Maria Stark

Maria Stark is a fictional housewife and a minor character featured in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. She was referenced in the 2008 film Iron Man, made a brief behind-the-scenes appearance as a voice in a flashback sequence in Iron Man 2 in 2010 and was referenced in a newspaper article in Captain America: The Winter Soldier in 2014.

Maria Stark was the wife of billionaire industrialist Howard Stark and the mother of Anthony "Tony" Stark. In December, 1991, Howard and Maria were killed in an automobile accident. It has been implied that the Russian assassin known as the Winter Soldier, who had been employed by the terrorist cartel HYDRA was actually responsible for causing their deaths and making it appear as if it were an accident. This was likely in response to Howard Stark's association with S.H.I.E.L.D. and his lifelong work fighting against threats such as HYDRA. Maria was just collateral damage.