Warning: contains spoilers for Avengers #22The iconicWizard of Ozhas come to Marvel Comics, as the industriousIron Manpays homage toWickedin the pages ofAvengers#22. To break into a highly guarded vault within the galactic Speculatorium casino - on the hunt for an answer to themysterious Missing Moment- Iron Man, Captain Marvel, and Captain America don ridiculousOz-inspired costumes, withIron Man perfectly hidden as the Tin Woodman.
This is far from the first time Marvel Comics has made allusions to the belovedOzfranchise, including anepic homage toWickedinUnbeatable Squirrel Girl#15, wherea poster for “Wiccan”- aWicked-inspired musical - can be seen.
Avengers#22 sees the Earth’s Mightiest Heroes attempting to pull of a daring heist, robbingthe Grandmasterof an important data archive, forcing the (already silly looking…) heroes to wear hilarious new costumes that hide their true identities.
In 2008 Marvel released an 8-issue comic adaptation of Frank L. Baum’s original novel, from writer Eric Shanower and artist Skottie Young, to much critical and fan acclaim.
Iron Man Would Be The Perfect Tin Man Cosplayer
Tony Stark, Carol Danvers, and Sam Wilson walk into a casino… and they’re all dressed like knockoffWizard of Ozcosplayers. Carol as Dorothy and Sam as the Cowardly Lion do not make much sense for their characters. Although to be fair, Captain America looks absolutely hysterical in his Cowardly Lion costume! Stark as the Tin Woodsman fits absolutely perfectly with his history. Not only isIron Man literally a high-tech version of the Tin Man, but Tony also struggles with “not having a heart,” constantly making amends for his past as an arms dealer and struggling in any romantic relationship he finds himself in.
The Far Side’s Final Comic Will Make You See Wicked in a Totally New Way, We Promise
Gary Larson’s acclaimed comic strip The Far Side ended with an absurd twist that will have the biggest Wicked fans seeing the musical differently.
The Tin Man costume Tony wears is basically just his regular Iron Man armor, except he added a Tin Man helmet and a heart-shaped arc reactor, a simple yet effective disguise for a hyper-famous hero. This isn’t the first time Tony Stark paid homage toThe Wizard of Oz, with his 2002The Invincible Iron Man#50 comic, which introduced the Model XXI or “Tin Man” armor. This tragic tale of war crimes and repentance even ends with Stark lamenting, “…if only I had a heart.” Obviously this appearance of Iron Man as the Tin Woodsman is much lighter in tone, and it would honestly be a blast if he showed up to a future Marvel Halloween party in his brand-new Tin Man armor.
Marvel Comics Has Never Shied Away From AnOzHomage
From the Scarlet Witch to Loki, Marvel andWickedare strangely connected
Marvel loves a good homage, from the alien Brood being inspired by the Xenomorphs fromAliento the cover ofNew X-Men#141 perfectly homaging the poster forThe Terminator, andThe Wizard of Ozis no different. Just last year, the Scarlet Witch faced down Hexfinder in anOz-inspired Oklahoma due to Bookworm’s magic, whileLokiSeason 2 andAgatha All Alongboth made multiple references to the iconic franchise.
The Wizard of Ozis one of the most classic pieces of media in film history, so it is no wonder that it is still being referenced to this day, and withWickedmaking everyone reminisce aboutOz,Iron Man’sTin Man costume was perfectly timed.
Iron Man
TheIron Manfranchise is a cornerstone of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), marking the beginning of the interconnected superhero films that have become a global phenomenon. The franchise follows Tony Stark, a billionaire industrialist and genius inventor, who creates a suit of armor to become Iron Man. His journey from a self-centered playboy to a self-sacrificing hero plays a pivotal role throughout the MCU’s Infinity Saga.
