Rey Mysterio Photos © 2009 World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
By Craig Tello
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Iron Rey |
Tony Stark may be the man behind the iron mask in the Marvel Universe, but in sports-entertainment, that man is Rey Mysterio.
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Does whatever
a spider can |
Last summer on WWE's top-rated cable program Monday Night Raw, Mysterio must've been hearing the riffs of Black Sabbath as he propelled through the air in custom-designed ring attire inspired by Marvel's
Iron Man.
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Ol' Hornhead |
Scarlet-suited with yellow, armor-like accents, the Master of the 619 – three digits that appeared bolted on the pant leg of his Iron Man gear – perfected his Shellhead look with special headgear. Mysterio's signature mask bore twin slits of reflective eye coverings to make a machine of the WWE Superstar and give the fearless Rey-Rey the victory.
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Web-tacular |
Trading unibeams and repulsor blasts for dropkicks and headscissors, Mysterio even ended his match against Santino Marella with a flying missile splash from the top rope which seemed to invoke Stark's high sky cruising in Marvel Studios' "Iron Man" film.
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A (Norrin)
Radd-ical idea |
Beyond Stark, the former World Champion has shown his true colors as a Marvel fan on multiple occasions. Known for his vastly unique ring apparel, Raw's Masked Superstar has used his in-ring fashion sense to pay homage to the House of Ideas' greatest characters – from
Spider-Man to
Silver Surfer.
But when and where did it all begin?
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Herald of the 619 |
Akin to combating evil, Mysterio must have seen Matt Murdock's Hell's Kitchen haunts in the Ben Affleck-starring feature film "
Daredevil" just prior to WrestleMania XIX. In 2003, the Ultimate Underdog made his very first appearance at a WrestleMania and first-ever tribute to the House of Ideas in a crimson costume with horn-topped headgear, all in faithful reverence to Marvel's blind arbiter of justice.
Six years later, Mysterio takes his ongoing battle between goodwill (which he champions) and iniquity this Sunday at the 25th Anniversary of WrestleMania. Live on pay-per-view in Houston, Texas, the masked warrior contends for WWE's coveted Intercontinental Championship, currently toted by the much loathed John "Bradshaw" Layfield (think slimmed down
Kingpin born in the Lone Star State).
Will the Master of the 619 bear the colors of yet another 616 super hero this Sunday at "The Biggest Spectacle of Them All," WrestleMania – the arguable birthplace of the Superstar's Marvel influenced garb?
Learn more about Rey Mysterio now and watch him at WrestleMania 25 this Sunday, April 5 only on Pay-Per-View.
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