Iron Man

What a cheesy intro song. The animation didn't age well from 1966. It feels nostalgic even if you were not alive then. Tony Stark doesn't look like the smartest person in the world to me.

Whilst the animation for this cartoon is inferior to today's cartoons it made up for it's simplistic animation with top notch stories.

Iron Man was one of my favourite superheroes. Tony Stark was an ordinary man who became near invincible when he put on the suit of armour. Once he donned the iron suit (which wasn't iron at all but actually a super metallic alloy) he could pretty much do anything from flying to picking up heavy objects.

The series was entertaining much like other Marvel cartoons from that period and the stories were very well written.

Check it out if you can. Just ignore the cheezy theme tune (with the exception of the 60's Spider-Man cartoon, 1960's Marvel cartoons had real cheezy theme tunes).

The one thing these 1960's Marvel superheroes cartoons have over the latest Marvel cartoons is that they are more true to the comics. They take little creative liberties with the source material and Iron Man has that comic book feel. The animation is sparse but that was likely intentional to emulate the comic book.

Don't listen to the other reviewer that says that Iron Man's theme song is cheesy. He then says that the Spiderman theme song is good. Lets compare the songs, Iron man has the line "Tony Stark makes you feel, he's a cool exec with a heart of steel...". Spiderman has the line "Spiderman, Spiderman does whatever a spider can. Spins a web any size, catches thieves just like flies....". I fail to see how Spiderman's theme song is any better or less corny than Iron Man's. Both were sung by the same people and in similar style, so it makes little sense to say Spiderman's song is great and Iron Man's isn't. Now since that nonsense settled, check out Iron Man it's worth checking out at least once. It did the comic justice.

With his debut in Tales of Suspense, # 39, dated March, 1963, IRON MAN was the last of the features making up "THE MARVEL SUPER HEROES" (1966) to come on line out of the Marvel Comics self-proclaimed "Famous Bull Pen"; a claim that they would soon be able to back-up with their long and impressive string of successes. Falling in line behind the likes of the Fantastic Four, Spiderman, the Hulk and the Mighty Thor, he was soon a "household word" in the Comics Field.

In the character's creation, we find the marriage of technologically superior with a normal person. In this case, the "Alter Ego" of Iron Man is Millionaire Industrialist, Weapons' Systems Designer and Munitions Dealer, Mr. Tony Stark. And Tony really cannot be referred to as being "normal", by virtue of his having a serious heart condition.

So now we know the Hero's weakness. (And in that period of 45 years ago, a Heart Condition was even far more serious than now). We must ask, "But what are his Powers?" Other than his considerable Brain Power, all of Iron Man's powers and abilities emanate from his metal armor-suit. All of his "Tricks of the Trade" are inventions of his own or modifications of existing weapons. Even his ability to fly and to stabilize his diseased heart are contained within his armor. So he can fly, launch a rocket, stop an automobile or lift huge amounts of weight; all being due to his "Ferrous Wardrobe" and to all of the circuitry within.

He even has a sort of heart regulator that had proved on more than one occasion to be a life saver.

In a sense, the case could be made that when Mr. Stark becomes his Super Hero identity of Iron Man, he is essentially riding around in a sort of a Mini-vehicle. And he really is in a sense. But the mechanics of the Iron Suit (Later modified with "lighter Alloys".) are what make him what he is. That's the kinda hairpin he is! Writer and Editor Stan Lee had long been a proponent of a long standing Timely-Marvel tradition of having opposites clashing. This is a recurring theme that had its origin in the long standing Human Torch vs., Sub-Mariner. And that feud was so brilliantly elemental and natural; being Fire vs. Water.

But in Iron Man, the Stan Lee & Jack Kirby team gives us the diametrically opposed elements;which are contained within the one person. The main character is powerful, with extensive weapons, speed, and strength and in possession of a many faceted arsenal; yet is week as a lamb if his heart pack gadget should become disabled. In real life the best example we can think of is one from Our National Pastime. And the man in the spotlight is New York Yankees' Center Fielder, old number 7, Mickey Mantle. "WHAT!?!?, you say. "How'd we get from the Marvel Comics Universe to 1950's & '60's MLB?" Read on, Schultz!

Mickey Mantle was the greatest power switch-hitter in Baseball History. He was a more than adequate Center Fielder with a fine arm. And many of us do not =seem to remember that he had been proclaimed as being "the Fastest Man in Baseball" when he was an emerging Rookie. But he also played most of his career on not one, but two bad knees! He required yards of taping prior to playing a game. (One can only imagine what "the Mick" would have done playing on two good legs!)

SO having established Iron Man's powers and abilities and giving him a necessary weakness (even Samson had his hair!), Iron Man went out and did his thing! As for the "IRON MAN" segments of "THE MARVEL SUPERHEROES (Famous Studios/Grantray-Lawrence/Marvel, 1966) they, like the other features were near perfect transcriptions from Comics to Screen. They and the other characters' adventures were probably the most literally rendered adaptations ever done; anywhere, anytime.

About his status as Wealthy, Industrialist, the Rich Man business is a long standing tradition in comics. The wealth of a Bruce Wayne is what allows him the freedom to pursue his Alter Ego career as Batman. It would not be logical to have the Hero busting his ass at a work-a-day job. And Tony Stark's wealth is due to a large degree to his involvement in munitions and the business of war.

Stan Lee makes his feelings known right on that it is not necessarily evil to be in munitions and other technology needed in National defense, as long as any profits are fair, honestly gained and not due to any unfair trade practices or monopolistic cartels; setting false prices.

IN this respect "IRON MAN" bears a certain connection to Harold Gray's Comic Strip LITTLE ORPHAN ANNIE (1924). Don't forget Annie was adopted by the Millionaire Oliver "Daddy" Warbucks. (Get it, Schultz! War Buck$!) At first glance, this "Warbucks" name could be misconstrued, thinking it to be a Marxian Barb; fired at our Capitalist way of life, Free Enterprise.

In reality, Harold Gray was a staunch Republican. We suspect that so is Tony Stark.

I managed to find a copy of the original '66 Marvel superheros DVD set featuring Iron Man, Captian America, The Increidible Hulk, The Mighty Thor and Sub-Mariner, Prince Namor of the Deep. It's awesome. Talk about bringing back memories. I was 9 years old when this series first aired on TV. It's true there is very little animation but I kinda like the fact that they tried to make it like the comic books. I think my all time favorite though is the 1967 Spiderman series. When I was a kid i NEVER missed that on Saturday morning. The cheesy made it better to me! If you are a nostalgic person like me, it would be worth your while to find a set of this series. I don't think i've seen it on TV since the 60's.