By Ben Morse
Every week, a secret cabal of Marvel staffers gathers to discuss the best of the best when it comes to the House of Ideas.
You may or may not have heard, but there's a movie coming out this week. Starring this guy. You can read all about him.
In honor of Iron Man hitting the silver screen, the Secret Cabal bunkered down and hammered out their 10 favorite armors Shellhead has donned over the years. For each selection, you get the rundown on how it works, when Tony Stark wore it and also a special spotlight comic courtesy of Marvel Digital Comics Unlimited.
As always, these picks reflect the personal choices of the Secret Cabal, not the official opinion of Marvel or Marvel.com, and can be considered subjective at best. Enjoy!
10. RED & GOLD MARK VI
First Appearance: IRON MAN v3 #71 (2003)
Last Appearance: IRON MAN v4 #5 (2006)
Capabilities: For the most part, this armor utilized the same basic principles as those that came most recently before it, but possessed far greater regenerative capabilities than its predecessors and provided greater protection against the elements and even the rigors of outer space travel.
Why It Makes The List: "Iron Man's most recent armor before going Extremis laid the groundwork for both his current look and the character's big screen appearance. A clean, modern-looking design that came into prominence in particular when rendered by digital painter Adi Granov, this armor propelled the Golden Avenger into the present." –Secret Cabal member Annihilator882
Spotlight Comic: AVENGERS #503—In his final pre-Extremis armor, Iron Man assembles with the
Avengers in the team's darkest hour to face one of their own!
9. ULTIMATE
First Appearance: ULTIMATES #2 (2002)
Last Appearance: Currently worn by Ultimate Tony Stark
Capabilities: The Ultimate Iron Man armor provides the same basic functions as the most recent pre-Extremis suit of its 616 equivalent, but comes in a bulkier form.
Why It Makes The List: "It would have been easy for artist Bryan Hitch to at least stick to the basic template when bringing Iron Man over to the Ultimate Universe, but his decision to reinvent the wheel—or repulsor ray—made for an impressive and bold visual feast. The bulky and intricate look reflected how a suit of battle armor might look in the real world and set Ultimate Iron Man apart from any other incarnation of Shellhead." –Annihilator882
Spotlight Comic: ULTIMATE IRON MAN #1—The birth of Tony Stark plants the first seeds for the Ultimate Iron Man!
8. ORIGINAL GREY ARMOR
First Appearance: TALES OF SUSPENSE #39 (1963)
Last Appearance: TALES OF SUSPENSE #39 (1963)
Capabilities: The very first suit of Iron Man armor provided its wearer with
merely enhanced strength as well as protection from most physical attacks and harsh environments. The prototype armor also afforded its user the ability to make lengthy jumps—but
not fly—through use of boot jets and came equipped with somewhat crude offensive weapons including short-range energy projectors, an early magnetic version of repulsor rays and tools like hacksaws.
Why It Makes The List: "So Tony Stark's a dude who gets critically injured in a war-torn area, becomes a P.O.W. and is forced to use his giant brain to make a giant weapon for giant jerks. Giving them the proverbial finger, he creates a badass suit of über-destructive armor out of scraps and detritus, puts it on, stomping and shooting his way to freedom. The classic grey armor—or Mark I, if you will—may seem a little hokey by today's standards, but it's a testament to Tony Stark's genius and indomitable will. Plus, the old-school robot look never goes out of style." –Secret Cabal member Agent M
Spotlight Comic: TALES OF SUSPENSE #39—Tony Stark builds his very first suit of armor, becoming Iron Man!
7. HULKBUSTER MARK I
First Appearance: IRON MAN v1 #304 (1994)
Last Appearance: IRON MAN v1 #304 (1994)
Capabilities: Designed solely for the purpose of engaging the
Hulk, this extremely bulky armor possessed limited mobility but incredible strength enhancement technology, allowing the user to lift in excess of 175 tons.
Why It Makes The List: "Despite being used exactly one time—and not even used successfully—the original Hulkbuster suit has been immortalized in both action figure and video game form in the years since its 1994 curtain call. Why the appeal? Well, it's a gigantic friggin' Iron Man armor that can go toe-to-toe with the Hulk—what more do you need?" –Annihilator882
Spotlight Comic: AVENGERS v1 #1—After battling the Hulk for the very first time, Iron Man realizes some day he may need a little something more to beat this guy…
6. STEALTH ARMOR MARK I
First Appearance: IRON MAN v1 #152 (1981)
Last Appearance: IRON MAN v1 #229 (1988)
Capabilities: The first incarnation of the Stealth
Armor had no weapon,s as every inch of the alloy mesh used in its construction housed tools designed specifically for evading detection and surveillance, including force field technology to baffle electronic equipment and a wave modifier to disrupt radar. Any exhaust emissions were instantly cooled to prevent infrared spikes. The armor was also colored black to thwart visual recognition.
Why It Makes The List: "In the history of Iron Man, there aren't many more radical departures from his classic look than the first Stealth Armor, but there aren't many cooler departures either. Besides the fact that it's jet black, automatically raising its awesome quotient, the Stealth Armor also serves has actual reasonable science—or at least pseudo-science—behind how it works thanks to the wizardry of David Michelinie and Bob Layton." –Annihilator882
Spotlight Comic: IRON MAN v1 #229—Iron Man straps on the Stealth Armor for a mission to Russia and a showdown with the Crimson Dynamo and the
Titanium Man!
