Above: Blizzard. This an original Bob Layton piece I've owned for a while but finally had colored at the end of 2007. Layton (pencils and inks); Frank D'Armata (color).

Above right: The Iron Man movie logo, modified with rivets by Timothy Mezoff. Thanks!

In 1963, the Invincible Iron Man debuted in the comic book Tales of Suspense #39, the creation of Marvel Comics main maven Stan Lee and artist Don Heck. The Armored Avenger soon received his own self-titled book, which for more than 440 issues (and now four volumes) chronicled the adventures of playboy Tony Stark and his alter-ego, Iron Man--a knight in shining, high-tech armor.

For more than 40 years, Tony Stark has battled his own physical frailties and internal struggles while fighting evil incarnated in the likes of the Mandarin, the Controller, Whiplash, Titanium Man, and Ultimo. Stark has been the Cold Warrior super capitalist and the idealistic inventor, a captain of industry and a legendary hero. He's also been a skid row bum alcoholic and even a teenage replacement of himself--but he's always been a visionary. And Iron Man has always been the crowning achievement of his genius. Ever evolving, the armor is an example of what technology can do for humankind, of what good men might accomplish if they put their minds to it. Quite simply, Stark uses Iron Man--the greatest weapon ever designed--to keep the world safe until his dreams of the better future are a reality.

Iron Man, the comic, has been started and restarted over the years, and like the comic itself, the hero himself has had his ups and downs, but he always rises to the challenge. Recently, Iron Man's adventures began somewhat anew with a new number one, a new volume (IV), and a new direction. Now imbedded with nanotechnology, and steeled with his fantastic armor, Tony Stark is once again plotting a course toward our future. But whatever the volume, whatever the title of the mag, whatever the color of the armor, Iron Man symbolizes the undauntible human spirit and the forward march of technology. And in the end, it's not the armor, but the man inside that's the hero.

Iron Man has starred in several other books, including The Avengers, Force Works, Marvel Action Hour Iron Man, Ultimates, The New Avengers, The Mighty Avengers, Marvel Adventures The Avengers, and, most recently, Marvel Adventures Iron Man.

Creator's Corner:

Everything you ever wanted to know about Iron Man's creator: Stan Lee.

Your humble Iron Man Armory impresario was recently interviewed for the thirty-fifth edition of The Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide, which celebrated Iron Man on its cover. Since my interview was obviously the lynchpin of entire book, I've humbly added it here.

Subterranean Armor Iron Man brought to life from the Toy Biz figure series of the 1990s. Original drawing and colors by Ian Sokoliwski. Check out his work or commission him by visiting here.

Stark's Not So Humble Abodes