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    War Machine

    Character » War Machine appears in 1572 issues.

    War Machine is a superhero originating from Marvel Comics. James "Rhodey" Rhodes is Tony Stark's personal pilot and one of the playboy's oldest friends. Rhodes also known as Rhodey has often donned the Iron Man mantle when the burden has been too much for his friend, but has also established his own identity as the War Machine and Iron Patriot.

    Short summary describing this character.

    War Machine last edited by KillerZ on 09/17/23 09:38AM View full history

    Origin

    James Rupert Rhodes was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He first met Tony Stark while flying combat missions in Vietnam. Rhodes' helicopter had been shot down by Viet Cong rocket fire, and while trying to get the aircraft airborne again, he encountered Stark in a bulky prototype suit of powered armor. At that moment the Viet Cong attacked, and Stark, in his suit, helped to drive them off. Together, Rhodes and Stark made their way to a nearby enemy base where they stole another helicopter, flying it back to the American lines.

    James Rhodes becoming Iron man
    James Rhodes becoming Iron man

    After the end of the Vietnam War, Stark, who had secretly become the superhero named Iron Man, offered Rhodes a job as his personal pilot, and Rhodes soon became one of Stark's closest associates and confidants as well as Stark Industries' chief aviation officer. As a result, he had numerous adventures with his employer where his daring and skills were valuable assets. When Tony relapsed into his alcoholism, James Rhodes took over the Variable Threat Response Battle Suit (War Machine). James Rhodes took up the mantle of Iron Man for some time, and would return to using this suit.

    Creation

    James Rhodes was created by Bob Layton and David Michelinie and first appeared in Iron Man Vol.1 issue 118 (1979). The War Machine armor first appeared in a cameo in Iron Man Vol.1 issue 281 and fully in Iron Man Vol. 1 issue 282. James Rhodes first became War Machine in Iron Man Vol.1 issue 284.

    Major Story Arcs

    West Coast Avengers

    War Machine as an Avenger
    War Machine as an Avenger

    As Iron Man, Rhodes helped found the Avengers West Coast, and was present during the group's battle with Graviton. He left the group after Stark reclaimed the Iron Man identity, but briefly returned to assist the team when Quicksilver framed both groups of Avengers for treason.

    Years later, Rhodes returned to the team as War Machine. As an Avenger, he combated such foes as Doctor Demonicus and the Pacific Overlords, and took part in the fateful battle against Satannish and the Lethal Legion. Things took a bad turn after Mockingbird's death, and War Machine ended up resigning from the Avengers in anger due to his then-ongoing feud with Tony Stark. The team itself disbanded a short while later.

    Time Wars

    During the Time Wars, James Rhodes traveled back to World War II with Sheva Josephs to stop Grinz, a Nazi officer who was receiving advanced technology from the future. Rhodes learned that Grinz was supplied by his own son, Raeder. Rhodes killed Grinz to prevent Raedar from being born; the resulting paradox shunted Rhodes and Joseph back to their own time, It was then that James Rhodes lost the War Machine Armor and was forced to retire from the superhero business.

    It was during a fishing trip, trying to relax, that an alien race came to Rhodey and bonded him with the symbiotic alien suit, known as the Eidolon Warwear. The Eidolon Warwear System was a gift from unknown aliens who apparently wished to give the world a defender for Earth's coming battle with Kang The Conqueror. The black, orange and green battlesuit was an organic partner that sensed Rhodey's heroic nature and drew him near so that it could organically bond with him. When Stark died during a battle with Kang The Conqueror, Rhodes rejoined Stark Enterprises to protect his old friend's legacy. To prevent Stark's armor technology from being misused, he used the abilities of the Eidolon Warwear armor to erase all trace of Stark's designs from the Fujikawa systems, but the armor was destroyed in the process. Rhodes gave up his superhero career and started his own salvage company. Upon Stark and the other heroes' return from Counter-Earth, the two renewed their friendship, also dealing with the new War Machine, Parnell Jacobs.

    The Crew

    No Caption Provided

    He would take a break from heroics for a while, Rhodes founded his own marine salvage company, but an extravagant lifestyle and an unscrupulous accountant left him bankrupt. Rhodes had heavily invested in Grace & Tumbalt due to their stated purpose of improving urban ethnic neighborhoods. While investigating the death of his sister Jeanette, he learned the company was corrupt, using their resources to fuel gangs and drugs. He would then form a team of superheroes called "The Crew." The team consisted of The White Tiger, Junta, and Josiah X, the son of the 1940's super-soldier Isaiah Bradley, the black Captain America. Rhodes used part of a prototype War Machine armor to face off with Triage, the head of the 66 Bridges, and the gang was dispersed by Rhodes and his allies.

    The Initiative

    Rhodey during his time at Camp Hammond
    Rhodey during his time at Camp Hammond

    After the House of M incident, he would guard the mutants as the commanding officer and head combat instructor for Sentinel Squad O*N*E* and as a key member of the Office of National Emergency, using an Iron Man like armor that took advantage of sentinel technology, he would start controlling one of the large Sentinel suits after Tony Stark designed a "War Machine" model. He would drop the Sentinel armor and return to his superhero duties once the The Initiative went into effect. Jim Rhodes is back in the War Machine Armor for the first time in over 4 years and is the Field Commander of Camp Hammond and one of the head trainers of new recruits of The Initiative program. Jim dawn his armor again because while serving as a military consultant at a base in Dubai and test piloting a combat plane, the base was bombed by terrorists Rhodes had been severely injured and without limbs while fighting the terrorists. Tony saved his with life cybernetic implants causing James to become a cyborg.

