Tony Stark's Stan Lee, Larry Lieber, Don Heck and Jack Kirby. Comic icon Lee also gave Tony Stark some of his oldest and most famous villains, with some having already appeared in the MCU and others still waiting for their big break.

Here are the 10 strongest Iron Man villains created by Stan Lee, including some household names and some truly underrated evil-doers. In this list, we're looking at overall power level, comparing the superhuman abilities, hi-tech gadgets and physical limitations of Tony Stark's enemies.

10 Whiplash, aka Blacklash, aka Marco Scarlotti

Debuted in Tales of Suspense #97 by Stan Lee and Gene Colan

Most Marvel fans know Whiplash as Anton Vanko - a newer version of the villain as depicted by Mickey Rourke in Iron Man 2. However, the codename was debuted by Marco Scarlotti - a mercenary working for organized crime group the Maggia (an early stand-in for the Mafia in Marvel lore.) Whiplash had no inherent superhuman abilities, but fought using a bulletproof costume and cape as well as two cybernetic whips that could cut through steel and deliver a deadly electric charge. Scarlotti clashed with Iron Man multiple times but was eventually killed when Tony's armor was taken over by a sentient AI, killing Whiplash to 'protect' Tony.

9 The Unicorn, aka Milos Masaryk

First Seen in Tales of Suspense #56 by Stan Lee and Don Heck

A Russian secret agent who worked with the first Crimson Dynamo (on who more shortly), Milos Masaryk volunteered to be fitted with one of the genius villain's inventions - a power suit which could fire powerful blasts of energy. Unicorn's suit grants him enhanced speed and strength, while nuclear batteries allow him to fire a variety of energy types from the 'horn' on his head. The Unicorn can fire kinetic force and fiery heat, while also being able to create force fields.

8 The Melter, aka Bruno Horgan

Debuted in Tales of Suspense #47 by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko

While today the Melter is seen as a mediocre villain, that's mostly due to his lack of durability. In of offensive power, the Melter is a terrifying foe, with a Melting Ray that can liquify everything from metal to human skin and bone. Other than his glass jaw, Melter's big weakness is that he has to switch settings for different materials, meaning that while he can melt Iron Man's armor, he has to adjust the device before he can also kill the man beneath. Despite this, his weapon can make short work of even Tony Stark's most advanced Iron Man suits.

7 Living Laser, aka Arthur Parks

First Seen in Avengers #34 by Stan Lee and Don Heck

Fanatically obsessed with obtaining power at any price, Arthur Parks transformed his entire body into a construct made of light. Living Laser can control light to fire deadly lasers, as well as being able to turn invisible, construct illusions and turn intangible. However, Living Laser's greatest power is his speed, with his light form allowing him to reach the speed of light after sufficient acceleration.

Living Laser is a longtime Iron Man villain but came into his full power in 2011's Invincible Iron Man #511 by Matt Fraction and Salvador Larroca, where the Mandarin and Ezekiel Stane upgraded his powers alongside several other villains in one of the best redesigns in Marvel history.

6 Titanium Man, Piloted by Boris Bullski and Kondrati Topolov

First Seen in Tales of Suspense #69 by Stan Lee and Don Heck

A former KGB member, Boris Bullski used his position at a labor camp to force imprisoned scientists to build him a powerful suit of armor. Much of the Titanium Man's tech is focused on robbing his enemies of their usual abilities, and the suit includes paralysis beams, power sappers, EMP blasts, and guided 'Radar Rings' which follow and entangle their target. While there have been many versions of both the Titanium Man and Iron Man armors, the Titanium Man suit is generally shown to be stronger than Iron Man, though at the cost of maneuverability and speed.

5 Crimson Dynamo, Piloted by Anton Vanko, Dimitri Bukharin, Valentin Shatalov and Others

First Seen in Tales of Suspense #46 by Stan Lee, Robert Bernstein and Don Heck

Often called the 'Russian Iron Man,' Anton Vanko was a genius inventor who developed many different versions of the Crimson Dynamo armor. The armor can lift over 90 tons and utilizes electric weaponry and missiles. The Crimson Dynamo armor is so durable it has shrugged off direct blows from the Hulk. The Crimson Dynamo has been both hero and villain, often working with Russia's Winter Guard hero team.

