AdamYJ
The Saturday Morning Kid
What are you talking about, Grey Gargoyle can trnasform people into stone by touching them with his right hand, it is one of his powers:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grey_Gargoyle
Fire Brand was likly going to be the fire villain used:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Firebrand_(Marvel_Comics)
As for Mandrain, it is always kinda tough to use him, considering his rather unseemly "yellow pearl" origins. I always thought the best thing they did with him is give him his anti technology ideology, it him seem more like Tony's opposite and made seem less a generic Chinese sterotype/meglomanic villain.
The Mandarin in this film was disappointing, all set up and no pay off. Plus being defeat by the power of love is embrassing for a villain.
I said the Earth Elemental never turned anyone to stone. You can't say a character is based on Grey Gargoyle unless they can do that.
I don't know about Firebrand. The Fire Elemental in the Iron Man movie looked female and I would have figured she'd have been based on a female villian. However, you could be right.
Though, the Dragon was based on Fin Fang Foom. The concept art feature on the DVD proved that much.