The Iron Man Armor: Mark II was Tony Stark's second Iron Man suit, heavily refining the bulky and rudimentary design of the previous Mark I suit into a more articulated and sleek design. However, due to a dangerous icing problem that immobilized the suit at higher altitudes, Stark replaced the suit with the Mark III armor. The Mark II was later acquired by James Rhodes for the United States Armed Forces and repurposed by Justin Hammer into the War Machine Armor: Mark I.
"I'd like to open a new project file, index as 'Mark II'." "Shall I store this on the Stark Industries' central database?" "I don't know who to trust right now. Till further notice, why don't we just keep everything on my private server."
Upon returning from captivity in Afghanistan, Tony Stark began designing the Mark II armor, drastically revamping the design of the Mark I using the resources and technology available to him through his company: Stark Industries. Stark started building this suit in stages, experimenting with new technology, mainly to improve the suit's flight capabilities. Working from his basement workshop Stark started by creating a pair of thruster boots, quickly followed by a pair of palm-based repulsor gauntlets to stabilize his flight.
Once Stark had perfected the flight thrusters and repulsors, he went on to create the armor of the suit itself, making it sleeker and more aerodynamic than the Mark I, with articulated control flaps for added flight control and stability. He also created a user interface using his J.A.R.V.I.S. AI system. During his first control test, Stark decided to take the Mark II on its first full test flight despite J.A.R.V.I.S.'s recommendations. His flight proved to be an outstanding success until testing the suit's altitude limit, during which it demonstrated a near-fatal icing problem in the higher altitude.
Following this test flight Stark retired the Mark II suit, preferring to use the finalized, weapons integrated Mark III suit.[1]
James Rhodes later noticed the Mark II after helping Tony Stark prepare to fight against Iron Monger. Once Tony left, Rhodes contemplated using the Mark II, but opted against it and left promising to one day use it.[1]
"It was an illegal seizure of trademarked property. Listen, it's our position that Stark has and continues to maintain propriety ownership of the Mark II platform."
While dealing with palladium poisoning caused by his Arc Reactor and his impending death, Stark gave into his frustrations and got drunk during his birthday party, putting on his Mark IV armor and using it to show off in a reckless manner, endangering several of his party guests. Concerned over Stark's apparent irresponsibility and the safety of those present, James Rhodes donned the Mark II suit and confronted Stark as promised to himself, erupting into a brawl that caused massive property damage to Tony Stark's Mansion and nearly injured several guests.
After their fight reached a standoff, Stark and Rhodes fired their repulsors at one another, resulting in a repulsor explosion that destroyed a large portion of Stark's house. Rhodes left standing over his dazed friend, then departed with the Mark II armor and he flew to Edwards Air Force Base, turning it over to the United States Armed Forces under his supervision.
The US Armed Forces then proceeded to have the suit weaponized using guns and munitions provided by Justin Hammer, effectively transforming the Mark II into the War Machine: Mark I armor.[2]
Repossession[]
"Nevertheless, you, James Rhodes, are never wearing the Mark II Armor again... because I made this for you instead."
Later, after the crisis at Stark Expo, the War Machine Mark I was re-converted back into the Mark II as Stark removed all Hammer tech added to the suit, considering it an insult.[3] Stark kept the armor in his Hall of Armors in his garage, along with various others.[4]
In an alternate universe, Iron Man used his company's Series IX CNC Combo machine to create a second armor, improving on the one he used to escape the Ten Rings. He started with boots designed to help him fly, though the first test led him to crash. Stark built flight stabilizers for the armor, allowing him to control his flight. Stark finished building his armor and powered it up, testing its flight abilities and crashing into a sports car. Stark decided to test it outside and loaded J.A.R.V.I.S. into the armor. Stark gave J.A.R.V.I.S. permission to protect his life by all means and took off.
