As the years wear on for comics, more and more villains still continue to appear. For Marvel Comics, this is more than true as new villains keep popping up and while some remain and become icons for heroes like the Iron Man, Tony Stark, others fade into the background, never to be heard from again.
At least, most of the time they do. While there are dozens of Iron Man villains out there, only a few manage to remain consistent antagonists of Mr. Stark. Whether they're villains who've become legends or losers who are the lamest of them all, Tony's faced them all.
Justin Hammer
Now, Iron Man has so many villains that not all will make this list. Characters like the Melter and Titanium Man deserve an honorable mention but the lame Justin Hammer deserves more than that.
A businessman who provided weapons to all sorts of criminals, Hammer really hasn't done much besides served as a go-between for the villains of Marvel despite some big moments and is really just an old, shriveled businessman.
Spymaster
Going up against a guy in a suit doesn't sound that bad. When that guy is tech genius Tony Stark whose suits have all sorts of gadgets, the stakes are raised and it takes some serious power to stop that. Something Spymaster doesn't have.
Spymaster is exactly what the name sounds: an espionage agent who sneaks into facilities and steals what he can. With no superhuman powers, imposing suits, or anything of note, Spymaster has never really done well against Tony.
Unicorn
Everything for a villain lies in the name. If the name is imposing and strong, that's all the villain needs to stand out. The name Unicorn doesn't exactly strike fear into the hearts of man.
A Soviet agent sent to capture the rogue Crimson Dynamo, Unicorn's run afoul of Tony over the years and even with extreme powers, has failed every time and only walked away with the embarrassing name.
Blizzard
Mr.Freeze, Captain Cold, Killer Frost, Laufey, etc. Comics always seem to love ice-based villains. Blizzard is yet another one of those villains, an ice-based baddie who in one form or another held a vendetta against Tony Stark.
Utilizing cryogenics and a suit, Blizzard has battled Iron Man many a time over the years and every time, no matter what form the villain takes, always seems to fail with overused ice powers.
Whiplash
It's funny how the MCU version of Whiplash is disappointing in comparison to the comics. The hated mantel of Whiplash, like a lot of villains, has been worn by multiple characters over the years but the hatred for Iron Man and using electrical-based whips.
While each incarnation always falls to the powers of a rich guy in a metal suit, Whiplash's potential remains, and the concept of the character, despite the tampering of the Iron Man movies, is pretty cool.
Living Laser
Not many of Iron Man's foes end up getting their start in Avengers comics but the Living Laser is an expectation. Beginning in Avengers #34 as Arthur Parks, the Living Laser originally used lasers mounted on his wrists to pull heists before an accident made him into a human photon.
From the Avengers, the Living Laser would go up against Iron Man dozens of times over the years. With his interesting powers and fascinating start, the Living Laser, although a bit of a joke, has earned his keep.
Controller
Mind control-based villains always seem to be a basis for any comic heroes to face. Basil Sandhurst was an ill-tempered scientist who after an accident, was outfitted with a rig that gave him the ability to control anyone via disks.
Although the Controller has never beaten Tony, he's come close plenty of times and has done some pretty terrible things like controlling heroes and forcing them to do his bidding. Although a small-time hero, Basil's a worthwhile one despite his failures.
Fin Fang Foom
Most of the time, Tony faces down tech-based villains who are similar to him in nature. That's not to say Tony hasn't seen some bizarre enemies like a dragon from another planet, Fin Fang Foom.
Hailing from the world of Malku IV, Foom has time again gone toe-to-toe with Iron Man. Although Tony battling a giant dragon is a bit of an odd idea, it's still cool seeing a giant, talking dragon fly about and battle the armored Avenger.
Ghost
Even B to C list villains can end up being somewhat cool. While Ghost has always been on the fringes of super-villainy, the intangible tech-based villain made quite the name for themself over the years.
Working as a saboteur over the years, Ghost, although a more low-level Iron Man rogue, has proved himself to be one of the better ones due to their intelligence, freaky appearance and one could even say MCU adaptation that changed the character for the better.
Crimson Dynamo
Like a lot of villains, Crimson Dynamo comes across as yet another Iron Man ripoff. Created by the Russian Anton Vanko, Crimson Dynamo serves as Russia's Iron Man who ends up being a bit more than just another villain.
Vanko originally did battle against Tony but after losing to him and disgracing his country, Vanko ended up defecting to the US, only for the KGB to send the Black Widow after him. Following his death, the mantel of Crimson Dynamo was taken up by a number of other less than decent characters.
Guardsman
While a lot of Iron Man villains end up being disgruntled employees who turn dark in an instant, some do end up being unique. Although Guardsman, like Dynamo and Iron Monger, is a bit of a knock-off, the original Guardsman had some intrigue to him.
Kevin O'Brien was originally Tony's friend who actually helped him create tools and gadgets. During a run with a suit of armor Tony made for O'Brien though, Guardsman was born, and the tumultuous friendship between Tony and O'Brien died.
Iron Monger
MCU fans know all about Obidiah Stane and the Iron Monger. A rival businessman like Justin Hammer who sought after Stark Industries, Stane built a similar Iron Man suit and plagued Tony for years to come.
After his death though, Stane's legacy lived on through his son, Zeke Stane, who made himself into a cyborg version of the Iron Monger who nearly killed Tony. Through this, Obidiah, Zeke, and Iron Monger have served as one of Tony's darkest villains.
Madame Masque
A hero's worst enemy can sometimes be the ones closest to them. Tony has made plenty of close enemies, like Whitney Frost. For a time, Tony was friends with Frost who served as his secretary until she was revealed to be the daughter of Count Nefaria.
Afterward, Frost became the villain known as Madame Masque, a nefarious baddie who time again ran afoul of Tony in both a villainous and strange love light, even as Tony moved onto other romantic interests.
Arno Stark
Iron Man has often run afoul of other nefarious villains who are close to Tony in a familial format. Arno Stark was originally the Iron Man of another universe but was retconned to be Tony's half-brother.
Just as smart as Tony, Arno originally worked with his brother to build a better world. As the years wore on though, Arno slowly became more unhinged and eventually turned on his brother as Iron Man 2020, making for quite an interesting foe.
The Mandarin
Earlier, Fin Fing Foom was mentioned. After the space dragon was brought down, a wealthy businessman found another space dragon's body and uncovered a set of ten rings within the dragon's ship. Utilizing those rings, The Mandarin was created.
Wielding those rings, The Mandarin has become one of Iron Man's most iconic villains and Shang Chi's father in the MCU. Time again, the Mandarin rises up and takes on Tony in one form or another. Armed with the ten rings, he's a force to be reckoned with.