By Rick Marshall

Each installment of the Iron Man franchise has introduced new suits of armor to Tony Stark's wardrobe, and Iron Man 3 is expected to empty the high-tech hero's closet – but that's just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the different looks Iron Man has adopted over the years in Marvel's comics. Even with all of the armor making its big-screen debut in Iron Man 3, don't hold your breath waiting to see these 20 suits make the jump from page to screen.

Ablative Armor

Created to withstand meteor showers in deep space, this armor was covered in protective plates that disengaged when they were damaged, only to be replaced with new plates created from a mobile “kiln” on the back of the suit. It's a cool concept, sure – but it could stretch the believability of the live-action Marvel movie-verse a little too much.

Anti-Radiation Armor

This armor was created to absorb and neutralize harmful radiation – particularly the gamma radiation associated with Marvel's green behemoth, Hulk. It features a mess of tubes and filtering devices, and an overly specific purpose that will probably keep it out of Marvel's movies. (Although some variation could conceivably make an appearance in future films.)

Anti-Transformers Armor

Unless Marvel Studios and Paramount Pictures decide to produce an epic crossover movie, this armor isn't likely to make a big-screen appearance. It was created by Tony Stark within the pages of a comic-book miniseries that had Marvel's heroes and villains teaming up with their counterparts in the Transformers universe, back when Marvel held the license to Hasbro's robots in disguise.

Arctic Armor

This armor only made one appearance in comics, but it's memorable for its distinctive icy, blue-and-silver color scheme. It's able to withstand subzero temperatures, but until the live-action version of Tony Stark sets up shop near the North (or South) Pole, we'll probably have to wait for the Arctic Armor to show up on the big screen.

Bleeding Edge Armor

This armor literally comes from inside Tony Stark's body, using advanced “nanoparticles” that can form almost any conceivable shape. In addition to forming the Iron Man armor, the nanobots within his body can also take the shape of clothing, weapons, or anything else Tony needs in a pinch. While it's certainly eye-catching, this armor might be too advanced for the live-action movies at this point.

Camelot Armor

Iron Man's armor went medieval when it was merged with the scabbard of the magical sword Excalibur to create this suit that featured a topknot and a distinctly knight-like theme. Unless the Marvel movies take Tony Stark back in time, it's a safe bet that we won't see this armor on the big screen any time soon.

Fantastic Four Armor

Like the Anti-Transformers Armor, this armor's appearance on the big screen relies on an unlikely studio crossover, as Fox owns the movie rights to the Fantastic Four. Created for an alternate reality in which the Fantastic Four is made up of Wolverine, Hulk, Spider-Man and Iron Man, this suit doesn't differ much from the standard armor other than its color scheme.

Golden Avenger Armor

We saw the bulky, grey-metal version of Tony Stark's first suit of armor in the original Iron Man, but the version of armor that followed it in the comics never made an appearance on the big screen. Dubbed the “Golden Avenger” armor, this suit was colored gold in order to make it less frightening to the public when Iron Man made his debut with The Avengers.

Hydro Armor

There's a good chance we'll see some form of undersea armor in Iron Man 3, but it probably won't resemble this bubble-headed suit that Tony Stark created for deep-sea salvage missions. Along with the awesome bubble visor, the suit featured several pieces of armament based on the abilities of electric eels, squid and manta rays.

Iron Man 2020 Armor

This armor was worn by Tony Stark's nephew in an alternate reality, but the apple fell far from the tree in this case. Arno Stark made use of the suit as a mercenary, killing for profit (and sometimes pleasure). Packed with sharp edges and crazy weapons, this armor is likely too dark, evil and alternate-world-ish for the Marvel movie-verse.

Iron Man Noir

Unless the Iron Man franchise gets rebooted as a crime-noir, this low-tech armor from a comic-book miniseries that cast Tony Stark as a Nazi-fighting 1930s adventurer probably won't turn up in Tony's workshop. It is nice to look at, though.

Mark III “Ditko Armor”

Created by artist Steve Ditko, this armor became the foundation for most of the versions that followed, but its most characteristic trait – a “horned” face mask – has yet to appear in the Iron Man movies. Diehard fans love this armor, but their adoration isn't likely to get this suit into future movies.

Marvel 1602 Armor

A 2003 miniseries explored the possibilities of a Marvel Universe set entirely within the Elizabethan era, with Anthony Stark a captive inventor forced into service by the English during the war. While it would be interesting to see Robert Downey Jr. playing the Tony Stark of that era, it seems unlikely that Marvel will ever take the franchise down that road (no matter how much we want to see it).

Phoenix-Killer Armor

When the powerful entity that turned Jean Grey of the X-Men into a cosmic wrecking ball returned to Earth in the comics, Tony Stark created this massive suit of armor to battle it. As much as we'd like to see Iron Man and The Avengers meet the X-Men on the big screen, it's probably not going to happen – and neither will this armor.

Prometheum Armor

This armor from Marvel's short-lived “Heroes Reborn” reboot of the comics universe lives on in infamy thanks to its over-the-top design that included what can only be described as massive exhaust pipes sticking out of the back. It's totally okay if this one doesn't make it to the screen.

Satellite Armor

In order to protect the planet from cosmic invaders, Tony Stark built a satellite spacelab that serves double duty as a massive suit of armor, capable of brawling with all manner of deep-space villains. This one would actually be a nice addition to the Marvel movie-verse, but the scale of the armor could make it a difficult pitch.

Sentient Armor

At one point in Iron Man's comic book series, Tony Stark invents a suit of armor that actually becomes sentient, and eventually falls in love with its creator. While an element like this could produce an interesting love triangle in the movie franchise, Marvel seems content to explore Tony and Pepper Potts' relationship without a third, artificially intelligent wheel.

Sorcerer Armor

In yet another alternate-timeline tale, Marvel explored what would happen if Tony Stark became the world's greatest sorcerer instead of Dr. Strange – a question that resulted in Tony assembling a suit of armor composed of various mystical artifacts with a heaping dose of Stark technology. Seeing as how Dr. Strange hasn't joined the Marvel movie-verse yet, this one's not in the cards... yet.

Teen Tony Armor

During the '90s run of Iron Man comics, Tony Stark was killed by a teenage version of himself sporting a flashy version of his red-and-gold armor. This armor was notable for its sleek helmet design and the fact that it (and Teen Tony) were only around for a mercifully short amount of time.

Thorbuster

There are rumors that this suit of armor created by Tony Stark to battle Asgardian threats could indeed make an appearance in Iron Man 3, though it might not look anything like its comics counterpart. Originally created using a mix of Stark technology and Asgardian magic, the “Thorbuster” armor is the most likely suit to find a way onto the screen, thanks to the events of The Avengers and Thor.

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