Iron Man has a lot of different armor suits that have different purposes. They’re designed for all sorts of things, from space to underwater and even stealth. But one of our favorite iterations is a black and yellow suit that debuted in Mike Grell’s criminally underrated Iron Man run. It’s not the flashiest, but it’s definitely the coolest.
This version of the suit is more or less the same as the suit in the movies but without all the red and gold. Instead, it has a dark blue, yellow and cyan color scheme that makes it look more like a high-tech stealth suit. It’s also the only suit that Tony Stark has ever worn in the comic books that is entirely black.
The black and yellow suit first appeared in the story ”The Unforgettable” where Stark was being pursued by a mysterious drone. The drone tailed him all the way upstate to a helipad in the middle of nowhere, but the snazzy new armor made the drone lose track of him. Then the helipad turned out to be part of the hidden headquarters of an old enemy of Stark’s, whose new henchmen were trying to steal the tech that made the Iron Man suit work.
After that, Stark wore the suit to destroy two Elementals in a volcano, and then to fight an army of Terracotta soldiers, a giant dragon and the Mandarin. It proved to be very effective, although he would eventually shift to the red and gold model starting in Tales of Suspense #48.
The new color scheme seemed to fit better with his personality, and it was much easier to keep track of. It also gave the suit a more sleek and futuristic look, which suited him and his attitude. But we can’t help but miss the clunky tank-like design from the earlier golden suits that were drawn by Kirby.
That’s why the new Bleeding Edge armor looks so incredibly cool. It’s a lot more streamlined and fits more like the original, form-fitting red and yellow suits that Stark began wearing in CIVIL WAR II. It’s also more versatile, allowing Stark to use modular enhancements to make it better for specific missions.
It’s the version of the suit that fans will see in the new movie, Avengers: Infinity War. Stark is using the Bleeding Edge suits to travel through time and space to get back to Earth so he can assemble the heroes of his past in order to fight Thanos for the fate of the universe.
If you’re a fan of the movie or the comics, make sure you pick up a copy of this issue on March 20. It’s written by Dan Slott and illustrated by Valerio Schiti. And check out our Iron Man collection for more great Marvel merchandise.