The origin of an obscure Superman foe from the 1970s is a dark, twisted version of Iron Man. In issues 147 and 148 of 1972’s Superman’s Pal, Jimmy Olsen, introduced readers to Victor Volcanum, who used his scientific knowledge to harness the power of a live volcano, a power he planned to use to conquer the world. Much like Tony Stark, Victor was forced to develop this technology to save his life–but unlike Stark, he would go on to use it for evil purposes.
When readers first met Iron Man in Tales of Suspense #39, his origin was rooted in the then-growing Vietnam conflict. Weapons designer Tony Stark was visiting the area when he was kidnapped by terrorists, who forced him to design new weapons for them; during his captivity, Tony would design the first Iron Man suit, which he used to overpower his captors. The entire experience was an eye-opener for Tony, who after seeing the extent of the destruction his technology had brought, decided to use his talents for good, fighting evil as Iron Man. Yet what if Iron Man had followed a darker path? An obscure Superman villain, named Victor Volcanum, gave readers a glimpse at what that might look like.
In the two-part story, stretching across Superman’s Pal, Jimmy Olsen #147-148, written and illustrated by Jack Kirby, Jimmy and the Newsboy Legion found themselves the “guests” of Victor Volcanum. From his lair in a zeppelin tethered to a live volcano, Victor relates his origin: he was once an adventurer, from a different era. His hot-air balloon was blown off course, bringing him to an island with a volcano. Using the technology that survived his crash, he was able to extract a life-giving elixir from the “fiery energies” that surrounded him. Next, using metal from ships that washed ashore, Victor built an army of robots and eventually, a base inside the volcano. The years of isolation drove Victor mad, and rather than share his fantastic discoveries with the world, he decided to conquer it. However, Jimmy and the Newsboy Legion, along with Superman, foiled Victor’s plans.
A Darker Twist on Iron Man's Origin
When faced with life or death situations, ones that required them to use their technological prowess to survive, Iron Man and Victor Volcanum both made the best of it–but it was what happened after that truly matters. Iron Man saw the light, learning what it meant to truly be a hero, and would go on to save countless lives. Victor Volcanum, on the other hand, took the potentially world-altering technology he developed during his exile and used it to try and make himself its leader. As Superman points out, Victor spent many years in isolation, which could have potentially led him down the dark path, but as clearly seen in his origin story, he could have developed tech that would have allowed him to leave at any time. Victor had a choice, and he chose evil.
Unlike Victor, Tony Stark chose to become a better person, devoting his life to the cause of good as atonement for the sins of the past. However, one obscure Superman villain flipped the script on Iron Man’s origin, giving it a much darker spin.