Tales of Suspense #56, which features Tony's first full-fledged emotional breakdown, is one of my favorite early issues. What touches off this tantrum is open to interpretation - Silver Age comics don't generally spend a lot of time explaining this stuff - but the story that follows is an excellent demonstration of Tony's flawed but still heroic temperament.

The contrast Stan's playing with in this sequence is terrific. Tony's superheroic persona is incredibly powerful -- the epitome of strength and mastery. But under the armor, Tony's still just a guy -- a very, very smart guy, to be sure, but still a vulnerable one. What's more, the human beneath the mask is, in some sense, not in control of his own life. Tony depends on the armor to live -- and as long as that's true, there are some things he will never be able to do (at least in his mind). As I note below, the denial of intimacy in particular is especially devastating.

"Leave me alone!" "Nobody can help me!" This is just gut-wrenching. As I've observed elsewhere, this is Tony's chief problem throughout his entire canon: his stubborn determination to handle his problems on his own and his strong reluctance to level with the people around him. That's the tendency that ultimately drives him drink. That's the tendency that, arguably, has put him constant conflict with Steve Rogers in more recent storylines.

(Later, other writers come up with an reason for this reticence in re: his own emotions, but I shall save discussions of Tony's daddy issues for future posts. :) )

Please take note, recent writers who fundamentally misunderstand Tony Stark: "Selfish" is not this man's usual setting! As Pepper's thoughts make crystal clear, this is Tony behaving far out of character. True: Tony tries to quit being Iron Man more than once -- but it never, ever works for long. Why? Because normally, Tony is generous and self-denying. (And also because he has one of the most ridiculous guilt complexes in all the Marvel Universe.)

Tony's Freudian slip in this panel makes me think that the earlier fit of rage and despair is rooted in his love for Pepper -- a love that he believes should remain forever unrequited. For a sociable fella like Tony, that must be a terribly hard pill to swallow.

I love this. Love it, love it, love it! When his choices endanger his friends, Tony behaves like a grown-ass man and takes responsibility. There's no emotional validation here. There's only deserved self-criticism. This - among other things - is what makes Tony a genuine hero.

God, this story is awesome. It basically tells you everything you need to know about Tony Stark -- and the morality of it is insanely satisfying. Bravo!