Ho Yinsen
Encyclopedia
Ho Yinsen is a fiction
al supporting character
of the Marvel Comics
superhero
Iron Man
(Tony Stark), who is key to Iron Man's origin story
and was a mentor
to him.
Actor Shaun Toub
portrayed Yinsen's character in the 2008 superhero film, Iron Man
.
, engineer
, and professor
from the fictional city (or state) of Timbetpal; while Tony Stark was in college
, Stark had greatly admired the older man's work. In his old age, Yinsen was captured in Vietnam
by the Communist warlord
Wong-Chu
before American
arms manufacturer and engineer Tony Stark
was also captured. Stark had tripped a land mine
and been injured with shrapnel that was slowly moving toward his heart
. Yinsen builds a magnetic
chest plate and affixes it to Stark's chest, thus preventing the shrapnel from reaching Stark's heart, thereby saving Stark's life and keeping him alive. Wong-Chu then orders Yinsen and Stark to build weapon
s for him. Instead, Yinsen helps Stark secretly build the first Iron Man armor, which includes a device for Stark's heart to keep him alive. Yinsen sacrifices his life distracting Wong-Chu in order to buy time for Stark to power up his armor. Stark dons the armor, becoming Iron Man
; defeats Wong-Chu, apparently killing him in the explosion of a munitions shed; and frees all of Wong-Chu's prisoners.
Twelve of Wong-Chu's former prisoners were disciples of Yinsen; one of these disciples (Sun-Tao) leads them to establish a quasi-religious cult
called the Sons of Yinsen. The Sons of Yinsen develop very advanced technology from notes in Yinsen's journal that he had written before his death; they use this technology to create the apparent utopia
of New Timbetpal, a floating, ambulatory, usually-cloaked
city in the sky. It is revealed that Wong-Chu survived the munitions shed explosion and that Yinsen's brain
was preserved alive, salvaged by an interdimensional merchant called Doctor Midas. Doctor Midas sold Yinsen's brain in an auction
to Wong-Chu. Iron Man helps the Sons of Yinsen defeat Wong-Chu, who is beheaded
by one of the Sons of Yinsen, and recover Yinsen's brain.
The Sons of Yinsen attempt to resurrect
Ho Yinsen by placing his brain inside a sentient Iron Man armor, which, unknown to them, is actually under Ultron
's control. Falsely believing Ultron to be a resurrected Ho Yinsen, the Sons of Yinsen follow his directives toward planning for a war; only Sun-Tao refuses to obey, for which he is displaced as leader of the Sons of Yinsen by a man named Tyger Minn. Ultron leads the Sons of Yinsen to reveal themselves to the public and establish the Church of Yinsen. Sun-Tao recovers Yinsen's brain, and then Iron Man, Sun-Tao, and Jocasta
work together to defeat Ultron and the Sons of Yinsen and free Ultron's prisoner Antigone. Ultron attempts to blow up the floating city of the Sons of Yinsen to kill all of them as well as Iron Man; however, the sentient armor has apparently absorbed enough of the thoughts of Yinsen that part of it acts to save Iron Man and Sun-Tao from the destruction of the city.
of Invincible Iron Man vol. 4, a retcon
establishes that Tony Stark and Ho Yinsen had been captured not by Communists in Vietnam, but rather by the Taliban in Afghanistan
, and that Ho Yinsen was murdered under orders from five terrorists (Dennis Kellard, Ara Tanzerian, Zakim Karzai, Aftaab Lemar, and Kareem Mahwash Najeeb). Before he died, Yinsen had been coerced into implanting a "bio-magnetic receiving unit" inside Stark's brain. In a failed attempt to recover the control device for the implant, the terrorists send a hitman
(Andrei Gorlovich) to murder Yinsen's wife.
Years later, some of the five terrorists have become diplomat
s. Yinsen's grieving teenage son (whose name is never revealed), blaming Stark for the deaths of his parents, takes control of the device in Stark's brain and uses it to mind-control him into assassinating
all five of the former terrorists. Thus guilty of the assassinations, when Stark, in order to try to prove his innocence, confronts Yinsen's son, Yinsen's son is shot and killed with a sniper rifle
by a S.H.I.E.L.D.
agent acting by order of the callous Nick Fury
.
from the fictional city of Madripoor
who criticizes Tony Stark for allowing weapons Stark designed to fall into the hands of Advanced Idea Mechanics
(A.I.M.), who are using the weapons to attack Madripoor. While flying an experimental plane, Stark is brought down and captured by A.I.M., who also is holding Yinsen prisoner. Using the wreckage from Stark's plane, Stark and Yinsen work together to design a pair of Iron Man armors, one gold and the other red, which both don. Yinsen is killed during their escape from A.I.M.
