Avengers: Endgame saw the end of the Infinity Saga as we know it. We witnessed Nebula play a pivotal role at the beginning of the movie. There’s a reason the relationship between her and Tony Stark was necessary for the story the Russo brothers were telling…
As the most significant release in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Avengers: Endgame broke box office records. It climbed to the peak of the list of the highest-grossing movies, almost beating 2009’s Avatar. In the film, we witness a few moments between Iron Man and the blue assassin that make us go, “Aww!”
Yep, we’re talking about the scenes in the Benatar between Tony and Nebula. When the film starts, we find the inventor and the Android. Three weeks have passed since Thanos snapped his fingers and wiped out half of the world. The pair are forced to tolerate each other but become friends.
Trapped In The Cosmos
In a message he records for Pepper, the former playboy mentions that she would like Nebula because she was only a little sadistic. While this served as a joke, this showed how Tony appreciated his new friend and the help she’d given him.
When Captain Marvel finds Benatar and returns the ship to Earth, Nebula sits with Rocket, the only Guardian surviving and is seen holding his paw as they mourn their family. However, the former Android assassin doesn’t just mourn her friends but the life her father took to retrieve the Soul Stone, that of her sister, Gamora.
Five Years Later
In the time that passes, Nebula and Tony go their separate ways. He marries Pepper, and they have their only child, Morgan. This happens as Nebula joins Natasha’s Avengers alongside her garbage-eating pal, Rocket.
Nebula’s willingness to align herself with the Time Heist became her chance to avenge her sister. Before this, she and Rocket joined Natasha’s team to deal with their family’s losses.
Whether her respect for Tony drew Nebula to Nat’s team is unclear. Her hatred of her father served as a catalyst, but learning to work with others shaped her into who we witness. This experience helped her cope with the deaths of the Guardians and her sister.
What Did Nebula Learn?
When examining what Nebula learned during her time with Tony, we must consider how her adoptive pops raised her. She always got passed over for Gamora. Her father altered her every time she failed. However, during the twenty-three days in space, she learnt compassion and self-sacrifice, as seen when she allowed Tony to eat her portions.
As stated earlier, she learned compassion.
Sole Survivors
For the surviving oddities, they might seem different to the other heroes but Nebula and Rocket shared a common loss: those they cared for.
As we stated before, Thanos killed the only person Nebula loved; her sister, the child he claimed to love. So taking out the alien would be the ultimate revenge for his under-appreciated offspring.
How The Friendship Affected Tony
Five years after the Snap, Tony became reluctant to join the Time Heist. He didn’t want to leave his wife and daughter, which Scott said he understood entirely because he had only reunited with Cassie after being presumed missing. However, stark still owned a photo of himself and Peter, which helped convince him.
When Bruce snapped his fingers using the Nano Gauntlet, Tony was overjoyed to see Peter and hugged him, which showed how much he missed the kid. Their reunion shows how much he values the kid, and he even assigns him the E.D.I.T.H. glasses to show he trusts him.
Aftermath
Tony’s funeral was attended by those who loved him. His friends and family mourned while the world lost Iron Man. However, his legacy still lives on through those he cared for, such as his daughter Morgan, wife Pepper, Happy and Rhodey and his protégé Peter.
During Spider-Man Far From Home, Parker struggles with his mentor’s death. This causes Quentin Beck to exploit his fondness for Tony and use E.D.I.T.H. for his selfish agenda to become the next Iron Man. However, Spider-Man thwarted his plan with help from Happy.
Conclusion
Nebula and Tony might be very different on the outside, but they have one goal: save the world from Thanos. Their relationship was unique because their differences united them to help fight against the Titan that ruined their lives.
