Iron Man Iron Man a 2nd Tier Character?

[NoirMan82]

It's weird. I've been hearing a lot of media outlets refer to Iron Man as a 2nd tier Marvel character. To me, Iron Man has always resembled the cream of the crop in the Marvel Universe. For the last few years he's been, IMO, one of the biggest and most important characters around. I just was wondering where the fans see his place in the cultural hierarchy. Is he A-team, B-team, or somewhere in the middle?

 

[Visionary]

Yep, Iron Man is a 2nd tier Marvel character, he way beneath Spider-Man, Hulk, Captain America, Wolverine, etc. But what Marvel is smart at doing is putting their 2nd tier character in movies, this moves them up in rank quite a bit, if they can pull off even a small hit. But this looks to be a nice size hit for Marvel, so that changes things.

 

[Spade]

I don't think he's so down there that people would put preference on Cap, and Wolvie's way overrated in every medium. Still, even with his big role in Civil War he's remained a little low in standings. This movie proves to the general public that he deserves more recognition.

 

[DownAztlan]

It's weird. I've been hearing a lot of media outlets refer to Iron Man as a 2nd tier Marvel character. To me, Iron Man has always resembled the cream of the crop in the Marvel Universe. For the last few years he's been, IMO, one of the biggest and most important characters around. I just was wondering where the fans see his place in the cultural hierarchy. Is he A-team, B-team, or somewhere in the middle?

Well, Iron Man is absolutely a central figure within the Marvel Universe- he may be one of the two or three most important characters within that universe the last few years.

BUT- his cultural impact outside of the comics is nowhere near that of Spidey/ Hulk/X-men, etc. and his own comic books have never sold at the levels of the of those characters.

This is all these people are referring to when they say Iron Man is a "Tier 2" character.

It doesn't mean he's Moon Knight or something- a chatracter that doesn't really have any impact or a central role in the comics.

 

[DoubleM]

He's a top character because he uses his money to keep the Avengers a float.
He is also Marvel's answer to Batman

 

[JP]

Well, I've never been a real fan but after this movie I'm so adding Iron man to my pull list.

 

[TNC9852002]

The way I see it, if he's 2nd tier, he's at the top. If he's 1st tier, he's at the bottom.

-TNC

 

[DownAztlan]

You know, one of the many great things about this movie is I think it is going to remind tons of people- including comics writers- what the essence of the Tony Stark/ Iron Man character is.

Last few years there have been a few lazy writers- mostly in other character's books- who just paint him as this one-dimensional egoist.

There are two new Iron Man titles launching this month (one is a 3 or 4 issue arc written by Favreau) that look like they are going to be pretty great.

 

[Spade]

Well, I've never been a real fan but after this movie I'm so adding Iron man to my pull list.

I know I'm probably plugging a book I'm reading, but...read the Knauf's run on the main title. Iron Man: Director of SHIELD is an amazing read right now, and the art is about as good as it gets.

 

[chiefchirpa]

Used to be a 2nd rater.

However, now in the comics he's the front and center of the Marvel Universe as the superhero who lead hundreds of other superheros in the Superhero Initiative. So big role in current comics, big movie, now up it's up to Marvel to put more coal into the bonfire.

 

[JP]

I know I'm probably plugging a book I'm reading, but...read the Knauf's run on the main title. Iron Man: Director of SHIELD is an amazing read right now, and the art is about as good as it gets.

Thanks. I'll be sure to.

 

[NoirMan82]

I see what you guys are saying. I think with the movie being a given hit, IM is moving to the cultural A-list.

 

[irapogi]

Well, Iron Man is absolutely a central figure within the Marvel Universe- he may be one of the two or three most important characters within that universe the last few years.

BUT- his cultural impact outside of the comics is nowhere near that of Spidey/ Hulk/X-men, etc. and his own comic books have never sold at the levels of the of those characters.

This is all these people are referring to when they say Iron Man is a "Tier 2" character.

