Suit Up
Throughout the decades, Tony Stark has worn thousands of them, each one built for a specific challenge or threat. Some of them have pushed the limits of technology, of heroics, and of what Iron Man could do, but some have not, and made us wonder why Tony Stark put so much work into something so foolish. With that in mind, here are 10 of his worst and best armors.
1. Ruins Armor
The armor used by Earth-9591's Tony Stark from Marvel's Ruins is, quite simply, one of the very worst Iron Man suits in the multiverse. Having very little in the way of abilities, the suit is an insult to Iron Man's power level and nearly does the armor's wearer in when it utterly fails to protect him from even the simplest of missile strikes.
2. Arctic Armor
Iron Man's Arctic Armor debuted in Iron Man #318. An armor designed for cold-weather use, it sports a blue-and-white color scheme and alloys intended to handle extreme cold. However, it has never been noted for combat effectiveness or innovation compared to Tony's other armors.
3. The Classic
The red-and-gold "classic" armor, as seen in early stories, became the standard image for the character: sleek and functional while providing full battle and flight capabilities. This included a close-fitting helmet in place of the ungainly earlier versions with a spiked mask and nose. The suit could be compressed into a compact package for briefcase storage and deployed in seconds.
4. Mark 1
Though the MCU's Mark I armor is a fan favorite, it's also one of Iron Man's worst. Assembled in a rush from junk parts while Tony Stark was a hostage, the bulky suit was clunky, prone to breaking at the worst times, and just generally hard to move around in. While the Mark I was iconic as Iron Man's first appearance, its lack of mobility and limited weapons place it among the most useless of Stark's inventions.
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5. Hydro Suit
It is worn over his standard armor, and its construction allows Tony to withstand the great pressures underwater. In addition to the bubble helmet, it also possesses bio-luminescent elements for dark vision but is agile enough to be used in underwater battles. Specialized as it is, the Hydro Suit is not used as often as other armors and can be considered a decent, but not outstanding, addition to his collection.
6. Stealth Armor
The Stealth Armor, or Model 7, is sleek in its black aesthetic, but it's one of Tony's weakest armors. While it can dodge radar and has camouflage technology, it is weak in durability and is unarmed, leaving Stark defenseless if he is detected. The glowing red eyes also give away his position, making this armor seem more like a novelty than something Iron Man should take out of his garage.
7. Hulkbuster
The Hulkbuster armor is an incredibly large exo-suit constructed on top of Tony's standard Iron Man armor. As its name implies, it was built to counter the Hulk and handle the gamma giant's immense strength and ferocity. The armor has seen very limited use and has on multiple occasions failed in its primary task of subduing the Hulk, usually resulting in a mess of torn and shredded metal.
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8. Model CE1
The Prometheum Armor is one of Iron Man's most ungainly armors. It is a chest plate that Tony Stark designed and made during the Heroes Reborn limited series. The suit resembles villainous technology instead of Iron Man's usual high-tech theme. It served as a temporary iron lung for an injured, amnesiac Tony Stark.
9. Superior Iron Man
Superior Iron Man is the armor Tony wore during the Axis storyline, when he was the most self-absorbed and corrupt he has ever been. He weaponized his technology for money rather than for the benefit of others and played people like pawns without their permission. Sleek as it is, it was used by the most egotistical and unethical version of Stark, making this one of the least heroic and most unpalatable armors he has ever worn.
10. 1965’s Model 3
Iron Man's Model 3 armor is notable for a lack of upgrades; in fact, it's best remembered for one egregious change: the big, clumsy nose that was added to the faceplate. Designed to accommodate a mistake Tony had made over communications about needing space for his nose under the mask, the "upgrade" made his suit appear unintentionally silly. Luckily, this "nose phase" was a short-lived period in the history of the armor, but it's one of the weirdest and least stylish.
Now that we've talked about some of the worst Iron Man armors, here are 10 of the best.