    Dark Reign

    After the events of the Secret Invasion, War Machine swore to get rid of Osborn's evil power and influence. This brought Jim to Aqiria where a friend of him, Dr. Glenda Sandoval, was kidnapped. With the help of Parnell Jacobs (Glenda's ex husband) and Bethany Cabe, War Machine infiltrated Aqiria and fought against Eaglestar's private army in order to free his friend

    After a vicious battle, War Machine confronted Ares and also Davis Harmon, Eaglestar's CEO and the man who kidnapped Glenda. Jim managed to defeat Ares, even for a brief moment and Harmon freed Sandoval from the confinement area. Harmon was sure that he couldn't be prosecuted by his war crimes due to the legal status of Aqiria, but that didn't stopped Glenda of taking justice into her own hands. But Harmon's deep secrets were opened by Ares, a rabid pack of prisoners infected by the ultimo virus. And Glenda was of the first victims becoming an enraged slave of the virus. While this is going on Bethany Cabe is currently working on making a clone body for Jim to download his mind into because his cybernetic implants were meant to be permanent , but this is discovered by Norman Osborn who steal the body.

    During this arc, James found himself facing the Doomsday device known as Ultimo, and in order to defeat it, he formed an alliance with Norman Osborn and together they defeated the robot. But Osborn revealed his true motives: to claim Ultimo for himself. While James was fighting Osborn, his Team War Machine ally Suzi Endo escaped to space with Ultimo in order to reprogram it. After Osborn defeated James, it was revealed that he was actually buying his team time in order to expose the Bainesville Ten, a group of politicians and industry captains responsible for horrific acts around the world. In order the prevent the prosecution of the Bainesville Ten, Osborn made a distraction of his own by sending Rhodes to the Hague to be tried for war crimes and crimes against humanity. The longer Rhodes' trial continues, the more time Osborn has to thwart the prosecution of the Ten and smuggles them out of the country. Rhodes sends away his lawyers and awaits prosecution in his cell room although evidence of his innocence exists.

    The world needs a War Machine
    The world needs a War Machine

    Rhodey's mom comes to his cell and attempts to talk him out of surrendering himself, but he tells her that he'll never give up and contacts his team who are in possession of his clone body, and are about to get the clone close enough to Rhodes so they can begin the transfer process of his consciousness into the body. However their plan was discovered by Osborn and sends a team of H.A.M.M.E.R. agents after Team War Machine to thwart their plan. Jim was discovered talking to his team by the guards who started attacking him until Ares appeared and fought alongside Rhodey claiming to be his "champion". In the meantime, all of the Bainesville Ten have left the U.S and Norman gave a speech claiming that Rhodes was kidnapped by Tony Stark and that a Starktech cyborg (the real War Machine) committed the "atrocities" in James' name, while Osborn was attempting to control the cloned body of Rhodes and condemn the real War Machine. In the Hague, War Machine was apparently killed while trying to protect a child. When all seemed to go well for Osborn and the Bainesville Ten, the data that was stored in James's cyborg memory was transferred to the Bainesville Ten, and they started seeing every recording of every person that has suffered because of them over and over again causing them extreme pain. After seeing this, Osborn turned around to see James in a whole new body, and he punched him in the face. Team War Machine was successful in transferring Rhodes' consciousness into the new body. Rhodes left Osborn to deal with his defeat. He was cleared of all charges and given a new "fresh" body. After this, he is recruited as part of Steve Rogers' Secret Avengers.

    War Machine 2.0

    War Machine for a new generation
    War Machine for a new generation

    While active as part of the Secret Avengers, Rhodey also acts as a liaison between Stark Resilient and the U.S. military. He becomes embroiled in a plot involving an apparently dead genius named Palmer Addley, and his suit is destroyed in the process. Rhodey is then given a new suit of sleeker, more compact armor by Tony, which allows him to act as a War Machine for the 21st century. War Machine eventually manages to thwart Addley's plot to infect the globe with nanites containing his consciousness, defeating him once and for all.

    The Long Way Down

    Iron Man again
    Iron Man again

    After it is publicly revealed that Tony had suffered a drunken relapse during the events of Fear Itself, he is forced to don a special breathalyzer that prevents him from using his Bleeding Edge armor unless Justine Hammer allows it. Realizing that this is all part of a vast conspiracy by Hammer and the Mandarin, Tony reaches out to Rhodey to help him pick up the slack.

    When the Melter, Whirlwind and Living Laser attack Los Angeles, War Machine is forced to step in after Hammer prevents Iron Man from doing so. The War Machine armor is destroyed and Rhodey is seemingly killed, but however, it turns out that this is all part of an elaborate ruse concocted with Tony. Now believed dead to the world, Rhodey is free to operate as the new Iron Man without any of the Mandarin or Hammer's hindrances.

    During his time as the new Iron Man, Rhodey battles foes such as the Mauler and Chemistro, all while being pursued by Pepper Potts, who is trying to uncover his identity. He later saves Pepper after the J.A.R.V.I.S. program in her Rescue armor develops romantic feelings and kidnaps her. After the Mandarin is defeated and the situation is resolved, Rhodey once again relinquishes the Iron Man identity to his old friend.

