Wed Apr 30, 2008 — by Alan Kistler

10 Must-Read Stories Before You Watch 'Iron Man' in Theaters

Brush up on the Armored Avenger before his big-screen debut!

Even people who've never picked up a comic book are looking forward to seeing the new Iron Man movie debuting tomorrow, starring Robert Downey, Jr. as Tony Stark, "the cool exec with a heart of steel!"

When Stan Lee and Don Heck introduced Anthony Stark, he was a modern-day Howard Hughes, a weaponsmaker who was investigating his interests in a war zone when he was injured by shrapnel and captured by guerilla soldiers. Desperately needing a life-support system to keep his heart beating, as well as a weapon to fight off his captors, he created the first high-tech suit of armor that  earned him the name "Iron Man."

Returning to the states, the world welcomed its new superhero, believing him to be the rich playboy's bodyguard, and soon witnessed him become a founding member of the famous Avengers superteam.

Over the years that followed, "Ol' Shellhead" has been through many armors, as well as many personal and public changes. He had his heart repaired and battled alcoholism. He had his heart injured again and replaced it with a mechanical one that needed  constant recharging. Recently, his body was finally healed and  his resources greatly enhanced after merging with an experimental form of nano-technology.

Much like The Dark Knight reading list we provided you as prep for Batman's upcoming return to the big screen, ComicMix has assembled ten recommended reads that showcase how clever and resourceful our hero is while also displaying the forces and passions that drive him in his double-life. They have been assembled in chronological order, so you can follow Iron Man's evolution as both a hero and central character in the Marvel Universe.

Enjoy!

IRON MAN: THE IRON AGE #1-2 -- These two graphic novels by Kurt Busiek, Patrick Zircher and Bob McLeod revisit the earliest days of Tony Stark's career as Iron Man, as told by his closest employees Pepper Potts and Happy Hogan (who will both be in the movie, played by Gwyneth Paltrow and Jon Favreau). Watch Tony's adjustment from non-caring businessman to hero through the eyes of those around him.

In this two-parter, Busiek stays very close to the continuity of the early Stan Lee issues, while also foreshadowing people and events that would pop up later in Tony's life and throwing in a few previously unknown villains that nearly ruined the Armored Avenger's career before it truly started.

IRON MAN: ENTER THE MANDARIN #1-6 (soon to be available in trade) -- Writer Joe Casey and artist Eric Canete very cleverly weave together four old Stan Lee issues in order to re-imagine the first meeting between Tony Stark and one of his most powerful enemies. Asked to do a favor for the federal government, Iron Man investigates the operations of a terrorist cult-leader who calls himself the Mandarin, only to discover that the would-be world conqueror is armed with alien technology he cannot hope to understand. Iron Man is at his most heroic when he's not sure he can win and things are rarely as desperate for him as they get in this story.

The Mandarin's supposed to be mentioned in the new film, so viewers may be interested to see how his war with Iron Man began in this story. 

IRON MAN (Vol. 1) #17-23 "The Beginning of the End!" -- Writer Archie Goodwin delivers a story-arc of high action, drama and tragedy for Tony Stark. A radical new form of surgery finally frees Tony from being completely dependent on his armored chest-plate as life support. But the strain he's now suffering may mean he has to give up the helmet and pass it on to a successor.

As if that weren't stressful enough, Iron Man has to deal with the new menaces of Madame Masque and Midas, as well as the alien conqueror called Lucifer (the same villain who crippled Professor X of the X-Men). This story also marks a great personal loss for our hero.

Black and white reprints of this story can be found (along with other issues) in Essential Iron Man Vol. 3.

IRON MAN (Vol.1) #95 - 100 : "Ten Rings to Rule the World!" -- Bill Mantlo and George Tuska bring you this five-issue story arc. After redesigning his armor to be able to take more punishment, Tony finds that he's being framed as a traitor to the United States. As if that weren't bad enough, he's also got to battle the new Guardsman (who blames Tony for the death of his brother), the devastating giant robot called Ultimo and the Japanese superhero Sunfire. And what foe from the past is really behind this whole mess? It's a fun story with lots of action and a great ending battle in the final issue.

IRON MAN (Vol. 1) #120 - 128 : "Demon In A Bottle" --This break-out run by David Michelinie and Bob Layton not only introduced the idea that Tony Stark was an alcoholic, it also features Iron Man being set-up to take the fall for a public murder and having to fight his way through an entire gauntlet of super-villains.

A major milestone in the life of Tony Stark, this story-arc also includes two new characters created by Michelinie and Layton: the ruthless businessman Justin Hammer and Jim "Rhodey" Rhodes, the man who would one day become War Machine (and who will appear in the movie played by Terrence Howard). And just for fun, Namor the Sub-Mariner and Ant-Man II (Scott Lang) guest-star.

