A new piece of Iron Man fan art reimagines the Golden Avenger's famous armor in a bold, retro-futuristic style. Though Iron Man, alias Tony Stark, has sported a variety of famous red-and-gold armors ever since ditching his bulky original armor in 1963, he has never looked quite like this. With a striking, unique silhouette, glowing with the vibrant blue energy of several implanted reactors, and featuring a retro 'gear' motif that looks dangerous and heroic all at once, this is one redesign that Marvel should be taking notice of.Throughout his long career in superheroics, Iron Man has worn a wide variety of distinctive armor designs, each with their own origin and set of features. From the lumbering all-iron construction of his original suit, which struck a fearsome, hulking presence capable of driving enemies back in fear, to the sleek, inspirational red-and-gold motif that finally brought Iron Man fully in line with his chivalric intentions, fans of the character know exactly how important armor design is to Tony. Each armor has historically come with its own strengths and weaknesses, benefits and drawbacks, and new abilities to reckon with, and as such, fans have come to appreciate each new Iron Man suit as more than just a cosmetic change.Now, artist Mike Becker has reimagined Iron Man's famous red-and-gold armor in a new light. This Iron Man looks physically powerful and imposing, with a massive barrel chest, an elongated, inhuman silhouette, and a hefty, oversized left hand - perhaps reminiscent of the Infinity Gauntlet, right down to being inlaid with stone-like blue reactor gems. Maybe the most striking feature, however, is the cog design which runs across his arms and legs. This design, which looks like interlocking gears and printed circuit boards, perfectly encapsulate the high-tech aspect of Iron Man, drawing attention to not just the essential mechanical nature of the character, but also to the retro-futuristic sensibilities that have informed Iron Man for years.
The gear motif in particular is reminiscent of Iron Man 2020, an alternate version of Iron Man who first appeared in Machine Man 2020 (from Tom Defalco, Herb Trimpe, and Barry Windsor-Smith) and sported an imposing retro-futuristic look, complete with oversized gears for shoulder pads. While Iron Man 2020 was no doubt fearsome in appearance, he is now anachronistic. The dated appearance of large gears undermines the 'futuristic' technology of the year 2020 (which, at the time of publication, was still thirty-seven years away.) Becker's art plays with this sense of combining old and new, by presenting a thoroughly futuristic Iron Man design that still pays visual tribute to the character's technological roots.
Though Iron Man's past has been tumultuous, and his armory is overflowing with defunct designs, he's all but guaranteed to remain a world-famous member of the Avengers' superhero roster. Fans of the character have a fondness and appreciation for armor design which goes to the very core of the character, and artist Mike Becker has shown just how much fun can be had by radically redesigning a classic costume in a bold new light, while still maintaining and even emphasizing the character's essence. While Marvel is always open to new Iron Man armor, Becker's art shows just how far the 'traditional' design can be pushed to create something new.
Source: Mike Becker