Category: Iron Man Armors

The MARK II was the second Iron Man suit Tony built and was a prototype suit designed to explore flight potential. The suit was built in stages, with Tony first designing the thruster boots to enable flight followed quickly by a set of palm based Repulsor gauntlets. Once Tony perfected the flight capabilities of the MK2, he moved onto a cosmetic and functionality overhaul of the armor making it sleeker, more aerodynamic and added articulated control flaps for enhanced flight control and stability.

Once the armor was manufactured, Tony integrated J.A.R.V.I.S into the armor and took the MK2 on it’s first and only flight against the recommendation of J.A.R.V.I.S. The inaugural flight was a massive success until Tony attempted to test the atlitude limitations of the suit and discovered a near fatal icing problem at high altitudes. After it’s initial flight, Tony retired the MK2 in favor of the MK3, although the armor would proceed to become the War Machine MARK I.

During the events of Iron Man 2, Rhodey dons the armor due to Tony’s reckless behavior at what Tony believed to be his last birthday party. In the wake of the ensuing fight, Rhodey leaves Stark’s mansion and delivers the MK2 to US Air Force. While in possession of the Air Force, Justin Hammer outfits the MK2 with a plethora of weapons and the armor is renamed War Machine. After the conclusion of Iron Man 2, Tony reclaims the MK2 and strips it of all Hammer tech as Tony feels it is an insult to have inferior technology equipped on his suit. The MK2 is then retired to the Hall of Armor and Tony builds Rhodey a new War Machine suit.

Quick Facts

– Designer – Tony Stark
– User – Tony Stark/James Rhodes
– Code Name – None
– Armor Class – Basic Iron Man Suit
– Armor Type – Prototype Flight Armor
– Armor Color – Steel silver
– Armor Height – 6 ft.
– Status – Destroyed
– Power Core – Palladium RT MARK II
– Armor Features – Armor gauntlets, Thruster boots, flaps, stabilizers
– Armor Systems – J.A.R.V.I.S OS, Propulsion systems
– Weapons – Repulsors, Unibeam
– Armor Composition – Chromium titanium steel alloy
– Armor Capabilities – Super-strength, enhanced durability, flight
– Predecessor – MARK I
– Successor – MARK III
– Preceded By – MARK I
– Followed By – MARK III
– First Appearance – Iron Man

Features and Capabilities

– Thruster boots – the thruster boots serve as the main flight power of the armor, and utilizes the same technology as the Repulsors drawing their power from the RT. A single Propulsor is located beneath each thruster boot and is used solely for the purpose of propulsion and flight.
– Repulsor gauntlets – a pair of armored gauntlets, each equipped with a Repulsor, serving as the suit’s main weapon. The Repulsors also function as the suits secondary flight stabilizers and are used when making banks and turns.
– Stabilizers – the MARK II has flaps and ailerons built into the shoulders and legs of the suit to help increase flight stability. These features become concealed in later model suits.
– Flaps – this suit is equipped with emergency flaps that used for braking.
– Super strength – this suit grants the user superhuman strength. Not only does it allow the user to lift and move heavy objects, it greatly enhances the user combat abilities.
– Enhanced durability – the suit is near bullet proof and grants the user incredibly enhanced durability while in combat.
– Flight – due to it’s thruster boots, Repulsor gauntlets and propulsion system, this suit is a capable of full flight with the ability achieve supersonic speed.

Weapons

– Repulsors – a pair of armored gauntlets, each equipped with a Repulsor, that shoots beams of energy when charged. This is the suit’s main weapon but also serve to aid in flight power and stabilization. While the MK2 possesed the standard Repulsors, at the time of the test flight, their sole purpose was flight stabilization as Tony only upgraded the energy output of the Repulsors to “weapons grade levels” on the MK3.
– Unibeam – the suit’s most powerful weapon, capable of immense destruction as it projects a beam of pure energy for a short amount of time. As the Unibeam is so powerful, it rapidly drains energy from the mini-arc reactor, which weakens the armor’s strength and is therefore not recommended for regular use.

Systems

– J.A.R.V.I.S OS – J.A.R.V.I.S was uploaded and integrated into the armor and provides an HUD, target scanning, GPS, visuals for power levels and vital signs, manages all of the other suit’s functionalities and systems and assists Tony while using the armor.
– Propulsion system – designed to pull energy from the mini-arc reactor and direct it to the thruster boots and repulsor gauntlets.

Gallery

Thank you for reading. If you enjoyed this post, If you enjoyed this post, you can find more MCU content on Twitter at @historyofthemcu and more of my thoughts at @lord_anarchy. Additionally, I will be relaunching my podcast, The History of the MCU Podcast, and it would wonderful if you gave it a listen, new episodes are currently available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Podbean, Google Podcasts, iHeartRadio and Amazon Music. 

The War Machine MARK II armor (temporarily branded the Iron Patriot) was the replacement suit Tony built for James Rhodes after Tony and Rhodey managed to defeat Ivan Vanko/Whiplash at the Battle at Stark Expo. After winning the battle, Tony reclaimed the MARK II, stripped it of all Hammer tech and retired the suit to the Hall of Armors. However, to create a buffer between himself and the US government and focus his attention on the construction of Stark Tower and consulting with S.H.I.E.L.D, Tony decided to build Rhodey a new set of armor. With Tony preoccupied, Rhodey began protecting the world in Iron Man’s place and began taking down various Ten Rings terrorist cells around the world. When the Chitauri invaded New York, Rhodey was called in to assist but was engaged with a Ten Rings cell in Hong Kong. By the time he made it to New York, the fighting was done and the Avengers were enjoying dinner at a local shawarma restaurant.