IRON MAN (vol. 1) #149 - 150 : "Doomquest" (available in trade along with its sequel story) -- Another Michelinie and Layton joint, Iron Man and the terrorist Doctor Doom (arch-enemy of the Fantastic Four) find themselves hurled backwards in time to the court of King Arthur. It's a tale of science and magic clashing and Tony knows that the only way to get back home is to trust the ruthless villain who's stranded with him.

This story spawned a sequel (which wasn't as good, but is included in the trade collection) and has been referenced several times in the past couple of years (most recently during the Civil War event), and a third installment is planned to come out soon.

Interestingly, Tony seems ignorant of some parts of Arthurian myth in the story, yet several writers in later years would indicate that King Arthur and his knights were a great inspiration to Stark when he was a boy.

IRON MAN (Vol. 1) #163 - 200 "Tony Stark vs. Obadiah Stane" (no official title for this story arc exists) -- Why the heck is this not available in trade or as an omnibus hardcover? This is a saga that not only shows Tony Stark's true heart, but appears to be a major influence for the upcoming film.

Actor Jeff Bridges will play the character of Obadiah Stane, who in this story arc is introduced as a ruthless businessman who decides he wants control over Stark International. Viewing life as a chess game, he sets up Tony Stark to recieve financial and emotional attacks, driving him back into alcoholism (so much so that Tony actually goes off as Iron Man at one point while he's still drunk, endangering several lives).

His life in shambles and his company finally bought out by a hostile takeover, Tony gives up the mantle of Iron Man to his long-time friend Jim Rhodes and becomes a derelict. Readers then got to see a very different Iron Man battling super-villains for a while, as Tony Stark made the slow and painful journey back to recovery, eventually taking charge of his life again and building a new suit of armor to let him personally confront Obadiah Stane. This epic saga was written by ComicMix's own Denny O'Neil.

IRON MAN (Vol. 1) #225 - 232 "The Armor Wars" -- Oh, Michelinie and Layton, is there any story you can't write?

In this story arc (originally called "Stark Wars" but renamed "Armor Wars" by the fans), Tony discovered that the weapons wielded by several high-tech super-villains have actually been based on stolen designs of his own armor. Horrified that the same breakthroughs which made him Iron Man have been used to threaten lives, Tony goes off on a one-man crusade to attack every person using his stolen designs and render the technology useless. Unfortunately, this includes a few government employees and Iron Man finds himself facing off against former allies such as Captain America.

This is a major tale for Iron Man and elements of it were echoed in Marvel's recent Civil War storyline. If you're someone who thinks that Tony Stark's manipulative side was a recent development, this story will prove you wrong.

IRON MAN (Vol. 3) #73 - 78 "The Best Defense" -- John J. Miller and Jorge Lucas tell a story in which Iron Man's identity is now a matter of public record and Tony Stark finds a new foe: politics. A power-hungry senator is using the unpatented designs of Iron Man's technology in order to make new military weapons and secure a position as the new Secretary of Defense.

Unlike in "Armor Wars," Tony doesn't have the option this time of simply attacking people and destroying their weapons. So, to prevent these weapons from going into production and keep the corrupt senator from ever taking office as Secretary of Defense, Tony Stark will just have to take that job for himself. It's a story of political maneuvering, clever power plays, suprising comedy, and major stakes as the U.S. must consider if it wants a superhero in charge of its armed forces.

IRON MAN (Vol. 4) #1 - 6 : "Extremis" -- This is a dark tale by writer Warren Ellis and artist Adi Granov. Having convinced the world that he has allowed some new anonymous individual to continue operating as Iron Man, Tony reflects on his life and whether his technology has truly benefited the world, only to discover that a new techno-virus poses a threat to humanity. Not only does this story have Tony merging with his technology on a whole new level (becoming a unique type of cyborg), but it also features a revised version of his origin story that appears to have influenced the upcoming movie's take on it.

If you want an Iron Man tale that doesn't involve you knowing a lot about his continuity, or if you're looking to catch up on what he's like these days, this story should be in your hands already.

Alan Kistler has been recognized by Warner Bros. Pictures as a comic book historian and can be seen in the special features sections of the Adventures of Aquaman and Justice League: New Frontier DVDs. He once attempted to make his own suit of high-tech armor before realizing that he was only nine-years-old and didn't own any welding equipment. He has several story ideas he'd like to produce/publish. His personal web-site is http://KistlerUniverse.com.

Iron Man debuts in theaters this weekend, with early showings tomorrow, May 1.

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