Iron Man is a fictional superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics.
The character was co-created by writer and editor Stan Lee, developed by scripter Larry Lieber, and designed by artists Don Heck and Jack Kirby.
A wealthy American business magnate, playboy, and ingenious scientist, Anthony Edward "Tony" Stark suffers a severe chest injury during a kidnapping.
When his captors attempt to force him to build a weapon of mass destruction, he instead creates a mechanized suit of armor to save his life and escape captivity.
Later, Stark develops his suit, adding weapons and other technological devices he designed through his company, Stark Industries.
He uses the suit and successive versions to protect the world as Iron Man.
Although at first concealing his true identity, Stark eventually publicly reveals himself to be Iron Man.
The character wears a costume bearing an American flag motif, and he utilizes a nearly indestructible shield that he throws as a projectile.
Captain America is the alter ego of Steve Rogers, a frail young man enhanced to the peak of human perfection by an experimental serum to aid the United States government's efforts in World War II.
Near the end of the war, he was trapped in ice and survived in suspended animation until he was revived in modern times.
Although Captain America often struggles to maintain his ideals as a man out of
his time, he remains a highly respected figure in his community,
which includes becoming the long-time leader of the Avengers.
the character is both the Hulk, a green-skinned, hulking and muscular humanoid possessing a vast degree of physical strength,
and his alter ego Dr. Robert Bruce Banner, a physically weak, socially withdrawn, and emotionally reserved physicist.
The two exist as independent dissociative personalities, and resent each other.
The Hulk's level of strength is normally conveyed as proportionate to his level of anger. Commonly portrayed as a raging savage,
the Hulk has been represented with other personalities based on Banner's fractured psyche, from a mindless, destructive force, to a brilliant warrior, or genius scientist in his own right.
Despite both Hulk and Banner's desire for solitude, the character has a large supporting cast.
Thor Odinson is the Asgardian God of Thunder, superhero, self-proclaimed protector of Earth and the king of Asgard.
Thor made a name for himself as the mightiest warrior on his homeworld and subsequently became well known for his actions on Earth, which included acting as a founding member of the Avengers.
He is the son of Odin Borson and Frigga, and the adopted brother of Loki Laufeyson.
The first and best-known Black Widow is a Russian agent trained as a spy, martial artist, and sniper, and outfitted with an arsenal of high-tech weaponry, including a pair of wrist-mounted energy weapons dubbed her "Widow's Bite". She wears no costume during her first few appearances but simply evening wear and a veil.
An expert marksman and fighter, Clint Barton puts his talents to good use by working for S.H.I.E.L.D. as a special agent.
The archer known as Hawkeye also boasts a strong moral compass that at times leads him astray from his direct orders.
Additionally, Fury sent Barton to kill the Russian assassin codenamed Black Widow.
Instead, he offered to bring Natasha Romanoff over to their side and the two not only became faithful allies, but also good friends.
Fury's injured left eye, though initially minimally affected by a grenade blast during World War II,[71] has over the decades resulted in a 95% loss of vision in this eye.
Fury is a seasoned unarmed and armed combat expert, was a heavyweight boxer in the army (during World War II),
and holds a black belt in Tae Kwon Do and a brown belt in Jiu Jitsu. He has further honed his unarmed combat skills sparring with Captain America.
The character is a combat veteran of three wars, World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War, as well as numerous "military adviser" missions and clandestine operations
("a dozen conflicts you've never even heard of"). He is trained as a paratrooper, Ranger, a demolitions expert, vehicle specialist (including aircraft and seagoing vessels), and a Green Beret.[citation needed]
