Armor Wars
Encyclopedia
"Armor Wars" is a seven-issue Iron Man
story arc
written by David Michelinie
and Bob Layton
with art by Mark D. Bright and Barry Windsor-Smith
and published by Marvel Comics
. The arc first appears in Iron Man #225-#231.
and Bob Layton
with art by Mark Bright
, though much of the groundwork for the story itself occurred during Iron Man #219-224. Iron Man encounters the Spymaster, who steals the Stark technology. Iron Man also encounters Force, which sets up the plot of "Armor Wars" in the following issues.
An epilogue
to the storyline was published in Iron Man (Vol. 1) #232 (July 1988), co-plotted by Michelinie and Barry Windsor-Smith
with art by Windsor-Smith.
"Armor Wars II" followed in issues Iron Man (Vol. 1) #258 (July 1990) to #266 (March 1991).
fake his death so that he could retire to a normal, law abiding life) makes a shocking discovery upon examining the former villain's armor: it used Stark's very own armor designs. In an attempt to stop other people from misusing his designs, Stark plans to go about disabling other armored heroes and villains who are using suits based on the Iron Man technology (the designs of which were stolen by his enemy Spymaster
, who had gone on to sell them to Justin Hammer
, days before his death). With the aid of former employee Scott Lang, who infiltrates a front company of Hammer, he discovers the identities of all those using his designs, although one escapes discovery due to security stopping the download. Tony then sets out on his quest to eliminate the technology using negator packs on their armors to destroy the circuitry.
During the course of the "Armor Wars", Iron Man begins by confronting and defeating Stilt-Man
. The Mauler
, his next target, surrenders the armor without a fight when confronted without it (as Doyle states, he's paid to fight, plus he could always steal another armor). Iron Man then went after the Controller
, but a member of the Controller's cult was killed in the conflict when the Controller had his minions pile on top of Iron Man and a subsequent attack crushed one of the brainwashed attackers.
Stark takes out the Raiders
(a gang of crooks using high-tech suits), but upon returning learns that one name is missing from Hammer's database, Stark deduces that the armor user must be the government operative Stingray
, as all other armor-wearing individuals (such as Frog-Man or Doctor Doom
) can be eliminated by facts or logic. When Stingray rejects Iron Man's request to look at the armour, Stark catches and negates Stingray after an underwater skirmish, only to find out that his negator does not work as Stingray's suit was not based on his technology. As a result, Stark is forced to "fire" Iron Man due to lawsuits by the US Government.
Tony then continues his crusade by taking out The Beetle
, but he then targets the S.H.I.E.L.D.
operatives known as the Mandroid
s. While the Mandroids are not criminals, Stark justifies this by saying that if anyone ever got a hold of one armor utilizing his technology, they could simply duplicate the technology and the nightmare would restart. In order to get the Mandroids into a position where he can destroy them, Stark pretends to hand Iron Man (claiming that Iron Man is actually Randall Pierce, a name created by him in the past for such an eventuality) over to S.H.I.E.L.D. and then pretending to discover a bug to explain Iron Man's 'advance knowledge' of the raid after the Mandroids are destroyed.
After successfully negating S.H.I.E.L.D.'s five Mandroids, Stark set his sights on another of his inventions, the Guardsmen
who are charged with guarding the supervillain detention center known as the Vault
. Forty armors are stationed there, and Tony and Rhodey are forced to break into the facility. Iron Man and Rhodey's actions lead to a small prison breakout when Titania
and Mister Hyde
take advantage of the chaos (only to be defeated by Steve Rogers
in his then-current guise as the Captain). This also leads to a falling out between Stark and Rogers; while agreeing with Stark's motives, Rogers disapproves of his high-handed methods, considering them reckless and dangerous.