Fiction
Fiction is the form of any narrative or informative work that deals, in part or in whole, with information or events that are not factual, but rather, imaginary—that is, invented by the author. Although fiction describes a major branch of literary work, it may also refer to theatrical,...
al supporting character
Supporting character
A supporting character is a character of a book, play, video game, movie, television or radio show or other form of storytelling usually used to give added dimension to a main character, by adding a relationship with this character...
of the 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...
superhero
Superhero
A superhero is a type of stock character, possessing "extraordinary or superhuman powers", dedicated to protecting the public. Since the debut of the prototypical superhero Superman in 1938, stories of superheroes — ranging from brief episodic adventures to continuing years-long sagas —...
Iron Man
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,...
(Tony Stark), who is key to Iron Man's origin story
Origin story
In comic book terminology, an origin story is an account or back-story revealing how a character or team gained their superpowers and/or the circumstances under which they became superheroes or supervillains....
and was a mentor
Mentor
In Greek mythology, Mentor was the son of Alcimus or Anchialus. In his old age Mentor was a friend of Odysseus who placed Mentor and Odysseus' foster-brother Eumaeus in charge of his son Telemachus, and of Odysseus' palace, when Odysseus left for the Trojan War.When Athena visited Telemachus she...
to him.
Actor Shaun Toub
Shaun Toub
Shaun Toub is an Iranian-American film and television actor. He is perhaps best known for his role as Farhad in the 2004 movie Crash, as Rahim Khan in the movie The Kite Runner, and as Yinsen in the movie Iron Man.-Personal life:...
portrayed Yinsen's character in the 2008 superhero film, Iron Man
Iron Man (film)
Iron Man is a 2008 American superhero film based on the Marvel Comics character of the same name. Directed by Jon Favreau, the film stars Robert Downey, Jr. as Tony Stark, an industrialist and master engineer who builds a powered exoskeleton and becomes the technologically advanced superhero, Iron...
.
Original character biography
Ho Yinsen was a pacifistic, physicistPhysicist
A physicist is a scientist who studies or practices physics. Physicists study a wide range of physical phenomena in many branches of physics spanning all length scales: from sub-atomic particles of which all ordinary matter is made to the behavior of the material Universe as a whole...
, engineer
Engineer
An engineer is a professional practitioner of engineering, concerned with applying scientific knowledge, mathematics and ingenuity to develop solutions for technical problems. Engineers design materials, structures, machines and systems while considering the limitations imposed by practicality,...
, and professor
Professor
A professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank...
from the fictional city (or state) of Timbetpal; while Tony Stark was in college
College
A college is an educational institution or a constituent part of an educational institution. Usage varies in English-speaking nations...
, Stark had greatly admired the older man's work. In his old age, Yinsen was captured in Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
by the Communist warlord
Warlord
A warlord is a person with power who has both military and civil control over a subnational area due to armed forces loyal to the warlord and not to a central authority. The term can also mean one who espouses the ideal that war is necessary, and has the means and authority to engage in war...
Wong-Chu
Wong-Chu
Wong-Chu is a Marvel Comics supervillain. He was the first villain that Iron Man faced.-Fictional character biography:Wong-Chu once served as a commander for the Vietnamese congress during the Vietnam War...
before American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
arms manufacturer and engineer Tony Stark
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,...
was also captured. Stark had tripped a land mine
Land mine
A land mine is usually a weight-triggered explosive device which is intended to damage a target—either human or inanimate—by means of a blast and/or fragment impact....
and been injured with shrapnel that was slowly moving toward his heart
Heart
The heart is a myogenic muscular organ found in all animals with a circulatory system , that is responsible for pumping blood throughout the blood vessels by repeated, rhythmic contractions...
