Iron Man's Greatest Rival is A Dolphin in a Mech Suit (Yes, Really)

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Of the many rivals Iron Man could have in the Marvel universe, Reed Richards isn't his greatest. Deadpool Biannual #1 reveals that it is actually a hero he likely isn't overly familiar with: Doctor Echo. This mech-suit wearing dolphin hasn't had the chance for many Avengers team-ups, but he'd give Tony Stark a run for his money.

Doctor Echo first appeared in the 1990 four issue comic series, Brute Force. This team is made up of animal cyborgs including Doctor Echo, Boomer, Lionheart, Soar, and Bear. They are a dolphin, kangaroo, lion, eagle, and bear, respectively. Later, Brute Force would be revealed as Weapon II — adding Wolverteeny — a squirrel experimented on in the Weapon Plus Program — to their ranks. The team doesn't have very many appearances, but their fight and team-up with Deadpool revealed some interesting details about the smartest member of the team.

Related: Iron Man Proves He Isn't The Hero Marvel Movies Turned Him Into

Deadpool Biannual #1 features the story «Animal Style!» which has the creative team of Paul Scheer, Nick Giovannetti, Salva Espin, Veronica Gandini, Joe Sabino, and Jordan D. White. This comic places the titular mercenary in a strange position — as usual. He is first hired to protect a zoological waterpark before eventually realizing the facility engaged in animal experimentation, making him turn against it. Through this adventure, Deadpool comes up against Brute Force and it is revealed that Doctor Echo has actually improved upon Stark's Extremis suit design, significantly.

Lionheart compliments Dr. Echo on his suit, dubbed the «Supernus Armor». This armor is «a nanotech virus that is bonded with» these heroes' «organic tissue». However, the brilliant dolphin makes note of how Tony's