Editing Iron Man (section)

== Themes and motifs ==
=== Politics and economics ===
Iron Man was more overtly political than other [[Silver Age of Comic Books|Silver Age]] Marvel characters.{{Sfn|Wright|2001|p=222}} Lee wrote the character to represent [[liberal capitalism]], fighting against communism and other [[anti-democratic]] forces.{{Sfn|Patton|2015|p=15}}{{Sfn|This|2015|p=17}}{{Sfn|Dunn|2010|p=20}} Though anti-communist sentiments were present throughout Marvel Comics, they appeared most prominently in Iron Man stories.{{Sfn|Patton|2015|p=10}} After Marvel shifted away from addressing foreign conflicts toward the end of the 1960s, Iron Man was portrayed as a [[Liberalism|liberal]] who was skeptical of the U.S. government, yet also opposed [[radical politics|radicalism]]; at the time associated with [[counterculture of the 1960s|1960s counterculture]].{{Sfn|Wright|2001|pp=241–243}} Marvel portrayed Iron Man as more self-doubting, questioning when the use of force is justified against communism.{{Sfn|Cooley|Rogers|2015|p=88}}{{Sfn|Curtis|2010|p=238}} By 1975, Iron Man opposed the Vietnam War,{{Sfn|Wright|2001|pp=241–243}} which gave the character a new motivation in making up for his promotion of violence in the past.{{Sfn|Robichaud|2010|p=54}} Iron Man's use of his vast resources as a protector was reframed as a cautionary tale, in which these resources could be co-opted to do harm. His motivation for providing weapons to the government was retroactively changed so Stark only got involved because he believed it would end the war more quickly.{{Sfn|Dunn|2010|pp=20–22}} Over time, writers portrayed Iron Man as a [[philanthropist]].{{Sfn|Henebry|2015|p=103}}

The dual role of Iron Man and Tony Stark allows for the examination of both the perspective of an individual inventor and that of the bureaucracy of governments and corporations, respectively.{{Sfn|Genter|2007|pp=967–968}} His business Stark Industries is depicted as a force for good that advances scientific knowledge through capitalist innovation.{{Sfn|Cooley|Rogers|2015|p=80}} The Iron Man persona itself, as well as the technology Iron Man uses, are proprietary assets owned by Stark Industries.{{Sfn|Malloy|2010|p=115}} Reflecting his characterization as a businessman, Iron Man stories often invoke themes of [[economic competition]], seeing him face characters who try to develop better versions of the Iron Man armor.{{Sfn|Zanco|2015|p=168}} Many of Iron Man's challenges involve corrupt business rivals and [[corporate espionage]].{{Sfn|Darowski|2015b|p=175}}

=== Technology ===
Technology and its influence on society are common themes in Iron Man stories,{{Sfn|Vohlidka|2015|p=121}}{{Sfn|Hogan|2009|p=201}} and various writers have portrayed him as a technological marvel since his earliest appearances.{{Sfn|Patton|2015|p=14}} The character's use of technology, both as a weapons manufacturer and as Iron Man, explores problems that arise from progress and advancement,{{Sfn|Curtis|2010|pp=236–238, 240}} including misuse of technology and the implications of [[cybernetics]].{{Sfn|Curtis|2010|pp=240–241}} Iron Man's position within the suit allows for discussion regarding [[automation]] versus human oversight of technology,{{Sfn|Mulligan|2015|pp=206–207}} and it reflects the debate on how new technologies are incorporated into public and military use, including the use of exoskeletons and battle suits.{{Sfn|Rieder|2010|pp=42–45}} These technological themes are explored through a modern lens during the "Extremis" story arc, which incorporates the idea of [[human enhancement]] through [[biotechnology]].{{Sfn|Michálek|2015|pp=194–195}}{{Sfn|Hogan|2009|p=210}}

Depictions of technology in Iron Man stories have often endorsed its use to alter the natural world.{{Sfn|Alaniz|2015|pp=58–59}} This is in contrast with Silver Age Marvel stories, where radiation and other technological advancements were portrayed as dangerous.{{Sfn|Cooley|Rogers|2015|p=80}}{{Sfn|Zanco|2015|p=164}} Iron Man's engineering talent is key to his heroism, unlike other heroes who use engineering to supplement superhuman abilities.{{Sfn|Dunn|2010|pp=7–8}} This makes it more plausible that something like Iron Man could exist in the real world, as it is only technological advancement that separates Iron Man from reality.{{Sfn|Rieder|2010|p=39}}{{Sfn|Zehr|2011|p=154}} Iron Man's power of flight is especially significant in the technology's symbolism, as it associates traditional heroic imagery with a technological component, giving this power to a man who created it himself in a [[Transcendence (philosophy)|transcendental]] fashion.{{Sfn|Faller|2010|pp=258–260}}

