Character Spotlight: Who is Iron Lad?
Iron Lad, whose real name is Nathaniel "Nate" Richards, is a character from the Marvel Comics universe. Originating from the year 3016 on an alternate Earth, Nate is an adolescent version of the notorious time-traveling villain, Kang the Conqueror. When his future self, Kang, tried to influence him towards a path of conquest, Nate resisted and fled to the present-day Earth-616 reality.
Upon his arrival, he sought the help of the Avengers but found them disbanded. Using the remnants of the destroyed Vision's operating system, Nate assembled the Young Avengers, a team of young heroes with ties to the original Avengers. This team included Patriot (Eli Bradley), Hulkling (Teddy Altman), and Wiccan (Billy Kaplan). Taking inspiration from Iron Man, he adopted the moniker "Iron Lad" and donned a suit of neuro-kinetic nano-metal armor that could be controlled with his thoughts. This armor granted him abilities like superhuman strength, flight, energy blast projection, magnetic field creation, and even time travel.
Nate's journey as Iron Lad was fraught with challenges. As the Young Avengers, the team faced threats like Kang the Conqueror and grappled with personal challenges, including Iron Lad's struggle with his future identity and his relationship with fellow Young Avenger, Cassie "Stature" Lang. Their early activities drew the attention of Captain America, Iron Man, and Jessica Jones, who initially tried to dissuade them from superhero activities. However, the Young Avengers proved their worth and became an integral part of the Marvel Universe.
One significant event in Nate's journey was his decision to kill Kang, leading to severe timeline disruptions. To rectify this, Nate realized he had to return to his time and embrace his destiny as Kang the Conqueror, erasing his memories of his time with the Young Avengers. However, his armor, left behind, activated the Vision's operating software, creating a new "young" Vision named Jonas, who carried Nate's brain patterns and memories.
In subsequent appearances, Nate, now known as Kid Immortus, provided information to characters like Doctor Doom and was seen with a young Ravonna. He also played pivotal roles in storylines like "Avengers: The Children's Crusade" and the Exiles series, showcasing his complex relationship with time, destiny, and his future self.
Iron Lad's character serves as a poignant exploration of destiny, choices, and the consequences of one's actions, making him a compelling figure in the Marvel universe.
