Iron Man is one of the most important characters in the Marvel Universe. He helps build the Avengers and usually uses his fortune for good. Of course, without one man, it’s hard to imagine Tony Stark having the status that he does now. Iron Man was a respectable Marvel hero for years, but never hit the levels of Spider-Man or Wolverine until Robert Downey Jr. entered the picture. Marvel Studios took a risk by handing the keys to the Marvel Cinematic Universe to him, and it paid off big time. He appeared in a trilogy of his own, four Avengers movies, a Spider-Man solo film, and Captain America: Civil War.
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There’s enough Iron Man content in the MCU to float a helicarrier, and more is probably on the way, given that Downey Jr. is back in the fold as Doctor Doom. However, while the world waits with bated breath for the return of the king, there are plenty of Iron Man projects to check out in another medium. Here’s every animated version of Iron Man, ranked.
18) Fantastic Four: World’s Greatest Heroes
Iron Man can’t always be the star of the show, and he certainly isn’t in Fantastic Four: World Greatest Heroes. In the short-lived animated series, an Iron Man armor starts making trouble for the titular team, forcing them to seek out Tony. It turns out that Doctor Doom is behind the whole thing, which means Iron Man doesn’t have much time to show off.
17) Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends
Older superhero shows have plenty of charm, but they can struggle to make their characters anything but one-note. Iron Man’s appearances in Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends are nothing to write home about, as he mostly just offers support to Peter Parker, Iceman, and Firestar.
16) LEGO Iron Man
Marvel loves collaborating with LEGO on sets, video games, TV shows, and movies. Iron Man frequently shows up in kid-friendly projects, so he has to tone down his attitude a bit. He still has his moments, but even the best ones aren’t good enough to earn him a better spot on this list.
15) The Marvel Super Heroes
Iron Man has been around so long that he was part of the first show about Marvel characters. The Marvel Super Heroes follows the adventures of Captain America, the Hulk, Namor, Thor, and Iron Man, with each hero getting their own block of episodes. While they’re not anything special, being the first has to count for something.
14) Avengers Assemble
The version of Iron Man that appears in Avengers Assemble doesn’t beat around the bush, bringing together Earth’s Mightiest Heroes after the death of one of their own. The series’ inciting incident ensures that Tony is always bringing his A-game, even in the face of insurmountable odds.
13) Marvel’s Super Hero Adventures: Frost Fight!
Heroes get to celebrate holidays too, and that doesn’t sit right with Loki, who starts stirring up trouble in Marvel’s Super Hero Adventures: Frost Fight! Being a one-off movie, there isn’t much time to flesh out Iron Man’s character. However, he still gets to participate in some fun action sequences while fighting frost giants.
12) The Invincible Iron Man
The Invincible Iron Man is an interesting case because it pits the titular hero against an underrated villain from the comics, the Mandarin, who doesn’t get enough run in animation. Its version of Tony leaves a lot to be desired, though, as it puts his worst qualities on display without embracing many of the good ones.
11) Iron Man
Iron Man is so popular that he ventures into anime territory. Madhouse’s solo series sends Tony to Japan, where he trains a group of pilots to take over for him. Taking the hero out of New York works to his benefit, even if it’s hard not having the other usual Marvel suspects around.
10) M.O.D.O.K.
Marvel is at its best when it can lean into the more ridiculous aspects of its material, and M.O.D.O.K. certainly opens the door for that. The animated series focuses on the villain and his desire to control the world. Iron Man frequently gets in his way, and what’s great about this version is that the character’s voice actor, Jon Hamm, isn’t doing an RDJ impression.
9) Marvel Disk Wars: The Avengers
After developing a program to store the powers of superheroes, Tony Stark finds himself on the wrong side of it in Marvel Disk Wars: The Avengers. His partner, Akira Akatsuki, is the one calling the shots, figuring out when it’s a good time to unleash Tony. Their dynamic is excellent and one of the more unique ones in Marvel history.
8) The Super Hero Squad Show
While it’s tough to embrace LEGO Tony Stark because he’s a dumb-downed version of a great character, The Super Hero Squad Show finds the right balance. Tony’s sense of humor remains intact as he fights alongside all his fellow heroes. The other thing working in this iteration’s favor is the show’s great theme song, which makes every episode better.
7) Next Avengers: Heroes of Tomorrow
Tony’s playboy lifestyle makes it hard to view him as a father figure. However, in Next Avengers: Heroes of Tomorrow, he has no choice but to step up after his invention, Ultron, wipes out the Avengers, leaving their children alone. He puts his life on the line for the next generation in an emotional story.
6) Iron Man: Extremis
Putting a motion comic on this list is sort of unfair, but Iron Man: Extremis is so good that it deserves a spot. Based on Warren Ellis and Adi Granov’s epic story, the series focuses on Tony’s fight to retrieve a dangerous serum from the wrong hands. Voice actor Jason Griffith knocks it out of the park, seamlessly transitioning comic book dialogue into a new medium.
5) Ultimate Avengers
The Ultimate Avengers duology brings the controversial Marvel reality to life. All of the heroes have an edge that’s not usually present, including Tony, who’s quick to call out his fellow heroes if he feels a situation going south. There’s really no other way to do it when trying to stop an alien invasion.
4) MAU Iron Man
The top four are where things really start to get serious. The Marvel Animated Universe gives Iron Man plenty of time to shine in his own show and others. There aren’t many stones left unturned as Tony fights nearly all of his iconic comic book villains. Robert Hays deserves a lot of credit for the character’s success, as he delivers a masterful performance.
3) What If…?
Since the MCU version of Iron Man is the best, it should come as no surprise that his variants are near the top of this list. Tony appears in a few episodes of What If…? and always makes an impact, even if it’s dying at the hands of Killmonger. No press is bad press in the superhero game.
2) Iron Man: Armored Adventures
Almost all Marvel shows featuring Iron Man portray him as an adult, since he has to endure more than a few traumatic events to become a hero. Well, Iron Man: Armored Adventures takes a different approach, focusing on a younger version of the character that has to balance saving lives with being a kid. The shift is worthwhile, as Adrian Petriw’s take on the character is unlike anything Marvel has done before.
1) Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes
Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes is the gold standard of Marvel TV shows, never pulling its punches and unafraid to tackle the wilder storylines. Its version of Iron Man benefits greatly from this attitude, as he gets to show off both his stern and softer sides. There are also plenty of opportunities for him to show off his combat skills as he goes up against Thanos and other evildoers.
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Image Courtesy of Marvel Comics
