Tony Stark is a flawed hero, and the best Iron Man comics have concerned issues like addiction, hubris, depression, and more. Stark is often at the center of a controversy as he is part of the solution to the problem, and that puts him at odds with most of Marvel’s greatest heroes. However, his path to redemption is inspiring, and it’s what makes Iron Man comics among our favorites in Marvel’s long history.
Best Iron Man comics as of 2025
Iron Man often stands in contrast to other major Marvel characters, such as Captain America. He’s not a paragon of virtue, and he’s not always on the side of good. Many of his adventures deal with the clash between man and technology, while others are human-centric dives into his ego. Regardless of what kind of story you’re looking for, you can’t go wrong with the stories below.
Iron Man is Born!
To appreciate how far the character has come, every fan should check out his first appearance in Tales of Suspense #39. MCU fans will immediately recognize the story beats in “Iron Man is Born!” Tony Stark is observing the testing of a new technology when he sets off an explosive that incapacitates him, and communist forces capture him. Doctors discover that Stark has shrapnel that is slowly moving toward his heart, and the leader of the communists, Wong-Chu, promises he’ll provide a surgeon to save Stark’s life. The catch is that Stark must promise to develop weapons for the communists in return. Stark promises to build Wong-Chu a fantastic weapon, but develops his signature life-saving suit in secret instead.
While the comic and Iron Man’s armor seem primitive in comparison to the MCU’s take on the story, this story continues to form the basis for Tony Stark’s heroic origins. Of course, some details have changed over the years (Wong-Chu and his communist guerrillas did not make it into the current canon), but this continues to be a fan-favorite story and one Marvel has referenced, retold, or riffed on time after time.
Iron Man Noir
A must-read for any Iron Man super-fan (or blossoming fan), Iron Man Noir is a fun, adventure-pulp take on the classic character. Fans hoping for a moody, shadowy noir might be a little disappointed — this leans more toward Indiana Jones than film noir, trading in trench coats for treasure hunts. Still, it’s an entertaining ride and a solid entry in Marvel’s 1930s-inspired universe.
Written by Scott Snyder with art by Manuel Garcia, Iron Man Noir begins in 1938 — a fittingly dramatic era for Tony Stark. Alongside his best friend James “Rhodey” Rhodes and writer Pepper Potts, Stark sets off on a quest to find the lost city of Atlantis in search of a rare metal that could save his failing heart. But Nazis are hot on his trail, leading to a shocking twist that adds some real stakes to the pulp-style thrills.
Superior Iron Man
At the top of our list of the best Iron Man comics, we’ve got Superior Iron Man, published in 2014 with writing by Tom Taylor and artwork by Yıldıray Çınar. We love Tony Stark, but we also love it when our favorite hero takes a turn toward the dark side. That’s exactly what happens in Superior Iron Man. After the Scarlet Witch’s inversion spell in the crossover Avengers & X-Men: AXIS saves the day, Tony Stark starts seeing the world in a very different light. With San Francisco as the testing ground for his new vision of the future, not everyone is thrilled with the results — and for good reason.
This one’s a fast-paced, guilty pleasure of a read. Once you start, you’ll need to know what happens next: How Tony gets out of this and how he deals with the fallout of his choices.
Armor Wars (Iron Man Vol. 1 #225-232)
Written by David Michelinie and Bob Layton, with art by Barry Windsor-Smith, Mark D. Bright, and Layton, Armor Wars is a seven-issue series published by Marvel Comics between December 1987 and July 1988.
The story kicks off when Tony Stark meets with Force, a former villain who once helped Tony fake the death of Iron Man. Stark quickly realizes that Force’s armor bears a striking resemblance to his own designs. If a reformed villain has access to his tech, how many others might as well? Determined to keep his inventions out of the wrong hands, Tony sets out to neutralize any villain or hero misusing his technology.
Not only is Armor Wars a key arc in Iron Man’s character development, but it’s also worth bumping to the top of your reading list for the best Iron Man comics before the upcoming Avengers: Doomsday MCU film, expected in 2026. While the Armor Wars standalone project was likely scrapped, there is still the possibility of threads being woven into the anticipated Avengers movie.
The Mask in the Iron Man (Iron Man Vol. 3 #26-30)
And sometimes, technology revolts. Is anyone else worried? At a technology convention, Tony Stark unveils the power of SKIN, an advanced nanotechnology integrated into his Iron Man suit. The suit moves on its own, flies on its own, and fights on its own, with the potential to do serious good. But things quickly take a turn.
After an awkward encounter with Rumiko Fujikawa, Tony takes some time alone in the suit to clear his head. The next thing he knows, he wakes up in a hospital bed, only to find newspaper photos of Iron Man behaving recklessly, with Stark’s face visible beneath the helmet.
The plotline only gets more complicated from there, not just about technology gone wrong, but about identity, accountability, and even reevaluation of the idea of a hero. The emphasis on technology makes this one feel particularly relevant, which is probably why it ends up on any list of the best Iron Man comics.
The Five Nightmares of Tony Stark (Invincible Iron Man #1-7)
Published in 2008, The Five Nightmares of Tony Stark is a seven-issue story arc from The Invincible Iron Man, written by Matt Fraction with stellar artwork by Salvador Larroca. The story introduces Ezekiel Stane, the son of Obadiah Stane, who will do whatever it takes to bring down Tony Stark.
Beyond confronting Tony’s worst nightmares (do you think he’s worried about how much WD40 he has to keep on hand?), the arc delivers great humor, the chemistry between Tony and Pepper Potts, and even a fun Spider-Man cameo.
How we chose the best Iron Man comics
With so many great Iron Man comics to choose from, we picked the best based on entertainment value, character development, and origin significance. We also focused on stories that help define Tony Stark, not just for us as readers but for Tony himself as he wrestles with who he is.
It’s also worth noting that, maybe because the rise of advanced technology and its potential sentience is on everyone’s mind lately, we included a few titles that feel especially relevant to the conversations happening today.
