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TheGuardsman is the name of several characters appearing inAmerican comic books published byMarvel Comics. The first incarnation of the Guardsman, Kevin O'Brien,first appeared inIron Man #43 (November 1971). The second incarnation, Michael O'Brien, was introduced inIron Man #97 (March 1977). Thecodename has also been used collectively for a squad of armored agents serving as security at theVault, as well as for a unit deployed byAlchemax to hunt extraterrestrial threats.
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The Guardsman debuted inIron Man #43 (November 1971), created by writerGerry Conway and artistGeorge Tuska.[1] Characters adopting the Guardsman codename subsequently appeared in several Marvel series, includingThe Vision and the Scarlet Witch (1985),[2]King in Black: Planet of the Symbiotes (2021),[3]Cult of Carnage: Misery (2023),[4] andAll-New Venom (2025).[5]
The firstGuardsman isKevin O'Brien.[6] Created by writer Allyn Brodsky andDon Heck, the character first appeared inIron Man #31 (November 1970).[7]
| Guardsman | |
|---|---|
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | Marvel Comics |
| First appearance | Iron Man #31 (November 1970) |
| Created by | Allyn Brodsky (writer) Don Heck (artist) |
| In-story information | |
| Alter ego | Kevin O'Brien |
| Species | Human |
| Team affiliations | Stark Industries |
| Abilities |
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Kevin O'Brien was born inChicago. He became an engineer and inventor working for the newly opened Lakani Island plant ofStark Industries who came to the attention of Tony Stark when he invented a stun-ray that managed to harmlessly disperse a crowd of violent protestors. Tony invited Kevin to transfer to the main plant onLong Island, and he accepted. Despite a careless streak that once caused the laboratory he was working in to explode, he became a close friend of Tony and was soon appointed head of Stark Industries' research department.[8]
On several occasions, Kevin assisted Tony and the supposed bodyguardIron Man, notably against theSpymaster and the assistants the Espionage Elite, saving Tony's life on more than one occasion. Tony then decided to reveal to Kevin his secret identity of Iron Man, and to build for him a second suit of armor for use in the event of an emergency. That emergency would come a short time later, when Iron Man and girlfriendMarianne Rodgers were taken captive by the superhuman madman Mikas the Soulfather. Putting on the armor before being fully tested, Kevin fell prey to a malfunction in the cybernetic circuitry controlling the armor which apparently stimulated the regions of the brain where rage and jealousy originate.[9]
Kevin found himself seized with a sudden attraction for Marianne and became extremely jealous of Tony's power, looks, and fortune. At the same time, Simon Gilbert, thenChairman of the Board of Stark Industries' stockholders, grew alarmed that Tony was moving out of munitions production and mapped strategies with the board to seize controlling interest in the firm from Tony as principal stockholder. Clad in armor and calling himself the "Guardsman", Kevin offered to aid the board in their plot against Tony.[10] As a show of support, he agreed to quell a protest rally outside the plant. The Guardsman aimed his repulsor rays at the crowd, injuring four protestors. Sickened by what he did, Kevin turned on the renegade board members, physically assaulting them. However, seeing Tony with Marianne caused him to once again become unbalanced, and he went outside to vent his rage on the growing crowd of protestors. Tony donned the Iron Man armor and engaged the Guardsman in battle to prevent him from doing any more damage. Losing, the Guardsman sought refuge in an experimental tank. In an attempt to stop him without hurting him, Iron Man's repulsor rays were trained on the vehicle and accidentally hit its fuel supply. The tank exploded, killing Kevin.[11]
The secondGuardsman isMichael O'Brien.[12] Created by writerLen Wein and artistHerb Trimpe, the character debuted inIron Man #82 (January 1976).
