Iron Man made dozens of suits of armor in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but he only wore a few of them. Tony Stark invented three suits of armor in the first movie and then three more in Iron Man 2. In Avengers, Iron Man got his seventh suit of armor, which he used for the Battle of New York. In Iron Man 3, Tony created 35 suits, but of those, the only one he wore in the movie was his Extremis-inspired Mark 42 suit. Several of those suits appeared in the film, but Stark never wore them and destroyed all of them by the movie’s end. He added three more in Age of Ultron, two in Civil War, one in Spider-Man: Homecoming, and finally, three last armors in Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame, although it was Bruce Banner who wore one of them instead of Iron Man.
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While most of the Iron Man armors that the hero wore were powerful, there were some extremely powerful ones that he never got a chance to wear.
10) Mark XXXV – Red Snapper
The Red Snapper was designed and made to be a Disaster Rescue Suit. This was one of the several suits of armor in Iron Man 3 that JARVIS sent to help fight Aldrich Killian and his Extremis soldiers. The name signifies that this armor has dual red Retractable Pneumatic Pinchers, which are also removable. The armor was also more durable than Iron Man’s regular suit, and it was made to withstand intense situations, such as tornadoes, hurricanes, and earthquakes, allowing it to be used to rescue people in need. However, it was not made for combat, and in the battle with the Extremis soldiers, it was one of the suits of armor that the villains destroyed.
9) Mark 28 – Jack
The Mark 28 Iron Man armor was known as Jack. This was another part of the Iron Legion armors that Tony Stark created after the Battle of New York and was introduced in Iron Man 3. What makes this armor stand out is that it is a Radiation-Zone Suit. This means it has the power built within to repel radiation and protect the user who is wearing it. It is one of four armors that can withstand intense amounts of radiation. It also has the same ability as later armors to wrap itself around the user’s body, rather than having to be put on. Its primary offensive weapons include repulsors, a small Unibeam, and mini-missiles fired from its shoulder pads. It was one of the last 21 armors standing after the battle with Aldrich Killian.
8) Mark 38 – Igor
Igor is the Mark 38 armor from Iron Man 3, and this is not so much a weapon as it is a utility suit. This was created to do heavy lifting, and it was part of the Iron Legion that came to help Iron Man in his battle against Aldrich Killian. Its name is based on its appearance, as its hunched design is reminiscent of the Universal Horror character Igor. While it’s not a suit designed for blasting power, it has extreme strength and is physically stronger than any other armor, designed to withstand anything up to ten times its size. It does have one offensive power attack, its Unibeam, which can destroy and clear debris in its path.
7) Mark XXI – Midas
The Mark XXI armor, known as Midas, was one of the Iron Legion that appeared in Iron Man 3. The suit’s name is based on the mythical character of Midas, as it was colored solid gold, which is what anything Midas touched would turn into. It was also designed for flights into the upper atmosphere and is theoretically capable of flying into space. Its design was a copy of the Mark VII, which is what Iron Man wore in the Avengers movie. The difference is the chrome Gold Titanium Alloy design. Like Iron Man’s regular armor, this can shoot Repulsors, has a powerful Unibeam, and shoots missiles from large shoulder pad gauntlets. While involved in the battle with Extremis soldiers, it is not actually seen in battle during the movie.
6) Mark XXXIX – Gemini
Gemini is the Mark XXXIX armor, and it was created to operate as a suborbital suit. This is another suit that debuted in Iron Man 3 and was also known as Starboost, as it could withstand the cold temperatures and radiation of space, and contained an oxygen tank that would help Tony survive for extended periods. Tony Stark created this armor when his main suit in the Avengers failed to withstand the pressure of reaching orbit, and he wanted something that could last longer. This is also one of the fastest suits of armor Iron Man had, and it could break the speed of sound. For offensive purposes, it has one large Concussive Cannon. It fought in and survived the Extremis battle in Iron Man 3.
5) Mark XLI – Bones
The Mark XLI Iron Man armor is called Bones. This makes sense when looking at it, as it appears to be a skeleton suit. Since it doesn’t have much armor over it, the internal components of the armor are exposed. The suit was primarily designed to grant Iron Man great speed and maneuverability, thanks to its lighter weight. It is not as fast as the Mark XL, but it is the most versatile of all Iron Man’s armors. It has the regular repulsors and Unibeam of Iron Man’s other armors, but is more susceptible to damage. However, one powerful attack in Iron Man 3 saw the armor split into pieces, with each of them attacking different soldiers before reforming.
4) Mark XVII – Heartbreaker
The Mark XVII armor, also known as Heartbreaker, was one of the suits Tony Stark built to serve in the Iron Legion. It is known as Heartbreaker thanks to its oversized chest, which can shoot powerful blasts that are much more damaging than regular Unibeams. This is known as an Artillery Level RT Suit, and it was made for intensive firefights. The central Unibeam Projector fires more energy than anything that came before in both narrow and wide beams for maximum damage. It can also create Repulser Shields as a defensive weapon. It was also designed to take massive firepower and damage thanks to its four extra titanium plates. It was shown to be incredibly powerful when it tried to assist Red Snapper and eventually helped rescue Rhodey. This suit of armor killed several Extremis soldiers.
3) Mark XXV – Striker
The Mark XXV armor, also known as Striker, appeared in Iron Man 3. The name is derived from the powerful, jackhammer-like hands that can destroy concrete, among other things. It was built to help in construction projects, and it is mainly used for its raw power. It also has defensive capabilities, as it can protect itself from electrical surges and extreme temperatures. While the jackhammers are its primary weapons, it also has repulsers and the Unibeam. In the battle with Extremis soldiers in Iron Man 3, this was one of the suits of armor that made its presence felt since JARVIS specifically controlled it and used it to battle several soldiers and also protect Rhodey at one point. It killed more soldiers than almost any other Iron Man armor.
2) Mark 48 – Hulkbuster 2.0
In Avengers: Age of Ultron, Iron Man wore his Hulkbuster Armor in his giant brawl with the Hulk. This was an incredibly powerful armor, as it withstood Hulk’s attacks and kept Tony Stark alive. After this, Tomy and Bruce Banner collaborated to develop the Mark 48, also known as the Hulkbuster 2.0. They felt there needed to be an armor that could actually beat Hulk if required, so this was even more powerful than the first one. However, Iron Man never wore the armor. Instead, this is what Bruce Banner wore in Avengers: Infinity War when Hulk refused to come out and fight. The armor stood up to attacks from Thanos’s Black Order and the Outriders, and proved to be an immensely powerful suit of armor.
1) Mark XLIX – RESCUE Armor
The Mark XLIX is the RESCUE Armor, and it might be the most powerful armor that Iron Man ever created, even more powerful than anything he wore in the movies. This armor made its first appearance in Avengers: Endgame, and Pepper Potts wore it into the battle with Thanos. The armor has enhanced strength, durability, and stamina. It also has considerable speed and agility in flight. However, when Pepper took down one of Thanos’s ships with one energy blast, it was clear her beams were stronger than anything Iron Man had. Iron Man likely built it as the strongest armor he never planned to wear, since he wanted something that could protect Pepper Potts and his daughter.
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