As the founder of Stark Industries, Howard Stark amassed the world's biggest fortune, and as the founder of S.H.I.E.L.D., he helped save the world many times over. Being a futurist, Howard saw himself at the forefront of the age of heroes but grew resentful that this period would come into full force after his time. Wishing to see the Stark name live on, Howard came to make a deal with Mephisto. In exchange for murdering his son Tony, Howard stopped aging. Although Howard would now live to see the future, he also became a slave to the Council of Red, an alliance of Mephistos from across the Multiverse. Forfeiting his business and fortune, his entire earthly life, Howard became the armorer of the Mephistos, adopting the alias of the Iron Inquisitor.
As part of his continued servitude to the Council of Red, Howard came under the service of the Mephisto of Earth-616 to help him destroy this reality's Tony Stark. Following this Mephisto's death at the hands of Moon Knight, the devil resurfaced in a canine form. Howard joined Mephisto on a journey to amass enough power for a resurrection spell. To this end, Mephisto claimed debts from people who had made deals with him by devouring them.
When Ka-Zar embarked on an expedition across the timestream to chart the unknown history of Earth's superpowers on behalf of the Avengers, the Iron Inquisitor intercepted him. Howard pulled him into a world in the distant past that was about to be consumed by Galactus, disabling his Time Knife in the process, and teleported away.
