I am not a man who wants to die, Eitri... but nor will I lay down for man or elf. If they want weapons— I say we give them the business end first.
— Sigurd Stark
First published in 2018 as a two-part miniseries, Infinity Wars: Iron Hammer was written by Al Ewing detailing the origins of the Infinity Warps version of Tony Stark - Stark Odinson, AKA Iron Hammer. Iron Hammer, like the rest of Infinity Warps, is part of Infinity Wars (2018).
For the solo comics of the other Warp World Defenders, see Arachknight, Ghost Panther, Soldier Supreme, and Weapon Hex.
Tropes featured in Iron Hammer:
- Action Girl: Pepper and Toni.
- Adaptational Badass: Everyone. In-Universe. Each Composite Character has the combined powers of whichever characters were merged to create them.
- Adaptational Early Appearance: One of the rings Malekith has in his possession is from Heven, which is a more recent addition and was never a part of Stan Lee and Jack Kirby's Thor run.
- Age Lift: Toni Ho is a good deal younger than Pepper or Rhodey, having been in school when Tony became Iron Man. Toni the Grim is aged up to be a contemporary of her fellow warriors.
- A Glass in the Hand: The first issue begins with Sigurd shattering a glass he's holding in his angst.
- Alliterative Name: Sigurd Stark.
- Amnesiac Resonance: While having no memory of who he really is, Stark feels at home in a storm, recalls Malekith's name without recognising why, and his armor is a mix of human science and those of the Ten Realms.
- Attack Reflector: A variant. Stark uses the B.I.F.R.O.S.T. to open a portal that redirects Malekith's attack at the imprisoned Warrior Machine Three, freeing them.
- Badass Boast: Stark gets one near the end of Issue 1.Sigurd Stark: If you can hear me, Malekith-run and hide! The Iron Hammer is coming for you!
- Bald of Evil: Stane inherits Obadiah's lack of hair, and both of his original incarnation's evilness.
- Benevolent A.I.: H.E.I.M.D.A.L.L. serves as the AI for Iron Hammer's armor.
- Big Bad Duumvirate: Madame Hel, Stane, and Malekith. Madame Hel is the one calling the shots.
- Cain and Abel: Stane is Sigurd's brother, and wants him dead, bad enough to have given up everything for it.
- Came Back Wrong: Krimson Kurse was killed by Malekith's elves, and revived as their servant.
- Composite Character: Basically all of the characters in the comic fall under this trope. They include Sigurd Stark/Stark Odinson/Iron Hammer (Iron Man and Thor), Howard Odin (Howard Stark and Odin Borson). Stane Odinson (Obadiah Stane and Loki), Malekith (Malekith and the Mandarin), Eitri (Eitri and Ho Yinsen), Algrim Vanko/Krimson Kurse (Crimson Dynamo and Kurse), H.E.I.M.D.A.L.L. (Heimdall and J.A.R.V.I.S.), Madame Hel (Madame Masque and Hela), and the Warrior Machines Three (the Warriors Three and Pepper Potts, Jim Rhodes, and Toni Ho).
- Cool Helmet: Krimson Kurse wears a red helmet with horns on the sides.
- Cool Mask: Madame Hel a solid gold mask that covers all her face, save her eyes.
- Create Your Own Hero: Stane had Malekith lure Stark out into the elves forest so they'd kill him. He's quite annoyed that this just results in him becoming a superhero.
- Cruel and Unusual Death: We don't see it, but the narration assures that the Krimson Kurse takes his time rending Eitri to shreds.
- Dating Catwoman: At the end of the second issue, Madame Hel and Iron Hammer kiss, Stark reasoning that as a mortal he will always be courting death.
- Death and the Maiden: Gender-Inverted. Sigurd Stark/Iron Hammer enters a relationship with Madame Hel, the Queen of Death.
- Dramatic Unmask: Stark removes Krimson Kurse's mask to reveal the mummified face of his friend, Algrim Vanko.
- The Dreaded: Krimson Kurse. The elves are understandably nervous around Malekith's hulking servant, who could quite easily tear them to shreds if they back-talk.
- The Exile: Stark discovers that he is this.
- Eyepatch of Power: Howard Odin has one.
- Fantastic Racism: As an Asgardian, Stark looked down on mortals. Not a great combination with a human stepbrother.
- Fiery Redhead: Pepper, wise though she may be, is just as much a warrior as her companions, and takes Stane's betrayal just as personally.
- Fun with Acronyms: H.E.I.M.D.A.L.L.. His name stands for "Heuristic Enhanced-Imaging Macro-Digital Awareness for Logic and Logistics". He also summons the Bridging Interdimensional Frequency Rotating Outside of Space and Time, or B.I.F.R.O.S.T..
- Going Native: Hinted at. Despite being identified as Odinson, Stane dresses like a human, and speaks in the font reserved for mortals, rather than the font for denizens of the other realms. Subverted in issue 2, when it turns out he's human, having been adopted by Howard Odin.
- Good Parents: Howard Odin is slightly to Stane better than Odin was toward Loki, in that he'll openly acknowledge his love for his son. In fact, it's Stark being a jerk to him that prompts Howard to realise his son is a terrible person, and banishes him to Earth in the hopes of teaching him humility.
- How We Got Here: Issue 2 starts with Iron Hammer kneeling before Madame Hel, the Queen of Death, then flashes back to the events leading up to it.
- Humongous-Headed Hammer: Eitri's last weapon is a giant hammer made of cold iron, rather than Mjolnir's uru.
