12 Shocking Real-Life Incidents That Affected Comics
3. The Invasion Of Afghanistan And The Birth Of Iron Man
Tony Stark has seen his origin story retrofitted several times, since he was originally depicted as suffering his heart injury during the early days of the Vietnam War. The most recent update has placed his defining injury as occurring during The Afghanistan War. It had previously been altered from Vietnam, to take place during the first Gulf War, but with this version of Starks origin being used as the basis for the first Iron Man film, Afghanistan has come to be viewed as the definitive setting for the birth of Iron Man. Consequently, given the mass-growth in popularity of the character, it is this contemporising that has helped establish the character so firmly in the popular consciousness. It is no accident that referencing real world events in a way that the reader can relate to is one of the things that made Marvel great in the first place and contributes to their enduring appeal.
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