It’s Trivia Tuesday! Which of these characters did Stan Lee co-create?
A. Infectia
B. Infant Terrible
C. Iron Mask
D. Igron
And the answers are…
B. Infant Terrible, C. Iron Mask and D. Igron!
The lone outsider in this pack is Infectia, created by the team of Louise and Walter Simonson. She made her debut in the pages of X-Factor #28 in May 1988.
And now on to Stan’s handiwork!
Infant Terrible
Most recently, Infant Terrible has been referred to in the comics as Delinquent, but for the purposes of this piece, we’re sticking with his original moniker. This baby alien was crafted by the team of Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, making his first appearance in Fantastic Four #24 in March 1964. As a member of the Elan, Infant Terrible possesses the power to bend reality, which is awesome, but it can also get him in trouble—like after he accidentally got lost and ended up on Earth, where he almost destroyed the planet. Whoops.
Iron Mask
Iron Mask was unveiled in Kid Colt Outlaw #110 in May 1963 by Stan Lee and a man named Jack Keller—in case you’re wondering, that’s not a misspelling. The Western villain, aka Don Hertz, was a handy blacksmith, though given his malicious tendencies, he used that skill for evil, not good; he even crafted his own suit, which comprised of an iron helmet and vest that was basically bulletproof. (Seeing the character with that iron head gear is reminiscent of Iron Man, who made his comics debut just two months before Iron Mask.) The baddie went up against Western heroes such as Kid Colt, Rawhide Kid and Phantom Rider, and in later years, he even butted heads with some time-traveling West Coast Avengers including Hawkeye, Tigra and yes, Iron Man.
Igron
This Asgardian sorcerer was brought to life by the team of Stan Lee and Jack Kirby—yes, all three Stan co-creations this week were crafted with Jacks—in Thor #177 back in June 1970. Among his powers are superhuman strength, magic, and the ability to grow old very, very slowly. (Who wouldn’t want those powers?!) Igron served as an advisor to Loki and absconded with him to Earth, where he concocted a potion and created the Living Mask, which was used to help Loki alter his appearance and at one point swap bodies with Thor. And what did he get for all that trouble and assistance? Exiled to the dungeons of the Trolls of Asgard. What a nice gesture, Loki!
Every couple of weeks, we’ll spotlight some of Stan’s most obscure co-creations through trivia, starting with A and ending with Z! Stay tuned for ‘J,’ coming soon!