THE DEATH OF TONY STARK (1964-1965)

Tony Stark is murdered... not once but twice! Iron Man takes the blame the first time around, despite secretly Stark himself! His second death comes at the hands of his the armoured Avenger's main nemesis, the Mandarin, who reveals his origin in this story. And it's a completely bizarre tale of space-dragons, ring-powered UFOs, the innate ability to build nuclear missiles without training and so much more. This was the Marvel Age of Shameless Strangeness! 

• Tales of Suspense #59[1/2]
• Tales of Suspense #60[1/2]
• Avengers #9 (tie-in)
• Tales of Suspense #61[1/2]
• Tales of Suspense #62[1/2]
• Tales fo Suspense #63[1/2]

Tales of Suspense #59[1/2]
The Black Knight's horse breaks him out of jail and he immediately attacks Stark Enterprises to get the Avengers' attention. With the team busy at a charity benefit show, Tony Stark investigates personally, only for his armour's life-support functions to give up on him while checking in with Pepper Potts and Happy Hogan. Stark drags himself into his office to recharge his amour from the mains and keep his heart from giving up on him before anyone can discover his secret identity. Fully-powered and revitalised, Stark dons the full Iron Man suit and saves Happy from the Black Knight and defeat the villain. But Stark's armour is now the only the keeping him alive, so he tells Pepper and Happy that Mr Stark has left town and Iron Man is now in charge of the company.

Tales of Suspense #60[1/2]
Happy Hogan and Pepper Potts desperately search town for their boss and confront Iron Man over Tony Stark's sudden disappearance, unaware it's Stark in the armour. Iron Man's forced to run when Pepper catches him taking money from the safe. Thor checks in with Iron Man to make sure he hasn't betrayed Stark. The Black Widow sees this as an opportunity to send Hawkeye to raid Start Enterprises factory for its technological secrets. Pepper reveals to Hawkeye that Stark keeps his ideas in his head, then the archer narrowly evades being captured by Iron Man. Pepper and Happy become convinced Iron Man is behind Stark's disappearance...

Avengers #9 (tie-in)
Iron Man continues to run Stark Enterprises, despite suspicion from Happy and Pepper. The Masters of Evil return to Earth and Baron Zemo grants scientist and entrepreneur Simon Williams bail when he's investigated for embezzlement. Williams' company has struggled due to Stark Enterprises' advancements trumping them at every turn and he's hungry for revenge on Tony Stark. Zemo grants Williams power, turning him into Wonder Man and employs him to infiltrate the Avengers. Failure to comply will result in Wonder Man's powers killing him. He joins the team, kidnaps the Wasp and lures the Avengers into a trap. Realising the Avengers treated him with respect, Wonder Man turns against the treacherous Zemo and dies for doing so while the Masters make their escape.

Tales of Suspense #61[1/2]
A month after Tony Stark's disappearance, Pepper and Happy quit Stark Enterprises and word gets out that Iron Man is under suspicion. Later, Happy finds Tony at his home, not realising he's hiding his chest plate under his bed covers as he feigns illness. Not long after the press runs the story that Stark is alive, the Mandarin fires a disintegrator beam into his house, destroying his bedroom. Stark escaped as Iron Man, but Pepper blames him for not saving Stark who everyone believes is dead again. Iron Man dons a disguise and boards a passenger jet to make his way to China to confront the Mandarin. He's swiftly defeated by the Mandarin's robot warrior, Koto, and tied to a giant wheel.

Tales of Suspense #62[1/2]
The Mandarin reveals his strange origin to Iron Man, then turns on the wheel to spin Iron Man to death. Iron Man turns the wheel into a dynamo and uses it to recharge his armour and escape. Iron Man sabotages the Mandarin's attempt to start World War III by making the test missile he's sold to China return to its point of origin, blowing up the military base. Iron Man's confrontation with the Mandarin proves to be challenging, but he's aided by the angry Chinese army which prompts the Mandarin to flee. 

Tales of Suspense #63[1/2]
Iron Man returns to America and builds a new transistor that frees him from his full suit of armour. He's surprised at Pepper Potts' reaction when he nonchalantly reveals he's been alive the whole time. Despite his feelings for Pepper, he decides to step back and let her find love with Happy. He reveals the real reason for all of his recent secrecy and multiple faked deaths was because he's gotten engaged. Which, of course, he hasn't. A saboteur called the Phantom makes a series of attacks on Stark Enterprises until Iron Man apprehends him and unmasks him as bitter Stark employee Dr Donald Birch. 

Avengers Classic #9 (2008)
Wonder Man's struggles with his conflicting feelings and the moment he kidnaps the Wasp are revealed in a previously untold tale.

