Iron Man Variant Sees Tennis Player Coco Gauff Teaming With Marvel’s Ironheart

Tennis player Coco Gauff appears alongside Marvel superhero Ironheart on a newly revealed Invincible Iron Man #7 variant cover by Romina Jones. The Invincible Iron Man #7 Coco Gauff variant cover is the latest entry in the rare collectibles line curated by sports and entertainment agency hustl. The Invincible Iron Man #7 Coco Gauff variant is limited to 3,000 copies exclusively available through the hustl. website beginning on June 28th. The press release from hustl. describes the 19-year-old Coco Gauff as a “young tennis prodigy” who “continues to capture the world’s attention with her extraordinary talent and remarkable achievements on and off the court.”

The release continues, “Gauff has already established herself as a force to be reckoned with in the world of professional tennis, making a significant impact on the sport. Gauff is a well-known Marvel fan and is excited to make her debut on a Marvel comic book cover.”

Gauff says, “As an avid Marvel fan, it’s surreal to be on a Marvel cover, especially with one of my favorite characters who is such a strong and powerful young woman.” hustl. COO Keri Harris adds, “Being able to feature Coco Gauff with Ironheart is truly special. They both represent power and grace as they fight for positive impact in the world.”

Who is Ironheart?

Ironheart Riri Williams, who made her cinematic debut in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever ahead of the upcoming Ironheart series on Disney+, debuted in Marvel Comics in 2016. Dominique Thorne debuted in a supporting character role in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Her first major role in the Marvel Cinematic Universe will be leading the Ironheart streaming series. 

Created by writer Brian Michael Bendis and artist Mike Deodato, Riri Williams debuted in Marvel Comics in 2016, taking over for Iron Man at a time when Tony Stark was believed dead. Her origin involves reverse-engineering Iron Man’s armor into a suit for herself before eventually getting a new one with Iron Man’s blessing.

In Invincible Iron Man #7, per Marvel’s solicitation, “Tony Stark is in dire need of a win! But how does he plan to get ahead? By building a new suit of armor! The suit’s first objective? Infiltrate and destroy Stark Industries!” Gerry Duggan writes the issue with art by Juan Frigeri.

hustl. Describes itself as “a retailer for exclusive Marvel custom comics & variants featuring world-class athletes and entertainers.” Some of its other exclusive Marvel Comics variants include an Avengers #58 cover with Bo Jackson wielding Thor’s hammer and Captain America’s shield, a Wolverine #22 cover with Brian Dawkins delivering a “fastball special,” an Amazing Spider-Man #1 cover spotlighting Eminem, a Deadpool #1 variant with Notorious B.I.G., and a Black Panther #1 variant with Saquon Barkley standing side-by-side with Black Panther.

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, directed by Ryan Coogler, is streaming now on Disney+. The Ironheart streaming series, which pits Riri Williams against Marvel villain The Hood (Anthony Ramos), debuts on Disney+ in 2024. Since Ironheart made her Marvel Cinematic Universe debut in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, some fans wonder if a Wakandan character like Shuri or Okoye could show up in the Disney+ show. Dominique Thorne had some thoughts about that.