    Iron Patriot

    Rhodey as Iron Patriot
    Rhodey as Iron Patriot

    While part of the Secret Avengers, Rhodey is called in by his old military buddy Phil Coulson to deal with a situation involving a fleet of Iron Patriot drones, which have been given sentience by Mentallo. Rhodey is able to communicate with the drones and convince them that their destructive actions are wrong, offering instead to teach them a better way. The drones respond by sending him a new suit of Iron Patriot armor to wear as their leader.

    As Iron Patriot, Rhodey has a number of adventures, including an incident where he is forced into a plot to assassinate the former president of the United States. With help from his niece Lila, Rhodey is able to overcome the terrorists and save the day, though his father dies in the process. During his time as Iron Patriot, Rhodey also enters into a relationship with Carol Danvers, the Avenger known as Captain Marvel.

    Time Runs Out

    Following a six month Time Skip, Rhodey has returned to his War Machine identity and is shown as a member of the Avengers. He still commands his drones, which he uses to hunt the fugitive members of the Illuminati. Carol expresses concern that commanding so many drones could put a dangerous amount of strain on Rhodey's body, but he assures her he can handle it.

    Civil War II

    Rhodey is killed by Thanos
    Rhodey is killed by Thanos

    War Machine is later present with Carol when Ulysses has a vision of Thanos arriving on Earth. The Avengers head to Project Pegasus to keep Thanos from stealing the Cosmic Cube, and a massive fight ensues. Though Thanos is eventually brought down, he manages to kill War Machine in the process.

    Rhodey's death sends shock waves through the superhero community, and divides Tony and Carol on their stances regarding Ulysses' power. Sam Wilson later gives the eulogy at Rhodey's funeral, while Brother Voodoo states that his soul is at peace.

    Return

    The return of an Avenger
    The return of an Avenger

    The rising tensions between Tony and Carol eventually lead to a second superhuman civil war. During the final battle, Carol critically wounds Tony, which renders him comatose. It is eventually revealed that prior to the conflict, Tony had been tinkering with his own DNA and making minor adjustments, which eventually allow his body to "reboot" itself and heal from the grievous wounds that it had sustained during the battle with Carol. After regaining consciousness, Tony dug up Rhodey's body and applied the same process to it, restoring his old friend to life.

    A short time later, Rhodey confronts the Punisher, who had stolen the War Machine armor after Rhodey's death. After appealing to the Punisher's inner sense of military honor and telling him that he stole and dishonored Rhodey's legacy, Rhodey was able to get him to surrender the suit.

    Suits

    Variable Threat Response Battle Suit

    Variable Threat Response Battle Suit
    Variable Threat Response Battle Suit

    Rhodey first wore the War Machine armor which holds various weapons such as repulsors, unibeam, concussion pulses, twin barreled cannon in right gauntlet, laser blade in left gauntlet, wrist-mounted flamethrower, shoulder mounted gatling gun, shoulder mounted box rocket launcher and shoulder mounted particle beam. The armor has more plating and shielding than standard armors. It has a muscularly aligned matrix of crystallized iron enhanced by magnetic fields over layers of other metals like titanium, which grants him endurance capable of withstanding high caliber bullets with ease. He can withstand rockets, torpedoes and such, although he does take damage.

    A additional polyprismatic coating was developed to counter laser fire.

    Strength Level:

    Every Platform since the MARK VI amplifies the wears strength by at least 500x at 100% power. So under optimal conditions, James Rhodes can lift/press more than 200Tons when wearing a sufficient charged set of armor.

    Armor Set "Baseline Abilities:"

    Much like the Iron Man Platform, The WarMachine battlesuit can maintain sustained flight at high speeds, exceeding the speed of a jet airplane, due to the rocket propulsion units in the armors boots, and palms. War Machine's flight speed varies from a 'casual' cruising velocity of about 540mph up to MACH2 (twice the airspeed of sound). The suit is capable of moving at greater speeds for shorter distances.

    War Machine's suit has many power sources, such as solar converters, electrical batteries and an on-board generator that uses beta particle absorption as a fuel source. The suit is also able to convert nearby energy sources, such as heat or kinetic energy into electricity, or even drain electrical energy directly into the batteries for recharge. Although the suit has some open holes to allow the wearer to breathe normal air, it can be sealed off, allowing the pilot of the suit to go underwater or into space by granting its own life support and limited air supply systems.

    Stark also has equipped the War Machine armor with numerous weapons over the years, making the suit more powerful with each upgrade. The most often used weapons are the repulsor rays (magnetically channeled beams of super-heated plasma) that are fired from the suit's palms or gauntlets. Other weapons that are built into the armor include the uni-beam projector in its chest (controlling the full range of the electromagnetic spectrum from blinding searchlights to cutting lasers), pulse bolts that pick up kinetic energy along the way, so that they hit harder the further they have to travel, an electromagnetic pulse generator and energy shield. Of course a number of conventional munitions-focused micro-tech weapons (RPGs, micro-burst missiles, armor piercing rounds, mini-Gatling gun turret) are also part of the War Machine armor's weapons array.

    Tony Stark has also created many specialized models of the WarMachine armor:

    Eidolon Warwear

    Eidolon Warwear
    Eidolon Warwear

    The suit quickly adapts to environmental conditions and possible dangers, such as sealing against the vacuum of space. Protective force-fields can also be created. Furthermore, the suit is capable of healing injuries to both itself and the wearer. The suit flies incredibly fast and is suited for interstellar travel. The armor can produce (referred to as "unskinning") remote drones that can be morphed into weapons, probes etc. as the wearer needs. A set of small rotating drones are normally around the right gauntlet, while a large cannon is mounted on the left. The suit's main firepower is plasma-based.

