Stupidity: When Iron Man is checking on Rhodey after Iron Man and Mandarin briefly joined forces to defeat the dragons, and Rhodey asks if it's really Tony, believing Tony to have been dead, Iron Man pulls off his mask to confirm it is indeed him. The Mandarin, who is Iron Man's arch nemesis and has been trying to learn Iron Man's secret identity, could still be in the area for all Tony knows. It's foolish on his part to remove his helmet when he has no way of knowing if the Mandarin can see him. (00:19:21)
Iron Man to the Second Power: Part 2 - S1-E10
Stupidity: When the other heroes are watching Iron Man battle his robot duplicate, Julia cheers him on and calls him Tony. This fight is taking place in full view of the public, and the public doesn't know that Tony Stark is Iron Man. They believe that Iron Man is Tony Stark's bodyguard. Julia could have easily revealed Iron Man's secret identity in this moment. (00:17:50)
Origin of Iron Man: Part 2 - S1-E12
Stupidity: When Mandarin is eavesdropping on what he believes to be Tony Stark and Yinsen eating their bowls of rice, but is actually a hologram, Stark remarks that it won't fool him for long. The hologram is nothing more than a static image of the two holding their bowls up to their mouths. The Mandarin shouldn't have been fooled by it all, considering they never move a muscle or consume any of the rice near their mouths. (00:11:49)
Answer: Gleaned from the Internet: Some critics criticized the premise of so many one-off battles that were introduced and concluded within one or two episodes. Others felt the first-season plot lines were overly simplistic and never progressed or developed through the season. Also, the rivalry between Iron Man and the Mandarin also failed to capture viewer's attention.
raywest ★