Even thought its only been about a week, I feel like I've been working on this for about 2 years, so I'm going to call it a day and post it.
I really love this month's theme, great job everyone so far.
The "Iron Man" project was Sir Anthony Starke's life's work. He built his suit of armour using rare alloys sythesized in his own laboratory that made it virtually indestructible, and absolutely one of a kind. Utilizing steam, gears, and pneumatics; the suit increased the wearer's strength 100 fold, and was equipped with the world's most advanced military weaponry. The suit was designed to be a one-man army, that would protect the empire from outside attack. The only flaw in the suit's design was the lack of a power source great enough to sustain its operation for long periods of time. Although he worked on other projects, and his company flourished, Starke toiled for years to solve the “Iron Man's” energy dilemma.
One night while leaving his laboratory, Starke was shot in the chest by hired thugs who stole the notebook containing the “Iron Man” blue prints. The ordeal left Starke very near death with a chest full of bird shot. The pellets moved closer to his heart each hour and the outlook was grim. It was through the skill of his colleague, alchemist and mage, Steven Strange that he was saved. On his death-bed, Stark worked with Strange to design a device that would be implanted into his chest, repelling the metal fragments from his heart. This device harnessed zero-energy currents along with magnetic fields and Starke's own life force, tapped by Strange's magic. Essentially, it created a pipe-line into Starke's very soul. The result, was a delicate balance of technology and magic that held the fatal shot in place.
As Starke recovered, he learned that the men who robbed him that night were hired by Obidiah Staine, his second in command. Stane sought to supplant Starke as the chief of Starke Industries, and use his technology for more aggressive expansion, wiping “undesirables” off the face of the globe. Through month's of careful development and experimentation, Starke found a solution to the “Iron Man's” design flaw. He learned that he was able to connect the machine's generators directly to the device that he and Strange built. It acted as a valve of sorts, spreading his life force, or ether, throughout the entire machine. This new configuration gave the “Iron Man” a nearly limitless power supply, and made Starke the only person on the earth would could pilot it. With his creation, Starke set out on a crusade to rid the world of the hidden evils that plague it.... to alway stand up for justice, civility, and right.
I based the pose and image on this Avengers comic book cover: 
Baggers 
t:
)
