Fashion may not be the core forte for many MCU heroes, but tech, functionality, and pure genuineness are. These heroes put these suits to use, creating armor designed to make their jobs a hundred times easier. These suits are functional and portable and make the transition from business or picnic to a full-blown multiversal showdown seamless.
From Tony Stark’s mind-blowing Iron Man suits that redefine technology to Black Panther’s vibranium-threaded armor fit for a king, every suit comes with its own origin story, purpose, and flair. Below are some Marvel Studios heroes whose battle-fit suits keep them safe and nearly unstoppable. In addition to concealed weapons, gadgets, and mind-blowing features that keep the heroes battle-ready, they offer protection and often enhance their superhuman abilities.
10 Major MCU Suits Ranked by Power & Purpose
10. Pepper’s Rescue Armor (Mark XLIX) - Avengers: Endgame
Pepper Potts’ Rescue armor was introduced in Avengers: Endgame, and it was quite the feel-good moment. Her stance on "superheroing" and the Iron Man suit clearly changed over time. Pepper had previously ended her relationship with Tony Stark because of his obsession with being Iron Man. However, in Avengers: Endgame, Pepper finally suits up in her Rescue Armor, which Tony Stark originally designed before Avengers: Infinity War and stored in his garage. The suit held its own against Thanos's foot soldiers and also attempted to get Spider-Man to Luis’ van to send the Infinity Stones back into the past.
While it includes most of the standard Iron Man weaponry, the Rescue Armor also utilizes drone targeting technology. Equipped with a standard repulsor array, it provides superhuman strength, flight capability, and the ability to generate powerful repulsor blasts.
While Armor Wars may or may not happen for Marvel Studios, reports teased that the cast could include these major MCU characters, including Pepper Potts.
9. Moon Knight’s Suit - Moon Knight
Introduced in Moon Knight on Disney+, the Moon Knight suit is ceremonial attire bestowed upon the avatars of Khonsu. It can be summoned at will, transforming Marc Spector into Moon Knight or Steven Grant into Mr. Knight whenever needed.
The most iconic is the traditional Moon Knight suit design, which almost resembles an Egyptian mummy, further tying it to its Egyptian roots. Some of the suit’s powers include granting its wearer superhuman strength, durability, and a regenerative healing factor. Steven Grant's Mr. Knight’s suit possesses the same abilities but appears as a sleek, business-inspired look.
See the unused suit concept art for Mr. Knight in the MCU.
8. Hulkbuster 2.0 - Avengers: Infinity War & Avengers: Endgame
Tony Stark created the Hulkbuster armor as a fail-safe against the Hulk, in case the Hulk ever needed to be kept in line. The original 1.0 version was used in Avengers: Age of Ultron, when a young Wanda Maximoff got inside the Hulk’s head, Iron Man deployed the Iron Man Armor: Mark XLIV, and knocked him out after a destructive rampage in Johannesburg.
Ironically, the upgraded version, Iron Man Armor: Mark XLVIII (also known as Hulkbuster 2.0), became Bruce Banner’s backup when Hulk was in a mood and refused to come out to fight in Avengers: Infinity War. The armor proved especially useful during the Battle of Wakanda, where Banner faced an army of Outriders.
With several arc reactors, the Hulkbuster 2.0 was definitely built to match the incredible, superhuman strength of the Hulk. It’s equipped with repulsors and a heads-up display (HUD) that allows its users to analyze their environment.
Learn more about Marvel's brand-new Iron Hulk and his superpowers on Disney+.
7. Ant-Man’s Pym Particle Suit - Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania
So far, the MCU has featured four different versions of the Ant-Man suit, each featuring its own modifications and improvements. The Ant-Man Pym Suit was developed for one major reason: to protect the user from the side effects of Pym Particles. These particles give users like Scott Lang the ability to shrink to the size of an ant, grow to massive proportions, and even communicate with and control ants.
The suit also includes a specialized helmet stabilizing the brain’s chemical balance, which constant size changes could otherwise disrupt. Additionally, the helmet allows users to breathe underwater for short periods and includes advanced communication systems.
6. T’Challa’s Panther Habit Suit - Black Panther, Avengers: Infinity War & Avengers: Endgame
King T’Challa’s Black Panther habit once required him to carry his helmet around, which wasn’t convenient for a king on the move. But his younger sister Shuri came through for him with a more advanced habit version with vibranium-weave. Seen from Black Panther to Endgame, the suit completely disappears into the teeth of T’Challa’s ceremonial necklace and reappears on command.
Alongside his sound-absorbing "sneakers," this upgraded suit can store and release kinetic energy from impacts, turning offense into defense. The coolest part is that T’Challa can activate and control the entire suit with his mind.
