Bold Fashion Choices--The Golden Avenger!!

As many of you know, in his very first appearance, Iron Man's armor was all grey. But in his second story, in Tales Of Suspense #40 (1963), he switched to an all-gold look.

BTW, that makes two Marvel icons--Iron Man and Hulk--who started out grey in their first issue and immediately switched. Hmmm. Yet unlike the Hulk, where no in-story explanation was given for the switch, Iron Man had a very, very important reason for going gold.

Why did Tony Stark change his armor? One reason, and one reason only--to be popular!!

We start of as Tony Stark takes his beautiful date Marion to the circus--because that's where all billionaire playboys take their dates--and all the animals break out!! This is clearly a job for--IRON MAN!!

But...



There you go, folks, the essential difference between Tony Stark and Bruce Wayne. Stark just wants to be loved, even in his hero identity, and can't stand it if people are frightened of his costume. Batman, of course, would relish such a reaction.

So powerful is Stark's craving to be a beloved idol, he decides to take super-hero fashion advice from his date of the hour:


Uhh...Medieval knights DID wear "awful dull grey (and silverish) armor," honey. They weren't running around in gold.

So, if a villain were to dress in all gold, everyone would assume he was a hero??

Still, Marion is very pretty, so of course Stark takes her advice to heart:

Yup...he doesn't change the armor at all, he just paints it!!

Yes, "leave it to a woman." Sigh. Well, at least he's not "drab" anymore!!

But, Tony Stark is nothing if not insecure, so within a year he would change once again to the more familiar red and gold--doubtless because some date he took to the roller rink said "Tcch, that Iron Man is so monotone!! He should accessorize more...and maybe some red, so we would know he's a red-blooded American!!"