Don Heck

Biography:

Donald L. Heck (January 2, 1929 – February 23, 1995) was an American comic book artist best known as the co-creator of Marvel characters such as Iron Man, the Wasp, Black Widow, Hawkeye, and Wonder Man, and for his long tenure drawing The Avengers during the Silver Age of Comics.

Born in Queens, New York, to German-American parents Bertha and John Heck, he studied art through correspondence courses, vocational school, and community college. His professional career began in 1949 at Harvey Comics, where he adapted newspaper strips into comic-book form. By 1952, he was working for Comic Media, producing covers and stories for War Fury, Weird Terror, Horrific, Danger, and other titles. He also freelanced for publishers such as Quality, Hillman, and Toby Press, and drew a TV tie-in comic, Captain Gallant of the Foreign Legion, in 1955.

Through fellow artist Pete Morisi, Heck was introduced to Stan Lee in 1954 and soon joined Atlas Comics, Marvel’s predecessor. His early assignments included horror, war, Western, and science fiction stories in titles like Mystery Tales, Navy Combat, and Tales of Suspense. By the late 1950s, alongside Jack Kirby and other future Marvel legends, he contributed atmospheric artwork to science fiction and fantasy anthologies as Marvel transitioned toward its superhero era.

In 1963, Heck helped launch Iron Man in Tales of Suspense #39, shaping the character of Tony Stark and supporting cast members like Pepper Potts, while Jack Kirby designed the original armor. Heck went on to co-create major villains and heroes such as the Mandarin, Black Widow, Hawkeye, and Wonder Man. He also succeeded Kirby as artist on The Avengers, illustrating key early issues and co-creating characters like the Swordsman, Power Man (later Atlas), the Collector, Bill Foster (later Black Goliath), the Living Laser, and later, Mantis.

Throughout the 1960s, Heck also worked on The X-Men, Spider-Man, Captain Marvel, and numerous romance and horror comics. He briefly ghost-drew The Phantom and Terry and the Pirates strips, while continuing steady work at Marvel. By the 1970s, he began freelancing for DC Comics, drawing The Flash, Wonder Woman, Justice League of America, and co-creating the hero Steel, the Indestructible Man. He also worked on The Champions for Marvel before shifting almost exclusively to DC for a period.

In the 1980s and 1990s, Heck returned to Marvel for titles like Solo Avengers, Iron Man Annual, and Marvel Comics Presents, while also contributing to independent publishers such as Topps, Hero Comics, and Millennium Publications. His last known work was published in 1993.

Comics historian Roy Thomas praised Heck as an artist with “real talent and a good grounding in the fundamentals,” who adapted elements of Kirby’s style while forging his own identity during Marvel’s formative years.

Heck passed away from lung cancer in 1995 at the age of 66, in Suffolk County, Long Island.