"It's a high-tech prosthesis. That is, that is... That's actually the most apt description I can make of it." "It's a weapon. It's a weapon, Mr. Stark."
The Iron Man Armor: Mark IV was Tony Stark's fourth Iron Man suit, created to replace the Mark III after it was heavily damaged during the fight with Obadiah Stane. As it was not created with specific upgrades in mind, the Mark IV is very similar to the Mark III with only minor changes such as upgraded weapons capabilities.
When the Mark III suffered irreparable damage in Tony Stark's battle with Obadiah Stane's Iron Monger Armor, Stark built the Mark IV suit to replace it, becoming the primary suit that Stark used in all of his activities as Iron Man.[1]
While still tinkering with the armor's gauntlet, Stark brought it to Germany, where he had a business meeting with Gorani Insurance. Stark was stopped by a police roadblock looking for stolen paintings, but the police instead found the gauntlet, dismissing Stark. Stark came across the people who stole the paintings and engaged them, blasting them all with the gauntlet. He approached them and held up the gauntlet, sarcastically asking if they wanted to arm wrestle.[2]
During the Stark Expo, Stark air-dropped to the main presentation stage in the Mark IV suit to make a grand entrance and give the opening speech, sporting a tuxedo underneath the armor.[1]
Due to the stress of slowly being poisoned by the palladium in his Arc Reactor, Stark got drunk while wearing the Mark IV armor at his birthday party, believing it may be his last, and put several of his party guests in danger. Concerned about the safety of the party guests and the controversy an incident may cause, Stark's friend Lt. Colonel James Rhodes donned the Mark II and intervened, ordering the guests to leave and for his friend to desist in his reckless behavior. Stark and Rhodes then engaged in a fight through Tony Stark's Mansion, which ends with Stark being narrowly outmatched and Rhodes taking the Mark II for the United States Air Force.
Stark wears the Mark IV as he is approached by Nick Fury
Tony Stark was later seen wearing the Mark IV the next morning while grabbing doughnuts at Randy's Donuts, eating while sitting in the eatery's large, signature doughnut sign, where he was approached by Nick Fury.[1]
Destruction[]
Stark retired the Mark IV after completing the Mark VI, which could better handle and utilize the higher energy output of his newest version of the Arc Reactor.[1]
When Stark's mansion was attacked by the Mandarin, the Mark IV was destroyed when damage to the mansion's systems caused the suit to unintentionally detonate.[3]
In an alternate universe, Tony Stark used the Mark IV armor to go to the Dataspine, where he discovered that the Roxxon Energy Corporation were attempting to steal it. However, during the fight, Roxxon deployed E.M.P. weapons and deactivated the suit, including Stark's life support systems. Stark tried to get emergency power activated in the suit while Roxxon successfully stole a large part of J.A.R.V.I.S.' systems. The suit eventually rebooted, and Stark used it to fight through Roxxon's systems, but ultimately failed to stop the theft and had to destroy Stark Archives, narrowly escaping the resultant explosion using the Mark IV armor.
Stark wore the armor and used its fighting capabilities as he helped S.H.I.E.L.D.attack a facility used by Russian insurrectionist Valentin Shatalov, but found that he was not there. Stark and Rhodes found Shatalov at a power plant in Russia, so Stark took the Mark IV armor to attack him there. Stark used his armor to destroy the base, rescue S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Natasha Romanoff, and kill Shatalov.[4]
Tony Stark wore the Mark IV armor while traveling to the facility where Kearson DeWitt, who was truly behind the Theft of the Dataspine, was operating Project P.R.O.T.E.A.N., which could infect technology and give it the ability to regenerate itself. Stark used the armor to fight the facility's defenses, but realized that they would not be able to be certain the armor was uninfected. As Stark navigated the facility, J.A.R.V.I.S. reported that the armor had been infected, so Stark ordered J.A.R.V.I.S. to shut down all infected systems of the armor. J.A.R.V.I.S. did so as Stark contacted Nick Fury to ask for an air strike on the facility. Stark continued to fight using the armor and the air strike was sent, and Stark believed the armor to be free of P.R.O.T.E.A.N. influence as he used it to defeat the rest of the inhabitants of the facility.
The Mark IV gets infected
However, the armor was not disinfected and collapsed. Ultimo started speaking through J.A.R.V.I.S.' system in the armor, threatening to kill everyone Stark cared about. Stark later used the armor to destroyProject Greengrid, and then ultimately in his final confrontation in which Ultimo was destroyed.[4]
In an alternate universe, Tony Stark flew the armor to Randy's Donuts, where he was met by Nick Fury. Fury had a meeting with Stark while he was wearing the armor, when Natasha Romanoff appeared and attempted to inject him with Lithium Dioxide. Stark was then killed while wearing the armor.[5]
Capabilities[]
"You just peed in the suit." "I know. It has a filtration system."
Made to serve as a direct replacement for the damaged Mark III armor, the Mark IV carries over many of the same capabilities and functions, while only making a handful of advancements.
As with the previous suits, the Mark IV enhanced the user's physical capabilities, granting them superhuman strength, near bullet-proof durability, and enhanced movement, speed, and reflexes. The suit also carried over the repulsor technology, allowing for sustained flight while also serving as the suit's main weapons. Most notably, the armor improved the central repulsor node of the unibeam, including a thermoplastic lens and a prismatic shutter to focus the beam's light energy.[6]
The Mark IV also carried over the other weapons systems present in the former suit, including multi-fire, computer targeted mini-guns in each shoulder, high explosive, anti-tank missiles housed in each forearm, and non-weaponized flares contained in two circular launchers located at the suit's hips.
However, even while retaining most of the previous specifications, Stark was able to improve various details of the suit's visible design such as the suit's internal mechanics as well as the design of the metal plating for the arms, legs, and chest to allow for a better fit and more mobility while wearing the armor. This also made it easier to put the suit on and take it off.[1]
The Mark IV armor was initially going to be in Iron Man and would have weaponized parts to be worn over the Mark III armor. It was going to be called the War Machine armor, but was ultimately cut from the film.[7]