    Sentinel Armor

    Sentinel Armor
    Sentinel Armor

    The armor is constructed of a unique mix of steel and fiberglass based on a formula developed by Mister Fantastic. The hands can fire pulsar beams while blasters are mounted in the eye and chest area. Sonics and missiles can also be deployed. Non-lethal weapons such as nets and smoke bombs are also usable.

    Stanetech Armor

    The Stanetech/Initiative armor
    The Stanetech/Initiative armor

    The gauntlets possess blasters, shoulder mounts include a gatling gun, beam weapon and rocket launcher. On at least one occasion the launcher has been set to use the Super-Powered Inhibiting Nanobots (SPIN) power neutralizer. Cannons can also extend from the chest area, epaulets, and hip pods. The arms can function even if separated from Rhodes. The armor also has satellite interface with internal monitors that allow him to access any database on the planet.

    Iron Man 2.0

    Iron Man 2.0 (Rhodey) Sketch
    Iron Man 2.0 (Rhodey) Sketch

    New and more powerful armor. Removing all of the extra bulk, and cannon rockets/machine gun, he will be getting an advanced model that resembles Iron Man's newest armor. He will be able to move much faster, however will still have the same abilities like his previous armor. Everything about this armor is upgraded. It has a new operating system, and will have different abilities that have yet to be revealed.

    "In Rhodey's internal monitors, a thing called a 'Kill Number' pops up when he eyes a new villain. That's not the number of people the villain's killed; that's a rating based on all the information Rhodey's downloaded from every accessible database on the planet that helps Rhodey decide who deserves the ultimate sanction"- Greg Pak

    The armor possesses stealth features such as invisibility and holographic projections. It also has technology similar to Iron Man's long time foe, Ghost. The War Machine can render itself and the wearer intangible. It also has a "Combat Mode" which Iron Man describes as a feature Rhodes can use to "Hulk Out" The armor does possess limitations. Intangibility and invisibility are exclusive and the add-on features drain the repulsor battery relatively fast. Chameleon Mode won't give the wearer migraines but it can still disorient the user.

    The Black Iron Man Armor

    Rhodey's new Iron Man armor
    Rhodey's new Iron Man armor

    Designed by Tony to be worn by Rhodey, this suit is mostly black, with the only visible features being the face plate, gauntlets, boots, and glowing panels. The armor has advanced cloaking features similar to the War Machine 2.0 suit, and can also fire explosive ball bearings and a powerful EMP blast. One unique feature demonstrated by the armor is the ability to project freezing cold, similar to Iceman or Blizzard. The suit was later confiscated by Tony after he returned to using the Iron Man identity.

    Iron Patriot

    The Iron Patriot armor
    The Iron Patriot armor

    The Iron Patriot suit is once again sleeker and more maneuverable than the original, bulkier War Machine armors, and has increased stealth capabilities. Additionally, it allows Rhodes to communicate with and command his squad of Iron Patriot drones.

    Powers and Abilities

    Skilled Engineer:

    Rhodes served several tours in Southeast Asia, studying while in the service to become an aviation engineer.

    Skilled Aviator:

    He is a skilled helicopter pilot and is capable of maneuvering most if not all Stark-designed armors.

    Skilled Combatant:

    Rhodes military training made him a very skilled hand to hand combatant.

    Skilled Marksman:

    Aside from his armor's weaponry, he is a very good marksman.

    Skilled Survivalist:

    With intense military training, he can survive explosions and blasts.

    Skilled Tactician

    He can make strategies in order to win.

    Character Profile

    • Height: 5'8" (6'1" in armor)
    • Weight: 182 lbs (470 lbs in armor)
    • Eye Color: Brown
    • Hair Color: Brown
    • Citizenship: American
    • Place of Birth: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
    • Marital Status: Single
    • Known Relatives: Terrence Rhodes (father, deceased), Roberta Rhodes (mother), Jeanette Rhodes (sister, deceased)
    • Base of Operations: Stark Unlimited HQ, Washington Square Park, Greenwich Village, Manhattan, New York City, New York

    Alternate Versions

    Earth-311

    In the year 1602, the Lord Iron suit was engineered by Lord Anthony Stark and Rupert Rhodes, his accomplice.

    Earth-91126

    Rhodey in the Marvel Zombies universe
    Rhodey in the Marvel Zombies universe

    In the Marvel Zombies universe, War Machine is one of the last heroes to be not infected by the zombie plague. He eventually succeeds Tony Stark as Iron Man, and becomes a member of the Illuminati. As the years pass, he gradually replaces the infected parts of his body, becoming a cyborg in the process. Donning the Iron Man armor, he eventually battles the zombified Sentry and his gang, and is ultimately left as one of the few survivors after a nanite swarm finally destroys the zombie hordes.

    Earth-982

    MC2 Jim Rhodes
    MC2 Jim Rhodes

    In the alternate future of MC2, Jim Rhodes has become a humanoid robot because of nano implants inside him gave him superhuman capabilities but at the cost of his mind being wipe out. Supposedly Tony Stark was supposed to infect himself with the nanotechnology by Jim thought that it was too much of a sacrifice to himself to do such an act, so he volunteered for the experiment. Although now-blessed with exponentially-increasing invulnerability and an impressive array of energy-based attacks, the nanites slowly corrupt Rhodes' mind, eventually destroying his personality and leaving him as little more than a very powerful, humanoid robot. He eventually works as a personal bodyguard for Tony Stark, and although he adopts a super hero uniform. During a mission with members of the original Avengers to bring in the Venom-symbiote. One of the Scarlet Witch's hex bolts hit Jim and caused him to go out of control. Eventually Spider-girl and Normie Osborn who was the user of the symbiote at the time was able to short out the nano-bots that left Jim comatose. Allowing Tony Stark to repair his neural patterns.

