Iron Man
Iron Man, born Anthony "Tony" Stark, is an American business magnate, inventor, weapons manufacturer, socialite playboy, and hero. He is the CEO of Stark Industries. In 1963, Stark suffered a severe injury that left shrapnel perilously close to his heart. To save himself, he developed a metal device that wrapped around his torso and magnetically kept the shrapnel from killing him. Stark took this one step further by building a full body suit, becoming virtually impenetrable to most forms of assault and fighting crime as the hero Iron Man. As the device is electrically powered, Stark must periodically recharge it in any wall socket or risk an abrupt death. Publicly, Iron Man is presented as Stark's bodyguard to explain away any suspicious associations. Iron Man is a founding member of the Avengers superteam. Stark is also the head of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s special weapons division. Tony has an estranged, ne'er-do-well cousin named Morgan.
Biography
1963
- Full article: Biography of Iron Man, 1963
In 1963, Tony Stark accompanied the United States military into Vietnam, where he was struck in the chest by shrapnel and captured by communist forces. Without treatment, the injury would prove fatal over time as the shrapnel moved ever closer to his heart. While in confinement, Stark worked with fellow prisoner Yinsen, a physicist, to develop a large metallic torso covering that would work to keep his heart beating. They further fleshed out the torso piece to be a full-body iron suit, allowing Stark greater mobility. Though Yinsen perished, Stark fought his way out of the communist camp in his new, terrifying Iron Man suit. The device would need regular charging or Stark would suffer physically: to be too far from an outlet for too long would mean death, and this had drastic consequences on his personal life. As he became a renowned hero over the course of the year, his personal life became more challenging. Though he repeatedly tinkered with the design, he remained bound to the chest protector that powered his heart at all times, preventing him from being intimate with anyone lest they learn his secret identity. "Iron Man" became a beloved bodyguard for Tony Stark, and a mascot of sorts for Stark Industries at their main plant in Flushing, New York. As part of his business life, Stark hired Happy Hogan as a chauffeur, and employed Pepper Potts as his secretary—the two share a mutual but unspoken infatuation.
Iron Man fought a number of significant and bizarre threats throughout the year, including the Mad Pharaoh, Mr. Doll, and the Melter, an enemy seemingly designed to defeat him. He particularly became a stalwart defender against Soviet communists, repelling the efforts of the Red Barbarian and the original Crimson Dynamo, Anton Vanko. Vanko in fact surrendered upon being defeated, and became a valuable scientific asset to Stark Industries. Iron Man also helped form the Avengers alongside Thor, Ant-Man, the Wasp, and the Hulk, as they teamed up to defeat Thor's sinister brother Loki—Hulk would leave soon after the team's formation, however.
1964
- Full article: Biography of Iron Man, 1964
In 1964, Iron Man met some of his greatest rivals yet, including the Mandarin, the Black Widow, and Hawkeye. The latter two were allies, teaming up after Widow, a Soviet spy, had gone into business for herself in an attempt to take Stark down—she would be captured by other Soviet spies by the end of the year. The Mandarin was a strange, isolated Chinese villain who had his own moral and political motivations independent of communist China. Near the tail end of 1964, Iron Man's health began to deteriorate: he found himself being forced to plug in more often, and soon he became dependent on extra transistors that forced him to wear the entire Iron Man suit at all times. This resulted in a number of complications whereby people, especially Happy and Pepper, began to wonder where Stark had gone, and even suspected Iron Man in his disappearance. Iron Man eventually found a solution to the problem by upgrading his chest plate, allowing him to return to work at the end of the year after he was feared dead following an attack by the Mandarin. On the Avengers side of things, the unfrozen Captain America joined the team, and the heroes had repeated run-ins with the Masters of Evil led by Cap's nemesis Baron Zemo.
1965
- Full article: Biography of Iron Man, 1965
Stark was the head of the special weapons division of S.H.I.E.L.D. when Nick Fury was recruited to be the director of the organization. Due to S.H.I.E.L.D.'s intense secrecy, it's likely that Stark had already held the position for much longer.[1] After a dangerous conflict with the Masters of Evil, Iron Man took a leave of absence from the Avengers, as did Giant-Man and Wasp. Thor was also quietly phased out due to obligations in Asgard. The three recruited Hawkeye, Quicksilver, and Scarlet Witch as replacements to be led by Captain America.[2]