50 Greatest Super Heroes In Comic Book History
By FanSided
6. Iron Man
(Write-up by Nick Tylwalk, Bam Smack Pow Editor)
More than any other super hero, Iron Man is the one that could be you. Though to be honest, that’s only true if you were, in the now immortal words of Robert Downey Jr., a “genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist.”
While we may not have Tony Stark’s brains, money or cool toys, he’s relatable in other ways. He’s battled health problems and wrestled with serious addiction. On more than one occasion, he’s done things he lived to regret simply because of his certainty that he was in the right. That razor sharp wit and unflappable exterior mask some deep-seated insecurities, to be sure.
As I’m fond of pointing out on this very site, Tony can even be a flat out jerk at times. His heart is always in the right place, but if there’s a hero who proves the adage about what paves the road the hell, it’s Iron Man.
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Despite all those intriguing qualities and the merchandising gimmick to beat all others in the form of his ever-changing armor, Iron Man spent decades stuck just below the cutoff point for A-list super heroes. It took a gamble by Marvel Studios and the perfect casting of Downey to boost him up to the next level, but now it’s impossible to think of the Marvel Universe in any form of media without a prominent place for the Armored Avenger.
And trust me, Tony wouldn’t have it any other way.
Next: No. 5: First among female heroes