Howard Stark
Who he is: Howard Anthony Walter Stark
His power: No superpowers, but a scientific genius and inventor. Also? Very smooth with the ladies.
His Story: Howard Stark built his fortune and founded Stark Industries as a savvy businessman and brilliant scientist in the ’30s and ’40s, eventually working with the military on government contracts for weapons during World War II. In Captain America, he’s introduced at the Modern Marvels Of Tomorrow Expo, promising a flying car in the near future. Recruited into the Strategic Scientific Reserve (the forerunner of S.H.I.E.L.D.), he develops the machinery sued by Dr. Abraham Erskine that transforms Steve Rogers into Captain America. An associate of Peggy Carter’s, Stark flies Captain America into Austria to stage a rescue operation, and soon after outfits the super soldier with his signature vibranium shield. After Captain’s supposed death, Stark spent months searching for the downed plane and body.