After several “terrorist” attacks by the Mandarin, the US government and A.I.M rebranded the War Machine MARK II armor, the Iron Patriot. Along with the new name, the armor was given a new paint job, similar to that of Captain America’s color scheme, in an attempt to raise the morale of the American people. As part of Aldrich Killian’s (the founder of A.I.M) plan, Rhodey was removed from the Iron Patriot armor and Eric Savin took control of the suit to kidnap the president. Rhodey and Tony managed to thwart Killian’s plan, reclaiming the Iron Patriot armor in the process. Some time after the Battle on the Norco but prior to the event of Avengers: Age of Ultron, the War Machine MARK II was returned to its original color scheme and name. Rhodey would continue to use this armor for his superhero duties until Tony replaced it with the War Machine MARK III armor, some time before the events of Captain America: Civil War.

Quick Facts

– Designer – Tony Stark
– User – James Rhodes/Eric Savin/President Matthew Ellis
– Code Name – War Machine/Iron Patriot
– Armor Class – War Machine Armor
– Armor Type – Black and silver plates/Red, blue and silver plating
– Armor Height – 6 ft.
– Status – Active
– Power Core – New Element Arc Reactor Mark II
– Armor Features –
– Armor Systems – Status system, Propulsion systems
– Weapons – Repulsors, Unibeam,
– Armor Composition –
– Armor Capabilities – Super-strength, Durability, Flight
– Predecessor – MARK XXII
– Successor – War Machine Armor MARK III
– Preceded By – War Machine Armor MARK I
– Followed By – War Machine Armor MARK III
– First Appearance – Iron Man 3

Weapons

– Mini-gun – equipped on either arm and concealed beneath the exoskeleton of the armor unlike the War Machine MARK I.
– Back mounted machine gun – a thin, long, double barreled rifle is mounted on the back of the armor with on a V shaped track. The track allows the gun to move up and down the armor’s back essentially eliminating any blind spots for this weapon.
– Missiles – the armor is equipped with a vast array of missiles.
– Miniature Stark Sonic Cannon – the Stark Sonic Canon (previously scene in THE INCREDIBLE HULK) can create frequencies that can cause a human’s ears to bleed and is only used as a last resort.
– Standard Iron Man suit weapons – this suit possessed the standard Repulsor gauntlets and Unibeam.

Capabilities

– Upgrade and new design – the War Machine MARK II was a complete overhaul to the War Machine MARK I. The War Machine MK1 was originally the MK2, a prototype suit designed specifically for flight. As such, the suit did not posses weapons grade Repulsor, had poor energy distribution and was not calibrated for Rhodey. The War Machine MK2 was designed from the start as a military weapon and is noticeably more streamlined. The armor possessed weapons grade level Repulsors, enhanced thrusters and like the MK7, was designed to wrap around its user.
– Standard Iron Man suit capabilities – this suit grants the user standard capabilities of all Iron Man suits including super strength, enhanced durability and flight.

Systems

– Standard Iron Man suit systems –  this suit possessed the standard Iron Man suit systems including the J.A.R.V.I.S OS and the propulsion system.

Gallery

Iron Patriots Finds Terrorists

Iron Patriot

War Machine destroys an Ultron bot.

Thank you for reading. If you enjoyed this post, you can find more of my thoughts on twitter, @historyofthemcu. Additionally, @bloodybaroness and myself host The History of the MCU Podcast, a weekly podcast that reviews and analyzes not only the Infinity Saga but the new Marvel Studios Disney+ shows beginning with WandaVision. We would love if you gave us a listen and are currently available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Podbean, Google Podcasts, iHeartRadio and Amazon Music. 

The Hall of Armor was an alcove in Tony’s basement workshop(above his wine cellar) where he displayed his Iron Man armors. Tony constructed the Hall of Armor after the events of Iron Man and initially featured a reconstructed MARK I, MARK II, the still battle damaged Mark III and the Tony’s current suit, the MARK IV. During Tony’s birthday party, Rhodey took the MARK II from the Hall of Armor and took the suit to the Air Force after a brief skirmish with Tony who was wearing the Mark IV.

Tony likely updated the Hall of Armor after the events of Iron Man 2 to feature the reconstructed MARK I, the reclaimed MARK II, the battle damaged Mark III, the retired MARK IV, the restored MARK V and Tony’s current suit the MARK VI. While this version of the Hall of Armor is never shown on screen, it makes logical sense that Tony would upgrade the Hall of Armors to include his new suits.

The final Hall of Armor featured the reconstructed MARK I, the reclaimed MARK II, the battle damaged Mark III, the retired MARK IV, the restored MARK V, repaired MARK VI and MARK VII and an extension to the Hall that was located below the wine cellar(which was located underneath Tony’s basement workshop) where Tony housed the Iron Legion(MARK VIII-MARK XLI). This extension to the Hall was accessed through the platform in the center of the Hall of Armor and lowered through the wine cellar while an iris opened below and allowed the platform to continue down into the Hall of Armor extension.

The Hall of Armor was destroyed during the Destruction of Tony Stark’s Mansion.  The extension to the Hall of Armor remained intact although large pieces of debris were covering the iris making it impossible for it to open. Once the debris was cleared, Tony initiated the House Party Protocol and the Iron Legion made their way to Miami to fight in the Battle on the Norco. Following the battle, Tony initiates the Clean Slate Protocol destroying the armors that survived the battle. The wine cellar and Hall of Armor extension are both destroyed following the complete demolition of his mansion, as seen at the end of Iron Man 3 when Tony throws his old RT into the ocean at Malibu Point.

Debris being removed from the extension of the Hall of Armor

The iris for the extension to the Hall of Armor opening.

The Iron Legion leaving the extension to the Hall of Armor coming to Tony’s aid.

Tony throwing his old RT into the ocean at the site of demolished mansion.

Thank you for reading. If you enjoyed this post, you can find more of my thoughts on twitter, @historyofthemcu. Additionally, @bloodybaroness and myself host The History of the MCU Podcast, a weekly podcast that reviews and analyzes not only the Infinity Saga but the new Marvel Studios Disney+ shows beginning with WandaVision. We would love if you gave us a listen and are currently available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Podbean, Google Podcasts, iHeartRadio and Amazon Music. 

