Zebediah Stane

Zebediah Stane was the father of Obadiah Stane/Iron Monger (and, by extension, the grandfather of Ezekiel Stane).

Biography

Zebediah Stane was a degenerate gambler who lived with young Obadiah. One day (sometime after Obadiah's mother died of unknown reasons), Zebediah considered himself on a "lucky streak"; played a game of Russian roulette and shot himself in the head right in front of young Obadiah. This trauma caused Obadiah to lose all of his blond hair and go bald and shaped him for years to come. From there on, Obadiah Stane was a ruthless manipulator who studies his adversaries to find weaknesses to exploit.

After being defeated, Obadiah Stane tells Iron Man that he believed that Zebediah Stane (his father) saw the world as his opponent and lost, then committed suicide (via his repulustor from his hand) in a similar way to Zebediah's gunshot to his head.

When Iron Man (after personally meeting Ezekiel Stane) remembers his past experience with Obadiah Stane, one of the things Iron Man pointed out was that Zebediah (a degenerate gambler and (as Iron Man saw it) a mean drunk) accidentally killed himself in front of Obadiah.

Ultimate Marvel

Ultimate Marvel shows Zebediah Stane as Howard Stark's business rival^[1]. One day, Zebediah was visited by Loni (the first wife of Stark) and they agreed to take Stark's company apart while Howard was most likely too distracted as his second wife gave birth their son: Antonio Stark. With Stark's company, Stane marries Loni but still doesn't have the biotechnology armor. It's at this point it's revealed that Loni (now Loni Stane) is pregnant her and Stane's child. However, shows Stane couldn't care less. Several years later, Stane kidnapped young Tony Stark, whose covered in the blue skin-armor that Stane wants to manufacture. However, Howard arrives with a SWAT team and arrests Zebediah. After his arrest, Zebadiah (in jail) is visited by Loni and their son: Obadiah. There, Loni tells Zebadiah that she'll divorce him and get half while Obadiah (their son) gets the other half after Zebadiah's death. Some years later, Zebadiah apparently gets help to escape prison only to get killed by the same men claiming to work for Howard Stark (although it was someone else)^[2]. Afterward, Howard is arrested for Zebadiah's murder.

Trivia

• Zebediah Stane being Howard Stark's business rival within the Ultimate continuity mirrors the mainstream Marvel continuity where Obadiah Stane was a business rival to both Howard Stark and Tony Stark.

Loni Stark/Loni Stane

Loni, also known as Loni Stark and Loni Stane, is an original Ultimate Marvel character. Within the Ultimate continuity, she was the first wife of Howard Stark, the mother of Obadiah Stane, and the first major enemy of Tony Stark (Ultimate Iron Man).

Biography

Loni was a greedy opportunist, looking for a man who could provide her with a life of wealth and privilege. With that goal, Loni married Howard Stark. However, Stark was, in Loni's view, not a ruthless person with his money. So one day, Loni divorced Stark and visited Zebediah Stane (the business rival of her ex-husband) and they agreed to take Stark's company apart as Howard was most likely too distracted as his second wife gave birth their son: Antonio. After taking over Stark's company, Loni married Stane. However, they didn't have Howard's biotechnology armor. It's at this point Loni reveals that she's pregnant with her and Stane's child. Stane says he couldn't care less, much to Loni's horror.

Several years later, Loni takes Obadiah (her and Zebediah's son) and they visit an incarcated Zebediah [for kidnapped young Tony Stark (whose covered in the blue skin-armor that Stane wanted to manufacture)]. There, Loni tells Zebadiah that she'll divorce him and get half while Obadiah gets the other half after Zebadiah's death. The story then fast forwards to Loni meeting a teenage Stark (who developed a prototype power-armor) and a teenage James Rhodes. Loni meets Tony and says if she would've been his mother if she wasn't so stupid while the younger Stark just blows her off entirely. Loni claims that she is a changed person and asked Howard to enroll Obadiah in a special school (However, Obadiah murders a pair of students and make it look like an accident on his first day and causes Tony to build a suit that closely resembles a traditional Iron Man suit)^[3].

Eventually, Tony realizes that Loni was the mastermind behind the scenes trying to kill him and tried to frame Howard for Zebediah's murder. Tony (in his Iron Man armor), Rhodes (in his War Machine armor), Howard, Obadiah, and Nifara set off to Utah to find Loni. They arrive and their chopper explodes, injuring Rhodes. Obadiah falls off a cliff, but Iron Man catches him as terrorists arrive on the scene. Iron Man flees, but follows them as they take Obadiah to Loni and their hideout. Iron Man breaks into the compound and Loni floods it with poison gas trying to kill him, abandoning Obadiah. Iron Man saves Obadiah, but Howard and Nifara are taken captive by Loni. After killing Nifara and the guards (she wanted no witnesses), Loni confesses that all she ever wanted was power. That’s why she married Howard, divorced him, married Zebadiah, had Obadiah, and later had Zebediah killed.

Iron Man shows up, and Loni shoots Howard in the chest, threatening to shoot him again if he doesn't take the suit off. After Tony takes off his armor, Loni pondered if she was Tony's mother and if they were a family that they'd would've ruled the world. Loni then shoots him in the head, not knowing that his entire body is a brain and will heal itself. Tony fights off Loni, beats her, and tends to Howard. Obadiah, mad that Loni (his mother) abandoned him for dead with poison gas, enters the room and kills Loni^[4].

References