| Guardsman | |
|---|---|
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | Marvel Comics |
| First appearance | Iron Man #82 (January 1976) (as the Guardsman)Iron Man #97 |
| Created by | Len Wein (writer) Herb Trimpe (artist) |
| In-story information | |
| Alter ego | Michael O'Brien |
| Species | Human |
| Team affiliations | Avengers Iron Legion Project: Pegasus The Vault |
| Abilities |
|
Michael O'Brien was also born in Chicago, Illinois. Some months after Kevin's death, when the details of the incident came to public light, Michael, a sergeant in theNew York City Police Department, decided that the official investigation exonerating Iron Man's actions was a cover-up. Reopening the investigation without official sanction, O'Brien confronted Tony Stark, interrogated several employees, and declared his intention of proving that Stark was responsible for his brother's death.[13]
O'Brien finally hired Harry Key, an unscrupulous private investigator, to get him inside the Long Island plant. There, O'Brien located the Guardsman armor and put it on, determined to use it to bring Iron Man to justice. However, the malfunction in the cybernetic circuitry that affected his brother's brain also affected his brain and he flew into a rage, seeking to kill Iron Man. Iron Man confronted his attack and finally convinced him that the armor was causing him to act insanely. O'Brien collapsed on rebelling against his own urge to kill Iron Man. Stark took O'Brien into custody rather than press criminal charges, hoping to convince the man of his innocence in Kevin's death. While Stark worked on a new set of armor, the Japanese mutantSunfire attacked the plant. Stark was unable to put on his new armor since it had not yet cooled, and unable to find any of his spare suits of armor since a saboteur had stolen them. Hence, he was forced to put on the Guardsman armor to fight off Sunfire. O'Brien witnessed Stark's heroic attempts to save lives over a video monitor, aware that Stark was risking a major heart attack by the strenuous activity. Escaping his confinement, O'Brien decided that he was wrong about Stark and determined to help him by donning the now-cooled Iron Man armor. Thus clad, he was mistaken for the real Iron Man and kidnapped by theMandarin. Stark discovered an old set of Iron Man armor that the saboteur had overlooked and went to China to rescue O'Brien. Upon rescuing him, Stark chose to reveal his true identity to O'Brien before he went off to battle the Mandarin. O'Brien flew back to New York where he took custody of the Guardsman armor once more.[14]
After Iron Man defeated the Mandarin, Stark fixed the malfunction in the Guardsman armor's circuitry so it was safe to wear.[volume & issue needed] Michael O'Brien was determined to use the armor to vindicate both his brother's and his own senseless actions. When Stark International was taken over by the criminalMidas, the Guardsman joined with a number of Stark's other friends and allies to battle Midas' men. He was turned to gold by Midas' power, but was later restored to flesh.[15] Having quit the police force, O'Brien interviewed for the position of security director atProject Pegasus, the government energy research facility, after its previous directorQuasar had quit. With a high recommendation by Stark, O'Brien got the job.[16] Sometime later, while guarding the Project, O'Brien's Guardsman armor was damaged in a battle with the subhumanLava Men.[16] It was later repaired at the Project's expense. O'Brien, as the Guardsman, has been living and working full-time in the Project since his appointment and has performed his duties capably.[volume & issue needed]
Later, he was the security chief atAvengers Island.[17] He also participated in the Iron Legion againstUltimo, wearing a re-creation of the Silver Centurion armor.[18]
A new Guardsman,Ozkar Waters, appears during theKing in Black tie-in miniseriesPlanet of the Symbiotes. He is a mercenary forAlchemax and father of Bren Waters (the new host of theToxin symbiote).[19]
The Guardsman armor provides its wearer with enhanced strength, increased speed, offensive weaponry, and flight capabilities.[33]
Darby Harn ofScreen Rant included the Guardsman among the best Iron Man comic characters not yet adapted into the Marvel Cinematic Universe, noting that his "iconic" armor—originally designed by Tony Stark—ties him closely to Iron Man's mythos. Harn highlighted the character's long-standing rivalry with Stark, describing their fallout as an interesting aspect of the Guardsman's history. While multiple individuals have taken on the Guardsman identity, Harn compared his backstory to that of Mysterio in the MCU and suggested the character could serve as an intriguing antagonist for Iron Man’s successors in live-action.[34]
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