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Real name: Anthony Edward "Tony" Stark Aliases : "Shellhead", "Golden Avenger", "Tetsujin"; formerly Crimson Dynamo, Iron Knight, Hogan Potts, "Spare Parts Man"; impersonated Cobalt Man (Ralph Roberts) Occupation: Adventurer, president emeritus of Stark Industries, founder of Maria Stark Foundation; former CEO of Stark Enterprises, Stark Solutions, Stark Enterprises, Circuits Maximus & Stark International; former US Secretary of Defense, former technician for Askew Electronics, former Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. Identity: Secret, now Public Citizenship : U.S.A. Legal status: Citizen of the United States with no criminal record Place of birth: Long Island, New York Education : Advanced degrees in physics and electrical engineering Marital Status: Single Known Relatives: Howard Anthony Stark (father, deceased), Maria Collins Carbonell Stark (mother, deceased), Morgan Stark (cousin), Edward Stark (uncle, deceased), Isaac Stark, Sr., Isaac Stark, Jr. (ancestors, deceased) Group affiliation: Avengers, Initiative, Hellfire Club (outer circle); formerly S.H.I.E.L.D., Illuminati, Thunderbolts, Force Works, Queen's Vengeance Base of operations: Seattle, Washington Universe : Marvel Universe First appearance: TALES OF SUSPENSE #39 Origin: Born to Howard Anthony Stark and Maria Collins Carbonell Stark, Anthony Edward "Tony" Stark was born with extremely high intelligence. At the age of 15 Stark entered the undergraduate electrical engineering program at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) where he graduated at the top of his class. At the age of 21 he inherited Stark Enterprises when his parents were killed in a car accident.        During an East Asian conflict, Stark Enterprises developed mini-transistors that Tony thought would help the war effort. While checking on his Asian plant, which had been plagued by sabotage, Tony was injured by exploding shrapnel and captured by warlord Wong Chu. Chu forced Tony and another captive, famed physicist Ho Yinsen, to create weapons for him. All the while the lethal bit of shrapnel was slowly working towards Tony's heart. Tony and Yinsen created an iron suit that would keep Tony alive and allow them to escape. During the escape Yinsen was killed, sacrificing himself to allow Tony time to change for the first time to Iron Man. Iron Man made short work of Chu and his men.        On his way home Tony met Helicopter pilot James Rhodes - the future armored partner of Tony Stark called War Machine - and returned to America. After he arrived, Tony worked to improve the Iron Man armor and made Iron Man, Tony Stark's personal bodyguard to disguise his identity. In his early years Tony Stark became the corporate sponsor of the superhero group the Avengers and as Iron Man help found the group with Thor, Ant-Man, the Wasp, and the Hulk. Notable villains from these early days include Mandarin, Hawkeye, and the Black Widow. Height: 6 ft. 1 in. Weight: 185 lbs. Eyes: Blue Hair: Black Stealth Armor             Space Armor            Undersea Armor Strength level: Without his armor Tony Stark possesses the normal strength of a normal human man his age, height, and build who engages in moderate regular exercise. His armor magnifies Stark strength to superhuman levels, enabling him to lift (press) roughly 85 times. Known superhuman powers: Formerly none, but after being critically injured during a battle with the Extremis-enhanced Mallen, Stark injected his nervous system with a modified techno-organic virus to save his own life. This fused Stark's armor to his body, allowing him to store the inner layers of the Iron Man armor in the hollows of his bones as well as control it through direct brain impulses. He is also able to remotely connect to external communications systems such as satellites, cellular phones, and computers throughout the world. Because the armor's operating system is now directly connected to Stark's nervous system, its response time has been significantly improved. The Extremis armor grants him superspeed reactions and a healing factor able to regrow whole organs. He was able to stop Crimson Dynamo's heart and restart it. Other abilities: A genius level intellect that allows him to create a range of sophisticated inventions, most notably his Iron Man armor. Also possesses a keen business mind. Hulkbuster Armor                Arctic Armor              Space Armor Weapons and paraphernalia: The Iron Man armor provides Stark with superhuman strength and physical protection. It allows Stark to fly using the jetboots. The armor contains a variety of weapons including repulsor rays, pulse beams, missile launchers, lasers, tasers, and flamethrowers. The unibeam in the center of his chest can emit various types of light energy and his helmet contains communication devices, scanning equipment, and recording devices. First Appearance : Tales of Suspense #39 (1963) Origin : Tales of Suspense #39 (1963) Significant Issues : Red and gold armor debuted (Tales of Suspense #48, 1963); traveled to Camelot with Dr. Doom (Iron Man #149-150, 1981); succumbed to alcoholism (Iron Man #167-182, 1983-1984); Jim Rhodes became Iron Man (Iron Man #169-199, 1983-1985); Tony Stark returned as Iron Man in red & silver armor (Iron Man #200, 1985); fought Armor Wars against armored villains (Iron Man #225-231, 1987-1988); traveled to Camelot again with Doom (Iron Man #249-250, 1989); manipulated by Kearson DeWitt in "Armor Wars II" (Iron Man #258-266, 1990 -1991); James Rhodes took over as Iron Man (Iron Man #284, 1992); Tony Stark became Iron Man again (Iron Man #289, 1993); helped form Force Works (Force Works #1, 1994); time traveled with Dr. Doom (Iron Man #11, 1997); returned from Counter-Earth (Iron Man #1, 1998); revealed as member of Hell Fire Club (X-Men #73, 1998); armor became sentient, killed Whiplash (Iron Man #26-30, 2000); Ultron took control of armor (Iron Man #46-49, 2001-2002); became Secretary of Defense (Iron Man #73-78, 2003); infiltrated the Thunderbolts as Cobalt Man (Avengers/Thunderbolts #1-6, 2004); helped form new group of Avengers (New Avengers #1, 2005); became Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. (Civil War #7, 2007) For More Info see Avengers, Iron Legion, West Coast Avengers , Force Works and Marvel Slideshow

