'Iron Man 3' Trailer: Why Tony Stark Is His Own Worst Enemy

If he can't save the world, you can be damn sure Tony Stark will avenge it — and he certainly looks to be in the avenging mood in the new "Iron Man 3" trailer.

Director Shane Black and Marvel Studios' brand new "Iron Man" adventure sports a darker coat of paint than ever before, promising death and danger at every turn. Indeed, the new trailer might even reveal the death of one fan-favorite character in particular, while a brutal new nemesis — the ring-wearing Mandarin — makes himself known in terrible fashion.

Read on for five key scenes from the "Iron Man 3" trailer.

Your Own Worst Enemy
Tony Stark's long list of apologies likely has a space right at the top reserved for "inventing traitorous Iron Man armor." The trailer shows Stark's own Mark XLVII armor — the newest and, by the look of it, only remaining suit in his arsenal — rebelling against him, creeping up on Pepper Potts in the night and rampaging his waterfront property. We always knew that Tony was his own biggest obstacle, and now that idea has taken a new, literal meaning.

Out Of The Potts And Into The Fire
If Pepper is the only thing worth protecting, then Tony should have done a better job. Not only is she at the heart of the assault on Casa del Stark, she's also seen strapped into a metallic device and screaming for her life. The optimist in us hopes that she's being outfitted with Extremis-branded Rescue armor. The realist knows that her life is in danger, and Tony is going to have to fight very hard to get her out of this movie with her life intact.

The Happy Days Are Over
Worried as we are for Pepper's safety, we're downright depressed over what's happened to Happy Hogan. Midway into the trailer, a barely-alive body is seen twitching on the ground. Pause the footage long enough and you'll see for yourself that the man is none other than a blood-covered Jon Favreau, giving us great cause for concern over Tony's bodyguard and best pal.

Mandarin Makes His Move
Sir Ben Kingsley knows how to make an entrance, that's for sure. Silly voice aside, Mandarin owns the "Iron Man 3" trailer, proving himself a threat worth fearing. With his ten rings firmly on his fists and a handgun not far behind, the Marvel Studios take on Tony's most classic comic book nemesis looks like an interpretation we're going to be talking about all summer long in 2013.

The Lonely Man
You can practically hear Stark whistling the "Hulk" TV theme while trudging through the snow at the trailer's end. Bruce Banner comparisons aside, what's important here is that Tony is truly, completely alone. His world has been ruined, his armor destroyed, his allies dead or gone. But even if there's no such thing as heroes, we know this much: there are very, very few things in the world more dangerous than a genius billionaire playboy philanthropist scorned.

Let us know what you think of the "Iron Man 3" trailer in the comments section below!