12 Greatest Marvel Superheroes Of All Time
6. Iron Man
If there's one character hardly anyone thought Marvel could launch a studio with, it was Iron Man. While the character has long been popular on the printed page, it seemed a dangerous gambit to launch Marvel Studios with Iron Man in 2008.
The character first appeared in Tales of Suspense #39 back in 1963. He was created by the amazing talents of Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, Larry Lieber, and Don Heck to help fight against Communism during the Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union. He was meant to highlight the superiority of American technology, but the character evolved over the years and became one of the most powerful and influential characters in the Marvel Universe.
When Robert Downey Jr. took on the role of Tony Stark, fans held their breaths hoping the film would work. As we all know, it not only worked, it launched the most financially successful movie franchise ever made.
Since RDJ became Iron Man, the character's popularity has soared. Movies, television shows, video games, and tons of comics have been flying off the shelves proving the viability of the character many already knew and loved for years.