When we all first learned that Pepper Potts’ (Gwyneth Paltrow) notorious Rescue armor would make its debut in Avengers: Endgame, the enthusiasm was palpable. Cosplayers were quick to jump at the chance to create this gleaming female-powered armor even before the movie premiered in May 2019. Building armor is no easy feat for any level of cosplayer, but it is especially difficult when there is a lack of premade tutorials or patterns available for females.
The model of the Rescue armor is badass in and of itself. And the design is a breath of fresh air next to the established hot rod red and gold armor that Marvel fans are accustomed to. So it’s really no surprise that this purple suit quickly became very popular in the cosplay community.
To give you a peek at some of the legendary cosplay skills that are on the market, check out these ten Rescue armor cosplays!
Yozzeh
Yozzzeh broke the internet this past summer with the debut of this Rescue armor cosplay. The suit itself was made by Yoz and modeled by his girlfriend. It seems unbelievable to think that this cosplay is made out of foam and PVC leather and not a high tech 3D printing machine. On top of that, Yoz had to design the pattern of the suit itself in order to make it as screen accurate as possible. This probably meant hours of studying stills from the film and other resources like the comics.
Yoz now sells his patterns as files which, thankfully, includes the Rescue armor, Mark 85, and even Soundwave (Transformers).
Lauren
Another freshly handmade Rescue costume. You can just tell that this cosplayer put her all into this cosplay. The paint color is precise, and if you look closely you can see the carefully etched details.
Lauren, who goes by @lozza.moo on Instagram, began sharing her Pepper Potts work in July. By October, she had the full suit completed and photographed! You can see more close-ups of this incredible work of art on her account. You’ll also be able to follow her journey for her next cosplay build which, by the looks of things, is Hunter from Destiny.
Cosplay Curator
This cosplay account is really unique. It’s filled with tips for active cosplayers and touches on almost every aspect of this hobby. It’s really no surprise that this educated crafter was able to put together a massive cosplay of her own.
Another project made out of EVA foam, this Rescue armor comes with all the nuts and bolts. EVA foam is a dense plastic that can be easily cut with a box cutter or X-Acto knife. It can then be reshaped and molded with heat. It takes a lot of practice to be able to work with this material, and it’s clear that this cosplayer knows what she’s doing!
LallyintheSky
Building armored cosplays (whether you’re using a printer or foam material) takes literal blood, sweat, and tears. It takes practice and then more practice, and even then it’s hard to satisfy a cosplayer’s need for perfection.
This doesn’t seem to be a problem for Lauren. In what must have been months of research and late-night crafting, she put together this mind-blowing Rescue armor cosplay. In another post the cosplayer said,
“This was the first major foam work I’ve ever done, and while there are things I would change in hindsight, I learned so much from the first go round and I was more than thrilled with the result.”
Sylvia
Sylvia Slays is an unstoppable cosplayer. She built this Rescue armor herself and shared some of her techniques on her Instagram account. With magnets, foam, paint, and a dash of creativity, Sylvia’s cosplay turned out as stunning as we expected.
Some of Sylvia’s other notable cosplay work includes Valeera from World of Warcraft, Hippolyta from Wonder Woman, and a dark version of Supergirl.
WIP
One corner of the internet that is especially inspiring is the #WIP sector. WIP or Work in Progress cosplay photos really shows what a labor of love this hobby is.
You can see how precise this cosplayer’s work is by their numerous Rescue armor WIP photos. These people can really turn nothing into something spectacular. Can you believe they turned bits of plastic and paint into this?
We can’t, either!
Emily
It’s awe-inspiring to see just how many people are able to make a cosplay as complex as the Rescue armor. This article obviously only highlights a small portion of those cosplayers, but trust us when we say that the talent is endless.
Another great example of this talent is Emily a.k.a @ivoryxprincess. Emily wore her Rescue cosplay to New York Comic-Con this year. The suit is carefully refined and complete with bright LEDs!
Some of her other cosplays include Supergirl, Harley Quinn, and Captain Marvel.
Ariel
Ariel Yuen is a singer and an actress, and quite obviously, an incredible cosplayer. On top of this show-stopping line of work, Ariel also pulls off these one-of-a-kind armored Gamora cosplay and Lady Sif cosplays.
What’s impressive about this cosplay (and the others seen in this list) is that these girls go all out. Every small detail (and there are a ton in this suit) is included; not to mention there are full, working lights and a helmet to boot!
Starre
Could you imagine building a suit of armor this good from head to toe? That’s what Starre Cosplay did with her Rescue armor cosplay.
Starre is a very active costumer who is involved in a handful of fandoms. You can find a lot of Disney characters on her profile such as Cinderella and Elsa. She also put a twist on a couple of her cosplays by turning them into ballerinas! You can see her Ballet Black Canary and Ballet Ariel on her Instagram account.
Shannon
And finally, we have Shannon, whose Pepper Pots costume has been an inspiration to so many across the internet. As you can see, her cosplay is basically an exact replica of Gwenyth Paltrow’s armor from Endgame. Her Rescue armor has everything from the jet pack to a removable mask on her helmet. The entire execution of this costume is utterly mind-blowing.
Shannon is an experienced foam smith, having made femme versions of Tony Stark’s armor. She even made an Iron Dog suit for an adorable pup! If you want to see more of Shannon and her various versions of Pepper Potts, she can be found at @srona58 on Instagram.
