ShareThisTony Stark makes you feelHe's a cool exec with a heart of steelAs Iron Man, all jets ablazeHe's fighting and smiting with repulsor rays!Amazing armor! That's Iron Man!A blazing power! That's Iron Man!That song, from the 1966 "Marvel Superheroes" cartoon, is also Tony Stark's ring tone in the boffo "Iron Man" movie. Trivial? You bet! But now that the film has the second best non-sequel opening ever (after 2002's "Spider-Man") and Marvel has already announced "Iron Man 2" for a 2010 release, everyone's going to need Iron Ephemera to impress their co-workers at the water cooler. Here we go ... -- The Real Inventors: Editor/plotter Stan Lee, scripter Larry Lieber, concept artist Jack Kirby and penciller Don Heck created Iron Man in "Tales of Suspense" No. 39 (March, 1963). The movie gives them screen credit, and Lee has a cameo as the man Stark mistakes for Hugh Hefner.-- The Origin Story: This is the first Marvel movie produced by Marvel itself, so it's pretty faithful to the comics. (Albeit updated - it takes place in Afghanistan instead of Vietnam, for instance, and uses an "arc generator" instead of transistors.)-- The Armor: Stark's iron tuxedo was designed by artist Adi Granov for the "Iron Man" comic book in 2005. Granov is listed as "suit consultant" in the credits.-- The Hero: According to Lee's "Son of Origins" (Simon and Schuster, 1975), Stark was modeled on the early Howard Hughes. "Iron Man" was even shot at a film production facility that once housed the Hughes aircraft plant. And like Hughes (who became mentally ill), Stark paid a price for the high life: He became a full-blown alcoholic in the 1980s. -- The Money: Tony Stark came in at No. 10 on the 2007 "Forbes Fictional 15" list of richest characters. Given that "Iron Man" topped $100 million in its first weekend, if I were Bruce Wayne (No. 8), Richie Rich (No. 3) or Scrooge McDuck (No. 1), I'd be worried!-- The Bad Guy: In the comics, Obadiah Stane was a business rival (not a partner) who took over Stark Enterprises while Tony was on a bender. He used Stark's blueprints to create the "Iron Monger" armor (seen but not named in the movie), and committed suicide in 1985. He's still dead, but his son has become a threat.-- The Butler: Tony's computerized major domo is flesh and blood in the comics. Edwin Jarvis first appeared as the Stark family retainer in 1964; he's been the Avengers butler ever since.-- The Girl: Executive assistant Virginia "Pepper" Potts was introduced in 1964 as part of a romantic triangle with Tony and chauffeur Harold "Happy" Hogan (possibly a quadrangle, if you include Iron Man, whom everybody thought was just Stark's bodyguard at the time). She later married (and divorced) Happy, and her relationship with Tony remains complicated.-- The Best Friend: Hogan had a cameo - played by director Jon Favreau!-- The Other Best Friend: In 1979, James "Rhodey" Rhodes was introduced as Stark's personal pilot and best friend from Vietnam. He has served as Iron Man more than once, and was awarded his own armor, the "War Machine," in 1992. Methinks we'll see Rhodey suit up, as he says in the movie, "next time."-- The "Ten Rings": The name of the Afghan terrorist group is an obvious reference to Iron Man's arch-enemy, The Mandarin. A descendant of Genghis Khan, Mandy is a Chinese warlord with a super-powered ring on each finger. Expect him to appear "next time," too.-- The Song: Black Sabbath's "Iron Man" probably has nothing to do with the Marvel character. But Paul McCartney's 1975 "Magneto and Titanium Man" immortalized two Iron Man foes, T.M. and Crimson Dynamo. -- The Government: The movie's "Strategic Homeland Intervention Espionage Logistics Department" began comic-book life in 1965 as the "Supreme Headquarters, International Espionage, Law-Enforcement Division", but changed to the "Strategic Hazard Intervention, Espionage Logistics Directorate" in 1991. (Don't worry, all you have to remember is "SHIELD".)-- The In-Joke: In Marvel's "Ultimate" line of comics, SHIELD director Nick Fury is modeled on actor Samuel L. Jackson. In "Iron Man," actor Samuel L. Jackson plays ... Nick Fury, director of SHIELD.-- The Obligatory Anachronism: From 1968 to 1977, the "Iron Man" comic-book letters page was titled "Sock It to Shellhead." Holy Laugh-In, Batman!(Contact Andrew A. Smith of the Memphis Commercial Appeal at capncomics(at)aol.com or visit www.captaincomics.us.)
Everything you wanted to know about Iron Man
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