Who Is Iron Man’s Love Interest in the Comics? Explained
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Iron Man is Marvel’s most notable playboy. He is egocentric, rich, smug, and sometimes downright rude, which obviously makes him a favorite among women, considering the sheer amount of love interests he has had over the years. Despite the fact that he doesn’t lack romantic partners at all and that he is often associated with Pepper Potts, mainly because of the MCU, many fans have trouble figuring out who Iron Man’s true love interest in the comics is.
Iron Man is currently married to Emma Frost
If you are primarily a fan of the MCU, you might be shocked to learn that Iron Man is a taken man in the comics and that he is married to one of the most powerful Telepaths in Marvel Comics, Emma Frost.
Of course, Emma and Tony have had numerous interactions in the past. They met through Hellfire Club first and foremost, which gathers the world’s wealthiest elites. And even though the relationship between the two was cordial and strained the best due to not always seeing eye to eye, there were some hints of flirting bubbling beneath the surface.
Still, they weren’t exactly romantically involved outright. Their marriage is the result of political machinations. Tony Stark became the new Black King of the Hellfire Club, feigning retirement after a supposed defeat by Feilong. He operates behind the scenes, playing a crucial role in devising a counter-offensive against Orchis’ oppressive anti-mutant rule.
Pepper Potts and Iron Man had a brief romance
Pepper Potts is one of the most famous Iron Man’s supporting characters, even though he is always mentioned in the context of being his primary love interest. We’re sad to disappoint you on this one, as she doesn’t even make it to the top 3. Iron Man has known Pepper for a long time; she was there when he was just starting out his career as Iron Man, but unfortunately, his driver, Happy Hogan, was there as well.
Pepper fell for Happy Hogan, and Iron Man fell for Pepper, forming a weird love triangle that didn’t last all that long. Pepper eventually marries Hogan in ‘Tales of Suspense’ #91, and Tony is visibly heartbroken. And although she has expressed a desire to explore what might’ve happened with Tony, it never came to pass.
Iron Man dated Wasp
Janet Van Dyne and Hank Pym had a rocky relationship in the comics despite being one of the most famous Marvel couples, and as it turns out, sometime after she properly broke things off with Hank, Janet got romantically involved with Tony. However, at the time, she had no idea that he was Iron Man and that their relationship might further complicate relations with pretty much everyone else associated with Avengers.
After getting together with Janet, Tony apologized to both men and women for being off the market for the time being, but as always, it didn’t really last. As soon as Tony revealed who he was, Janet broke it off. The two tried to rekindle their relationship but without much success.
Tony Stark and She-Hulk are known to casually hook up
She-Hulk, like Iron Man, has had many love interests throughout the years, mostly casual relationships, and her brief flings with Tony Stark were nothing out of the ordinary. They hooked up multiple times in the past, but it never led to anything deeper than the surface-level casual encounters. Even though Jennifer was never among Iron Man’s greatest loves, she is interesting enough to make it to this list.
Black Widow betrayed Iron Man in the Ultimate Universe
Even though Black Widow and Tony Stark shared a brief romantic moment in 616 reality, their most shocking relationship comes from the Ultimate Universe. On Earth-1610, Black Widow was a Russian royalty with a carefully crafted background and public image. Tony eventually proposed to Black Widow, gifting a black Iron Man suit with nanites controlling it bonded to her skin. During testing, they struggled to settle on a new alias like “Cybernatrix” or “Iron Maiden,” as they were supposed to fight crimes together.
Black Widow eventually revealed herself as a traitor, exposing the Hulk’s identity, framing Thor and Captain America, and collaborating with the Liberators in invading America. She was motivated by a desire to retaliate against a perceived injustice that left Mother Russia in turmoil.
She killed Edwin Jarvis and held Tony Stark hostage, attempting to extort his fortune at gunpoint. Stark activated nanites in her bloodstream, freezing her, and revealed that he was always one step ahead and that he had been downloading her knowledge. Knocking her unconscious with a wine bottle, he landed her in a hospital for a long time.
Iron Man’s greatest love, Joanna Nivena, was seen only briefly
We’ve mentioned a lot of women that Tony either briefly dated or hooked up with, but his probably greatest love, one unmotivated by his fame or fortune, was seen only briefly in ‘Iron Man’ #244. Before he established himself as Iron Man, Tony was engaged to be married to Jonna Nivena. They were truly in love, but Joanna knew that the relationship with Tony wouldn’t be as easy as she were to marry “a normal guy.” She wanted someone to share a family with her and someone to keep himself out of harm’s way.
Tony was about to become the opposite of that, always away on some secret missions and always having an army of villains on his trail. Joanna broke it off because it was the best for them at that moment, and Tony was aware of it.
After Joanna, Tony hooked up with 24 other women, either casually or somewhat seriously.
Who is your favorite love interest of Iron Man? Share it with us in the comments below!
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