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About Mack Richardson…
Mack's Top 5 Iron Man Armors
Every superhero has a collection of multi-colored long-johns and capes hanging in the closet waiting for the moment when the Bat-Signal lights up or Jimmy Olsen pushes the button on his signal watch, but Tony Stark takes the prize for “Best Dressed Superhero” (or would if there were such a prize). His ‘costume’ isn’t just a brightly colored cloth suit (not that there’s anything wrong with that) but the coolest, hi-tech suit of battle armor that even Halo’s Master Chief eyes with barely concealed envy. Good ol’ Shellhead also has the good sense to change up his armor regularly so the superhero fashion followers never get board, and while each new armor is almost always awesome … (aside from a dismal collection suffering the double whammy of awful design and subpar art in the late ’90s) … there are a few that standout.
Here are my Top 5 picks for the best armors of The Invincible Iron Man!
5 Model I Mk I
A tin-can Frankenstein lumbering off the cover of Tales of Suspense #39 to the repeated drumming of the question: Who? Who? WHO? awed and excited my 10 year old mind when I first saw it on a Marvel reprint in the late ’70s. Even though Mk I is crude compared to later armors, it still symbolizes the raw power of Iron Man and has a unique distinction that assures it a place in the Top 5: It was first!
First Appearance: Tales of Suspense #39
4 Model 13 — Hulkbuster
Tony Stark is Marvel’s Man with a Plan … much like Bruce Wayne in the DC Universe. So it comes as little surprise that he would develop armors with special functions … such as taking down the Hulk. Unfortunately, the Hulkbuster armors never really got the job done against the Green-Skinned Goliath. The Hulkbuster Mark II was even possessed by the demon Zom and attempted to destroy New York City, giving Tony a bigger headache than it ever gave the Hulk. However, like the Edsel and DeLorean DMC-12, even though it’s a lemon it’s a beautiful piece of machinery. The Hulkbuster armor is a fan favorite and has appeared in the Marvel Cinematic Universe in both Avengers: Age of Ultron and Avengers: Infinity War. This beastly add-on to the Iron Man arsenal worked better in the movies than it ever did in the comics and was worn by the Hulk himself (in Bruce Banner mode) during the Infinity War.
Personal Note: I still think Marvel Studios missed out on a great movie moment by not having Bruce Banner regain his Hulk powers and bust out of the Hulkbuster armor during the battle of Wakanda.
First Appearance: Iron Man (Vol. 1) #304
3 Iron Tech Armor (Ultimate Iron Man)
The original Ultimate Iron Man armor feels real-ish. Other than the red and gold highlights, the Ultimate suit looks akin to the powered armor suits that are being experimented with in the real world. Ultimate Iron Man is also more constrained by the laws of physics and thermodynamics than his Marvel Universe counterpart. For example, a battle between the Ultimates and the Hulk in New York leaves the suit completely de-powered afterward and Tony has to be assisted by a team of specialisticle-items to get the armor up and running again. The more realisticle-itemic portrayal of the logistics of maintaining a complex piece of modern technology added an interesting spice to Utimate Universe storytelling. As the Ultimate Universe developed, the Iron Tech armor was replaced by more traditional Iron Man suits and one of the things that gave the Ultimate Universe its own identity was lost.
First Appearance: Ultimate Marvel Team-Up #4
2 Model 8 — Silver Centurion
The 80’s were rough on Tony Stark. His out of control alcoholism lost him his friends, his company, and almost his life. But it’s hard to keep an Avenger down and by the mid-80’s he was rebuilding his life and even started experimenting with new technology for a new Iron Man. Obidiah Stane, Tony’s rival who’d taken over Stark Industries and made sure Tony landed in the streets, was trying to replicate the Iron Man technology and wasn’t happy to see Tony getting back in the game. Stane used his Iron Monger armor to destroy Tony’s new company. Tony put his new technology to good use and when the smoke settled Stane was dead (by his own repulsor-wielding hand) and Tony Stark was Iron Man once more! The Silver Centurion armor defined the Iron Man look for the late-80s, into the 90s … Plus nothing says the 80s like huge, bitchin’ shoulder pads.
First Appearance: Iron Man (Vol. 1) #200
1 Model 2 Mk I — Horned Helmet
The Model 2 Mk I (aka Horned Helmet) ushered in the classic red and gold look that still defines ol’ Shellhead today. The Horned Helmet didn’t have a long run (lasting only about a year), but it’s impact on how Iron Man armor should look cannot be overstated. The Horned Helmet suit has always been my favorite Iron Man suit. The “horns” and grill-style mouthpiece gave Iron Man an aggressive presence often missing from other “blank-faced” helmets. While I love this suit, I realize it’s a design that works better in comics and animation than in live-action. I was still a little disappointed that the MCU never tried to bring the Model 2 Mk I to life. From time to time artists will work the Horned Helmet look into modern Iron Man suits. Some efforts have worked better than others, but the original Model 2 Mk I is simply the best!
First Appearance: Tales of Suspense #48
Honorable Mentions
Model 4
The red and gold Iron Man Model 4 is the seminal Iron Man armor. This armor established the look of Iron Man not just for the decade that it featured in the pages of Iron Man, Avengers and other Mighty Marvel tomes but it’s influence is still seen today in every media outlet featuring the Golden Avenger. The Model 4 was a perfect example of superhero armor. It still allowed Tony (and Rhodey during his time as Iron Man) to show off his rippling muscles as well as any spandex and the helmet mask somehow managed to convey the emotion of the wearer (although this feature may have been artistic license). The Model 4 captured my overactive imagination while I was a child and never let go.
