Vision was on his side because I-don't-really-know-why;

Daddy issues.

Vision was on his side because I-don't-really-know-why;

Daddy issues.

I just snorted fizzy water through my nose from laughing.

I mean, Tony is pretty obviously the villain of that movie, right?

I don't think he's supposed to be. Honestly, when the movie didn't feel like Avengers 3 (or maybe Avengers 2.5), it felt like Iron Man 4 to me. All the way through, you can see why he does what he does (not that it justifies it). I mean, I get that in a good movie, you should be able to see why the villain does what he/she does, so just because we see Tony's motivation, that wouldn't automatically mean he's the good guy.

But still. In CA:CW, he's not a whole hell of a lot different than he's been in the other movies. He has hella issues (I don't say that flippantly; the dude has PTSD from the battle of New York and needs serious therapy, no matter what he says at MIT in the beginning of the movie), but he's not the villain.

Yes, I'm Team Cap and anti-signing the Sokovia Accords, but that still doesn't make Tony the villain.

Tony sees the big picture and all the possible consequences and is trying to keep the body count down. Cap sticks out his chin and says "I refuse to even discuss it." Tony's fighting a losing battle.

I'd say Tony's the villain with regard to unilaterally putting Wanda under house arrest and taking the opposing team prisoner for Ross to lock up without trial in his ocean prison/Bond villain lair. His fights against Cap and Bucky were more justified, and while his recruitment of Peter was incredibly presumptuous and over the line, he did at least ask the kid who was already performing dangerous superheroics.

He was trying to keep Wanda safe while juggling the entire world's expectations and cut several corners, and he had reservations about flouting international laws the way the others did. But I guess playing by the rules until you can change the rules is villainous behavior.

taking the opposing team prisoner for Ross to lock up without trial in his ocean prison/Bond villain lair.

I didn't think he knew that's what Ross was going to do. But I also might be really naive.

I thought he was doing a constant self-talk-down of "Can't shoot Ross, can't shoot Ross. At least I know where they're at for now, what's a few more people who hate my guts while I try to save the world?"

You get your mean mittens off Tony Stark right now.

Short version: I agree with Steph, and the fight at the end of Civil War breaks my heart. No, Bucky isn't really culpable for what he did. But that doesn't help Tony, who arguably wouldn't have gone down this path if his parents hadn't died. And if his replacement father figure hadn't betrayed him horribly. He starts out feeling responsible for the weapons that SI manufactured. By the end of Ultron, he's responsible for everything that happened with that. And he can't convince the people who he thought would support him to be on what he sees as his side. And then he finds out, at the worst possible time, that Bucky killed his parents, and Steve knew.

...this did not turn out to be the short version.

No, Bucky isn't really culpable for what he did. But that doesn't help Tony

I mean, Tony gets that. Logic says one thing, but emotions rule the day. He's decided (inasmuch as it was a conscious decision) to respond from that emotional place of the kid (yes, he was basically still a kid when his parents died) who lost his parents. Saying "I don't care" implies "I know [that Bucky isn't culpable], but [I still don't care]."

And, y'know, I get that. I think Tony is wrong about signing the Sokovia Accords, but I would react to learning that the Winter Soldier killed my parents the same damn way. I know that I would. Tony is *fucked up*, and it resonates with me. Logic says one thing, but emotions rule the day. (Frankly, in BTVS, the Scooby Gang -- even Giles -- let S3 Angel off WAY too easily, emotionally speaking -- after his deadly shenanigans as Angelus.)

What Dana said. Tony's made mistakes, but he's not a villain.