Starting this Friday, April 24, a new Nicktoons Network/Marvel Animation series starts to follow the teenage years of Marvel's armored super hero. Yes, a teenage Tony Stark struts his stuff in Iron Man: Armored Adventures.
After the insane success of last year's Iron Man movie with Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark, it's only natural that Marvel would want to capitalize on the phenomenon. But when I heard about this series, I was worried. A teenage Iron Man? How would they pull that off?
Well, honestly, they don't pull it off. The best way I can put it is that you have to take Iron Man: Armored Adventures and assume it's in a parallel universe where things are different than the main Iron Man timeline (which 2008's Iron Man movie and next year's Iron Man 2 movie do recognize). So if you take the new animated series out of the main Iron Man context, the rest of it works fine.
In this alternate universe, Tony Stark is a teenager who's best friend is Rhodey (James Rhodes). Tony just happens to be an inventive genius, just like his father, Howard Stark, the head of Stark Industries. Except for the teenager part, this is pretty much the same background as Iron Man.
In the first episode, "Iron Forged in Fire, Part 1" we see Tony finish creating the Iron Man armor which he tries to show to his father. But before he can do so, he and his father are in a plane crash. His father is killed and Tony is mortally wounded. The Iron Man suit saves him and gives a new electronic heart in the process. Obadiah Stane, one of Howard Stark's right-hand men, steps in to take control of Stark Industries, effectively shutting Tony out of the corporation and his former home until Tony is 18.
Article comments
1 - Fortress Guy
It will be good to see another season. They more-or-less cared for the source material. The armors are mostly fun, the Mandarin is back, and the unibeam is round. Plus the action scenes were planned out well.
Here is my take on the show with lots of pics and a little wit if you are interested.
2 - Fitz
@Fortress Guy - Great article on your site. I agree with everything. It's a bit of a contrived twist on Iron Man to make everyone teenaged, but at least it's fun and watchable (unlike far too many other cartoons on the air right now). Thanks for the comment!!