Editing Iron Man (section)

=== Armor ===
{{Main|Iron Man's armor}}
[[File:Iron Man's armors.jpg|thumb|left|alt=Several versions of Iron Man in a group; four wear red and gold armor, two wear red and silver armor, two wear all-gold armor, and one wears blue armor|Variations of the Iron Man armor from ''Iron Man'' #258.1 (May 2013). Variant cover art by [[Bob Layton]].]]
Iron Man does not have any superhuman abilities. Instead, he derives his strength from a [[powered exoskeleton|powered armor]] of his own design.{{Sfn|Vohlidka|2015|p=132}} The armor is equipped with various weapons, which include "repulsor rays" in each palm that project [[particle beam]]s as well as a stronger "unibeam" on his chest.{{Sfn|Hoskin|2010|loc=Iron Man Update}} As of 2010, Marvel described Iron Man's armor as being able to lift 100 tons and to fly at [[Mach number|Mach 8]].{{Sfn|Hoskin|2010|loc=Iron Man Update}}

Marvel initially depicted the armor as powered by [[transistor]]s,{{Sfn|Patton|2015|p=8}} but this was replaced with [[integrated circuit]]s as real-world technology advanced.{{Sfn|Ridout|1992|p=5}} New designs have further miniaturized the technology, ultimately incorporating [[nanotechnology]].{{Sfn|Dunn|2010|pp=14–15}} Developments in the armor's design often reflect real-world advances in technology and trends in science fiction.{{Sfn|Mulligan|2015|p=205}} The changing nature of the armor allows artists to make frequent changes to the character's appearance without controversy.{{Sfn|Hogan|2009|p=201}} Iron Man has also created specialized models for specific purposes,{{Sfn|Zehr|2011|p=6}} including space armor, stealth armor, and deep sea armor,{{Sfn|Ridout|1992|pp=6–7}} as well as the Hulkbuster armor to engage in combat with the Hulk.{{Sfn|Zehr|2011|p=6}}

Prior to Iron Man's surgery, the armor's primary function was to produce a magnetic field that protected his heart from the shrapnel in his body. His efforts to keep it charged and to keep it secret drove the story's plot.{{Sfn|Mulligan|2015|p=208}} From its first appearance, Stark has controlled the armor by linking it to his brainwaves,{{Sfn|Hogan|2009|p=203}} and he must calibrate it to any allies who use it.{{Sfn|Zehr|2011|p=78}} The armor is often shown to have some method of shrinking it down to make it portable when not being used.{{Sfn|Zanco|2015|pp=164–165}}

Iron Man stories contrast the armor's strength and the vulnerability of the human inside it.{{Sfn|Zehr|2011|p=166}}{{Sfn|Mulligan|2015|p=208}} The armor protects Iron Man externally from attacks, but it also protected him internally when it kept his heart beating.{{Sfn|Hogan|2009|p=203}} The form-fitting design of many Iron Man armors emphasizes this with a human figure in an otherwise robotic-looking character.{{Sfn|Patton|2015|p=15}}

During the "Extremis" story arc, Iron Man adopted a biotechnological armor embedded in his DNA and stored in his bones. This allowed him to summon the armor from within his body and control it with his mind, effectively giving him superhuman abilities. This reduced the [[input lag]] between his brain and his armor, allowed him to mentally interface with any technology in the world, and gave him the focus to engage in several unrelated tasks at once.{{Sfn|Mulligan|2015|pp=213–214}}{{Sfn|Zehr|2011|pp=37–38}}{{Sfn|Dunn|2010|p=18}} The Extremis technology also converted Iron Man's mind into a digital storage device to create a back up of his memories. It also presented a weakness, as Iron Man's archnemesis Mandarin was able to access and manipulate the data.{{Sfn|O'Sullivan|2016|loc=Iron Man Update}} Iron Man gave up the Extremis armor after it was compromised with a computer virus by the [[Skrull]]s, who used it to disable Earth's defenses during an invasion.{{Sfn|Mulligan|2015|p=216}}