Throwback Thursday: Iron Man turns 55 years old this year

As March winds down to a close and the world prepares for Holy Week proper, this final Throwback Thursday is perfect to revisit and celebrate the 55th Anniversary of one of the most iconic and popular superheroes in comics - The Invincible Iron Man! Apparently on this very month in 1963, Stan Lee, Larry Lieber, Don Heck, and Jack Kirby debuted the armored alter ego of Anthony "Tony" Stark on the pages of "Tales of Suspense #39". After suffering a chest wound and being abducted by terrorists who force him to build a weapon of mass destruction, Tony instead builds a powerful suit of armor that helps him escape his captors. Upon returning home, the experience changes him and he decides to become a superhero - adopting the name "Iron Man" and going through several adventures that sees him augment the armor over the years and become a founding member of Earth's Mightiest Heroes - The Avengers.

As the character's popularity soars to this day in comics and other forms of media, Iron Man is also the "heart and soul" of Marvel Studios' "Marvel Cinematic Universe" - with Robert Downey Jr. having played the role of Tony Stark and his heroic alter ego since the eponymous superhero film debuted ten years ago in cinemas. As Avengers: Age of Ultron prepares to hit theaters in less than a month - we should be thankful the Armored Avenger helped pave the way for superheroes to be celebrated as they are today! Happy 55th Anniversary, Iron Man!

R.I.P Joe Simon. A Legend and Star Spangled Avenger of comics.

Another legendary icon in the comic book industry passes away, and now that's two stars who have gone to a better place.

By way of Comic Book Movie, famed comic book writer, artist, editor and publisher Joe Simon, best known as the co-creator of the iconic Marvel Comics' character Captain America, passed away this December 14 at the age of 98. This is sad news to bear, especially after last week's news on the passing of Jerry Robinson, creator of The Joker and another legend in the comic industry.

As a legend in the industry, Simon is well known for his time in Timely Comics (which would become the future Marvel Comics), where he became the company's first editor. He teamed up with the late great Jack Kirby, and went on to create some of the best stories and characters known in comics, among them being the patriotic hero and star-spangled avenger himself, Captain America. Joe also teamed up with Kirby during their tenure on DC Comics, where they would go on to do work on Sandman and co-create the Newsboy Legion. They were pioneers in the field of romance and horror comics, and Joe would also found the satirical magazine series "Sick", which began in the 1960's and last until the 1980's, which was well after his departure from the magazine in the 1970's. His death comes a week after Robinson's, and this is really sad news for fans of his works. However, it's fortunate he was able to see the character he helped co-create get the newest big screen live action film treatment, with this past July's release of Captain America: The First Avenger.




Joe Simon Co-Creator of Captain America Interview: Captain America Poster

Here is one of the last interviews done with the legendary comic guru himself, where he talks about a Captain America poster, as uploaded by joesimonstudios in You Tube. For more on the story, visit the source post at CBM.

And here's a quote straight from the man himself about Cap:

"Back then we had the Nazis coming after us for what we did to their Fuhrer, but the world is an even more dangerous place today, with the weapons out there and the threat of terrorism. So Cap is more important than ever, and the readers need him more than ever. They need a hero they can count on to do the right thing." -Joe Simon (1913 - 2011)

R.I.P Joe Simon, and know that you have blessed uswith some of the most inspiring creations the world and comics has ever known.

DC and Jim Lee present... The New 52 Darkseid!

He has been called many things. Evil. Vile. Badass. Now, in light of recent events in the DC Universe with DC Comics' "New 52"relaunch, Geoff Johns and Jim Lee via their Justice League series are about to reintroduce a classic villain whose name demands attention... Darkseid! DC The Source has the first look of the evil warlord from Apokolips as rendered by Lee himself, and he's looking more menacing than ever!

The legendary creation of the late and great Jack Kirby... remade! Design wise, he still has his basic shape and look, but it's a new set of armor design, and it appears to draw some influence from his "Final Crisis" appearance. I'm all in favor of this new look for the man who would be a fearsome foe to Superman and the Justice League, and one has to wonder what scheme he'll be plotting in the coming issues. For more info and details, check out the source post at DC The Source!

Catch Darkseid in action when Justice League #4 hits retailers and digital download on December 21st!