By David W. Powers
For Weekly Surge

What happens when you mix an actor who is a reformed drug addict with a reformed alcoholic superhero and then throw in super-powered, technologically advanced body armor? Well, mix it up with cool co-stars, a hotshot director, and a multi-million dollar budget and you have the recipe for the first potential summer blockbuster of the year and the latest movie adaptation of a Marvel Comics franchise.

"Iron Man" debuts nationally on Friday (with some sneak peaks locally today and tonight) and promises a wild ride. As Kahn of "King of the Hill" once said, "It's time for razzle dazzle."

The razzle dazzle is one of the reasons "Iron Man'' has already garnered so much hype. Ordinary movie fans are always amped up to see a special effects-rich film, but, as a rule, comic book fans expect more than visual flash when their heroes come to the sliver screen and are some of the hardest people to please. Jason Wheatley, a sales associate for the Heroes Aren't Hard to Find comic book store in Charlotte, N.C. understands the dilemma filmmakers adapting comic books face: how to please hard core comic fans and attract the general movie going populace. "Comic fans are notoriously picky. They just need to be happy that they're getting a comic movie and the studios need to worry about pleasing the larger audience so they can make money," said Wheatley.

Other comic book store owners echoed Wheatley's sentiments. Gary Colabuono, is the former owner of Moondog's in Chicago, which was at one time the largest comic book retailer in the country. "Comic fans know that Hollywood will take liberties. As long as it's cool it'll be okay. With the advent of CG (computer graphics) effects they can port the comic page to the big screen much more believably, and that is key for comics fans."

Steve Haines is the managing partner of Corsair Comics in Myrtle Beach and is stoked to see "Iron Man'' hit theaters. "It's going to be awesome and might even surpass the 'X-Men' films. Though the X-Men have a broader comic fan base, 'Iron Man' will have broader appeal even outside the comic world. The movie has awesome armor, lots of explosions, and hot women."

Jeff Bock isn't the comic book fan that Haines, Colabuono, and Wheatley are. Rather, as a Box Office Analyst for Los Angeles-based Exhibitor Relations Co., Inc., his job is to track the financial forecasts for movies pure and simple, comic book-based or otherwise. He predicts dollar signs for "Iron Man." "I expect 'Iron Man' to be one of the top five movies of the summer. While the Man of Iron certainly won't eclipse 'Spider-Man 3's' $151 million opening from last year, I do see it inching towards $100 million opening weekend."

Compare that to last week's top grossing movie, "Baby Mama,'' which pulled in $17 million during its opening weekend and you can see that "Iron Man'' is set to crush the competition if analysts such as Bock are on the money with their predictions.

"In today's market, comic book movies and their sequels are certifiable box office gold. They have literally become safety nets for studios. Comic book movies offer up the ultimate show on the biggest canvas available."

BEHIND THE IRON MASK

One man likely very happy with this safety net is Jon Favreau, the director of "Iron Man," who is best known for directing "Zathura" and "Elf,'' writing the '90s cult classic "Swingers,'' and starring in "The Break-Up" and "The Replacements." He also appeared in a comic book movie, "Daredevil,'' as Foggy Nelson, Daredevil/Matt Murdock's law firm partner. "Iron Man's'' lead character Tony Stark, the man behind the mask, is played by Robert Downey Jr. Based on sneak peek video clips and movie trailers, he plays the character perfectly, easily adapting to his mannerisms, cockiness, and playboy attitude. The comic book community seemed nearly united in its praise of Downey being cast as Stark and the metal-clad superhero. The oft-troubled actor doesn't necessarily come to mind when you think of superheroes, but read on, true believer.

Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) builds his suit of armor in a scene from "Iron Man." - Courtesy photo

Any unity among comic book fans for a movie casting is virtually unheard of. Even Downey was surprised. In a recent interview in May's Wizard Magazine he said, "I think it was the most favorable casting response they'd ever had which is just so weird to me." Maybe it's the fan base involved. Many comic fans are also so-called geeks - not respected for their hobbies or propensity to read graphic novels as opposed to literature-based novels. This unity of support for Downey could be the mass of underdogs and downtrodden supporting a fellow underdog. Or it could be that despite Downey's past proclivities for illegal and addictive substances, he is spot on as Tony Stark. Anyone can pretend to be a guy completely encased in metal. It's the representation of the alter ego that makes "Iron Man" complete. As Haines stated, "Who else could really play an alcoholic womanizing billionaire? I'm just glad they decided against Tom Cruise."

