10 Best Iron Man Armors From the MCU Ranked

Iron Man is quite possibly the most iconic hero in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and for good reason. First recognized as the charming if arrogant billionaire tech genius Tony Stark, he was forced to come face to face with the consequences of the weapons his corporation created, and therefore came to the realization that his superior intellect could be put to better use outside of business and war. This manifested in the form of his armors; the first he built purely out of necessity to escape the clutches of terrorists in Afghanistan. However, it wouldn’t be long before he learned that his armor could be used to protect the world, and eventually became an Avenger, helping to save not just the planet on multiple occasions but the universe.

Always one to innovate, Iron Man’s armors evolved constantly, with him adding new features and capabilities with every iteration. And yes, because he is a little bit of a narcissist, each one of his armors also had to look really cool. Below are his 10 best armors from the MCU.

10. Mark XLVII (Spider-Man: Homecoming)

The Mark XLVII most closely resembles that worn by Tony in the Ultimate Iron Man comics, leaning heavily into the silver color scheme, mixed with the traditional red and gold. One of the more functional aspects of this armor is that it can be controlled remotely from the other side of the world (as long as it’s connected to Wi-Fi, that is), which came in handy when Spider-Man nearly needed an assist after almost drowning following a bout with the Vulture.

9. Mark V (Iron Man 2)

Sometimes you encounter a villain when abroad and you need a set of high-tech armor that you can take through customs. Tony thought ahead with this iteration, creating an Iron Man suit that actually fits in a suitcase. Inspired by the Silver Centurion look from the comics, its compact design means it’s not as durable as some of Iron Man’s other armors, but it’s got enough firepower to put down a psychotic Russian terrorist with electrical whips.

8. Mark I (Iron Man)

This is the one that started it all. It may not be pretty, it may not be high-tech, and it may not have great battery life, but dang it, it sure got Tony out of a serious jam. This grey behemoth was powered by the very first arc reactor, and despite its clunkiness, it had more than enough weaponry to blast through some Afghan terrorists and get Tony to safety. That’s not bad for a proof of concept built in a desert cave. The Mark I walked so all of the other armors could fly.

7. Mark II (Iron Man)

The Mark II was a massive improvement over its predecessor, as it streamlined its overall design and added useful new features, such as flight capabilities. Sure, it had an icing problem when it encountered the colder, higher-altitude atmosphere. However, the inclusion of a HUD (heads-up display) added to its usability. Then again, it did need a large special machine just to put it on, so it still had a few kinks to work out.

6. Mark VII (The Avengers)

It’s not meant for space travel and it didn’t have spinning rims, but the Mark VII was filled to the brim with amazing capabilities. For starters, it didn’t need a special machine just to get into it; it was able to lock onto Tony (who was in freefall after being thrown off a skyscraper by Loki) through the use of proprietary bracelets and suit up around him. Plus, it had more firepower than any previous model, and was even capable of traveling through the stomach of a Chitauri Leviathan.

5. Mark XLII (Iron Man 3)

This Iron Man armor embraces even more gold, probably to remind bystanders even more of Tony’s wealth. Tony clearly thought the bracelets from the Mark VII were too cumbersome, so he decided to implant trackers into his own forearm for his armor to track. Still, the range on this thing is impressive, flying across multiple states within just a few minutes to get Tony out of a jam.

4. Mark XLIV (Avengers: Age of Ultron)

The Mark XLIV is based on the “Hulkbuster” armor from the comics and made its grand debut in Avengers: Age of Ultron when the Scarlet Witch sent the Hulk on a rampage in Johannesburg. Few things have been able to withstand the power of the Hulk, especially when he’s gone berserk, so leave it to Tony Stark to develop a suit that can go toe to toe with the Jade Giant, though it endured quite a few blows in the process.

3. Mark L (Avengers: Infinity War)

This armor was a quantum upgrade to everything that had come before it, as it used nanotechnology. It could form around Tony’s body in a matter of seconds, has deep space flight capabilities, and could produce all manner of weaponry, including missiles and blades. Its durability was also off the charts; Thanos threw a moon at Iron Man while he was wearing this armor and he was able to walk away from it (mostly) unscathed.

2. Mark III (Iron Man)

The Mark III is far from Iron Man’s most advanced armor, but this was when he really became Iron Man. It was the first armor to feature the signature red and gold color scheme that’s been used in almost all of his armor since, and it came equipped with plenty of firepower — as seen when he returns to Afghanistan to put those pesky terrorists in their place. What it lacks in high-tech gadgets, it more than makes for with its classic hot rod design.

1. Mark LXXXV (Avengers: Endgame)

This suit marks the pinnacle of Tony Stark’s genius, both in design and functionality. It’s his most advanced, consisting of nanotechnology that could produce almost every kind of weapon imaginable, and was more than capable of holding its own in a massive battle against Thanos’ alien army. Fans of the comics will also note that the suit’s look hearkens back to the one from the 1960s, which is a terrific nod to the source material. Iron Man died in this armor, and we can’t think of a better symbol of all that made him so great.