Warning: Contains spoilers for Venom War: Spider-Man #3!!Iron Man has an armor for everything. Whatever threat the cosmos dream up, he puts his mind to designing a suit to combat it, and his work continues even in a terrifying alternate future where Spider-Man becomes the King in Black. Iron Man debuts a new massive “Hulkbuster” style suit in the final battle against the future, monstrous version of Peter Parker, offering another unique design to fight impossible odds.
Venom War: Spider-Man #3 presents a horrific potential timeline where Peter combines grief for his fallen family with the poisonous symbiote Arachniote, which transforms him into the King in Black and sets Spider-Man on a path of apparent destruction. After what seems to be decades of bloodshed, the King in Black faces an aged assembly of heroes, including Iron Man in a fully new design. At a glance, it’s reminiscent of Tony’s many “Hulkbuster” suits, though its devoid of his standard red-and-gold Iron Man colors. Unfortunately, Iron Man’s Arachniote armor isn’t up to the task, and the King in Black quickly dispatches him.
Iron Man’s New “Hulkbuster” Armor Doesn’t Stand a Chance Against Spider-Man’s King in Black
Venom War: Spider-Man #3 by Jackson Lanzing, Collin Kelly, and Greg Land
Though Peter Parker’s vision of that devastating possible future leaves little room for armor specifics, there are a few notable details about this take on Iron Man’s armor. Tony adopted a silver design with a gold faceplate, foregoing his iconic red metal. The armor is also massive, managing to dwarf Hulkling (Teddy Altman) who rides into battle on Tony’s back. There’s no demonstration of the weapon systems or other additional features, but its similarities to the Hulkbuster suit may mean borrowing that design’s shoulder-mounted weapons and repulsor cannons, along with whatever else Tony still had access to in a future decimated by Arachniote and Peter Parker.
Iron Man’s original Hulkbuster was meant to combat the Hulk’s extraordinary strength. Despite multiple adjustments and upgraded suits over the years, Tony never managed to create a model that defeated the green giant, though they did allow him to survive the fights. Given the visual similarities between the Hulkbuster and this Arachniote armor, it seems likely that he tried to adapt the design for a new foe. Yet, with the King in Black able to apparently defeat the likes of Steve Rogers, Wiccan, Nebula, and seemingly countless others, Tony Stark wasn’t up to the task of taking him down (or anywhere close).
Iron Man’s Newest Armor Was a Short-Lived Failure
Spider-Man’s King in Black is Too Powerful for One Suit
As strong as many of Iron Man’s designs are, not all turn him into a one-man calvary. It’s unclear what resources were still available in the agonizing King in Black timeline, but Captain Marvel’s android-like appearance and the visible aging for the Guardians of the Galaxy make it obvious that a lot has changed, including the heroes losing many friends and loved ones. He dreamed up a visually stunning design, yet it didn’t pack the necessary punch. The Hulkbuster-style Arachniote armor was the best Iron Man could do in a bleak future, but it wasn’t powerful enough to defeat Spider-Man’s King in Black.
Venom War: Spider-Man #3 is available now from Marvel Comics.