Iron Monger

Iron Monger
Obadiah Stane in the Iron Monger armor, artist Mark Bright
Publication information
Publisher	Marvel Comics
First appearance	(Obadiah Stane) Iron Man #163 (October 1982) (Iron Monger) Iron Man #200 (November 1985)
Created by	Dennis O'Neil (writer) Luke McDonnell (artist)
In-story information
Alter ego	Obadiah Stane
Team affiliations	The Chessmen Stane International Stark Industries
Abilities	Master of psychological warfare Cunning business strategist Champion chess player Genius-level intellect Use of Circuits Breaker and a consciousness exchanging device Armored suit grants: Superhuman strength and durability Subsonic flight Energy blasts Laser beam

The Iron Monger is an identity used by several fictional supervillains appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The identity's first and most notable incarnation, Obadiah Stane, first appeared in Iron Man #163 (October 1982), created by Dennis O'Neil and Luke McDonnell, while the Iron Monger armor first appeared in Iron Man #200 (November 1985).

Obadiah Stane, the first Iron Monger, debuted in Iron Man #163 (October 1982). He dons the Iron Monger armor in issue #200 (November 1985) and commits suicide in the same issue.

When Obadiah was a child, his father Zebediah Stane was a degenerate gambler and Obadiah's mother died of unknown reasons. One day, his father considered himself on a "lucky streak" and played a game of Russian roulette and shot himself in the head while his young son watched. This trauma caused Obadiah to go bald, and shaped his outlook on life. From then on, Stane was a ruthless manipulator who studied his adversaries to find weaknesses to exploit. Stane enjoys chess, and lives his life with the same kind of methodical logic that he uses in the game. In addition, he is a strong believer in using psychological manipulation to his advantage. For instance, in a childhood chess match against another boy whose skill at least equaled his own, he killed the boy's dog so that the other would be distracted from the game.

In adulthood, Obadiah Stane becomes the President and CEO of his own company (Stane International) as a munitions dealer. He also goes into business with Howard Stark. After the elder Stark died in a car accident, Stane turns his sights on acquiring control of Stark International, the industrial corporation he had worked with, now owned by Tony Stark (Howard's son). Stane has his agents - known as the Chessmen - attack Stark Industries and assault James Rhodes (Tony's confidant). He also confronts the younger Stark in person. Stane also sets up Indries Moomji as Stark's lover without Stark knowing that Moomji is actually the Chessmen's Queen. Meanwhile, Stane and his associates conspire to lock Stark International out of various business deals. Stark eventually learns that Stane is the mastermind behind these attacks, but is unable to confront him. The assaults on Stark, his business, and his friends push Stark to the edge, and he relapses into alcoholism. With S.H.I.E.L.D.'s help, Stane buys out Stark International, which he then renames Stane International. Stark, having fallen off the wagon, relinquishes his armor to Rhodes and disappears to be a homeless vagrant. Rhodes becomes the new Iron Man while ignoring Stane's demands to relinquish the armor. Rhodes eventually thwarts Stane in his attempt to take over the Iron Man battle-suits.