Included are villains who are predominantly associated with Iron Man or have a significant history with him. Villains who have only limited encounters with Iron Man are not included.
Atom-Smasher is an environmentalist. His actions against Stark Industries' nuclear energy facilities convince James Rhodes, then the company's CEO, to divest from the project.[5]
Blizzard is a Hungarian scientist who studies cryogenics. He uses a cryogenic suit that allows him to project ice and waves of cold.[9] Before he was Blizzard, Shapanka used the name Jack Frost.[3] He is killed by Iron Man 2020.[10]
After Shapanka's death, Justin Hammer gave the criminal Donny Gill a cryogenic suit, and Gill became the new Blizzard.[9] Gill then works with the Masters of Evil and the Thunderbolts.[10]
Boomerang is a former Major League Baseball who becomes a boomerang-throwing villain for the Secret Empire.[11]
Bruce Babbage
N/A
Invincible Iron Man Vol. 2 #25 (2010)
A military general in the U.S. Army who wanted to stop Tony Stark from being Iron Man and use his armor as a military weapon.
Cassandra Gillespie
N/A
International Iron Man #1 (2016)
Cassandra Gillespie is an international arms dealer and was a childhood love interest of Tony Stark when he was studying at the University of Cambridge.[12][non-primary source needed]
Commander Kraken is a pirate who uses a submarine to attack ships. Initially introduced as a villain of Namor, he later faces the Cat and then Iron Man. He briefly works for HYDRA and is later killed by the Scourge of the Underworld.[13]
The Controller wears a powered armor that gives him superhuman strength, and he uses discs to control the minds of others.[3] He also invents a method to sap mental energy from people to increase his own power.[14]
Turgenov was on the team that helped Anton Vanko invent the Crimson Dynamo armor. He and Black Widow are sent to the United States by the Soviet government to seize Vanko and the armor following Vanko's defection. Turgenov acquires the suit and defeats Iron Man, but Vanko sacrifices himself to kill Turgenov in an explosion.[16]
Nevsky was on the team that helped Anton Vanko invent the Crimson Dynamo armor. While under suspicion for collaborating with Vanko after the latter's defection, Nevsky flees to the United States. He builds a new Crimson Dynamo armor and attacks Iron Man for leading Vanko to defect. He flees and takes refuge in Vietnam, but he is arrested, returned to Russia, and executed. The armor is then worn by several other people who do not use it to fight Iron Man.[16]
The Detroit Steel armor is constructed by Justine Hammer and Sasha Hammer as a new version of the Iron Man armor. They hire Johnson to use it, but he is turned to stone during the "Fear Itself" storyline. He returns, but Sasha then kills him so she can use the armor.[17]
Sasha Hammer is the daughter of Justine Hammer and the Mandarin. She begins a romantic relationship with Zeke Stane, who augments her body with energy whips, durability, and the ability to fly.[18] She takes the Detroit Steel armor following Johnson's apparent death, and she kills him when he returns.[17]
Larionov uses the Devastator armor, which was created by the Gremlin for the Soviet Union. He comes into conflict with Iron Man while working with Valentin Shatalov, the Crimson Dynamo. Before Larionov, the Devastator armor was originally used by Kirov Petrovna to battle the Hulk.[19]
The Dreadnoughts are robotic soldiers. The original Dreadnought is invented by HYDRA. More Dreadnoughts were created by the Maggia using stolen blueprints and by Zeke Stane for Mandarin's use.[21]
Edwin Cord is a military contractor who competes with Stark Industries. He equips the Raiders and Firepower to fight Iron Man, as well as the The Jury to fight the Thunderbolts.[23]
Firebrand presents a radical militant alternative to Iron Man's liberalism. After facing discrimination and seeing peaceful protests fail, he begins engaging in violent acts of protest.[24] Firebrand uses flamethrowers in combat.[3] His grievances are portrayed sympathetically and cause Iron Man to question the state of society that led to Firebrand's creation.[26] Initially portrayed as a black nationalist, he is later reinvented as a more destructive anarchist fighting corporations.[27] He is killed by the Scourge of the Underworld, revived by the The Hood, and killed again by the Punisher.[25]
Firepower is an armored riot control unit created by Edwin Cord and Justin Hammer with stolen Stark technology on behalf of Senator Boynton. When Iron Man begins hunting people who used his stolen technology, Cord hires Jack Taggert to use the armor. Iron Man fakes his death at the hands of Firepower, but he then returns to defeat Firepower and have him arrested.[30]