    Earth-1610

    Earth-1610 Ultimate
    Earth-1610 Ultimate

    In the Ultimate Universe, Jim Rhodes is first seen a student being bullied at school until he was defended by Tony Stark. He even let Rhodey wear his Iron Man suit that he and his father was developing. Jim was later making his own armor named War Machine, which he plans on trading with Tony's Iron Man suit when he finished with it. Tony and Rhodey use their armor to go after a terrorist cell for the government. As an adult, Rhodes is recruited into the Avengers by Nick Fury.

    U.S War Machine

    No Caption Provided

    In the alternate universe the series takes place in Rhodey was portrayed the same as his 616 counterpart. He is fired by Tony Stark (who was drunk at the time) for killing an black criminal that had just executed a white woman. The press deemed this a hate crime not knowing the pilot of the War Machine armor was also black. He is attacked by his former friend Parnel Jacobs who is looking for the War Machine armor (that Rhodes no longer has). The duo are then taken into custody by S.H.I.E.L.D. for a new team. S.H.I.E.L.D. has acquired the remains of another War Machine armor and has reverse engineered it for their own special ops team, U.S. War Machines. Rhodes and Jacobs are to comprise part of the team (with Rhodes serving as field commander). Unlike the 616 universe, these armors use standard ballistic armaments, not energy weapons. A fatal flaw in the original design of the armors had the power cell for the armor dead center on the chest. This was fixed immediately.

    Other Media

    Television

    X-Men: The Animated Series

    One of War Machine's cameos
    One of War Machine's cameos

    War Machine makes a non-speaking cameo in the Season 2 episode "Time Fugitives: Part 1," where he can be seen at S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters, watching Graydon Creed's speech about a deadly plague that is supposedly spread by mutants (which in reality, was created by Apocalypse) alongside Nick Fury and G.W. Bridge. He makes a return appearance in the Season 3 episode "Phoenix Saga: Part 5 - Child of Light," where he is seen as one of the heroes rescuing civilians in New York City after the M'Kraan Crystal throws the planet into chaos.

    Iron Man: The Animated Series

    War Machine in the 90s cartoon
    War Machine in the 90s cartoon

    War Machine appears as a main character and a member of Force Works. Like in the comics, Rhodey is Tony's close personal friend and confidant. Throughout the season, he and his teammates face numerous threats, many of which are related to the Mandarin. At the start of the second season, Force Works disbands after learning that Tony faked his death and neglected to inform the rest of the team. Despite being angry, Rhodey and Julia Carpenter are the only members of the group who remain by Tony's side. Throughout Season 2, Rhodey struggles with his role as a hero, and begins suffering anxiety attacks after being forced to confront his hydrophobia. He temporarily abandons the War Machine armor, which is eventually destroyed by Tony during the "Armor Wars" story arc. He makes his triumphant return as War Machine in the series finale, and plays a major role in rescuing the other heroes after they are captured by the Mandarin.

    War Machine was voiced by James Avery in the first season, and by Dorian Harewood in the second.

    Spider-Man: The Animated Series

    War Machine in Spider-Man: TAS
    War Machine in Spider-Man: TAS

    War Machine appears in the episode "Venom Returns," with James Avery reprising his role from the Iron Man cartoon. He is first seen as a gruff Stark Enterprises security chief who is sent to oversee a teleportation demonstration in New York. When Venom crashes the demonstration and attacks Spider-Man, Rhodey dons the War Machine armor and helps Spider-Man fight the villain. The two heroes initially hold their own, but the tide turns when Carnage arrives to assist Venom. In the following episode, "Carnage," Venom and Carnage manage to escape with the teleportation device, which Baron Mordo plans to use to allow Dormammu to enter the human realm. War Machine manages to protect Spider-Man's identity from J. Jonah Jameson before collapsing from the injuries sustained from the battle with the symbiotes. He is unable to assist Spider-Man any further, which leads to Tony flying in from the West Coast to help Spider-Man while Rhodey recovers.

    The Incredible Hulk

    War Machine in the Hulk series
    War Machine in the Hulk series

    Dorian Harewood reprises his role as War Machine in the episode "Helping Hand, Iron Fist." At the start of the episode, War Machine is shown acting as the head of security at the Stark Enterprises plant in Los Angeles, and intercepts Rick Jones after the teen attempts to break into the building in search of Tony Stark. The two eventually become friends of sorts, bonding over their similar experiences in helping out troubled friends (Tony and Bruce Banner, respectively). When General Ross and the Hulkbusters attack the facility in order to capture Banner, Rhodey suits up as War Machine to help fight them off.

    The Invincible Iron Man

    Rhodes appears in The Invincible Iron Man, but does not utilize any sort of armor. The War Machine armor appeared in Ultimate Avengers 2, piloted by Tony. Rhodes was voiced by Rodney Saulsberry.

