Today's Epic, Tony with a side of Heroism

 The Iliad and The Odyssey were the national epics of ancient Greece. They told of a hero that took on Greece's enemy Troy and conquered  then defied the gods and went on a legendary quest to return home. An American epic would be Iron Man, and this is why:

Odysseus was a super hero. He was a mastermind in outwitting gods and men, and had fantastic adventures. He was strong, a capable warrior, and good with the ladies. He had the honor honor of speaking with gods and they gave him help and the ability to complete his ultimate mission of coming home. He had everything every Greek could want, he had honor, fame, and glory, family, and upon his return he won his family and estate back, he lived out his days in peace.

Tony Stark has everything every American wants. He has wealth, power, and appeals to the ladies (this seems to be a common theme throughout all of history). His girlfriend however is a red head (Pepper Potts) which just makes him even more awesome. He fights for freedom and justice, battling overwhelming odds and coming out often without a scratch. He fought his competitors that wanted to use their power to enslave mankind and dominate them, and against terrorists that really didn't stand a chance. He is a mortal doing incredible things, and works for the good of mankind. 

Every generation wants super heroes, whether they be our gods, our poems, comic books, celebrities, the founders of a country, the list goes on. Any number of epics could be written on these, and many have been. However, so many of these great stories have gone untold, or been long since forgotten. Therefore, if a great story is to be nationally recognized in today's society, then it must be something that is easily accessible to the public and have a lot of explosions. That is why Iron Man is today's epic.