Throughout the construction of the Marvel Cinematic Universe in theaters, Iron Man has won over the general public with his personality and charisma. Tony Stark also played a key role in the formation of the Avengers and was essential to the outcome of the Infinity Saga, which came to an end in 2019 with Avengers: Endgame.
However, there are facts about Iron Man that only long-time fans of the character in the comics know, and even they don't know them. With the aim of bringing to the general public various curiosities about the character, we've put together this article that we can guarantee will surprise you! Shall we take a look together?
Tony Stark's biological parents
One of the most curious facts about Iron Man is not exactly about him, but about his parents. He is the fruit of a relationship between Amanda and Jude, two members of S.H.I.E.L.D. Well, contrary to what many people think, in the comics the character is not the biological son of the Starks.
Jude wasn't the world's greatest role model either, acting as a double agent for Hydra. He didn't have much empathy for his coworkers and was almost directly responsible for Amanda's death, but he ended up falling in love with her and, before long, she became pregnant, later giving birth to the baby who would be known as Iron Man when he grew up.
First appearance in the comics
Another interesting fact about Iron Man has to do with his origins in comics. The character was created by Stan Lee, with the participation of other comic book legends such as Don Heck, Larry Lieber and Jack Kirby. Generally speaking, the story told in his debut is not very different from that shown in the first film starring Robert Downey Jr, with a few subtle differences.
In the comic book released in 1963, Tony Stark is supervising a military test of his company's technology when he finds himself in a trap that seriously affects his heart. He is then captured by a bomber who forces him to make a strong military appeal in exchange for help to keep his heart working.
The whole plot is set against the backdrop of Vietnam and the supporting characters are oriental in the comic, which was not maintained in the movie. To bring the plot up to date, the confrontation between the United States and Vietnam has been changed to Afghanistan, but the main points of the story are still there.
His first story was not written by Stan Lee
Stan Lee was indeed one of the main names behind the creation of Tony Stark and is always credited when it comes to the birth of Iron Man as a superhero. What almost nobody knows, and which turns out to be one of the main facts about Iron Man, is that Stark's first adventure was not created by Lee.
That's because, at the time, the comic genius was so busy with other work that he had to delegate the creation of the hero's first adventure to his brother Larry Lieber. He, along with Don Heck and Jack Kirby, created the story that was released in 1963. However, the character himself was created by Stan Lee, who took part in the whole process that gave rise to Iron Man, it was just his debut story that ended up in other hands.
Her biological mother was responsible for the loss of her father
As previously mentioned, Tony Stark is the biological son of two S.H.I.E.L.D. agents, one of whom is a Hydra mole in the organization. When Amanda, Tony's mother, tells Jude, his father, that she is pregnant, they have been in a relationship for some time and Jude decides to reveal to her that, in reality, he was an infiltrator.
Amanda doesn't forgive this lie and ends up scissoring Jude to death. She ends up very traumatized by the incident and is unable to raise Tony, who ends up being sent to an orphanage in Bulgaria. There he is recognized by Howard Stark and becomes a full member of the family. Hardly anyone remembers this detail, which ends up making it one of the facts about Iron Man most unknown to casual fans.
Tony Stark finds out who his brother is
Following the line of facts about Iron Man that almost nobody knows, here's an interesting bit of trivia: Tony Stark has a brother. When he was adopted, his adoptive parents Howard and Maria already had a son who had suffered many problems during pregnancy, which led Howard to seek alien help to try to ensure his life.
His name is Arno Stark and even with this "help" from space, his health was born very weak and, fearing retaliation from the alien in question, his father ended up hiding him in a philanthropic foundation named after his mother. Only years later did Arno meet Tony and the two began working closely on projects.
He owns Area 51
Area 51 is a place full of mysteries that is mentioned in many works of pop culture. It is a secret military installation of the United States air base and many cases of Extra Terrestrial studies and other things are reported related to it.
One of the facts about Iron Man that has to do with this facility is that, during issue #19 of Avengers, it is revealed that Tony Stark is its true owner. In the book, he claims to have bought the site at an auction after it was abandoned by the military.
Iron Man has already rebooted his brain once
Although many MCU fans don't know it, the events of Civil War were much more intense in the comics. In this saga Tony Stark was introduced as a villain and this is another fact about Iron Man that not many people know. His actions during this arc meant that both fans and his allies in the stories ended up generating a strong antipathy towards the character.
To solve this, the creators developed a whole situation in which the character Pepper sends a holographic message revealing that she has found a way to reboot Tony's mind. He undergoes the process, but ends up suffering brain damage as a result. Eventually he recovers and also regains the respect of his colleagues and the affection of Marvel fans.
Tony Stark's religion
Although it's not news to anyone who follows the comics and even to the most attentive fans of the films, this can be considered one of the most controversial facts about Iron Man. He actually has no belief in any deity and is openly atheist.
This revelation is made in several of the hero's comics and he doesn't try to hide his lack of belief whenever he has the opportunity to express it. Science and technology are his main deities, having given him the opportunity to save his own life and create a suit of armor that would keep his heart going.
The meaning of JARVIS
One of the facts about Iron Man that most impresses fans of the films is that, in the comics, JARVIS is not the same as the one presented in the live actions. In the MCU, JARVIS is presented as an artificial intelligence that assists Stark while he is wearing his iron armor.
In the comics, he is known as Edwin Jarvis, a Stark family butler who has served them for years and is a very loyal supporting character. JARVIS, in the case of the armor's AI in the films, is short for "Just a Pretty Intelligent System".
He hates J. R. R. Tolkien
And hardly anyone expected that. Another of the more intriguing facts about Iron Man is the revelation made in issue #4 of Iron Man vol. 5 released in 2012. In the magazine, the character claims to hate Tolkien, author of The Lord of the Rings and its derivatives, who has a big name in the literary market and is the owner of undisputed success.
An interesting addition is that this comic book was released two days before The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey hit the big screen. This was a somewhat unusual way of paying homage to the title before its big premiere, but one of the most curious Iron Man facts to receive public attention.
In general, Tony Stark is a deep character full of nuances that win over audiences, both in the comics and in the movies. But what about you? Which of the curiosities about Iron Man presented here did you not know and which did you already know? Share them with us in the comments! Also check out our article on augmented reality in the cinema!
