Hall of Armor: The Evolution of Iron Man Info-graphic by Kate Willaert, Halloween Costumes

The nice people (thanks, Elise) at HalloweenCostumes.com shared with me this infographic they created in anticipation of the release of Iron Man 3 movie in U.S. cinemas / theaters this weekend. All credit to the artist Kate Willaert for this beautiful piece of artwork! It’s a visualization of the most seen / used Iron Man armor suits. There have only been three Iron Man films on the big screen so far but Iron Man has been around in Marvel comics since 1963! (source: HalloweenCostumes.com)

Trying to find the perfect outfit to wear is always difficult. Perhaps this question can be put to multi-billionaire Tony Stark. "What would Tony Stark wear?" Well, turns out he can't make up his mind either! In fact, since Iron Man's first appearance over 50 years ago there have been more than 20 incarnations of his armor! Below are his most storied looks (significant Iron Man armor suits) in order of appearance. Click on the picture for a bigger and better view :)

Alternatively, I've done a breakdown as well for easy viewing ;p

Equal parts practical and fashionable, Tony Stark never seems to be satisfied with the look of his "superhero costume". Since Iron Man's first appearance 50 years ago, the comic book character has accumulated a veritable armory of alternate armor designs. Below is a gallery illustrating the evolution of his core armor – not including special one-off armors – revealing a visual timeline of how Iron Man's look has changed over the decades.

Here's an in depth breakdown of all the pictured armor:
1963 - Original Armor (First Appearance: Tales Of Suspense #39)
1963 - "Golden Avenger" Armor (First Appearance: Tales Of Suspense #40)
1963 - Proto-Classic Armor (First Appearance: Tales Of Suspense #48)
1965 - Classic Red & Gold Armor (First Appearance: Tales Of Suspense #66)

1974 - Nose Modification Added (Happened In: Iron Man (Vol. 1) #68)
1976 - Nose Modification Removed (Happened In: Iron Man (Vol. 1) #85
1985 - Silver Centurion Armor (First Appearance: Iron Man (Vol. 1) #200)
1988 - Modern Red & Gold Armor (First Appearance: Iron Man (Vol. 1) #231)

1992 - War Machine Armor (First Appearance: Iron Man (Vol. 1) #281)
1993 - Telepresence Armor (First Appearance: Iron Man (Vol. 1) #290)
1994 - Modular Armor (First Appearance: Iron Man (Vol. 1) #300)
1995 - "The Crossing" Armor (First Appearance: Iron Man (Vol. 1) #319)

1996 - Prometheum Armor (First Appearance: Iron Man (Vol. 2) #1)
1998 - "Heroes Return" Armor (First Appearance: Iron Man (Vol. 3) #1)
2002 - Prometheum II Armor (First Appearance: Iron Man (Vol. 3) #50)
2003 - Proto-Extremis Armor (First Appearance: Iron Man (Vol. 3) #72)

2006 - Extremis Armor (First Appearance: Iron Man (Vol. 4) #5)
2008 - Movie Armor (MK III) (First Appearance: Iron Man (Movie))
2010 - Bleeding Edge Armor (First Appearance: Invincible Iron Man #25)
2013 - "Iron Man 3" Armor (MK XLII) (First Appearance: Iron Man 3 (Movie))

WHICH ARMOR HAD THE LONGEST RUN?
- Silver Centurion Armor: 32 Months
- "Heroes Return Armor: 32 Months
- Extremis Armor: 40 Months
- Modern Red & Gold Armor: 50 Months
- Classic Red & Gold Armor: 245+ Months

Related posts:
May 10, 2012: Fashion Heroes - The Costume is a Superhero's Most Defining Characteristic and Stuck for Life
August 2, 2012: Counting the cost of being Iron Man
August 2, 2012: So you want to be Batman? Let's see if you got what it takes to be a crimefighter, money wise
July 30, 2012: The Dark Knight Manual: Tools, Weapons, Vehicles and Documents from the Batcave