Since 2008's Iron Man, the first entry in what would become the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Tony Stark has worked to outdo himself, creating better, stronger versions of his signature Iron Man suit. It started in a cave with the bulky Mark I, and it kept going, from one new version to the next. It all lead to a point where Tony built what was, arguably, his most powerful Iron Man armor in Avengers: Infinity War thanks to nanotech that allowed him to change and weaponize his armor as he saw fit.
In Iron Man 3 and Avengers: Age of Ultron, fans saw that the genius had armor for every possible situation, whether that was to assemble a suit in pieces from across the country or take on the might of Bruce Banner's alter ego. And yet, it turns out none of these armors are the MCU's strongest. Actually, the strongest armor isn't worn by Tony Stark at all -- it actually belongs to his wife, Pepper Potts.
Pepper Potts' Rescue armor debuted in Avengers: Endgame, first appearing when Tony and Pepper's daughter Morgan was seen playing with the blue and gold helmet. That's when Tony revealed that this special armor was one he was working on specifically to be given as a gift to Pepper. Later in the film, Pepper would suit up in her armor to join the battle to defeat Thanos and his army once and for all at the Avengers Compound alongside the rest of Earth's Mightiest Heroes
In the comics, the Rescue armor debuted in 2009 in The Invincible Iron Man #10. It was originally designed to deliver exactly what its name implied: safety and rescue. For that reason, the armor was more of a stripped-down version of Tony Stark's Iron Man suits, not having weapons of any kind, instead offering flight, protection and enhanced strength. While wearing the armor, Pepper was able to perform search and rescue missions, but not go into battle against dangerous adversaries. However, the MCU version of the armor is much different -- and much more powerful.
As Pepper joins the fight in the climactic battle of Avengers: Endgame, she demonstrates just how powerful her armor is, easily destroying the ships in Thanos' army, and everything else she concentrates her repulsor blasts on. The armor's floating repulsors pack an extra devastating punch -- in fact, it's an added feature that Tony doesn't even have on his Mark 85 armor. Better yet, she is able to bring down a Chitauri Leviathan all by herself with a single blast -- something that Tony Stark was never able to do in 2012's The Avengers, during the Battle of New York. In fact, at the time, J.A.R.V.I.S. reminded Tony that he would lose power before even penetrating the giant alien monster's armor.
This is a testament to the firepower and strength Tony Stark has imbued into his wife's armor. It also shows how much he has learned ever since he first fought the Chitauri, and it demonstrates just how much power he's willing to give to Pepper. However, it's important to note that he didn't just give her power for the sake of power. In fact, it makes sense that the Rescue armor would be the most powerful Tony Stark has ever made, outside of just being the latest (and possibly last) suit he ever builds in the MCU. After all, this armor's primary function is to protect what is most dear to him: his family. Sure, he's made powerful suits for War Machine and Spider-Man, but it stands to reason that Tony would give only the best of the best to his wife.
Fans have only seen a few glimpses of what the Rescue armor can do, but now that Tony is gone, Pepper could continue to operate as a superhero. If the character returns to the MCU, then she may get into more of the action, allowing the audience to see the other features Tony designed for it. It would only serve as further proof that no other armor can even come close to it. If anything, Pepper will be able to continue to keep her daughter safe from harm. That is until Morgan is old enough to make a suit of her own.
Directed by Joe and Anthony Russo, Avengers: Endgame stars Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man, Chris Evans as Captain America, Mark Ruffalo as Bruce Banner, Chris Hemsworth as Thor, Scarlett Johansson as Black Widow, Jeremy Renner as Hawkeye, Brie Larson as Captain Marvel, Paul Rudd as Ant-Man, Don Cheadle as War Machine, Karen Gillan as Nebula, Danai Gurira as Okoye and Bradley Cooper as Rocket, with Gwyneth Paltrow Pepper Potts, Jon Favreau as Happy Hogan, Benedict Wong as Wong, Tessa Thompson as Valkyrie and Josh Brolin as Thanos. The film is available on Digital HD, Blu-ray and 4K UHD.