The subject of the image came up during the YKTTW discussion, but I don't recall anyone posing any alternatives.
An Ear Worm is like a Rickroll: It is never going to give you up.I think an important part of the trope is that the armor has to be made. in the images The Pope linked, it's just there. For all I know, it's just how his skin is. I've seen crazier things in anime.
It doesn't look anything like his skin color, unless that is supposed to be his skin color and he's covering his face with sand or something stupid like that, though it still has the problem is not showing it being made I suppose.
If people learned from their mistakes, there wouldn't be this thing called bad habits.Nothing about that guy shows that he made that armour on the spot, instead of it just being a weird looking but constant armour.
Made from linked Toph pictures: [1]
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edited 12th Apr '11 6:22:56 AM by Adannor
That one has the least obvious making of any of the suggested images. It doesn't look like Elemental Armor. It looks more like a Henshin Hero Transformation Sequence. He's not making it out of the element. He's just summoning it out of hammerspace.
edited 12th Apr '11 9:39:11 AM by shimaspawn
Reality is that, which when you stop believing in it, doesn't go away. -Philip K. Dick
Crown Description:
Nominations for replacement images:

A giant stone fist says more weapon than armor to me.