. Yinsen builds a magnetic
Magnetism
Magnetism is a property of materials that respond at an atomic or subatomic level to an applied magnetic field. Ferromagnetism is the strongest and most familiar type of magnetism. It is responsible for the behavior of permanent magnets, which produce their own persistent magnetic fields, as well...
chest plate and affixes it to Stark's chest, thus preventing the shrapnel from reaching Stark's heart, thereby saving Stark's life and keeping him alive. Wong-Chu then orders Yinsen and Stark to build weapon
Weapon
A weapon, arm, or armament is a tool or instrument used with the aim of causing damage or harm to living beings or artificial structures or systems...
s for him. Instead, Yinsen helps Stark secretly build the first Iron Man armor, which includes a device for Stark's heart to keep him alive. Yinsen sacrifices his life distracting Wong-Chu in order to buy time for Stark to power up his armor. Stark dons the armor, becoming Iron Man
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,...
; defeats Wong-Chu, apparently killing him in the explosion of a munitions shed; and frees all of Wong-Chu's prisoners.
Twelve of Wong-Chu's former prisoners were disciples of Yinsen; one of these disciples (Sun-Tao) leads them to establish a quasi-religious cult
Cult
The word cult in current popular usage usually refers to a group whose beliefs or practices are considered abnormal or bizarre. The word originally denoted a system of ritual practices...
called the Sons of Yinsen. The Sons of Yinsen develop very advanced technology from notes in Yinsen's journal that he had written before his death; they use this technology to create the apparent utopia
Utopia
Utopia is an ideal community or society possessing a perfect socio-politico-legal system. The word was imported from Greek by Sir Thomas More for his 1516 book Utopia, describing a fictional island in the Atlantic Ocean. The term has been used to describe both intentional communities that attempt...
of New Timbetpal, a floating, ambulatory, usually-cloaked
Cloaking device
Cloaking devices are advanced stealth technologies still in development that will cause objects, such as spaceships or individuals, to be partially or wholly invisible to parts of the electromagnetic spectrum...
city in the sky. It is revealed that Wong-Chu survived the munitions shed explosion and that Yinsen's brain
Brain
The brain is the center of the nervous system in all vertebrate and most invertebrate animals—only a few primitive invertebrates such as sponges, jellyfish, sea squirts and starfishes do not have one. It is located in the head, usually close to primary sensory apparatus such as vision, hearing,...
was preserved alive, salvaged by an interdimensional merchant called Doctor Midas. Doctor Midas sold Yinsen's brain in an auction
Auction
An auction is a process of buying and selling goods or services by offering them up for bid, taking bids, and then selling the item to the highest bidder...
to Wong-Chu. Iron Man helps the Sons of Yinsen defeat Wong-Chu, who is beheaded
Decapitation
Decapitation is the separation of the head from the body. Beheading typically refers to the act of intentional decapitation, e.g., as a means of murder or execution; it may be accomplished, for example, with an axe, sword, knife, wire, or by other more sophisticated means such as a guillotine...
by one of the Sons of Yinsen, and recover Yinsen's brain.
The Sons of Yinsen attempt to resurrect
Resurrection
Resurrection refers to the literal coming back to life of the biologically dead. It is used both with respect to particular individuals or the belief in a General Resurrection of the dead at the end of the world. The General Resurrection is featured prominently in Jewish, Christian, and Muslim...
Ho Yinsen by placing his brain inside a sentient Iron Man armor, which, unknown to them, is actually under Ultron
Ultron
Ultron is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Avengers #54 , and was created by writer Roy Thomas and artist John Buscema...
's control. Falsely believing Ultron to be a resurrected Ho Yinsen, the Sons of Yinsen follow his directives toward planning for a war; only Sun-Tao refuses to obey, for which he is displaced as leader of the Sons of Yinsen by a man named Tyger Minn. Ultron leads the Sons of Yinsen to reveal themselves to the public and establish the Church of Yinsen. Sun-Tao recovers Yinsen's brain, and then Iron Man, Sun-Tao, and Jocasta
Jocasta (comics)
Jocasta is a fictional, comic book superhero appearing books published by Marvel Comics. A member of the Avengers, the character is a robot created by the villain Ultron.-Publication history:Jocasta first appears in The Avengers Jocasta is a fictional, comic book superhero appearing books published...
work together to defeat Ultron and the Sons of Yinsen and free Ultron's prisoner Antigone. Ultron attempts to blow up the floating city of the Sons of Yinsen to kill all of them as well as Iron Man; however, the sentient armor has apparently absorbed enough of the thoughts of Yinsen that part of it acts to save Iron Man and Sun-Tao from the destruction of the city.