The MARK XIII is the thirteenth Iron Man suit Tony built, the sixth suit in the Iron Legion, the fourth Advanced Iron Man suit and is the first suit to feature a rectangular miniature arc reactor. Due to the suit’s lighter than average composition and the modified RT, the MK13 is one of the fastest suits Tony created.

The MK13 featured slight redesigns to the chest and legs, making the armor more streamlined and aerodynamic.

The MK13 arrived at the Battle on the Norco when Tony had J.A.R.V.I.S initiate the House Party Protocol. The MK13 managed to survive the battle and was the twelfth suit to be destroyed when Tony had J.A.R.V.I.S initiate the Clean Slate Protocol.

Quick Facts

• Designer – Tony Stark
• User – Tony Stark
• Code Name – None
• Armor Class – Advanced Iron Man Suit
• Armor Type – Velocity Suit Prototype
• Armor Color – Black with silver plates
• Armor Height – 6’0 ft.
• Status – Destroyed
• Power Core – New Element Arc Reactor Mark II
• Armor Features – Rectangular miniature arc reactor, high altitude and high speed flight, increased agility, new armor composition and design
• Armor Systems– J.A.R.V.I.S OS, Status system, Propulsion system, Advanced biometric donning system
• Weapons – Repulsors, Unibeam, 200-Petawatt laser, mini missiles, flares, mini-guns
• Armor Composition – Aluminum and titanium steel plating
• Armor Capabilities – Super strength, enhanced durability, superior flight capabilities, ice resistance, rapid biometric deployment, high speed and high altitude flight
• Predecessor – MARK X
• Successor – MARK XIX
• Preceded By – MARK XII
• Followed By – MARK XIV
• First Appearance – Iron Man 3

Features and Capabilities

• Rectangular Miniature Arc Reactor – The modified Arc Reactor gave the MK13 the additional power needed for higher flight altitude and speed.
• High Altitude, High Speed Flight, Increased Agility – Due to the modified Arc Reactor and the lighter than normal plating, the MK13 was the fastest suit of its predecessors and remains one of the fastest suit Tony has created.
• New Armor Composition and Design – The MK13 featured a more streamlined design making it more aerodynamic and was lighter than it’s predecessors due to the aluminum and titanium steel plating of the armor.

Weapons

• Mini-guns – Like the MK18, MK22 and War Machine Armor Mark II/Iron Patriot, the MK13 has a mini-gun in each gauntlet.
• Standard Iron Man suit weapons – this suit possesses the signature Repulsor gauntlets, Unibeam, shoulder-mounted guns, side winders, guided missiles, micro munition missiles, rockets, 200-Petawatt lasers and flares.

Systems

• Standard Iron Man suit systems – this suit possesses the standard Iron Man suit systems including the J.A.R.V.I.S OS, the propulsion system and the advanced biometric donning system.

Gallery

Thank you for reading. If you enjoyed this post, you can find more of my thoughts on twitter, @historyofthemcu. Additionally, @bloodybaroness and myself host The History of the MCU Podcast, a weekly podcast that reviews and analyzes not only the Infinity Saga but the new Marvel Studios Disney+ shows beginning with WandaVision. We would love if you gave us a listen and are currently available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Podbean, Google Podcasts, iHeartRadio and Amazon Music. 

The MARK XII is the twelfth Iron Man suit Tony built, the fifth suit in the Iron Legion, the third Advanced Iron Man suit and an upgrade to the MARK VIII. The MK12 featured a carbon and steel alloy exoskeleton making it one of the most durable suits built. In addition to the upgrade to the exoskeleton, the MK12 featured an upgrade to the weapons systems making this armor stronger than its predecessors.

The MK12 deviates from the traditional color scheme due to the carbon and steel alloy used to build the armor. The armor receives a new face plate that is used for the MK22, MK27 and the War Machine MARK II/Iron Patriot armor. The armor also features new designs to the legs and arms that will be seen in the MK23, MK27 and MK40.

The MK12 arrived at the Battle on the Norco when Tony had J.A.R.V.I.S initiate the House Party Protocol. The MK12’s durability and upgraded weapons systems were showcased during this battle, as it managed to eliminate many Extremis soldiers and survive the battle. The MK12 was the second suit to be destroyed when Tony had J.A.R.V.I.S initiate the Clean Slate Protocol.

Quick Facts

• Designer – Tony Stark
• User – Tony Stark
• Code Name – None
• Armor Class – Advanced Iron Man Suit
• Armor Type – None
• Armor Color – Black with silver and gold plates
• Armor Height – 6’0 ft.
• Status – Destroyed
• Power Core – New Element Arc Reactor Mark II
• Armor Features – Durability
• Armor Systems– J.A.R.V.I.S OS, Status system, Propulsion system, Advanced biometric donning system
• Weapons – Repulsors, Unibeam, 200-Petawatt laser, extra missiles, guided micro projectiles, mini missiles, flares
• Armor Composition – Gold-titanium with a high density carbon and steel alloy exoskeleton
• Armor Capabilities – Super strength, enhanced durability, superior flight capabilities, ice resistance, rapid biometric deployment
• Predecessor – MARK VIII
• Successor – MARK XXVII
• Preceded By – MARK XI
• Followed By – MARK XIII
• First Appearance – Iron Man 3

Features and Capabilities

• Durability – The MK12 featured a high density carbon and steel alloy exoskeleton making it one of the most durable suits in the Iron Legion.

Weapons

• Upgraded Weapons System – the MK12 is an upgrade to the MK8 and featured the most robust weapons systems to date.