The "Armor Wars" have several other tragic consequences for Iron Man. The West Coast Avengers
, of which Tony was a member, ask Tony to explain himself, which he does, and to cease attacking armored opponents, which he refuses to do. Tony subsequently violates international airspace (Soviet Union
at the time) and attacks both the Crimson Dynamo
and Titanium Man
. After negating the Dynamo, Tony sets his sights on the Titanium Man but is outclassed due to Tony using his Stealth Armor, thus lacking the power to oppose the Titanium Man in prolonged combat, and because his only remaining negator pack has been destroyed. Having exhausted his weapons, Tony tries to run, only for the Titanium Man to catch him; his attempt to escape cause the death of Gremlin
(the pilot of the Titanium Man armor) when his bootjets overheat and finally combust the Gremlin's titanium
armor plating.
Iron Man, now considered a murderer, is forced to flee the area and resign as an Avenger. Due to all of his recent renegade antics, the US Government deploy their new armored warrior named Firepower
, designed by Stark's rival Edwin Cord
, to defeat Iron Man. During the ensuing battle Firepower overpowers and badly injures Stark, with matters made worse when Firepower's armor is revealed to be shielded from Stark's negator packs. Tony fakes Iron Man's demise at the cost of his Silver Centurion armor.
Following that, Edwin Cord uses the Firepower armor to conduct acts of economic terrorism against Stark Enterprises in revenge for Stark having taken the Cord Conglomerate from him. Tony originally does not create a new suit, hoping to put everything behind him and believing that the risks of a new armor being duplicated are too great, but eventually realizes that he has to stop this rampage. Wearing an advanced suit of armor that negates Firepower's original advantages, Stark claims to be a new Iron Man and soundly defeats Firepower in a rematch. Stark makes sure to install security chips that will destroy the armor if duplication is attempted by anyone without proper authorization, concluding that he has a greater responsibility to protect the innocent by using the armor instead of trying to avoid the basic danger it presents by not using it.
in 1990. The book quickly fell out of print and would not be re-released until 2007, when Marvel released a new printing (with a new cover) (ISBN 0-7851-2506-X). The book collects issues #225-#231 as well as the epilogue to the story presented in issue #232.
The Prologue story (#215-224) was published in a trade paperback in March 2010 (ISBN 978-0-7851-4257-7). A collection of the sequel story, Armor Wars II (#258-266), was released in May 2010 (ISBN 978-0-7851-4557-8).
When A.I.M.
steals the technology from Justin Hammer, they start targeting the armored warriors, and one of their attacks kill two of the Raiders. Tony meets up with Controller, Mauler, Stilt-Man, Beetle, Titanium Man, Crimson Dynamo, and the surviving Raider to infiltrate the A.I.M. Omega Branch, where Tony takes control of the Firepower armor. When he suggests to the armored villains to turn themselves in, they attack Tony Stark, only to be stopped by the Captain America, Wonder Man
, and Henry Pym
. Hawkeye tells Tony that they would have to take him to jail for his actions. Rather than attack the heroes, Tony Stark decides to take his chances in court, for he knows that if he did attack, Justin Hammer would have won.
titled Ultimate Comics: Armor Wars began in September 2009. It is written by Warren Ellis
. It takes place after Ultimatum where Iron Man will try to find his remaining armors and save his enterprise.
Iron Man
Iron Man is a fictional character, a superhero in the . The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee, developed by scripter Larry Lieber, and designed by artists Don Heck and Jack Kirby, first appearing in Tales of Suspense #39 .A billionaire playboy, industrialist and ingenious engineer,...
story arc
Story arc
A story arc is an extended or continuing storyline in episodic storytelling media such as television, comic books, comic strips, boardgames, video games, and in some cases, films. On a television program, for example, the story would unfold over many episodes. In television, the use of the story...
written by David Michelinie
David Michelinie
-Biography:Some of his earliest work is for DC Comics's House of Secrets and a run on Swamp Thing , following Len Wein and preceding Gerry Conway, illustrated by Nestor Redondo. Michelinie did a run on Aquaman in Adventure Comics which led to the revival of the Sea King's own title in 1977...
and Bob Layton
Bob Layton
Bob Layton is an American comic book artist, writer, and editor, who has worked for Marvel Comics, Valiant Comics, DC Comics, Future Comics, and other publishers.-Early life:...
with art by Mark D. Bright and Barry Windsor-Smith
Barry Windsor-Smith
Barry Windsor-Smith, born Barry Smith is a British comic book illustrator and painter whose best known work has been produced in the United States....
and published by Marvel Comics
Marvel Comics
Marvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
. The arc first appears in Iron Man #225-#231.
