Infinity Wardrobe: T-shirts Worn by the Avengers On-Screen

Ashes to ashes, dust to dust. With the shadow of Avengers: End Game looming ever larger, let’s reflect on the 21 films that got us to this point. Rather than dwelling on what’s got us feeling blue – or should we say, purple – take a trip back to uncover some common threads throughout the Marvel universe with your definitive guide to the Infinity Wardrobe: T-shirts Worn by the Avengers On-Screen. Take us away, Spidey!

T-shirts Worn by the Avengers On-Screen

Disclaimer: Custom Ink does not sell or print the t-shirts pictured in this post. This is fan art meant solely for social commentary, entertainment purposes, and fun!

The costume designers at Marvel are experts at wardrobe-acrobatics. That’s what makes this topic so interesting. While you’re sure to find t-shirts in just about any movie, there is a special bond between comics and tees. Not only do the t-shirts worn by Avengers give us a glimpse into their personalities, but they also help us humanize our superhumans and make them more relatable. It’s their human qualities, in the end, that helps us see ourselves in them.

Avengers: Infinity Wardrobe [Infographic]

Captain America SSR T-shirt

Movie: Captain America: The First Avenger
Character: Steve Rogers, aka, Captain America

While Captain America may be the “First Avenger,” his debut film was actually the fifth in a series of 22, ultimately culminating in Avengers: End Game this Friday. The shirt pictured here is from the final scene of the movie when Captain America awakens from a 66-year freeze-induced coma in a 1940’s style hospital room.

After sensing something is wrong, Rogers breaks out to find himself in present-day New York. He learns the mock hospital room was meant to soften the transition into the modern world. The acronym “SSR” stands for “Strategic Scientific Reserve,” a call-back to a WWII military unit composed of engineers and scientists, including Tony Stark’s father.

Iron Man Black Sabbath Long Sleeve T-shirt

Movie: The Avengers
Character: Tony Stark, aka, Iron Man

Black Sabbath, U.S. Tour ‘78! While this technically is a long sleeve t-shirt, we couldn’t skip the first graphic tee ever donned in an actual Avengers movie (not counting solo movies). Tony wears this shirt throughout much of the first Avengers film, with the majority of on-screen time aboard the Helicarrier. It also makes a hilarious appearance in the end-credit scene at Shawarma Palace.

Shawarma Palace Bonus Scene T-shirt

Movie: The Avengers (Post Credit Scene)
Character: Easter Egg! This picture represents the pixelated “Shawarma Palace” t-shirt displayed behind the Avengers after the Battle of New York.

It would be a shame to leave it out since it was the punchline of Tony’s plan to eat shawarmas after defeating Loki and his borrowed Chitauri Army. (If anyone reading this has a high-quality picture of this shirt, please, please share it and we will update this drawing!)

Iron Man A.I.M. T-shirt

Movie: Iron Man 3
Character: Tony Stark, aka,, Iron Man

Advanced Idea Mechanics (A.I.M.) is a thorn in Tony Stark’s side in Iron Man 3. Led by Aldrich Killian, the developer of the Extremis virus and Iron Patriot armor, Tony wears an AIM shirt in the final dock battle while infiltrating the villain’s hideout.

Captain America Under Armour Shirt

Movie: Captain America: The Winter Soldier
Character: Steve Rogers, aka, Captain America

In this scene, Sam Wilson, aka Falcon, and Captain America meet for the first time while jogging around the National Mall. Falcon becomes exasperated as Rogers calls out, “On your left!” while repeatedly lapping the winded pilot. Without his wings, Falcon is an ordinary man. This makes Wilson no match for the biologically augmented Rogers.

Star-Lord River Rafter T-shirt

Movie: Guardians of the Galaxy
Character: Peter Quill, aka, Star-Lord

While Star-Lord is one of the most lighthearted and playful characters in the Marvel universe, his humble beginnings on earth started with the tragic death of his mother. The first time we see his River Rafter shirt, he is listening to his now-famous walkman in the hospital waiting room. After his mother passes away, he’s abducted by aliens –  Yondu Udonta and crew – on behalf of Ego, his Celestial father.

