May 4, 2010 - As we're sure you all know by now, Iron Man 2 makes its debut in movie theaters this week. Tony Stark and his alter ego were introduced in Marvel Comics' Tales of Suspense back in 1963 and while he might not have always had the widespread recognition of Spider-Man or the Hulk, he still made plenty of television appearances through the years. Indeed, some might be surprised to discover that Iron Man has appeared on over a half dozen TV series in the past, sometimes briefly, sometimes as the star.
Of course once Iron Man became a bona fide movie star and was quickly elevated to one of the world's most recognizable super heroes, the floodgates were open, and there are now two different animated series featuring Iron Man airing simultaneously – with a third on the way.
IGN TV invites you to take a look at our updated list of every one of Iron Man's TV appearances to date... even as we ponder those to come.
Iron Man was one of five Marvel characters who starred in segments of this series, along with Hulk, Captain America, Thor and Sub-Mariner. You have to at least be amused by any incarnation of Iron Man whose theme song says, "Tony Stark makes you feel. He's a cool exec, with a heart of steel!" What exactly does Tony make us feel though? Only a few dozen ladies can say. This series is infamous for its incredibly crude animation, which simply took actual comic book frames and moved them, ever so slightly, adding in the occasional creepy moving lips.
That being said, as others have joked, it certainly doesn't get more faithful to the comics than this – stories are taken directly from Iron Man's Tales of Suspense days, complete with lots of goofy but fun Silver Age villains and melodrama. For those who grew up with this show in the '60s or caught it in syndication later, it's hard not to be nostalgic for this first-ever animated version of the Golden Avenger.
In a fun nod to the character's history, Jon Favreau included the Iron Man 1966 theme song multiple times in the first Iron Man movie – it's played by the band, as Tony is given an award at the start of the film (which he fails to accept, since he's gambling at the time) and it's also Tony's ring tone.
Spider-Man and his Amazing Friends was the first animated series to feature a large cross-section of characters from Marvel comics existing in the same universe, so it was only fitting that Shell-head make an appearance. There are brief glimpses of Iron Man on a couple of episodes, but it was on the episode "The Origin of the Spider-Friends" that the character would have a true guest star role. What's notable though is that he appears almost entirely as Tony Stark throughout the episode, never truly having a superhero team-up with the title characters. This very oddly voiced Stark is targeted by The Beetle, who wishes to use Stark's technology to increase his own battle suit. At one point in fact, the Beetle gives Stark one serious backhand slap.
Twice, the Spider-Friends save Stark, who ultimately rewards them in a big way – as it turns out, Stark is the one who supplies the gang with their "own crime computer and their hidden laboratory," explaining how three college students had been able to afford to have all those cool gizmos that popped up when they slid a trophy forward.
We actually do also see Iron Man briefly in this episode too, even if Spider-Man doesn't. As the Spider-Friends defend Stark International from the Beetle, Iceman wonders where Iron Man is – the action cuts to outer space, where Iron Man is seen destroying asteroids, as Stan Lee's narration explains he's "on a secret government mission."
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