Best Iron Man Armors

WOAH…

When was the last time I posted on here? I know I have no excuse, so I'm very sorry. Tonight's blog post is going to be purely for my enjoyment, and hopefully for you Shellhead fans out there :P So anyway, one of Iron Man's coolest features is (obviously) his tin suit. He's had a lot of great armors… and not so great armors. Today, I'll be mentioning my top six favorite suits and why they rock. This can be either for significance or because they are just plain awesome. Because I am the ultimate Iron Man fan (please don't read that as "greatest Ultimate Iron Man fan"), this list can be considered canon. Enjoy :)

Number Six: Space Armor (Mk. 1)

What is so cool about this armor? Welp, it first debuted in Vol. 1 #142 as Tony Stark's first specialized suit. He realized that his regular armor wouldn't be adequate for say, the cold reaches of space. So, he got rid of the mouthpiece (no one can hear you scream in space) and decided to bulk up his suit to operate in a vacuum. During this period of publication history, David Michelinie and Bob Layton had a bunch of ideas to show the Iron Gentleman in a bunch of different scenarios with different armors (the stealth suit, a deep-sea suit, a Hulkbuster, etcetera). They hinted at this by showing Tony's armory in an earlier issue. The Space Armor was the first of these armors and thoroughly rocked the Iron Man fan base. And looking at it, it's pretty great, isn't it? Sock it to 'em, Shellhead!





Number Five: Modular Armor

A LOT of Iron Fans hate on this armor. But I honestly think it looks pretty wicked. Yes, it is a little 90s, but look at every hero's costumes around this time. It was pretty ingenious in that each part of the armor was a single unit. Each section could be traded out for separate components if need be. For instance, a huge repulser cannon on an arm or hardened jet boots for long-distance travel. The aforementioned Hulkbuster armor was an add-on to the Modular set. Basically, this was the ultimate specialized armor. Tony wore it from Issue #'s 300-319, but it left its place on history in the (amazingly) awful Iron Man tv show and Marvel vs. Capcom. A new set of Modular-like armor is being used by Tony Stark in the current Iron Man Marvel NOW! series. Check it?









Number Four: Extremis Armor

Does this armor look familiar? The answer should be a resounding yes. That is because this armor was the basis for the armor seen in the Iron Man film released a few years later. A lot of people place the Extremis set higher on their lists, but honestly, they don't know what they're talking about. I do. Haha jk. But not really. This armor was pretty amazing, though, in that it basically made Tony Stark an "actual" superhero, you know, with powers and stuff. Tony Stark, with the help of the Extremis enhancile, carried the undersheath of this armor within the hollows of his bones. Upon command, the undersheath formed over his body and the armor plates literally flew to Tony and formed around him. This will be seen in the upcoming Iron Man 3 film. Also, due to the Extremis virus, Tony gained rapid healing (comparable with Wolverine), super strength, he could breathe fire (no joke), and later, the ability to control almost all technology around the world. With his mind. Way cool. But the armor is a little too robotic for me. He's a man, not a robot. Despite what everyone wants him to believe.

Number Three: Renaissance Armor

This armor seems to be split down the middle amongst fans. A lot like it, but a lot are also just really happy to see his prior armor (possibly shown later?) gone. True to it's name, this armor sort of provided a "renaissance" for Tony Stark. After the events of "The Crossing" and "Heroes Reborn" (God save us), Tony Stark decided to dig back into his roots. This armor combines aspects of all of Tony Stark's armors. I especially like the winged helmet, reminiscent of his first set of red-and-golds. This armor combined futurist ambition with classic flair. And it was incredibly awesome. UNTIL it achieved sentience. That was a little awkward…









Number Two: Bleeding Edge Armor

Like the name implies, this Shellhead armor was BEYOND the cutting edge of modern science. When asked if the Bleeding Edge armor was an upgrade to his earlier Extremis suit, Tony replied, "No… this is what comes next." Unlike the Extremis armor, where the undersheath was stored in Tony's bone hollows, the ENTIRE Bleeding Edge armor was stored in Tony's body. He could call it up at will and change it around as he saw fit. It honestly made me sad when this armor kicked the bucket. Tony decided to retire as Iron Man and so siphoned this armor out of his body. Retire. Lol.









Annnd Number One: Mark V Armor (Classic Red-and-God)

Who didn't see this coming? Well… some people, probably. This is THE definitive Iron Man armor. It has survived the most issues and, in my personal opinion, looks the greatest. It contained just about every gadget available known to man… including rocket-powered roller-skates, but let's forget about those. This armor is streamlined and Tony always managed to get out of trouble thanks to it. The Mk. V armor first appeared in #85 and rusted out NEVER. That's right, Tony Stark still uses variants of this armor in tight spots when his current armor fails. Call me a conservative, but I like to stick to what works. So does Tony.










So.

I didn't want to leave you with the coolest Iron Man armors without showing you the absolute worst that Shellhead has endured. Here are the top (or is it bottom) worst Iron Man armors to hit the market. Gag yourself with a spoon.

Number Four: Silver Centurion Armor

Some crazy fanboys might be trying to blast me with unibeams right now, but really, this armor is UGLY. Yes, I know it was a new step in Iron Man's future, but there is a reason Michelinie and Layton cancelled it shortly after designing it. That HUGE backpack was bulky and his helmet was awful with that wrap-around bar. I know this armor was overpowered, but let's be honest, besides Christmas, when do red and silver go together? I'll answer that for you. Never.









Number Three: Mark II Armor

Poor Tony. He went from a B-movie armor built in a cave to a B-movie armor built in a cave colored gold. With a skirt. I'm sure Tony Stark was just going through a phase in his life, but this is unacceptable. What does he get on that antennae coming out of his shoulder, My Little Pony? Anyway, luckily, this armor faded out after a few issues. But he should've just stuck with the original grey armor. He looked like a bulkier Tin Man from Wizard of Oz, but at least he LOOKED like he packed a wallop.








Number Two: Ultimate Armor

When they designed this armor, they really should've been ashamed of themselves. Not only does Tony Stark look like an insect, but, he looks like he could be crushed from the center up. Seriously, this miniseries was written by the amazing Orson Scott Card, but I'm VERY glad it got retconned as false. There's no way we could've survived with this armor forever. And it brought back the red and silver. Bad mistake, Marvel. Fool me twice, shame on you.












Number One: Prometheum Armor

As I mentioned earlier, this is absolutely the worst armor that Tony Stark has EVER worn. First off, he has those exhaust pipes coming off his back. Second off, his face looks like a monkey. Thirdly, HE HAS THOSE EXHAUST PIPES COMING OFF HIS BACK. And what is with all of that exposed wiring and the weird six-pack? This is the epitome of 90s-inspired Iron Man armor. And it's a shame to say that it was drawn by Jim Lee. I hope he forgot it just as much as I did. I should probably burn all of Iron Man Volume 2 now that I think about it.










Hope you enjoyed this blog post. Keep reading :)

-Christian