HISTORY : Anthony Stark, son of industrialist Howard Stark, demonstrated his mechanical aptitude and inventive genius at a very early age, enrolling in college electrical engineering program at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology at the age of 15. When he was 21, he inherited his father's business, Stark Industries, and within a few years turned it into a multimillion-dollar industry complex whose chief contracts were for weaponry and munitions for the U.S. government.        Stark was sent to Vietnam to supervise a field test for one of his tranistorized weapons. While he was there Stark tripped on a booby trap and a piece of shrapnel was lodged in his chest. The gravely injured Stark was taken captive by the Communist leader Wong-Chu, and was informed that within a week the shrapnel would penetrate his heart and kill him. Wong-Chu offered Stark at deal: if he built the Communist a powerful weapon, want to allow Stark to undergo an operation to save his life. Stark agreed, hoping to gain time and access to tools.        Stark was given access to a small laboratory in communist territory with another captive, the renowned Oriental physicist Professor Ho Yinsen. With Yinsen's help Stark designed and built an electrically powered suit of armor equipped with heavy offensive weaponry. The armor also contained a pacemaker like device which enabled Stark's heart to keep beating after the shrapnel entered it. Donning the suit, Stark connected it to its power source, an electrical generator. Lying on a table Stark was helpless until the suit was fully charged. His captor, Wong-Chu, sensed something was amiss and came to investigate with armed men. Realizing he was sacrificing his life, Professor Ho Yinsen went out to confront Wong-Chu, to give Stark the extra time he needed to charge the armored suit fully.        As the Iron Man Stark avenged Yinsens death and scattered Wong Chu's guerilla troops. Then, still clad in his armor, which was necessary to keep his heart beating, stark made his way to the jungle, trying to escape communist territory.        James Rhodes, a pilot in the United States Marines who was stationed in South East Asia, had been shot down in the jungle nearby Communist rockets while he was on a reconnaissance mission. Rhodes managed to land safely and was attempting to get his helicopter air worthy when he encountered Iron Man. After Iron Man helped Rhodes fight off an attack by communist forces, Rhodes allowed him to drain helicopters batteries to recharge his armor. They then made it to the jungle together, finally discovering a hidden Communist rocket base. Stealing an enemy helicopter, they destroyed the base and flew to the nearest American base.        Back in the United States, Stark redesigned his chest plate, which contained a pacemaker like device, reducing the chest plate's size and weight so he could wear it under his normal clothing. Required to wear the armor at all times to keep his heart beating, Stark decided to put the rest of the armor to regular use as well. After redesigning the entire armored suit to match the chest plate, Starks made the existence of the suit public. He concealed the suit's true origin, as well as the fact that he himself had to wear the chest plate to live. Stark made it known that he would soon manufacture the suit, which he called "the human machine," for sale for the public.        Soon afterward, Stark donned one of his battle suits in order to prevent thieves from stealing parts of the other copies of it. This experience made him realize that the suit was too dangerous to me made available to the public. The next day Stark revealed what had happened to him in Southeast Asia to Joanna Nivena, who was then his fiancée. Together they attended a tennis match in Forest Hills, N.Y. that afternoon. Stark brought along his armor, which he was taken to nearby laboratory for tests. The match was invaded by terrorists who threatened to kill everyone present with a bomb. Joanna urged Stark to don the armor to stop the terrorists. Stark donned the armor and captured the terrorist. He saved the spectators when the bomb went off by throwing himself atop the bomb. Iron Man thus publicly became a hero, and Stark had a new sense of purpose, having decided to combat evildoers as Iron Man.        Wishing to retain some degree of anonymity, Stark established the fiction that Iron Man was his paid bodyguard wearing a suit of armor that he had invented. Only his most trusted aides learned Stark and Iron Man were one and the same.        At first Stark used his Iron Man identity only to combat spies and criminals who threatened Stark industries. Later, he expanded the scope of his alter egos activities to battle any force or person who endangered the security of America or the world. Stark was instrumental in the organization and armament of the original World intelligence and law-enforcement agency known as S.H.I.E.L.D. As Iron Man he became a founding member of the team of super human champions known as the Avengers. Stark donated his Manhattan mansion to the Avengers for their exclusive use.        