| So how does the movie Iron Man stack up again Iron | | | | covering the high points. The armor Tony first builds in |
| Man comics? | | | | Afghanistan is a rickety version of the streamlined |
| Short answer: Pretty well actually. | | | | version first seen during Shellhead's first appearance in |
| Robert Downey Jr. is Tony Stark, often channeling | | | | Tales of Suspense #39. Tony would be next seen in a |
| most of his own well-publicized inner demons into the | | | | bulky gold armor similar in design during subsequent |
| character. Beyond the origins story, most of Tony's life | | | | appearances, including The Avengers #1. |
| is fairly accurate to the comic books, ranging from the | | | | The silver armor Tony Stark builds upon returning |
| shadow of his wealthy industrialist father Howard | | | | home is closer to the sleeker models seen in later |
| Stark (the movie even places Howard at the | | | | decades of the Iron Man comics, and also hinted at |
| Manhattan Project) to the tragic death of his parents. | | | | being the one Jim Rhodes will eventually wear as Iron |
| Most will complain the origin story has been revised to | | | | Man. Finally, the armor Tony Stark dons in the film's |
| suit today's post-9/11 mindset, but here's the blunt truth: | | | | end is generally closer to the modern look of Iron Man |
| even the comics aren't true to the comics. In 1963, | | | | in the comics, although like desktops and laptops today, |
| Tony was kidnapped in Vietnam. In the partial revamp | | | | Iron Man's look is constantly changing. Recently, Iron |
| "Heroes Reborn", Tony was kidnapped in Desert | | | | Man's armor was turned against him by alien invaders |
| Storm, and in the short-lived cartoon he was abducted | | | | in "Secret Invasion", and he's begun building his armor |
| by the Mandarin himself. The movie stands | | | | from scratch a second time – what it will look like |
| somewhere in between the final two, as Stark is | | | | next is anyone's guess. |
| captured in Afghanistan by agents of the Mandarin. | | | | Lastly, watch what happens when several enemies try |
| Let's get to the armor itself. By now, the Iron Man | | | | to give Iron Man multiple targets and also see the |
| comics have showcased several different versions of | | | | spontaneous Stark at work at the film's final press |
| the armor, and not even a two hour movie can cover | | | | conference as these are lifted from various parts of |
| them all, but Jon Favreau's film does a good job | | | | the Iron Man comic. |