Greetings from the Odinson,
The Rogues Gallery is the group of villains who repeatedly plague our hero, the city and citizens of the city under his protection, and in some cases the world. Over the next few weeks I will talk about some of my favorite Rogues Galleries. This week I will take a look at the technical terrors and arch villains that challenge the Golden Avenger.
Part 10: Iron Man’s Rogues Gallery
Crimson Dynamo and Titanium Man – It is almost impossible to talk about one of these guys without mentioning the other. The Iron Man mythos was created during the height of the Cold War and these two are a product of that. Crimson Dynamo is the Russian version of Iron Man. His armor matches Shell-Head’s in every way save one. The men, and there have been several, that pilot the Dynamo armor lack Tony Stark’s intelligence, and this is how Tony is able to win an otherwise stalemate. Titanium Man poses other problems, however. His armor is bigger, stronger, and possesses more firepower than Tony’s. This colossus of technological terror has on several occasions beaten Iron Man to within an inch of his life. Again, it is usually Tony’s superior intellect that helps him win the day. Now comes the hard part. More times than not, these two attack in tandem. Those are the days that Iron Man really finds out what he is made of, as his courage and resourcefulness are tested like never before. Must Read: Tales of Suspense (1959-1968) #46, 52, 81 and 94; Iron Man (1968-1996 1st Series) #22, 135, 229, 255, 315, and 316; Annual #1; Avengers (1963-1996 1st Series) #130; X-Men vs. the Avengers TPB; Champions Classic TPB Vol. 1; Crimson Dynamo (2003) #1-6; and Amazing Spider-Man #531.
The Hulk – Though the Hulk is not a villain, it’s his nature (being a monster) that seems to always put him at odds with the heroes of the Marvel Universe. Next to maybe the Thing and Thor, no hero has stood toe-to-toe more times with the Jade Giant than the Golden Avenger. Even though the Incredible Hulk’s immeasurable strength dwarfs Iron Man’s own, Shell-Head, through ingenuity and sheer tenacity, has managed to put the Hulk down on several occasions. Theirs is a complicated rivalry. Iron Man wants to help the Hulk. That’s easier said than done. When you are fighting for your life against an opponent that can pound mountains into powder it’s hard to win without using lethal force. Maybe Tony Stark feels a bit guilty that he has not been able to find a cure to quell the rage that dwells within his friend and fellow scientist Bruce Banner. Perhaps as a man of science Tony feels an obligation to stop the Hulk because he is an example of science gone horribly wrong. Must Read: Iron Man (1968-1996 1st Series) #9, 131, 132, 133, 247, and 305; Incredible Hulk (1962-1999 1st series) #131, 316, 321, 322, 361, Heroes Reborn: Iron Man TPB; Incredible Hulk (1999- 2nd Series) #71, 72, 73, and 74; Iron Man (2005- 4th Series) #19 and 20; World War Hulk TPB; New Avengers: Illuminati Special; and Ultimate Human: Ultimate Hulk vs. Iron Man HC.
Justin Hammer – This unethical businessman and inventor provides a unique adversary for Tony Stark. Justin Hammer is intelligent, resourceful, rich, influential, greedy, and ruthless. He’s the evil Tony Stark. After Obadiah Stane’s untimely death, Hammer took control of Stane’s empire, thus taking control of Tony’s old company. To a man like Justin Hammer Tony Stark and his bodyguard Iron Man are nothing more than obstacles to be destroyed. Hammer has stolen Stark Tech and sold it on the Black Market. This was the catalyst for the Armor Wars. He also employs a small army of super-criminals (including Blacklash, Blizzard, Melter, Rhino, Water Wizard, Spymaster, and many others) which he pays handsomely to carry out his diabolical schemes. Must Read: Iron Man (1968-1996 1st Series) #120, 122, 126, 127, 140, 141, 224, and 283; Iron Man: Bad Blood #1; Iron Man: Demon in a Bottle HC; Amazing Spider-Man #318 and 319; Marvel Adventures: Iron Man TPB Vol. 1; and Thunderbolts #36.
