ARMORED / AVENGER

   Tony Stark, the son of an alcoholic mechanic, always knew that he was destined for great things. He became fascinated with cars and technology at a young age, quickly exposing his natural genius. It didn’t take long for him to start disassembling anything he could get his hands on, taking things apart and putting them back together just to see how they worked. Soon enough he was flying through school, correcting teachers, skipping grades, and amazing everyone around him… Everyone except his father. 

   Despite Maria’s objection, Howard make it very clear early on that he wouldn’t allow his son to follow his dreams. Tony was meant to stay home in their small town, take over the family mechanics shop, lead a simple life— not become a famous inventor. This, of course, both hurt and infuriated the young genius. Though ultimately, his parents never got a say in what he would grow up to be; Howard and Maria Stark died in a tragic car accident the winter before Tony graduated high school. 

   Without a family or any close friends to keep him tied down, the young man cut ties and completely abandoned his previous life. After selling most of his family’s belongings and their business, he took the money and enrolled in MIT, intending to graduate with a PhD in physics and mechanical engineering. It was during this time that he met Autumn Stone, a young woman from a different college getting a degree pharmaceuticals. The two hit it off, quickly becoming close friends. To celebrate their graduation, the two pooled resources in order to afford a trip to Europe. Unfortunately, this trip nearly cost their lives… 

   Their plane was hijacked over international waters. Chaos ensued. When Tony later came to he found himself in a damp cave with a car battery hooked up to a device in his chest. This was the beginning of their months long captivity. The people who had kidnapped him, Autumn, and fellow prisoner, Dr Yisen, made some… strange demands of him. They wanted weapons of mass destruction and were convinced that the young genius knew how to build them. Tony, on the other hand, had no experience with weapons or any idea why their captors would expect him to. Eventually, after torture both mental and physical, it was revealed that Tony’s father, Howard Stark, was a key member of the Manhattan Project and had developed many specialized weapons for the U.S. military. Recalling some glimpses of old schematics his father had tried to hide, Tony worked with Autumn and Dr Yisen on building a miniature arc reactor to replace the crude device in his chest. The trio then went on to build what would ultimately become the young college graduates’ defining legacy—- a weaponized suit of armor. 

   Sadly, not all three survived the escape attempt with Dr Yisen sacrificing his life to save the two younger captives. Autumn and Tony managed to get home after flagging down a passing military convoy that just happened to contain Tony’s close friend, Rhodey. Back in the states, the two became famous for their survival. Tony was soon approached by the U.S. military, the government very interested in the tech he had used to escape. Feeling like he could use this opportunity to fulfill his dreams of being an inventor, he eagerly accepted the contract. Wanting to include his friend, especially after the trauma of their experiences, he offered Autumn a position as co-CEO of the new Stark Industries. She accepted and the two went on to found an incredibly successful arms and tech company. 

   Of course, with success comes further challenge. Enter Obadiah Stane: the man who bullied his way into the top of the American industrial arms race; the man who threatened Maria Stark and her unborn child when Howard’s achievement started to rival his own; the man who put out a hit on Howard’s son after Tony rose from obscurity with a genius intellect to rival his father’s. Stark Industries and its CEOs were subject to relentless attacks on Stane’s orders. The first of which threatened Autumn’s life, leading to the first appearance of a mysterious man in red and golden armor… 

   Unable to sleep, and maybe a tad bit paranoid, after returning home, Tony began work on a second suit of armor. He hadn’t really planned on sharing the design with the American military or even using it himself— but then some weirdo, calling himself Whiplash, attacked the company, putting Autumn in danger. Donning the new and improved armor, Tony used its gadgets and his quick thinking to fight off the villain. Afterwards, he showed the secret armor to the young woman. The two later decided to share the role of ‘IRON MAN’ as a hero and protector. To keep their secret identity, they claimed the armored man was their bodyguard while the two took turns operating the suit. 

   Eventually other opportunities and dangers cropped up leading Iron Man to become a founding member of the Avengers and later a consultant for S.H.I.E.L.D.