5. EXTREMIS
First Appearance: IRON MAN v4 #6 (2006)
Last Appearance: Currently worn by Tony Stark
Capabilities: Unlike any other Iron Man suit, the Extremis virus allows its user to store armor in the hollow of his bones and instantaneously utilize it at any time. The Extremis armor responds more quickly to user commands and provides interface with all external communications systems, from cellular phones to satellites. Extremis also boats increased repulsor technology for both energy projection and flight as well as greatly enhanced healing capabilities.
Why It Makes The List: "The Extremis armor is basically a techno-organic virus which Tony injected into his body in order to save his life. Unlike his other armors, it keeps the Iron Man suit
inside his body! So basically, he's Cyborg Iron Man! If that's not cool enough for you, this Warren Ellis-devised armor lets Stark control satellites and other electronics, gives him a sort of healing factor and lets him turn into Iron Man at the drop of a hat. Plus, it's the sleekest, smoothest, most advanced piece of Iron Man tech since Tony donned roller skates to battle evil." –Agent M
Spotlight Comic: IRON MAN v4 #1—Iron Man first encounters the Extremis virus, unaware of the impact it will soon have upon his life!
4. RED & GOLD MARK II
First Appearance: IRON MAN v1 #231 (1988)
Last Appearance: IRON MAN v1 #281 (1992)
Capabilities: While not as drastic a leap in technology as some of the other armor refinements, the second red and gold suit did feature vastly increased boot thrusters for faster flight as well as a powerful internal generator that eliminated the need for external recharging and also boosted the suit's power.
Why It Makes The List: "The nice thing about this late '80s revamp of the standard red and gold armor Iron Man had worn for years prior was that it really looked of the times. It retained the classic elements and basic design of the long-tenured suit, but streamlined stuff that no longer fit such as the lined underoos and giant hip discs. This armor allowed fans to have their cake and eat it too, with an Iron Man who looked familiar, but not dated." –Annihilator882
Spotlight Comic: IRON MAN v1 #231—Iron Man debuts a new suit of armor for a new era of action!
3. CLASSIC RED GOLD
First Appearance: TALES OF SUSPENSE #48 (1963)
Last Appearance: IRON MAN v1 #199 (1985)
Capabilities: The first true upgrade to the Iron Man armor incorporated fully flight-capable boot thrusters, improved repulsor and energy ray projectors, and better radio communication functions. Most importantly, battery power packs were built into the hip discs enabling the user to go longer periods without needing to recharge. A finer alloy also allowed for increased mobility.
Why It Makes The List: "This may not have been the first armor and it may not be sported by Tony any time soon, but you can't deny that every armor since then has been influenced by this beauty. Sleek lines and a forward-thinking look made for one of the most iconic costumes in comic book history. It's also impressive that this costume doesn't make Iron Man look like a robot—it's clearly a man in armor, which makes it apparent that Iron Man isn't defined just by the armor. It's the man inside who truly powers this hero." –Secret Cabal member OneManDynasty
Spotlight Comic: IRON MAN v1 #149—In his classic armor, Iron Man tumbles back through time to the kingdom of Camelot, locked in combat with
Dr. Doom!
2. SILVER CENTURION
First Appearance: IRON MAN v1 #200 (1985)
Last Appearance: IRON MAN v1 #230 (1988)
Capabilities: A major redesign of the classic Iron Man armor, the Silver Centurion improved upon its predecessor in just about every way, boosting the strength-enhancement, force field, communication and flight components in particular. On the weaponry front, the Centurion suit boasted a vastly more powerful unibeam projector on the chest and added pulse bolt plasma "torpedoes" to the repulsor rays already incorporated into the palm blasters. Finally, a 3-D hologram emitter allowed the suit to create life-like illusions as well as camouflage itself.
Why It Makes The List: "Shaking up the red and gold standard with this variation was controversial at the time, but it's amazing how all that venom has been replaced by fond nostalgia these days. This is easily one of the sleekest, cleanest looking armors that Iron Man ever sported, with a color scheme that still looks wildly different from his other incarnations, but awesome in its own right." –OneManDynasty
Spotlight Comic: IRON MAN v1 #225—The Silver Avenger sets out to take back his stolen designs as the Armor Wars begin!
1. WAR MACHINE
First Appearance: IRON MAN v1 #282 (1992)
Last Appearance: Currently worn by James Rhodes
Capabilities: While the War Machine is not collapsible like most Iron Man armors, it makes up for storage inconvenience with an offensive arsenal second to none. Among the weapons available in addition to the standard Iron Man repulsors and unibeam to the user of the War Machine: double-barreled wrist cannons, shoulder-mounted rocket launcher and plasma cannon, various missile launchers, a flamethrower, a laser blade and an electromagnetic pulse generator.
Why It Makes The List: "Really, is there a much 'cooler' looking armor than this one? From the shocking amount of weaponry to the very basic color scheme, this suit screams 'you're in trouble' to evildoers everywhere. Not only is it part of a great story with Tony being replaced with
Rhodey, it's also the armor that we associate with the awesome character known as War Machine! Sure, other armors may be more powerful, sleeker and a tad less ridiculous when it comes to all the visible deadly weapons, but there's no denying that this is the one suit that you know means business." –OneManDynasty
Spotlight Comic: AVENGERS: THE INITIATIVE #1—James Rhodes in the War Machine armor helps open the gates at Camp Hammond for the first time!
Need to catch up on your Iron Man reading? Looking for the perfect stories starring Ol' Shellhead? Check out our list of the 10 Collections marked as required reading by any Iron Man fan!
"Iron Man" opens this Friday, May 2 at a theater near you! Visit the official "Iron Man" movie site! Also, Saturday, May 3 is FREE Comic Book Day—get your FREE Iron Man comic at comic retailers everywhere that day!
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