Iron Man was consistently upgrading his suit in the MCU, but he never got to show off some of his most powerful designs from Marvel Comics.

The MCU’s version of Tony Stark used at least one new Iron Man suit in every movie, but he still didn’t come close to using every suit from Marvel Comics. Iron Man first appeared all the way back in 1963’s Tales of Suspense #39 by Larry Lieber, Stan Lee, Don Heck, Steve Ditko, and Gene Colan. Tony started off using a bulky gray suit, similar to the Mark I Armor from Iron Man. In the 60+ years since his original appearance, Marvel has created so many different suits that it’s hard to keep track.

Except for Iron Man 3’s finale, the MCU timeline was more restrained with the number of different Iron Man suits Tony wore. Tony also had far less time to wear all of his different suits before Iron Man’s death in Avengers: Endgame. This means that plenty of suits still exist that never saw the big screen. Some of these suits could still show up in Armor Wars, or a potential Iron Man 4 if Marvel decides to revive Tony or give another character the title. These suits could also show up if Avengers: Secret Wars ends up rebooting the MCU as rumored.

10. Tony’s Deep-Space Armor Made A Spaceship Unnecessary

Iron Man’s Deep-Space Armor First Appeared In Iron Man #5 (2013)

Tony’s Iron Man Armor Model 45, aka the Deep-Space Armor, allowed Tony to travel through space in just his Iron Man suit. This armor came in especially handy when Iron Man joined the Guardians of the Galaxy for a little while. The Deep-Space Armor was even capable of traveling at warp speed, meaning Tony could travel between planets without having to use a spaceship.

Tony’s Deep-Space armor would have been very helpful in Avengers: Endgame, when he and Nebula were stranded in space. If he’d had it, Tony could simply have pushed the disabled Milano back to Earth himself. In a way, it’s nice that he didn’t have it, as the scene was a good way to emotionally prepare the audience for the possibility that Tony would die in the movie. Still, it would have been the perfect time for him to bust out this armor from the comics if he had it in the MCU.

9. The Godkiller Armor Makes The Hulkbuster Look Weak

Iron Man’s Godkiller MK II Armor First Appeared In Avengers #5 (2018)

In the MCU, the biggest suit Tony ever wears is the Hulkbuster armor from Avengers: Age of Ultron. In the comics, Tony has a much larger suit, though it doesn’t last very long. Modeled after an ancient piece of technology from the Celestial War, Tony Stark created what he called the Godkiller MK II, a massive suit of gold armor meant to fight rogue Celestials.

Tony used the Godkiller Armor to go up against a group called the Dark Celestials, which were Celestials that had been corrupted by the Horde. Though Tony ends up losing the fight, he does manage to hold his own surprisingly long against the god-like beings. Similar to his Deep-Space armor, the Godkiller Armor can also travel quickly between planets, allowing Stark to get from Earth to Mars in very little time.

8. Tony’s Cold Iron Armor Was Designed To Fight Dark Elves

Iron Man’s Cold Iron Armor First Appeared In Iron Man #24 (2014)

In the comics, Iron Man has some very specialized suits that only show up in specific situations. One of these suits is his Cold Iron Armor, which he used to fight against Malekith and his Dark Elves on Svartalfheim. The armor goes on top of another suit, and is notable for being an Iron Man suit that is actually made out of iron. This is because iron is deadly to Dark Elves, and also shields Tony from their magic.

Since the Dark Elves only appeared in Thor: The Dark World, Tony never had a reason to wear this armor in the MCU. In general, the MCU tended to stay away from hyper-specific types of armor, instead just adding needed upgrades to Tony’s main suit. This saved Tony having to do some costume changes and was likely easier for the VFX team. Still, these types of specialized suits in the comics always go a long way towards showing just how prepared Iron Man is for any situation.

7. Iron Man’s Endo-Sym Armor Was His Version Of Venom

Iron Man’s Endo-Sym Armor First Appeared In Superior Iron Man #1 (2014)

For a brief period of time in Marvel Comics, Tony Stark’s personality was rewritten, turning him into the villainous Superior Iron Man. During his time as a villain, Tony wore a brand-new Iron Man suit called the End-Sym Armor. Tony based this suit on symbiotes like Venom or Carnage, with it being comprised of a semi-sentient liquid form that would harden once it bonded to him and formed his armor. It also wasn’t as reliant on electricity or other technology, making it harder to shut down.

Tony’s Endo-Sym Armor never appeared in the MCU, but at one point it was heavily rumored to. Some fan theorists online had seen clips of Maria Rambaeu’s Captain Marvel in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness and mistook her suit for the Superior Iron Man suit. This sparked rumors that Tom Cruise would appear as Superior Iron Man, part of the Illuminati. These rumors turned out to be false, and the Endo-Sym armor never showed up before Tony’s MCU death, making it entirely absent from the franchise.

6. Tony Stark Once Became The Iron Sorcerer

Tony’s Iron Sorcerer Armor First Appeared In What If…? #113 (1998)

One of Tony’s strangest Marvel Comics armors appeared in an alternate universe, Earth-9810. This What If…? story follows a Tony Stark who accidentally causes Stephen Strange’s car accident, and seeks a cure. Tony ends up becoming Sorcerer Supreme, and even makes a unique Iron Man suit in order to fight Dormammu. This armor incorporated both Tony’s new knowledge of magic and his skills with technology.