- Incurable Cough of Death: Sigurd starts developing one as the elf poison starts to take effect.
- I Hate Past Me: Sigurd is horrified on reclaiming his memories of demi-godhood.
- I Just Want to Be Loved: Madame Hel is hated and feared by everyone in the Ten Realms, being the queen of the dishonored dead.
- Immortals Fear Death: The minute Stark has the upper hand over him, Malekith begins pleading for his life. It doesn't save him.
- Jerkass: Pre-amnesia Stark was a total dick, which was why Howard turned him mortal and kicked him out.
- Karma Houdini: Madame Hel has no real repercussion for her siding with Malekith, mainly because outside her realm she's largely powerless.
- Kryptonite Factor: Like all elves, Malekith fears the touch of cold iron. Such as that hammer Stark Odinson has at his disposal.
- Large Ham: Iron Hammer is written in the style of a Silver Age comic, but Madame Hel is far hammier than her fellow villains, bringing godly levels of ham with her in but a few pages. Howard Odin also qualifies.
- Laser-Guided Amnesia: Stark has no memory of being the Odinson until he returns to Asgard.
- Loophole Abuse: Eitri is magically forbidden from making any weapons or armor to help himself. Nothing about making weapons or armor to help other people.
- Made a Slave: Eitri was captured by the elves and made to work as their weaponsmith.
- Magic Antidote: A variant. Stark's chestplate has a magical rune that heals his body.
- Magic Knight: Iron Hammer, who combines the Asgardian magic of Thor with the advanced technology and armored suit of Iron Man. He uses magic in combat, and he also wields a massive 2-handed hammer.
- Magitek: Stark's armor, being a mix of Asgardian magic, Nidavellir forging and human science.
- Mercy Kill: Stark kills Krimson Kurse to free him from the elves' control.
- Mysterious Past: Stark just appeared out of a snowstorm one day, and is troubled by the fact he apparently has no friends or family. As it turns out, that's because he's not from Earth at all.
- Nice Job Fixing It, Villain: Stane ordered the attempt on Sigurd Stark's life, which just results in him becoming the Iron Hammer.
- Nice to the Waiter: Sigurd Stark apologizes to a bartender for breaking the glass he was holding.
- Overly Long Name: Even Sigurd thinks the name H.E.I.M.D.A.L.L. is a bit long, and just calls him by the abbreviated version for short.
- Parental Substitute: Eitri is this to Toni the Grim of Asgard, being as half of him comes from being her father.
- Pocket Dimension: The universe of the Infinity Warps exists within Soul World in the soul stone.
- Powered Armor: Naturally, Iron Hammer has an Iron Man-style suit of armor laced with Asgardian magic.
- Retraux: Iron Hammer is written in the bombastic style of a 60s Marvel comic.
- Ring of Power: Having already conquered the Ten Realms, Malekith wields the Ten Realm-Rings. The Vanaheim Ring is an Energy Weapon that shoots blasts of pure concussive force (roughly the same as getting hit by a car), the Asgard Ring is another energy weapon that shoots Odin-power beams, the Jotunheim Ring shoots a cold ray, the Nidavellir Ring shoots a "matter-building beam", the Alfheim Ring and Svartelheim Ring shoot a white light blast and a black light blast respectively, the Niffleheim Ring creates illusions, the Musphellheim Ring shoots fire blasts, the Midgard Ring shoots lighting, and the Heven Ring grants a Super-Speed aura.
- Secondary Color Nemesis: Malekith wears green, to contrast Iron Hammer's red (and instead of the red that is regular Malekith's preferred raiment).
- Sensor Character: Thanks to the Iron Hammer armor having some fancy scanning tech, H.E.I.M.D.A.L.L. sees all.
- Sharp-Dressed Man: Stane dresses like a corporate CEO, rather than in typical Asgardian fashion.
- Spiteful Spit: Eitri spits in Kurse's face, as a last act of defiance.
- Statuesque Stunner: Madame Hel is incredibly tall, nearly the same height as Sigurd Stark, and as it turns out underneath her golden mask she's actually quite attractive.
- That Man Is Dead: Even after regaining his memories, Stark decides to be Sigurd Stark still, considering Stark Odinson dead.
- Thinking Up Portals: The Iron Hammer armor has the ability to open the B.I.F.R.O.S.T., which has the same transporting abilities as its namesake.
- Tragic Villain: In a slightly different way from Loki, despite being genuinely loved by his adoptive family, Stane knows he should be part god and isn't, his jealousy driving him to make a pact with Malekith to take over Asgard.Stane: I should have been just like you. Half a god. Sometimes, I hear a voice in my head. The other half of myself, the one I should be merged with... But all I am is me...
- Tron Lines: Stark's armor is covered in glowing orange lines.
- Villain: Exit, Stage Left: When Stane's alliance with Malekith fails, he runs off, with none of the Aesir making an attempt to stop him.
- Villains Want Mercy: Malekith, upon defeat, grovels before Sigurd, saying he'll do anything to avoid death. Sigurd then rhetorically requests Malekith bring Algrim back from the dead, which he obviously cannot do.
- Weaksauce Weakness: The Ten Realm Rings give Malekith an impressive array of powers... but they need recharging after much use.
- We Used to Be Friends: Algrim Vanko was Sigurd's friend, until he mysteriously went missing.
- Wound That Will Not Heal: Sigurd takes an arrow to the knee, courtesy of the Dark Elves, and figures it will never heal properly.
