Taiwanese Wu You-ting has taken Iron Man fandom to a whole new level.
Wu, 28, had always considered himself a fan of millionaire-turned crime-fighting cyberborg comic hero Iron Man, but it was not until he saw the film’s third installment at a local theater that he was inspired to build his own suit of armor.
“I really like Iron Man. Once I went to see the movie and saw the movie theater placing the (full size) 1-metre-tall Iron Man statue in the lobby. I wanted to buy it to take home very much. But then I felt that it’s really expensive, so I decided to make one by myself. And it can be propped up on display at home, and looks good when I wear it out for fun,” he said.
Wu, a local dance teacher, and his friend Guo Wen-sheng took approximately 8 weeks and 164 USD to build their own custom Iron Man suit to fit Wu. They got their ideas from various fan websites where others had embarked upon the same mission.
Wu was did much of the molding and cutting of the mostly polyester putty-made suit, while Guo designed and rigged many of the lights and electronic mechanisms.
While, this suit does not have all the functionality of Tony Stark’s own Iron Man suit, it’s “Ark Reactor,” the center chest piece of the suit, glows, and the LED lights on his palms and helmet light up, just as actor Robert Downy Jr. demonstrates in the film.
The helmet can also open and close at the click of a button.
Marvel’s official website notes that the original Iron Man in the suit measures a total of 1.98 meters (6’6″) while Wu only stands at a total of 1.65 meters (5’4″).
Wu said that he sometimes wears the suit in public and while practicing his dance moves he drew a crowd of curious onlookers at the local train station.
Some Tainan County residents said they like Wu’s version but it could not match up to the original.
“I think the head is a little big and his body is a little short. But this is because of (this man’s) body shape, so this looks like a mini version of Iron Man. But overall, I think it is quite refined. I want one too,” said Hong Xiangwei, a local Tainan resident.
“I think the Iron Man in the movie is more handsome, taller, and shinier. But this one is cuter and much closer to home. I prefer this one,” said Chen Ya-hong, a local university student.
Currently, Wu said that he does not plan on selling his suit. (Tainan County, Taiwan)