Tony Stark had at one point seriously considered giving himself gills. Of course, this was back when he couldn't shower without panicking and he spent most of his time drunk so he didn't have to think.
Now, after everything, he'd pulled up the ideas and notes he'd drafted and looked them over.
"What do you think, boys? Waterproof retrofits for us all?"
"Sir, I do not think this is a wise course of action." Tony snorted, and petted DUM-E's arm. Of course JARVIS didn't approve. Tony didn't expect anyone to approve. But the first time he'd been nearly drowned, he'd decided there wouldn't be a second time. He'd fight and punch and kick, and they wouldn't be able to force his head down into the barrel of foul tasting water.
It didn't work like that of course. He fought when they came for him. But they said they'd shoot Yinsen if he didn't do what they said.
The second time he was nearly drowned, he tried to convince himself it wasn't so bad. That yeah, he was being tortured in a cave, but at least they weren't cutting off his fingers or something. It's just a little water. What was there to be scared of?
The third time he actually died for a few minutes. He knew they were scared they wouldn't be able to bring him back. They thought they'd be punished. But he woke up, choking on water and the image of the Arc Reactor burned into his retinas. He could do this. He could fix himself and get out, before they shoved him under again.
When he was trapped in the Mark 42, he'd only himself to blame. It was a prototype. Unsealed. He should have had the suitcase suit at hand. He'd threatened a terrorist after all. But he didn't, too absorbed with his own inventiveness and invulnerability. He fell into the water and he couldn't... he didn't... it was okay at first, but then the water started coming in and his struggles got more frantic and less effective.
"Deep breath, sir."
And then JARVIS was pulling him out, and the hand of his suit was gone, water rushing in over him and he couldn't breathe...
So. Gills. Bio-tech. How hard could it be? He'd already designed new casings for the boys, so they wouldn't be damaged if they got wet again. He could do the same for himself. He was in New York, in his tower and he was breathing evenly. If he could defeat that, he could defeat the spectre of the waves.
