Iron heart
Riri Williams grows up with her mother and stepfather in Chicago, Illinois after the death of her father, Demetrius, her namesake. At the age of five, a series of tests show that she possesses a super-genius level of intelligence. As Riri grows, she pursues her passion for technology obsessively, choosing to spend time alone inventing new and advanced machines rather than making friends, playing with toys, watching TV, or even eating regular meals.
As a little girl, Riri and her soon-to-be stepfather face an imminent threat during a Skrull invasion of Earth but are rescued by billionaire scientist, businessman, and Super Hero Iron Man.At the age of ten, Riri meets Natalie Washington, who becomes her best friend. A short time later, Riri embarks on a college career at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (M.I.T.). During this time, she contacts NASA, hoping to apply for the astronaut’s training program. Her age and lack of a college degree disqualifies her for the time being, but Riri’s desire to follow in the footsteps of her personal hero, the first African-American woman astronaut, keeps her going. Several years later, for Riri’s thirteenth birthday, Natalie arranges for the astronaut to call Riri on the phone and chat with her. But later that year, at a picnic in a park in Chicago, tragedy strikes. A drive-by shooting takes the life of Natalie and Riri’s stepfather, who are both shot in the heart and killed, a life-changing event that affects Riri deeply.
