As much as I love RDJ’s portrayal of Tony Stark, the truth is that the best Iron Man stories will always be found in Marvel Comics. There is decades of Iron Man story canon in Marvel Comics. The problem for most non-comic book-reading Iron Man fans is that their idea of Iron Man starts and ends with Robert Downey Jr., not necessarily the Marvel Comics character. It can be intimidating to find the best Iron Man stories for some new fans because they span decades now.
The Best Iron Man Stories Ever Told
Iron Man made his debut in Tales of Suspense #39 in 1962. His first solo series, Iron Man #1, came out in 1968. The original Iron Man comic was among the first to mirror and explore real-life themes of technological advancements, communist panic, the Vietnam War, and celebrity worship. Tony Stark was modeled after billionaire, eccentric 20th-century industrialist and celebrity Howard Hughes.
Dozens of the best Iron Man stories from the 1960s to the 2000s were the source material to flesh out RDJ’s portrayal as Tony Stark in the MCU. Tony Stark’s Iron Man armor collection, Extremis, alcoholism problems, womanizing nature, and narcissistic tendencies all originate in the comic books, not in the MCU.
To better appreciate RDJ’s portrayal as Tony Stark in the MCU, you need to check out the four best Iron Man stories ever told in Marvel Comics. If these stories didn’t exist, RDJ would not have had the source material needed to portray Stark in the MCU.
1. Superior Iron Man 1: Infamous
Fan-casting has become a toxic part of comic book films and it is a part of why comic book fatigue exists. When you give people, especially fans, exactly what they want they don’t appreciate it.
Director Bryan Singer cast Olivia Munn as Psylocke in X-Men: Apocalypse because comic book fans fan-cast her in online fan artwork online. Online fans fan-cast John Krasinski for years as Mister Fantastic. Krasinski later made a cameo in 2022’s Dr. Strange: Multiverse of Madness.
Many fans were desperate for Tom Cruise to portray the Superior Iron Man in the MCU. That fervent fan-casting dream didn’t materialize.
In 2014, Marvel Comics had an event called “Axis” where the moral compasses of the heroes and villains were reversed. Tony Stark, who barely controls his ego anyway, saw his ego, greed, and arrogance take full control of his personality.
Stark develops a new symbiote-based armor. He also creates a free app that helps users bio-hack their own bodies to upgrade themselves any way they want. However, Stark then ups the price to $100 per day to use the app. His arrogance attracts the attention of former peers and new enemies.
It’s a fascinating look into how low Tony Stark could go morally if he let his ego take control. It’s one of the best Iron Man stories that never became adapted for film.
Superior Iron Man 1: Infamous is a 136-page hardcover that collects the first five issues of the series. Buy it now for $54 at Amazon.
2. Iron Man: Armor Wars Prologue
One thing that people love about RDJ’s portrayal of Iron Man is the way Stark often upgrades his armor. This concept of Iron Man upgrading his armor’s capabilities every few months or as technological advancements allow is not new. This idea was in the comic books way back in the late 1980s.
In the “Armor Wars” storyline, Stark finds out that his armor has been stolen by his enemies. Meanwhile, the government decides that his armor is a dangerous weapon and a threat to national security. Stark now has to retrieve his armor while proving to the Feds that he is not a bad guy.
Sound familiar? These storylines and themes were used throughout all of RDJ’s Iron Man films, especially Iron Man 3. In the 1980s, the idea of Iron Man upgrading his armor was often mindblowing and innovative. Now it is a mundane and expected occurrence in the MCU films. The best way to experience Iron Man is in the comic books.
These are among the best Iron Man stories ever published. Iron Man: Armor Wars Prologue is a 240-page paperback that collects the iconic storyline. Buy it now for $14 at Amazon.
3. Iron Man: Extremis Marvel Select
This 2004 story is the source material for 2013’s Iron Man 3.
In the comic book, rogue scientists Aldrich Killian and Maya Hansen have created a techno-organic virus called Extremis. They are attempting to create superhumans in the same way Captain America got his abilities via the super-soldier serum. Unfortunately, Extremis is being used by terrorists in a literal human arms race.
Tony Stark uses the Extremis virus to save the day. Still, he loses his humanity in the furtherance of science. This story was published in 2006 and was groundbreaking in its portrayal of Tony Stark as a futurist, and not as a technologist or arms dealer.
This is the storyline that made Iron Man a posthuman. In this story, the Iron Man armor became miniaturized. Stark could store the armor in his bone marrow and call upon it upon mental command. The line between human and technology became blurred for Stark in this storyline.
Fun fact – Rebecca Hall was supposed to be the villain in Iron Man 3. However, businessman Ike Perlmutter, who had more authority than Kevin Feige at the time, would not allow a female villain in a Marvel film. Guy Pierce’s Aldrich Killian became the main villain, even though the character only appeared in the Extremis comic book storyline for one page.
Iron Man: Extremis is a 162-page hardcover that collects all six issues of the storyline. Buy it now at Amazon for $40. Or, you can buy it on Kindle for $11.
4. Iron Man: Demon in a Bottle
Iron Man 2 was not a perfect film. I really did not like the goofy sequences of RDJ drunkenly partying in his armor. But Stark’s drinking and substance abuse problems portrayed in that film were based on one of the best Iron Man stories ever, Demon in a Bottle.
Published in 1979, Demon in a Bottle depicted Stark’s battle with alcoholism and arch-rival tech genius Justi Hammer. Even though this story debuted in the 1970s, it created the character template of the flawed superhero.
In the Bronze Age of comics, which started in 1970 and ended in 1985, comic book characters began to closely mirror the events of the real world. Before then, comic books usually told good-versus-evil stories without nuance.
The flawed comic book superhero that was previously portrayed as perfect and impervious to temptation became more relatable to readers in the 1970s.
To fully appreciate RDJ’s portrayal of Iron Man, you need to read Demon in a Bottle.
Iron Man: Demon in a Bottle is a 170-page paperback that collects the entire storyline. Buy it now at Amazon for $24.99.
The Best Iron Man Stories
I’m a life-long comic book fan. I was a Tony Stark fan when I was a child in the 1980s. So, it was a kick for me to see the legions of new Iron Man fans that emerged in 2008. Still, it kind of irks me that most modern comic book fans are fans of RDJ, not necessarily Iron Man from the comic books.
Time change, I understand that. RDJ is no longer Iron Man and is now Dr. Doom. OK, whatever. My point is that the best stories are always found in the comic books. If you believe in comic book film fatigue, then give the comic books try. Start in any era and just start reading.
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