Tales of Suspense No. 39 [Marvel Legends] #[nn]
In "Iron Man Is Born!", Tony Stark takes his date Marion to the circus, where a sudden animal escape forces him to don his grey Iron Man armor to restore order—only to be unsettled by the crowd's fear. Inspired by Marion’s suggestion, he experiments with a golden suit, leading to a showdown with Gargantus, a colossal alien robot whose defeat comes through clever use of floating magnets. The issue, written by Stan Lee and R. Berns and illustrated by Jack Kirby with inks by Don Heck, features a cover by Kirby and Heck, capturing the moment of transformation and action.
Sell my copy
Have this issue — or a whole collection? Get a fair offer from us, skip the marketplace fees and the hassle.
We Buy Collections ▸Full credits
Full plot ⚠ may contain spoilers
▸ Reveal full plot — may contain spoilers
Tony takes his newest date, Marion, to the circus. When the wild animals escape, he rounds them up as Iron Man. His grey armor scares the onlookers. Marion suggests that a golden metal might make him look more heroic. A golden Iron Man then battles Gargantus, who turns out to be a mighty robot built by aliens. Iron Man defeats Gargantus by hurling three magnets at him. The magnets float around the robot, ripping its body to pieces. Iron Man then throws the magnets at a flying saucer he just spotted. The aliens flee and, next day, Tony has another date with Marion.
Plot details indexed by the Grand Comics Database (CC BY-SA).