2. Howard Stark
I know this is probably the strangest choice on this list. Before you judge, let me explain. Tony almost died in Civil War 2. While Tony isn’t technically dead, is in a coma like state. His legacy has lived on with Victor Von Doom taking up the Iron Man name and an A.I. version of Tony aiding the new hero Ironheart. While all of this has lead to good stories, we know Tony is coming back. It’s how comics work. My thought now is when and how. I have a proposed idea that involves his father coming back first
I read somewhere that Howard Stark, at one point during the making of Iron Man, was going to revealed to be alive and would have been a villain. So, that gave me the thought. What if Howard came back in the comic but not as a good guy? I could see him a villain who means well but gets carried away. Tony has built upon some of Howard’s idea. What if Howard built upon some of Tony’s ideas trying to make the world secure but takes it too far? He could even be a sympathetic villain with the fact that his wife is dead and both sons are not in the greatest of places. It could get to a point where the only person who can stop him is Tony. This could be the extra push the heroes need to find a way to cure Tony.
Don’t get me wrong. I do think it could also be cool to see Howard come back but as someone who would provide shadowy help to the heroes. He could even be kinda an extra mentor for the still learning Riri Williams. I just thought that Howard as a villain would be more compelling