In the air, Stark enjoyed flying and tested the armor's altitude capabilities. He lost balance but fixed himself, imitating a fighter jet. He flew down the Pacific Coast and reached Santa Monica, where he saw a kid eating an ice cream cone at Pacific Park. Stark attempted to fly as high as he could, causing the armor's power levels to decrease. However, Stark ignored the warnings and kept ascending, causing the armor's systems to shut down. Stark managed to regain control before the fall killed him and returned home, crashing the armor through the roof and several floors of his mansion. Stark then displayed the armor as he began work on a new one. James Rhodes saw the displayed armor and considered wearing it, but decided he would do so in the next conflict.[6]
In an alternate universe, Tony Stark built the Mark II armor and tested it at Stark Industries Headquarters. He began by testing its hover and flight abilities, as well as discovering that when he dropped the suit suddenly from a great height, it cleared the area surrounding him. He flew into a warehouse and tested its repulsors. Pepper Potts suddenly called to warn Stark about armed men attacking the headquarters, and Stark used the armor to fight them off. Stark used the armor to prevent the destruction of a freight train and the theft of a helicopter. Stark then upgraded his armor to the Mark III and used it to avenge the attack.[7]
Capabilities[]
"Note: main transducer feels sluggish at plus 40 altitude. The whole pressurization is problematic. I'm thinking 'icy' is a probable factor." "A very astute observation, sir. Perhaps if you intend to visit other planets, we should improve the exo-systems."
The Mark II armor was a complete revamp of the base principle and technology of the rudimentary Mark I armor, using improved resources and new technology that Tony Stark developed specifically for the suit. The original bulky design was considerably streamlined, giving the Mark II a sleek, more human-like appearance.
The Mark II armor's freezing problem
The Mark II's greatest weakness, however, was its high-altitude icing problem. Because the suit was still in the experimental stages, it wasn't made of materials tested for higher altitudes. Thus, when it was exposed to the thin, cold air of the upper atmosphere, a sizable layer of ice would form over its surface, immobilizing the suit and causing a complete system shutdown, proving nearly fatal for the user. Due to this, the Mark II was retired to make room for the Mark III, which was made out of a gold-titanium alloy specifically made for interstellar exploration.
Superhuman Strength: The armor gives its user enhanced strength.
Superhuman Durability: The suit protects its user from getting injured by collisions, acting as an armor for the wearer. Stark crashed through the roof of his house, and landed on one of his cars, but only sustained only minor injuries due to the suit. Furthermore, it was able to protect James Rhodes from a large explosion caused by him and Stark firing their repulsors at each other.
Superhuman Speed: The suit granted its user the ability to move at speeds fast enough to allow for sustained flight. Tony Stark was able to fly out of his garage at high speeds as he took off during his first test of the armor. He was able to fly from Los Angeles to Santa Monica very fast quickly during the test and flew at over 200 miles per hour to get there.
Superhuman Agility: The suit allowed Stark greater control of his body which he would not have if he had to weather the same conditions without the armor. As Stark fell due to an icing problem, he was able to manipulate the suit without worrying about wind resistance. He was also able to do flips during the initial test as he left his garage.
Superhuman Stamina: Using the armor, Stark was able to maintain more energy than he would have survived without the suit. During his first test of the armor, Stark ascended to high altitudes and did not feel the ice surrounding the suit and thinning of the atmosphere as he got higher. Despite the thinning atmosphere, his suit allowed him the stamina to recover as he fell.
Superhuman Reflexes: The armor allowed Stark to react faster than he would have been able to without it. As Stark fell during a failure in his suit due to an icing problem, the suit reactivated soon before Stark hit the ground. Because of the suit, he was able to react at the perfect time to fly along the street without crashing and taking damage.
The greatest advancement for the Mark II armor was its vastly improved flight capabilities, now capable of sustained flight for long periods of time. This was made possible through Tony Stark's development of sustained flight thruster boots and hand-based repulsor gauntlets for flight stability. The suit also possessed variable control surfaces for active flight control and maneuverability.
Heads Up Display (HUD): The Mark II features a built-in heads-up display, for analyzing the environment. The HUD is controlled by J.A.R.V.I.S. and gives Stark analyses of his environment as well as his speed and direction. The display also allows Stark to zoom in on images, which he used to look at specific people using the Ferris wheel at Pacific Park.
Self-Contained Life-Support System and Environmental Protection: The armor was able to protect Stark and allow him to enter environments which he would not be able to without it. As Stark attempted to test the altitude the suit could reach, he did not notice the atmosphere getting thinner and did not suffer negative effects from ice covering the suit due to its life support and environmental protection.
