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For other uses, see Hulkbuster (disambiguation)

"This isn't gonna be like New York, pal. This suit's already kicked the crap outta the Hulk."
Bruce Banner to Cull Obsidian[src]

The Mark XLVIII Iron Man Armor, also known as the Hulkbuster 2.0, is Tony Stark's forty-eighth Iron Man suit. It was initially created for the purpose of subduing and restraining Hulk, however, it was later repurposed by Bruce Banner to fight in the Battle of Wakanda against an army of Outriders, the Black Order and Thanos with the remaining Avengers on Earth.

History[]

Battle of Wakanda[]

"How are we looking, Bruce?"
"Yeah, I think I'm getting the hang of it."
Black Widow and Bruce Banner[src]
AW Trailer 2 pic 29

Bruce Banner wears the armor for the Battle of Wakanda

Much like the previous Mark XLIV Armor, the Mark XLVIII Armor was designed in the sole purpose of being able to restrain the Hulk. However, as Bruce Banner found himself unable to turn into Hulk, who refused to help Banner due to being tired of having to come out only when needed to save Banner, the armor was given to Banner so he could assist during the Battle of Wakanda. Although Banner had some difficulties getting used to the armor, he ultimately mastered it enough to be ready to face the Outriders sent by the Black Order.

Bruce Banner's reaction when Thor arrives

Bruce Banner hails Thor's arrival

During the battle, after tripping over a rock while running to the front line, Banner used the armor to take down numerous Outriders, both with the repulsor beams and with the brute strength offered by the armor. However, Banner was eventually outnumbered by the massive Outriders army, and several creatures made Banner fall and began attacking the armor. As Banner was overwhelmed and could not retaliate, he was rescued by the arrival of Thor with his new weapon Stormbreaker. Thrilled, Banner briefly deactivated the armor's helmet and openly mocked the Outriders.

AIW Blu Ray Release 08

Bruce Banner fighting Cull Obsidian

Upon learning that Vision was under attack by the Black Order, Banner went to assist him. He was attacked by Cull Obsidian and warned his opponent about the armor's capabilities. Despite that, Obsidian proved to be a real challenge to the Hulkbuster armor, landing violent blows which damaged the armor. Obsidian even ripped apart the armor's left arm and pinned the suited Banner on the ground. However, Banner managed to clap the broken-off hand of the armor onto Obsidian's left arm. He then activated the repulsor stabilizer, which propelled Obsidian onto the protective dome surrounding Wakanda, killing him.

Iron Man Armor Mark XLIX (Battle of Wakanda)

Bruce Banner is fused within rock matter

As Thanos joined the battle himself, Banner attacked him with the armor. However, Thanos used the powers of the Infinity Stones to trap the Hulkbuster armor within a massive rock, temporarily incapacitating Banner. Banner later freed himself with the armor and mourned Vision's death with Steve Rogers, Natasha Romanoff, James Rhodes, and Thor, as well as the extermination of half of all life in the universe perpetrated by Thanos.[2]

Ambush on Thanos[]

AoT 32

Bruce Banner attacks Thanos

Sometime after the Snap, the Hulkbuster armor was given a new left arm. Three weeks later, Bruce Banner used the armor on the Garden planet to assist Captain Marvel and War Machine in subduing Thanos, whose arm was promptly severed by Thor. After Thanos explained that the Infinity Stones served no purpose to him "beyond temptation," Banner angrily pushed Thanos to the ground using the armor, reminding him that he murdered trillions. Thanos proceeded to demand that the Avengers should be grateful for his work, causing Banner to strike Thanos in the face with the armor, before learning that the Stones were destroyed.[3]

Capabilities[]

"Whoa! This is amazing! It's like being the Hulk, but not actually."
Bruce Banner[src]
  • Superhuman Strength:
    AoT 32

    Bruce Banner pushes Thanos to the ground

    The suit was built to match the incredible superhuman strength of Hulk. It has several Arc Reactors all over the suit. It was strong enough to kill many Outriders and despite sustaining heavy damage and losing the left arm, was still able to take on Cull Obsidian and eventually overpower him. It was even able to push the Mad Titan Thanos to the ground and deliver a blow to his face, although it should be noted that Thanos was greatly weakened due to the injuries on half of his body and his recently severed left arm.
  • Superhuman Durability:
    AW Trailer 2 pic 58

    Bruce Banner withstands being attacked by Outriders

    Built to withstand and overpower Hulk, this armor is able to withstand massive amounts of damage, such as direct attacks from several outriders and Cull Obsidian.
  • Superhuman Speed: Despite the armor's large size, it is powerful enough to run at high speeds, easily keeping up with Wakandan skiffs.
  • Superhuman Stamina:
  • Superhuman Reflexes: Like the rest of Stark's armors, this suit has an onboard AI that assists its user in fighting and reacting to threats.
  • Flight: Like all the other armors, the Mark XLVIII has flight capabilities, although given its size, its speed, range and mobility are reduced.
  • Heads Up Display (HUD): The suit contains a heads-up display within the helmet that can display various metrics and includes a targeting system used during combat situations.
  • Self-Contained Life-Support System and Environmental Protection:
  • Collapsible Plating: Like many of its immediate predecessors, including the previous Hulkbuster armor, the suit's various parts, such as the helmet, are capable of collapsing and allowing the user to step in and out of the suit at will.
  • Autonomic Prehensile Propulsion: Like its predecessor, certain sections can fly independently, mainly used to repair the Hulkbuster through attaching new parts. The forearm part is seen that it can attach to anything else and it can lift them to the sky instantly.
  • Repulsors:
    AIW Blu Ray Release 08

    Bruce Banner using his repulsors to defeat Cull Obsidian

    Unlike the other armors, the repulsors from this armor are red. They are capable of easily killing Outriders and stunning Cull Obsidian.

References[]

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