Read how Marvel featured Chadwick Boseman’s T’Challa one last time in the MCU.
5. Ironheart Mark V - Ironheart Series
Riri Williams, better known as Ironheart, made her MCU debut in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. After her side hustle got her expelled from MIT, Riri Williams doubled down on her determination to build her version of the Iron Man armor. She joined a gang of robbers led by The Hood (Parker Robbins), serving as their mechanic and tech specialist.
In the final two episodes of the series, Riri upgrades to the Ironheart Armor Mark V, enhanced by Zelma Stanton’s risky magic. This upgrade was the perfect combination of magic and tech, making it powerful enough to go toe-to-toe with Parker Robbins. First, she used magical runes to re-manifest an invincible Parker, then outsmarted him with a hologram, ultimately stripping him of The Hood.
With her mysterious new deal with Mephisto, fans will have to wait for Season 2 of the Disney+ series, or Riri Williams' next big return, to see how devilishly cool her upgrade would be.
4. War Machine Armor: Mark VII - Avengers: Endgame
Avengers: Endgame gave MCU fans two versions of the War Machine armor. After the War Machine Mark VI was caught in the attack on the Avengers Compound and suffered severe structural damage, Rhodes abandoned the damaged suit in the wreckage. However, he later showed up with the War Machine Armor: Mark VII and assembled with the Avengers to fight the alternate Thanos and his soldiers.
The War Machine Armor: Mark VII was one of the most advanced War Machine armors in the MCU. In addition to flight capabilities and a built-in walking aid, it is armed to the teeth. Its extensive arsenal included dual quad-barreled rail guns, a back-mounted micro-missile array, wrist cannons, and multiple micro-missile launchers, making the name “War Machine” more than fitting.
3. Spider-Man’s Iron Spider Suit - Avengers: Infinity War, Avengers: Endgame, Spider-Man: Far From Home & Spider-Man: No Way Home
Tony Stark tried to recruit young Peter Parker by wooing him with a fancy new suit in Spider-Man: Homecoming. The upgraded, armored version of the Spider-Man suit was made with nanotechnology and came with lots of cool features. Though Peter initially rejected Tony’s offer to join the Avengers officially, Stark seemingly gifted the suit with no strings attached, as it later reappeared in Avengers: Infinity War.
In Avengers: Infinity War, Spider-Man used it to survive in space and fight Thanos on the planet, Titan. Spider-Man used the suit's legs to pull the Infinity Gauntlet in a futile tug of war with the Mad Titan, but he held on for a good minute before Thanos broke free. The suit made a return in Avengers: Endgame, where Peter used a combination of his webs and the spider-legs to protect and escape with the Nano Gauntlet from Thanos and his army.
The Iron Spider suit was also featured in three Spider-Man films, including Spider-Man: Far From Home, Spider-Man: No Way Home, and Spider-Man: Homecoming.
In Spider-Man: No Way Home, Spider-Man wore during his fight with the time-displaced Doctor Octopus. During the battle, he removed a chunk of the armor and transferred its nanites onto Doctor Octopus's tentacles, allowing him to take full control of the villain’s mechanical arms.
2. Shuri’s Panther Habit Suit - Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
The specs and modifications of Shuri’s Black Panther suit took a back seat to all the emotional storylines that unfolded in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Even though Shuri relies heavily on her intelligence as her primary defense, things changed after Shuri stepped in as the Black Panther. With her smarts and passion for innovating weapons, fans can easily imagine the upgrades she could create with all her creative freedom.
Shuri’s Black Panther habit features striking gold highlights. Still, the most notable element remains her signature Vibranium gauntlets, which fire concentrated energy blasts, a nod to her weapon of choice from the first Black Panther film and Avengers: Endgame. Like King T’Challa’s suit, her habit offers full-body protection, shielding her from powerful impacts and explosions.
1. Iron Man Mark LXXXV - Avengers: Endgame
The Iron Man suit probably had the most upgrades in the entire MCU. In fact, over 80 different versions were built over time. From the first junkyard prototype Tony Stark made in a cave to the many upgrades that followed, each with its own fresh design and impressive new features, every suit marked a new level of innovation.
The Iron Man armor Mark LXXXV was Tony Stark’s eighty-fifth and sadly the last Iron Man suit he ever made before sacrificing himself in Avengers: Endgame to defeat Thanos and his army. The Mark LXXXV was also his most advanced design, taking advantage of nanotechnology and packed with incredible features. Some of its notable upgrades included an energy shield, a nanite spray, and several battle-ready abilities.
