Multiple Iron Man villains were given significant redesigns in a single comic book, including one to the Living Laser, which remains one of the best in Marvel Comics history. In Invincible Iron Man #524, new armored looks were given to Blizzard, Living Laser, Zeke Stane, Whirlwind, and Tony Stark’s Iron Man. While all the looks significantly improved the villain’s original costumes and armors, Living Laser’s new ensemble remains one of the best redesigns ever made for a Marvel villain or hero.
Iron Man might not have many A-List villains, but he’s fought against some formidable foes over the years. Among them include Living Laser, a genius scientist who implants lasers into his skin, giving him a host of powers, including laser blasts and energy and illusion generation. Whirlwind is one of Iron Man’s earliest villains, as have numerous offensive and defensive attacks thanks to his rotating abilities. There have been multiple versions of Blizzard, as the villain can generate freeze rays and manipulate the cold. Lastly, Zeke Stane is the son of the Iron Monger, who has reverse-engineered Stark tech inside his own body. So, what do these villains all have in common? Well, they all received massive armor upgrades at the same time.
In Invincible Iron Man #524 by Matt Fraction, Salvador Larroca, Frank D’Armata, and VC’s Joe Caramagna from Marvel Comics, Tony Stark found himself in Manadrin City alongside Zeke Stane. The Madarin planned on using Titanomechs with his Ten Rings to cause some serious mayhem, leading Iron Man and Stane to work together and fight back. Iron Man and Stane manage to get Living Laser, Blizzard, and Whirlwhind to join their battle, as all of the villains get new armors as they take on the Mandarin. From left to right, Blizzard, Living Laser, Iron Man, Zeke Stane, and Whirlwhind.
The armors offered the villains new updates on their previous outdated costumes, giving them a more modern appearance shying away from their classic looks. While not all the looks would stick, one of them became permanent. The Living Laser would keep his new armor used when fighting alongside Iron Man, which remains one of the best Marvel Comics redesigns in history. Marvel Legends even made an action figure of the new ensemble. Check out his old dated look beside his sleek, upgraded look.
Rarely does redesigning so many villains at once lead to so many awesome looks, but in this case, it also led to one of the best new looks for a classic bad guy in Marvel Comics history. Living Laser’s look from Invincible Iron Man #524 ended up giving the villain a new armor that felt fresh and still appears in the comics today. The Iron Man villain’s look went from being a total joke, to something incredibly cool and immediately unique.