Ghost is a corporate spy and saboteur who develops a suit that renders him intangible.[14] He wishes to destroy corporations and has been hired by several groups to do so.[32]
Grey Gargoyle is a villain who invents a chemical that lets him turn objects to stone by touching them.[4] He is first introduced as a Thor villain.[36] Grey Gargoyle comes into conflict with Iron Man after he is empowered and mind controlled by Mokk during the "Fear Itself" storyline.[37]
Guardsman is a friend of Tony Stark who uses a green and blue armor. He becomes an enemy of Iron Man when he attacks a crowd that is protesting against Stark Industries.[38] After O'Brien's brother steals the armor to get revenge, it is later revealed that the armor's malfunctioning circuits had caused the already unstable wearers to go insane.[39]
Obadiah Stane is a business rival of Tony Stark who takes over Stark's company, leaving Stark impoverished and homeless.[15] Stane creates his own armor using Stark's technology. When Iron Man defeats him, Stane uses the armor's weapons to commit suicide.[14]
Norman Osborn, the Spider-Man villain Green Goblin, becomes the leader of H.A.M.M.E.R. and the Dark Avengers to combat Iron Man during the Dark Reign storyline.[43] When Stark erases the registry of superhero secret identities to keep it from Osborn, Osborn declares him a fugitive. Stark and Osborn then fight, with Osborn wearing a modified Iron Man armor and calling himself the Iron Patriot.[44]
Justin Hammer is a business rival of Tony Stark. He works with criminals, providing them with equipment so they can fight Iron Man.[15] He is the primary antagonist of the Armor Wars storyline.[43]
Kang is a villain of the Avengers who envies Iron Man's technological abilities. One of the most poorly received Iron Man stories features Kang brainwashing Iron Man and turning him evil.[43]
DeWitt is the son of a failed businessman. When he becomes jealous of Tony Stark, he builds his own armor and hacks Stark's bio-prosthetics to control his nervous system.[45]
Michael Korvac is a man from the 31st century. He is augmented by the Badoon so the lower half of his body is a computer, and he becomes more powerful when he absorbs the power cosmic. He travels to the 20th century where he is killed by the Avengers.[46]
Madame Masque is the daughter of the crime lord Count Nefaria. She was Tony Stark's love interest until she betrays him to protect her father in Iron Man #116–117 (1978).[49] She then succeeded her father as leader of the Maggia.[43] Madame Masque began wearing her gold mask because she had scars across her face.[14]
Mallen is the antagonist of the Extremis storyline, where he uses the Extremis virus to physically enhance himself.[3] When Mallen defeats Iron Man, Stark uses the Extremis virus and biologically connects himself to the Iron Man armor's interface.[50] Iron Man then kills Mallen.[51]
The Mandarin is based on Fu Manchu and Yellow Claw.[52] The Mandarin uses a set of ten alien rings, each one giving him a different superhuman ability. The Mandarin is regarded as Iron Man's archenemy.[14]
Temugin is the son of the Mandarin.[3] When his father dies, Temugin takes the ten rings and becomes the new Mandarin so he can fight Iron Man to avenge his father.[53] Though he eventually rids himself of the rings, his father is revived and reclaims them.[54]
Doyle is a mercenary who retrieves a stolen Mauler armor on the behalf of its creator, Edwin Cord. He then keeps the armor to use in his work as a mercenary. He gives up the armor when confronted by Iron Man, but he later acquires a new suit.[56]
Melter is a former weapons manufacturer who went out of business after his equipment failed safety inspections. He creates a melting beam to attack Stark Industries and then joins the Masters of Evil among other groups. He is later killed by the Scourge of the Underworld. [57]
Midas is a Greek businessman who wishes to take over Stark Industries. He rescues Whitney Frost and gives her the identity of Madame Masque, but after working for him she betrays him in favor of Tony Stark. Midas gains a controlling share over Stark International, but his mind is destroyed by an accidental psychic attack from Marianne Rodgers. After recovering, he body turns to gold and he gains the ability to turn other things to gold.[59]
A hooded man that uses a magical transforming doll (similar to a voodoo doll) which he stole from an African wise-man to attack Iron Man after he causes pain to millionaires to try to make them sign over their fortunes, and Tony Stark becomes his next target. His first appearance was in Tales of Suspense #48. He caused Tony to create a newer, slimmer suit. He is defeated when Iron Man uses a device to remodel the doll to Mr. Doll's semblance, meaning when he drops it, he is knocked unconscious.
