This card is essentially 2 ER to defend an additional time. Nothing special, but a fair rate for an extra defense. If you are already ready when you play this, it accomplishes the same thing as Indomitable or Desperate Defense which let you re-ready after defending. This adds the ability to defend if you are already exhausted, which is very niche but could come up if you want to exhaust for your first defense because you aren't sure you'll get the chance to defend again, or if you surge Exhaustion into Assault. It's hard to imagine doing anything too powerful with this, but as a way to defend some more, this is fine - especially in multiplayer where more attacks occur per round. The most obvious hero to play this card is Captain America for flavor purposes (though he can be a serviceable defender)

Excelsior is the Protection version of Jarnbjorn, a card that has been a mainstay in Aggression decks over the years. After the 2ER cost to get Excelsior in play, you have access to a consistent damage source and resource sink that converts one to 2 damage per defense. Resource sinks like this are always nice to help use all your resources every turn and to give you damage on-demand when minions show up. This alone makes Excelsior a playable card for any deck planning to defend. Excelsior is a great option for killing minions in the villain phase in a Change of Fortune deck. Energy Barrier is usually good enough, but Excelsior doesn't require you to have some undefended damage, which can make things awkward with the Barrier. Kree and Skrull traits don't provide any useful benefits as of now (TBE discount for Hulkling?), but Weapon gives mild synergy with Venom (who can also produce his own during the villain phase), or at a table with someone playing Lock and Load. Excelsior will rarely be the best card in your deck, but it does its thing with little to no extra work, so it should be a staple card for defending Protection decks!

• It can deny minions with quickstrike (yet it barely worths for quickstrike minions usually hit low)
• it can deny minons that can be put in play when revealed as an augment card
• It can deny minons that are being summoned by some villain's special abilities (like Master Mold)
• Its best value is done if it activates during player's phase. Face the Past played by another Hero, mostly.

• Its "cannot activate" effects wears off at the end of the phase, which means its gonna waste for encounter cards since minions wont usually activate at the moment they are revealed (except minions with "when revealed/when put in play")
• Its not a forced interrupt. Once in play you can decide when to use it.
• It cannot change the current engagement of a minion that is already in play.

• Tigra and Thor are two Heroes who can give enough benefit from this card to worth something

Outside from these two, I'd even consider it worth. It will usually move a minion without any extra benefit, and its 2ER.

This is such a thematic card, declaring Kurt's enthusiasm for his teammate's success. Giving him a 4 REC just seals this deal.

If it were an external card, I would have to think twice, but getting to draw an extra card while healing can really make a difference for a Protection-oriented hero.

I may be doing it wrong, but it sure is fun to use Ironlad to extend the effective life of Giant-Man's 4 ATK by three rounds. Sure, it takes 2 ally slots, but 2 allies that hit for an average 2.5 damage per round for only 1 consequential seems like a massive bargain to me. If I'm doing the math right, that's 9ER for up to 19 damage and 4 thwart, 23 damage, or 21 damage/19 damage and 2 thwart and a block, which seems like a steal