Iron Man Armors

The Mark I Movie Armor
First Appearance: Iron Man (2008) The Look: Mirroring the origin story from the comics, the first movie sees Tony Stark race against a ticking clock to construct his first Iron Man armor. Being that he's trapped in a cave with only a stack of Stark Enterprises weaponry and a blowtorch, Stark isn't concerned with looks. Form gives way to function in this armor design. The suit is clearly cobbled together from various parts and, unlike later models, doesn't even fully cover his face.

But the Mark I worked when it counted. It was strong enough to stop bullets and packed enough firepower to drive back the soldiers of the Ten Rings. It even flew for those brief few seconds while the fuel supply lasted until it fell into pieces that were later picked up by the Ten Rings leader.

The Mark II Movie Armor
First Appearance: Iron Man (2008) The Look: As in the comics, one of Tony's first items on the agenda after returning home is to upgrade and improve his initial Iron Man prototype. The evolution of the suit was fairly gradual in the comics, with the exterior of the Mark I merely gaining a shinier gold exterior. In the movie, however, Tony went back to the drawing board.

The result was a suit far more sleek and powerful than the original. The Mark II covered Tony's body completely and reaped the benefits of his improved miniature arc reactor unit. All that was missing at this point was the familiar color scheme.

The first movie teased the idea of Rhodey donning this suit, ad it looks as if the sequel will deliver. From what we've seen of the previews and merchandise, Rhodey will wear the Mark II armor in battle before being given the War Machine armor later in the film.

The Mark III Movie Armor
First Appearance: Iron Man (2008) After taking the Mark II armor for a test drive, Tony realized it still had a few kinks to iron out (no pun intended). The suit was unable to function in the extreme cold of high altitudes. Tony addressed this flaw by working in a new gold/titanium alloy. To offset the gold, he also added his favorite shade of red. Finally, the red-and-gold armor made its live action debut.

In its third form, Tony finally had a suit fit for active duty. It served him well in its initial battle in the Middle east and a subsequent skirmish with the US military. It may even have been enough to topple Iron Monger if Obadiah Stane hadn't stolen Tony's arc reactor beforehand. The Mark III survived that battle, but only just barely.

The Mark IV Movie Armor
First Appearance: Iron Man 2 (2010) The Look: As Iron Man 2 opens, Tony is sporting the fourth iteration of the Iron Man armor. This suit doesn't appear to differ too much from the Mark III model. The rounded curves have given way to a slightly more angular look, but otherwise Tony seems to respect the old adage "If it ain't broke, don't fix it".

Unfortunately for him, superheroes are rarely able to rest on their laurels. With Whiplash entering the scene, we wouldn't be surprised if Tony finds the Mark IV to inadequate in battle. Before long, he'll be back in the workshop planning the next major Iron Man revision.

The Mark V/Suitcase Armor
First Appearance: Iron Man 2 (2010) The Look: In the comics, Tony often favors a lighter, flexible sort of armor that can be hidden away in a briefcase. Using magnetic or other means, he can instantly summon the armor around his body and enter the battlefield. The movie armors clearly aren't this portable, but Tony appears to have a contingency plan in place.

The Mark V hearkens to the comics in that it not only hides in a briefcase, it is a briefcase. After Tony is attacked by Whiplash at a racetrack, he has his driver Happy Hogan bring this suit out of storage. Instantly it transforms from a handheld briefcase to a full suit of armor. This suit is also the first we see of the red-and-silver color scheme associated with the popular Silver Centurion armor.

Because of its lightweight, portable nature, we don't imagine the Mark V will hold up in a prolonged battle. It remains to be seen if this suit will survive its maiden voyage.

The Mark VI Movie Armor
First Appearance: Iron Man 2 (2010) The Mark VI armor represents the next significant evolution in the Iron Man design. Visually, it's not a massive leap from the Mark IV armor. The overall design has grown even more angular, and some of the gold portions have been replaced by patches of industrial black.

It appears that the most significant change comes with the arc reactor. The circular design seen on the previous five models is now replaced by a triangular shape. This puts the suit more in line with the Extremis armor and several others from the comics. Based on what we've seen in the trailer, it appears the triangular shape allows for a more powerful, but also more dangerous, source of energy for the armor.

You may be wondering why a dude with electric whips poses such a threat to Iron Man. In the comics, Whiplash's whips are able to polarize Tony's armor and make it brittle. This new armor may be designed specifically to offset that effect. Or it may just be a necessary upgrade to deal with the dozens of armored soldiers Justin Hammer builds.