Marvel recently made another bold move as it introduced a new black female Iron Man that goes by the name Ironheart.
In an exclusive interview with Time, creator Michael Bendis confirmed that his "Invincible Iron Man" comic book would follow Riri Williams, a young black woman with an interesting back story.
Bendis teamed up with artist Stefano Caselli to introduce Ironheart in the "Invincible Iron Man #1" series. Wired revealed how Bendis came up with the name Ironheart.
"Iron Woman seemed old fashioned to some," Bendis said. "Iron Maiden looked like a legal nightmare. And Ironheart, coined by Joe Quesada, after I told him my planned story for Riri, speaks not only to the soul of the character but to the Iron Man franchise as a whole. Tony first put on the armor to save his heart. Riri puts it on for different reasons altogether but still heart-related. When people see her story, you'll be amazed at how simple and brilliant Joe's suggestion was."
Riri Williams is a 15-year-old genius who enrolled at MIT. She caught Tony Stark's attention when she invented her own version of the Ironman suit in her dorm room. This led Stark to pass the title to her.
Williams' arrival doesn't necessarily mean that Stark will not be a part of Iron Man anymore. It was said that Riri's in-armor A.I. will be based on Tony's personality. "Regardless of where he might be physically," Tom Breevort, series editor said. "He'll be soaring along with her spiritually."
Marvel's latest creation showcased diversity. And as expected, it sparked various reactions from comic book fans and the like. While some reacted positively to the comic casting, some criticized Marvel's lack of diversity among its writing team as compared to their new collection of characters
thumbs up for new Iron Man being a 15-year-old black girl! thumbs down for her being written by a white guy!
— pilot adultman (@pilotbacon) July 6, 2016
Female Ghostbusters? Female Iron Man? Whats next, a third very cool thing? — @midnight (@midnight) July 6, 2016
If @marvel needs help finding Black women writers. I can help you with this task. I know plenty. GOOD ones. — Black Girl Nerds (@BlackGirlNerds) July 6, 2016
This. A black girl as Iron Man is great. Zero black women on the creative team creating her story? Not great. https://t.co/iEaQEoMax0 — Toni McIntyre (@ToniMacAttack) July 6, 2016
Regardless of the various reactions, it's safe to say that the comic book community is anticipating the arrival of a new female superhero.
Ironheart will make her way in the "Invincible Iron Man #1" this November.
