I’m wondering if you imagined the Iron Man as regularly human-sized, or as a marauding giant?
For me, it was the latter. In fact, I always thought of Queen’s News of the World album cover when I heard this Sabbath song.
There is nothing in the song to indicate that the guy was made bigger. It only says that “he was turned to steel in the great magnetic field; when he traveled time for the future of mankind.”
But I always thought of him as bigger.
Vote: had to be bigger. Lots bigger.
Actually, here is a better look at that Queen album cover.
I always thought he was bigger too, although now that you mention it, it seems like it doesn’t really say or imply that anywhere.
I’m gonna go check all the words just to make sure.
I’ll be back.
I always imagined him as the Marvel Comics hero. Damn!
Quasi
I’ve always pictured him being about 30 feet tall. Of course, even if he wasn’t enlarged at all, I’m sure he could still kick some ass.
Black Sabbath heroes do not “kick ass”.
They drink blood.
v v
I was prejudiced by the fact that I already kw
ew about the Marvel comic book Ironman before hearing the song, so I picture human-sized.
However, I’d like to say that the News of The World album cover is one of the coolest of all time.
[hijack]
Bob Rivers & Twisted Radio did a spoof of Iron Man on their Christmas album I Am Santa Claus. “…How much does he weigh? How do the reindeer pull his sleigh? Nobody sees him, as he travels the world, leaving his presents, for the good boys and girls…” Very well done & funny. The rest of the album is mildly amusing, but this one is a gem.
[/hijack]
I always thought of him as a giant, but that’s got more to do with reading Ted Hughes’ childrens book of the same name as a kid than anything in the songs lyrics. Don’t know if the Sabbath song was influenced by the book or not, but Pete Townsend got a song out of it in the late 80’s.
Good screen name BTW. Remember, what’s good for M&M Enterprises is good for the board 
milo
BIGGER!
something kinda like this big stone man i saw in a japanese horror movie as a kid. ground would shake when he took his big ole step…moved real slow, but alway caught who he was after…
IMO, he was of normal size. He did not become Iron Man until he traveled time and was turned to steel. I hold the belief that turning to steel during the time travel was not part of the plan…that it was an accident of some sort. Hence his extreme displeasure at being shunned (we’ll just pass him there. Why should we even care). I picture Iron Man standing there thinking, “Hey, you assholes…look what happened to me when I traved time for your asses! I’m all fucked up now with a metal dick and can’t get laid anymore (or at least can’t feel it). I guess I’m gonna have to waste you and yours for your ignorance!”
Iron Man only traveled time…he did not trave it.
I always pictured as being large but still within the range possible for a human, like 6’9" or something.
I agree with Jet-Jag, large but not abnormally so.
But seriously, I sometimes wonder whether Black Sabbath weren’t in fact the greatest band ever and we’re only now starting to realise it.
The song “Black Sabbath” is just the scariest song ever written, “War Pigs” is nothing short of awesome and “Paranoid” still makes me think and headbang silmultaneously, 20 years after I first heard it.
xanakis: I was watching a VH1 special several months ago where they counted down the 100 Most Influential Artists in Rock History, as determined by bands and critics.
I’m sitting there, just poised to rip into them when they bury Sabbath down on the list for Madonna or something similarly asinine.
But, to their credit, their top three was (I believe this was the order), The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, and Black Sabbath.
That sounds about right.
I frequently listen to a “greatest hits” CD of theirs, We Sold Our Soul for Rock and Roll. But the other day I was listening to the actual Paranoid CD. Like the other two listed bands above, the stuff that takes your breath away are the deep tracks. That’s where a band really proves its mettle. And Sabbath just reigns in that domain.
I always saw him as an iron version of Marvel’s The Thing. Sounds like he went through quite a transformation.
Being a comic geek, I was well aware of the Iron Man superhero, but I still pictured him as large (maybe 25 feet tall, and reall broad), though it does seem to be counterindicated by the song. As Kent4mmy points out, it seems that the Iron Man was a normal chap before his time-travelling plan to save the world went awry. But, that’s imagination for you.
Xanakis and Milossarian: Right on, brothers! Sabbath is still grossly underappreciated in the mainstream public’s eye. Tony “The Riffmaster” Iommi doesn’t get nearly enough credit for inventing what we now thing of as metal, w/ distortion, etc.
Long live rock.
Ordinary-sized fellow. In addition to the metal body, he would have powers very similar to Magneto’s, by purely logical reasoning. That which does not kill us gives us superpowers. Radioactive spider venom? Powers of a spider. Every atom in your body disassociated from the rest of the universe? Godlike powers over atomic structure. Turned to steel in a great magnetic field? Control over magnetism, or at the very least, over metal. I picture cars being thrown around like dust motes as he stomps through the streets, metal piping ripping out of walls and through the people he once saved, gas mains detonating as they’re wrenched right up through concrete. His only sound the stomp of those metal feet, but inside he’s pure screaming rage and pain. A shred inside him wanting to stop, but he’s passed no-return, chosen hatred over life, and stopping is simply no longer possible.
It’s a great song. And a very good demonstration of just why it’s a very, very good thing that superpowers don’t randomly fall into the laps of adolescent boys.
I would think big to begin with.
you must listen to vol.4 or sabatoge
