Oh boy, we might have an Ablative Armor problem
You’ve seen The Matrix, so you know that the machines were using humans as batteries. And when some of us originally saw it, we were like, “ohhhh, that’s weird.” And then someone comes along and reminds us that that actually wouldn’t work, because the amount of nutrients and care you’d have to put into a human body would only return a small fraction of what you get out.
I’m afraid I might be about to ruin the Model 23, Axol, the same way the article above takes down The Matrix.
Don’t Do It!
Sorry, I gotta. I’m a man who searches out the truth, so I have to go down this road.
Fine, What’s Wrong With It?
Okay, so we all know that Iron Man’s Ablative Armor, Model 23 (which I’ve named Axol, because I’m cool like that), is covered in polymer tiles that break on impact and reduce the damage done to the underlying skin. That’s cool. It also has a kiln on the back that cooks up new tiles as needed. That’s super cool. Well, super hot. Nevermind.
So, much like The Matrix problem above, why add a step that doesn’t need to be there?
Wait, What?
If you're going to cook up new tiles on the spot, you need a source of materials to make them. So the armor is not only carrying around the raw polymer materials, but also is adding weight – and space – for the kiln itself. Wouldn’t it just be more efficient to do away with the raw materials and the kiln and instead use that space for a tile dispenser that shoots out pre-made tiles?
Like a gas station change maker! (That reference is for anyone who remembers leaded gasoline.)
Oh Crap…
Exactly. What makes Axol so cool is just how uncool it is to have an oven strapped to your back! But…is it even necessary? Does he need the kiln when he could just load up a bunch of tiles into a Connect Four game and flip the bottom switch?
Well, they’re already red and gold…
Let’s Explain This Away
Yes, let’s.
I see four reasons to keep the kiln and save Dora's Iron Man’s backpack.
Elements can be acquired in the field - The Ablative Armor was made to work in many environments, including Earth, space, comet tails, asteroids, and probably other planets. Perhaps the kiln works like Mr. Fusion in Back to the Future ; any material, including organics and plastics, can be broken down into the elements needed to created new tiles.
Heavy materials can make light materials - Sugar and gelatin are heavy and dense, but they can form light and fluffy marshmallows. Similarly, a heavy and dense polymer material could mix with air and still be incredibly strong, so long as they formed some sort of supportive structural cell. Maybe Axol is honeycombed on the macro level and on the micro level. This significantly reduces the space needed for raw materials.
Proper sizes and shapes can be created - The actual size of each tile is never properly explained in Marvel canon. Most seem to be about three inches long by one inch tall. But what about the tiles that wrap around curved parts of the suit – the arms, the legs, the helmet? And are there tiny tiles that cover each finger? The uncertainty of which tiles break means there’s also uncertainty about which tiles will need to be replaced. Making them on-site is the best solution for custom parts.
Iron Man loves his colors - Tony is all about style, so you don’t want to get caught with the wrong colors. If more red tiles get destroyed so that you run out, you don’t want to have to replace them with yellows. That would make the suit just look silly!
You Did It!
Darn straight I did it. I’ve put way too many hours into this site to see it go down in flames just because of a little logic problem! And to be honest, I think I actually figured it out…I’d say those four suggestions above make quite a bit of scientific – and fashion – sense.
You’re welcome, universe. You’re welcome.
