Reality can be stranger than fiction, but in Marvel Comics' case, the inverse is very much true. We are nowhere near creating a nigh-indestructible shield that can deflect bullets and act like a frisbee or boomerang, such as Captain America's vibranium shield, Spider-Man's web-shooters, or Tony Stark's Iron man suits.
To quote Tony Stark's father, Howard, in "Iron Man 2," we are "limited by the technology of our time."
However, that doesn't mean we can't make something close enough to what Marvel depicts in its comics. In doing so, we're slowly making science fiction into scientific facts.
As such, here are some of the most realistic tech the Avengers have at their disposal.
Spider-Man-like Gloves
If you thought you have to be bitten by a radioactive bat to gain the ability to stick yourself on surfaces, then you're wrong. An engineer at Stanford University was able to invent climbing gear that can allow you to climb surfaces like our friendly neighborhood Spider-Man.
Engadget reported that Stanford University engineer Elliot Hawkes created a "Gecko Glove" that helps a person distribute their weight to help them stick to walls like Spidey.
The secret behind Hawkes' gadget is the springs that help keep the pressure spread equally. These springs get softer as it is stretched instead of the inverse.
The climbing gear may not make climbing surfaces as graceful as Spider-Man, but they do the work.
Iron Man Suit
Although we are far from creating any of Tony Stark's early Iron Man suits, we are slowly getting there thanks to Gravity Industries Founder Richard Browning, who was able to create a body-controlled jet engine suit called "Daedalus," after the mythical Greek of the same name.
Browning was able to take off from the ground using his suit on April 3, 2019, outside Prague's Zofin Palace, according to Business Insider India.
Base 2 Solutions systems engineer and senior IEEE member Paul Kostek mentioned that Browning's jet suit only needs the increased power to support an integrated exoskeleton and materials strong and light enough to seal the suit and allow high altitude operation, per a Fandom article.
Magnet-Powered Metro
Wakanda may be a fictional place, but the technology within the city-kingdom is impressive enough to inspire people to recreate Wakandan technology in the real world.
Comic book enthusiasts and Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) moviegoers may be familiar with Wakanda's magnet-powered metro which runs under the city. This Wakandan subway system, known as the Hyperloop, could soon be turned into reality through one ambitious man.
Skywell Software mentioned in its report that Elon Musk wants to develop and build a subway system similar to Wakanda's Hyperloop wherein the subway system is powered by vacuums that could transport people from New York to Washington in around 30 minutes as opposed to the current 3-4 hour trip.
JARVIS
Marvels fans would immediately recognize Tony Stark's AI assistant, JARVIS, anywhere. Short for Just A Rather Very Intelligent System, JARVIS is responsible for informing Tony about the goings-on of his life inside and outside the Iron Man suit.
Although We still don't have an AI assistant as advanced as JARVIS, we do have virtual personal assistants on our phones and home assistants to serve as something close to what Tony has.
Our virtual personal assistants, such as Siri, and Google Home, as well as home assistants like Alexa can help us list down items for our groceries, schedule meetings and conferences, turn off our lights, and even interact with them. With the advent of 5G, they could also be connected to smart appliances, much like Meta founder Mark Zuckerberg's own version of JARVIS.
