. Yet deep and expressive:
IRON MAN
Field test #1. Vertical thrusters.
SMOKE BILLOWS OUT FROM UNDER HIS FEET, like the rockets of a space mission on take-off, and slowly IRON MAN RISES off the launch pad RIDING GLOWING HOT PILLARS OF FLAME.
INT—THRU THE LAUNCH SHAFT—DAY
IRON MAN rises up through the shaft. Faster and faster. Above him the darkness breaks as the EXIT HATCH OPENS and
EXT—HIGH ABOVE THE GROUND—DAY
IRON MAN ROCKETS OUT THE TOP OF THE STARK BUILDING like a human missile. His FEET JETS ROARING like small rockets.
EXT—HIGH ABOVE THE GROUND—DAY
IRON MAN rockets through the air. STABILIZING THRUSTERS FIRE FROM VENTS all around his body keeping Tony oriented properly. The effect is decidedly mechanical rather than super-heroic: an armored man riding two flaming vertical jets while horizontal jets fire at intervals and EXHAUST BILLOWS FROM PORTS on his back. Truly a flying machine.
IRON MAN rockets higher as, below him, the CITY RECEDES.
IRON MAN Auxiliary power.
There is a GREAT ROAR AS THE JETS UNDER HIS FEET BRIGHTEN AND GET LONGER and Iron Man rockets into the air FASTER. The armor HUMMMS with power ROCKETING THROUGH THE CLOUDS.
INT—INSIDETHEIRONARMOR—DAY
TONY looks pleased. His eyes take-in the INSTRUMENTS AND
READOUTS LINING THE INTERIOR of the helmet, and he grins.
TONY
All systems are working perfectly.
INT—HIGH ABOVE THE GROUND--DAY
IRON MAN rockets higher. Below him the CITY HAS RECEDED and the SURROUNDING COUNTRYSIDE IS VISIBLE. Some lakes.
IRON MAN
Power down.
A moment passes. Nothing happens. The jets do not quiet down. He doesn't slow. Just keeps ROARING INTO THE AIR.
IRON MAN
Power down.
Iron Man ROARS into the sky. Below him, a MOUNTAIN RANGE is visible. And a hint of the CURVATURE OF THE EARTH. He keeps hurling through the clouds on glowing hot flame.
INT—INSIDE THE IRON ARMOR—DAY
TONY moves his eyes around the interior. Face worried.
TONY
Uh...power down?
EXT—HIGH ABOVE THE GROUND—DAY
IRON MAN rises higher and the EARTH BEGINS TO LOOK LIKE A GLOBE. The curvature of the horizon even more pronounced as Iron Man continues to rocket skyward. His JETS ROAR.
IRON MAN
Run internal diagnostic.
IRON MAN'S P.O.V. On the clear SCREENS covering his eye slits, DATA AND SCHEMATICS APPEAR as the diagnostic runs. Suddenly an INTERNAL CIRCUIT on the armor diagram BLINKS.
ARTIFICIAL VOICE
Malfunction in thruster array.
IRON MAN
Can it be corrected?
Iron Man rises higher. THE ATMOSPHERE IS CHANGING COLOR. That is, Iron Man is quickly RUNNING OUT of atmosphere!
ARTIFICIAL VOICE
Affirmative.
IRON MAN
Then do it--before I'm in orbit.
ARTIFICIAL VOICE
Correction of thruster malfunction
requires temporary power shut-down.
Iron Man rises. The STARS begin to peek through the sky.
IRON MAN
DO IT NOW!
...and immediately EVERYTHING STOPS. No more roar of the jets. No SSSH of the maneuvering thrusters. No sound at all except TONY'S BREATHING. For a moment Iron Man hangs above the Earth, as if floating there, his arms and legs outstretched. And then the iron armor begins to plummet.
IRON MAN
Oh...shit.
Iron Man falls back toward the Earth. He starts to spin.
IRON MAN
shit oh shit oh shit oh shit oh shit