Iron Man Writer Jokingly Holds Marvel’s Beloved Character Hostage Until Bully Stops Picking On His Son

Bullying is never right. There’s no excuse for calling people names, picking on clothes, and pushing others around. And there’s absolutely no place for making someone’s life worse because of some inexplicable need to feel superior. But while bullying is no joke, there are plenty of ways to get creative when tackling the issue. And Christoper Cantwell, the writer of Iron Man, Obi-Wan, and U.S of Captain America comics, knows how to do it right.

Yesterday, Cantwell jokingly threatened to put an end to one of our beloved characters, Iron Man, to prevent his preschool-aged son from any further bullying. In his tweet that went viral, Cantwell explained that after learning his son got pushed off the top of a slide by his classmate Ryan, he just had to step in.

Apparently, Ryan was also a fan of Marvel Comics. The writer then realized the power of his job and urged his son to tell the bully he had the influence to determine Iron Man’s fate. So if this ever happens again, Cantwell will make sure the character will soon utter his last words: “This Is Because Of Ryan.” The tweet resonated with thousands of people who wasted no time in sharing countless memes and jokes to offer their support. Scroll down to read the writer’s tweet, the reactions that followed, and share your own thoughts with us in the comments!

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Fear not, Marvel fans! Cantwell only meant this as a joke. He later followed up on his tweet and explained that while the idea of teaching Ryan a lesson and writing off his dear character is tempting, he couldn’t make Tony Stark disappear just to stop Ryan from stepping out of line again.

Although he did share that he “obviously” has the power to make Iron Man no more without sending any message, this turned out to be a typo. “HA I meant ‘NO power’ as in, NONE. I follow the rules and guidelines of the syllabus!”, he later tweeted, noting it was just a slip of the tongue or, rather, fingers. We can only guess that at least some sort of permission is needed for doing something as extreme as finishing off the main character.

In just one day, the writer’s post has amassed over 196k likes (and counting!) and more than 13k retweets. People started offering their precious wisdom on the subject and celebrated him for being the amazing dad that he is. People created memes and shared jokes in appreciation of Cantwell’s humor and found his way of handling bullies extremely amusing. “Rethinking my entire approach to parenting,” Amanda Deibert wrote, and we couldn’t agree more.

Aside from being a great father, Cantwell is a well-known writer, producer, and director. He has co-written comics for Doctor Doom, Blue Flame, and Angel throughout his career. Over on the Twittersphere, Cantwell often shares his love for superheroes and the craft, though he also ventured on another journey into television writing. Together with Christopher C. Rogers, he co-created the TV series Halt and Catch Fire, an American period drama set in the ’80s and ’90s about the technological revolution and the growth of the World Wide Web.

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Fortunately, Tony Stark will live another day and will continue to entertain fans all over the world. Ryan’s bullying, however, should not. The devoted young Marvel Comics reader has to know by now that superheroes do not approve of these actions, especially when one out of every five students reports being a target of bullying in the US alone.

According to the American Psychological Association, bullying has been a part of school life for years. Luckily, there are things that parents, teachers, and kids themselves can do to prevent it from happening. When it comes to teachers, they should always be on the lookout for nefarious behaviors and stay knowledgeable. “If a teacher observes bullying in a classroom, he/she needs to immediately intervene to stop it, record the incident and inform the appropriate school administrators so the incident can be investigated,” they suggested. Although they do not recommend making a joint meeting with the bully and the bullied student — “It is embarrassing and very intimidating for the student that is being bullied.”

Moms and dads should try to notice indications their child is being picked on at school, even when they’re not vocal about it. Some signs include ripped clothing, unwillingness to go to classes, decreased appetite, nightmares, and even general depression and anxiety. “If you discover your child is being bullied, don’t tell them to ‘let it go’ or ‘suck it up’,” the psychologists warned. “Instead, have open-ended conversations where you can learn what is really going on at school so that you can take the appropriate steps to rectify the situation. Most importantly, let your child know you will help him/her and that they should try not to fight back.”

Children who face any kind of bullying need to talk about it with any adult they trust and be assured that telling is not tattling. When it comes to cyberbullying, kids are hesitant to report these incidents, fearing their devices might be taken away. “Parents will support their child’s reports of bullying and not take away their phones as a consequence. It is important for kids to remember that bullying is wrong and should be handled by an adult,” APA stressed. Moreover, students need to avoid bullying back. It’s better to calmly speak to the little tyrant or simply walk away. And above all, “report bullying of yourself or other students to your teacher, coach, principal and/or parent.”