As the owner of Stark Industries, Tony Stark began as a villain in the MCU, with his gun-running earning him the nickname "Merchant of Death." That changed when he was taken captive by the Ten Rings terrorist organization. Unbeknownst to everyone involved, this was the first step toward the salvation of the universe, as Stark shifted his worldview away from warmongering and focused on building advanced suits of armor to protect the world. Here's every Iron Man suit built by Stark that appears in the MCU.

Mark I

Seen In Iron Man

The first armor that the MCU's Tony Stark built was facilitated by a matter of life and death. Instead of building a missile for the Ten Rings, Stark and fellow hostage Ho Yinsen secretly put together a prototype suit of armor with their few resources, creating Iron Man's Mark I. They armed it with flamethrowers, a limited rocket launcher, and crude jet boots. Given the source of its materials, the whole armor was bulletproof, although its rushed design left multiple vulnerable spots at risk.

Mark II

Seen In Iron Man

After returning from Afghanistan, Stark committed himself to building an improved version of the armor he and Yinsen had created. Stark first developed advanced repulsor technology and then formed the now-famous Iron Man armor design. Sleek and aerodynamic, the Mark II is the first Iron Man suit to integrate Stark's AI JARVIS and a fully-functioning HUD, apart from the hundreds of carefully arranged moving parts that grant Tony maneuverability while flying.

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Which Iron Man MCU suit is your favorite?

Iron Man has worn some pretty incredible suits throughout the MCU's Infinity Saga, several of which debuted in 2013's Iron Man 3 such as the Mark XVII "Heartbreaker" or the Mark XXXVIII "Igor". While I'm partial to Tony Stark's final suit in Avengers: Endgame with the Mark LXXXV, it's hard to beat just how iconic Iron Man 2's Mark V is with its ability to unfold out of a briefcase.

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Its major weakness is its inability to reach high altitudes without freezing, a flaw that Tony later uses to defeat Stane. This armor is the first one used by James "Rhodey" Rhodes preceding the official debut of War Machine.

Mark III

Seen In Iron Man

Tony Stark's Mark III armor symbolized the consolidation of Iron Man as a fully-fledged superhero, a key turning point in the designs for Iron Man's suits of armor. The most evident change implemented in this model was the iconic red-and-gold coloring, inspired by one of his many luxury cars. This is also the first armor fully designed for battle, incorporating a whole arsenal of anti-tank missiles, flares, and shoulder-mounted mini-guns, besides the intensified repulsors and a stronger uni-beam that comes from Stark's arc reactor. Its gold titanium alloy fixed the icing problem and enhanced its strength and durability.

Mark IV

Seen In Iron Man 2

After the Mark III suit was heavily damaged in Tony Stark's final battle with Obadiah Stane in Iron Man, Stark built the Mark IV armor to replace it. By this point, his ego had returned, and he wore the armor as a symbol of luxury. For this reason, he didn't come up with further improvements besides a higher degree of mobility, a brighter shade of red, and — one of the most peculiar Iron Man armor features — a biological waste disposal system that lets him relieve himself without the need to go to the bathroom.

Mark V

Seen In Iron Man 2

Tony Stark made a significant first step towards optimized portability several years ahead of his invention of nanotechnology, though both were crucial to the development of Iron Man's suits and Tony Stark's MCU timeline. Dubbed the "Suitcase Suit," Iron Man's Mark V armor prioritized accessibility over strength and endurance.

This model owed its name to its ability to transform into an inconspicuous suitcase for cases of emergency, like Whiplash's Iron Man 2 attack in Monaco. Its lightweight plates allowed for a quick suit-up and a great range of movement at the cost of its durability. Although it saves Stark from Whiplash, it gets heavily damaged with just a few blows.

Mark VI

Seen In Iron Man 2 & The Avengers

When the arc reactor in Tony Stark's chest poisoned him, he created a cleaner and more powerful one — plus a new suit of armor to go with it. This gave him the bonus advantage of harnessing an incredibly higher energy supply that allowed him to add more mobility, more weapons, and higher durability. The new features included a powerful laser, arm-mounted mini-missiles, considerable resistance to electricity — as evidenced by its durability against Whiplash and the full force of Thor's hammer, Mjolnir — and the ability to perform perfectly underwater.

