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Iron Man is an animated television series based on Marvel Comics' superhero Iron Man. The series aired from 1994 to 1996 in syndication as part of The Marvel Action Hour, which packaged Iron Man with another animated series based on Marvel properties, the Fantastic Four, with one half-hour episode from each series airing back-to-back.

Iron Man's origin was changed for this series, Instead of a shrapnel near his heart, Stark instead had multiple slivers near his spine, threatening paralysis. Also, instead of Wong Chu, Stark and Yisen were held captive by the Mandarin, who had been altered by his rings to have green skin and greater physical strength.

First season

The Mandarin led a group of villains, consisting of Dreadknight, Hypnotia, Blizzard, Blacklash, Grey Gargoyle, Whirlwind, M.O.D.O.K. and Justin Hammer. Iron Man led his own team, based on Force Works, a 1990s comic book team running at the time of the series airing whose members had previously been affiliated with the West Coast Avengers.

The first season of the series also incorporated an armour donning sequence for Stark. Upon opening his briefcase (forming into his armour), Stark steps into the openings available, which shut upon entrance, after this, the screen transforms into a CGI rendering as Stark elevates his mask to his face. It is not known why this sequence was even created if it were only for this specific moment. A non-CGI variation of this sequence was used only once.

Second Season

In 1996, Marvel switched The MAH to a new animation studio, with it came new writers, and new music (particuarly the intense, electric guitar-powered theme music that's laced with the repeated chant of "I am IRON MAN!") for each, and a new direction, it is largly considered superior to the first season. No longer open and shut cases, the storylines for the second season formed a linking narrative, there were now themes of duplicity, consequence, phobias, these all lasted beyond one episode, one major aspect of this new direction was removing The Mandarin from the central storylines, his rings scattered and his power depleted, he would travel the world searching for the rings and plotting vengeance on Iron Man, his appearances would, until the episode "Empowered", be reduced to cameo end-of-story cliffhangers as he retreived each ring.

Force Works were also removed, as they departed Stark after he deceived them to work in secret against The Mandarin for a brief time, this split would be revisited with Stark's ensuing conflicts with Hawkeye over the course of several episodes. War Machine would develop a phobia of being trapped inside his armour, but this would resolved before the final episode. Template:Spoiler By the finale, The Mandarin, having regained all of his rings, unleashed a mist using the heart of darkness to render everything technological useless. Iron Man and Force Works reunited to stop him. The Mandarin unmasked Iron Man before their final showdown ends in his apparent death. After dissapointing ratings, the series was shelved for good.

A new Iron Man series is in production in France for airing in 2006 alongside a new Fantastic Four series, in effect reviving The Marvel Action Hour, though it remains to be seen if they will be aired together or not.

