" I went from being a Man trapped in a Iron Suit to being Freed by it." A mere 13 page story cramed into a twelve cent issue of tales of suspense number 39 which debut in March 1963. Tony Stark during the time and even today was a bit of a showoff a child of the Spotlight. Stark A millionare Munitions manufacturer, well regarded for his Technological innovations that where employed heavily by the US military. After setting off a booby-trapped trip wire Tony was knocked unconscious by the resulting explosion a piece of shrapnel was lodged very close to tony's heart. Things only got worst for the helpeless businessman taken captive by a communist leader who wanted stark to build weapons for him to kill countless American forces Stark had a different proposal he built a suit of armor to not only help keep him alive but help him escape.Tony was aided by Professor Yinsen a fellow prisoner and Brillant Physicist who was presumed dead. Unfortunatly to help buy Tony time to charge his new suit Yinsen ran into a hallway madly to be gunned down. A quick Confrontation with the terrorist leader this IRON MAN eradicated his entire camp single handly that was the first adventure of the Iron Avenger. The Iron man Armor spans from 1963 to today an still gets better with age but lets look at the Man behind the armor or in tonys own words " Hiding? Is that what it comes to? Hiding my feelings, My Life Behind an Iron mask?" Iron Man was Stan lees vehicle to explore cold war themes, Particularly the role of American technology and business in the fight against communism. Many of the Themes have changed to more modern concerns such as Corporate crime and Terrorism. The Anti-communist stance of iron mans early years had changed as opposition rose in the Vietnam War. This Change had evolved a series of stories with Tony profoundly reconsidering his Political stance and the morality of manufacturing weapons for the military. Now Tony Stark isn't perfect no where near he shows himself to be very arrogant and willing to let the ends justify the means. This causes conflicts with the people around both his civilian Identity as Tony Stark and his alter Ego Iron Man. Tony uses his personal fortune to upgrade an expand his armor, but to Develop weapons for S.H.I.E.L.D and other technologies such as Quinjets used by the Avengers and even the Image Inducers used by the X-men. Now as time went by Stark's heart condition had reached the public and treated with an Artificial Heart Transplant. Now in the Early Seventies and Eighties Stark begins to expand on Armor Designs and begins to build arsenal of Specialized Armors for particular situation such as Space Travel and stealth. Tony then develops a serious Dependency on Alcohol in the "Demon in a bottle" Storyline. Sometime later down the Line a ruthless rival, Obadiah Stane (not to be confused with actors Jeff bridges great but loose interpretation of the ruthless business man and enemy who manipulates Stark into a serious relapse. The result of this manipulation has stark losing control of Stark International to Stane he then becomes a Homeless alcohol-abusing derelict and gives his Identity as Iron Man to James " Rhodey" Rhodes his personal pilot an Confidant who becomes the New Iron Man for a lengthy period of time. Soon James becomes seriously aggressive and Paranoid, due the armor not properly being calibrated to Rhodey's brain waves. Rhodes goes on a rampage an tony in a replica suit of armor stops him. Tony starts to discover that his health is continuing to deteriorate due to the cybernetic interface causing irreversible damage to his nervous system. Starks condition is aggravated by a former mentally unbalanced former lover Kathy Dare who attempts to kill him by damaging his Spine paralyzing him. A nerve chip implanted into his spine helped him regain his mobility. Unfortunately starks nervous system continues to fail, and he constructs a skin made up of artificial nerve circuitry to assist. Tony begins to pilot a remote-controlled Iron Man armor, but when he faces the masters of silence, his telepresence suit proves inadequate. To fix this situation Stark Creates the more heavily armed version of the suit to wear known as "Variable Threat Response Battle Suit", Which later becomes the War Machine Armor. The Damage to his nervous system becomes too extensive. Stark Fakes his own death to be put into Suspended animation to heal while Rhodes who now utilizes the War Machine Armor and takes over running Stark Enterprises and the Mantle of Iron Man. Tony makes a full recovery by using a chip to reprogram himself and resumes the Identity of Iron Man when Rhodey discovers that Stark manipulated his friends by faking his death enrages Rhodey an the two friends part ways Rhodes continues as War Machine in Solo career. Later on Rhodey has a fatal accident that will turn him literally in A War Machine half man Half Armor all Badass hero. Through all the Crises that Tony has endured he has come on top to be a force to be reckon with he is constantly tinkering an inventing he's a man with a broken heart an body but manages to fight harder then most. He has been branded a murderer lost his fortune faked his death had multiple attempts put on his life by his business partners. He has fought alternate versions of himself he has even gone up against Captain America the first Avenger an been the cause of his Death He has faced The Hulk one on One he may have had two hulk buster armors that the green goliath trashed but he held his own. He had to go head to head With the Asgardian God of Thunder Thor an made an Impression on the son of Odin. He has Been a Founding member of the Avengers created an Iron Legion of Iron Men even been possessed by the Avengers worst nightmare Ultron. I think people relate with Tony Stark the most because of his constants battles with his inner demons the fact that he can break any minute but still hold his own in a fight as a leader even the secretary of defense. The thing that makes Iron Man one of the best he never stops creating his Ideas help an protect the people and that's what makes a hero its not their powers or abilities or the gadgets. Its the willingness to fight no matter what's thrown at you I know this much is true Tony Stark is The Golden avenger the Shell head he is human and even if he dies his Ideas will stay eternal there will always be an Iron Man in the Marvel Universe.