The shirt makes a second appearance in a later scene when Star-Lord forgets Bereet, a Krylorian, well, hookup, is wearing the shirt on board his ship following a death-defying escape from Ronan the Accuser’s henchmen.

Iron Man Layered Athleisure T-shirts

Movie: Common theme throughout all movies
Character: Tony Stark, aka, Iron Man

Tony Stark layers his shirts a lot! In general, the Avengers wear a lot of athleisure wear. In fact, outside of the shirts covered in this roundup, it’s by far the most common wardrobe choice aside from plain tees and the occasional formal wear. So, we think it’s safe to call it canonized Avengers wardrobe. We did not picture every variant in this post as there are dozens. But it does makes a lot of sense when you consider their lifestyle!

Iron Man Bruce Lee DJ Graphic T-shirt

Movie: Avengers: Age of Ultron
Character: Tony Stark, aka, Iron Man

Given Tony Stark’s type-A(+) personality, he wears his personality on his sleeve. (And his chest, for that matter.) His Bruce Lee DJ shirt is a staple t-shirt worn in the Marvel universe, given its unforgettable nature. Considering that it combines athletic prowess, technology, music, and humor, it’s extremely fitting for the character that launched a movie empire.

Nathaniel Pietro Barton Custom T-shirt

Movie: Avengers: Age of Ultron
Character: Hawk Eye’s baby boy, Nathaniel Pietro Barton

It’s been a good long while since Avengers: Age of Ultron. So, you might’ve forgotten that Clint Barton, aka Hawkeye, is actually a doting father in his spare time.

At the end of Age of Ultron, his newest hatchling mothered by wife, Laura Barton, is named to honor Natasha Romanoff (Nathaniel, being the masculine form) and Pietro Maximoff, aka, Quicksilver. Why Quicksilver? He laid down his life to protect Hawkeye in the Battle of Sokovia.

Iron Man Spray Paint Graphic T-shirt

Movie: Avengers: Age of Ultron
Character: Tony Stark, aka, Iron Man

This one is easy to miss. With just seconds of on-screen time, Tony Stark dons this shirt beneath a sport coat while discussing the aftermath of the Battle of Sokovia with his fellow Avengers.

Iron Man “Mister Softee” T-shirt

Movie: Captain America: Civil War
Character: Young Tony Stark, aka, Iron Man

Thanks to a $611 million “therapeutic experiment,” we catch a glimpse of Tony’s college years in a Captain America: Civil War augmented reality flashback.

In a Stark Foundation presentation, Tony shares a glimpse of his Binarily Augmented Retro Framing (or BARF) tech. (He says he should work on the acronym.) The tech acts on the hippocampus to help clear traumatic memories, while outwardly displaying scenes in 3D. The traumatic memory Stark seeks to clear? The final exchange he ever had with his parents before they were murdered by the Winter Soldier.

In the scene, he is wearing the contrastingly playful Mr. Softee shirt, setting up some painful juxtaposition.

“I love you dad, and I know you did the best you could… That’s how I wished it happened.” he says in the presentation. Heartstrings, consider yourselves good and tugged.

Captain America – Workout Break

While for the sake of this post we avoided plain tees, of which there are many, we thought it was fitting to show Captain America in his all white tee. It’s thanks to his generation we have t-shirts in the first place! 

In this scene, he is reliving the past at the beginning of Avengers: Infinity War in a series of flashbacks. The bad memories aggravate him enough to allow him to unleash his full strength, exploding the bag on impact.

War Machine US Air Force T-shirt

Movie: Captain America: Civil War
Character: Lieutenant Colonel James Rupert “Rhodey” Rhodes, aka, War Machine, aka, Iron Patriot, aka, Tony’s best friend

As the only near-casualty of the Avengers’ Civil War, War Machine is downed after one of Falcon’s weapons fries his suit. Falling before anyone can catch him, he is paralyzed from the waist down. While Stark is unable to repair his paralysis, he develops mechanical leg braces that help “Rhodey” walk again.