Over the years Stark constantly refined and modified the design of his armor. From l bulky, transistorized Iron suit, Iron Man eventually built a relatively lightweight, integrated circuit, magnetically polarized suit with more human looking articulated musculature. Stark's natural genius at theoretical mechanics has enabled him keep his suit of armor at the state of the art. Stark eventually underwent a heart transplant so that he was no longer obligated to wear his metallic chest plate.        Stark eventually decided for moral reasons no longer to manufacture armaments and devote his company to other areas of technology.        In recent years Tony Stark's greatest nemesis has been alcoholism. As a wealthy socialite, alcohol had been a constant part of his life. When his company, which had changed its name from Stark Industries to Stark international, was threatened with the takeover at the same time he was experiencing oppressive personal problems, Stark began to abuse alcohol. Although he managed to recover quickly from his first serious bout, the compulsion to drink remained a constant temptation. The second time he succumbed to alcoholism, to even more devastating personal problems than the first time, Tony Stark went out on a several month binge during which he was cheated out of Stark international. He lost all the armor except one suit (the rest were destroyed), lost the leases on his various departments, and had his personal assets frozen so that he could not touch his fortune. All these were the results of the machinations of the mysterious European entrepreneur Obadisiah Stane, who took over Stark's company, renaming it Stane international.        During this time Stark's friends, James Rhodes, who had gone to work for Stark after leaving the military, assumed custody of the Iron Man armor and operated as Iron Man in his stead.        When Stark finally regained his sobriety, he joined with Rhodes and two of his friends, Worley Irwin (late of Stark international) and his sister Clytemnestra Erwin of Richmond enterprises to set up a new electronics firm in Californian named Circuits Maximus in its brief existence Circuits Maximus became a prestigious and successful firm.        While the armor was in his custody, James Rhodes became increasingly enamored of being Iron Man, and, upon Stark return to sobriety, fear that stark would ask for it back. However, the severe headaches caused by the fact that the cybernetic helmet had never been properly adjusted to Rhode's brain patterns, began to impair Rhode's thinking. As a result Rhodes began to manifest hostility toward Stark. As work therapy Stark constructed a simple suit of armor based on his original design with no intention of donning it until he felt in control of his alcoholism when Rhodes began acting rationally, however, Stark felt obligated to put on this crude suit of armor to prevent Rhodes from doing harm. Stark managed to subdue Rhodes and made unnecessary adjustments to the cybernetics. For a brief time Stark and Rhodes used their respective suits of armor as Iron Men, although Stark did so reluctantly. At the suggestion of the West Coast avengers chairman Hawkeye, Stark designed and built his most sophisticated armor to date, presumably so that the Avengers could find someone to wear it and bolster the team's strength.        However, soon after completion of the new armor, Obadiah Stane, alarmed at Starks steps toward recovery, bombed Circuits Maxus injuring Rhodes and killing Morley Erwin. Desiring vengeance, Stark dawned the untested new armor and sought out Stane. Stane himself put on a suit of armer his engineers had built using Starks plans, and met Iron Man in battle as the Iron Monger. Losing the battle against Stark, Stane committed suicide.        Stark decided that although one is never truly cured of alcoholism, he could also not ignore the responsabilities of being Iron Man. He resumed his career as Iron Man and joined the New West Coast division of the avengers.        Stark also managed to reclaim control of his fortune, although he decided not to claim ownership of the company formally known as Stark international. Rather, he founded a new technological design and manufacturing company, Stark enterprises, based in Silicon Valley in Southern California. Stark enterprises quickly became a highly successful and innovative company.        Stark learned that before his death the industrials spy calling himself Spymaster had stolen the plans for the many secret technological innovations Stark had devised for his Iron Man armor. Spymaster had then turned these plans over to Stark's most powerful and antagonistic business rival, Justin Hammer, in turn, Hammer had made available to many criminals, these secrets. The criminals had then incorporated the stolen technological innovations into their own armored battle suits. Stark raged that his inventions were being used for criminal activity, and even for murder. Stark determined to deprive these criminals of his secrets. He planted a computer virus in Hammer's computer system that would wipe out all traces of the plans for Starks Iron Man technology. As Iron Man, Stark sought out and caught many criminals and others (such as the United States government's Guardsmen) who wore battle suits utilizing his technology. He implanted devices on their armor that rendered the suits useless. With the computer records of the plans for his technology gone, presumably it could not be used in reconstructing the suits. Iron Man accidentally killed the second titanium man (also known as the gremlin) in the course of these "Armor Wars."        