Publication history
While "Armor Wars" is the popular name for the storyline and is the name used for the trade paperback collection, the actual story is referred to as "Stark Wars" within the issues themselves. The source of the name "Armor Wars" stems from the fact that the storyline was advertised in other Marvel titles with full page ads reading: "TIME FOR THE AVENGER TO START AVENGING. THE ARMOR WAR BEGINS IN IRON MAN #225." The storyline ran through Iron Man (Vol. 1) #225 (December 1987) to #231 (June 1988), plotted by David MichelinieDavid Michelinie
-Biography:Some of his earliest work is for DC Comics's House of Secrets and a run on Swamp Thing , following Len Wein and preceding Gerry Conway, illustrated by Nestor Redondo. Michelinie did a run on Aquaman in Adventure Comics which led to the revival of the Sea King's own title in 1977...
and Bob Layton
Bob Layton
Bob Layton is an American comic book artist, writer, and editor, who has worked for Marvel Comics, Valiant Comics, DC Comics, Future Comics, and other publishers.-Early life:...
with art by Mark Bright
Mark Bright
Mark Abraham Bright is a former English footballer who is now a sports pundit and BBC London's sport presenter, as well as a coach at Crystal Palace....
, though much of the groundwork for the story itself occurred during Iron Man #219-224. Iron Man encounters the Spymaster, who steals the Stark technology. Iron Man also encounters Force, which sets up the plot of "Armor Wars" in the following issues.
An epilogue
Epilogue
An epilogue, epilog or afterword is a piece of writing at the end of a work of literature or drama, usually used to bring closure to the work...
to the storyline was published in Iron Man (Vol. 1) #232 (July 1988), co-plotted by Michelinie and Barry Windsor-Smith
Barry Windsor-Smith
Barry Windsor-Smith, born Barry Smith is a British comic book illustrator and painter whose best known work has been produced in the United States....
with art by Windsor-Smith.
"Armor Wars II" followed in issues Iron Man (Vol. 1) #258 (July 1990) to #266 (March 1991).
Plot
Iron Man (after helping the repentant super-villain mercenary ForceForce (comics)
Force is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appears in Prince Namor, the Savage Sub-Mariner #67 Force is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appears in Prince Namor, the...
fake his death so that he could retire to a normal, law abiding life) makes a shocking discovery upon examining the former villain's armor: it used Stark's very own armor designs. In an attempt to stop other people from misusing his designs, Stark plans to go about disabling other armored heroes and villains who are using suits based on the Iron Man technology (the designs of which were stolen by his enemy Spymaster
Spymaster (comics)
Spymaster is a supervillain from Marvel Comics. The first appearance of the character is in Iron Man #33.-Publication history:Spymaster is a Marvel Comics supervillain, whose primary antagonist is Iron Man. He is a master of industrial espionage...
, who had gone on to sell them to Justin Hammer
Justin Hammer
Justin Hammer is a fictional character that has appeared in various comic book series published by Marvel Comics. As a frequent adversary of the superhero Iron Man, Justin Hammer exists in Marvel's main shared universe, known as the Marvel Universe...
, days before his death). With the aid of former employee Scott Lang, who infiltrates a front company of Hammer, he discovers the identities of all those using his designs, although one escapes discovery due to security stopping the download. Tony then sets out on his quest to eliminate the technology using negator packs on their armors to destroy the circuitry.
