In the movie "Iron Man," Tony Stark is kidnapped while traveling in Afghanistan.
Stark visits the country to demonstrate Jericho, a powerful missile developed by Stark Industries. During the journey back from the demonstration, his military convoy is ambushed by the Ten Rings, an armed terrorist organization. Stark is wounded by shrapnel from one of his own weapons and taken prisoner.
The kidnappers force him to build a Jericho missile for them. Instead, with help from fellow captive Ho Yinsen, Stark secretly constructs the crude Mark I armor and an arc reactor to keep shrapnel from reaching his heart. His escape from the cave marks the beginning of his transformation from weapons manufacturer into Iron Man.
The film’s Afghanistan setting is sometimes confused with the fictional Middle Eastern country of Gulmira, where Stark later intervenes against terrorists. Gulmira is a fictional location, but Stark’s initial kidnapping and captivity occur in Afghanistan. The 2008 film uses this origin to connect his superhero transformation with the consequences of his arms-dealing business.