3 different modes of the Ablation Suit’s force field
Ah, force fields. They’re one of those things that we hear about so much in science fiction that we forget they don’t really exist. Whether you call them deflector shields, energy shields, force shield, force bubbles, or something else depending on your preferred speculative fiction, they’ve been a part of Iron Man lore sine the Model 2 in 1963.
Then along comes the Model 23 Ablative Suit in 2003, and suddenly the force field for this particular suit is considerably different. Not only does it work as a standard force field around the armor, but it can also project the force field between layers of the armor. And, of course, it can do something that’s very unique to the Ablative Armor: object manipulation. Let’s take a look at all three.
Standard Force Field
Axol’s first form of force field is a standard one, in that it projects a short distance in front of the armor like all Iron Man shields. This is specifically called out in the following panel when Tony turns it off.
From Axol’s introduction in Iron Man #416.
The “Close-To-the-Chest” Force Field
In order to destroy the alien nanoplasm featured in the story arc in which the Ablative Suit appears, Tony has to get this parasite to attack the tiles on the suit. These tiles contained a virus to destroy the alien goo. To ensure this happened, he brought the energy shield in closer to the gray core of the suit. Once the tiles all chipped away and exposed this under-layer of the suit, the force field is revealed.
The shield exposed after the ablative tiles have all been broken away, from Iron Man #416.
The Smart Force Field
The smart force field is (I’m pretty sure) something that is unique to Iron Man’s Ablation Suit. This force field can communicate with the polymer tiles that the suit is made from. Its primary purpose is to grab new tiles made in the kiln and replace broken tiles on the body.
Also from the introduction page in Iron Man #416.
The force field’s secondary purpose is to create what Tony calls a “chaff wall,” essentially a shield of expendable tiles that can be sacrificed as the wearer remains safe behind it. For its original purpose as a space armor, this would have allowed Tony to work on an asteroid or comet without being inundated by debris.
Since the Ablative’s force field can chuck the tiles at the wearer’s digression, it can also eject them quickly or throw them offensively.
(Just a heads-up, this is Part 1 of a two-part blog. In the follow-up I’ll be discussing the smart force field in more depth.)
A Shield In A Shield In A Shield
When you consider the chaff wall and the option to move the force field outside and inside of the tiles, this is truly one shielded armor (even though Tony says it’s not as robust as standard models. Considering it’s meant to break apart, I guess he’s right.) It’s certainly one of the most versatile shields that Stark has ever produced, and it makes you wonder why it wasn’t used more often.
Stop back soon for Part 2, which explains the smart shield in more depth.
