Riri Ready To Roll As Iron Man

by Vince Brusio

When the student rivals the professor, that’s when sparks can fly in the classroom. Or an experiment can go unsupervised. In either case, the outcome is always unknown. But in both cases, you’re guaranteed entertainment. The headline out of Marvel's latest separation of powers? Get ready to meet Riri Williams, one of the new up-and-coming heroes in the Marvel Universe who’s going to adopt the mantle of Iron Man. She got the smarts, with the armor she’s got the brawn, and we’ve got the book’s Editor, Tom Brevoort, to tell us what’s going to play out in the pages of The Invincible Iron Man #1 (SEP160893) from Marvel NOW, available in comic shops November 9!

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PREVIEWSworld: So for those who are slow to know about the changes over at the House of Ideas, what can you offer readers as a primer as to why a new Iron Man is coming into her own in the Marvel Universe?

Tom Brevoort: Several months ago, at the beginning of this latest run of Invincible Iron Man, we revealed that Tony Stark was sent back to his workshop to rededicate himself to design and creation because a student at MIT had reverse-engineered one of his old suits of armor. As it turns out, Riri Williams is that student, and now she’s becoming a hero in her own right.

PREVIEWSworld: What were you initial thoughts about this project? Where did you see it going, and where did it actually travel in terms of the characterization for Riri Williams?

Tom Brevoort: When we introduced the idea of Tony’s old armor being reverse-engineered, we figured that we would eventually get to the point where we would bring that character on stage, but had no idea at that point that it would work out to be in such a central role. But that’s where the story has taken us!

PREVIEWSworld: What have you chatted about with Brian Michael Bendis and Stefano Caselli when it came to making this book a top contender for the comic shops? What quality of story or personality traits did you want to enhance with the creators so that the pages resonate with energy?

Tom Brevoort: I think that we want to maintain all of the bounce and energy that the Invincible Iron Man series has had, particularly in the first David Marquez-drawn arc, but then to give it some new spark by filtering it all through the experiences of a new character. Brian has crafted an affecting and contemporary backstory for Riri, one that will make her code-name of Ironheart well-earned and appropriate. She’s about to become a lot of people’s favorite new character, know it or not.

PREVIEWSworld: Riri is described in the solicitation for The Invincible Iron Man #1 as a "self-made hero." Could you elaborate on that a bit, and possibly give us some background info to help readers understand how things will be different because a billionaire is no longer wearing the yellow/crimson suit?

Tom Brevoort: Like Tony Stark, Riri is a super hero due to her own efforts. She devised the armor that allows her to do incredible things. Unlike Tony, however, she did so with much more modest means. And, like Tony, she’s already overcome a great deal of hardship and adversity to become the person that she is. But there’s plenty of room for further personal growth and exploration—and that’s what our series will begin to do. As a new hero, Riri will likely be less confident than Stark, and certainly less experienced. But she’ll also draw upon a whole different set of past experiences to approach the role with a somewhat-different attitude. I think that for people who’ve loved Brian’s Ultimate Spider-Man (both Peter Parker and Miles Morales versions) there’ll be a lot here that’s cut from the same cloth, in a sense.

PREVIEWSworld: Without spoiling the book, what can you tell us about the initial storyline? In what new skies will Iron Man fly? Where does she fit in with the Marvel Universe in its current continuity?

Tom Brevoort: Riri’s journey will be an evolution of her self, so we’ll see her continue to adapt and improve on her armor as she goes. And Tony Stark will play a unique and vital role in her development. She’ll be going up against menaces and threats from across the Marvel Universe, some of whom are definitely out of her weight class, and most of whom aren’t foes typically associated with Iron Man, which should prove interesting to see.