One of Iron Man’s bestMCUarmor designs was given an incredible upgrade inWhat If…?season 3. Released over eight consecutive days,What If…?season 3, final chapter in the animated MCU series, introduced new variants, such as a Celestial Agatha Harkness, an Avenger Red Guardian, Storm’s Goddess of Thunder and the Mech Avengers, to the MCU. The latter, debuting inWhat If…?season 3, episode 1, “What If… the Hulk Fought the Mech Avengers?,” gave one of Iron Man’s best live-action designs an unexpected twist.
During his time in the MCU,Tony Stark created many different Iron Man armors, each more technically-proficient and advanced than the last. Many of these were destroyed during his battle against Aldrich Killian in 2013’sIron Man 3, but he continued to innovate long after his Phase 2 trilogy-capper. In fact, some ofIron Man’s best designswere seen afterIron Man 3, andone of these exciting additions to the MCU was given a major upgrade inWhat If…?season 3, making the almost-decade-old design even better.
The Hulkbuster Was Iron Man’s Coolest Creation
The Hulkbuster First Appeared In Avengers: Age Of Ultron
Tony Stark first deployed Veronica and theHulkbuster armor in 2015’sAvengers: Age of Ultron.Veronica was designed to try and contain an out-of-control Hulk, with the Hulkbuster armor allowing Stark himself to take on Bruce Banner’s gamma-irradiated form in an even match. This was seen during their duel in Johannesburg that occurred when the Scarlet Witch manipulated Banner’s mind, causing him to rampage uncontrollably. The Hulkbuster established itself as one of Stark’s best creations, as it eventually managed to bring the Hulk to his knees.
The Hulkbuster was later seen being used by Bruce Banner to aid in the battle against Thanos and his armies in Wakanda inAvengers: Infinity War. With the Hulk refusing to appear after being humiliated by the Mad Titan,Banner’s use of the Hulkbuster allowed him to act as the Hulk would, though with a few upgrades, and he used this armor to kill Cull Obsidian, a member of Thanos' Black Order. The Hulkbuster armor is supremely powerful, and became even more important in thepremiere ofWhat If…?season 3.
What If…? Season 3 Upgrades The Hulkbuster Armor In The Coolest Way
What If…?’s Mech Avengers Used Upgraded Hulkbuster Armor
The opening moments ofWhat If…?season 3’s premiere episode saw the original Avengers team tasked with dealing with anarmy of giant Hulk monsters. To help them during this Gamma War,Tony Stark upgrades his Hulkbuster armor to create enormous mech-suits for each member of the Avengers, allowing them to fight inPower RangersZord-like machines against the army of Hulks. This tradition passes down to the new Avengers team, and Bruce Banner’s own improvement allows these mech-suits to join together as the Mighty Avenger.
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This evolution of the Hulkbuster armor is incredible to see unfold in the MCU. Even though this takes place in an alternate reality across the multiverse, thisWhat If…?storyline showed the potential of Tony Stark’s genius, as he is able to take something already fantastic and make it bigger, stronger and more impressive.It would be amazing to see the Mech Avengers make the move to live-action in Phase 6, bringing their versions of Iron Man’s Hulkbuster armor back to the MCU proper.
What If…?
Cast
What If… ? is an animated anthology series set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe which features fan-favorite characters, including Peggy Carter, T’Challa, Doctor Strange, Killmonger, Thor, and more. The new series, directed by Bryan Andrews with AC Bradley as head writer, features signature MCU action with a curious twist. The show sees Uatu the Watcher, an omnipotent being that observes the events of multiple universes from afar as they unfold, unable to interfere. However, things shift when an entity peers beyond the veil, jeopardizing the multiverse.
