One can debate that Iron Man kick-started the MCU, where the charismatic Tony Stark is reintroduced to fans. Robert Downey Jr. did more than justice to the character. I won't be surprised if audiences subconsciously remember R.D.J. as Tony Stark for the rest of their lives.

Stan Lee, Don Heck, and Larry Lieber introduced Iron Man, aka Tony Stark, in Tales Of Suspense #39. Unlike the 2008 Jon Favreau movie, Tony Stark was ambushed and kidnapped by a communist extremist named Wong-Chu. Maybe, communists are no longer a bigger threat than Al-Qaeda-ish terrorists, hence the changes in the movie.

Minus Tony Stark's kidnapper's ethnicity, the rest of the story is pretty much the same. A fellow scientist slash professor Yinsen helps Tony Stark build an iron suit and escape. Tony Stark goes on to become Iron Man, keep making new suits, and fight villains like Mandarin, Melter, Crimson Dynamo, and Jack Frost.

Iron man wasn't as popular as he is in movies, but he was an integral part of many landmark Marvel story arcs. So, now that you love the MCU Iron Man, it's time to know the character better through some of his best story arcs.

Demon In A Bottle (1979)

Demon In A Bottle is an iconic Iron Man story for a reason. It beautifully tells the story of Iron Man battling his alcohol addiction.

Tony Stark struggles with his company, his suit, which was manipulated by Justin Hammer, and finally, an accusation of murdering a U.N. ambassador! Overwhelmed with the unfortunate events, Tony Stark turns to alcohol.

Tony's struggle and battle with alcohol were beautifully depicted by the art of Carmine Infantino and John Romita Jr. and the storytelling of Bob Layton and David Michelinie.

Civil War (2006)

Civil War is not just the best Iron Man story but also one of the most important Marvel comics of all time!

Much like the 2016 MCU movie, the Civil War comics too deal with ideological clashes among Marvel superheroes.

After an unfortunate accident that involved superheroes, killing children in Stamford, the authorities bring up the Superhuman Registration Act. The act is to make every superhero work with and for the government.

Steve Rogers, aka Captain America, didn't like the idea of trusting the government with their secret identities. The conflict grew among the superheroes and eventually started the Civil War.

Civil War is written by Mark Miller that promises great action and even greater storytelling.

Extremis (2004)

Extremis is a 6-issue storyline that updated and modernized the origin of Tony Stark, aka Iron Man.

This Iron Man story revolves around the Extremis idea and an updated Super Soldier Serum program. The Super Soldier Serum is created by Dr. Maya Hansen, and it offered nearly invincible powers and abilities.

Tony Stark, being the genius of the Marvel universe, found a way to modify his suit and make it a part of him, literally! Extremis is one of the best Iron Man stories that prove his intelligence. Extremis is written by Warren Ellis.

Armor Wars (1987)

Armor Wars also feature Scott Lang, the current MCU Ant-Man. The story features villains like Beetle, Crimson Dynamo, Titanium Man, Firepower, and Doctor Doom.

In Armor Wars, Iron Man fights everyone else who was using the Iron Man tech. Iron Man had too much at stake and even had to confront S.H.I.E.L.D. who demanded Tony's suits and technology.

Armor Wars also features Stark's iconic iron suit - the Silver Centurion. Armor Wars is a must-read Iron Man comic written by David Michelinie and Bob Layton.

Reborn (1998)

Reborn introduces the readers to a young Tony Stark and shows Onslaught murdering him!

Tony returns and re-establishes himself in Earth-616. The Armored Avenger fights a classic villain who was behind everything.

Tony teams up with Black Widow and Carol Danvers (the then Warbird).

Find out who orchestrated the entire plot against Tony in Reborn, written by Kurt Busiek.

A New Era (2016)

After Civil War II, Tony Stark goes into a coma for a very long time, and he comes back to life in - A New Era. It sets course towards the all-new Stark Unlimited and brings back some of his classic foes like Controller and Fin Fang Foom.

A New Era is a modern story arc written by Brian Michael Bendis that has it all - super-heroics, sci-fi, A.I., and all of Iron Man's swag.

Invincible Iron Man: Stark Resilient (2009)

Stark Resilient is a story set after the events of the Secret Invasion. Tony Stark is not the head of S.H.I.E.L.D. any more, and he is back to fighting bad people.

Tony Stark goes against the wife and daughter of his arch-rival Justin Hammer, and he no longer has Extremis! Tony must reinvent Iron Man and stop the weapon called Detroit Steel.

Stark Resilient is written by Matt Fraction.

Iron Man: Revenge Of The Mandarin (1998)

Iron Man faces one of his strongest villains - the Mandarin. Tony Stark gets beaten into a pulp by Mandarin and his assassins.

In Iron Man: Revenge Of The Mandarin, we see Tony Stark broken both physically and mentally and how he rises up to the deadly Mandarin. This popular Iron Man story features classic villains, too, like Ronan the Accuser and the Controller.

Iron Man: Revenge Of The Mandarin is written by Kurt Busiek.

There are more Iron Man stories that you should try, such as Enter The Mandarin, Iron Metropolitan, and Five Nightmares. These stories prove that the Armored Avenger is more than just a suit.

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8 Handpicked All Time Best Iron Man Comics