Tales of Suspense #64 (1965)
Russian agents for the Black Widow to don a costume and kidnap Happy Hogan and Pepper Potts; Hawkeye battles Iron Man, continuing to show remorse for what he's doing in the name of love for the Black Widow during THE OLD ORDER CHANGETH.

Avengers #15-16 (1965)
The Masters of Evil disband when Baron Zemo dies in battle against the Avengers; Hawkeye joins the Avengers during THE OLD ORDER CHANGETH.

Fantastic Four Annual #3 (1965)
The Mandarin returns, joining the army of villains who disrupt the Invisible Girl and Mister Fantastic's wedding during THE WEDDING OF SUE AND REED. 

Tales of Suspense #70 (1970)
Happy Hogan to Tony Stark that he knows he's Iron Man.

Avengers #33 (1966)
Black Widow begins acting as an ally to the Avengers.

Tales of Suspense #91 (1967)
Pepper Potts and Happy Hogan reveal they eloped and are married.

Avengers #52 (1968)
Wonder Man's brother, Eric Williams, becomes the Grim Reaper and begins a series of revenge plots against the Avengers during CLAWS OF THE PANTHER.

Avengers #58 (1968)
The Vision reveals that Ultron used Wonder Man's brain patterns to give the Vision his persona.

Avengers #76 (1970)
Black Widow ends her relationship with Hawkeye.

Avengers #79 (1970)
The Grim Reaper learns Wonder Man's brain patterns are based on Wonder Man's brainwaves.

Avengers #102 (1972)
The Grim Reaper offers to transfer the Vision's mind into Wonder Man's body in an effort to resurrect his brother during THIS IS THE WAY THE WORLD ENDS.

Avengers #111 (1973)
Black Widow finally accepts Avengers membership during THE MARK OF HAWKEYE.

Avengers #131 (1975)
Wonder Man is briefly resurrected to Kang to serve as a member of his Legion of the Unliving during THE CELESTIAL MADONNA SAGA.

Avengers #151-152 (1976)
Wonder Man is resurrected by the Black Talon as a pawn to attack the Avengers during NIGHTMARE IN NEW ORLEANS.

Avengers #158 (1977)
Wonder Man confronts the Vision and gains probationary Avengers membership.

Avengers #160 (1977)
Wonder Man is revealed to have become an ionic energy being; Wonder Man battles the Grim Reaper alongside the Avengers.

Marvel Premiere #55 (1980)
Wonder Man discovers his old factory has been taken over by the Maggia during STEEL CITY NIGHTMARE.

West Coast Avengers #1 (1984)
Wonder Man becomes a founding member of the West Coast Avengers during WEST COAST AVENGERS ASSEMBLE!

Iron Man #284 (1992)
Tony Stark dies, handing the reigns of Stark Enterprises and the Iron Man identity over to James Rhodes (though his death is later revealed to have been faked).

Avengers #395 (1996)

Tony Stark dies after betraying the Avengers and is replaced on the team by a young Tony Stark from an alternate past (though is later restored to adulthood with the memories of both Tonys) during THE CROSSING.

Iron Man #55 (2002)

Tony Stark publicly reveals himself to be Iron Man (though later calls this into question).

Captain America #1 (2005)
An assassin called the Winter Soldier emerges.

Captain America #14 (2006)
The Winter Soldier is revealed to be the Bucky Barnes, having survived World War II.

Civil War: Front Line #1 (2006)

Tony Stark unequivocally reveals himself to be Iron Man in support of the Superhuman Registration Act during CIVIL WAR.

Iron Man #13-14 (2006-2007)
Happy Hogan is left in a coma after a confrontation with Spymaster; Tony Stark turns off Happy's life support during CIVIL WAR.

Invincible Iron Man Annual #1 (2010)

The Mandarin expands and alters his origin numerous times over the years, but the version that's believed to be the most accurate is finally revealed. 

New Avengers Annual #1 (2011)
Wonder Man briefly takes a stand against the Avengers, forming the Revengers to oppose them during THE REVENGERS.

Iron Age: Omega #1 (2011)
Donald Birch plays out an extensive revenge plot against Iron Man, but his plan's failure and the cancer ravaging his body end his life during THE IRON AGE.

Essential Iron Man vol.1
Invincible Iron Man Omnibus vol.1
Iron Man Epic Collection vol.1: The Golden Avenger
Marvel Masterworks: The Invincible Iron Man vol.2

Include Tales of Suspense #59[1/2]-63[1/2].

Avengers Epic Collection vol.1: Earth's Mightiest Heroes
Avengers Omnibus vol.1
Avengers Premiere by Lee and Kirby (Slipcase Edition)
Essential Avengers vol.1
Marvel Masterworks: The Avengers vol.1

Include Avengers #9.