Iron Man is a Marvel Comics superhero, born from the same company that brought you Spider-Man, Captain America, the Hulk, X-Men, and Daredevil. For those who aren't comic book aficionados, Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman inhabit the D.C. Comics universe, Marvel's prime competitor. For fans, it's kinda like Coke vs. Pepsi, or Clemson vs. University of South Carolina.

Iron Man made his debut into the comic world in March 1963 in Tales of Suspense #39. Iron Man's creator is the ever-popular icon of the comic book industry, Stan Lee. Lee almost always makes a cameo appearance in movies adapted from Marvel Comics. He also made a memorable appearance in Kevin Smith's "Mallrats." Though popular, Colabuono sees Iron Man as more of a team player. "He was always a second-tier guy like Captain America. In fact, they teamed up in Tales of Suspense back in the mid-60s," he said.

So why is Iron Man getting his own movie?

Doug Jones is perhaps Myrtle Beach's resident Iron Man expert and megafan. "I've been a big fan since the early 1970s. I like that he works well as two different people, both as Iron Man and as the rich guy." Jones' biggest claim to fame as an Iron Man fan is a collection of issues 1-94 of the original series. Already valuable, the collector price for those issues will only rise with the popularity of the new movie.

As Jones alluded to, it's the depth in character, especially Iron Man's alter ego, that should make for compelling cinema.

Stark (i.e. Iron Man) is a wealthy industrialist and inventor who is gravely injured and taken captive, while on a sales trip for his weapon-making company. His captors force him to collaborate with another prisoner and build weapons for them. Instead, he builds the first Iron Man suit and blast his way to freedom. Basically, it's his way of saying, "Screw you guys. I'm going home."

There are a lot of similarities between Stark's character and that of Bruce Wayne, better known as Batman. Batman, a D.C. character, was created more than 20 years earlier than Iron Man and enjoyed a huge outpouring of fan favor and sales success. At that time in the comic book publishing world, similar characters were often created by competing companies to capitalize on the competitor's success. Both Stark and Wayne are industrialists made wealthy by family fortunes and enterprises handed down to them following the death of their parents. The 2008 Fictional 15 ranking in Forbes magazine rated Stark as number 10 among the wealthiest fictional characters. Wayne topped him at no. 8. Both are intellectual geniuses. Stark was also awarded the number four rank in Business Week magazine in 2006 among the most intelligent superheroes. Again though, Wayne topped him by taking the no. 1 spot. Another similarity between the two is that both of them possess no superpowers. They are just ordinary rich guys who fight crime through the use of superior training and technology.

Haines sees Stark as a piece of the dream we all aspire to. "He created the American dream in his life and worked his way up the ladder socially and professionally to the top."

Although perhaps loosely based on Wayne, the truth is that Marvel guru Lee actually patterned Iron Man/Stark on Howard Hughes, a well-known industrialist and eccentric, who, incidentally was portrayed by Leonardo DiCaprio in "The Aviator." There are possibly more important similarities between Stark and Hughes than he and Wayne. As quoted in a 1997 column by Lee called Stan's Soapbox, he said, "Howard Hughes was one of the most colorful men of our time. He was an inventor, an adventurer, a multi-billionaire, a ladies' man and finally a nutcase." His idea for Stark was a great man who contributed to society, but like Hughes, possessed a great flaw.

Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) and Obadiah Stane (Jeff Bridges) in a scene from "Iron Man." - Courtesy photo

Stark's main flaw is the side effects he experiences as the result of an injury sustained while in captivity. The suit of armor he constructed and later modified not only gives him great superiority in strength and weaponry, it also keeps him alive. When he was wounded and captured a piece of shrapnel lodged in his chest near his heart and could not be removed without killing him. The chest plate of the Iron Man suit was built to protect him and keep the schrapnel from piercing his heart. In essence, he can never get completely away from the suit and the role it places him in. To explain the constant prescence of Iron Man in connection with Stark and his company, the cover story is that Iron Man is Stark's bodyguard and corporate mascot. Eventually his heart problem is repaired by a transplant.

Lee's idea was to create a businessman superhero and a man of his times. In 1963 when Iron Man debuted, his captors were communist Vietnamese guerrillas. It made sense, because that was the area for an arms developer to be peddling his wares. The Vietnamese conflict was heating up with recent French withdrawals and our budding entry into the region. Communists also made for easy enemies in the '60s, feeding off of post-McCarthyism. In the movie, a more recent conflict is featured as Downey's Stark is seen in Afghanistan hawking new, advanced weaponry developed by Stark Industries.

