Anthony (Tony) Edward Stark is young, rich, arrogant, and reckless. He is also brilliant, successful, and secretly socially conscious.
Tony's father was Howard Stark, the guy who built the empire. In the Iron Man movies, Howard is given a significant role. He is also crucial in the development of Captain America.
The first Iron Man appearance was in a Marvel Comic in 1968. He looked like this:
He evolved over time, and by 2006, he was looking more like the guy Hollywood made into a household name. The deep red and gold make for a much better look, I think.
The comic book version of Tony Stark/Iron Man has some very interesting story lines. His adventures are sometimes complicated, and occasionally a bit agenda driven, making him a very intriguing character. In spite of all of his flaws, he was extremely well received when he made his theater debut.
The first Iron Man film was released into theaters in 2008. In my opinion, Robert Downey Junior was a brilliant choice, and he plays the part to perfection.
The movie takes a few liberties, but does a great job.
Tony gets into a bad situation in Afghanistan which changes his life forever, especially since his heart can no longer function without an arc reactor to prevent shrapnel from entering the chambers and killing him.
Captured by the terror group the Ten Kings, he uses his amazing intelligence to escape and eventually he goes back to Afghanistan to finish them off. He deals with a complete change of attitude, betrayal, and even love in the process.
Iron Man II picks up the story a bit further into the future. The presence of Iron Man in the world has created an era of world peace. Unfortunately, Tony's arc reactor (that had been keeping him alive) is now killing him. The key to his survival is delivered by his father from the past.
Additionally, Ivan Vanko, a fellow from Russia, who is tied to Tony in a way he is not aware of, is plotting revenge against him for injustices that were done to his father. He uses Tony's technology in an attempt to destroy him. In Tony's weakened state, the plan almost works. This is where SHEILD steps in and gets involved - since another of Tony's rivals has partnered with Ivan and hopes to assemble an army of Iron Men.
In the end, the good guys win, and Iron Man lives to become a part of the Avengers.
If you have seen the move, you know that Iron Man is a vital member of the Avengers team, and plays a critical role in saving the world. He continues on the path of maturity as well, and is even willing to give his life for the good of mankind.
Since we all know that filming has begun for Iron Man 3, I don't think it is too much of a spoiler, to tell you, that Tony (thankfully) lives.
I am looking forward to the release of the next Iron Man adventure.
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