Ultimate Iron Man (comics)

Ultimate Iron Man (real name Antonio "Tony" Stark), is the Ultimate Marvel version of the fictional superhero Iron Man that first appeared in the fourth issue of Ultimate Marvel Team-Up, written by Brian Michael Bendis and drawn by Mike Allred. He later appeared in the Ultimates and often appears in the same titles they do. In the Ultimate Universe, Antonio "Tony" Stark is a wealthy business tycoon and inventor who created the Iron Man power armor. Like his mainstream counterpart, Tony has a drinking problem and life-threatening affliction; in this case an inoperable brain tumor. With a life expectancy anywhere between six months and five years, he choses to become a philanthropist and superhero.

While the character hasn't yet been featured in his own ongoing series, Stark's early life and origins were initially explored in the Ultimate Iron Man miniseries written by science fiction author Orson Scott Card. However, this origin story is no longer considered canon in the Ultimate Marvel Universe. In the second issue of Ultimate Avengers vs. New Ultimates, the events of Ultimate Iron Man were retconned as only being a fictional Japanese anime version of Stark's life. The characters adult years on the other hand, have been covered mainly by Mark Millar in his Ultimates work, and Warren Ellis.

Ultimates
In the limited series The Ultimates, when Stark first hears that Nick Fury is assembling a team of superheroes, he volunteers his services. After helping defeat the Hulk, Stark develops a friendship with Thor and Steve Rogers (Ultimate Captain America). Though he has many great accomplishments, during the first volume of the Ultimates, he remains unsure of himself, clearly shown when he's heavily beat down and throws up in his own helmet. He acts arrogant, but also constantly doubts his own abilities. In the last issue he seems to decide that he can't continue fighting until a soldier asks, "If you don't do it, who will?". Later, he fights against the X-Men in Ultimate War, captures the Rhino in Ultimate Spider-Man, and fights along with Spiderman himself in Ultimate Six.

Stark also appears in Ultimate Wolverine vs. Hulk, where he supports Wolverine being sent to kill Banner. Stark also criticizes the law being used to stop the Hulk, during which he mockingly suggests creating a Superhero Registration Law referencing the mainstream Stark's support of the Superhero Registration Act. The Ultimate Galactus trilogy also shows the first signs of an early friendship between Stark and Reed Richards (despite the age difference), in addition to him successfully sneaking aboard a Kree spacecraft in Ultimate Secret, and decapitated a Silver Surfer clone in Ultimate Extinction.

The Ultimates 2
In The Ultimates 2, Stark quickly falls in love and proposes to Natasha Romanova (Black Widow) in Ultimates 2. Just prior to proposing, Stark gives her a black suit of armor, almost identical to his own. The flight test of the suit includes flying over her homeland, where Stark had paid the three million inhabitants of her hometown to stand in a field, spelling out his proposal, which she immediately accepts. When the Liberators invade America, the Widow shoots Edwin Jarvis and then tries to get Stark, at gunpoint, to transfer much of his fortune to her. However, Stark has ultimate control of the nanites in her bloodstream that allows her to interface with her armor. Using these nanites, Stark incapacitates Romanova and retrieves the enemy plans from her mind with the intention of fighting back against the Liberators. He takes "Iron Man 6", a massive helicarrier-sized ship armed with dozens of laser cannons and machine guns, and wipes out the air force of the Liberators in Washington, D.C. (as well as his opposite number in the Liberators, Crimson Dynamo). He then heads to New York to aid the heroes there. After the battle Stark agrees to finance the now independent Ultimates, and seemingly very quickly gets over Natasha's betrayal with the help of a pretty blonde.

Ultimates 3 and Ultimate Human
Ultimate Power marks the first appearance of the independent Ultimates, fighting against an alternate universe Squadron Supreme. This soon follows with the start of Ultimates 3 which sees Stark becoming a full-blown alcoholic. A sex tape that he made with Natasha during their time together also makes it into the public, causing a PR nightmare for the rest of the Ultimates. In Ultimate Human, which was published around the same time, the focus is on Bruce Banner as he pleads with Stark to cure him of his Hulk affliction just before Ultimatum, which dealt with Magneto's attempt at complete destruction.

New Ultimates and Ultimate Armor Wars
After Ultimatum, the Ultimate Comics: Armor Wars mini-series featured Iron Man racing across the world to find his stolen armor in order to save the remains of his enterprise. In Ultimate Comics: New Ultimates, he began a relationship with Carol Danvers and fought against the returning Loki. In the pages of Ultimate Comics: Spiderman, he was also involved with Captain America and Thor in training Spider-Man to become a better hero. During this time, Stark's brother Gregory took his place as financial manager for the newly formed Avengers team in Ultimate Comics: Avengers, which also featured Tony's former best friend, Rhodey), and a new Black Widow.

Ultimate Comics: The Ultimates
In Ultimate Comics: The Ultimates, Stark is among the central characters and a leading member of the Ultimates. In "The Republic is Burning", he saves a now mortal Thor from the destruction of Asgard. With his Asgardian brethren exterminated by the Children of Tomorrow and Yggdrasil drained of the Odinforce, Thor is no longer a God and Stark takes it upon himself to help Thor resume his role as a God of Thunder. He reveals that he has been keeping Thor's harness and hammer (pieces of EUSS technology that gave him his powers in The Ultimates and The Ultimates 2) and gives it back to the mortal Thor, with some modifications. Stark joins Nick Fury's latest Ultimates roster alongside Thor, Spider-Woman, Hawkeye, Black Widow and Falcon.

In other media

 * Tony Stark/Iron Man (voiced by Marc Worden) has been featured in Ultimate Avengers and Ultimate Avengers 2, an animated direct-to-video adaptation of The Ultimates. Although based on Ultimate Iron Man, this version's (like in the main Marvel Universe continuity) identity is not a matter of public record and is inflicted with a heart condition rather than a brain tumor.


 * In The Invincible Iron Man, Tony Stark has been working on multiple armors in secret for some time using his company's resources. One of the armors that are seen resemble the "Ultimate Iron Man" suit.


 * Mark Millar said that Ultimate Tony Stark/Iron Man was a big inspiration for Iron Man and Iron Man 2.