• Standard Iron Man suit weapons – this suit possesses the signature Repulsor gauntlets, Unibeam, shoulder-mounted guns, side winders, guided missiles, micro munition missiles, rockets, 200-Petawatt lasers and flares, albeit slightly stronger than it’s predecessor’s weapons systems.

Systems

• Standard Iron Man suit systems – this suit possesses the standard Iron Man suit systems including the J.A.R.V.I.S OS, the propulsion system and the advanced biometric donning system.

Gallery

Thank you for reading. If you enjoyed this post, you can find more of my thoughts on twitter, @historyofthemcu. Additionally, @bloodybaroness and myself host The History of the MCU Podcast, a weekly podcast that reviews and analyzes not only the Infinity Saga but the new Marvel Studios Disney+ shows beginning with WandaVision. We would love if you gave us a listen and are currently available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Podbean, Google Podcasts, iHeartRadio and Amazon Music. 

The MARK XI is the eleventh Iron Man suit Tony built, the fourth suit in the Iron Legion, the second Advanced Iron Man suit, a base model redesign and prototype stealth suit. The MK11 received another complete overhaul to it’s design, seeing both cosmetic and functional changes. The suit is sleeker and slimmer but is also fitted with extra plates in thighs and thrusters equipped to its back allowing for aided flight strength and speed, respectively.

In addition to these redesigns, the MK11 was the first suit to feature stealth capabilities. Unlike its successor, the MK15, the MK11 also featured a full weapons systems. Unable to support both a weapons system and a stealth system, the stealth systems in the MK11 were severely limited. Like it’s predecessors the MK11 saw major advancements in its weapons systems. In addition to upgrades to the standard weapons systems, the MK11 housed 92 miniature air-to-air missile in the suits shoulder pods that could be fired simultaneously if necessary.

The MK11 arrived at the Battle on the Norco when Tony had J.A.R.V.I.S initiate the House Party Protocol. The MK11’s weapons systems were showcased during this battle, as it managed to eliminate many Extremis soldiers and survived the battle. The MK11 was the eleventh suit to be destroyed when Tony had J.A.R.V.I.S initiate the Clean Slate Protocol.

Quick Facts

• Designer – Tony Stark
• User – Tony Stark
• Code Name – None
• Armor Class – Advanced Iron Man Suit
• Armor Type – Base Model Redesign/Prototype Stealth Suit
• Armor Color – Red with golden and silver plates
• Armor Height – 6’0 ft.
• Status – Destroyed
• Power Core – New Element Arc Reactor Mark II
• Armor Features – Stealth systems, armor redesigns, weapons upgrade
• Armor Systems– J.A.R.V.I.S OS, Status system, Propulsion system, Advanced biometric donning system, Stealth system
• Weapons – Repulsors, Unibeam, 200-Petawatt laser, extra missiles, guided micro projectiles, mini missiles, flares
• Armor Composition – Gold-titanium plating
• Armor Capabilities – Super strength, enhanced durability, superior flight capabilities, ice resistance, rapid biometric deployment
• Predecessor – None
• Successor – MARK XV/MARK XVII
• Preceded By – MARK X
• Followed By – MARK XII
• First Appearance – Iron Man 3

Features and Capabilities

• Armor Redesigns – The MK11 sees both cosmetic and functional redesigns and would be the model for many future suits including the MARK XV, MARK XVII, MARK XXIV, MARK XXVIII, MARK XXXV and MARK XXXVI.

Weapons

• Mini Missiles – the MK11 housed 92 mini missiles in the suits shoulder pods.

• Standard Iron Man suit weapons – this suit possesses the signature Repulsor gauntlets, Unibeam, shoulder-mounted guns, side winders, guided missiles, micro munition missiles, rockets, 200-Petawatt lasers and flares, albeit slightly stronger than it’s predecessor’s weapons systems.

Systems

• Stealth Systems – the MK11 features limited stealth systems and is the prototype for all future stealth suits.

• Standard Iron Man suit systems – this suit possesses the standard Iron Man suit systems including the J.A.R.V.I.S OS, the propulsion system and the advanced biometric donning system.

Gallery

Thank you for reading. If you enjoyed this post, you can find more of my thoughts on twitter, @historyofthemcu. Additionally, @bloodybaroness and myself host The History of the MCU Podcast, a weekly podcast that reviews and analyzes not only the Infinity Saga but the new Marvel Studios Disney+ shows beginning with WandaVision. We would love if you gave us a listen and are currently available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Podbean, Google Podcasts, iHeartRadio and Amazon Music. 

The MARK X is the tenth Iron Man suit Tony built and the third suit built-in rapid succession after the events of the Battle of New York that led to the creation of the Iron Legion. The Mark X is the first suit to be denoted as an “Advanced Iron Man suit” as it was faster and could achieve higher altitudes than all of its predecessors and the first suit of the Iron Legion to feature extensive redesigns to the suit’s appearance. The MK10 featured a redesigned high impact chest plate and larger footpads that aided in flight stability. The suit also had extra repulsors equipped on each abdomen and its back that increase flight speed and power. These armor redesigns and upgrades to the flight systems made the MK10 faster than all of its predecessors with the ability to travel at speeds of more than 2,100 MPH.

The MARK X arrived at the Battle on the Norco when Tony had J.A.R.V.I.S initiate the House Party Protocol. The MK10 fought valiantly but was destroyed during the battle, although the rest of the Iron Legion managed to eliminate all of the Extremis soldiers.

