Marvel today released the cover image to the March-shipping Ultimate Iron Man #1, along with a concept sketch of the Iron Man armor by Bryan Hitch.

Click on the images for larger versions.

Marvel also issued a press release regarding the miniseries, which is written by noted science fiction author Orson Scott Card, and illustrated by Andy Kubert, with covers by Hitch.

The press release reads:

New Series to Recreate the Fabled Iron Man Character; Book One to Launch in March 2005 

with Focus on His Parents and Super Hero Beginnings

Iron Man, the crusading super hero first introduced by Marvel in The Avengers series, will receive his own book in the Marvel “Ultimate” universe this January as Marvel Comics launches Ultimate Iron Man.

The series, which recreates the history of the super hero and his alter ego Tony Stark, will be written by Orson Scott Card, the best-selling science fiction writer best known for his books, “Ender’s Game” and “Speaker of the Dead,” which each received the Hugo and Nebula awards for best science fiction.

Launched by Marvel in 2000, the Ultimate line re-introduces several of Marvel's most popular characters in 21st-century settings. Featuring hyper-realistic computer graphics, the Ultimate books allow a new generation of readers to grow up with their favorite Marvel superheroes. The series’ showcase the ever-popular Marvel characters as teenagers facing the same problems as today's kids

Ultimate Iron Man will mark Scott Card’s first comic book writing effort.  The initial storyline will center on Tony Stark’s childhood and how his parents’ experiments with re-creating and rebuilding human skin/armor led to the death of his mother.  This tragic event will provide the foundation for Scott Card to then delve into how Tony Stark will develop as a man and super hero.

The series will be illustrated by Andy Kubert (1602 and Wolverine: Origin).

“I’m an enormous fan of Orson’s writing, and our assistant editor Nick Lowe has made it his personal mission to get Mr. Card to write Iron Man,” said Joe Quesada, Editor in Chief of Marvel Comics.  “Iron Man is a strong and much-beloved character in the Marvel Universe. I know that Orson’s new exploration and defining of him as a super hero will delight traditional comic fans and definitely appeal to a whole new audience of fans drawn to the science fiction element in his storytelling.”