When I started collecting the Marvel Essential volumes last year, among my favorites was Iron Man vol. 1. I had known so little about the character (I took one of his UPN show once), but I found enough in those first 34 issues of Tales of Suspense to learn that Stan Lee had once again succeeded in creating a fantastic super hero, but had all the problems and defects in real life human being.
I finally decided to finish vol. 2 recently and I agree with the propaganda on the back because it was an "action shielded him well." The book starts with the old fateful final battle Shell-head with the Black Knight (and finally know what happened to BK in this flashback in Avengers vol. 3), then passed to a battle with his best friend becomes happy Hogan as The Freak (we were in the name of a comic book character now?), his first encounter with giant Ultimo Mandarin mascot, a memorable piece to the Sub-Mariner (where the hell is the essential input is Namor?), two more epic various issues, fights with his counterpart Titanium communist-Man (one is located in Washington, DC and one in Vietnam), the abduction of a tense by the fuser mysterious return Unconquerable Unicorn tail (in a new slim suit) and even a confrontation with an enraged Hulk (or is it?). This volume also sees the exit of underperforming tragic welcome Tony Stark's love interest Pepper Potts (which actually was an ordinary woman of the future in its first issues, until only became a ravishing beauty queen as all other comics have) and the arrival of a character more interesting and unique in the way of Jasper Sitwell, secret agent and liaison to SHIELD Stark nebbish. From doomed romances were just part of the ongoing Marvel Silver Age, Jasper gets when one exercises a great affection of wealthy socialite Whitney Frost, only to discover that she is ... well, I will not spoil it for you.
These early Iron Man stories work and work, as well as many early Marvel stories, because Lee and the rest of the rational approach in the bullpen pathos-inducing characters and plots that are rooted in the human experience. Stark is a superhero character well because he used his own inherent talent to design a fantastic powerful armor, no animal was bitten by radioactive or pushed into a chemical soup. In addition, although the world sees Stark as a rich and enviable bon vivant and playboy (and as almost invincible Iron Man) both live literally heartbeat heartbeat due to a debilitating injury secret, fearing that end could come at any time.
