While it seems hard to imagine that any A-list Marvel Comics character could be universally hated, a widely unpopular version of Iron Man proves otherwise: 'teenage Tony Stark'. Marvel has tried to make a younger version of Iron Man work in a number of different storylines (including one particularly infamous one from the 90s), and time and time again, Marvel's efforts have failed. At least, until now, as Marvel spent the last year making a universally hated version of Tony Stark really popular.
Masterminded by famed comic creator Jonathan Hickman, Marvel is launching an all-new Ultimate Universe in 2023, complete with its own flagship title: The Ultimates. However, before the individual comic runs began, the Ultimate Universe started with a single miniseries called Final invasionIn which fans see how the maker shaped Earth-6160 to his liking. It's also when readers see the fall of the Maker (being trapped in his own time prison) as well as the rise of the Ultimates - beginning with a teenage Tony Stark.
in The Ultimates #1 by Deniz Camp and Juan Frigeri, readers gain greater insight into who Tony Stark is as a person in this new universe. At the end of the comic, fans get a letter Tony writes to his father, Howard (who is also trapped in the Maker's temporal prison), where Tony reveals the true nature of his character. Tony sees the damage the maker has done to the world, and he sees the hand his father had in the maker's tremendous success.
By doing nothing to change the world for the better when he has the power to, Howard Stark is a failure in his son's eyes, and Tony seeks to redeem the sins of his father as a founding member of the Ultimates. The letter—and his actions as a legitimate superhero—prove that Tony is an optimistic kid, if not a little naive. Tin Tony is a major force for good in the Ultimate UniverseAnd is someone fans want to see more of. Plus, unlike past 'teen Tonys' in Marvel comics, this is completely his own character.
Marvel Comics' First 'Teen Tony Stark' Is a Loathed Artifact of a Hated Avengers Story
Avengers: The Crossing By Terry Kavanagh, Bob Harras, Dan Abnett, Andy Lanning, Ben Raab and Mike Deodato Jr.
The Ultimate Universe has successfully revitalized Tony Stark as a teenager by crafting a continuity where it makes sense, and by making Teen Tony a likable character and a genuine hero. However, the latest Tony Stark is not the first time that Marvel has tried to breathe new life into the character by making him a teenager, because the honor (or, in this case, discomfort) goes to one of the Most Infamous Avengers Crossover Events in History: Avengers: The Crossing.
in Avengers: The CrossingThe original Tony Stark is revealed to have been corrupted by Kong the Conqueror, making him the villain of the storyline. In an effort to combat the evil Iron Man, The Avengers travel back in time and bring Tony Stark as a teenager to the present. After the original Tony dies at the end of The Crossing, his teenage counterpart remains in the present and acts as the new main-universe Tony Stark for a short time.
Everything about the process felt disingenuous, which explains why it was rejected by Iron Man fans
Making Tony Stark a teenager in this fashion didn't work for a number of reasons. It made Tin Tony an echo of the original, whose character was effectively sabotaged to make way for this revitalization. Additionally, the story just unceremoniously replaced a version of the character fans have been invested in for decades with a younger version that was literally just plucked from the past and dropped in as the 'new Iron Man'. Everything about the process felt disingenuous, which explains why it was rejected by Iron Man fans and quickly returned to the original status quo.
Even the original Ultimate Universe tried (& failed) to make a 'Teen Tony Stark'
Ultimate Iron Man By Orson Scott Card and Andy Kubert
In the original Ultimate Universe, fans had an updated origin for Tony Stark, one that saw him infected with a man-made technological virus in utero that had a major impact on his biology.
"Undifferentiated neural tissue will grow all through his body. Like his whole body is a brain. Greater mental capacity. Faster. Like no other person in history".
The virus also gave Tony a healing factor, and it was accompanied by a blue armor that covered every inch of his skin, which is why Tony developed his Iron Man armor as a teenageras an extension of his condition.
The ultimate Tony Stark was effectively mutated at birth, making him superhuman before he even created his armor. Subsequently, the Ultimate Universe followed Tin Tony for some time during the Ultimate Iron Man run, although the events of the comic were not recognized by the wider Ultimate Universe, and were eventually rewritten out of existence.
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It is clear that Marvel Comics has tried and failed to make a young Tony Stark work for many years, both in the main universe of Earth-616, and the alternate reality of Earth-1610. However, in the new Ultimate Universe of Earth-6160, Marvel struck gold, as it succeeded in creating a universally hated version of Iron Man Really popular, finally giving fans a good teenage Tony Stark.