To celebrate the release of Endgame this month we're diving into the character that launched the MCU: Tony Stark aka Iron Man. Tony Stark is an interesting character for Marvel. On face value he might seem like Marvel's attempt to duplicate Bruce Wayne. A rich playboy during the day who fights crime at night. The difference is, Tony Stark is the more interesting identity between Tony & Iron Man. A lot of early Iron Man villains are really Tony Stark villains who cross paths with Iron Man because Tony hides his true identity as Iron Man by claiming the Armored Avenger is just his body guard. It's what makes early Iron Man issues very interesting in seeing Tony struggle with the dual identities and wanting to just be Tony Stark. For this episode we cover the early days of Tony Stark/Iron Man, Tony's struggles with alcohol & Rhodey taking over, Armor Wars, the birth of the War Machine Armor and the unfortunate crossover The Crossing/Onslaught and Heroes Reborn. Just kidding...we don't cover Heroes Reborn cause it's garbage. 

Next episode we'll pick up with Iron Man Volume 3 and the more modern takes on Iron Man. And after Endgame, we'll do a bonus episode where we'll go back and discuss the more memorable armors of Iron Man.

Issues:

• Tales of Suspense
  • Iron Man Epic Collection: The Golden Avenger (Collects Tales of Suspense #39 - 72)
  • Tales of Suspense #39 - First Appearance of Tony Stark/Iron Man
  • Tales of Suspense #45 - First Appearance of Happy Hogan and Pepper Potts
  • Tales of Suspense #50 - First Appearance of The Mandarin
  • Tales of Suspense #59 - First Appearance of Edwin Jarvis
• Avengers #1
• Iron Man Solo Book
  • Issues #17 - 23 - Beginning of the End
  • Issue #55 - First Appearance of Thanos
  • Demon in a Bottle
    • Iron Man Vol 1 #120 - 128
  • Issues #149 & 150 --Doomquest. Iron Man and Doctor Doom go back in time to the days of King Arthur (We cover it in more detail in our Doctor Doom episode)
  • Denny O'Neil Run of Iron Man - Issues 160 - 200
    •  Iron Man Epic Collection: The Enemy Within (Collects 158- 177 & Annual #5)
    • Iron Man Epic Collection: Duel of Iron (Collects #178 - 195, Annual #6-7)
    • Issue #163 - First appearance of Obadiah Stane
    • Issue #167 - Tony relapses into alcoholism
    • Issues #169 - 170 - Rhodey takes over as Iron Man
    • Issues #191 - 192 - The uncalibrated Iron Man armor makes Rhodes go crazy and Tony has to stop him
    • Issues #199 - 200 - Tony puts on the Silver Centurion Iron Man armor and defeats Stane
  • Armor War 1
    • Iron Man Epic Collection Stark Wars (Collects #215 - 232, Annual #9)
    • Issues #225 - 232
  • Issues #242 - Tony shot and paralyzed by Kathy Dane
  • Armor Wars 2
    • Issues #258 - 265
  • The Dragon Seed Saga
    • Issues #272 - 275 - The Mandarin, Fin Fang Foom, Dragons...yeah
• West Coast Avengers
  • Issue 1 - Iron Man (Rhodey) becomes charter member. Happens between  170 - 190 of the Iron Man solo
• Avengers The Crossing
• Onslaught