O’Neil, who had entered recovery himself a decade earlier, saw this as the opportunity to catalyze an all-new journey for the armored avenger, having Stark confront his own humanity and face the reality of his addiction. The story-line was critically praised, and even won an Eagle Award in 1980 for bringing some much-needed humanity to the character, but it was also criticized by many for its open-and-shut approach, treating alcoholism as an inconvenience to be swatted away over 22 pages. This facet of the character had been established a year prior through David Michelinie and Bob Layton’s Demon in a Bottle, which saw Stark fall into addiction under the weight of mounting pressure in his life. There was, however, one link that the writer and the character shared: Stark, like O’Neil, was a recovering alcoholic. To a staunch anti-war activist like O’Neil Tony Stark was practically alien, steeped in pro-war arrogance and aside from an injury that was removed in his earlier years, completely insulated by his privilege and status. (He was) everything I think is rotten with this country.” “There was a lot not to like about ol’ shellhead…He was an arms dealer…he was a capitalist…he was a technologist and, like a lot of hippie-types, I did not trust technology. “My problem with Tony Stark…I hated the bastard,” recounted the writer. Creators like David Michelinie would push the character into the broader field of science fiction through stories like Doomquest, but Iron Man’s Cold War ties would persist well into the 80’s, something the politically conscious O’Neil took notice of when he arrived on the title. As a result, Iron Man would spend most of the ‘60’s battling Vietnamese and Russian agents (a lot of whom were mired in racist stereotypes). Created by Stan Lee, Don Heck, and Larry Lieber in 1963, the character was primarily a vehicle to explore the role of technology and industry in the Cold War. Drawing from his experiences with addiction and recovery, O’Neil’s run would fundamentally transform the armored avenger, having the hero wage his greatest battle yet, and turn his inner resilience into his greatest strength.īy the ‘80’s, Iron Man was at a crossroads. The author would take on a number of assignments while at Marvel, including work on the Amazing Spider-Man and picking up Frank Miller’s Daredevil, but one of his most impactful works for the company would be his four-year stint on The Invincible Iron Man alongside artist Luke McDonnell. In 1980, legendary writer Dennis “Denny” O’Neil returned to Marvel comics after a decade of revitalizing characters like Batman and Green Arrow for DC. But it also gives us the opportunity to rise up, stronger than ever before. But for every moment of hope, there is one of doubt a personal crisis that tears our self-image away and leaves us to face our own inner darkness. If you are struggling with addiction, call the SAMHSA (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration) National Hotline at 1-800-662-HELP.įor generations, superheroes have been held up as an inspirational ideal, symbols of our own ability to transcend our limitations and realize our fullest potential.
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