Comic books are for geeks—at least that’s what the stereotype dictates. However, with movies like 2010’s Iron Man 2 grossing over $623 million worldwide, comics must have a larger fan base than people credit.
At midnight, Iron Man 3 (the next installment of the Marvel Comic film series) opens in theaters. Although I have never read the comics, I find the fan-favorite, armored billionaire (Tony Stark a.k.a. Iron Man) very interesting.
When created in 1963 by Stan Lee, Larry Lieber, Don Heck and Jack Kirby, Iron Man reflected a character that rose to power through skill and hard work. His fight against communists brought justice during the Cold War.
Over the last 50 years, Iron Man has undergone several obvious changes. His suit received a major overhaul in 1968, and he developed deeper personal struggles throughout the series. One thing that hasn’t changed, however, is how much fans adore him. This quintessential playboy is a man we love to hate and hate to love.
Last weekend, thousands of Chicagoans shared that love at the Chicago Comic and Entertainment Expo (C2E2). With an estimated 53,000 attendees, the event stands as one of the largest comic book, television, movie and pop culture conventions in North America.
Iron Man, of course, made an appearance before flying off to save the world (our junior executive, Alex Fernandez, got a photo op with the hero). What better way to bring fans together than by showing us he still has a heart of gold—or should I say iron? Actually, I should say electromagnets because that’s what powers the arc reactor in Tony Stark’s artificial cardiovascular system. But that’s just if you want to be technical about it.
Like I said, you don’t have to read the comics to be a fan, and you certainly don’t have to be a geek to see Iron Man 3 in theaters this Friday, May 3rd.
Cover Photo Source: By Elfilosofico via Wikimedia Commons
[author] [author_image timthumb=’on’]https://wpmaster.sjadv.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/Our-Space-The-San-Jose-Group.png[/author_image] [author_info] Cassandra is a Junior Executive at SJG. She earned her BS from Ferris State University in 2011. Her passion for video production, digital art and writing is made possible by her love of storytelling. Cassandra secretly hopes to change the world and enjoys riding her bicycle around Chicago. [/author_info] [/author]