During the course of the "Armor Wars", Iron Man begins by confronting and defeating Stilt-Man
Stilt-Man
Stilt-Man is the name of two supervillains in Marvel Comics.-Publication history:Stilt-Man first appeared in Daredevil vol. 1 #8 and was one of his earliest enemies. He is a criminal wearing a suit of armor with powerful telescopic legs .The character did not age well, as his powers were more a...
. The Mauler
Mauler (comics)
Mauler is a name used by two fictional characters that appear in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The first version appears in Daredevil #167 and was created by David Michelinie and Frank Miller...
, his next target, surrenders the armor without a fight when confronted without it (as Doyle states, he's paid to fight, plus he could always steal another armor). Iron Man then went after the Controller
Controller (Marvel Comics)
The Controller, real name Basil Sandhurst, is a fictional character, a supervillain appearing in the Marvel Universe. He specializes in mind control, and is a frequent foe of Iron Man. Marvel Comics writer Archie Goodwin created the character, and Marvel artist George Tuska designed him.-Fictional...
, but a member of the Controller's cult was killed in the conflict when the Controller had his minions pile on top of Iron Man and a subsequent attack crushed one of the brainwashed attackers.
Stark takes out the Raiders
Raiders (comics)
The Raiders are a team of three fictional characters that appear in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The Raiders first appear in Iron Man #145 The Raiders are a team of three fictional characters that appear in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The Raiders first appear in Iron Man #145...
(a gang of crooks using high-tech suits), but upon returning learns that one name is missing from Hammer's database, Stark deduces that the armor user must be the government operative Stingray
Stingray (comics)
Stingray is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics.-Publication history:The character first appears as Walter Newell in Tales to Astonish #95 and as Stingray in Prince Namor, the Sub-Mariner #19 Stingray (Walter Newell) is a fictional character that appears...
, as all other armor-wearing individuals (such as Frog-Man or Doctor Doom
Doctor Doom
Victor von Doom is a fictional character who appears in Marvel Comics publications . Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in Fantastic Four #5 wearing his trademark metal mask and green cloak...
) can be eliminated by facts or logic. When Stingray rejects Iron Man's request to look at the armour, Stark catches and negates Stingray after an underwater skirmish, only to find out that his negator does not work as Stingray's suit was not based on his technology. As a result, Stark is forced to "fire" Iron Man due to lawsuits by the US Government.
Tony then continues his crusade by taking out The Beetle
Beetle (comics)
Abner Ronald Jenkins is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics universe.-Publication history:...
, but he then targets the S.H.I.E.L.D.
S.H.I.E.L.D.
S.H.I.E.L.D. is a fictional espionage and a secret military law-enforcement agency in the Marvel Comics Universe. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby in Strange Tales #135 , it often deals with superhuman threats....
operatives known as the Mandroid
Mandroid
A Mandroid is a fictional suit of power armor which appears in the Marvel Comics universe. It first appeared in Avengers #94 , created by Roy Thomas and Neal Adams.-Fictional history:...
s. While the Mandroids are not criminals, Stark justifies this by saying that if anyone ever got a hold of one armor utilizing his technology, they could simply duplicate the technology and the nightmare would restart. In order to get the Mandroids into a position where he can destroy them, Stark pretends to hand Iron Man (claiming that Iron Man is actually Randall Pierce, a name created by him in the past for such an eventuality) over to S.H.I.E.L.D. and then pretending to discover a bug to explain Iron Man's 'advance knowledge' of the raid after the Mandroids are destroyed.
After successfully negating S.H.I.E.L.D.'s five Mandroids, Stark set his sights on another of his inventions, the Guardsmen
Guardsman (comics)
Guardsman was the name of a superhero in the Marvel Universe, but was later applied to a small squad of agents. He/they wear suits of power armor while working security at the Vault; the suits were designed by Tony Stark, better known as the superhero Iron Man....
who are charged with guarding the supervillain detention center known as the Vault
Vault (comics)
The Vault is the widely used nickname of a fictional defunct prison facility for technological-based superhuman criminals in Marvel Comics' Marvel Universe. The prison's full official name is the United States Maximum Security Installation for the Incarceration of Superhuman Criminals.It first...
