Lots of posts going around, but you’re all sleeping on Pepper Potts.
What we gathered from the previous movies was that she had one (1) very specific fear: Tony’s death. Every superhero’s girlfriend has that fear? Yeah, no doubt, but Pepper knew. She knew right from IM1 that he was gonna kill himself if he continued down this path because no one knew Tony like she did. Pepper was his secretary, his CEO, his friend and his wife.
Despite their ups and dows, not only did she stay, but form a life with him. She married him, had a daugther with him– a kid he dreamed about a year before she was born. A kid they named after said dream.
Tony was dying, there was nothing to be done. Her worst fear was coming true right in front of her eyes, and what did she do? She gave him peace. Rhodey couldn’t do it, Peter was far too young to do it, none of the Avengers could do it.
So Pepper did what she has always done: take charge. She smiled all the way through, assured him that they were going to be alright and, God bless her, “you can rest now”. And only then, Tony let go. His last words were her name; the last thing he did was smile up at her.
Pepper was the only one strong enough to let him go, even though that was the one thing she always feared; even though Morgan was waiting for them at home. Tony finally fixed the one thing that had him losing sleep for the past seven years and Pepper understood.
She loved Tony for who he was, and he was Iron Man. I know we have women going through massive spaceships or beating Thanos hand-to-hand, but that was true human strength and she deserves some real recognition for that. Earth’s Best Defender might be gone, but he sure left someone equally strong in his place.