Warning! This post contains SPOILERS for Marvel’sIronheart
At this point in theMCU, Riri Williams’Ironhearthas built a solid number of unique suits. On screen versus the page, Riri’s various armors are more unique, rather than being direct recreations. That said, nearly every suit still possesses some fun elements inspired by iterations seen in the original comics.
First debuting inBlack Panther: Wakanda Forever, Riri Williams wore two separate armors in the 2022 movie. Three years later,the newIronheartseries saw Riri building three more suitsthroughout its six-episode run.To that end, here are all of Ironheart’s MCU suits ranked by their degrees of comic accuracy.
6Honorable Mention: What If…?’s Ironheart
A Human/Synthezoid Hybrid
In another reality revealed in Marvel’sWhat If…?season 3, Riri Williams was one of the last few heroes after the Emergence cracked open the world. In the aftermath, Mysterio took over what was left, using White Vision as his brutal enforcer. After Riri and the Resistance took down White Vision, Williams used his body to become an unprecedented hybrid, becoming both human and sythezoid.
Ironheart’sWhat If…?season 3 evolutionwas a massive technological upgrade the likes of which haven’t been seen before in the main MCU timeline. Similarly, the original comics have yet to see Riri evolve in such a massive way either.While still a really cool alternate journey and “suit” for the MCU’s Ironheart, there’s not much comics-accuracy to be had.
5Mark I
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022)
Shortly after her debut in the MCU,Riri Williams is shown donning her Mark 1 suitafter meeting Shuri and Okoye.Needing a fast escape from the FBI, Riri’s first armor wasn’t much of an armor at all, but more of a simple rig. In its unfinished state, it essentially provided nothing more than flight capabilities and some moderate defenses with a single large repulsor weapon.
Having spent years working on her first suit, Riri’s Mark 1 naturally resembles the Model 1 from the original comics, as Williams had similarly reverse-engineered Tony Stark’s technology to create an armor all her own. However, the comics' Model 1 is full-on armor, complete with a helmet resembling Iron Man’s. It was also all-gray/steel, while the MCU’s Mark 1 had some red accents.
That said, neither suit possessed an advanced AI and were fairily rudimentary compared to future models. Both suits were also built while Riri was a student at MIT. Additionally, Ironheart’s future armors in the MCU arguably have even more comic accuracy by comparison.
4Mark II
Admittedly,Black Panther: Wakanda Foreverdidn’t have the greatest visual effects when it came to Riri’s Mark II in the MCU.That said, Riri’s second armor is still fairly impressive, built using vibranium and Wakandan technology in Shuri’s lab. Featured at the end of the 2022 movie, Riri used her upgraded suit to help the Wakandans fightNamor and the warriors of Talokan.
Incredibly sleek and high-tech, it’s not hard to see the resemblance to Ironheart’s Model III in the comics, despite the differing color scheme. The MCU’s Riri definitely favors red and black over pink and black.That said, it’s cool to see both Ironheart armors having similar chest plates, including the heart-shaped reactor on the right side. However, the comics' Riri has yet to build her own vibranium suit.
3Mark III
Ironheart (2025)
The origins of the MCU’s Mark III Ironheart suit are a lot like Riri’s Model I in the comics. Built during her time at MIT, Riri’s Mark III did not survive its first test flight after Riri was expelled for her side hustle, doing other students' homework and projects for money she’d put into her suit. No longer able to access MIT’s virtual AI assistant, Williams lost control of her armor shortly after returning home to Chicago.
Clearly, the origins and demise of the Mark III were directly inspired by the comics. On the page, Riri similarly took off with the Model I that she’d secretly built at MIT after deciding to drop out once security discovered she’d been stealing technology. However, she subsequently crashed and damaged the suit during her first attempt at superheroics.
Very much a prototype, the Mark III is still a major step up from the Mark I with its full armor plating and helmet. However, it was still a work in progress, especially with the more basic white and black color scheme. This is not unlike the Model 1’s all-gray seen in the comics.
2Mark V
Ironheart’s newest and most current armor, the Mark V is the sleekest and most personal armor worn by the MCU’s Riri Williams yet. Built using pieces from her step-father’s 1972 Plymouth Barracuda, this new red-and-black suit features a heart-shaped reactor. There’s also a glowing component on the forehead, not unlike Models II and III from the comics.
However, the Mark V also harnesses magic in some pretty impressive ways, an upgrade that actually does mirror more recentIronheartcomics. In fairly recent comics,Ironheart briefly harnessed the power of the Ten Rings. This granted Riri an impressive upgrade beyond her suit’s typical capabilities, though it was ultimately corrupting her, motivating Williams to abandon the relics.
It remains to be seen if her MCU suit will continue to harness magic going forward.Even so, the Mark V is the most definitive MCU Ironheart armor we’ve seen. While it does have some key elements inspired by the comics, it’s also got its own unique design as a unique blend of fresh and familiar.
1Mark IV
After Riri’s expulsion from MIT, Williams was forced to get creative in her efforts to build a new suit. Following the destruction of the Mark III, Riri was short on funds and yet needed a functional suit while working with The Hood’s gang. As such, Riri’s Mark IV is more of a rougher iteration of her armor, yet features elements from multiple comic suits.
Featuring various pieces recovered from a junkyard as well as black-market tech provided byJoe McGillicuddy aka Ezekiel Stane, the Mark IV is quite impressive, all things considered. Firstly, the Mark IV bears a solid resemblance to the comics Model 1. Bulkier than any of the previous models and rougher around the edges, the Mark IV is very much an interim suit, though one that has the most screen time in 2025’sIronheart.
The Mark IV is also the iteration where the helmet, faceplate, and eyes look most like Iron Man. With that in mind, one could also argue a similarity between the Mark IV and Riri’s Model II in the comics. After all, the Model II was the Ironheart armor that most resembled Iron Man, specifically the Model 51 on the page.
The Mark IV is also the first Ironheart suit to feature a personal advanced AI with the debut of NATALIE. Patterned using Riri’s own brainwaves, the new AI subconsciously takes the form of Williams' deceased best friend, mirroring the comics. On the page, Riri’s Model II was her first armor to require AI. However,Ironheart’s first AI was a replication of Tony Stark himself, while NATALIE debuted in the comics with the Model III.
