The heroes and villains of the MCU have some of the coolest suits in superhero media. While some may look better than others, there is a handful that has proven more durable in combat. Being able to handle a hard hit or blast comes with the job, and sometimes, the suit someone has on can be the difference between dying and living to fight another day.
After going through the wringer and seeing the disadvantages certain previous suits may have, different characters have shown they can adapt by constantly upgrading what they bring to a fight. Ranging from vibranium to nanotechnology, the material available to the characters in the MCU gives them a wide range of possibilities when it comes to protecting themselves with the most durable suits and armors against the threats they face.
Starforce Uniform
After Carol Danvers left the Kree, she decided to keep the uniform and customize it to her liking. Outside of the new colorway, the suit itself has not been too bad in serving its purpose.
Not only does the suit have a retractable helmet to protect against attacks to the head, but it also allows anyone who wears it to breathe comfortably underwater or in space. While Captain Marvel’s powers fighting Ronan the Accuser and Thanos seem to make her durable enough to where she could wear a less capable suit, the Starforce Uniform nevertheless does its job well.
Asgardian Armor
The armor developed by ancient Asgardians seems to be some of the oldest technology in the universe. It is not the most flashy or equipped with different weapons, but it was built to handle war and conflict. Some of the best characters in the Thor trilogy have been battle-tested while wearing Asgardian Armor and its many forms.
The Asgardian Armor has shown on multiple occasions that it is capable of being combat-worthy, especially while being worn by the powerful beings that call Asgard home. In Thor’s case, the armor has been seen handling the high voltage lightning and super strength that he contains on every occasion fans see him on-screen.
Taskmaster Suit
The Taskmaster Suit has many features, including a screen that displays its surroundings, a camera to record footage, and the ability to analyze different fight patterns for Antonia Dreykov to mimic. The suit also comes with thick armor to enhance the overall durability and allow for Taskmaster to stay for the long haul during combat.
Antonia was able to go toe-to-toe with Natasha Romanoff on a few occasions, and as fans have seen in the past, Natasha’s hand-to-hand combat is among some of the best. The Taskmaster Suit is built for situations like the ones Antonia faced in Black Widow and helped give her the durability to fight until she was free from the mind control of her father.
Ant-Man Suit
After being passed down from Hank Pym, the variations of Ant-Man suits that Scott Lang wears throughout his MCU appearances have proven to be some of the most innovative and durable suits of all.
The durability of the suit comes from its trademark ability to change sizes, as is shown in some of the most iconic scenes from the Ant-Man movies. Viewers have seen it on multiple occasions, such as how Scott can fall and survive from extreme heights while he is small, and most notably during Avengers: Endgame, where he shrinks to ultimately save himself after Thanos bombs the Avengers compound. As one of the only non-genetically enhanced individuals there at the time, it most likely saved his life and eventually, Rhodey’s and Rocket’s as well.
Iron Man Mark 48 (Hulkbuster 2.0)
If anything was going to be made to slow down the Hulk from going on unprovoked rampages, it needed to be durable. The Hulkbuster armor was designed to do just that, being created by Tony Stark and Bruce Banner himself. Later upgraded into the Hulkbuster 2.0, there were plenty of Iron Man-based enhancements made on the suit, including its toughness.
Bruce was able to take advantage of the new suit during the Battle of Wakanda in Avengers: Infinity War after not being able to transform into the Hulk. While he has no fighting experience outside of being the Hulk, the suit was able to last him through the battle and eventually helped him defeat Cull Obsidian after losing one of the arms on the suit.
The Panther Habit
MCU fans know that vibranium is one of the most valuable resources in the entire universe, which makes T’Challa’s vibranium-based suit one of the best to equip. Not only does it have an iconic design, but it remains one of the most protective suits a hero could ask for.
After Shuri upgraded the suit at the beginning of Black Panther, the durability was taken to a whole new level. After taking a certain amount of damage, the suit can release built-up kinetic energy into a blast that keeps T’Challa’s enemy at a distance. As is evidenced in some of the best Black Panther fights, the Panther Habit is one of the most durable suits in the MCU.
Thanos’ Armor
The difference between the Thanos fans saw in Infinity War versus Endgame not only differed in philosophy but looks as well. Infinity War’s Thanos was a more mature version of the character than his 2014 counterpart in Endgame, who had a more ruthless and urgent approach. This can also be recognized through the armor that 2014 Thanos wore throughout Endgame.
Thanos’ armor was able to withstand Thor, Captain America, and Iron Man all at the same time, and given that his armor and tough skin were able to hold their own against all three without taking an immense amount of damage is impressive. The armor arguably met its match when faced with Wanda Maximoff, but it most likely kept him from being ripped apart, giving him time to instruct his army to “rain fire” to save himself.
Iron Spider Suit
Similar to the nanotech Iron Man suit, the Iron Spider suit has shown to be one of Peter Parker’s most durable MCU suits so far. In comparison to his other suits, it is easily the most equipped to handle different environments and the most damage.
Peter, in general, is one of the most durable heroes, but his Iron Spider suit assisted him in space and protected him in the trenches on the Avengers compound during Endgame. The most damage viewers have seen the suit take was during the bridge fight in Spider-Man: No Way Home, when Doc Ock was able to take a chunk out of the suit. However, the suit adapted to protect Peter and was able to take control of Doc Ock’s tentacles.
Exoskeleton Ultron Armor
Though the live-action Ultron viewers saw in Avengers: Age of Ultron was durable in his own way, the Exoskeleton Armor from What If…? took it to the next level and is part of why this character may be better than the MCU version. Instead of the traditional vibranium armor being the basis of his entire body, it comes in the form of an exoskeleton surrounding the body of Vision, which was completed with the Ultron AI in its timeline.
While fairly durable on its own, the durability is heightened from the fact that it can hold all of the Infinity Stones simultaneously. Being able to fight and subdue The Watcher while traveling through different multiversal planes is only scratching the surface of how powerful the What If…? version of Ultron and the armor really is.
Iron Man Mark 50
Tony Stark has had his fair share of technologically advanced suits, with each one being more adapted than the last. His most advanced and durable suit comes in the form of his nanotechnology-based suit seen throughout Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame.
The nanotech suit being able to change shape on command, having no entry points, and immediately being able to patch up wounds was a key reason in Tony not meeting his fate earlier than he did, and he would have died fighting Thanos on Titan had it not been for the suit. It was even able to wield all six Infinity Stones but was pushed to its limit when Tony finally snapped his fingers. Tony is most likely the only human without genetic enhancements who can wield the stones without being disintegrated before snapping and that is thanks to the suit he was wearing at the time.