. Forty armors are stationed there, and Tony and Rhodey are forced to break into the facility. Iron Man and Rhodey's actions lead to a small prison breakout when Titania
Titania (Marvel Comics)
Titania is a supervillainess in the Marvel Comics universe, notable for being Marvel's strongest human female with the possible exception of the She-Hulk, and the wife of the Absorbing Man. She was created by then Editor-in-Chief Jim Shooter, in the successful company-wide crossover known as...
and Mister Hyde
Mister Hyde (comics)
Mister Hyde is a fictional character, a Marvel Comics supervillain. His first appearance was in Journey into Mystery #99, 1963.-Publication history:...
take advantage of the chaos (only to be defeated by Steve Rogers
Captain America
Captain America is a fictional character, a superhero that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Captain America Comics #1 , from Marvel Comics' 1940s predecessor, Timely Comics, and was created by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby...
in his then-current guise as the Captain). This also leads to a falling out between Stark and Rogers; while agreeing with Stark's motives, Rogers disapproves of his high-handed methods, considering them reckless and dangerous.
The "Armor Wars" have several other tragic consequences for Iron Man. The West Coast Avengers
West Coast Avengers
The West Coast Avengers is a fictional group of superheroes that appear in publications published by Marvel Comics. The team first appear in The West Coast Avengers #1 and was created by Roger Stern and Bob Hall.- Publication history :...
, of which Tony was a member, ask Tony to explain himself, which he does, and to cease attacking armored opponents, which he refuses to do. Tony subsequently violates international airspace (Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
at the time) and attacks both the Crimson Dynamo
Crimson Dynamo
The Crimson Dynamo is the name of several fictional characters in the Marvel Comics Universe, most of whom have been supervillains. The various Crimson Dynamos have been powered armor-wearing Russian or Soviet agents who have clashed with the superhero Iron Man over the course of his heroic career...
and Titanium Man
Titanium Man
The Titanium Man is the name of two or more fictional characters, supervillains in the Marvel Comics universe. The original Titanium Man first appeared in Tales of Suspense #69 . He was created by Stan Lee and Don Heck.-Titanium Man I:Boris Bullski was born in Makeyevka, Ukrainian SSR, Soviet Union...
. After negating the Dynamo, Tony sets his sights on the Titanium Man but is outclassed due to Tony using his Stealth Armor, thus lacking the power to oppose the Titanium Man in prolonged combat, and because his only remaining negator pack has been destroyed. Having exhausted his weapons, Tony tries to run, only for the Titanium Man to catch him; his attempt to escape cause the death of Gremlin
Gremlin (comics)
Gremlin is a fictional character appearing in the Marvel Comics universe.Although initially an adversary of the Hulk — his father having been the first villain the Hulk ever encountered — Gremlin was killed in battle with Iron Man during the Armor Wars.-Fictional character biography:Kondrati...
(the pilot of the Titanium Man armor) when his bootjets overheat and finally combust the Gremlin's titanium
Titanium
Titanium is a chemical element with the symbol Ti and atomic number 22. It has a low density and is a strong, lustrous, corrosion-resistant transition metal with a silver color....
armor plating.
Iron Man, now considered a murderer, is forced to flee the area and resign as an Avenger. Due to all of his recent renegade antics, the US Government deploy their new armored warrior named Firepower
Firepower (comics)
Firepower is the name of two Marvel Comics supervillains.-Firepower I:Jack Taggert worked on an experimental pilotable suit for Project: Firepower for Edwin Cord . The project was ostensibly designated by the U.S. Armed Forces, in conjunction with Senator Boynton, to serve as an ultimate deterrent...
, designed by Stark's rival Edwin Cord
Edwin Cord
Edwin Cord is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics universe. He is created by David Michelinie, Bob Layton, and John Romita, Jr. in Iron Man #125 .-Fictional character biography:...
