The invincible Iron Man has been feeling pretty mortal throughout the entire run of his solo series. Giving readers a deeper look into his character than the quippy Tony Stark usually allows, the narration throughout the series has been taken from an autobiography Tony has been writing. Now that he’s almost done, however, he faces his greatest threat yet: superhero fatigue.

In a preview for The Invincible Iron Man #20 – written by Gerry Duggan, with art by Andrea Di Vito– She-Hulk warns Tony about her legal fees, as she helps him settle Rhodey’s official pardon. Despite having just saved the world from Orchis, Stark is still strapped for cash, asking her if there’s anyone they can sue.

When she reminds him of the upcoming payday from his memoir, he grimaces, noting: “my agent told me people are kind of ‘superheroed out’ right now”, echoing a complaint that’s been lodged in the real world against the MCU.

“Superhero Fatigue” Is An Issue For Marvel Heroes Even Within Their Own Universe

The Invincible Iron Man #20 – Written By Gerry Duggan; Art By Andrea Di Vito, Bryan Valenza, & Joe Caramagna

The Marvel Cinematic Universe kicked off sixteen years ago in 2008 – with Iron Man, fittingly enough – and superheroes have been big business since. Multiple filmmakers and actors have spoken out against the genre over the past decade, though it seemed in 2023, audiences started feeling superhero fatigue as well. Movies that were once expected to be guaranteed box office success underperformed or just bombed. Streaming TV series were once an event; now there are too many to keep up with. The fatigue is so strong, it has seeped ontop the page, affecting people even in the Marvel Universe itself.

To be fair, being a normal person in the Marvel Universe seems exhausting. A worldwide fight just broke out against Orchis, enlisting not only the Avengers and X-Men, but a rogue’s gallery of villains, equipped with lethal Stark tech. Only months before that happened, New York City was under siege in a deadly Gang War, and before they had a chance to recover, vampires were unleashed. It is understandable that an average Marvel Universe citizen wouldn’t be interested in hearing how hard it was for Iron Man to lose billions of dollars while getting married to a beautiful mutant.

Tony Stark Is Facing “Superhero Fatigue” In Both Public And Private

A Superpowered Couple In Jeopardy

Speaking of that beautiful mutant, Emma Frost might be feeling superhero fatigue, too. The preview for Invincible Iron Man #20 suggests she’s still planning on leaving Tony, now that they’ve achieved their goal of defeating Orchis. While that was always the agreement since they first got married, Tony admits he’s fallen for her, telling Jen Walters to hold off on the annulment paperwork she’s prepared. However, Emma will be an important figure in X-Men’s “From the Ashes” era, with no time for her husband. In other words, superhero fatigue is not just real, it is personal for Iron Man.