The Secret Origin of Tony Stark
Arno Stark has been revealed to be the true son of Howard and Maria Stark. Experimented on by 451 during Maria’s pregnancy, he was intended to be the future pilot for the Godkiller. However, Howard interfered with 451’s experiments and Arno was born incapable of walking or speaking on his own. He was placed in protective custody and hidden from the world.
When Tony returned to Earth following his adventures in outer space with 451, he discovered Arno’s location and the two brothers agreed to work together to make the Earth a better place.
Alternate Universe
Arno Stark was the son of Morgan Stark, Tony Stark’s cousin, in the alternate reality of Earth-8410 in the year 2020. Arno, inheriting Stark Industries, became one of the wealthiest, but most brutal businessmen in the field. In this reality, he and other corporations found a way to take over the government and lived the lives or tyrants. Aron, just like his relative Tony Stark, was extremely smart and build a more advanced Iron Man armor, which he used for acts of crime and only for the benefit of his own welfare. He used his suit mostly for bounty hunting, mercenary work, and sabotaging and destroying his competitors. Even killing those whom opposed him was no problem to him. Arno Stark first appeared in a dark future where the superhero known as the Machine Man was revived by a resistance-group of hackers whom tried to overthrow the new government of Arno Stark. The group was hunted down by Arno’s policing forces with heavy casualties, but eventually, Machine Man and his group managed to halt Aron Stark’s plans to dominate the world. He had lost the battle, and a striking blow for the resistance, but had not yet lost the war.
Creation
Iron Man 2020 was created by Tom Defalco and first appeared in Machine Man Vol.2 issue 2.
Major Story Arcs
Fighting the Marvel Heroes
Over the years, Arno Stark has come into contact with many of the ‘main’ Marvel Universe superheroes. He once encountered and fought against the Amazing Spider-man when he found a way to travel to the 616 universe. Luckily, Spider-man managed to defeat the villain and he was sent back to his own time and reality. Some years later, Arno once again made his way into the 616 universe and battled Tony Stark, witch resulted in a battle between Tony’s present day Iron Man armor and Arno’s upgraded armor from the year 2020. Again, Aron was defeated and he was sent back to his own reality once again. In more recent years, Arno was seen in a disturbing view of the future in the Iron Man series. These events led to believe that Arno Stark might also be born in the 616 Universe, perhaps even as Tony Stark’s own child, perhaps one day becoming the villain he is known for in the far future. Nothing has been heard from Iron Man 2020 from that point on.
Powers and Abilities
Aron Stark has the skills of any normal human being, but is very smart, owner of one of the largest corporations in the world and possesses an Iron Man armor that makes him a formidable adversary.
In Other Media
Televsion
- Arno Stark appears in the Avengers Assemble episode “New Year’s Resolution.” It is stated that in the future, Arno is the nemesis of the tyrant known as Kang the Conqueror. In an effort to stop Arno from ever being born in the first place, Kang sends his robot assassins to the 1940s to kill Howard Stark, Arno’s ancestors. An accident instead sends Howard and his friend Peggy Carter to the 21st century, where they team up with Tony Stark and Captain America to thwart Kang’s attempts to change history. At the end of the episode, Arno appears to drag Kang into a portal that sends them back into the future.
Video Games
- Iron Man 2020 appears in Marvel Super Hero Squad Online, voiced by Tom Kenny.
- Iron Man 2020 is a playable DLC character in Lego Marvel Super Heroes 2.
Merchandise
- Iron Man 2020 appeared in Hasbro’s Super Hero Squad line as part of a two-pack with Deathlok.
- Iron Man 2020 appeared in the HeroClix figure line.
- Iron Man 2020 appeared in Hasbro’s Marvel Universe line.
- Iron Man appeared in Diamond Select’s Minimates line as part of a Secret Wars two-pack with Ultron.
- Iron Man 2020 was featured in Hasbro’s Marvel Legends line as a Walgreens exclusive.