The Iron Sorcerer Armor is incredibly powerful because it is able to store spells and deploy them more quickly than a sorcerer would usually be able to cast them. This essentially made this version of Tony an even more powerful version of Doctor Strange. Since this was an alternate universe story, it’s not too surprising it never happened in the MCU. However, it is still possible that What If…? could adapt it.

5. The Hulkbuster Armor Was Also A Car

Tony’s Model 52 Hulkbuster Armor First Appeared In All-New, All-Different Avengers #1 (2015)

One version of Tony Stark’s Hulkbuster armor did appear in the MCU. It first showed up when Tony needed to take on Hulk in Avengers: Age of Ultron, and was later used by Bruce Banner in Avengers: Infinity War while the Hulk was refusing to come out. However, Marvel Comics has had several different incarnations of the Hulkbuster armor over the years, one of which had utility outside of being a suit of armor.

Tony’s Model 52 Hulkbuster Armor isn’t just a suit of armor, but also a car. The car form can also fly using Iron Man’s iconic repulsor technology. Tony is able to press a button mid-flight and turn the car into the Hulkbuster Armor at a moment’s notice. This version of the suit is seemingly quicker to get into than the version shown in Age of Ultron, and gives Tony a more protected mode of transportation than a normal car.

4. Iron Man Used Ultron To Power His Armor

Iron Man’s Sentient Armor Iron Man #26 (2000)

Through a series of accidents and coincidences, Tony Stark once accidentally had a suit of armor that essentially turned into Ultron. This started when Tony downloaded the AI from Jocasta, a robot created by Ultron. In doing so, he accidentally downloads Ultron’s mission along with it. Then, an encounter with Whiplash and a bolt of lightning somehow combine to turn Tony’s armor into a sentient being.

For a while, Tony and the Sentient Armor worked as partners, but it did eventually become a villain similar to Ultron. Ultimately, the suit went out in a heroic sacrifice, giving its own synthetic heart to Tony to save his life. This suit never got a chance to show up in the MCU because of Ultron’s reduced role in the movies compared to the comics. He was completely destroyed at the end of Avengers: Age of Ultron, and never had a chance to leave a trace of his personality behind.

3. Tony’s Virtual Armor Shaped Itself To His Will

Tony’s Virtual Armor First Appeared In Iron Man 2020 #5 (2020)

Tony Stark’s Virtual Armor is very different from most Iron Man suits. Instead of being metal or any other physical substance, it is made out of solid holograms. The armor isn’t a fixed shape, so Tony can make it look however he wants. He can also use the holograms to craft any weapons he can think of. In a way, the armor was very similar to a Green Lantern ring from DC Comics.

Although Tony considered this armor one of his greatest inventions, he was forced to give it up to save his brother Arno Stark, as Iron Man used the suit as a life-support system for Arno to prevent him dying. The suit also created a pleasant simulation for Arno to live in.

Tony’s Virtual Armor was likely a little too high-concept for the MCU version of the character. Even the comics knew it was too powerful to keep around forever, which is why it was quickly written out of existence. Still, it would have created some awesome visuals seeing Tony morph his suit into whatever form he wanted. This could be another good candidate for a What If…? episode, since animation would make the suit easier to recreate.

2. Iron Man’s Fin Fang Foombuster Was Straight Out Of Pacific Rim

Iron Man’s Fin Fang Foombuster Armor First Appearead In Tony Stark: Iron Man #1 (2018)

One major Iron Man villain that never showed up in the MCU was the dragon Fin Fang Foom. However, Tony has fought Fin Fang Foom plenty of times in Marvel Comics – so often that he even designed a special Fin Fang Foombuster Armor to help take him down. The suit was massive, similar to the mechs from Pacific Rim, and made Tony just as tall as Fin Fang Foom.

Even without Fin Fang Foom specifically being in the MCU, Tony Stark never really faced off against any villains that would have required such a large suit. It may have come in handy in large battles, like the finale of Avengers: Endgame, but in truth it is unnecessarily big for any of Tony’s MCU fights. Perhaps if the MCU reboot does happen, the new version of Tony Stark can face off against his classic comic book foe using this powerful suit.

1. Iron Man Harvested The Power Of Excalibur

Iron Man’s Mystic Armor First Appeared In Iron Man: Legacy Of Doom #3 (2008)

It isn’t just What If…? stories where Iron Man has gained magical powers before. In a miniseries where he was trying to find the scabbard of Excalibur before Doctor Doom, Iron Man accidentally absorbed its magic into his armor. This created a mystical version of his suit that looked more like a medieval suit of armor. Not only did Tony’s armor look different, but the magic it absorbed made it nearly invincible. It also turned his repulsor blasts into beams of magic, capable of hurting supernatural enemies.

Iron Man’s Mystic Armor appeared in only two issues of the miniseries, so it’s not too surprising it never got adapted for the MCU. However, during its short time existing, it proved to be one of Iron Man’s more powerful suits of armor. It will be interesting to see if any of the upcoming projects that are Iron Man adjacent, like Armor Wars or Ironheart, choose to include some of these powerful suits that Tony never got to wear.