Spider-Man “Lettuce The Taste of Sadness” Graphic T-shirt

Movie: Avengers: Infinity War
Character: Peter Parker, aka, Spider-Man

This confirms it. Peter Parker is not a salad guy! With just a glimpse of on-screen time in Avengers: Infinity War, Peter is wearing this shirt aboard a school bus while crossing the Queensboro Bridge from Manhattan to Queens.

He springs into action after witnessing the arrival of the Children of Thanos – in particular, Cull Obsidian and Ebony Maw – as they announce their faithful arrival.

Spider-Man NASA T-shirt

Movie: Spider-Man: Homecoming
Character: Peter Parker, aka, Spider-Man

One thing rings true through Spider-Man’s many incarnations: he loves science. This helps explain his special bond with Tony Stark.

One has to wonder if Peter ever thought he’d venture into space like his astronaut heroes? Sure enough, he did just that in Avengers: Infinity War before helping Tony Stark kill Ebony Maw in his own spacecraft.

Spider-Man “The Physics is Theoretical but the Fun is Real” Graphic T-shirt

Movie: Spider-Man: Homecoming
Character: Peter Parker, aka, Spider-Man

It’s shirts like this that make the “Mr. Stark, I don’t feel so good,” scene all the more difficult to stomach. Indeed, one of Tom Holland’s many endearing traits as Spider-Man is his unflinching willingness to let his geek flag fly high.

Spider-Man “Find x” Graphic T-shirt

Movie: Spider-Man: Homecoming
Character: Peter Parker, aka, Spider-Man

Spider-Man’s humor and love for science is front and center with this one! For anyone who’s writhed through a math test drenched in a cold sweat, you can surely relate. The irony of it all? There is no math test that could ever make Peter Parker sweat.

Spider-Man “If You Believe in Telekinesis” Graphic T-shirt

Movie: Spider-Man: Homecoming
Character: Peter Parker, aka, Spider-Man

Bravo, Peter Parker, Bravo. Another fair argument made through the power of graphic tees in Spider-Man: Homecoming’s t-shirt treasure trove.

Spider-Man “I Survived My Trip to NYC” Graphic T-shirt

Movie: Spider-Man: Homecoming
Character: Peter Parker, aka, Spider-Man

The hero’s journey always covers a trip through the underworld. In this scene, Peter Parker finds himself rejected by Iron Man after causing a huge mess on a river ferry shootout with alien-tech toting villains.

Unceremoniously stripped of his Stark-built suit, he is sent home in “HelloKitty” hot pink pajama bottoms and an, “I Survived My Trip to NYC” t-shirt. This is nearly the lowest it ever gets for Peter, aside from, well, you know…

Spider-Man “Midtown School of Science & Technology” Sweatshirt

Movie: Spider-Man: Homecoming
Character: Peter Parker, aka, Spider-Man

In gym class, Peter wears the same design in t-shirt form, so we’ll count it. In later scenes, he wears a sweatshirt version as pictured here.

Yet another painful reminder of the wrath of Thanos; where young and old alike face randomized and merciless mortal judgment with a single snap of a finger.

Spider-Man “Vitruvian Pizza” T-shirt

Movie: Captain America: Civil War
Character: Peter Parker, aka, Spider-Man

In his first-ever appearance, Tom Holland’s Peter Parker enters his apartment to find Tony Stark conversing with Aunt May.

Under the ruse of a Stark internship, Aunt May allows Peter to fly across seas with Tony. Unbeknownst to her, the “internship” was actually an intercept turned battle at the Leipzig/Halle Airport between “Team Stark” and “Team Cap”.

Spider-Man earns his first stripes in this battle and even gets a nod from Captain America as they discover they have similar roots.

Cap: “You got heart, kid, where are you from?”

Spider-Man: “Queens!”

Cap, chuckling: “Brooklyn.”

Spider-Man Retro Radio T-shirt

Movie: Spider-Man: Homecoming
Character: Peter Parker, aka, Spider-Man

We only see this shirt for a second or two, but it appears to be the faceplate of a retro radio.

Surely another ode to Peter’s love for tech and science. There is little to no information on the costume selection for this scene that we could find, so please comment if you know more and we will happily make an update.

