I could see Jarvis as having been a member of the Stark household...
...but dude, in such a scenario, I could see him as actually being murdered by Stane or sent off somewhere nasty, so DO NOT WANT!
Jarvis is Properly British, but as I think he's the stiff and decent type, if he suspect that actual abuse or something sinister (rather than Howard being absentee or something*), I think he would intervene, you don't need to be a family member to intervene on child abuse!
*or something: So Yeah, Howard sounds like an asshole, but Tony is a bit of an asshole too, and hey, chances are, Howard's father was a even bigger asshole, that's how those things usually goes... I think Tony got most of the good in him from his mother, though that's probably very much head canon, but if Maria is good, and Howard loves her (I'll like to think that), is there not anything redeeming in that love? The way Tony loves Steve? The admiration? However crippled it would be by era/upbringing restraints?
...and I think Jarvis recognized that in Howard, and that's why he stuck around, the way Pepper stuck around Tony in spite of Tony's many asshole acts (making the world forget he's Iron Man / MIND INVASION), because somewhere in that mess there is a needy child with a decent heart.
I also think, in spite of how much I've enjoyed rosy kidfics, that Tony WILL be a bad father, though bless him, he'll try (http://www.cracked.com/article_19010_5-ways-to-avoid-your-terrible-parents-mistakes.html) anyways, but he just, doesn't know how eh? He'll be with his kid the way he's with Peter, he'll try to protect them, dictate them, buy their affections with shiny toys, he just doesn't know anything else. You can't grow up with bad parents and be good parents without A LOT of help.
re: Jarvis in the household OR moar on Howard speculation
...but dude, in such a scenario, I could see him as actually being murdered by Stane or sent off somewhere nasty, so DO NOT WANT!
Jarvis is Properly British, but as I think he's the stiff and decent type, if he suspect that actual abuse or something sinister (rather than Howard being absentee or something*), I think he would intervene, you don't need to be a family member to intervene on child abuse!
*or something: So Yeah, Howard sounds like an asshole, but Tony is a bit of an asshole too, and hey, chances are, Howard's father was a even bigger asshole, that's how those things usually goes... I think Tony got most of the good in him from his mother, though that's probably very much head canon, but if Maria is good, and Howard loves her (I'll like to think that), is there not anything redeeming in that love? The way Tony loves Steve? The admiration? However crippled it would be by era/upbringing restraints?
...and I think Jarvis recognized that in Howard, and that's why he stuck around, the way Pepper stuck around Tony in spite of Tony's many asshole acts (making the world forget he's Iron Man / MIND INVASION), because somewhere in that mess there is a needy child with a decent heart.
I also think, in spite of how much I've enjoyed rosy kidfics, that Tony WILL be a bad father, though bless him, he'll try (http://www.cracked.com/article_19010_5-ways-to-avoid-your-terrible-parents-mistakes.html) anyways, but he just, doesn't know how eh? He'll be with his kid the way he's with Peter, he'll try to protect them, dictate them, buy their affections with shiny toys, he just doesn't know anything else. You can't grow up with bad parents and be good parents without A LOT of help.