Boy Made Fun of for ‘Tony Stark’ Costume Finds Superhero Strength To Stand Up To Bullies

A 10-year-old boy named Evan was bullied for his “Iron Man” Halloween costume but showed that he has superhero strength like the hero he was emulating. It was time for a costume party at his elementary school, and Evan decided that rather than donning Iron Man's armor, he wanted to dress in Tony Stark's signature goatee and suit; his outfit made him look like a young Robert Downey Jr. But as excited as Evan was to show off his costume, his elation turned to sadness as kids made fun of him on the bus ride to school.

Jill Struckman, Evan’s mom, shared the entire saga in a series of viral Facebook posts. First, she posted pictures of Evan just before he was about to get on the bus, doing a great impression of the actor. About 20 minutes after Evan left on the bus, however, his mom got a call from the school.

“Apparently some kids on the bus (who weren’t even wearing costumes) told him he looked stupid. Evan got to school and immediately went to the bathroom and washed his face,” she wrote. He didn’t want to stay for the Halloween party later that day, so Jill went to pick him up. “Kids need to understand that WORDS hurt,” she said.

After picking Evan up, Jill took him to Starbucks where they talked through his feelings. From the conversation, Evan decided that he didn’t want to miss his party—he wanted to go back to school. They went home and redid his makeup and went back to the classroom, not letting those who made fun of him have the final word.

People from around the world were cheering on Evan as his mom shared the final post on the rollercoaster of a day. Jill later posted a follow-up message thanking people for their kindness and offering a reminder about the power of words. “This wasn’t physical bullying, no one stole his lunch money or stuffed him in a locker, but it still hurt his feelings,” she said. It turned into a learning opportunity for her son. “He never wants to make someone feel the way he did (so he knows he should choose his words wisely)…[And] not to let other people’s opinions weigh so heavily on him!!”

With so many new fans, people have asked about sending Evan a card. Jill has shared a post office box address to send to if you would like to do so, too.