    Iron Man: Armored Adventures

    War Machine and Iron Man
    War Machine and Iron Man

    War Machine has featured in the most recent animated adventures featuring Iron Man. In the series, the stars have been de-aged into teenagers who are still in high school. Rhodey gains the War Machine armor at the close of season 1, where he uses it to help Tony in a battle against Fin Fang Foom. He continues to act as Tony's partner throughout the second season, where the two are eventually joined in the heroics by Pepper, who becomes Rescue. Rhodey was voiced by Daniel Bacon.

    The Super Hero Squad Show

    The Super Hero Squad
    The Super Hero Squad

    War Machine guest-starred in the episode "Tales of Suspense", voiced by Star Trek alum Levar Burton.

    The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes

    EMH
    EMH

    Rhodey did not appear in the first season beyond one of the micro episodes that acted as a prequel to the series. He eventually made a proper debut in the season 2 episode "Alone Against AIM", where he used his War Machine armor to help the Avengers fight AIM and the Technovore. When Captain America asked why War Machine was not a member of the Avengers, he responded by saying that he had little desire to be a superhero, and only donned the armor in the first place to keep Tony out of trouble (possibly an inside joke to his absence in the Avenger film). Despite this, War Machine returned in the series finale, "Avengers Assemble!" as one of the numerous heroes who helped the team fight off Galactus. He was voiced by Bumper Robinson

    Iron Man: Rise of Technovore

    Rise of Technovore
    Rise of Technovore

    War Machine appears in the Japanese anime film Iron Man: Rise of Technovore, voiced by Hiroki Yasumoto in the original version and by James C. Mathis III in the English dub. In the film he wears a bulkier suit of armor reminiscent of his Ultimate counterpart.

    He is thought dead after being attacked by Ezekiel Stane at the beginning of the film, but is healed by the Technovore virus and aids Stark is the final battle.

    Avengers Confidential: Black Widow & Punisher

    War Machine makes a cameo appearance in Avengers Confidential: Black Widow & Punisher, acting as a member of the Avengers.

    Marvel Disk Wars: The Avengers

    War Machine appears in the Japanese anime series Marvel Disk Wars: The Avengers, as one of the Avengers trapped in the DISK technology by Loki. He is voiced by Hidenori Takahashi.

    What If...?

    War Machine appears in the animated series for Disney+, voiced by Don Cheadle.

    Live-Action

    Iron Man

    Terrence Howard as Rhodey
    Terrence Howard as Rhodey

    In the 2008 film Iron Man, James Rhodes is played by Terrence Howard. In the film, Rhodes is a US Air Force Colonel who serves as the military's chief liaison to Stark Industries. He is also Tony Stark's most trusted ally and best friend. In film Rhodes is constantly covering for Tony and watching out for his back. In this film Rhodes doesn't don the War Machine armor, there is one particular scene where he glimpses at an older version of Iron Man's armor and proclaims: ''Next time, baby.''

    Iron Man 2

    Don Cheadle as War Machine
    Don Cheadle as War Machine

    War Machine appeared in the 2010 cinema release of Iron Man 2, with actor Don Cheadle replacing Terrence Howard from the first movie. Rhodes begins to take a more active role in Tony's new life as Iron Man. Rhodes is at first worried about Tony's declining health, but knows something has to be done. During Tony's birthday party, Stark gets drunk while wearing the armor. he then proceeds to fire his weapons in house.

    Rhodes seeing the potential danger that may follow, dons one of Tony's older suits. He orders Tony to stand down, Stark on the other hand wants to continue his prty. A fight ensues and Tony clearly has the upperhand. The fight is long and destructive. In the end both armored men end up in the kitchen, staring each other down. A verbal fight ensues. James thinks Tony isn't fit to wear the suit, Tony reacts by by saying Rhodes can't handle the armor even going as far as saying: '' You think you can handle the suit, you think you can become a War Machine!!''.

    Both men fire of their repulsors at the same time, thereby creating a energy sphere. The sphere grows larger and larger until it explodes in a bright flash. After the flash Tony looks up to see Rhodes at the window with a look of discontent on his face. Rhodes activates his jets and flies off. The following morning we see a military base. James Rhodes arrives at this base in the armor. his superior is very happy with their new addition and contacts Justin Hammer to weaponise the suit. Justin is delighted with the suit and gathers all possible weapons that could be fitted onto the suit. After giving the demonstration Justin asks what Rhodes thinks about it, Rhodes reacts by taking all the weapons.

    Later at the Stark Expo, Hammer unveils his new military drones, captained by Rhodes in a heavily-weaponized version of the confiscated Mark II armor, now referred to as the Variable Threat Response Battlesuit. Stark arrives at the expo in his new Mark VI armor, attempting to warn Rhodes and find Vanko, but Vanko takes complete control of both the drones and Rhodes's new armor and attacks Iron Man. Rhodes is unable to move and warns Tony of his attacks. Tony, Rhodes and the drones engage in a chase which ends up in a Japanese garden. Black Widow manages to hack Vanko's system and gives Rhodes control over his armor back. Together they fight off the rest of the drones. They then confront Vanko, who has developed a powerful suit of armor for himself based on a Hammer battle suit but incorporating scaled-up plasma whips that he used against Stark earlier. Stark and Rhodes are easily overpowered by Vanko's more powerful armor. Stark and Rhodes are promptly strangled by Vanko in his plasma whips and with their armors being heavily damaged. Stark and Rhodes then overloaded their repulsor gauntlets and aimed the repulsor beams towards one another. The resultant repulsor beam collision created a massive explosion and shockwave that successfully destroyed Vanko's armor. A dying Vanko reveals he had rigged his armor and the drones to self destruct. Iron Man and War machine rush off to save Pepper. Tony saves the girl and they kiss.They are surprised to see Rhodes also on the roof. It turned out that Rhodes arrived at the same rooftop earlier than them and witnessed them kissing. He leaves with the War Machine armor despite Stark's objection, determined to keep the armor for national security purposes.

