When audiences think of superheroes, one of the first things they think of is the suit and there is probably no superhero more well known for their suit thanIron Man. While Superman, Batman, and Spider-Man have undergone changes, they tend to return to a basic template, but the nature of Iron Man is that his look is always changing, be it simple aesthetics like color or more technological advances that alter the shape and capabilities of his suit. Since Iron Man’s superpower is his armor, it makes sense for there to be a number of different looks and designs.
Robert Downey Jr. played the character of Tony Stark in Iron Man back in 2008 and played the character in a variety of films until 2019’sAvengers: Endgame,which served as the final epic conclusion for Tony Stark’s journey as Iron Man. The character left behind a rich legacy, and an entire wardrobe full of iconic and powerful suits that he designed but also made for his friends and loved ones. With Tony Stark’s legacy and his tech set to be the central point of the upcoming Disney+ seriesIronheartandArmor Wars, take a look back at the best Iron Man suits in the MCU.
9Iron Patriot (Iron Man 3)
Based on the villainous armor from the comics worn bySpider-Manvillain Norman Osborn during the Dark Avengers storyline, the MCU reworked theIron Patriot armorto be a re-skin of War Machine in the wake of the events ofThe Avengers. Mixing the visual iconography of Captain America with Iron Man makes for a strong visual, and the suit serves to highlightIron Man 3’s themes of the insidious nature between the government and the military-industrial complex.
8Mark L (Avengers: Infinity War)
Tony Stark’s Mark L Armor is based on theBleeding Edge armorthat was introduced in Marvel Comics in 2010, one of the first times Marvel Studios drew from the comics that was designed after the film series existence. The armor introduced inAvengers: Infinity Warforms around Tony’s new detachable arc reactor using nanotechnology and is able to recreate itself after retaining damage and comes with a special booster engine to allow space travel. The nanotechnology allows Tony to create a wide variety of weapons, and by the time he is on an alien planet shows how far the futurist has come from the days of working in a cave.
7Rescue (Avengers: Endgame)
While Pepper Potts is the great love of Tony Stark in the MCU, in the comics she was given more to do, as in 2009 the character was given her own super-suit, codenamed Rescue. ForAvengers: Endgamethe character finally got to suit up in the Rescue armor alongside her husband and the rest of the Avengers to fight off Thanos and his invading army. Rocking a blue color scheme to contrast with Iron Man’s red, Rescue’s action may have been brief, but it certainly left an impact.
6Mark LXXXV (Avengers: Endgame)
For Tony Stark’s final adventure in the MCU, the filmmakers forAvengers: Endgamemodeled the Mark LXXXV suit after the classic Silver Age suit Iron Man wore during the 60s and 70s comics. While originally deemed to be too unrealistic for his first film, given the arms and legs looked too flexible and had more in common with liquid metal, by this point in the MCU audiences had seen Tony’s technology evolve so much that it seemed plausible for Tony’s tech to involve more mobility. While the first MCU suit was the most modern suit at the time, by thecharacter’s final filmeverything had come full circle to Tony Stark being able to wear his classic armor.
5War Machine (Iron Man 2)
While not technically designed by Tony Stark, the War Machine armor suit worn by Tony’s best friend James ‘Rhodey’ Rhodes used Stark’s Mark 2 armor as a template and was outfitted with weapons by weapons manufacturer Justin Hammer inIron Man 2. War Machine’s armor perfectly captures what a young child’s idea of an Iron Man redesign would be; more weapons, and just more of everything.
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The character is given a bulkier set of arms than the traditional Iron Man suit, a massive machine gun, and a gunmetal black color scheme that lets someone immediately recognize the wearer as a danger. Later films would do slight alternations to the suit, switching the placement of the shoulder gun and what type of weapon, but this first suit inIron Man 2is the character of War Machine’s most iconic look.
4Hulkbuster (Avengers: Age of Ultron)
A popular staple in the comics, The Hulkbuster armor finally made its cinematic debut inAvengers: Age of Ultron. Designed by both Tony Stark and Bruce Banner, the suit is designed to take on the Hulk if he were to ever lose control. The suit is massive and is designed to be even bigger than the Hulk himself, and with a wide variety of weapons and bulkiness, this shows Stark forging his traditional sleek designs for a massive tank to both deal and take damage. Yet the suit maintains some of Stark’s wit as it is nicknamed Veronica, a counterpoint to Bruce’s love interest Betty Ross and a reference to the Betty and Veronica dynamic in the Archie comics.
3Mark V/Suitcase Suit (Iron Man 2)
TheMark V Armor(aka the suitcase suit) was only used in one action scene, but the suit became a central point inIron Man 2’smarketing. Combining the visual aesthetic of Silver Centurion armor from the comics with the original comic book idea that Tony Stark would carry around his Iron Man suit in a briefcase, this red and silver armor sticking look combined with the continued innovation of how Tony would not only put on but travel with his suit shows. Watching the suitcase armor click into place and morph around Tony’s suit seems plausible and helps set the stage for Tony’s future advancements in his armor.
2Mark I/Cave Suit (Iron Man)
Everybody knows that Tony Stark was able to build his suit in a cave with a box of scraps, and this first suit is, in keeping with the company’s namesake, a ‘marvel’ to behold. Almost a direct recreation of Iron Man’s first armor from his debut appearance inTales of Suspense#39, the genius of the suit is making something that feels tactile and plausible, designing it to feel like it was built from spare parts lying around.
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If the audience buys the idea that this suit can work, they will go along with the concept that Tony Stark can build anything. With the legendary Stan Winston studios crafting the suit, this first armor made an impression on the audience and set the template moving forward. Through all of Tony’s advancements in later films, it all began with this bulky janky suit.
1Mark III (Iron Man)
While Iron Man has had a number of suits through the comics and the films, there is one that stands above the rest in the public consciousness, and it is the Mark III fromIron Man. Perfectly mixing artist Adi Granov’s design in the then-recentIron Mancomics with the circular chest piece of classic Iron Man suits, the Mark 3 stands as the perfect blend of honoring the past but embracing the future. The Mark III suit is the template for which the MCU has followed, with many suits inIron Man 2andThe Avengersfilms just being slight reworkings of this design.
The perfect mix of form and function, the suit is one that is both elegant and also dangerous. With this suit, Marvel Studios sent a signal to audiences that they would be taking great care to translate the comics to the big screen, and began one of the most successful film franchises in cinema history, the MCU, making Iron Man the face of that franchise and the Mark III the definitive Iron Man suit.
