Iron Man is an American fictional character, a superherowho appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by writer-editorStan Lee, developed by scripter Larry Lieber, and designed by artists Don Heck and Jack Kirby. He made his first appearance in Tales of Suspense #39 (March 1963).An American billionaire playboy, industrialist and ingenious engineer, Tony Stark suffers a severe chest injury during a kidnapping in which his captors attempt to force him to build a weapon of mass destruction. He instead creates a powered suit of armor to save his life and escape captivity. He later uses the suit and successive versions to protect the world as Iron Man. Through his corporation ― Stark Industries ― Tony has created many military weapons, some of which, along with other technological devices of his making, have been integrated into his suit, helping him fight crime. Initially, Iron Man was a vehicle for Stan Lee to exploreCold War themes, particularly the role of American technology and business in the fight againstcommunism. Subsequent re-imaginings of Iron Man have transitioned from Cold War themes to contemporary concerns, such as corporate crime andterrorism.Throughout most of the character's publication history, Iron Man has been a member of the superhero team theAvengers and has been featured in several incarnations of his own various comic book series. Iron Man has been adapted for several animated TV shows and films. The character is portrayed by Robert Downey, Jr. in the live action film Iron Man (2008), which was a critical and box office success. Downey, who received much acclaim for his performance, reprised the role in severalMarvel Cinematic Universe films, including two Iron Mansequels and The Avengers (2012). Iron Man was ranked 12th on IGN's Top 100 Comic Book Heroes in 2011.