1. Celestial Hulkbuster
The Celestial Hulkbuster armor was the culmination of his life's work, a suit that dwarfed everything he'd ever built, assembled from the hollowed-out remains of a Celestial to grant Tony Stark god-like size and strength, and armed with a plethora of devastating weaponry. Few suits could hope to face the Hulk, let alone damage him, but the Celestial Hulkbuster's mass and firepower were more than enough to make good on Tony's threat.
2. Cosmic Iron God
The Cosmic Iron God armor was the culmination of Tony Stark's power, strength, and cosmic energies. As Stark absorbed Galactus' Power Cosmic and the armor interfaced perfectly with his body, he became a literal god. Stark was able to reshape the planet at will, boost human intelligence, and teleport anywhere in the universe in the blink of an eye. In every regard, the armor made Iron Man more powerful than any other suit had ever been, transforming him from an incredibly intelligent man into an actual god.
3. Excalibur
The Excalibur Armor furthered Iron Man into the realm of magic as he integrated his armor into the scabbard of Excalibur. The armor was powered by Tony's will and gave him as much mystical power as his imagination could conjure, allowing him to manifest whatever type of attack he desired. This allowed him endless potential for combat. This blending of magic and technology made it a remarkable and unique suit in his arsenal.
4. Godbuster
The Godbuster armor is a Tony Stark weaponized magnum opus of science and firepower, used to combat the eScape AI that possessed god-like abilities and personalities. Clad in a hulking armor suit with a large cannon on his back, the Godbuster lives up to its name in brute firepower and is used to fight god-like enemies in the eScape. While the Godbuster was created for use inside the virtual reality of eScape, the suit's immense power was so awe-inspiring that it laid the groundwork for Arno Stark's Iron Man 2020 armor suit to be built in reality.
5. Mark VII
The Mark VII armor is an advanced upgrade to Stark's Iron Man armor, with improvements that include an automated loading and flight system to quickly arrive and secure to Stark's body in midair. It is also equipped with a full arsenal of cutting-edge weapons, repulsors, and flight systems, making it a versatile and high-speed heavy combat suit. The Mark VII's combination of speed, firepower, defense, and adaptability makes it one of Iron Man's most iconic and dependable suits in the MCU.
6. Thorbuster
Thorbuster Armor makes Iron Man god-tier by absorbing Thor's power and giving it to Tony. Every time Thor hits Iron Man in this armor, he grows stronger. This armor was made from an enchanted jewel laced with Odin's own power, to give Iron Man the strength to face a being who could potentially bring about World War III.
7. Mysterium
The Model 72 Mysterium Armor is one of the most powerful armors Iron Man has ever worn. Constructed from mysterium, the strongest metal in the Marvel Universe, it has energy projection and flight similar to other armors, but its ability to withstand attacks makes it nigh-indestructible, as Tony has survived attacks that have destroyed almost every other armor he has used.
8. War Machine
War Machine armor is a heavily armed, combat-oriented variation of Iron Man armor. Typically weaponized to an extremely high degree and sacrificing speed and stealth for firepower and defense, War Machine can be piloted by James Rhodes and usually contains an assortment of miniguns, missile pods, and powerful repulsors, among other weaponry.
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9. Hologram Armor
In the I Am Iron Man storyline, Tony Stark wears a suit that is a combination of armor and a full augmented reality system. It is revealed that he has been able to trap his enemies inside an augmented reality city simulation while completely disappearing from their view, in order to toy with them, as the suit is a virtual construct. It is first shown in the form of a giant, kaiju-sized energy armor.
10. The Nanoparticle Suit
Created by Tony Stark and Nick Travis, this Iron Man armor is a liquid metal suit that can rapidly change from one form to another. This suit has abilities ranging from supersonic flight to Hulkbuster-type super strength. The armor has nanotechnology that allows it to float invisibly around its wearer and harden into any shape required for a particular mission. As Nick Travis's primary suit, this armor is one of the most advanced and versatile in Iron Man's history.
