Iron Munro
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Iron Munro is a fictional superhero published by DC Comics. he first appeared in Young All-Stars #1 (June 1987), and was created by Roy Thomas, Dann Thomas, Michael Bair and Brian Murray.
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[edit] Publication history
The character is based loosely on the protagonist in Gladiator by Philip Wylie. Gladiator was considered by many to be a major influence on Seigel and Shuster and their creation, Superman. Iron is actually the son of Hugo Danner, the protagonist of Gladiator. Iron was not a character or even a possibility in the original novel, however.
[edit] Fictional character biography
Following the Crisis on Infinite Earths, all the parallel worlds were merged into one, and Earth-2 Superman was retconned out of existence. To fill the gap, DC introduced this superhero with muscles of steel, the ability to leap tall building and a spit curl hairstyle to fill in the stories that Superman would have. DC writer Roy Thomas created Iron (and the other "Young All Stars") while trying to replace the Golden Age of Comic Books Superman (and Wonder Woman and Batman). Using Wylie's novel which had been previously adapted to comics by Marvel Comics, Thomas had Hugo Danner fake his death at the end of the novel. After the events of Gladiator, Danner returned to Indian Creek, Colorado to his one-time love Anna Blake. They had a brief affair and Danner left again. Arn was born nine months later, but grew up knowing that Mr. Munro was not his true father.
As Young All Stars # 1 opens, Iron is in his late teens and saves Dan the Dyna-Mite from the saboteurs that had killed Dan's mentor, T.N.T. The series ended with the Young All Stars being folded back into the main group of the All-Star Squadron.
Iron's adventure's from the later 1940's up to recent continuity have not be revealed in any detail. Some of what is known comes from the 1994 title Damage. Arn started to work for the U.S. Government under the code name "Gladiator One". As a member of the OSS off-shoot called Argent, he met, fell in love with and married Sandra Knight (the Phantom Lady) also working as an agent. On numerous missions he came up against his WWII Nazi nemesis, Baron Blitzkrieg - at that time calling himself simply The Baron and working for the Soviets.
During the time before their marriage Arn had a full relationship with Sandra and she became pregnant. Rather than having an abortion, Sandra entered a home for unwed mothers - in registering, she used contact information from her friend and fellow former All-Star, Al Pratt. This child was given the name Walter Pratt and later became the father of Kate Spencer, the current vigilante Manhunter. (Manhunter #23, 6.2006)
At one point, on a whim of fancy, Arn and Sandra married. Later still she became pregnant again. While on mission in Communist Poland she was captured by The Baron. The child was thought killed at the time, but later Arn came to believe that Grant Emerson was his and Knight's child. This was however, revealed to be in error and Emerson was the son of Al Pratt (the original Atom) and his wife.
[edit] Current status
Arn Munro continues to work for the government while living in Florida. His closest friend was Roy Lincoln the Human Bomb.