Character biography after the Afghanistan retcon
In the "Execute Program" story arcStory 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...
of Invincible Iron Man vol. 4, a retcon
Retcon
Retroactive continuity is the alteration of previously established facts in a fictional work. Retcons are done for many reasons, including the accommodation of sequels or further derivative works in a series, wherein newer authors or creators want to revise the in-story history to allow a course...
establishes that Tony Stark and Ho Yinsen had been captured not by Communists in Vietnam, but rather by the Taliban in Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
, and that Ho Yinsen was murdered under orders from five terrorists (Dennis Kellard, Ara Tanzerian, Zakim Karzai, Aftaab Lemar, and Kareem Mahwash Najeeb). Before he died, Yinsen had been coerced into implanting a "bio-magnetic receiving unit" inside Stark's brain. In a failed attempt to recover the control device for the implant, the terrorists send a hitman
Hitman
A hitman is a person hired to kill another person.- Hitmen in organized crime :Hitmen are largely linked to the world of organized crime. Hitmen are hired people who kill people for money. Notable examples include Murder, Inc., Mafia hitmen and Richard Kuklinski.- Other cases involving hitmen...
(Andrei Gorlovich) to murder Yinsen's wife.
Years later, some of the five terrorists have become diplomat
Diplomat
A diplomat is a person appointed by a state to conduct diplomacy with another state or international organization. The main functions of diplomats revolve around the representation and protection of the interests and nationals of the sending state, as well as the promotion of information and...
s. Yinsen's grieving teenage son (whose name is never revealed), blaming Stark for the deaths of his parents, takes control of the device in Stark's brain and uses it to mind-control him into assassinating
Assassination
To carry out an assassination is "to murder by a sudden and/or secret attack, often for political reasons." Alternatively, assassination may be defined as "the act of deliberately killing someone, especially a public figure, usually for hire or for political reasons."An assassination may be...
all five of the former terrorists. Thus guilty of the assassinations, when Stark, in order to try to prove his innocence, confronts Yinsen's son, Yinsen's son is shot and killed with a sniper rifle
Sniper rifle
In military and law enforcement terminology, a sniper rifle is a precision-rifle used to ensure more accurate placement of bullets at longer ranges than other small arms. A typical sniper rifle is built for optimal levels of accuracy, fitted with a telescopic sight and chambered for a military...
by a 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....
agent acting by order of the callous Nick Fury
Nick Fury
Colonel 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...
.
Marvel Adventures
In the Marvel Adventures continuity, Gia-Bao Yinsen was a pacifistic inventor and professorProfessor
A professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank...
from the fictional city of Madripoor
Madripoor
The Principality of Madripoor is a fictional island located in Southeast Asia in the Marvel Comics universe. Based on illustrations, it is in the southern portion of the Strait of Malacca, southwest of Singapore.-Publication history:...
who criticizes Tony Stark for allowing weapons Stark designed to fall into the hands of Advanced Idea Mechanics
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:...
(A.I.M.), who are using the weapons to attack Madripoor. While flying an experimental plane, Stark is brought down and captured by A.I.M., who also is holding Yinsen prisoner. Using the wreckage from Stark's plane, Stark and Yinsen work together to design a pair of Iron Man armors, one gold and the other red, which both don. Yinsen is killed during their escape from A.I.M.
Television
- In the 1994 cartoonCartoonA cartoon is a form of two-dimensional illustrated visual art. While the specific definition has changed over time, modern usage refers to a typically non-realistic or semi-realistic drawing or painting intended for satire, caricature, or humor, or to the artistic style of such works...
television series 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...
, the name of the character is changed to Wellington Yinsen, and he is voiced by Neil RossNeil RossTheodoric Neilson "Neil" Ross is an English voice actor and announcer, born in London, England and now resident and working in Los Angeles, in the United States. He has provided voices for in many American cartoons, particularly those based on Hasbro products and Marvel Comics, and numerous...
