10 Times Marvel Movies Negatively Influenced The Comics

Harold "Happy" Hogan has been a mainstay in Iron Man stories since his debut in September 1963. Virginia "Pepper" Potts debuted around the same time, and what a lot of non-comic readers do not know, is that the pair were married for some time in the comics continuity.

This is a far cry from the MCU where Tony and Pepper are the Iron Man franchise's main couple, and the relationship between the latter and Happy Hogan is purely work-based. Despite a tumultuous relationship involving love triangles with Tony, failed adoptions and even a divorce, Happy and Pepper managed to rekindle their romance.

All this came to a tragic end in 2007 in the lead-up to the then-upcoming Iron Man film. Following an attack from Spymaster, Happy falls into a coma and, though unconfirmed, his passing was brought about by Tony himself in a totally unethical form of euthanasia.

Killing off Happy so that Tony and Pepper could be together felt disrespectful to the stalwart bodyguard, as well as his enduring relationship with Pepper.