Iron Man
From Encyclopedia Superheroica -the Encyclopedia of Superheroes
Iron Man is considered to be an almost invincible superhero, but he is not without his flaws.
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Origin
Trapped behind enemy lines during a time of war, industrialist Tony Stark constructed a set of powered armor and escaped.
History
With an inordinate arrogance to match his extraordinary wealth, Tony Stark would seem to make an unlikely superhero. He has, never-the-less, managed to save lives, nations, and civilizations during his tenure as Iron Man. He has also served as a leader in the superhero community, having had affiliations with various incarnations of the Avengers and S.H.I.E.L.D.
Powers and Abilities
His incredible intellect is his primary inherent power. That is how he came to develop his suit of armor -and it is from there that everything else follows. He is practically invulnerable, he can fly, and he can project blasts of energy. -These in addition to numerous other armor-derived abilities.
Tony Stark is also an alcoholic and this weakness had caused many problems for Iron Man over the years.
Armor
The first set of armor, having been constructed around a chestplate of iron, was grey. The second set of armor was developed in a brighter gold color -which was expected to look less sinister. Eventually Stark's metalurgical advances lead him to create a suit that was primarily gold and crimson colored. This crimson & gold scheme became the signature look for decades.
As an inventor/industrialist, Stark was at leisure to create numerous versions of the suit as technological advances (or particular opponents) inspired. Most were, of course, crimson & gold, but for some (like the "stealth" armor or the arctic armor), it was deemed more important to match the environment in which they would be used. "Hulkbuster" armor was beefed up for strength, space armor configured for extended extraterrestrial survival, and there was even a robotic version meant to be commanded by remote control.
See Also
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