It doesn't mean he's Moon Knight or something- a chatracter that doesn't really have any impact or a central role in the comics.

this says it all.

 

[Raiden]

I see what you guys are saying. I think with the movie being a given hit, IM is moving to the cultural A-list.

Yeah, I can see Iron Man becoming an A-list character like Spidery, Batman, Supe, Wolverine, etc.

 

[Spade]

Well, his books were initially influenced by anti-communist sentiment. It's easy to see how it became hard to expand upon that later on. Spidey, however, plays on the everryman angle and Hulk explores the dangers of radiation along with the idea of a heroic monster. Those are much easier to work with. So it's to be expected that Iron Man doesn't have the immediate appeal of those two.

 

[NoirMan82]

Well, his books were initially influenced by anti-communist sentiment. It's easy to see how it became hard to expand upon that later on. Spidey, however, plays on the everryman angle and Hulk explores the dangers of radiation along with the idea of a heroic monster. Those are much easier to work with. So it's to be expected that Iron Man doesn't have the immediate appeal of those two.

That's true. I always though IM's origin was a little more sophisticated in terms of maturity than alot of other heroes.

 

[ssj wolverine]

Impact culturally? He is nothing compared to Spidey, X-Men and Hulk.

 

[ultimatefan]

IM is an important Marvel character, but a second tier if you compare him to Spidey or Bats or Hulk in terms of mainstream culture knowledge. My sixty-seven year old mom who never read superhero comics in her life and only digs Tom and Jerry and Woody cartoons knows who Batman, Spidey or Hulk are. If you ask who´s IM, she´ll have no clue. He didn´t have a very popular cartoon or live-action TV show, any major mainstream exposure prior to the movie.

 

[Metal Spidey]

It's weird. I've been hearing a lot of media outlets refer to Iron Man as a 2nd tier Marvel character. To me, Iron Man has always resembled the cream of the crop in the Marvel Universe. For the last few years he's been, IMO, one of the biggest and most important characters around. I just was wondering where the fans see his place in the cultural hierarchy. Is he A-team, B-team, or somewhere in the middle?

Maxim magazine called him a B-list superhero and I was sitting there thinking, "has this person ever read a Marvel comic book before?"

Iron Man may not be as big as some of the other Marvel characters but he's not a B-lister.

 

[Kirk Langstrom]

It's weird. I've been hearing a lot of media outlets refer to Iron Man as a 2nd tier Marvel character. To me, Iron Man has always resembled the cream of the crop in the Marvel Universe. For the last few years he's been, IMO, one of the biggest and most important characters around. I just was wondering where the fans see his place in the cultural hierarchy. Is he A-team, B-team, or somewhere in the middle?

One thing's certain: Iron Man is DEFINITELY A-list NOW.

 

[Ita-KalEl]

Iron man is a character of the range of Masked Rider, but he is PERFECT for the cinema.

A good movie about Iron Man can be the coolest movie ever (metal armors, missiles, tanks, military aircrafts, robots etc.) , while a good movie about Captain America (for example) could seem a piece of crap by the teen-agers.

 

[ultimatefan]

Maxim magazine called him a B-list superhero and I was sitting there thinking, "has this person ever read a Marvel comic book before?"

Iron Man may not be as big as some of the other Marvel characters but he's not a B-lister.

But that´s the point, you´re B-list when people who never read comics don´t know you.

 

[bullets]

There have been numerous attempts to bring spiderman , hulk and the x-men into different outlets. Those guys are huge compared to iron man. however this movie will move iron man up the list. For those who read comics Iron man is considered one of the best . I had always looked at him that way.

 

[terry78]

I've never viewed him as second tier, ever. He's been a massive staple of the Avengers for years, he's fought most of the big bads of other characters over and over, and beat them down. The only issue is that he's somewhat older, and has had that alcoholism thing and is more of an "adult" superhero, so he's not exactly first in line to be on lunchboxes and pajamas.

 

[Knightsaber Priss]

I have a feeling that after this movie has been in the theaters Ironman will no longer be a Second Tier character.