Doctor Doom – Yes, yes...Doom has already appeared on the Fantastic Four’s list, but if ever there were marquee match-up in the realm of comics it is Iron Man vs. Doctor Doom. It’s Ali vs. Frasier. Luke Skywalker vs. Darth Vader. King Kong vs. Godzilla. It is absolutely the battle that everyone wants to see and can’t get enough of. They are opposite sides of the same coin. Tony is a futurist, handsome, rich, and runs the biggest corporate empire in the world. Victor Von Doom is super-humanly intelligent, scarred, and king of his own country. Their battles are the stuff of legend, literally. They’ve fought in the present, past, and the future. In a rare moment of levity the arrogant Doom has even complimented Stark’s grasp of technology and intelligence, something he refuses to do for his hated rival, Reed Richards. If there were no Fantastic Four, Doom’s natural arch foe would have to be Iron Man. Must Read: Iron Man (1968-1996 1st Series) #149, 150, 249, 250, Iron Man (1996 2nd Series) #11; Standoff storyline; Iron Man vs. Doctor Doom: Doomquest HC; and Iron Man: Legacy of Doom HC.
Obadiah Stane (The Iron Monger) – If not for the next person on this list Obadiah Stane would be Tony Stark’s greatest adversary. He was a master strategist and manipulator. He was the CEO of Stane International, the number one rival to Stark International. He has a personal connection to Tony because Obadiah knew and worked with Howard Stark, Tony’s father. Obadiah dealt one of the biggest blows to Tony when through the use of guile, deception, and a well orchestrated coop he usurped control of Stark International. Obadiah even created an armor more powerful than Iron Man, the Iron Monger. This prompted Tony to upgrade his Iron Man suit to the popular red and silver Centurion model he sported throughout most of the eighties. In their final epic battle Obadiah, rather than face jail and public humiliation, committed suicide, but the effects of his actions are still being felt today. Must Read: Iron Man (1968-1996 1st Series) #163, 166, 167, 169, 170, 172, 173, 174, 199, 200; Ultimate Iron Man HC; and Ultimate Iron Man II HC.
The Mandarin – This is, hand down, Iron Man’s greatest adversary. The Mandarin is the antithesis of Tony Stark. He believes that technology promotes evil and does everything in his power to topple countries that rely it. He is an accomplished martial artist and a practitioner of the mystic arts. But his most formidable weapons are his mystical ten rings of power. On each finger the Mandarin wears a ring that possesses amazing abilities that grant him power over ice, electricity, fire, white light, black light, disintegration, wind, force, transmutation, and psionic energy. The Mandarin has worked to become one of the most influential and powerful arch fiends in the Marvel Universe. He was a member of the malevolent cabal that perpetrated the Acts of Vengeance (shameless plug for a future a column when I will talk about Marvel’s Evil Illuminati). He has enslaved the X-Men’s Psylocke and darn near did the same to Wolverine. He has put the fear of God in James Rhodes (War Machine and erstwhile Iron Man stand-in). He once allied himself with the legendary dragon Fin Fang Foom and nearly brought about the end of the world. This is a man who once even lost his hands and returned more determined and more dangerous than before. To say that the Mandarin is a force to be reckoned with would be an understatement. Must Read: Tales of Suspense #50, 55, 61, 62, 84, 85, and 86; Iron Man (1968-1996 1st Series) #10, 11, 57, 58, 99, 100, 180, 181, and 242; Incredible Hulk (1962-1999 1st series) #107 and 108; Avengers Annual #1; Avengers (1963-1996 1st Series) #313; Amazing Adventures (1970-1976 2nd Series) #3; The Hands of the Mandarin storyline; Iron Man (1998-2004 3rd Series) #9 and 10; Iron Man (2005- 4th Series) #17 and 18; Iron Man: Enter The Mandarin TPB; and Iron Man: The Dragon Seed Saga TPB.
Honorable Mentions: Spymaster, the Living Laser, Blacklash (Whiplash), Melter, Madame Masque, the Ghost, A.I.M., Dreadnoughts, the Grey Gargoyle, the Beetle, the Controller, the Guardsman, the Raiders, Midas, Stilt Man, Unicorn, Firebrand, Ultimo, Blizzard, Goliath (Atlas), Sunturion, Firepower, Super-Hero politics, a bad heart, and alcoholism.
Tony Stark is one of the smartest and bravest men alive and both of these qualities are challenged every time he faces one of the adversaries on this list. Tune in next week when I conclude my series of Rogues Gallery columns with a look at the demons, giants, and dark gods that threaten Asgard and Midgard.
This is Odinson bidding thee farewell
