After 17 Years, Marvel Officially Named The MCU's First Supervillain

17 years after the MCU introduced its very first supervillain, Ironheart has officially named the character. Ironheart‘s first three episodes have been released on Disney+, allowing the MCU story to unfold in a way that has some big ties to the wider franchise. For instance, a big part of Ironheart‘s Marvel story is the focus on Iron Man’s legacy, with Riri Williams looking to become the next Tony Stark. Even beyond Riri, though, Ironheart‘s cast of characters ties to the Stark legacy in unexpected ways.

One of these characters is played by Alden Ehrenreich, who, surprisingly, is linked to one of the MCU’s major villains. Ehrenreich plays a character named Joe McGillicuddy, a tech ethicist who buys black market upgrades that Riri uses for her Ironheart suit. In Ironheart episode 3, however, it is revealed that Joe is actually named Ezekiel Stane, the son of Iron Man‘s Obadiah Stane. While it is unclear whether Ezekiel will play a role in upcoming Marvel movies, he has at least recontextualized one from the franchise’s past by providing the MCU’s first villain with his official code name.

Ironheart Finally Gave Iron Man’s First Villain Their Official Codename

After It Was Left Out Of Iron Man

In Ironheart episode 3, after revealing his true identity, Zeke Stane asks Riri why she is so focused on building an Iron suit. Riri says that it is not because she was a fan of Iron Man, but because her stepfather, Gary, was. This leads Riri to reminisce about the ways in which Gary inspired her to become like Iron Man, leading Zeke to name-drop his father’s villain codename for the first time in the MCU.

The comic book version of Obadiah Stane goes by the alias Iron Monger after building a suit like Tony Stark’s…

Zeke tells Riri that she should count herself lucky that she had a good role model, as he “had an Iron Monger” for a father, referencing Marvel Comics. The comic book version of Obadiah Stane goes by the alias Iron Monger after building a suit like Tony Stark’s, yet 2008’s Iron Man did not give him such a moniker. No MCU project since then has referred to Stane directly as the Iron Monger either, until Ironheart, 17 years later.

Iron Man First Teased Iron Monger’s Name Back In 2008

Obadiah Stane Himself Hinted At The Villain’s Codename

Despite Ironheart being the first MCU project to outright name Stane as the Iron Monger, there was a sneaky reference to this in Iron Man. A big aspect of Iron Man‘s story was Tony realizing that his Stark Industries weapons were being used for ill means by terrorist groups like the Ten Rings, leading him to shut down the weapons manufacturing side of the company. This did not sit well with Obadiah Stane, who was the one leading the trafficking of such weapons to groups like the Ten Rings as part of his coup to become Stark Industries’ CEO.

During the argument between Obadiah and Tony about the latter’s decision, the former drops the tease for his future supervillain name. Obadiah argues that the company’s weapon manufacturing needs to continue, stating, “That’s what we do. We’re iron mongers, we make weapons,” before Tony pivots the conversation to arc reactor technology. This was a neat hint at what Stane would become, but Zeke’s comment in Ironheart is the first time it has been used as a noun for Obadiah’s armored suit.

Where Obadiah Stane’s Iron Monger Name Comes From In Marvel Comics

Stane’s Backstory Is Relatively Similar

Obadiah Stane looming over Tony Stark in Iron Man

Regarding where the name Iron Monger comes from in Marvel Comics, the story is somewhat similar. Obadiah Stane initiated a hostile takeover of Stark Industries using agents called the Chessmen, changed to the Ten Rings in the MCU’s Iron Man. After forcing Tony back into alcoholism, Stane bought the company and used the former’s designs for the Iron Man armor to create the Iron Monger armor. The name itself has no real origin, but it is emblematic of the differences between old-school Marvel Comics and the state of the MCU in 2008.

Superhero comic books have never been ashamed or embarrassed of their, well, superheroic elements, including villain names. Iron Monger was simply a cool name to give a villain of Iron Man, leading Stane to adopt it upon the creation of the eponymous armor. Superhero movies in 2008, though, were a little more careful. Marvel was not the behemoth it is today, meaning it was slightly more reserved about naming a somewhat grounded character as the Iron Monger. Now, 17 years later, Ironheart has changed that, opting for a less tongue-in-cheek reference and embracing the comics’ supervillain codename for Obadiah Stane.