Mark VII

Seen In The Avengers

Stark's suit-up after Loki threw him off Stark Tower during The Avengers engraved the Iron Man Mark VII armor in viewers' minds. Emerging from a rocket-like pod that is attached to bracelets and assembled around Stark, the suit-up process is fast. The circular arc reactor returned, and so did Stark's whole arsenal, including rechargeable lasers capable of decimating the Chitauri. The Mark VII possessed a powerful thruster in its back, which freed up Stark's hands and allowed him to blast his opponents while flying at full speed. The suit could withstand heavy battle damage and even take down a Leviathan.

Mark XLII

Seen In Iron Man 3

After experimenting with the Iron Legion's 35 Iron Man suits, Tony Stark developed the infamous Mark 42 Iron Man suit, which he could manipulate remotely with subcutaneous chips implanted on his arms that controlled the individual parts that assemble, one by one, around his body. This feature also allowed him to lock the suit onto another person.

"Prodigal Son" can also be controlled with a headset that allowed Tony to take full command of the suit from a great distance. Inspired by Marvel Comics' Extremis storyline, the Mark 42 sported a lighter shade of gold and, apart from regular weaponry, relied on its high-powered repulsor technology to fight.

The Iron Legion Armors

Seen In Iron Man 3

Mark XVI "Nightclub" - One of Stark's stealth-based suits, Nightclub's electronic cloaking system and color camouflaging technology resembled that of SHIELD's. It was the second suit he used against Killian. Like the Mark V, Nightclub also sacrificed strength, firepower, and durability for mobility.

Mark XVII "Heartbreaker" - Stark's seventeenth Iron Man armor iteration doesn't last long, but it briefly appears in Iron Man 3 to carry Rhodey to his own suit. This suit is nicknamed Heartbreaker due to its oversized chest pannel designed to unless devastating repulsor blasts.

Mark XXV "Thumper" - Thumper was designed for construction work and sports a sleek black paint job. Instead of traditional hands, Thumper sports pneumatic jackhammers at the end of each arm.

Mark XXXV "Red Snapper - The Mark XXXV earned its nickname by it's long, retractable pinchers at the end of each arm. These were designed to get into tight spaces and help victims of natural disasters who may find themselves trapped under debris.

Mark XXXIII "Silver Centurion" - Based on its popular Marvel Comics counterpart, the Silver Centurion had one hidden blade in each arm and an enhanced energy system. It was the first armor that Tony Stark wore after calling the Iron Legion to battle Aldrich Killian in Iron Man 3, and the first one to be destroyed by him.

Mark XXXVIII "Igor" - This hulking suit features a hunched posture and an eye-catching blue paint job. Bulky and relatively unmaneuverable, the Mark XXXVIII was designed to lift heavy loads in construction projects.

Mark XXXIX "Gemini" - Gemini is perhaps one of Stark's most visually striking Iron Man suits. Eschewing the classic red and gold for white, black, and bronze, this suit was designed to withstand sub-orbital space travel. The suit sports a high-powered concussion canon and small boosters that allow maneuverability in zero-g.

Mark XL "Shotgun" - With the ability to reach speeds over Mach 5, this was one of the fastest Iron Man armors Stark ever created. It was the suit he chose to fight Aldrich Killian after Pepper Potts was presumed dead. This model had a powerful thruster in the back to stabilize it while flying and fighting.

XLI "Bones" - This stylish Iron Man armor has a striking black and gold look with an ornate circuitry pattern running along its armor s. The suit is extremely lightweight, favoring maneuverability over bulk. Each individual piece has its own thruster, which allows it to break apart and turn itself into a projective swarm.

Mark XV "Sneaky" - This was the first suit Tony Stark designed for stealth purposes, the first in the Iron Legion to have a nickname, and the last one he used in the final battle in Iron Man 3, getting totaled after the explosion of Mark XLII. Its design stood out for its rugged helmet and the sharp angles in its plates.

Mark XLIII

Seen In Avengers: Age Of Ultron

Tony Stark promised to stop armor building with Iron Man 3's "Clean Slate" protocol. However, Mark XLIII (Mark 43), which he used to fight Ultron and his robot army, proved otherwise. This model took the best features from the Mark VII and Mark XLII armors, merging the versatility of the latter with the endurance of the former.

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Robert Downey Jr.'s Tony Stark, a.k.a. Iron Man, was at the core of the MCU for 11 years and demonstrated some incredible feats of power and genius.

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Notably, this Iron Man armor was designed to fit inside the Hulkbuster, marking the first time Stark explored combining different armors - both to pose more of a threat and last longer in the Avengers' increasingly dangerous battles. It also adds an infrared scanning system and the ability to switch to Sentry Mode.