, to defeat Iron Man. During the ensuing battle Firepower overpowers and badly injures Stark, with matters made worse when Firepower's armor is revealed to be shielded from Stark's negator packs. Tony fakes Iron Man's demise at the cost of his Silver Centurion armor.
Following that, Edwin Cord uses the Firepower armor to conduct acts of economic terrorism against Stark Enterprises in revenge for Stark having taken the Cord Conglomerate from him. Tony originally does not create a new suit, hoping to put everything behind him and believing that the risks of a new armor being duplicated are too great, but eventually realizes that he has to stop this rampage. Wearing an advanced suit of armor that negates Firepower's original advantages, Stark claims to be a new Iron Man and soundly defeats Firepower in a rematch. Stark makes sure to install security chips that will destroy the armor if duplication is attempted by anyone without proper authorization, concluding that he has a greater responsibility to protect the innocent by using the armor instead of trying to avoid the basic danger it presents by not using it.
Collected editions
The storyline was collected in a trade paperbackTrade paperback (comics)
In comics, a trade paperback is a collection of stories originally published in comic books, reprinted in book format, usually capturing one story arc from a single title or a series of stories with a connected story arc or common theme from one or more titles...
in 1990. The book quickly fell out of print and would not be re-released until 2007, when Marvel released a new printing (with a new cover) (ISBN 0-7851-2506-X). The book collects issues #225-#231 as well as the epilogue to the story presented in issue #232.
The Prologue story (#215-224) was published in a trade paperback in March 2010 (ISBN 978-0-7851-4257-7). A collection of the sequel story, Armor Wars II (#258-266), was released in May 2010 (ISBN 978-0-7851-4557-8).
What If?
There was an issue called "What If Iron Man Lost the Armor Wars" in which Justin Hammer still manages to obtain Stark Technology. Scott Lang ends up passing out from the knock-out gas when gathering info on who has the stolen technology and ends up captured by Justin Hammer's men. When Tony Stark dons his Iron Man armor, Justin Hammer takes control of it and manipulated the Iron Man armor to reveal his identity and place a mind-control collar on him when it turns out that Scott Lang and his daughter Cassandra are his hostages. Justin Hammer then makes Tony Stark destroy Stark Enterprise, with James Rhodes now in a coma, and reveal his identity to the press. Afterwards, Tony Stark shaved his mustache and dyed his hair yellow after discarding the armor and the collar.When A.I.M.
Advanced Idea Mechanics
A.I.M. is a fictional terrorist organization in the . The organization first appeared in Strange Tales #146 and was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby.-Publication history:...
steals the technology from Justin Hammer, they start targeting the armored warriors, and one of their attacks kill two of the Raiders. Tony meets up with Controller, Mauler, Stilt-Man, Beetle, Titanium Man, Crimson Dynamo, and the surviving Raider to infiltrate the A.I.M. Omega Branch, where Tony takes control of the Firepower armor. When he suggests to the armored villains to turn themselves in, they attack Tony Stark, only to be stopped by the Captain America, Wonder Man
Wonder Man
Wonder Man is a fictional character, a superhero that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and artists Don Heck and Jack Kirby, he first appeared in The Avengers #9 .-Publication history:Wonder Man debuted in the superhero-team title The Avengers #9 Wonder...
, and Henry Pym
Henry Pym
Dr. Henry "Hank" Pym is a fictional character that appears in publications by Marvel Comics. Created by editor and plotter Stan Lee, scripter Larry Lieber and penciler Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in Tales to Astonish #27...
. Hawkeye tells Tony that they would have to take him to jail for his actions. Rather than attack the heroes, Tony Stark decides to take his chances in court, for he knows that if he did attack, Justin Hammer would have won.
