Tony Stark has made several versions of his Iron Man armor, but has he built one from LEGO yet? No. Maybe he’s worried playing with toys will ruin his “genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist” reputation. It’s okay. He’s not needed because LEGO builder George Panteleon, a/k/a ZetoVince, is already on the case. Panteleon didn’t build an entire Iron Man suit (yet), but he did assemble an impressive 1:2 scale bust replica with glowing eyes. Isn’t it shiny?

He was inspired by a reclining Iron Man figure made by the Arvo Brothers. That figure has an incredible amount of curves and articulation for something made from LEGO, and that set Panteleon on the path of designing an Iron Man suit based on the ones seen in films. He spent a couple of years figuring out the visor and face in LEGO Digital Designer (LDD) and with that completed, it took him a couple more months to finish the helmet.

You’ll notice that there aren’t many LEGO studs visible on the helmet. Panteleon used the SNOT technique for the project – studs not on top. I’m not sure how much more difficult that makes the process, but it seems worth it since it minimizes the blocky look. The bust looks smooth and realistic.

In a very Stark-like move, Panteleon designed the helmet to break down into four sections. Clips and hinges attach each section together in such a way that the bust can be posed at different angles. Building the entire chest piece with a glowing arc reactor is next on his list. Because, of course.

HT: io9