Nikita Khrushchev was the real-life premier of the Soviet Union. He was portrayed in Iron Man comics from 1963 to 1965 as the mastermind behind several villainous plots. In these appearances, he is depicted as viciously cruel and driven by rage.[61]
The Red Barbarian is a member of the Soviet Army. He is depicted as a caricature of Russians, where he is shown to be violent, angry, and gluttonous.[65]
Dr. Ted Slaght is a scientist and former teacher of Tony Stark that works for Stark Enterprises. A terrible accident transforms him into a liquid metallic form called Slag and he wants revenge on Tony Stark for "betraying" him.[67][non-primary source needed]
Spymaster is a criminal trained by Taskmaster. He is the leader of the Espionage Elite and he sometimes works as an agent of the Zodiac and Roxxon Oil.[68] He steals the blueprints for the Iron Man armor and sells them to Justin Hammer.[43] Spymaster is betrayed and killed while on a mission with Ghost, who makes him intangible and then solidifies him inside of a wall.[68]
Lemon is one of several candidates hired by Justin Hammer and trained by Taskmaster to be the new Spymaster, and he is chosen after killing the others. He fights Iron Man several times and briefly learns his secret identity before having the memory erased. He is later captured and arrested.[68]
Abbot learns Iron Man's secret identity and order's Lemon's killing in prison so he can become the new Spymaster. On a mission to assassinate Tony Stark, he is ambushed by Stark's ally Happy Hogan, who is seemingly killed in their fight.[68]
Is a genius in the field of cybernetics and the CEO of Baintronics, Inc. As Madam Menace she sold high-tech weaponry to criminals throughout the underground.[69][non-primary source needed] She's a former love interest and business rival to Tony. Her human body was destroyed so she became AI.[70][non-primary source needed]
Termite is a mutant who can dissolve matter. He is hired by Obadiah Stane to sabotage Fetison Electronics, but he loses his powers when a mutant neutralizer is used on him.[73]
Tiberius Stone is Tony Stark's childhood friend and the son of a rival businessman. As an adult, he blames Stark for his family's failure, so he ruins Stark's reputation with false news stories and steals his girlfriend Rumiko Fujikawa.[74]
Titanium Man is a Soviet counterpart to Iron Man.[61] When he is introduced, Bullski is a Soviet commissar. He uses a new version of Anton Vanko's Crimson Dynamo armor to fight Iron Man, where he is defeated by Vanko. Bullski then becomes the Titanium Man in a large suit of green armor and challenges Iron Man to a battle on behalf of the Soviet Union.[75][14] Titanium Man's armor is significantly larger than Iron Man's.[15]
A Soviet robot that was stranded on the Moon since 1972. Udarnik possesses two personalities: Udarnik is programmed to build, while Shockworker is used in defense and attack.
The Unicorn begins as a villain working for the Soviet Union.[61] He uses a helmet with a unicorn horn that fires energy blasts.[3] The Unicorn denounces the Soviet Union to be an independent villain in Iron Man #4 (1968).[79]
Vibro is a seismologist who gained the power to project vibrational force in an accident. His powers are based on his proximity to the San Andreas Fault, and he is powerless when lifted off of the ground.[80]
The Virtual ORganism/Turing EXperiment is a sentient computer program that installs itself inside of Iron Man and takes control of his body to destroy its creators. Tony Stark inflicted pain on VOR/TEX, causing it to delete itself out of fear.[81]
Mark Scarlotti is a member of the Maggia when he invents a technological whip and becomes Whiplash. He uses the name Blacklash while working for Justin Hammer. He then retires, and he is killed by Iron Man's sentient armor after he returns as Whiplash.[82]
Wong-Chu is a North Vietnamese communist general.[85] He kidnaps Tony Stark in Vietnam, causing Stark to invent the Iron Man armor.[83] He is the first villain Iron Man faced.[3] It is later established that he was acting on behalf of the Mandarin.[86]
Zeke Stane is the son of Obadiah Stane, the Iron Man villain Iron Monger.[14] He uses a biological armor with which he modifies his own body.[15] He also develops a way to create powerful biological suicide bombs with Stark's technology and recruits minions to carry out acts of terrorism.[87]
Advanced Idea Mechanics (AIM) is an organization of scientists who wish to increase their own power. They are the creators of another Iron Man villain, MODOK.[14]
Initially introduced as enemies of Daredevil, the Ani-Men are a group of animal-themed criminals brought together by the Organizer. Two iterations of the Ani-Men come into conflict with Iron Man and the Avengers.[88]
The Espionage Elite are the minions of Spymaster. Multiple incarnations of the Espionage Elite have been formed, each from a group of five international mercenaries.[90]
The Raiders were created by Edwin Cord as a demonstration to convince S.H.I.E.L.D. to hire him as a weapons developer. He later uses them to attack Iron Man.[91]
The Seekers are three brothers (Chain, Grasp, and Sonic) who defected from AIM to build their own power armor and operate as independent villains. They later go on to fight other superheroes and support the Secret Empire. Grasp is then replaced by two new member (Fireball and Laserworks).[92]
Black Widow is introduced as a femme fatale agent working for the Soviet Union on a mission to steal Iron Man's technology. When she is forced by the Soviet government to become a supervillain, she defects to the United States where she becomes a superhero and joins S.H.I.E.L.D.[94]
The Crimson Dynamo begins as an agent of the Soviet Union who invents his own version of the Iron Man armor.[97] When he is surprised by Iron Man's mercy, he defects to the United States and begins working for Stark.[61] In his loyalty to the United States, he sacrifices himself to defeat Boris Bullski.[98] Many villains succeeded Vanko as new versions of the Crimson Dynamo.[43]
Fin Fang Foom is a Makluan alien shapeshifter who takes the form of a large reptilian monster. He seeks to take over the Earth until he reforms and converts to Buddhism.[14]
Force becomes a villain by stealing a force field projector and incorporating it in a suit of armor. After a fight with Namor, he is hired by Justin Hammer to engage in illegal operations. He grows remorseful and helps Iron Man fight Justin Hammer, and in return he is hired by Stark Enterprises under a new name. He later helps Iron Man in several fights against supervillains.[99]
Hawkeye decides to seek glory as a superhero, but he falls in love with Black Widow and agrees to help her in her villainous pursuits. He reforms after Black Widow does and joins the Avengers.[101]
