In trying to incorporate Iron Man into the Hamaverse, I wanted to think how this universe was different than Marvel's 616. One major difference that I decided was that Arno Stark was born without alien interference, which kept him from being hidden away and Tony being adopted by the Starks. Arno, then, became the head of Stark Inc. (like on Metal-head's HUD) with the death of his parents. This lead him down a similar path as Tony in the 616, but having Destro as a player in the arms business, Arno became the weapons designer for the Iron Grenadiers.

My default universe will always be Larry Hama's Marvel/IDW. Many years ago I noticed on a panel in issue 114 that Metal-head's heads-up display was marked "Made in Korea by Stark Inc." That planted the seed of a custom years ago, though then I didn't know it.

Four years ago I mocked up a Barricade figure as Tony Stark/Iron Man, mustache and all. I had originally planned on using a Ferret head like I had done years ago (~1992). Of course, that worked perfectly with my plans for Iron Man to be an Iron Grenadier. I ended up with a cast Ferret helmet from Ragin' Spoon, but it didn't fit Barricade's (specifically Gears) head. Back to the drawing board.

Next I tried a helmet from a Superhero Squad Iron Man. It was amusingly huge. Around that time I was toying with different accessories. Originally I had planned on giving him Metal-head's, but I wasn't happy with the bulky look on Iron Man (even War Machine is sleeker than Metal-head).

Eventually I turned to casting a helmet. I coated a Toy Biz War Machine figure's head with brush-on latex. After three separate attempts, I came out with a mold that I was happy with. Then I brushed Mod Podge (Hard Finish) into the mold. It took around five layers. After I demolded the cast, I was able to Dremel and sand the helmet into shape. The great thing about making it from Mod Podge was that I could brush on more to help the thickness and shape. With a little paint and the helmet was perfect.

I settled with accessories that have been associated with the Iron Grenadiers. The gun, of course, was Destro's, and he also used the missile/gun combination as a convention figure. The backpack was modified from Voltar, and I think it has a nice "computer" look to it. I had planned on giving him a welding torch (CORPS!) and the Lifeline suitcase (and a nod to Pepper "Rescue" Potts to boot), but ultimately they seemed like overkill.