The Main Difference Between Bruce Wayne and Iron Man's Billionaire Status (2024)

Warning: SPOILERS ahead for The Invincible Iron Man #1Two of the most compared billionaires in comics are Bruce Wayne and Tony Stark, but Iron Man's latest series highlights a major difference between himself and Batman.

The first issue of Iron Man's new ongoing series, Tony is at a relative low point in his life. He once had what was considered a nearly unlimited amount of money and endless resources. He owned Avengers Mansion, which is no longer his. He had owned Star Tower that eventually became Avengers Tower, which is also no longer his. His iconic beachfront property has been sold. He lives in a fairly modest building while continuing to try and run his company.

Related: Iron Man's Death Is Being Teased By Marvel Comics

In The Invincible Iron Man #1 by Gerry Duggan and Juan Frigeri, Tony Stark is trying to make good in the world while rebuilding himself. This means he has spent a very considerable amount of time trying to purchase dangerous weapons of mass destruction from around the globe. He is also making payouts to victims who were hurt when his home exploded. All of this money going out has led his attorney Jennifer Walters to warn him that he's running out of cash. Tony Stark responds that he'll just invent something new to make more money.

Batman Can't Invent Things Like Tony Stark

Batman and Iron Man’s superhero personas differ greatly in their demeanor and motifs. One is a dark, street level vigilante while the other is an armor wearing playboy of immense power. But the civilian identities of Tony Stark and Bruce Wayne have a lot in common. Both come from wealthy families and are the respective heads of their large billion-dollar corporations, which have their names attached to. Wealth is intrinsically tied to both of their characters, and is crucial in allowing them to fund their superhero careers and the gadgets they use to fight villains. However, their careers as heads of those companies are vastly different as illustrated in this issue.

It's been noted that Bruce Wayne is more of a managerial and decision-making CEO. His vast fortune comes from a lot of his company's holdings that operate independently of him. In contrast, Tony Stark is an inventor who plays an active role in his company's plans. He actually makes the devices that Stark Industries sells. He is directly involved with the company turning a profit, which is a definite difference between the two. Although the two of them have lost money recently in their respective universes, it will take Bruce Wayne a while to get his business operations back to the point where he is wealthy. Meanwhile, as Tony Stark points out in this issue, Iron Man can simply invent something important that can earn him money a lot quicker than Batman.

Next: Iron Man Has His Own Special Version Of Marvel's Spider-Sense

The Invincible Iron Man #1 is now available from DC Comics.