Quick Facts

• Designer – Tony Stark
• User – Tony Stark
• Code Name – None
• Armor Class – Advanced Iron Man Suit
• Armor Type – None
• Armor Color – Red with golden plates
• Armor Height – 6’5 ft.
• Status – Destroyed
• Power Core – New Element Arc Reactor Mark II
• Armor Features – High impact chest plate, Reinforced gold titanium stabilizers(abdomen and back), Larger foot-pad
• Armor Systems– J.A.R.V.I.S OS, Status system, Propulsion systems, Advanced biometric donning system
• Weapons – Repulsors, Unibeam, 200-Petawatt laser, missiles, guided micro projectiles, flares
• Armor Composition – Gold-titanium plating
• Armor Capabilities – Super strength, enhanced durability, superior flight capabilities, ice resistance, rapid biometric deployment
• Predecessor – None
• Successor – Mark XIII, Mark XIX
• Preceded By – Mark IX
• Followed By – Mark XI
• First Appearance – Iron Man 3

Features and Capabilities

• Superior flight capabilities – due to the armor’s redesigns and revamped flight systems, the MK10 can fly further and faster than its predecessors while using less power.
• Armor redesigns – the MK10 featured a redesigned high impact chest, reinforced gold-titanium stabilizers and large oversized footpads.

Weapons

• Standard Iron Man suit weapons – this suit possesses the signature Repulsor gauntlets, Unibeam, shoulder-mounted guns, side winders, guided missiles, micro munition missiles, rockets, 200-Petawatt lasers and flares, albeit slightly stronger than it’s predecessor’s weapons systems.

Systems

• Standard Iron Man suit systems – this suit possesses the standard Iron Man suit systems including the J.A.R.V.I.S OS, the propulsion system and the advanced biometric donning system.

Notes

• The MK10 is three times faster than the MK9.
• The MK10 remains the fifth fastest Iron Man suit.

Gallery

Thank you for reading. If you enjoyed this post, you can find more of my thoughts on twitter, @historyofthemcu. Additionally, @bloodybaroness and myself host The History of the MCU Podcast, a weekly podcast that reviews and analyzes not only the Infinity Saga but the new Marvel Studios Disney+ shows beginning with WandaVision. We would love if you gave us a listen and are currently available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Podbean, Google Podcasts, iHeartRadio and Amazon Music. 

The MARK IX is the ninth Iron Man suit Tony built and the second suit built-in rapid succession after the events of the Battle of New York that led to the creation of the Iron Legion. The MK9 is a fully loaded advanced flight prototype and features additional thrusters for increased maneuverability and redesigns in the  foot and legs of the armor for additional flight strength and speed. The MK9 features an upgrade to its flight systems and can fly long distances with little to no power loss.

The MK9 featured the most advanced donning system to date and was the prototype for all future suits(also retroactively added to the MK7 and MK8). The MK9’s technology is an upgrade to the MK5 and MK7 and responds to biometric implants embedded underneath Tony’s skin that allows Tony to step in and out of the suit seamlessly and eject himself on command. The MK9 sees another upgrade to its weapons systems and is both slightly stronger and more durable the MK8.

The MK9 arrived at the Battle on the Norco when Tony had J.A.R.V.I.S initiate the House Party Protocol. The MK9’s durability and weapons were showcased during this battle, as it managed to eliminate many Extremis soldiers and survived the battle. The MK9 was the first suit to be destroyed when Tony had J.A.R.V.I.S initiate the Clean Slate Protocol.

Quick Facts

• Designer – Tony Stark
• User– Tony Stark
• Code Name – None
• Armor Class – Basic Iron Man Suit
• Armor Type – Fully Loaded Advanced Flight Prototype
• Armor Color – Red with light golden plates
• Armor Height – 6’0 ft.
• Status – Destroyed
• Power Core – New Element Mark II
• Armor Features – Maneuvering thrusters, Biometric implants
• Armor Systems – J.A.R.V.I.S OS, Status system, Propulsion systems,  Advanced biometric donning system
• Weapons – Repulsors, Unibeam, 200-Petawatt laser, missiles, guided micro projectiles, flares
• Armor Composition – Red with light golden plates
• Armor Capabilities – Super strength, enhanced durability, flight, ice and water resistance, rapid biometric deployment
• Predecessor – MARK VIII
• Successor – MARK XX
• Preceded By – MARK VIII`
• Followed By – MARK X
• First Appearance – Iron Man 3

Features and Capabilities

• Maneuvering thrusters – the MK9 featured additional thrusters to aid in flight speed and maneuverability.
• Biometric implants and donning system – Tony embedded biometric implants underneath his skin that allowed for a remote connection and use of the MK9 and all future suits. This donning system allowed Tony to step in and out of the suit seamlessly and eject himself on command.

Weapons

• Standard Iron Man suit weapons – this suit possesses the signature Repulsor gauntlets, Unibeam, shoulder-mounted guns, side winders, guided missiles, micro munition missiles, rockets, 200-Petawatt lasers and flares, albeit slightly stronger than it’s predecessor’s weapons systems.

Systems

• Standard Iron Man suit systems – this suit possesses the standard Iron Man suit systems including the J.A.R.V.I.S OS, the propulsion system and the advanced biometric donning system.

Gallery

Thank you for reading. If you enjoyed this post, you can find more of my thoughts on twitter, @historyofthemcu. Additionally, @bloodybaroness and myself host The History of the MCU Podcast, a weekly podcast that reviews and analyzes not only the Infinity Saga but the new Marvel Studios Disney+ shows beginning with WandaVision. We would love if you gave us a listen and are currently available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Podbean, Google Podcasts, iHeartRadio and Amazon Music. 

Original Arc Reactor – Iron Man – some time after his work during World War II, Howard Stark began studying the Tesseract and eventually developed an idea for a new power source that would be able to supply clean energy on a large-scale. Working alongside Anton Vanko, Howard Stark began to develop the first Arc Reactor and eventually created an industrial sized Arc Reactor that powered the Stark Industries Headquarters in the 1960’s. While this Arc Reactor provided clean energy, it was inefficient and incredibly expensive to run. Howard Stark had developed a theoretically element that would effectively and efficiently power the Arc Reactor but he unable to synthesize the element due to the constraints of the technology of his time. He would leave a blueprint for his son, Tony Stark, and with that blueprint, Tony managed to create the new element needed to power his miniature Arc Reactor (or Repulsor Tech node, RT) without poisoning him and allowed him to complete a new Arc Reactor that powered Stark Tower with 100% clean energy.