    Iron Man 3

    Rhodey as Iron Patriot
    Rhodey as Iron Patriot

    Don Cheadle reprises his role in Iron Man 3, set a year after the events of The Avengers. He is shown sporting an upgraded, sleeker suit of armor, which the film's prequel comic reveals was given to him by Tony.

    At the start of the film, he is working as a government-sanctioned superhero, and is rebranded as "Iron Patriot" to combat the Mandarin and his Ten Rings organization. While hunting down Ten Rings cells in the Middle East, he is captured by one of Aldrich Killian's Extremis soldiers. Killian sends his enforcer, Eric Savin, to kidnap the President while disguised in the Iron Patriot armor, while Rhodey escapes and teams up with Tony to stop Killian's plans.

    In the finale, Rhodey manages to take down two of Killian's Extremis soldiers despite his lack of armor, and saves President Ellis from his impending execution. He is last seen reclaiming his suit and flying Ellis to safety.

    Avengers: Age of Ultron

    War Machine joins the Avengers
    War Machine joins the Avengers

    Don Cheadle once again reprises his role in Avengers: Age of Ultron. In the film, he is back to his War Machine identity and no longer sports his Iron Patriot colors.

    He is recruited by Nick Fury and Maria Hill to help defend the Helicarrier from Ultron's drones during the evacuation of Sokovia, and helps prevent the drones from escaping. During the final scene of the movie, War Machine is officially inducted into the team as part of Captain America's new team of Avengers.

    Captain America: Civil War

    War Machine in Civil War
    War Machine in Civil War

    Don Cheadle reprises his role in Captain America: Civil War, with War Machine acting as part of the Avengers. He now sports a new, more heavily armed suit.

    When the team becomes divided by the Sokovia Accords (a set of laws designed to regulate the Avengers), Rhodey is one of the heroes who argues in favor of the Accords, saying the Avengers need oversight.

    During the battle between the two teams, War Machine is badly injured after Vision accidentally blasts him out of the sky. The accident damages Rhodey's spine and paralyzes him.

    Avengers: Infinity War

    War Machine in Infinity War
    War Machine in Infinity War

    Don Cheadle once again returns in Avengers: Infinity War. After the events of Civil War, he is shown utilizing a special exo-skeleton to walk again. When the fugitive Avengers return to Avengers HQ after Vision is attacked by members of the Black Order, Rhodey reunites with his former allies and accompanies them to Wakanda. During the final battle, War Machine and the other Avengers fight against the Black Order and their army of Outriders. After Thanos completes the Infinity Gauntlet and kills off half of the universe's sentient population, Rhodey is seen as one of the few remaining heroes on Earth.

    Avengers: Endgame

    War Machine in Endgame
    War Machine in Endgame

    Don Cheadle reprises his role again for Avengers: Endgame. In the aftermath of Infinity War, Rhodey is left as one of the surviving Avengers. Five years later, he and the rest of the team embark on a journey through time in order to steal the Infinity Stones, with War Machine and Nebula going to 2014 to retrieve the Power Stone. During the mission, the two bond over their respective disabilities. War Machine again suits up during the final battle against Thanos and his army, and is with Tony when he dies. At the end of the film, Rhodey is seen at Tony's funeral.

    The Falcon and the Winter Soldier

    Rhodey and Sam
    Rhodey and Sam

    Rhodey makes a cameo appearance in the first episode of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, where he attends the ceremony being held for Captain America's shield at the Smithsonian Institution.

    Armor Wars

    No Caption Provided

    Don Cheadle will reprise his role as War Machine for Armor Wars, an upcoming Disney+ mini-series based on the comic storyline of the same name. The plot of the event sees Rhodey setting off to protect the deceased Tony Stark's legacy after his technology is stolen.

    Video Games

    Marvel vs. Capcom Series (1998-2011)

    War Machine in the MVC games
    War Machine in the MVC games

    War Machine appeared as a playable character, notably replacing Iron Man, who was absent in this game due to rights issues. In the game, his moves are mostly copies of Iron Man's moves from Marvel Super Heroes. A gold variant of War Machine was also available as a separate unlockable character. This version of the character could not block or fly, but had a slightly tweaked moveset and was unable to be stunned by attacks.

    He returned as a playable fighter in the sequel, Marvel vs. Capcom 2: New Age of Heroes (2000). Due to Iron Man returning, War Machine was given many of the moves previously used by his golden variant from the last game in order to differentiate the two armored heroes. In both games, War Machine was voiced by Wayne Ward.

    War Machine is not present as a playable character in the third game, Marvel vs Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds (2011). However, he does show up in Hawkeye's ending in the update, Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 (released the same year), where he is seen as part of the new West Coast Avengers team.

    Iron Man (2008)

    Developed by Sega, voiced by his movie counterpart Terrence Howard, he features as a non-playable character.

    Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2 (2009)

    War Machine in UA2
    War Machine in UA2

    Voiced by Nolan North, War Machine appears as a non-playable boss character in the Anti-Registration campaign, exclusively to the PS3 and Xbox 360 versions of the game.

    Marvel Super Hero Squad (2009)

    War Machine is featured as an unlockable character.