Cast

• Robert Hays .... Iron Man/Anthony 'Tony' Stark/Living Laser (voice)
• Dorian Harewood .... War Machine/James R. 'Rhodey' Rhodes (III) (1995-1996)/Stilt Man/Whirlwind/Backlash/Grey Gargoyle (I) (voice)
• John Reilly .... Hawkeye/Clint Barton/Jessik/Beetle (voice)
• Jennifer Darling .... Scarlet Witch/Wanda Maximoff (voice)
• Jennifer Hale .... Spider-Woman/Julia Carpenter (II) (1995-1996)/Hypnotia (II) (voice)
• James Avery .... War Machine/James R. 'Rhodey' Rhodes (I) (1994-1995) (voice)
• Jim Cummings .... War Machine/James R. 'Rhodey' Rhodes (II) (1995)/MODOK/President Bill Clinton (7 episodes) (voice)
• Casey Defranco .... Spider-Woman/Julia Carpenter (I) (1994-1995) (voice)
• Tom Kane .... H.O.M.E.R. (1994-1996)/Century (II) (1995-1996)/Stingray (voice)
• James Warwick .... Century (I) (1994-1995)/Sam Jaggers (T.V. reporter)/General Hirsch (voice)
• Linda Holdahl .... Hypnotia (I) (13 episodes)/Elevator Voice/Helicopter Voice
• Ed Gilbert .... The Mandarin (I) (10 episodes)/Ultimo
• Chuck McCann .... Blizzard
• Neil Dickson .... Dreadknight
• Mark Hamill .... Maximus/Triton
• Charles Howerton .... Klaw
• Philip Abbott .... Col. Nick Fury of SHIELD (4 episodes)
• Tony Ito .... The Mandarin (II) (4 episodes)
• Tony Steedman .... Justin Hammer (I) (voice)
• William Morgan Sheppard .... Dum Dum Dugan of SHIELD (voice)
• David Warner .... Arthur Dearborn (voice)
• Richard McGonagle .... Grey Gargoyle (II)/Walter Stark (II) (voice)
• Neil Ross .... Yinsen/Fin Fang Foom/Walter Stark (I) (voice)
• Dimitra Aryls .... Mrs. Walter Stark (voice)
• Jeanine Ellas .... Veronica Benning (voice)
• Marla Rubinoff .... Ilona/Computer Voice
• Neal McDonough .... Firebrand (I) (voice)
• Efrem Zimbalist, Jr. .... Justin Hammer (II)/Firebrand (II) (voice)
• Lisa Zane .... Madame Masque (voice)
• Todd Louiso .... The Hacker (voice)
• Gerard Maguire .... Titanium Man (voice)
• Scott Valentine .... Dark Aegis (voice)
• Jamie Horton .... The Controller (voice)
• Stu Rosen .... Crimson Dynamo (voice)
• Lou Ferrigno .... Hulk (voice) (uncredited)
• Matt Frewer .... The Leader (voice)
• Ron Perlman .... Hulk/Robert Bruce Banner (voice)
• Julia Kato .... Dr. Su-Yin (voice)
• Mary Kay Bergman .... Princess Annelle
• Beau Weaver .... T'Chaka
• Dan Gilvezan .... Warlord Morrat

List of episodes

Season 1

1. And the Sea Shall Give Up Its Dead
2. Rejoice! I am Ultimo, Thy Deliverer
3. Data In, Chaos Out
4. Silence My Companion, My Death Destination
5. The Grim Repear Wears a Teflon Coat
6. Enemy Within, Enemy Without
7. Origin of the Mandarin
8. The Defection of Hawkeye
9. Iron Man to the Second Power, Part 1
10. Iron Man to the Second Power, Part 2
11. Origin of Iron Man, Part 1
12. Origin of Iron Man, Part 2
13. The Wedding of Iron Man

Season 2

1. The Beast Within
2. Fire and Rain
3. Cell of Iron
4. Not Far From the Tree
5. Beauty Knows No Pain
6. Iron Man, On the Inside
7. Distant Boundaries
8. The Armor Wars, Part 1
9. The Armor Wars, Part 2
10. Empowered
11. Hulkbuster
12. Hands of the Mandarin, Part 1
13. Hands of the Mandarin, Part 2

Crossovers

• Iron Man, War Machine, and H.O.M.E.R. also guest-starred on the Season 1 episode of The Incredible Hulk, entitled "Helping Hand, Iron Fist." In the episode, Bruce Banner traveled to the Stark Labs in Los Angeles to seek a cure for his deadly transformation. However, General Thunderbolt Ross was right on his tail. Iron Man appeared in the Hulkbuster armor in this episode.

• Although he never spoke, Iron Man had a few cameos in a few of the Fantastic Four episodes, including the Season 2 episodes "To Battle the Living Planet" and "Doomsday."

• Iron Man and War Machine both appeared on Spider-Man, but Iron Man appeared in more than one storyline. They both appeared in the two part Season 3 episodes that brought back Venom and introduced Carnage. While Robert Hays voiced Iron Man (as he did on The Incredible Hulk), War Machine was voiced by James Avery, who provided War Machine's voice in Season 1 of Iron Man. Avery voiced War Machine presumably because Dorian Harewood had already done Spider-Man as the villain Tombstone. Iron Man also appeared on the Season 5 three parter, entitled The Secret Wars.

External links

• Iron Man - IMDb Entry
• DRG4's Iron Man: The Animated Series page
• Marvel Animation Age - Iron Man
• 1994 Animated Theme
  • RA
  • MP3
  • RM
• 1996 Animated Theme
  • RA
  • MP3
  • RM

• 1990s TV shows in the United States
• Animated television series
• Syndicated television series
• Television programs based on Marvel Comics