Spider-Man “P.S. 108 Mathletics” T-shirt

Movie: Captain America: Civil War (Post-Credit Scene)
Character: Peter Parker, aka, Spider-Man

In the end credit scene of Captain America: Civil War, Peter Parker fiddles with some tech we can only assume came from Tony Stark. This is the teaser for Spider-Man: Homecoming with the message, “Spider-Man will return.”

Star-Lord Alien Language Long Sleeve T-shirt

Movie: Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2
Character: Peter Quill, aka, Star-Lord

Slashgear.com put in work decoding this gem. Talk about patience and grit.

By their assessment, the large lettering translates to “GEARS” and “SHIFT”. The smaller elements translate to “DUST,” “CEMENT,” “STONE,” and “ASH”. This is all followed by, “A TENEYCK GALAXY INVENTION.” Could this be interstellar corporate swag?

Spider-Man and Pepper Potts “I Lost an Electron” T-shirt

Movie: Spider-Man: Homecoming & Iron Man 3
Character: Peter Parker, aka, Spider-Man and Pepper Potts

Thank you, Reddit user u/tungkidz. Credit is due. We might’ve missed this connection if it wasn’t for your hawkeye!

This is the shirt Peter Parker wears when he is first invited to join the Avengers at the end of Spider-Man: Homecoming. It’s also the nightshirt worn by Pepper Potts in Iron Man 3 when she wakes Tony from a nightmare. Tony is present in both scenes, deepening the web of connectivity between the characters.

Iron Man Kitten V-Neck T-shirt

Movie: Spider-Man: Homecoming
Character: Tony Stark, aka, Iron Man

Cats are all over the internet, so why not the Marvel universe? We wish this was a teaser for “Goose” the Flerken from Captain Marvel; alas, the coloration and stripes don’t match.

What does match? A playful little kitten and one of Marvel’s most playful creations, Tony Stark.

Bruce Banner Duran Duran Rio T-shirt

Movie: Thor: Ragnarok
Character: Bruce Banner, aka, Hulk, in Tony Stark’s threads

Following the Battle of Sokovia, Bruce Banner purposefully annexes himself to space to protect the earth from the Hulk. Somewhere along the way, his ship crashes on the planet of Sakaar. For two years, Banner remains in Hulk form, unable to shake his rage as the undefeated winner of the “Contest of Champions”.

Thor crash lands on Sakaar in Thor: Ragnarok, only to discover Banner is not behind the wheel, so to speak. After a gladiator-style brawl between Hulk and Thor, Banner finally wrests control from the Hulk to regain human form after seeing a video message from his love interest, Black Widow. On board his wrecked ship, he finds a pair of Tony’s clothes and vuala, we have our Duran Duran t-shirt. Classic Tony.

Shuri “Adinkra Symbol” T-shirt

Character: Shuri
Movie: Black Panther

The good folks at INSIDER helped us crack this nut, or should we say, seed. In an interview with costume designer, Ruth Carter, the Adinkra symbol pictured on Shuri’s shirt from Black Panther means “purpose”.

They expand: “The exact symbol appears to be the “Wawa” motif. According to several online resources, it “literally means the ‘seed of the wawa tree,’ which is a symbol of hardness, toughness and perseverance.”’

Captain Marvel Nine Inch Nails T-shirt

Character: Vers, aka, Captain Marvel
Movie: Captain Marvel

Before you go forward, sometimes you’ve got to go back. In Captain Marvel – the latest movie in the Marvel universe – we’re sent back to the 90s to find Vers, aka, Captain Marvel crash landing on earth. Where else than through the roof of a Blockbuster video? It’s the 90s…

Coming from the planet Kree, Vers needs a disguise. Enter: the now famous NIN mashup, stolen from a display mannequin. (And fourth wall down, this was also the shirt that launched this idea for us!)

Thanks for Coming to Our Marvel Tee Party!

The world of comics and t-shirts have meshed together since the very beginning. As a form of communication as well as style, the pop culture crossover potential is endless for costume designers and fans alike. Whether you’re interested as a cosplayer, movie aficionado, or just love the Avengers, we hope this post helps light your Avengers: End Game fire.