In the beginning, there was Aldrich Killian. Then there was James Rhodes as Iron Patriot. After that, we had The Mandarin. Today, it's Pepper Potts' turn, with Gwyneth Paltrow cradling Iron Man's helmet in her hands in the latest Iron Man 3 poster.

With a huge gash down the front of its face - and its eyes somehow still glowing - the detached metallic noggin is ominous in the extreme, reinforcing the general air of things-are-going-to-get-hairy pervading Iron Man 3's poster run so far.

Perhaps this helmet is the same one seen beneath The Mandarin's boot in his poster? Or, knowing Tony, perhaps this is just one of many different suits that may or may not have something to do with Killian's Extremis virus.

Feel free to make your own guesses in the comment box below, but not before you have another look at the full-length Iron Man 3 trailer here.

Empire has a lot more Iron Man 3 goodness on the way in the not too distant future, so be sure to check back regularly in advance of the film's UK (April 26) and US (May 3) release dates.