Breaking Into Comics the Marvel Way
The first issue of the two-part new-artist-introduction series Breaking Into Comics the Marvel Way has a short story that shows a final resolution to the Armor Wars, depicted as happening shortly after the events. Tony is recording a video will that declares that should events ever escalate to such a point again, he would activate a program called Project Icarus that would seal him in a suit of his armor, activate his other armors and all technological devices derived from Stark technology and all of them would fly directly into the sun.Iron Man and the Armor Wars
A 4-issue mini-series titled Iron Man & The Armor Wars, a modernization of the Armor Wars concept for a new audience, debuted in August 2009, written by Joe Caramagna with art by Craig Rousseau. A hardcover collection of the story was published in February 2010 (ISN 978-0-7851-4448-9).Ultimate Armor Wars
A four-issue mini-seriesLimited series
A limited series is a comic book series with a set number of installments. A limited series differs from an ongoing series in that the number of issues is determined before production and it differs from a one shot in that it is composed of multiple issues....
titled Ultimate Comics: Armor Wars began in September 2009. It is written by Warren Ellis
Warren Ellis
Warren Girard Ellis is an English author of comics, novels, and television, who is well-known for sociocultural commentary, both through his online presence and through his writing, which covers transhumanist themes...
. It takes place after Ultimatum where Iron Man will try to find his remaining armors and save his enterprise.
Television
- The Armor Wars were adapted as a two-parter in the Iron ManIron Man (TV series)Iron Man, also known as Iron Man: The Animated Series, is an American animated television series based on Marvel Comics' superhero Iron Man...
animated series, with HawkeyeHawkeye (comics)Hawkeye , also known as Goliath and Ronin, is a fictional character that appears in the comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Tales of Suspense #57 and was created by writer Stan Lee and artist Don Heck. Hawkeye joined the Avengers in Avengers Vol. 1 #16 Hawkeye...
appearing in Captain America's place at the Vault. In this two-parter, the GhostGhost (Marvel Comics)Ghost is a fictional character appearing in comics books set in the . He first appears in Iron Man #219 and was created by David Michelinie and Bob Layton. Originally portrayed as a supervillain, the character is later portrayed as more of an anti-hero or mercenary.-Fictional character...
was the one who stole the armor designs from Stark Enterprises and gave them to Justin Hammer. After Crimson Dynamo allowed the heat-seeking missile to follow him into a missile silo resulting in an explosion that spread a radioactive cloud for miles, Nick FuryNick FuryColonel Nicholas Joseph "Nick" Fury is a fictional World War II army hero and present-day super-spy in the Marvel Comics universe. Created by artist Jack Kirby and writer Stan Lee, Fury first appeared in Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos #1 , a World War II combat series that portrayed the...
gave Tony Stark the remains of Crimson Dynamo's armor. Upon the analyzation of the armor remains, Tony Stark suspects that other armored characters might be using his Stark Armor designs. Instead of Scott Lang finding out which armored warriors had the Stark armor designs, it was HOMER (who had tested his Negator Packs at the time of the discovery) who discovers this and printed out a list of every known armored warrior. The armors of ControllerController (Marvel Comics)The Controller, real name Basil Sandhurst, is a fictional character, a supervillain appearing in the Marvel Universe. He specializes in mind control, and is a frequent foe of Iron Man. Marvel Comics writer Archie Goodwin created the character, and Marvel artist George Tuska designed him.-Fictional...
, BeetleBeetle (comics)Abner Ronald Jenkins is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics universe.-Publication history:...
, Stilt-ManStilt-ManStilt-Man is the name of two supervillains in Marvel Comics.-Publication history:Stilt-Man first appeared in Daredevil vol. 1 #8 and was one of his earliest enemies. He is a criminal wearing a suit of armor with powerful telescopic legs .The character did not age well, as his powers were more a...
, BlacklashBlacklashBlacklash is the name of 2 characters from Marvel Comics.The best known Blacklash is Mark Scarlotti is an enemy of Iron Man.-Publication history:...