. He works with Prof. Arnold Brock before Arnold becomes the MandarinMandarin (comics)The Mandarin is a fictional character, a Marvel Comics supervillain and the archenemy of Iron Man.In 2009, Mandarin was ranked as IGN's 81st Greatest Comic Book Villain of All Time.-Publication history:...
. The Mandarin later captures Wellington Yinsen to use him to help Tony Stark build an invincible armor for his minions. When Tony Stark becomes Iron Man for the first time, he manages to escape, but Yinsen is killed by the Mandarin.
- Ho Yinsen appears in Marvel Anime: Iron ManMarvel AnimeMarvel Anime is a four-part anime project with collaborations from both Marvel Entertainment and Madhouse. The project took famous Marvel characters and reintroduced them for a Japanese audience in a 12-part series. The announcement was confirmed at the 2009 San Diego Comic-Con...
voiced by Hiroaki HirataHiroaki Hiratais a male seiyū from Tokyo. He stands at 175 centimeters , and is a member of Gekidan Subaru.He is most known for the roles of Sanji , Sha Gojyo , and the Narrator of Digimon Adventure...
in the Japanese version and by Kyle HebertKyle HebertKyle Henry Hebert is an American voice actor and podcaster who works with anime films, television series, as well as video games...
in the English Dub. He helped install the initial electromagnet that kept Tony alive after he was shot down in his helicopter by terrorists, and convinced him to reflect upon his career as a weapons manufacturer. Taking a chance on a coin flip to help him, he helps Tony create the original Iron Man but is supposedly killed by the terrorists whilst distracting them long enough for Tony to complete the installation of the armor. However, five years later where the story takes place, Yinsen appears to be alive seen controlling the stolen Iron Man Dio prototype armor. He is then revealed to be a member of ZodiacZodiac (comics)Zodiac is the name of four groups of fictional characters that appear in publications by Marvel Comics. The first version appears in Avengers #72 and was created by Roy Thomas and Sal Buscema. The second version first appear in Defenders #49 and were created by David Kraft and Keith Giffen...
. After Tony Stark escaped the terrorists who caught him, Yinsen was saved by a woman named Sandra who was later killed by Stark weapons and Yinsen believed that Tony had not changed and became a member of the Zodiac. He and some Zodiac soldiers once kidnapped Tony and Dr. Chika Tanaka imprisoned them on an island with nothing but scraps and left Tony a 24 hour ultimatum to join the Zodiac as he had removed Tony's arc reactor. Tony however still managed to escape without using weapons and Yinsen was impressed enough to return Tony's arc reactor. Yinsen had also reverse engineered the stolen Iron Man Dio armor and created several models of Iron Man Sigma which he let loose on Tony's arc station. Using the Iron Man Dio armor, Yinsen defeats Tony, takes him out of his armor, and chucks him into a river. He later forces Dr. Chika Tanaka into working on the arc reactor. After defeating Sagittarius, Iron Man ends up fighting Yinsen again where something causes the Iron Man Sigmas to overload and attack both of them. Yinsen ends up critically wounded during that attack. After apologizing to Tony for what he did and that the Zodiac had corrupted him, Yinsen warns Tony that the Zodiac's plans have just started.
- In the 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...
episode "The Invincible Iron Man Part 2: Reborn", Dr. Ho Yinsen is a medical specialist from Stark International who saved Tony Stark by installing the implant in Tony's heart. Differing from his comics counterpart, he is unaware of Tony's double life as Iron Man.
Film
- In the 2007 straight-to-DVD animated film The Invincible Iron Man, the name of the character is changed to Ho Yen. In addition to the scientific background of the original version, Ho Yen also has knowledge of the mystic artsMysticismMysticism is the knowledge of, and especially the personal experience of, states of consciousness, i.e. levels of being, beyond normal human perception, including experience and even communion with a supreme being.-Classical origins:...
, especially the legend of Mandarin which plays a crucial role in the film. He, Jim RhodesWar 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...
and Tony Stark are captured by a terrorist named Wong-Chu in ChinaChinaChinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
rather than in Vietnam. Otherwise, his role in the story is almost identical to the original version. Ho Yen is shot in the head and killed by Wong-Chu.
