"Tony" Stark was a billionaire industrialist, a founding member of the Avengers, and the former CEO of Stark Industries, a company originally started by his father, Howard Stark. A brash but brilliant inventor, Stark was self-described as a genius, billionaire, playboy and philanthropist. With his great wealth and exceptional technical knowledge, Stark was one of the world's most powerful men, and enjoyed the playboy lifestyle for many years until he was kidnapped by the Ten Rings in Afghanistan, while demonstrating a fleet of Jericho missiles. With his life on the line, Stark created an armored suit which he used to escape his captors, returning home and becoming known as an Iron Man, battling against terrorists as well as Obadiah Stane. Stark enjoyed the fame that came with his new secret identity and decided to share it with the world, publicly announcing himself as Iron Man.
