Zeke Stane
Encyclopedia
Ezekiel "Zeke" Stane is a fictional supervillain within the Marvel Comics
universe
, the son of Obadiah Stane/Iron Monger
, and an enemy of Tony Stark/Iron Man
. Zeke Stane first appeared in Matt Fraction
's The Order
#8 (April 2008) and was drawn by Barry Kitson
.
and has been building bioweaponry and manufacturing next-generation weapons for terrorists and supervillains since he was nine. Though Ezekiel is the son of Stane and a supervillain rather than a hero, Ezekiel Stane's creator, Matt Fraction
considers Stane to be the next generation of Tony Stark/Iron Man rather than of Obadiah Stane/Iron Monger; often referring to the character as "Tony Stark/Iron Man 2.0".
Fraction states the similarities between the pair's characteristics with Ezekiel being evolution of Tony Stark's character; a younger, smarter, sharper futurist of a post-national supercorporate world moving into a future that Stark has no control over. Overtaking Stark and his Iron Man technology by not taking the route of armored suits but upgrading the human body itself.
Fraction often describes the contrast between the two characters using software terms, due to the character's technological basis.
Ezekiel "Zeke" Stane first appeared in Matt Fraction's The Order
#8 dated April 2008, where he was penciled by Barry Kitson
. Within this critically acclaimed but short-lived comic book, Stane was revealed to be the behind-the-scenes manipulator pulling the strings of other villains, including Black Dahlias, Maul and M.A.N. from S.H.A.D.O.W. Androids, who have set out to destroy The Order. The Order being Tony Stark's showcase Initiative team
of California
, Ezekiel target them as the first part of his revenge on Tony Stark for the death of his father.
In the final issue of The Order, #10, Stane meets Iron Man face-to-face for the first time. Due to Stane's life off the grid, Iron Man fails to realize who he is, and despite Tony Stark's resources as Director of S.H.I.E.L.D.
, Stane leaves California and prepares for the next stage in his vendetta against Stark.
Fraction would follow The Order with a new monthly on-going Invincible Iron Man title, with Ezekiel Stane appearing in its first story arc "The Five Nightmares" to further his vendetta against Tony Stark. Ezekiel Stane is first seen attending a meeting with the Board of Directors of a big tobacco company who had hired him to tweak their tobacco to produce a higher basal metabolic rate in the people that smoked it. Stane says he succeeded in doing it, but reveals he only took the job to use the tobacco company’s money to create bio-upgrades for himself, upgrading his own hypothalamus
to utilize energy within the body which Stane swiftly uses to execute the board of directors with energy blasts from his finger tips. Stane is later updated by "Sasha"
(his girlfriend/assistant) on his upgraded African suicide bombers
who were the test subjects of Stane's biotechnology. The attacks from Stane's suicide bombers were something neither Iron Man nor War Machine
could've predicted. Stane meets Stark a second time (with Stane saying his name to Stark) during a party moments before suicide bombers appeared and self-destructed. Stark was able to summon his Iron Man armor while Stane just stood there with a disturbing smile. The explosion also severely injured Pepper Potts
in the process.
Stane ultimately confronts Stark with his own unique armor, while also using terrorists armed with his technology to attack sites around the world. However, Stark defeats Stane's plan with his control of all of his various Iron Man armors, allowing him to be in multiple locations and eliminate virtually all of Stane's bombs at once. Stark then disables both of their armors with a massive electromagnetic pulse and defeats the younger man in hand-to-hand combat. Stark delivers the final emotional blow to the defeated Stane by telling him "that [Obadiah] was smarter than [Ezekiel]. And harder to beat.". However, Stark is left disturbed by Stane's attack, particularly with the notion of what he may have to become in order to face the future Stane represents.
Zeke had been visited a few times in his prison sentence and was "paroled" by the Mandarin
, who is revealed to be Sasha's father, who is now employing Zeke and arranged his escape, with Tony being informed after the fact.
, most notably his hypothalamus
. Stane successfully reduced the caloric energy consumption of his body from 70% to 9% leaving him surplus energy which he uses in repulsor bolts at the end of his fingers. Other upgrades have allowed his body to vastly repair itself from injury. Despite his high intelligence, Reed Richards
claims that Stane is imitative rather than innovative, as all his inventions are merely re-purposed Stark tech rather than anything he developed completely on his own- Reed uses the example that the man who invented the sandwich simply put together what already existed to produce something good rather than developing his own idea-, a fault which Iron Man exploits to ultimately defeat him.
This excessive use of the body's energy has shown that Stane must constantly keep his body's blood sugar level high to make up for its rapid consumption. Stane does this by eating a high (20,000) calorie
paste.
