After years of eager anticipation and development within character, Iron Man's young protégé Riri Williams will finally be joining the ranks of Earth's Mightiest Heroes the Avengers as her superhero alter ego Ironheart.
Introduced into the pages of comic books by writer Brian Michael Bendis (Ultimate Spider- Man, Daredevil) and artist Mike Deodato Jr. (Dark Avengers, Thunderbolts), Riri began her comic career as a young engineering prodigy who would build her own impressive suit of armor that rivals even Tony Stark's. The suit would become the basis for her own Iron Man armor, originally guided by Stark himself, albeit in the form of a holographic A.I. Prior to her recruitment in the Avengers, Ironheart has had a place in several other superhero teams throughout the Marvel Universe from the teenage superhero force the Champions to Hawkeye's own band of Avengers known as the Underground.
Bleeding Cool reports that, while the Avengers continue their battle with the cosmic powered Phoenix Force, Earth's superhero defenders will soon gain a young new member in Ironheart with Marvel and IDW's Marvel Action: Avengers #1. Releasing this summer, Avengers #1 by writer Che Grayson (Rigamo, Femme Magnifique) and artist Ark Revner (Growth, Past Regrets) is the latest entry in the Marvel Action comic series. The core Avengers lineup that will welcome Williams into the fold are established members the Falcon, Captain Marvel, Scarlet Witch, Captain America, and Riri's own former mentor Iron Man.
Set apart from traditional Marvel Comics, the IDW published Marvel Action series is directed toward a slightly younger demographic of comic book fans. While the main line of Marvel comic books may often contain material unsuitable for certain age groups, Marvel Action allows individuals to become familiar with a more accessible form of storytelling and still enjoy the heroics of their favorite characters. Occasionally, IDW may even sneak a secondary storyline into their Marvel Action titles; though it's unclear if a follow up story alongside Riri joining the Avengers will be included.
While the Champions and Underground are not quite Avengers-level, Ironheart's tenure with both teams has served as somewhat of a training for the big leagues. However, Ironheart's ascendance to a global hero will not come without potential consequences to her personal life. As the description for Marvel Action Avengers #1 hints, attending college level MIT courses and fighting the son of Marvel's Satan, Mephisto, may be easier said than done. Not unlike fellow adolescent heroes Kamala Khan aka Ms. Marvel and Miles Morales aka Spider-Man, Riri will have to find a firm balance between both her duties as a superhero and student.
With Williams on the cusp of becoming a full-fledged Avenger on the comic book page, it's now only a matter of time before the armored hero follows suit on the big screen. In Disney's ongoing takeover of the streaming world, Ironheart will lead her own titular Disney + series starring up and coming actress Dominique Thorne, with appearances in future Marvel Cinematic Universe films expected to follow. Now that the MCU is without an Iron Man, the world will need another armored Avenger to take up the coveted mantle left in the wake of the former's passing.
The next phase of Ironheart's comic based journey, Marvel Action: Avengers #1, is currently scheduled to release on June 2nd.
Source: Bleeding Cool.com
