Happy Hogan

Just when we thought there wouldn’t be anymore Spider-Man: Homecoming casting news, here comes a bit of an unexpected — but pleasant — surprise: Jon Favreau will reprise his Iron Man role in Sony and Marvel’s upcoming reboot, joining MCU star Robert Downey Jr. for Tom Holland’s first solo outing as the iconic web-slinging hero. It’s news that should make several fans, uh, happy?

Since the dawn of the Silver Age, legacy characters have been a staple of superhero fiction, and having a new character step into a well loved roll can open up new opportunities for writers and artists to tell different kinds of stories. In this new regular feature, I’ll be looking back at some of the notable and not-so-notable heroes and villains to assume some of the most iconic mantles in the superhero genre. This week we’re going behind the armor to take a look at the various Iron Men of the Marvel Universe, including some of Tony Stark’s very best friends, some of his very worst enemies, and the family member he never knew he had.