Marvel Comics
Marvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
universe
Marvel Universe
The Marvel Universe is the shared fictional universe where most comic book titles and other media published by Marvel Entertainment take place, including those featuring Marvel's most familiar characters, such as Spider-Man, the Hulk, the X-Men, and the Avengers.The Marvel Universe is further...
, the son of Obadiah Stane/Iron Monger
Iron Monger
The Iron Monger is an identity used by several fictional supervillains published by Marvel Comics. The first and most notable person to take up the identity is Obadiah Stane...
, and an enemy of Tony Stark/Iron Man
Iron Man
Iron Man is a fictional character, a superhero in the . The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee, developed by scripter Larry Lieber, and designed by artists Don Heck and Jack Kirby, first appearing in Tales of Suspense #39 .A billionaire playboy, industrialist and ingenious engineer,...
. Zeke Stane first appeared in Matt Fraction
Matt Fraction
Matt Fritchman, better known by the pen name Matt Fraction, is an Eisner Award-winning American comic book writer, known for his work as the writer of The Invincible Iron Man, The Immortal Iron Fist and Uncanny X-Men for Marvel Comics and Casanova for Image Comics.-Career:Fraction wrote two...
's The Order
The Order (comics)
The Order is the name of two fictional comic book superhero teams in the Marvel Comics universe. The first team was a brief offshoot of the team Defenders, and the second is part of an initiative to place a superhero team in each state of the United States....
#8 (April 2008) and was drawn by Barry Kitson
Barry Kitson
Barry Kitson is a British comics artist best known as a penciler of major superhero comic books published by Marvel and DC.-Biography:Kitson's first professional work was Spider-Man for Marvel UK...
.
Characterization
Ezekiel/Zeke is the son of Obadiah StaneIron Monger
The Iron Monger is an identity used by several fictional supervillains published by Marvel Comics. The first and most notable person to take up the identity is Obadiah Stane...
and has been building bioweaponry and manufacturing next-generation weapons for terrorists and supervillains since he was nine. Though Ezekiel is the son of Stane and a supervillain rather than a hero, Ezekiel Stane's creator, Matt Fraction
Matt Fraction
Matt Fritchman, better known by the pen name Matt Fraction, is an Eisner Award-winning American comic book writer, known for his work as the writer of The Invincible Iron Man, The Immortal Iron Fist and Uncanny X-Men for Marvel Comics and Casanova for Image Comics.-Career:Fraction wrote two...
considers Stane to be the next generation of Tony Stark/Iron Man rather than of Obadiah Stane/Iron Monger; often referring to the character as "Tony Stark/Iron Man 2.0".
Fraction states the similarities between the pair's characteristics with Ezekiel being evolution of Tony Stark's character; a younger, smarter, sharper futurist of a post-national supercorporate world moving into a future that Stark has no control over. Overtaking Stark and his Iron Man technology by not taking the route of armored suits but upgrading the human body itself.
Fraction often describes the contrast between the two characters using software terms, due to the character's technological basis.
Publication history
The Order (comics)
The Order is the name of two fictional comic book superhero teams in the Marvel Comics universe. The first team was a brief offshoot of the team Defenders, and the second is part of an initiative to place a superhero team in each state of the United States....
#8 dated April 2008, where he was penciled by Barry Kitson
Barry Kitson
Barry Kitson is a British comics artist best known as a penciler of major superhero comic books published by Marvel and DC.-Biography:Kitson's first professional work was Spider-Man for Marvel UK...
. Within this critically acclaimed but short-lived comic book, Stane was revealed to be the behind-the-scenes manipulator pulling the strings of other villains, including Black Dahlias, Maul and M.A.N. from S.H.A.D.O.W. Androids, who have set out to destroy The Order. The Order being Tony Stark's showcase Initiative team
Fifty State Initiative
The Fifty State Initiative, often referred to as simply The Initiative, is a fictional governmental plan that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics, in particular those related to The Avengers...
of California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, Ezekiel target them as the first part of his revenge on Tony Stark for the death of his father.
In the final issue of The Order, #10, Stane meets Iron Man face-to-face for the first time. Due to Stane's life off the grid, Iron Man fails to realize who he is, and despite Tony Stark's resources as Director of S.H.I.E.L.D.
S.H.I.E.L.D.
S.H.I.E.L.D. is a fictional espionage and a secret military law-enforcement agency in the Marvel Comics Universe. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby in Strange Tales #135 , it often deals with superhuman threats....
, Stane leaves California and prepares for the next stage in his vendetta against Stark.
