Iron Man is currently one of the biggest heroes at Marvel, be it in the universe of Marvel Comics or the Marvel Cinematic Universe. That hasn’t always been the case, however, with Iron Man typically being more of a high-ranking B-lister than a major presence. Despite that, he’s attained some undeniably classic stories over the years, with one in particular constantly being touched upon in some way.
“Armor Wars” was a storyline in the Iron Man comic book from the late 1980s showing Tony Stark’s technology being stolen by his fiercest foes. The storyline would continue to be a part of Iron Man’s legacy, both in the comics and beyond. This makes it quite similar to major franchises of other popular superhero properties, showcasing just how much potential and burgeoning popularity Iron Man always had.
Armor Wars Was One of the Finest Hours of Bob Layton’s Iron Man Run
“Armor Wars” ran from 1987 to 1988 during Bob Laytonand and David Michelinie’s run. Though not all of them were from this creative team, the Iron Man comics of this era introduced some of his most notable developments. These included Tony Stark temporarily losing his company, his rivalry with Obadiah Stane (Iron Monger) and Iron Man taking on his “Silver Centurion” armor. Tony Stark had used numerous armors by that point in his history, making “Armor Wars” all the more threatening.
The storyline involves Tony realizing that some of his older armors and other technology have been stolen. Learning that Spymaster had sold Stark’s schematics to rival Justin Hammer, he went on the offensive, targeting everyone who he believed had illegally obtained his superior tech. Though he’s able to defeat the growing legion of enemies with his technology, he realizes the danger of his tech getting into the wrong hands.
Layton and Michelinie were involved in some of Iron Man’s greatest stories — capturing the sense of hi-tech adventure and corporate espionage that have become synonymous with Iron Man as a character. They provided a level of character cohesion that has allowed this story to stand the test of time, and be an Iron Man adventure that’s constantly adapted.
Armor Wars Is Iron Man’s Most Adapted Storyline
Many major superheroes have a storyline or arc that is so popular that it’s constantly retold in comic books or even adapted in other media. In the case of Iron Man, “Armor Wars” is definitely one of his most well-known tales. Within comic books, the storyline has been built upon in many ways. For one, a sequel storyline came a few years later, and that story would be the basis for the Invincible Iron Man video game. “Armor Wars” was the basis of a What If?… storyline, showing what would have happened if Justin Hammer won the eponymous conflict, while the miniseries Iron Man & the Armor Wars modernized the tale more succinctly. There were even new, alternate universe versions of the story in the Ultimate Universe and during the Secret Wars crossover event.
The major Iron Man adaptations in the past several decades have also used the story as a basis for their writing. The 1990s Iron Man: The Animated Series, Iron Man: Armored Adventures and Iron Man 2 all had some elements of “Armor Wars”, namely the idea that foes such as Justin Hammer had acquired or bootlegged Stark’s technology. Now, the series is set to receive another adaptation in the MCU in the form of an “Armor Wars” movie. Once meant to be a show, the story will be changed once again due to the absence of Iron Man himself. Nevertheless, the film showcases how pivotal “Armor Wars” was to Iron Man, illustrating that while he might not have always been popular, he always had the potential for great stories.
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