Some of the more popular weaponry built into the suit in the comic books is shown prominently on the movie trailers. The primary offensive weapons are repulsor rays fired from the palms of his gauntlets. Think of them as energy bolts that will make evildoers think twice about doing bad things. The previews also show mini rocket launchers and of course, the ability to fly. Other weapons have been used in the comic books, but it remains to be seen if they will be used in the movie. They include a uni-beam projector in his chest, an electromagnetic pulse generator, and the ability to generate various energy fields. If you look hard enough, you might be able to find a toaster oven and microwave in there somewhere as well.

As specific types of armor were needed in the comics, Stark developed specialized suits for many different occasions. At times he wore space armor, a deep-sea diving suit and even stealth armor. Most fans have their favorite suit of armor, usually based on looks, function, or how it was used in a story. Jones has a clear favorite. "I like the original gray suit from the first issue. I'm a comic book purist."

There was also at one time Hulk-buster set of armor for doing battle with the big green guy. You may see this one in a future movie. Keep your eyes peeled for this summer's "Incredible Hulk" sequel starring Edward Norton. In the Hulk movie, you'll see Robert Downey Jr. as Stark in a cameo role. He appears with General Ross, played by William Hurt. The cameo takes place after Iron Man, so you know that Stark is eyeballing the Hulk with the potential for a future battle in mind. Rumors are circulating that an Avengers movie is in the works, too, which would combine Iron Man, the Hulk, Captain America, and other heroes and villains into a single super-powered movie.

Jim Rhodes (Terrence Howard) and Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) in a scene from "Iron Man." - Courtesy photo

A STARK REALITY CHECK

But having heart trouble isn't Stark's only flaw.

The stress of leading a double life, managing a growing weapon-making enterprise, sleeping with different women every night, stashing away a virtually unlimited income, and living with a bad ticker proved to be too much for Stark. In 1979, Iron Man became the first alcoholic superhero to appear in Marvel's pages. This garnered a huge amount of press beyond the comic book world with the cover of Iron Man #128 titled "Demon in a Bottle." In it, a haggard Stark is looking at himself in a mirror over the Iron Man helmet, a spilled glass, and a bottle of whiskey. He eventually pulled through and overcame his dependency on the bottle and thus became the first recovered alcoholic superhero. Then a few years later a ruthless rival, Obadiah Stane, fights Stark in the corporate arena and the stress is too much again. He then becomes the first recovered and relapsed alcoholic superhero as he falls again into the clutches of alcoholism. This time he goes even further and becomes the first homeless vagrant superhero as well. Heeding an unwritten rule in the hero community to never fly drunk, he gives up the armor and walks away from the hero business for a while. His trusted friend and right hand man James Rhodes takes over the armor and becomes Iron Man for a few years in the comic world.

Downey followed a similar path as Stark - although his much publicized battle with substances was real. From the 1990s through the first few years of the 2000s, he was in and out of jail and rehabilitation centers. Who would have known all those years ago that he it was all preparation for the role of a hero with a substance abuse problem? Bock "I do remember Tony Stark having a bit of an edge to him...glad to see they kept that in the adaptation," said Bock.

Besides Downey, "Iron Man'' boasts plenty of Hollywood star power.

Bock feels that the film "features a superior cast, possibly one of the greatest assembled for a comic adaptation this side of the X-Men series." Other notable characters in the movie include Pepper Potts, played by Gwyneth Paltrow. Potts is Stark's secretary and sort of fills the same role that Alfred the Butler does for Batman: keep the boss out of trouble. The main difference is that she looks much hotter in a dress than Alfred. Jeff Bridges plays Obadiah Stone/the Iron Monger, who builds his own set of super armor from stolen plans. Terrence Howard portrays the aforementioned Rhodes, and Samuel L. Jackson makes a small appearance as Nick Fury, the director of the C.I.A.-like spy agency SHIELD. (Eager comic book fans might remember that Fury was last played by David Hasselhoff in a cheesy made-for-television movie that many people would like to forget.)

WHAT'S IN A NAME?

Aside from his entrance into the comic book world back in the 1960s and various cartoon appearances through the years Iron Man has become an integral piece of international culture. Whether based on the rich guy in the metal suit or not, the name Iron Man has made quite an impact. Before the release of the movie trailers, many people outside comic book fandom would have said, "Who is that?" even though the Iron Man image and idea has made the rounds in music, literature, and sports.

The term Iron Man has become synonymous with "tough guy.''

