Iron Man Needs To Have Children, And Even Marvel Knows It

Warning: contains spoilers for Hulk #4!

Marvel’s Iron Man would be a better character if he had kids, and even the company readily admits it. Tony Stark is best known as a freewheeling, rebellious arms dealer-turned superhero in both the world of Marvel Comics and the Marvel Cinematic Universe – but ever since the debut of Avengers: Endgame, fans have slowly lost interest in the character. Hulk #4 puts forth a fantastic way to save Tony Stark from the dreaded list of once-popular superheroes: finally allow him to become a father.

The MCU made Iron Man a parent, albeit all too briefly. In the aftermath of Avengers: Infinity War, in which the heroes of Earth astonishingly lost to Thanos and the population of the universe was halved, Tony Stark retired to the country to live a (relatively) technology-free life with Pepper Potts. Together, they had a daughter named Morgan Stark, and Tony fought for her life during the entirety of Avengers: Endgame (to the point where he was adamant that the five years post-Thanos shouldn’t be undone, as new lives shouldn’t be erased).

In Hulk #4, Bruce Banner enters a parallel universe in which President “Thunderbolt” Ross used the power of the gamma bomb to radically change the universe’s landscape. The X-Men were eradicated, and Spider-Man was horrifically affected by radiation and hideously mutated into a spider-like creature. As for Tony Stark, his entire company became obsolete following the gamma revolution, and he eventually drank himself to death. “He left no heirs,” the article solemnly claims – but the final line only underscores Tony’s need to become a father, even (especially) in the darkest of times.

DC Comics has challenged many of their flagship heroes by turning them into parents. The Flash, Batman and Superman are all fathers, and their children are all interesting characters in their own right (and some, like Jonathan Kent and Damian Wayne, have become superheroes themselves). Iron Man’s character would change drastically were he to become a father, and Marvel could finally progress the character from an irresponsible man-child into a parental figure.

The 616 version of Iron Man has never had biological children that stuck around for a long story arc, but the time is ripe for the character to finally grow and mature. Tony Stark has proven himself to be a hero, but that was evident ever since his debut during the Silver Age. Iron Man needs to become a father, lest the hero fade in popularity all over again.