- In the 2008 film Iron ManIron Man (film)Iron Man is a 2008 American superhero film based on the Marvel Comics character of the same name. Directed by Jon Favreau, the film stars Robert Downey, Jr. as Tony Stark, an industrialist and master engineer who builds a powered exoskeleton and becomes the technologically advanced superhero, Iron...
, Yinsen (his last nameLast Name"Last Name" is the title of a song composed by country singer Carrie Underwood, Hillary Lindsey and Luke Laird. It is the third single from Underwood's second studio album, Carnival Ride. It was released in the United States on April 7, 2008, by which point the song had already charted...
is never given in the film) is portrayed by actor Shaun ToubShaun ToubShaun Toub is an Iranian-American film and television actor. He is perhaps best known for his role as Farhad in the 2004 movie Crash, as Rahim Khan in the movie The Kite Runner, and as Yinsen in the movie Iron Man.-Personal life:...
. In the film, he is a doctor and engineer from a small fictional village in AfghanistanAfghanistanAfghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
called Gulmira and is captured by the local branch of an international terrorist group called "The Ten RingsWong-ChuWong-Chu is a Marvel Comics supervillain. He was the first villain that Iron Man faced.-Fictional character biography:Wong-Chu once served as a commander for the Vietnamese congress during the Vietnam War...
" sometime before the film. Like the comics, Stark's experience in captivity along with Yinsen's sacrifice force him to reevaluate his moral stance. Yinsen meets Tony Stark when he too is kidnapped by the group and Yinsen mentions they had met at a conference abroad, but Tony claims to not remember meeting him. Yinsen replies "You wouldn't. If I had been that drunk, I wouldn't have been able to stand let alone give a lecture on integrated circuits". Yinsen constructs a makeshift electromagnet, powered by a car battery, which he implants into Stark's chest as a way to prevent shrapnel, lodged into Tony's chest during his kidnapping, from entering his heartHeartThe heart is a myogenic muscular organ found in all animals with a circulatory system , that is responsible for pumping blood throughout the blood vessels by repeated, rhythmic contractions...
and killing him. Under captivity, Stark and Yinsen are ordered by the terrorists to build a missile similar to the kind Stark was demonstrating to the US military or they will be killed. However, both men know that they will be murdered either way and plan an escape instead. Yinsen assists Stark in secretly creating his prototype Iron Man armor as a means of escape and also helps Stark to build a prototype power source for the electromagnet that is more powerful and compact. While working together the two men bond. When Tony asks about Yinsen's family, Yinsen merely notes, "I will see them when I leave this place". Yinsen also points out the damage wreaked upon the region by the terrorists, using Stark's own weapons, and asks if this is what he wishes "the legacy of the great Tony Stark" to be. When the armor is finally completed, Yinsen helps Tony into the suit and preps it for activation. However, when the terrorists get wind of their plan, Yinsen realizes that they need more time for the suit's software to fully load. In order to buy Stark extra time, Yinsen grabs an assault rifleAssault rifleAn assault rifle is a selective fire rifle that uses an intermediate cartridge and a detachable magazine. Assault rifles are the standard infantry weapons in most modern armies...
and chases the terrorists away from their workshop but quickly finds himself surrounded and out-gunned. When the suit is fully powered up, Stark easily fights his way through the cave, but finds a mortally wounded Yinsen lying near the entrance. With his dying breath Yinsen explains to Stark that his family had already died and that he is now going to meet them. When Tony thanks him for saving his life, Yinsen tells Stark "Don't waste your life". He dies immediately after, and an enraged Stark destroys the terrorist camp and their stockpile of Stark Industries weapons before escaping. Tony's experience in captivity with Yinsen, alongside the realization of Stark-made weapons being used by terrorists in Afghanistan, made Tony decide to close Stark Industries' weapons division. Later in the film, when Stark sees a news report detailing the Ten Rings's raid of Gulmira, Yinsen's village, Stark dons the completed version of his Iron Man armor for the first time and single-handedly drives them out.
Video games
- Shaun Toub reprised his role as Yinsen in the Iron ManIron Man (video game)The Nintendo DS, Wii, PS2 and PSP versions all received mixed critical scores on Gamerankings and Metacritic. These versions were generally well received by the fans, but suffer from gameplay, graphics and controls frustrations...
video game.
External links
- Ho Yinsen at Marvel.com