4 The Mandarin

First Seen in Tales of Suspense #50 by Stan Lee and Don Heck

Despite being Iron Man's nemesis, Mandarin is a mysterious figure in Marvel lore. A dictator who dreams of world conquest, the Mandarin gained immense power by discovering the Ten Rings - ancient alien technology that gives him a vast range of superpowers:

• Matter-Rearranger Ring/Remaker - Transmutes matter, often to create deadly gases.
• Impact Beam Ring/Influence - Force blasts.
• Vortex Beam Ring/Spin - Allows control over the air, including flight.
• Disintegration Beam Ring/Spectral - Energy beams capable of destroying matter or turning the wearer invisible.
• Black Light Ring/Nightbringer - Creates constructs out of darkness.
• White Light Ring/Daimonic - Can manipulate light for holographic illusions and can be used to hypnotize and persuade.
• Flame-Blast Rin/Incandescence - Fire blasts with the power of a star.
• Mento-Intensifier Ring/The Liar - Can influence the mind, creating detailed mental illusions.
• Electro-Blast Ring/Lightning - Controls electricity.
• Ice Blast Ring/Zero - Projects blasts of intense cold and creates sonic booms.

Mandarin later claimed that each of his rings contained the sentience of an ancient alien warrior, blaming his insanity on their influence. Whether this is true is disputed, but Mandarin seemingly at one point gave each of these intelligences their own robotic body - or rather, he forced Iron Man to do so. As well as his rings, the Mandarin is an expert at manipulating chi and is one of the world's greatest scientific minds. His past inventions include various space stations and teleportation tech.

Due to the early racial insensitivity for the character, Mandarin is rarely seen in modern comics. In the MCU, the Mandarin was revealed to be a fabricated identity and later retconned as a criminal persona of Shang-Chi's father Xu Wenwu.

3 Fin Fang Foom

First Appeared in Strange Tales #89 by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby

A gigantic, dragon-like alien, Fin Fang Foom hails from Maklu IV - the same society that produced the Mandarin's rings. Part of a scouting party sent to Earth, Fin Fang Foom first encountered humans in Ancient China before going into a lengthy hibernation. He has awoken many times since, causing immense destruction with his Hulk-tier strength, fiery breath and shapeshifting powers. Fin Fang Foom is able to manipulate his body on the molecular level, leading to lesser-seen powers including exuding an acid mist, limited telepathy and the ability to expel his negative emotions as separate beings.

Despite his monstrous appearance, Fin Fang Foom is a genius scientist experienced in advanced technology. Fin Fang Foom is perhaps the only force capable of persuading Iron Man and the Mandarin to work together, given the threat the maniacal alien has posed them both in the past.

2 Ultimo

Debuted in Tales of Suspense #76 by Stan Lee and Adam Austin

Ultimo is a gigantic robot with the ability to adapt itself to threats, meaning it can never be defeated the same way twice. Near-invulnerable, the robot is also capable of self-repair, possessing a mechanical healing factor. Ultimo has Hulk-level strength and can absorb and redirect energy, unleashing powerful beams from its eyes. A product of advanced science, little is known of Ultimo's construction, and the robot is capable of infecting living beings, enhancing their bodies while taking control of their minds.

1 Doctor Doom, aka Victor von Doom

First Appeared in Fantastic Four #5 by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby

While Doctor Doom is the nemesis of the Fantastic Four, he also has a personal grudge against Tony Stark's Iron Man. The two have clashed many times in the past, even being transported into the past where they took opposite sides in the battle between King Arthur and Morgan Le Fay. Doom later became the Infamous Iron Man when Tony was presumed dead, believing his old enemy had shown him a possible path to redemption. Seemingly in reference to this story, Tony Stark actor Robert Downey Jr. will soon return to the MCU to play Doctor Doom.

Doctor Doom is a master of both science and magic, with the resources of an entire nation backing up his schemes. Doctor Doom was the other candidate to become Sorcerer Supreme when Doctor Strange was chosen, and rivals Reed Richards as Marvel's smartest man alive. His suit includes a range of weapons and gadgets allowing him to teleport, unleash energy blasts, fly and generate forcefields, while also being ensorceled with a variety of protective spells. While Iron Man's armor is superior to Doom's, Tony has no way of matching the villain's mystical powers.

Stan Lee created some of Iron Man's most powerful villains, from his armored rivals Crimson Dynamo and Titanium Man to the monstrous Fin Fang Foom.

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  Iron Man

  Anthony "Tony" Edward Stark, AKA Iron Man, is a Marvel Comics superhero who has enjoyed several years of the spotlight and has become a mainstay in several Marvel media franchises. After suffering a critical injury, Tony creates a specialized armored suit powered by an arc reactor, which keeps him alive. Egotistical but good-hearted, Tony utilizes his super intellect and inventions to fight to protect humanity from various threats, eventually becoming a founding member of the Avengers. In 2008, the Marvel Cinematic Universe was kicked off with the film Iron Man, which starred Robert Downey Jr. as the superhero.

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  Stan Lee

  Discover the latest news and filmography for Stan Lee, known for Spider-Man and The Avengers.

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