Construction on the original Arc Reactor at the Stark Industries Headquarters.

Tony and Obadiah Stane having a conversation in front of the original Arc Reactor at the Stark Industries Headquarters.

The explosion at Stark Industries Headquarters at the end of the Duel of Los Angeles.

Palladium RT I – Iron Man – Tony Stark was critically wounded and kidnapped in an ambush by the Ten Rings terrorist organization. In order to save his life Ho Yinsen put an electromagnet in Stark’s chest to keep the shrapnel from reaching Stark’s heart and killing him. Raza, the leader of the Ten Rings, demands that Tony build him a Jericho missile. Instead, Tony and Yinsen secretly design and build the first miniature Arc Reactor to power the electromagnet in his chest, followed by the first Iron Man armor. the Palladium Mini-Arc Reactor I powered the small engine that ran the internal systems of the MARK I and provided limited flight capabilities to the suit. Upon returning to the States, Tony developed the Palladium Mini-Arc Reactor II and once installed tells Pepper to “destroy it…incinerate it”. Pepper does not destroy it, instead presenting the Reactor in a case to Tony as proof that he has a heart.

The Palladium RT I was not built for sustained flight or combat as the flight from Stark’s mansion to Stark Industries drained over 80% of the Reactors power and the subsequent fight with Obadiah Stane in the Iron Monger suit drained the remaining power from the Arc Reactor.

The Palladium RT I powered the MARK I and the MARK III.

Tony Stark shows Obadiah Stane the Palladium Mini-Arc Reactor I.

The retired Palladium Mini-Arc Reactor that Pepper Potts had put in a case.

Palladium Mini-Arc Reactor I

Sporting his new mini-Arc Reactor, Tony begins construction of the MARK I

Palladium RT II – Iron Man – Upon return from his kidnapping, Tony put his considerable resources into creating a second, more advanced RT that was exponentially stronger than its predecessor. With a stronger RT that would allow for sustained flight, Tony began development and construction of the MARK II and on completion, immediately took the armor on its initial flight. Tony followed his success with the MARK II with the creation of MARK III armor, which he eventually flew to Gulmira, where he liberated the town from the Ten Rings and destroyed the Stark Industries’ weapons in the organization’s possession. The Palladium RT II was then stolen by Obadiah Stane to power his Iron Monger armor. Tony managed to retrieve the retired Palladium RT I and with it, managed to defeat Stane in the Iron Monger armor.

The Palladium RT II in Tony’s chest powered the MARK II, MARK III and independently powered the Iron Monger suit.

Obadiah Stane steals the Palladium Mini-Arc Reactor II from Tony Stark.

The Palladium Mini-Arc Reactor II.

Tony Stark and the Palladium Mini-Arc Reactor II

Palladium RT III – Iron Man 2 – presumably built immediately after the Duel of Los Angeles, as the Palladium RT II was destroyed during the Duel and Tony needed a new power source for both his electromagnet and suits. Obadiah Stane’s theft of the Palladium RT II led Tony to build independent RTs to power the MARK II, restored MARK III and presumably the MARK IV, although the timeline on when Tony stopped using the mini-Arc Reactor in his chest is murky. The MARK V was powered by the RT in Tony’s chest, dramatically increasing the effects and spread of Tony’s Palladium poisoning.

The Palladium RT III independently powered the MARK II, the restored MARK III, presumably the MARK IV and the mini-Arc Reactor in his chest powered the MARK V.

The side effects of Tony Stark’s Palladium poisoning.

Tony Stark listens as J.A.R.V.I.S updates him on his Palladium poisoning status.

Tony Stark begins construction on a particle accelerator to synthesize a new element.

Vanko’s RT I – Iron Man 2 – presumably powered by Palladium like Tony’s original Arc Reactor, Ivan Vanko fashioned his RT from blueprints his father had in his possession from the time the elder Vanko spent designing the original Arc Reactor with Howard Stark. Driven by the desire to tarnish Tony and Stark Industries legacy, Vanko uses his RT to power to whip-like energy weapons and attacks Tony leading to the Duel of Monaco. Utilizing the portable MARK V, Tony manages to defeat Vanko in the Whiplash I armor and Vanko is taken into custody.

Vanko’s RT I powered the Whiplash MARK I armor.

Ivan Vanko’s freshly minted Mini-Arc Reactor I.

Ivan Vanko constructs his first Mini-Arc Reactor.

Ivan Vanko in the Whiplash MARK I armor.

New Element RT I – Iron Man 2 – after being alerted to Tony Stark’s imminent death due to Palladium poisoning from his RT, Nick Fury supplies Tony with a blueprint from his father, Howard Stark. Tony uses these blueprints to synthesize a new element to power his RT that subsequently cured him of his Palladium poisoning. This new element made this new RT exponentially stronger than it’s predecessor and did not poison him like the previous Palladium RTs. To capitalize on this new power source, Tony designed the MARK VI which saw major advancements to the suit’s speed and weapons systems due to the increased power of the new RT. This RT went on to power the MARK VII, one of the most advanced and well equipped suits Tony built.

The New Element Mini-Arc Reactor I in Tony’s chest powered the MARK VI and independently powered the MARK VII.

New Element Mini-Arc Reactor I.

Tony Stark and the New Element Mini-Arc Reactor I

Vanko RT II – Iron Man 2 – after freeing him from captivity, Justin Hammer allows Ivan Vanko access to his resources in a hope that Vanko will produce Iron Man suits for him. Vanko instead builds Hammer a set of drones and builds himself a stronger RT and the Whiplash MARK II armor. Vanko coordinates an attack on Tony Stark and the Stark Expo with the Hammer Drones and then Vanko attacks Tony and James Rhodes, in the War Machine armor, himself. A fight ensues with Stark and Rhodes eventually coming out as the victors, killing Vanko and destroying his RT.