One of the most famous uses of the name occurs in the sports world every year as the Ironman Triathlon Championships are held in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii. The Ironman is a grueling event that sends competitors through a 2.4-mile ocean swim, a 112-mile bike ride across the Hawaiian lava desert, and a 26.2-mile marathon to the finish line. It's the type of event that many enter but few complete.

Also in the sports world is mixed martial arts fighter Travis "The Ironman" Fulton. This heavyweight has fought in more than 230 mixed martial arts and boxing matches since 1996. He boasts an impressive 195 wins, 59 losses, and nine draws. He truly is an ironman in a sport where even the most well-known professionals only show up for half as many fights. Baseball also makes reference to two Hall of Fame ironmen who are known for playing more consecutive games than any other players. They are Lou Gehrig whose long-standing consecutive games played streak was eclipsed by Cal Ripken, Jr. in the '90s.

The first noted literary appearance of an iron man occurs in a children's book by Ted Hughes called "The Iron Man: A Children's Story in Five Nights." It was written in 1968, five years after the comic debut of Stan Lee's creation, and published in the United Kingdom. Though at the time critics couldn't decide if it was a modern fairy tale or experimental science fiction, the book eventually became known as a social commentary smartly disguised as a children's book. The plot revolves around a giant metal man who unexpectedly arrives in England and ravages the countryside eating farm equipment. He eventually befriends a small boy and does his part to save the world. The book was meant by Hughes to be a criticism of warfare and inter-human conflict. Apparently it's okay to fight defenseless tractors without arising the ire of social critics. Hughes later wrote a sequel to serve as a commentary on environmental mismanagement and pollution. It was titled "Iron Woman."

Pete Townshend of rock band The Who later adapted the story into a rock opera called "The Iron Man: A Musical in 1989." The album featured not only Townshend, but the other two surviving members of The Who (Roger Daltrey and John Entwistle), and jazz singer Nina Simone and blues artist John Lee Hooker. A stage performance was presented in London in 1993, which was rumored to have inspired the movie that made it into theaters in the states. The story was loosely adapted into a full-length animated film by Warner Brothers called "The Iron Giant" in 1999.

Also in music circles, "Iron Man" is the flagship song of the Birmingham, England-based heavy metal band Black Sabbath, which was led by Ozzy Osborne prior to his solo days and his downfall as a reality television star. It was released on Sabbath's 1970 sophomore album "Paranoid" and has become one of the most well-known metal tunes ever. The "Iron Man" movie trailers feature portions of the song.

Despite the international popularity of the song, few people know the story that it tells, which would make an interesting science fiction movie in its own right. In the song a man travels to the future and witnesses the destruction of all mankind. On the return journey to his own time he is caught in a magnetic field and turned to pure iron. Back on in his original time he attempts to warn the world of the coming apocalypse but they cannot understand him, due to his metal speaking parts. The people of earth shun this strange iron man and in revenge for not heeding his warnings, he kills them all. In the midst of his despair, he realizes that he is the cause of the apocalypse he saw in the future.

The Iron Man superhero comic book character and its supporting cast also show up in other places across the pop culture strata. The character of Nathan Stark on The SciFi Channel television show "Eureka" is inspired by Tony Stark. "Ironman" is the title of the debut solo album by Ghostface Killah of the Wu-Tang Clan. He also makes frequent references to Iron Man in his lyrics and uses clips of Iron Man cartoons in videos. One of his many alter egos is also Tony Starks. Paul McCartney featured the Iron Man arch villain Titanium Man in his song "Magneto and the Titanium Man."

Aside from the comics and the new movie, there are several other places to get an Iron Man fix without building your own suit of armor. A new Playstation game based on the movie will be out on the same day as the movie premiere. A full-length animated "Invincible Iron Man" movie came out in 2007 and can be purchased or rented at local video stores. The movie details a new adventure rather than the typical origin story featured in most comic book movies. Fans also get a chance to see several types of Iron Man suits in the cartoon movie.

Iron Man also appeared prominently in the "Ultimate Avengers" and "Ultimate Avengers II" animated movies that were released in 2006. Local store shelves are also stocking Iron Man movie toys including action figures, repulsor ray gauntlets, and fake armor.

Here is a checklist of this weekend's activities for current and prospective Iron Man fans. Go to the store and pick up some cool Iron Man gear. The minimum recommended requirement is a golden armor t-shirt and gauntlets. Then go see the movie. When you wake up on Saturday morning, go visit your nearest comic book store. Why? The first Saturday in May is Free Comic Book Day. What better way to get some free reads and purchase a few Iron Man back issues while you're at the store? Then, and only then, should you sequester yourself in the garage and start working on a kick-ass suit of armor.