Fraction would follow The Order with a new monthly on-going Invincible Iron Man title, with Ezekiel Stane appearing in its first story arc "The Five Nightmares" to further his vendetta against Tony Stark. Ezekiel Stane is first seen attending a meeting with the Board of Directors of a big tobacco company who had hired him to tweak their tobacco to produce a higher basal metabolic rate in the people that smoked it. Stane says he succeeded in doing it, but reveals he only took the job to use the tobacco company’s money to create bio-upgrades for himself, upgrading his own hypothalamus
Hypothalamus
The Hypothalamus is a portion of the brain that contains a number of small nuclei with a variety of functions...
to utilize energy within the body which Stane swiftly uses to execute the board of directors with energy blasts from his finger tips. Stane is later updated by "Sasha"
Sasha Hammer
Sasha Hammer is a fictional character from the Marvel Comics universe. She is the daughter of Justine Hammer and The Mandarin, the granddaughter of Justin Hammer, and an enemy of Iron Man.-Fictional character biography:...
(his girlfriend/assistant) on his upgraded African suicide bombers
Suicide Bombers
Suicide Bombers is the name of a 2005 EP by Leæther Strip. For the Australian hardcore band see Suicide Bombers -Track listing:# Suicide Bombers# Suicide Bombers # The Shame Of A Nation # This Is Where I Wanna Be...
who were the test subjects of Stane's biotechnology. The attacks from Stane's suicide bombers were something neither Iron Man nor War Machine
War Machine
War Machine is a fictional character, a comic book superhero appearing in comic books set in the Marvel Comics universe. The character of James Rhodes first appeared in Iron Man #118 by David Michelinie, John Byrne and Bob Layton...
could've predicted. Stane meets Stark a second time (with Stane saying his name to Stark) during a party moments before suicide bombers appeared and self-destructed. Stark was able to summon his Iron Man armor while Stane just stood there with a disturbing smile. The explosion also severely injured Pepper Potts
Pepper Potts
Virginia "Pepper" Potts is a fictional character, a supporting character and a love interest of Iron Man in the Marvel Comics Universe...
in the process.
Stane ultimately confronts Stark with his own unique armor, while also using terrorists armed with his technology to attack sites around the world. However, Stark defeats Stane's plan with his control of all of his various Iron Man armors, allowing him to be in multiple locations and eliminate virtually all of Stane's bombs at once. Stark then disables both of their armors with a massive electromagnetic pulse and defeats the younger man in hand-to-hand combat. Stark delivers the final emotional blow to the defeated Stane by telling him "that [Obadiah] was smarter than [Ezekiel]. And harder to beat.". However, Stark is left disturbed by Stane's attack, particularly with the notion of what he may have to become in order to face the future Stane represents.
Zeke had been visited a few times in his prison sentence and was "paroled" by the Mandarin
Mandarin (comics)
The Mandarin is a fictional character, a Marvel Comics supervillain and the archenemy of Iron Man.In 2009, Mandarin was ranked as IGN's 81st Greatest Comic Book Villain of All Time.-Publication history:...
, who is revealed to be Sasha's father, who is now employing Zeke and arranged his escape, with Tony being informed after the fact.
Powers and abilities
Zeke Stane's genius-level intellect and considerable fortune has allowed him to cannibalize and reverse engineer Stark Tech from the black-market to upgrade his own biologyBiology
Biology is a natural science concerned with the study of life and living organisms, including their structure, function, growth, origin, evolution, distribution, and taxonomy. Biology is a vast subject containing many subdivisions, topics, and disciplines...
, most notably his hypothalamus
Hypothalamus
The Hypothalamus is a portion of the brain that contains a number of small nuclei with a variety of functions...
. Stane successfully reduced the caloric energy consumption of his body from 70% to 9% leaving him surplus energy which he uses in repulsor bolts at the end of his fingers. Other upgrades have allowed his body to vastly repair itself from injury. Despite his high intelligence, Reed Richards
Mister Fantastic
Mr. Fantastic is a fictional character, a Marvel Comics superhero and a member of the Fantastic Four. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist/co-plotter Jack Kirby, he first appeared in Fantastic Four #1 ....
claims that Stane is imitative rather than innovative, as all his inventions are merely re-purposed Stark tech rather than anything he developed completely on his own- Reed uses the example that the man who invented the sandwich simply put together what already existed to produce something good rather than developing his own idea-, a fault which Iron Man exploits to ultimately defeat him.
This excessive use of the body's energy has shown that Stane must constantly keep his body's blood sugar level high to make up for its rapid consumption. Stane does this by eating a high (20,000) calorie
Calorie
The calorie is a pre-SI metric unit of energy. It was first defined by Nicolas Clément in 1824 as a unit of heat, entering French and English dictionaries between 1841 and 1867. In most fields its use is archaic, having been replaced by the SI unit of energy, the joule...
paste.