Things You Probably Didn't Know About Iron Man
When Marvel Studios launched Iron Man in 2008, few people thought the movie would work. After all, Iron Man wasn't Marvel's strongest or favorite character, so the movie was something of a gamble. Of course, it all worked out, and Iron Man became a far more appreciated character on and off the screen. Tony Stark and Iron Man were introduced in Tales of Suspense #39 back in 1963, so the character has been around for more than half a century.
In all that time, through the comic books, movies, graphic novels, video games, and other media, the character has developed into a significant one in the Marvel Universe. Despite so much history, or perhaps because of it, there are a ton of things you probably didn't know about Iron Man.
- 1
Robert Downey Jr.'s 'I Am Iron Man' Was Improvised
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Perhaps the most famous line of Robert Downey Jr.'s career, "I am Iron Man," was improvised by the actor, to the surprise of Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige, who authorized the take (and the line) to be the last words spoken before cutting to the end credits of Avengers: Endgame. Feige explained his reason for accepting the line even though it wasn't part of the script:
It’s a fine line. If you’re changing something for no reason, that’s one thing, but if you’re changing something because you want to double down on the spirit of who the character is? That’s a change we’ll make. Tony Stark not reading off the card and not sticking with the fixed story? Him just blurting out, "I am Iron Man"? That seems very much in keeping with who that character is.
The words also close out the character's story arc.
Cool fact? - 2
Stan Lee Created Iron Man As A Challenge For Himself
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Iron Man, or rather, Tony Stark, isn't a typical superhero. Back when Stan Lee created him in 1963, that was especially true, and it's all due to Stark's personality. He's a staunch capitalist, a weapons designer/seller, and has serious personality problems. He's also an alcoholic and womanizer, so he was hardly the typical superhero back in the '60s.
Instead, Lee wanted to create someone who was antithetical to the typical superhero. He said in an interview:
I think I gave myself a dare. It was the height of the Cold War. The readers, the young readers, if there was one thing they hated, it was war, it was the military... So I got a hero who represented that to the hundredth degree. He was a weapons manufacturer, he was providing weapons for the Army, he was rich, he was an industrialist... I thought it would be fun to take the kind of character that nobody would like, none of our readers would like, and shove him down their throats and make them like him... And he became very popular.
Casting Robert Downey Jr. to play Tony Star in the Marvel Cinematic Universe somewhat parallels the character's origins. At the time, Downey wasn't a particularly "liked" actor. He had some serious personal problems, including issues with substance abuse. In the end, he managed to get the fans on his side, a parallel to how the comic book character grew in popularity.
Cool fact? - 3
Stark's Arc Reactor Is Insanely Powerful
In the 2008 Iron Man film, the first Arc Reactor that Stark creates using palladium has an energy output of 3 gigajoules per second. That's the equivalent chemical energy of burning 30 barrels of oil a minute. Another way to look at the comparative energy output is to compare the wattage.
Stark's Arc Reactor produces 3 gigawatts. The largest power plants in the world run at around 1 gigawatt, making Stark's chest-piece power source three times as powerful as a power plant capable of powering about 2 million homes. In addition to its insane power output, it's also immune to EMPs (electromagnetic pulses).
Cool fact? - 4
Stark Owns Area 51
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The Marvel Universe has its own version of Area 51, the secretive military complex that many people believe hides evidence of alien activity on Earth. In Avengers #19, it's revealed that Stark purchased the military facility from the government. He then uses the base to hide the Reality Gem from the Infinity Gauntlet.
Eventually, the Reality Gem is lost, and the facilities of Area 51 are used for other things. It becomes Shadow Base Site B for the US Hulk Operations, and it's likely Stark uses it for testing his armor or anything else he'd like to do away from prying eyes.
Cool fact? - 5
At The Beginning Of 'Iron Man,' Stark's Captors Reveal The Whole Plot Of The Film
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The beginning of Iron Man sees Stark captured and ransomed via a video. In the video, as it's later revealed, his captors essentially detail the entire plot of the movie, but most people in the West were completely oblivious.
His captors are speaking Urdu, the primary language spoken in Pakistan, so anyone who understands Urdu knows everything up front. The dialogue explains that the group is affiliated with Obadiah Stane, a key piece of information revealed in the third act of the movie... revealed in English, that is.
Cool fact? - 6
Iron Man Has Created More Than 60 Versions Of His Armor
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One of the things the movies get especially right about Iron Man is his interest in crafting new and better suits of armor. In the comics, when he makes something new, it's often to counter a specific threat. Fans are well aware of his Hulkbuster armor, and he's constructed many other types over the years.
In addition to the Hulkbuster and his standard armor configurations, he's created Hydro Armor, Telepresence Armor, War Machine Armor, Prometheum Armor, S.K.I.N. Armor, Anti-Radiation Armor, Hypervelocity Armor, Space Armor, and the Iron Destroyer. Many of these versions were re-created in the MCU, and can be found on this handy infographic.
Cool fact? - 7
His Armor Is Home To More Weapons Than Most Realize
In terms of weaponry, Iron Man's armor houses a ton. His primary weapons are his repulsors, but they are hardly the only offensive means at his disposal.
