Iron Man Noir is a 2010 four issue limited series published by Marvel Comics. The series is written by Scott Snyder (his only multi-issue story written for Marvel to date) with artwork done by Manuel Garcia.
Set in the Marvel Noir universe, a version of the Marvel Universe where costumed crimefighters and superheroes debuted in the 1930s, the series follows daring globe-trotting adventurer and industrialist Tony Stark, who is looking for a cure to the disease slowly killing him. However, when Stark finds out that someone has been selling Stark Industry secrets to Nazi Count Nefaria, he must set out to stop him.
The first issue was released April 14, 2010. The series ran for 4 issues, with the final issue released July 14, 2010.
Iron Man Noir provides examples of:
- Adaptational Villainy: It turns out in this universe Baron Zemo is Tony's father Howard Stark. Now, mainstream comics Howard isn't the nicest guy to begin with, but he certainly isn't an agent of Hydra. A bit downplayed, however, as the character's villainy was a result of brainwashing drugs. There's also Madame Masque, whom is a Tragic Villain in the mainstream comics thanks to her scarred face and emotional abuse from her father Count Nefaria, but in Iron Man Noir she lacks that Freudian Excuse and is just a cruel Bitch in Sheep's Clothing before even getting disfigured.
- Cool Boat: The comic features Stark Industries' Happy Hogan, a very small submersible with just enough room for four people (plus enough headroom to stand), and Captain Namor's Lady Dorma, a sub easily twice the Hogan's size and with a lot more power.
- As a side note, the ships' names are Mythology Gag: in mainstream Marvel continuity, these are people's names -– Happy Hogan is one of Iron Man's best friends, and Lady Dorma was Namor's wife.
- Diesel Punk: The series features Tony Stark's "repulsor pump" pacemaker, the Iron Man armor itself, and Baron Stucker's lightning-hurling Power Fist — not to mention background stuff like the sleek super Zeppelins. It's unique among the Noir stories for not even trying to be realistic.
- Fantastic Noir: Averted. Unlike the rest of the Marvel Noir line, the series is more of a pulp action story.
- Legacy Immortality: Baron Strucker reveals that Baron Zemo isn't one person, but a series of chemically brainwashed men. Zemo wears a hood in case anyone recognizes him; the current Zemo is Howard Stark. Strucker hopes to turn Tony Stark into the next Zemo, since the one they have now has "outlived his resourcefulness."
- Lighter and Softer: The series is this compared to the rest of the comics in the Noir Universe. While Spider-Man Noir, X-Men Noir, Daredevil Noir, Luke Cage Noir and Wolverine Noir deal out loads of Adaptational Villainy to characters, have Thou Shall Not Kill characters use guns and kill people and generally have the Darker and Edgier-ness dialed up to eleven; Iron Man Noir in comparison is considerably more lighthearted being tonally closer to The Rocketeer. Instead of being stuck in the Wretched Hive that is New York like other Noir universe comics, Iron Man Noir has globe trotting adventures filled with much more optimism, though this makes the comic more Pulp than Film Noir. It's especially lampshaded when Baron Strucker is deriding a captured Pepper for clinging to the hope that Tony will save her, saying while holding the skull of Thor that "they don't live in a world of Marvels" and no knight in shining armor is coming to save her - just as Tony and Rhodey fly into the Nazi castle in Powered Armour to rescue Pepper.
- Orichalcum: Orichalcum is retrieved from Atlantis in the opening scene, in which it's a MacGuffin power source.
- Show Within a Show: The series has Marvels: A Magazine of Men's Adventure, a pulp magazine featuring the (heavily fictionalized) exploits of Tony Stark as written by his friend Virgil Munsey and, later, Pepper Potts.
