Riri Williams

Riri Williams AKA Ironheart has been a big breakout star for Marvel Comics in the past year, but very few people would have expected a live-action treatment so soon. While she's not showing up in Avengers: Infinity War, she made the leap to the real-world in a fan-film produced by students attending the Massachusetts Institute of Technology as part of its annual "Pi Day" celebrations, welcoming new students to the college.

It's been just a few months since Amadeus Cho told nine-year-old Lunella Lafayette that she was "the smartest person in whole world" at the end of Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur #12. In the time since, Lunella has been condescended to by adult scientists, helped take down the Mole Man's monsters, and teamed up with two other girl geniuses --- the new and unstoppable Wasp, and Ironheart, aka Riri Williams. Lunella's brilliance makes her one in a long line of inspiring, super-smart Black characters in comics that can be traced back decades to the Black Panther's first appearance in 1966's Fantastic Four #52, by Jack Kirby and Stan Lee.

One of the best things about Marvel's slate of mobile-based video games is that the publisher is able to use the platform to introduce new characters and concepts to a massive audience outside of the comics, and it's something the games have taken advantage of time and time again with characters like Robbie Reyes, Kamala Khan and America Chavez. Alongside an update that brings in content tied into upcoming event Monsters Unleashed, the latest new character to make their video game debut is none other than Riri Williams, AKA Ironheart who has been announced as a new playable character in Marvel: Future Fight alongside Kate Bishop and Queen Medusa.

This week there’s been a lot of talk and controversy surrounding J. Scott Campbell’s Midtown Comics variant for Invincible Iron Man #1, featuring the 15-year-old Riri Williams, AKA Ironheart. Fan response to the cover pointed out the highly sexualized depiction of Riri and the inappropriate decision to assign the cover to an artist known for his pin-up work, but things got worse when Campbell and other creators responded to the controversy. Campbell and his defenders’ rebuttals featured the typical lines about social justice warriors and censorship, and creators in this situation seem to always assume that they’re infallible when it comes to the art they create. Yet another week of controversy in comics has me asking; What’s so wrong about stopping to listen to what people have to say?

Invincible Iron Man #1, by Brian Michael Bendis and Stefano Caselli, is clearly an origin story, putting Riri Williams in the Ironheart suit, while also providing important insight into her childhood. Check out a preview.

Last month it was announced that fifteen year old genius Riri Williams would be taking over the lead role in Brian Michael Bendis and Stefano Caselli's upcoming relaunch of Invincible Iron Man. There has been much speculation surrounding what her codename might be, and Marvel announced today that the new hero will operate under the alias "Ironheart".

In honor of the caped crusaders of the convention scene, ComicsAlliance has created Best Cosplay Ever (This Week), an ongoing collection of some of the most impeccable, creative, and clever costumes that we’ve discovered and assembled into a super-showcase of pure fan-devoted talent.

Marvel's next big line launch was formally unveiled this week via a special edition of Marvel Previews, including new #1s for Avengers, Venom, Captain Marvel, and Star-Lord, new launches for Champions, Jessica Jones, Kingpin, Bullseye, Slapstick, and Solo, and new concepts in Occupy Avengers, Iron Fists, Mosaic, Infamous Iron Man, and Unstoppable Wasp. Following our roundtable discussion of DC Rebirth, the ComicsAlliance team got together to break down the highs and lows of the new Marvel NOW. Join Elle Collins, James Leask, Katie Schenkel, Kieran Shiach, and Andrew Wheeler as they pick out the books they're most excited about and the books they're concerned about, and discuss Marvel's approach to legacy heroes and the state of diversity at Marvel today.

Last week, Marvel Comics released a look at its universe following Civil War II, and one notable absence was Tony Stark, although he was represented in some capacity on both sides of the teaser. On the left, Victor Von Doom held the Iron Man face plate, while on the right, new character Riri Williams stood front and center in her own suit of armor. While Marvel is being coy about Tony Stark's fate in the aftermath of the event, it was confirmed today that Riri Williams will take over as the lead character in Invincible Iron Man by Brian Michael Bendis and Stefano Caselli later this year.