Over the years, and across various forms of media, Iron Man's armor, as well as the armor he creates for others, has featured the following: a proton cannon, the Omnibeam, the Pentabeam, the Multi-Beam, the Tri-Beam, Hyper-Velocity Impact, Smart Missiles, the Pulse Barrage, the Energy Blade, the Pulse Bolt, the Freeze Beam, the Unibeam, lasers, an M134 Minigun, a multi-projectile launcher, increased strength enhancements, holographic projectors, flamethrowers, and an ability to control the armor remotely.
Cool fact? - 8
Stark Completely Trusts Pepper With His Life
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Stark is aware of his armor's destructive potential and knows a means of stopping him is necessary should anything go wrong. To this end, he entrusts Pepper Potts with something that's dangerous, but only to him.
Stark gives Pepper a remote shutoff device that can render his armor completely inert, should the need arise. Giving her this remote shows just how much he trusts her, and has helped elevate Pepper as a character since her introduction as his assistant in the '60s.
Cool fact? - 9
Stark Isn't The Wealthiest Superhero In The Marvel Universe
Stark is insanely wealthy, but he isn't the wealthiest character in the MCU, according to reporting by Buddy Loans, which estimated superheroes' worth based on information from various sources. Stark's net worth is around $100 billion, which isn't a small amount of money. Still, it's far less than the Marvel Universe's wealthiest person: T'Challa, otherwise known as Black Panther.
It's estimated that because T'Challa is the king of Wakanda, making him the owner of the world's entire supply of vibranium, he's worth an estimated $500 billion - five times wealthier than Stark. To his credit, Stark is the second wealthiest character in the Marvel Universe.
Cool fact? - 10
Stark Has A Couple Of Real-World Parallels
Stan Lee created Tony Stark as a sort of challenge for himself, but he didn't pull the idea completely out of thin air. He used a real-world person as a source of inspiration: Howard Hughes. The famed enigmatic businessman was also tapped as an inspiration for Stark's father, whose name is Howard.
Although the Marvel Comics character was based on Hughes, the one from the MCU is based on someone else. When Robert Downey Jr. was creating his take on the character, he based him on Elon Musk. In Iron Man 2, the two actually meet, thanks to a brief cameo appearance by Musk at the beginning of the movie.
Cool fact? - 11
He Works With Wilson Fisk
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The Avengers help defeat all manner of supervillains, but they rarely do so without causing collateral damage. To combat this problem, Tony Stark and Wilson Fisk, AKA the Kingpin, form a company called Damage Control under the leadership of Anne Marie Hoag. The company's purpose is to travel to locations wiped out by the Avengers and repair them.
Fisk owns 50% of the company while Stark owns the other half, but Stark is never happy about working with Fisk. The Damage Control crew has changed over the years, but has included several superpowered people such as Hercules, Goliath, Monstro, and Speedball.
Cool fact? - 12
Stark Is A Member Of The Illuminati
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In the Marvel Universe, the Illuminati are a group of powerful and intelligent characters who meet secretly concerning matters of grave importance. Stark is a member, and gets involved in one of the more reckless decisions the Illuminati make: sending the Hulk away from Earth.
Prior to the "Civil War," the Illuminati meet and decide to send the Hulk away from Earth via spaceship. They ask him to assist them with something in orbit and ultimately trick him into flying off to "be alone." It doesn't work out as planned, and he ends up on Sakaar.
From there, he becomes a gladiator and then a world leader. He's happy for about a minute, but when the ship that brings him there explodes, he loses everything. He returns to Earth and nearly eliminates the Illuminati, up to and including Stark, who is no match for an incredibly angry Hulk.
Cool fact? - 13
Tony Stark And Pepper Potts Have Been An Item For More Than 50 Years
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It takes a little bit of time for Tony Stark and Pepper Potts to become an item in the MCU, but by then, the couple had been together for 50-plus years (off and on) in the Marvel Universe. She starts working as his assistant soon after his introduction in 1963's Tales of Suspense #39. Virginia "Pepper" Potts makes her first appearance in Tales of Suspense #45.
She's been by his side over the years, and from time to time, they've had a romantic relationship.
Cool fact? - 14
He Fakes His Own Death
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Stark's purported "death" comes about after an ex-girlfriend shoots him. He's injured badly and has spine problems, making it impossible for him to walk without his armor.
He implants some tech into his spine to try to fix the problem, but this leads to neurological degradation, and his health takes a turn. Knowing the end is near, he puts his affairs in order and perishes. It's all a ruse, however, and he doesn't let his friends in on the plan, so they believe he's gone.
Stark even guilts his pal Rhodey into putting on the Iron Man armor in his place. After a few months, Stark returns.
Cool fact? - 15
He Struggles With Drinking
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At Stark's core, he's a deeply flawed man, and with issues pertaining to womanizing and being a weapons developer, he's not without demons. His most notable demon is covered in the story often cited as his best: "Demon in a Bottle."
The story details Stark's trip to rock bottom, and it's not a smooth ride. He lets his guard down while heavily intoxicated and has his armor taken over remotely by Justin Hammer. While this is happening, his armor is used to terminate a dignitary, and while this technically isn't his fault, it wouldn't have happened if he had been in a better place.
Stark overcomes his drinking problem, but it isn't easy. His struggle makes him relatable to a large number of readers, and shows just how realistic the character is.
Cool fact?