Vanko’s RT II powered the Whiplash MARK II armor.

New Element Arc Reactor – Marvel’s Avengers – in-between the events of Iron Man 2 and Avengers, Tony began construction on Stark Tower and a new Arc Reactor to power it. Once Stark Tower was complete, Tony powered the newly, redesigned Arc Reactor with the new element he discovered in Iron Man 2. With this new element, the new Arc Reactor would have been able to keep Stark Tower running for over a year with clean energy. Instead, Loki uses the energy from the new Arc Reactor and the Tesseract to open the wormhole above New York that allows for the Chitauri invasion and resulting Battle of New York.

Pepper Potts views the Stark Tower and new Arc Reactor schematics.

Stark Tower, a beacon of self sustaining clean energy.

New Element RT II – Iron Man 3 – with the exception of the Nano-Arc Reactor, the New Element Mini-Arc Reactor II is the strongest RT and appears to be the pinnacle of the RT technology. Designed to power the many different functions of the Iron Legion, the New Element RT II is the strongest and most efficient RT Tony built. Every suit in the Iron Legion and all of the succeeding main suits possess their own independent RT.

The New Element RT II powers the Iron Legion, MARK 42, MARK 43, MARK 44, MARK 45, MARK 46, MARK 47 and MARK 49.

New Element Nano-RT I – Avengers: Infinity War – This new “nano”-RT is the most to date advanced to date. It is a detachable Arc Reactor filled with nanoparticles and the armor can be deployed in an instant with Tony’s thoughts. The MARK L is made up of billions of nanoparticles but the suit is still the most durable, flexible and powerful armor to date.

The New Element Nano-Arc Reactor powers the MARK L.

The New Element Nano-Arc Reactor I featured in Infinity War.

Tony Stark/New Element Nano-Arc Reactor I Concept Art

Iron Man/New Element Nano-Arc Reactor I Concept Art

Behind the scenes shot of Robert Downey Jr. and the New Element Nano-Arc Reactor I prop.

Thank you for reading. If you enjoyed this post, you can find more of my thoughts on twitter, @historyofthemcu. Additionally, @bloodybaroness and myself host The History of the MCU Podcast, a weekly podcast that reviews and analyzes not only the Infinity Saga but the new Marvel Studios Disney+ shows beginning with WandaVision. We would love if you gave us a listen and are currently available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Podbean, Google Podcasts, iHeartRadio and Amazon Music. 

The War Machine MARK I armor(also know as the JRXL-1000 Variable Threat Response Battle Suit) was the stolen MARK II Iron Man armor that was outfitted with weaponry by Justin Hammer and Hammer Industries. Upon arriving at Tony’s birthday party, Rhodes found Stark drunk and recklessly utilizing the his armor to entertain his party guests. To subdue Tony, Rhodes donned the MK2 and demanded Tony to stop, which in turn led to a fight between the two. Following the fight, Rhodes leaves Stark’s Mansion and took the armor to Edwards Air Force Base and turned the armor over to the United States Air Force, although under Rhodes’ direct supervision.

As the MK2 was a flight prototype the armor featured no on-board weapons systems with the exception of the signature Repulsor gauntlets and Unibeam. Once in Hammer’s possession, he upgraded the armor plating, weaponized the suit and renamed it the Variable Threat Response Battle Suit. The built-in weapons included the signature Repulsor gauntlets, M134 7.62mm Minigun, two FN F2000 Tactical assault rifles and the Sidewinder “Ex-Wife” Self-Guided Missile. Rhodes ordered that a Claride Hi-Tec 9x19mm Semi-auto pistol, M24 shotgun and Mikor MGL 40mm grenade launcher be added to the suit but they are never seen in action nor do they appear to be located anywhere on the armor.

Tony arrives at the Hammer Industries presentation at the Stark Expo, after being tipped of Vanko’s looming attack. Stark attempts to get Hammer to reveal Vanko’s location and tries to convince Rhodes to assist him in the coming fight but Vanko takes over control of the War Machine armor and the Hammer Drones. During the ensuing fight, Natasha Romanoff manages to return control of the War Machine armor to Rhodes and he and Stark manage to defeat the remaining Hammer Drones and Vanko in the Whiplash II armor.

Initially following the battle, Stark allows Rhodes to keep the armor. Tony would eventually reclaim the armor and stripe it of all Hammer technology as he found it an insult to have inferior technology on his suit. As the MK2 was stolen, it was never calibrated to Rhodes’ physiology and was a danger for him to use with Stark remarking “You’re lucky it didn’t give you a heart attack” prior to him presenting Rhodes with the War Machine MARK II armor.

Quick Facts

• Designer – Tony Stark/Justin Hammer
• User – James Rhodes
• Code Name – War Machine
• Armor Class – War Machine Armor
• Armor Type – Variable Threat Response Battle Suit
• Armor Color – Dark gray with silver plates
• Armor Height – 6 ft.
• Status – Dismantled
• Power Core – Palladium Arc Reactor Mark II
• Armor Features – Armor gauntlets, Thruster boots, flaps, stabilizers
• Armor Systems – Status system, Propulsion systems
• Weapons – Repulsors, Unibeam, M134 7.62mm Minigun, two FN F2000 Tactical assault rifles and the Sidewinder “Ex-Wife” Self-Guided Missile
• Armor Composition – Chromium titanium plating
  
• Armor Capabilities – Super-strength, Durability, Flight
  
• Predecessor – MARK II
  
• Successor – War Machine Armor MARK II
  
• Preceded By – MARK II
• Followed By – War Machine Armor MARK II
• First Appearance – Iron Man

