This Hulkbuster armor shown at NY Comic Con is real, and it’s spectacular

By Adam Poltrack October 13, 2015

OK, so it’s possible that this whole cosplay thing (short for costume-play) might just be getting a little bit out of hand.

What started out as a few superfans stitching together their favorite characters’ costumes using whatever you might find at your local arts and crafts store, has culminated in the construction of a scale model of Tony Stark’s famous hulkbuster armor, featured in one of the baddest action scenes from Avengers: Age of Ultron.

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Thomas DePetrillo debuted the suit at New York Comic Con 2015 and told reporters that it took him around 1,600 hours to build … sounds like coswork to us. Despite a profile that stands almost 10 feet tall and a weight of 95 lbs., DePetrillo was able to cruise around Jacobs Javits Center in the armor, leaving a host of gawking attendees in his wake.

As it turns out, the suit’s architect owns a costuming company called Extreme Costumes, which has already pulled in top prizes at other Comic Cons around the country. While that makes this a bit more explicable, we’re still in awe of how dedicated some fans can be.

If DePetrillo ever wants to go into the home security business, this suit could be a pretty effective deterrent to burglars, in-laws, and other unwanted guests. Just a thought.

For the uninitiated, the hulkbuster armor was designed as a countermeasure in case The Hulk ever got out of hand with his smashing. Watch the Age of Ultron or check out the video above to see it in action. Warning: You will want one by the time you’re done.

While it will be quite a while before we see the Avengers all on-screen together again, the franchise is moving forward with Avengers: Infinity War – Part I (May 4, 2018) and Avengers: Infinity War – Part II (May 3, 2019), so fans have plenty to look forward to.

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