At Last, Iron Man Has Named His Favorite Suit, And We're Obsessed With the Hero's Unexpected Pick

Warning: contains spoilers for West Coast Avengers #1!

Iron Man has worn a variety of armors over the years, but now he has named his favorite of all time. Iron Man’s suits of armor represent the apex of technological advancement in the Marvel Universe, constantly changing with the times. One armor suit that Iron Man wore for a brief period in the 1980s, remains near and dear to his heart, as seen in West Coast Avengers #1.

West Coast Avengers #1 is written by Gerry Duggan and drawn by Danny Kim. Tony Stark, now part of the reformed West Coast Avengers team, is searching for a particular suit of armor in an old warehouse in California. Tony sorts through the boxes, finding other vintage Avengers outfits along the way. Finally, he finds something, declaring “Honey. I’m home.” A beaming Tony pulls out his classic Silver Centurion armor, calling it his “favorite.” Tony puts the armor on the old-fashioned way, quipping that he is heavier than the last time he wore it.

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Iron Man Sets the Gold Standard for Comics' Other Armored Heroes

Iron Man's Red and Yellow Armor May Be His Best Known

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Since his debut in Tales of Suspense #39, Iron Man has set the standard for all other armored heroes in comics, be they at Marvel or another publisher.

Since his debut in Tales of Suspense #39, Iron Man has set the standard for all other armored heroes in comics, be they at Marvel or another publisher. At the time of his creation, there was no other hero in American comics quite like Iron Man. While characters wearing suits of armor was nothing new in comics, Iron Man helped popularize the concept, thanks to a highly grounded approach as well as a seemingly never ending rotation of armor suits, ranging from the clunky to the sleek, from the colorful to the drab.

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Today, Iron Man’s red and yellow-colored armor might be his best known, thanks to its inclusion in the MCU. This suit is also a classic, viewed highly by fans thanks to the fact that Iron Man wore it, with no exceptions, well into the 1980s. The red and yellow ensemble was used in merchandising for apparel and other products. Iron Man’s red and yellow outfit was used for his Mego action figure in the 1970s, as well as a similar toy from the Secret Wars line of the 1980s. Its ubiquity helped make it an iconic look.

The 1980s Changed Marvel Comics Forever--And Iron Man Was No Exception

Iron Man's "Silver Centurion" Armor Was Sleek and Cool

Yet by the mid-1980s, Marvel, under the editorial direction of then Editor-in-Chief Jim Shooter, decided to shake up some of their biggest icons in drastic ways. It was during this time that Spider-Man obtained his black alien costume and the Hulk went gray. Thor received a similar makeover, and the Fantastic Four’s line-up underwent changes for the first time since its inception. These changes helped rejuvenate stale properties, making them fresh and engaging once again. Some fans complained, but many embraced these changes–and it was decided to take a similar approach to Iron Man.

Yet by the mid-1980s, Marvel, under the editorial direction of then Editor-in-Chief Jim Shooter, decided to shake up some of their biggest icons in drastic ways.

At this point, Iron Man, or at least Tony Stark, was at something of a low point. Tony had stepped down as Iron Man to focus on working through his alcoholism. The pressures of being Iron Man weighed heavily on him, and he turned to drink. While Tony was away, Rhodey became Iron Man, carrying the mantle for a few years, until 1985’s Iron Man #200. Rhodey and the rest of Stark’s empire were under assault by Obadiah Stane, and Tony, forced to return to heroics, forged the Mark Eight armor, or the “Silver Centurion,” as it came to be known.

Related Every 'Buster' Iron Man Armor Tony Stark Built To Defeat 1 Specific Enemy For every great apocalyptic villain, Iron Man has a set of armor designed to answer the call. These Iron Man armor sets are beyond powerful.

At the time of its debut, the Silver Centurion was the most powerful version of Iron Man’s armor, with capabilities exceeding anything that came before. For instance, the Silver Centurion armor featured a “stealth mode,” an innovation that has since carried over to other suits. All the classic features of Iron Man’s red and yellow armor were upgraded to the Silver Centurion variant–plus the red and silver colors made it look undeniably cool. Tony would wear the Silver Centurion armor for a few years before reverting to the classic red and yellow color scheme in 1988’s Iron Man #231.

Iron Man's Silver Centurion Armor Carries Major Sentimental Value

Iron Man's Silver Centurion Armor Found Tony at a Crossroads

Iron Man’s Silver Centurion armor suit represented not only the era of its creation, but also a rebirth for the character. Tony’s addictions had plagued him for years, and he placed the blame squarely at the feet of his career as Iron Man. The circumstances leading to Tony donning the Silver Centurion armor showed him that he was still a hero. Since then, Tony Stark has never waived his commitment to being Iron Man, and the Marvel Universe has been all the better for it.

A variant of the Silver Centurion armor has appeared in the MCU.

In the years since, Iron Man has built many more suits, including the revolutionary Extremis variant, but the Silver Centurion variant remains his favorite. Given that it heralded his return as a hero, it is easy to see why Tony looks back on it so fondly. As seen in West Coast Avengers #1, the Silver Centurion armor still has what it takes to defeat the bad guys. Tony wearing the Silver Centurion suit one more time also shows just how much the Iron Man concept has continued to evolve since its destruction.

West Coast Avengers #1 is on sale now from Marvel Comics!