Summary

• In Ultimate Invasion #4, Howard Stark sacrifices everything to bring down the evil Mr. Fantastic, inspiring his son Tony to become Iron Lad.
• Tony Stark's self-centered mindset and pig-headed streak often hinder his ability to see other perspectives and be a team player.
• Howard Stark's selfless motivation to end evil shows that he may be the true Ultimate Iron Man, compared to Tony's controversial actions and narcissistic nature.

Warning: SPOILERS for Ultimate Invasion #4In his guise as Iron Man, Tony Stark is one of Marvel Comics’ most iconic and complex heroes. While the Armored Avenger has helped save the world more times than anyone could count, Stark’s own mistakes have caused their fair share of problems just as often. And with a new Ultimate Universe introducing fans to a brand-new Iron Man, Tony’s father, Howard, has proven that making up for one’s mistakes is a major part of the Iron Man legacy.

Ultimate Invasion #4 by Jonathan Hickman, Bryan Hitch, Andrew Currie, Alex Sinclair, and VC’s Joe Caramagna sees the Howard Stark iteration of Iron Man sacrifice everything to bring down the Maker. Trapping the evil Mr. Fantastic within the time-altered City, this new Iron Man finally gives the world a chance to grow out from under his grasp at great personal cost.

Even further, his actions inspire his son Tony to take up the mantle of Iron Lad, giving the younger Stark an opportunity to step into the identity he was born for and to prove himself as noble as his father. But while most Iron Men are no strangers to saving the world, this is probably the most explicitly heroic action fans have seen from the Armored Avenger in a while.

Howard Stark Just Showed Tony How To Be Iron Man

Iron Man has proven himself to be a hero in similar situations on countless occasions. But like all great characters, Tony Stark is still vulnerable to his own human shortcomings. Frequently, Stark’s faults manifest themselves in the form of a pig-headed streak where even as Tony is fighting for what he believes is right, he doesn’t always do the best job of seeing other perspectives. And despite Iron Man's long-standing association with the Avengers, this sort of mindset means that Tony isn't always the best team player, while also making a lot of his conflicts feel that much more self-centered.

In a similar situation, it’s likely that the son would follow in the footsteps of the father and that Tony Stark would willingly sacrifice himself to save the world, just like Howard. But Iron Man has also shown that he’s more than willing to make other sacrifices if he truly believes it’s right. Tony’s controversial actions during both of Marvel Comics’ Civil War series, as well as his formation of the Illuminati, his actions during the fan-favorite “Armor Wars” storyline, and even his own origin as Iron Man speak to this single-mindedness, and each instance has greatly impacted his singular nature as an arguably narcissistic hero.

Tony Stark Is Just A Man – Iron Or Not

Tony Stark is so focused on the parameters of his individual mission that it can be hard for him to step back and focus on the greater good as others might see it. Even now, Iron Man has teamed up with the X-Men to bring the fight to the anti-mutant organization Orchis, but would Tony Stark really be quite as involved if he hadn’t first been targeted by Feilong and his allies? This Ultimate version of Howard Stark is no saint, but the moment he realizes the depth of the Maker’s depravity, he devotes himself to ending it – a more selfless motivation than Iron Man has had in a while.

Arc-reactor aside, Iron Man’s heart is practically always in the right place, but his confidence in his own genius can get in the way. Tony Stark may have created the legacy of the Armored Avenger, but he’s not the only one who can lay claim to it. And when compared to the controversial actions of his son, it seems that Howard Stark is truly Marvel Comics’ Ultimate Iron Man.

Ultimate Invasion #4 is on sale now from Marvel Comics.