    Iron Man 2 (2010)

    Iron Man 2
    Iron Man 2

    Developed once again by Sega and voiced by his movie counterpart, this time being Don Cheadle. He features as a playable character, with additional dialogue provided by Phil LaMarr.

    Marvel: Avengers Alliance (2012 - )

    War Machine in his classic armor
    War Machine in his classic armor

    War Machine appears as an unlockable character in the Marvel: Avengers Alliance video game on Facebook. He is a Tactician Class character.

    Disney Infinity: Marvel Super Heroes (2014)

    Iron Patriot appears as a sidekick character.

    Marvel Heroes 2015

    War Machine in Marvel Heroes
    War Machine in Marvel Heroes

    War Machine appears as a Team-Up character in the original version of the game, voiced by James C. Mathis III. He could be summoned to assist the player's hero. He was added as a fully playable character in the Marvel Heroes 2015 expansion.

    Lego Marvel Super Heroes (2013)

    James Rhodes appears in the game as both War Machine and Iron Patriot, voiced by Phil LaMarr.

    Marvel Contest Of Champions (2015)

    Contest of Champions
    Contest of Champions

    War Machine appears as one of the playable fighters in this mobile app game. He was one of the characters added to the game to promote the release of the Ant-Man movie.

    Marvel Future Fight (2015)

    Iron Patriot appears as a playable character.

    Lego Marvel's The Avengers (2016)

    James Rhodes is playable character in the game as both War Machine and Iron Patriot. He is also a part of Captain America: Civil War DLC pack. He also returns in the follow-up, Lego Marvel Super Heroes 2.

    Merchandise

    Comics

    Marvel Legends
    Marvel Legends
    • Toy Biz released another War Machine figure in its Hall of Fame line, which included a removable helmet.
    • War Machine was featured twice in Toy Biz's Marvel Legends line, first in his U.S. War Machine suit, and again as a repaint of Iron Man's modular armor in a chase set with the Mandarin for the Marvel Legends Face-Off series.
    • Once the Marvel Legends line was taken over by Hasbro, a War Machine figure based off his appearance in Ultimate Iron Man was released.
    • A War Machine figure was released for Hasbro's Marvel Universe line as a special two-pack with Spider-Woman.
    • Several Marvel Mini-Mates of War Machine have been released.
    • One of Hasbro's comic War Machine toys from Iron Man 2 was later repainted and released as part of a special West Coast Avengers three-pack with Hawkeye and Mockingbird.
    • Hasbro released a deluxe Marvel Legends War Machine figure based on his classic appearance.

    Movies

    S.H. Figuarts
    S.H. Figuarts
    • Despite the War Machine armor not actually appearing in the movie, Hasbro released a War Machine figure as part of its line for the original 2008 Iron Man film. The figure was renamed the "Stealth Operations Suit" for unknown reasons, but the bio still listed James Rhodes as the pilot.
    • Hasbro released several different War Machine figures for Iron Man 2.
    • Hot Toys released a heavily detailed War Machine figure for Iron Man 2. A special version with an altered paint job was later released through Sideshow Collectibles.
    • Diamond released a War Machine figure for Iron Man 2 for Marvel Select.
    • Lego released both a War Machine and Iron Patriot figure for Iron Man 3.
    • Several different War Machine and Iron Patriot figures were released by Hasbro for Iron Man 3, one of which being Iron Patriot for Marvel Legends Iron Monger Build-A-Figure wave.
    • Diamond also released a War Machine and Iron Patriot figure for Marvel Select line for IronMan 3.
    • Hot Toys released an Iron Patriot figure and bust for Iron Man 3, as well as a War Machine figure for Avengers: Age of Ultron.
    • Hasbro released a few War Machine figures for Avengers: Age of Ultron, including a two-pack with Captain America and for Marvel Legends Age of Ultron Hulkbuster Build-A-Figure wave. Ironically, War Machine saw more merchandise than characters like Quicksilver, who played larger roles in the actual movie.
    • Bandai Tamashii Nations has released several different War Machine figures featuring his incarnations from Iron Man 2 and Avengers: Age of Ultron, as well as his Iron Patriot incarnation from Iron Man 3.
    • Hot Toys released another War Machine figure for Avengers: Age of Ultron, as well as a chibi-like figure for their Cosbaby line.
    • Hot Toys released another War Machine figure for Captain America: Civil War, as well as subsequent versions for Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame.
    • War Machine was featured in Hasbro's Marvel Legends waves for Avengers Endgame in both his War Machine suit (seen only in promotional images) and the Iron Patriot suit he wears during the final battle.

    Other

    From Dragon Models and Tamashii Nations
    From Dragon Models and Tamashii Nations
    • War Machine was featured in Toy Biz's line for the 90s Iron Man animated series.
    • A War Machine toy was included in a special two-pack alongside Mega Man for Toy Biz's Marvel Vs. Capcom line.

    • Sentinel Toys released a War Machine figure as part of their RE:EDIT line.
    • Moebius released a model kit of War Machine for Iron Man 2.
    • Dragon Models released a War Machine model kit for Iron Man 3.
    • Dragon Models also released an Iron Patriot model kit for Iron Man 3.
    • Japanese toy company Happy Kuji produced a War Machine figurine for Avengers: Infinity War.
    • War Machine was featured in Bandai's line for the Marvel Disk Wars anime.
    • A samurai version of War Machine was featured in Bandai Tamashii Nations' Meisho Manga Realization line.
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