Uploaded August 2025 | Updated September 2026, 6 hours ago
A new Chaos Ensues series begins here (transcript): witsendpod.com/podcast-episodes/chaos-ensues-history-of-1990s-iron-man-comics
CHAOS ENSUES MEDIA:
-Website: witsendpod.com
-YouTube channel: youtube.com/channel/UCwvSur7b4J_U3gMIA44OGWQ
-Support the channel on Patreon: patreon.com/thechaosensues
This decade features some introspective storytelling for old Shellhead. John Romita Jr returns to one of his earlier Marvel jobs and teams up with John Byrne for Armor Wars 2. A story about Tony fighting for his autonomy against a mysterious enemy named DeWitt. Who is out of his wits.
After Romita leaves, Paul Ryan joins as penciler. This era features the Dragon Seed Saga, fleshing out the Mandarin and Fin Fang Foom. Rhodey takes over the suit while Tony battles health problems.
The run by writer Len Kaminski and penciler Kevin Hopgood (with Tom Morgan) is the software update Iron Man needed. This team casually introduces new concepts like the Iron Legion, the Hulkbuster, War Machine and an AI butler for Tony. Rhodey really gets to come into his own during this era.
The Crossing is infamously one of the...uh...worst Iron Man stories. Tony becomes a servant of Kang and is replaced by his younger self. Heroes Reborn kicks off in 1996 with Image co founders Jim Lee and Whilce Portacio doing a new take on Shellhead.
Iron Man lives again when writer Kurt Busiek and artist Sean Chen team up to modernize the Armored Avenger. This run is short but has a back to basics approach and focuses on the core group from the 60s--Tony, Happy, Pepper--while updating the villains. Carol Danvers gets a lot of coverage in this run.
Overall, it's a pretty strong decade for Tony Stark. Chaos ensues.
Also, talking about the Tom Cruise and Timothy Dalton Tony Stark castings.
Anyone who read this far, write "foil fiend" in the comments.
SOURCES:
-Daredevil: The Men Without Fear Documentary (2003): youtube.com/watch?v=5iIxNz4-5yU
-2014 Kurt Busiek NYCC Comic Con Footage: youtube.com/watch?v=Pl12gEVMotQ
-Comic Book Greats (Lee and Portacio): youtube.com/watch?v=-BbktJt48qo
-Iron Man Sales: comichron.com/titlespotlights/ironman.html
-Len Kaminski Go Fund Me: gofundme.com/f/help-save-len-kaminski
-Len Kaminski Facebook: facebook.com/len.kaminski/posts/pfbid0Lg4bM39xpYZ4gRwpXVitVJUkhcYKoK2J1n5x5fscEUxaWLRYUL7DL8YZtf7x4ht7l
TIME CODES:
-0:00--The 90s
-0:52--Armor Wars II
-7:14--Dragon Seed Saga
-10:00--Len Kaminski run starts
-11:20--War Machine
-13:10--Howard Stark
-17:55--Iron Legion
-21:16--The Crossing
-23:46--Heroes Reborn
-26:05--Busiek and Chen
-31:22--For New Readers
-37:21--Kaminski and Outro Info
#ironman
A new Chaos Ensues series begins here (transcript): witsendpod.com/podcast-episodes/chaos-ensues-history-of-1990s-iron-man-comics
CHAOS ENSUES MEDIA:
-Website: witsendpod.com
-YouTube channel: youtube.com/channel/UCwvSur7b4J_U3gMIA44OGWQ
-Support the channel on Patreon: patreon.com/thechaosensues
This decade features some introspective storytelling for old Shellhead. John Romita Jr returns to one of his earlier Marvel jobs and teams up with John Byrne for Armor Wars 2. A story about Tony fighting for his autonomy against a mysterious enemy named DeWitt. Who is out of his wits.
After Romita leaves, Paul Ryan joins as penciler. This era features the Dragon Seed Saga, fleshing out the Mandarin and Fin Fang Foom. Rhodey takes over the suit while Tony battles health problems.
The run by writer Len Kaminski and penciler Kevin Hopgood (with Tom Morgan) is the software update Iron Man needed. This team casually introduces new concepts like the Iron Legion, the Hulkbuster, War Machine and an AI butler for Tony. Rhodey really gets to come into his own during this era.
The Crossing is infamously one of the...uh...worst Iron Man stories. Tony becomes a servant of Kang and is replaced by his younger self. Heroes Reborn kicks off in 1996 with Image co founders Jim Lee and Whilce Portacio doing a new take on Shellhead.
Iron Man lives again when writer Kurt Busiek and artist Sean Chen team up to modernize the Armored Avenger. This run is short but has a back to basics approach and focuses on the core group from the 60s--Tony, Happy, Pepper--while updating the villains. Carol Danvers gets a lot of coverage in this run.
Overall, it's a pretty strong decade for Tony Stark. Chaos ensues.
Also, talking about the Tom Cruise and Timothy Dalton Tony Stark castings.
Anyone who read this far, write "foil fiend" in the comments.
SOURCES:
-Daredevil: The Men Without Fear Documentary (2003): youtube.com/watch?v=5iIxNz4-5yU
-2014 Kurt Busiek NYCC Comic Con Footage: youtube.com/watch?v=Pl12gEVMotQ
-Comic Book Greats (Lee and Portacio): youtube.com/watch?v=-BbktJt48qo
-Iron Man Sales: comichron.com/titlespotlights/ironman.html
-Len Kaminski Go Fund Me: gofundme.com/f/help-save-len-kaminski
-Len Kaminski Facebook: facebook.com/len.kaminski/posts/pfbid0Lg4bM39xpYZ4gRwpXVitVJUkhcYKoK2J1n5x5fscEUxaWLRYUL7DL8YZtf7x4ht7l
TIME CODES:
-0:00--The 90s
-0:52--Armor Wars II
-7:14--Dragon Seed Saga
-10:00--Len Kaminski run starts
-11:20--War Machine
-13:10--Howard Stark
-17:55--Iron Legion
-21:16--The Crossing
-23:46--Heroes Reborn
-26:05--Busiek and Chen
-31:22--For New Readers
-37:21--Kaminski and Outro Info
#ironman
