Quote:
Originally Posted by Ax Iron man isn't iconic? What the frick? |
Not to non-comic readers he isn't. "Iron Man" by Black Sabbath is
not about Tony Stark, and is the only Iron Man the average person knew before the film.
Spider-Man, Superman and Batman are iconic. To a lesser extent, you have the Hulk and Wonder Woman.
What do these have in common?
Multiple appearances in televised and/or film media stretching back decades.
There's a great moment in Neil Gaiman's
Sandman where Superman, Batman, and the Martian Manhunter are all transported to the funeral of a cosmic entity. They all assume they're dreaming, and they discuss the dreams they've had. Both Superman and Batman recall adventures from outside of the comic continuity (recalling the movies, the 60's show, the cartoons). Martian Manhunter replies that he doesn't have dreams like that.
In the DC universe of the 90's, Martian Manhunter was a heavy-hitter. He could take Superman in battle, he once ran the Justice League and then became its heart and soul, and he had been active in that continuity longer than anyone.
But in 1997, the vast majority of Americans had no idea who the Martian Manhunter was.
(which is why I found his cameo with Smallville, with an Oreo left behind, more insipid than endearing)
Iron Man hasn't been one of the faces of superhero to the non-comic reader.