Misconceptions about Iron Man’s Ablative Armor
Considering that Axol (my name for Iron Man’s Ablative Armor) has only appeared in a few Marvel comics – and only two comics where he’s the main suit in the story – it’s no surprise how much is misunderstood about this strange armor. The most common place you’ll find him is on websites that feature the weirdest Iron Man suits ever built. While that’s cool and all, people can go a bit too far when they infer how it works. Plus sometimes they’re just cribbing off other sites, so their info isn’t first-hand.
If you can’t tell by the crazy amount of time I’ve spent developing this site, I know a bit about what is, and what isn’t, true about Axol. (First off, I know his name isn’t Axol…yet.) Let’s take a look at some of the more common misconceptions (and, frankly, unknowns) about the IM Ablative.
(Of course, I’m far from infallible. Did I get something wrong? Contact me to let me know.)
Misconception: The Tiles Are 3” Across
Wikipedia is a pretty awesome place, but it should be the start of research, not the end. The Wikipedia article for all of Iron Man’s armors says that the tiles are three inches across, but I can find no reference in Marvel canon about this (the entirety of Marvel canon being issues #416-417). While three-inches is probably a pretty good estimation for the bulk of the tiles, it doesn’t take into account the fact that there’s a…
Misconception: The Tiles Are All The Same Size
I can see where this idea comes from, considering the panel below.
Allowing for perspective, it sure looks like every tile is the same size. But those might just be the ones he uses for chaff, so-called “standard tiles” that would cover his torso and legs. But what about the ones on his fingers? On the faceplate? Well, that brings up another question, because…
Misconception: The Tiles Are Everywhere
Really, we don’t know exactly what parts of the armor are covered and which aren’t. I’ve talked over in the FAQ about the different ways that artists show only some tiles, mostly to save time. Some decide that the tiles only cover the torso and the limbs. Others place them on the helmet. Some go so far as to place them on the thumb.
Hemet tiles confirmed! But the vertical line through them brings up even more questions…
Then again, there is one panel that shows the tiles are, indeed, on the knuckles.
With this image of the knuckles, it looks like the original artist put them just about everywhere. The only place they haven’t been confirmed is on the faceplate.
Misconception: The Tiles Are Honeycomb-Shaped
Wikipedia also gets this wrong, I’m afraid. As I wrote on the page dedicated to describing the Model 23 Ablative Armor, the tiles are tessellated hexagonal elongated rhombi. A honeycomb structure is also made of tessellated rhombi, but they’re regular rhombi. So while you might rightfully say that the tiles are honeycombed (as a verb), they are not honeycomb-shaped. Tony even says that the tiles are “honeycombing the surface.” The difference might sound pedantic, but if you were to tell someone who’d never seen the armor how to draw it and described the tiles as “honeycomb-shaped,” they’d end up drawing it wrong.
A big bowl of nope.
Misconception: The Tiles Always Break
Honestly, I’m guilty of thinking this sometimes. I often imagine him leaving a trail of broken tiles behind, but that’s not always the case. If the impact isn’t severe enough, a tile might simply be knocked away to help dissipate the energy. If it doesn’t break, the forcefield can grab a stray tile and put it back into place. (Blog-inspired realization: That probably means that each tile has a microchip or equivalent inside. Without chips, a “dumb” forcefield might try to grab any available rocks, Coke bottles, or Beanie Babies and try to attach them to the suit. Looks like I have to write a blog on that, now.)
Misconception: It Has Roller Skates
No it doesn’t. That would be silly.
No armor would ever do that.
Misconception: This blog goes on forever
Trust me, I understand why someone would reach some of these conclusions. Sometimes it’s people like me who are offering their own theories of design, such as why the helmet has a ridge or why the boots are so large. Hey, the more people want to interact with Axol and talk about him, the better. I’ve even got an Iron Man Ablative Armor Facebook page where people can do just that. Go there now!