The United States government branded Iron Man as an outlaw as a result of these vigilante actions, and Stark publicly claimed that he had fired Iron Man in displeasure over his illegal activity. Shortly afterward, Iron Man was apparently destroyed in combat with government forces.        In fact, however, Stark had survived. He created an even more sophisticated armored battle suit to wear as Iron Man, using technology far in advance over that which spymaster had stolen from him. Stark continued to go into action as Iron Man, but he publicly claimed that the previous Iron Man was dead and that another employee of his whose identity is being kept secret was now wearing the armored suit.        Later, Stark was shot by Kathleen Dare, a former lover of his with an unstable mind. The gunfire severely injured Stark's spine and it appeared that he would be crippled for the rest of his life, and unable to walk. He could, however, still function normally within his Iron Man armor. The microchip device was later implanted in Stark's spine that enabled him to walk and move normally once again.        Some time later the villain Kang the Conqueror took control of Tony Stark in order to use him against the Avengers. (Though it was later revealed that it wasn't Kang at all, but Immortus, during the course of the Destiny War.) As a sleeper agent Tony was forced to kill Yellowjacket (Rita DeMara) and Crystal's Nanny, Marilla. To battle the combined forces of Iron Man and Kang, the Avengers were forced to recruit a teenage version of Tony Stark. Teen Tony stole a suit of armor from Stark International and aided the Avengers in battle. When the adult version came face to face with his teenage self he was finally able to overcome Kang's control. The older one sacrificed himself and defeated Kang. Iron Man died as a hero.        Teenage Tony Stark continued to fight with the Avengers and managed to take back control of Stark International. Shortly after this, the mutant Onslaught appeared. The young Tony and many of the world's superheroes fought Onslaught in New York City's Central Park. There the young Iron Man, the Fantastic Four, Thor, the Hulk, and other heroes seemingly lost their lives defending the Earth. However, they were actually brought into a pocket universe created by Reed and Sue Richards' son, Franklin. Events soon forced Franklin to choose a world to survive, but instead he restored to life the original, older Anthony Stark, and the heroes to Earth.        Tony's armor eventually grew so sophisticated that it became sentient. At first Tony allowed the armor to do his job as Iron Man, but it became increasingly dangerous. It even committed murder, slaying the villain, Whiplash. When this occurred Tony had no choice but to face the armor. During the confrontation Tony went into cardiac arrest due to an injury he previously sustained battling Whiplash. Proving itself a hero, the armor ripped out its own components and created a cybernetic heart for it's creator, sacrificing itself in the process.        Tony later revealed to the world that he was Iron Man. After this revelation he took the post as the President's Secretary of Defense to monitor the use of his technology by the United States Military. He was subsequently forced to step down from the position when the Scarlet Witch went out of control and killed members of the Avengers, forcing them to disband. Tony publicly stated that he would no longer be Iron Man but that there would always be one. Though of course Tony continued to be Iron Man while maintaining a secret identity. More recently, Tony injected himself with a Nanotech virus that integrated many of his suits functions with his own biological systems.        He has also been a member of a secret group known as the Illuminati, along with Professor Charles Xavier, Reed Richards, Blackagar Boltagon, Dr. Stephen Strange, and Namor for many years. Civil War : Recently, during a televised raid of a house containing select villains that had recently escaped from the super villain facility at Ryker's Island prison called the Raft, the villain Nitro detonated himself and the resulting explosion killed the majority of the New Warriors, as well as the children at a nearby elementary school and the residents of the surrounding neighborhood. In the wake of the tragedy, Capitol Hill proposed the Superhuman Registration Act, a government movement to register all super-powered beings as living weapons of mass destruction, requiring all costumed heroes to unmask themselves before the government and subject themselves to federally mandated standards. This event triggered negative public opinion against the super heroes, in which sole blame from the public was placed. The international organization S.H.I.E.L.D. quickly propositioned Captain America to lead a squad of "cape killer" soldiers, trained to fight super-powered humans. He refused, and after being attacked by S.H.I.E.L.D.'s Anti-Superhuman Response Unit, went underground.        Iron Man, however, was in full support of the act. After numerous skirmishes and a full out super hero battle in downtown New York, Iron Man emerged victorious; however his former ally Goliath (Bill Foster) had perished combating Iron Man's forces, and Captain America was assassinated on the steps of the courthouse after his surrendering. In the wake of the war, Stark was offered the position as Director of S.H.I.E.L.D., and he accepted the offer. www.dragonhero.com