I would say the appeal of Iron Man in that sense is the montage effect. I love montage sequences in movies, and movies that use them right are totally energizing. There's nothing like seeing the trip from obscurity to success without coffee breaks, writers block, tooth-brushing etc.
Apollo 13. When engineering had heroic scope.
Sometimes 300 is stirring and brings a sort of you're-not-alone feeling when I'm stuck at the office. Also the RiffTrax commentary is hilarious.