Tales of Suspense #39 - Jack Kirby cover, Steve Ditko art + 1st Iron Man

Jack Kirby

Tales of Suspense v1 #39, 1963 - Imprisoned by the Chinese communist army, an American weapons maker builds a powerful metal suit as a means of escape. Tony Stark would continually modify the suit over the years, while retaining the name Iron Man. This Larry Liebe tale was drawn by Don Heck, who also inked the mediocre Jack Kirby cover. The multi-panel approach diminishes the overall impact of the character's introduction. The interiors fare far better, including the unrelated Steve Ditko back-up tale. A modern seafarer encounters ancient vikings, opening with a minimal, but effective splash page. Ditko's art is skillfully drawn, typical of his fine craftsmanship during the silver age. "Gundar" was later reprinted in Creatures on the Loose #22. Other artists in this issue include Gene Colan.

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Key 1st appearance, 1st cover, 1st origin Tony Stark as Iron Man

Tales of Suspense v1 = 47 Ditko issues, 92 Kirby issues, multiple key issues

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Kirby cover pencils (Don Heck inks) = *
"Gundar" Ditko story pencils and inks 5 pages = ***
"Iron Man is Born" 13 pages

1st Iron Man appearance

Steve Ditko

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