=== Armor ===
{{Main|Iron Man's armor}}
[[File:Iron Man's armors.jpg|thumb|left|alt=Several versions of Iron Man in a group; four wear red and gold armor, two wear red and silver armor, two wear all-gold armor, and one wears blue armor|Variations of the Iron Man armor from ''Iron Man'' #258.1 (May 2013). Variant cover art by [[Bob Layton]].]]
Iron Man does not have any superhuman abilities. Instead, he derives his strength from a [[powered exoskeleton|powered armor]] of his own design.{{Sfn|Vohlidka|2015|p=132}} The armor is equipped with various weapons, which include "repulsor rays" in each palm that project [[particle beam]]s as well as a stronger "unibeam" on his chest.{{Sfn|Hoskin|2010|loc=Iron Man Update}} As of 2010, Marvel described Iron Man's armor as being able to lift 100 tons and to fly at [[Mach number|Mach 8]].{{Sfn|Hoskin|2010|loc=Iron Man Update}}

Marvel initially depicted the armor as powered by [[transistor]]s,{{Sfn|Patton|2015|p=8}} but this was replaced with [[integrated circuit]]s as real-world technology advanced.{{Sfn|Ridout|1992|p=5}} New designs have further miniaturized the technology, ultimately incorporating [[nanotechnology]].{{Sfn|Dunn|2010|pp=14–15}} Developments in the armor's design often reflect real-world advances in technology and trends in science fiction.{{Sfn|Mulligan|2015|p=205}} The changing nature of the armor allows artists to make frequent changes to the character's appearance without controversy.{{Sfn|Hogan|2009|p=201}} Iron Man has also created specialized models for specific purposes,{{Sfn|Zehr|2011|p=6}} including space armor, stealth armor, and deep sea armor,{{Sfn|Ridout|1992|pp=6–7}} as well as the Hulkbuster armor to engage in combat with the Hulk.{{Sfn|Zehr|2011|p=6}}

Prior to Iron Man's surgery, the armor's primary function was to produce a magnetic field that protected his heart from the shrapnel in his body. His efforts to keep it charged and to keep it secret drove the story's plot.{{Sfn|Mulligan|2015|p=208}} From its first appearance, Stark has controlled the armor by linking it to his brainwaves,{{Sfn|Hogan|2009|p=203}} and he must calibrate it to any allies who use it.{{Sfn|Zehr|2011|p=78}} The armor is often shown to have some method of shrinking it down to make it portable when not being used.{{Sfn|Zanco|2015|pp=164–165}}

Iron Man stories contrast the armor's strength and the vulnerability of the human inside it.{{Sfn|Zehr|2011|p=166}}{{Sfn|Mulligan|2015|p=208}} The armor protects Iron Man externally from attacks, but it also protected him internally when it kept his heart beating.{{Sfn|Hogan|2009|p=203}} The form-fitting design of many Iron Man armors emphasizes this with a human figure in an otherwise robotic-looking character.{{Sfn|Patton|2015|p=15}}

During the "Extremis" story arc, Iron Man adopted a biotechnological armor embedded in his DNA and stored in his bones. This allowed him to summon the armor from within his body and control it with his mind, effectively giving him superhuman abilities. This reduced the [[input lag]] between his brain and his armor, allowed him to mentally interface with any technology in the world, and gave him the focus to engage in several unrelated tasks at once.{{Sfn|Mulligan|2015|pp=213–214}}{{Sfn|Zehr|2011|pp=37–38}}{{Sfn|Dunn|2010|p=18}} The Extremis technology also converted Iron Man's mind into a digital storage device to create a back up of his memories. It also presented a weakness, as Iron Man's archnemesis Mandarin was able to access and manipulate the data.{{Sfn|O'Sullivan|2016|loc=Iron Man Update}} Iron Man gave up the Extremis armor after it was compromised with a computer virus by the [[Skrull]]s, who used it to disable Earth's defenses during an invasion.{{Sfn|Mulligan|2015|p=216}}