Editing Iron Man (section)

== Reception and legacy ==
Iron Man's appearances in the 1960s saw mixed reception from readers, many of whom criticized the character for his association with the United States military and the controversial Vietnam War.{{Sfn|Mills|2013|p=123}}{{Sfn|Henebry|2015|p=110}} In response, Marvel rewrote the character in the 1970s to moderate his image and to have him directly reflect on his culpability in the harms caused by war.{{Sfn|Henebry|2015|p=111}}{{Sfn|Cooley|Rogers|2015|p=88}} According to Lee, Iron Man was the most popular hero when reading fanmail from female readers, which he attributed to both the character's charisma and his tragic nature.{{Sfn|Dunn|2010|p=23}}

Many stories featuring the character have achieved critical acclaim. "Demon in a Bottle" in ''Iron Man'' #120–129 (1979) is celebrated as the definitive Iron Man story for exploring the depth of his character through his alcoholism. "Doomquest" in #149–150 (1981) is a popular favorite for its lighter tone and its establishment of a rivalry between Iron Man and Doctor Doom. "Armor Wars" in #225–232 (1987–1988) is credited for developing Iron Man's personality as someone willing to be more aggressive at the expense of his alliances and public trust. "Extremis" in ''Iron Man'' Vol. 4 #1–6 (2005–2006) is recognized as a landmark for a new modern era of Iron Man comics.<ref name="Schedeen">{{Cite web |last=Schedeen |first=Jesse |date=2013-05-02 |title=Top 25 Iron Man Stories |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2013/05/02/top-25-iron-man-stories |access-date=2024-07-10 |website=[[IGN]]}}</ref><ref name="Garza">{{Cite web |last=Garza |first=Joe |date=2022-06-28 |title=The 15 Best Iron Man Comics You Need To Read |url=https://www.slashfilm.com/910464/the-best-iron-man-comics-you-need-to-read/ |access-date=2024-07-10 |website=[[SlashFilm]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Hunt |first=James |date=2008-04-28 |title=Alternate Cover: the best and worst Iron Man stories |url=https://www.denofgeek.com/culture/alternate-cover-the-best-and-worst-iron-man-stories/ |access-date=2024-07-10 |website=[[Den of Geek]]}}</ref><ref name="Lydon">{{Cite web |last=Lydon |first=Pierce |date=2022-01-19 |title=Best Iron Man stories of all time |url=https://www.gamesradar.com/best-iron-man-stories/ |access-date=2024-07-10 |website=[[GamesRadar+]]}}</ref> Other celebrated stories include "Deliverance" in ''Iron Man'' #182 (1984), the "Iron Monger Saga" in ''Iron Man'' #190–200 (1984–1985), and "World's Most Wanted" in ''Invincible Iron Man'' #8–19 (2009).<ref name="Schedeen" /><ref name="Garza" /><ref name="Lydon" /> Iron Man's characterization in ''Civil War'' (2006–2007) was received negatively, with most readers seeing him as the villain.{{Sfn|Darowski|2015a|pp=181–185}}

Iron Man became widely popular following the success of the 2008 film ''[[Iron Man (2008 film)|Iron Man]]'', which made him one of Marvel's most recognizable characters,{{Sfn|Darowski|2015|p=1}} and the film is credited with redefining the [[superhero film]] genre.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Crump |first=Andy |title=Why ''Iron Man'' was the most pivotal movie of the last decade |url=https://theweek.com/articles/766420/why-iron-man-most-pivotal-movie-last-decade |access-date=September 5, 2023 |website=[[The Week]] |date=May 2, 2018 |archive-date=September 5, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230905041917/https://theweek.com/articles/766420/why-iron-man-most-pivotal-movie-last-decade |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Robinson |first=Joanna |date=November 29, 2017 |title=Marvel Looks Back at ''Iron Man''—the Movie That Started It All |url=https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2017/11/marvel-looks-back-at-iron-man-the-movie-that-started-it-all |access-date=September 5, 2023 |magazine=[[Vanity Fair (magazine)|Vanity Fair]] |archive-date=October 4, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231004015909/https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2017/11/marvel-looks-back-at-iron-man-the-movie-that-started-it-all |url-status=live }}</ref> Since then, many publishers have listed Iron Man among the top ten in lists of best superheroes and best Marvel characters.<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Macias |first1=Gil |last2=Hughes |first2=William |last3=Smart |first3=Jack |last4=Jackson |first4=Matthew |last5=Gajjar |first5=Saloni |last6=Carr |first6=Mary Kate |last7=Barsanti |first7=Sam |date=July 8, 2022 |title=The 100 Best Marvel Characters Ranked: 20–1 |url=https://www.avclub.com/top-marvel-movie-characters-ranked-1849148779 |access-date=November 21, 2022 |website=[[The A.V. Club]] |archive-date=August 3, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220803135005/https://www.avclub.com/top-marvel-movie-characters-ranked-1849148779 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Cartelli |first=Lance |date=February 15, 2018 |title=The 50 Most Important Superheroes, Ranked |url=https://www.gamespot.com/gallery/the-50-most-important-superheroes-ranked/2900-473/#42 |access-date=November 21, 2022 |website=[[GameSpot]] |archive-date=November 21, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221121142547/https://www.gamespot.com/gallery/the-50-most-important-superheroes-ranked/2900-473/#42 |url-status=live }}</ref> Iron Man's portrayal of futuristic technology has affected public image of how these technologies may develop. Heavy use of [[augmented reality]] interfaces by Iron Man, in his helmet's [[heads-up display]] and elsewhere, has informed public awareness of the technology.{{Sfn|Pedersen|Simcoe|2012}} In 2019, a statue representing the character in his Iron Man armor was erected in [[Forte dei Marmi]], Italy, to memorialize the character's actions in ''[[Avengers: Endgame]]'' (2019) and as a reminder that "the future of humanity depends on our decisions ... that all of us must be heroes!".<ref>{{Cite web |last=Weiss |first=Josh |date=September 5, 2019 |title=Italy erects Iron Man statue to honor Tony Stark's noble death in ''Avengers: Endgame'' |url=https://www.syfy.com/syfy-wire/iron-man-statue-italy-avengers-endgame |access-date=November 21, 2022 |website=[[Syfy]] |archive-date=November 21, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221121135300/https://www.syfy.com/syfy-wire/iron-man-statue-italy-avengers-endgame |url-status=live }}</ref>