, BlizzardBlizzard (comics)The Blizzard is the name of three fictional characters that appear in comic books published by Marvel Comics.The original version first appears in Tales of Suspense #45 as a supervillain and is currently deceased. The second version first appears in Iron Man #223 The Blizzard is the name of three...
, the GuardsmenGuardsman (comics)Guardsman was the name of a superhero in the Marvel Universe, but was later applied to a small squad of agents. He/they wear suits of power armor while working security at the Vault; the suits were designed by Tony Stark, better known as the superhero Iron Man....
, and StingrayStingray (comics)Stingray is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics.-Publication history:The character first appears as Walter Newell in Tales to Astonish #95 and as Stingray in Prince Namor, the Sub-Mariner #19 Stingray (Walter Newell) is a fictional character that appears...
(whose armor was not based on Stark technology and only fell victim due to Stark's paranoia) were targeted by Iron Man as well as War MachineWar MachineWar Machine is a fictional character, a comic book superhero appearing in comic books set in the Marvel Comics universe. The character of James Rhodes first appeared in Iron Man #118 by David Michelinie, John Byrne and Bob Layton...
's armor. Justin Hammer created Firepower (an automaton rather than a man in armor) to take out Iron Man. After Firepower was destroyed, Iron Man then deleted the files of the Stark Armor designs from Hammer Industries' mainframe.
- The Armor Wars are also adapted in Iron Man: Armored AdventuresIron Man: Armored AdventuresIron Man: Armored Adventures is a 3D CGI cartoon series based on the Marvel Comics superhero Iron Man. It debuted in the USA on the Nicktoons on April 24, 2009, and has already begun airing on Canadian network Teletoon. The series is story edited by showrunner Christopher Yost, who also worked on...
. The Armored Adventures version of 'Armor Wars' lasts for 10 episodes in Season 2. . The enemies young Stark fights during this version of the Armor Wars include the Ghost who steals Iron Man specs and knows that Tony Stark is Iron Man. Ghost sells the specs to both Justin Hammer and Obadiah Stane but says he will not reveal Iron Man's true identity until Tony turns 18. Justin Hammer makes an armor with the Iron Man specs and becomes Titanium Man. Doctor Doom joins forces with Stane to attain the Iron Man armor operating system. In the ninth episode entitled "The Hawk and the Spider", Hawkeye and Black Widow appear as thieves who are out to steal UI technology which provides direct neutral interfacing with machines such as the Iron Man armor though not as well as young Stark's own interface tech. Stane builds the Iron Monger armor which is revealed actually to be a direct upgrade from Crimson Dynamo armor (version 3) and is much larger than in the comic book and live action movie realities. In the eleventh episode "Fugitive of S.H.I.E.L.D." Black Widow returns stealing from General Fury and the S.H.I.E.L.D. helicarrier. The Armor Wars conclude as Obadiah Stane discovers the identity of Iron Man. Stane steals Iron Monger, and is intent on destroying Tony once and for all.
Film
- Iron Man 2Iron Man 2Iron Man 2 is a 2010 American superhero film featuring the Marvel Comics character Iron Man, produced by Marvel Studios and distributed by Paramount Pictures. It is the sequel to 2008's Iron Man, the second film in a planned trilogy and is a part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Directed by Jon...
uses elements of The Armor Wars, with the fear of Stark's technology being duplicated prompting the U.S. government to attempt to appropriate his armor for their own use. Although Stark claims that his nearest rivals are a decade away from perfecting the technology, the villain WhiplashWhiplash (comics)Whiplash is the name of several fictional characters in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Each Whiplash is a minor supervillain in the Marvel Universe, with the first and latest appearing as prominent members of Iron Man's rogues gallery.-Mark Scarlotti:...
uses a power source identical to the one Tony uses as a replacement heart and power source for his own armor, the original having been designed by both their fathers, and Justin Hammer seeks to build his own line of tech based on Tony's armor. Other countries like North Korea and Iran were shown trying to create their own suits, but without success.
External links
- Armor Wars at the Marvel Universe