Seven things non-geeks should know about Iron Man

Maybe you knew enough about Spider-Man not to embarrass yourself. And yeah, most folks know the basics of Batman. And seriously, even my grandma knows Superman well enough to carry on a decent conversation. But Iron Man? Even with the first movie under your belt, what with the fog of any origin story, you still might be a little hazy on the specs of the Tony Stark mythoi.

And if you didn't know that Tony Stark is Iron Man's real name? Skip this article and save your money for the next Shrek. It's a little easier.

7. Iron Man was originally created as a response to the counter-culture 60s

Stan Lee says that he created Iron Man as sort of a challenge to himself -- if his readers were anti-war and anti-capitalist, then he'd turn a character who represented exactly that into someone they could root for. Sort of like a Howard Hughes character, only without the long hair, the untrimmed nails, and the mason jars of urine everywhere.

6. Tony Stark is the fourth richest man in the world

That's according to this month's issue of Forbes magazine, mind you, where they list his net worth at $8.8 billion. A little less cash than Richie Rich, but a touch more than Jed Clampett: that's Stark. He can buy and sell you and your little dog and pony show--but he won't, because he's a good egg.

5. Whiplash is stupid in the comic books too

Don't feel like you're alone in thinking that the villainous Whiplash in the new movie is sort of goofy. He is. But seriously, when your Rogue's Gallery includes such losers as the Unicorn and Mr. Doll, you know you don't have much to choose from. Batman might have the Joker, Spidey has Green Goblin, and Iron Man just has ... rust.