The Marvel Cinematic Universe's first true superhero Tony Stark aka Iron Man may not have the most memorable group of villains in comics, but a new piece of fanart serves as a reminder that many of his rogues are still worthy of the MCU. After helping to lead the charge as a founding Avenger for more than a decade, 2019's Avengers Endgame saw the tragic demise of Iron Man. While Iron Man's death helped bring a satisfying end to the MCU's "Infinity Saga," there is a chance that Tony Stark and his remaining comic villains will be all but excluded from major upcoming MCU projects.In an excellent work of art that shines a spotlight on Iron Man's roster of villainous characters, illustrator and animator Dave Bardin has brought the foes to life in his own distinctive art style. Bardin's designs, based on the artwork of legendary Marvel artists Jack Kirby, Don Heck, and Bob Layton, depict an assemblage of Iron Man's most frequent and iconic villains throughout the hero's star-studded comic book history.
Iron Man's rogues' gallery joins a lengthy series of collages drawn by Bardin featuring famous Marvel rogues, including the villains of Captain America, the Fantastic Four, Thor, Daredevil, and the Incredible Hulk. Dave's distinctive art style can be found on Instagram, Pineterest, and products featuring his art can be found on Bardin's own personal website.
Iron Man Has No Shortage Of Underrated Villains
In his crusade against the forces of evil, Iron Man has battled a significant number of foes in his career as both a costumed solo hero and Avenger. The character's earliest comic adventures introduced the likes of the Crimson Dynamo, Scarecrow, Living Laser, the Titanium Man, and Blizzard (originally known as Jack Frost). Over the decades even more Iron Man villains would be introduced into the mix, from the Controller and Spymaster to Ghost and Iron Man's evil brother Arno Stark. Though many villains unsurprisingly adhere to Iron Man's technological nature, there are villains who are steeped in a sci-fi or mystical background such as Tony's arch-nemesis the Mandarin or the ancient dragon known as Fin Fang Foom. Marvel Studios' own successful Iron Man trilogy has established a series of classic Iron Man villains to the big screen including Iron Monger, Whiplash, the Ten Rings, Justin Hammer, Aldrich Killian, and the think tank Advanced Idea Mechanics (AIM).
Reimagined versions of tech saboteur and hired mercenary Ghost as well as Sonny Burch both appeared in 2018's Ant-Man and the Wasp. Three years later, the MCU's true Mandarin finally made his first on screen appearance in a world without Iron Man in 2021's Shang Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. Similar to Ghost and Mandarin, the best cast scenario for unused Stark comic book villains may be to integrate them into the films and shows of other MCU heroes and teams.
Technovore, the Controller, Madame Masque, and even Titanium Man are all figures who could play into the upcoming Armor Wars feature film starring Tony Stark's best friend and partner Col. James Rhodes aka War Machine. As this wonderful piece of fanart from Dave Bardin shows, there are still plenty of Iron Man villains who would make great additions to the MCU.
Source: Dave Bardin