Weapons

• Repulsors – a pair of armored gauntlets, each equipped with a Repulsor, that shoots beams of energy when charged. This is the suit’s main weapon but also serve to aid in flight power and stabilization.
• Unibeam – the suit’s most powerful weapon, capable of immense destruction as it projects a beam of pure energy for a short amount of time.
• M134 7.62mm Minigun – a six barrel medium-sized machine gun that can fire up to 6,000 rounds per minute. It is attached to the back of suit with a robotic arm and is perched over the armor’s right shoulder. The gun uses an auto-targeting system that allows the gun to fire on its own, even behind the user, allowing for 360 degree coverage.
• FN F2000 Tactical Assault Rifle – modified to attach to each of the suits forearms, this assault rifles feature extended magazines that allow for the guns to fire for extended periods without needing to be reloaded.
• Sidewinder “Ex-Wife” Self-Guided Missile – mounted and concealed in the left shoulder, this “Ex-Wife” is a kinetic-kill bunker missile capable of massive damage, although the weapon fails to detonate when fired by Rhodes.

Capabilities

• Super strength – this suit grants the user superhuman strength. Not only does it allow the user to lift and move heavy objects, it greatly enhances the user combat abilities.
• Enhanced durability – the suit is near bullet proof and grants the user incredibly enhanced durability while in combat.
• Flight – due to its thruster boots, Repulsor gauntlets and propulsion system, this suit is a capable of full flight with the ability to achieve supersonic speed.

Systems

• Status system – an HUD, target scanning, GPS, visuals for power levels and vital signs, manages all of the other suit’s functionalities and systems.
• Propulsion system – designed to pull energy from the mini-arc reactor and direct it to the thruster boots and Repulsor gauntlets.

Notes

• The War Machine armor is the only armor to share the same armor with another suit as it was the MARK II before it was the War Machine armor.
• The MK2 was not calibrated to Rhodes’ physiology and could have had dangerous side effects had he continued to use it.

Gallery

Thank you for reading. If you enjoyed this post, you can find more of my thoughts on twitter, @historyofthemcu. Additionally, @bloodybaroness and myself host The History of the MCU Podcast, a weekly podcast that reviews and analyzes not only the Infinity Saga but the new Marvel Studios Disney+ shows beginning with WandaVision. We would love if you gave us a listen and are currently available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Podbean, Google Podcasts, iHeartRadio and Amazon Music. 

The Mark VIII is the eighth Iron Man suit Tony built and the first suit built-in rapid succession after the events of the Battle of New York that led to the creation of the Iron Legion. Although the MK7 remained Tony’s main suit until he finished designing the MK42, the MK8 is an upgraded version of the MK7. The suit sees superior weapons and flights systems and a boost to it’s durability by adding platinum plating and additional Kevlar to the suit’s armor. The MK8 armor design is slightly less bulky than the MK7 and the external redesigns are seen in the MK30, MK31 and MK33.

The MK8 arrived at the Battle on the Norco when Tony had J.A.R.V.I.S initiate the House Party Protocol. Towards the end of the battle, the MK8 targeted both Pepper Potts and Aldrich Killian as they both had Extremis signatures. Pepper managed to destroy the armor by punching a hole through the armor’s Arc Reactor and used the Repulsor on the right arm to shoot a rocket she kicked at Killian, finally killing him in the resulting explosion.

Quick Facts

• Designer – Tony Stark
• User – Tony Stark, Pepper Potts(Right Arm)
• Code Name – None
• Armor Class – Basic Iron Man Suit
• Armor Type – Fully Loaded Suit Upgrade
• Armor Color – Dark red with light golden plates
• Armor Height – 6’0 ft.
• Status – Destroyed
• Power Core – New Element Mini-Arc Reactor II
• Armor Features – Extra layers of Kevlar and made with titanium and platinum plating for increased protection and durability, Upgraded weapons and flight systems
• Armor Systems – J.A.R.V.I.S OS, Status system, Propulsion systems, Advanced donning system
• Weapons – Repulsors, Unibeam, 200-Petawatt laser, Missiles, Flares
• Armor Composition – Platinum and titanium plating with extra layers of Kevlar
• Armor Capabilities – Super strength, enhanced durability, flight, ice and water resistance, rapid deployment
• Predecessor –  MARK VII
• Successor– MARK IX/MARK XII
• Preceded By – MARK VII
• Followed By – MARK IX
• First Appearance – Iron Man 3

Features and Capabilities

• Enhanced weapons systems– the specifics are the MK8 are scant but the weapons systems have received an upgrade and all weapons systems on the MK8 surpass the capabilities of the MK7.
• Enhanced flight systems– the specifics are limited but the MK8 is more versatile and agile than the MK7.
• Advanced durability – the MK8 is the most durable armor to date due to the additional platinum plating and extra layer of Kevlar. This extra plating and layer of protection allow the MK8 to withstand the force of a small missile.
• Standard Iron Man suit capabilities– this suit grants the user standard capabilities of all Iron Man suits including super strength, enhanced durability, flight, ice and water resistance and rapid deployment.

Weapons

• Standard Iron Man suit weapons – this suit possesses the signature Repulsor gauntlets, Unibeam, shoulder-mounted guns, side winders, guided missiles, micro munition missiles, rockets, 200-Petawatt lasers and flares.

Systems

• Standard Iron Man suit systems – this suit possesses the standard Iron Man suit systems including the J.A.R.V.I.S OS, the propulsion system and the advanced donning system.

Gallery

Thank you for reading. If you enjoyed this post, you can find more of my thoughts on twitter, @historyofthemcu. Additionally, @bloodybaroness and myself host The History of the MCU Podcast, a weekly podcast that reviews and analyzes not only the Infinity Saga but the new Marvel Studios Disney+ shows beginning with WandaVision. We would love if you gave us a listen and are currently available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Podbean, Google Podcasts, iHeartRadio and Amazon Music.