▁Henry ▁Ir ons ▁and ▁his ▁alter - ego ▁Ste el , ▁An nab eth ▁G ish ▁as ▁his ▁wheel ch air - using ▁partner ▁Susan ▁S par ks , ▁and ▁Jud d ▁Nelson ▁as ▁their ▁rival ▁Nathan iel ▁Bur ke . ▁The ▁plot ▁cent ers ▁on ▁an ▁accident ▁caused ▁by ▁Bur ke ▁which ▁leaves ▁S par ks ▁par al yz ed . ▁The ▁accident ▁results ▁in ▁Ir ons ▁qu itting ▁his ▁job . ▁Bur ke ▁begins ▁mass - produ cing ▁weapons ▁and ▁s elling ▁them ▁to ▁crim inals . ▁In ▁order ▁to ▁stop ▁Bur ke , ▁Ir ons ▁and ▁S par ks ▁create ▁a ▁suit ▁of ▁arm or ▁that ▁leads ▁Ir ons ▁to ▁become ▁the ▁super h ero ▁Ste el . ▁ ▁Writ ten ▁and ▁directed ▁by ▁Kenneth ▁Johnson , ▁the ▁film ▁separ ates ▁itself ▁from ▁the ▁com ic ▁book ▁series ▁( and ▁John ▁Henry ▁Ir ons ' ▁status ▁as ▁a ▁supporting ▁character ▁of ▁Super man ) ▁by ▁using ▁original ▁protagon ists ▁and ▁ant agon ists . ▁On ▁its ▁initial ▁release , ▁Ste el ▁was ▁a ▁box ▁office ▁bomb ▁and ▁was ▁p anned ▁by ▁critics , ▁who ▁compla ined ▁about ▁the ▁film ' s ▁" che es iness " ▁and ▁bad ▁acting . ▁ ▁Plot ▁John ▁Henry ▁Ir ons ▁( S ha qu ille ▁O ' Ne al ) ▁is ▁a ▁weapons ▁designer ▁who ▁invent s ▁high - tech ▁las er ▁guns , ▁protect ive ▁arm or , ▁and ▁son ic ▁sound ▁can n ons ▁for ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁military . ▁One ▁soldier