War Machine

"138 combat missions. That's how many I've flown, Tony. Every one of them could've been my last, but I flew 'em. Because the fight needed to be fought."

- James Rhodes to Tony Stark

Colonel James Rupert "Rhodey" Rhodes is an officer with the United States Air Force and liaison between the military in the Department of Acquisitions and Stark Industries, where he became close friends with Tony Stark. When Stark had been kidnapped by the Ten Rings, Rhodes personally led a mission to rescue his best friend. However, upon their return, Rhodes saw Stark moving away from developing his weapons for the military and soon discovered that he was instead focusing on becoming a hero known as Iron Man. Despite all of his fears for his friend's safety, Rhodes still joined Iron Man in bringing down Obadiah Stane's schemes, while trying to keep Stark's secrets, only for Stark to reveal them to the media himself.

With Iron Man's identity known, Rhodes found himself under pressure from the United States Congress and the military to take possession of the armor for himself, something that he was against. However, as Stark's reckless behaviour got even worse, Rhodes had no choice but to take the Mark II before handing it over to the military, with Justin Hammer upgrading it with his new weapons to rebrand Rhodes as War Machine. However, just as War Machine was being presented to the world, Ivan Vanko returned and attacked the Stark Expo with an army of Hammer Drones, as War Machine teamed up with Iron Man to bring him down, resulting in Rhodes keeping the armor for himself, despite Stark's continued objections.

With his newest armor, Rhodes took on the identity of the Iron Patriot and worked directly for President Matthew Ellis, with a mission to track down the Mandarin. However, Rhodes had soon discovered that the Mandarin was in fact a ruse created by Aldrich Killian by hiring actor Trevor Slattery to portray the role, as Killian managed to capture Rhodes and steal the Iron Patriot Armor, as Killian's henchman, Eric Savin, then used it to kidnap President Ellis as part of his ongoing Mandarin ruse. Rhodes managed to free himself and teamed up with Stark to defeat Killian's army of Extremis Soldiers and save President Ellis before Killian could publicly execute him, as Rhodes also uncovered Vice President Rodriguez's role in Killian's plan.

As War Machine, Rhodes continued serving his country and assisted the Avengers with defeating Ultron, as War Machine played a key role in ensuring that the people of Sokovia were rescued before Ultron could cause mass extinction. However, Rhodes soon found himself in conflict with the Avengers as the debate over the Sokovia Accords led to Captain America and Iron Man disagreeing and War Machine choosing to side with the government in support of the Accords. As the conflict worsened, War Machine clashed with Captain America's allies while they tried to protect the Winter Soldier and expose the plans of Helmut Zemo, only for War Machine to be crippled as he had been inadvertently shot out of the sky by the Vision.

Having been given leg braces by Tony Stark to help him walk again, Rhodes had became disillusioned by the government and decided to disobey Thaddeus Ross' orders and instead assisted Steve Rogers as they had learned of the impending invasion of the Mad Titan, Thanos and his Black Order. Once they traveled to Wakanda in order to protect the Mind Stone from Thanos, War Machine fought alongside his allies in their attempts to hold back the Black Order and their own army of Outriders. However, as Thanos arrived himself, War Machine and the others were unable to defeat him as Thanos took the Mind Stone and caused the Decimation, as War Machine had watched on helplessly while trillions of lives were erased.

Work at Stark Industries
James Rhodes first met Tony Stark at a young age and the two of them became best friends, in a close bond/rivalry that would last their entire lives. When he grew older, Rhodes was made a Lieutenant Colonel and, due to his continued friendship with Stark, became the liaison between Stark Industries and the United States Armed Forces.

Meeting Eloise and Celeste
"Is Rhodey coming along? He's cute."

- Celeste

Tony Stark represented the newest weapon to the US Military at the. Stark's secretary Pepper Potts gave the weapon's specifics to the generals while he and Rhodes went to a nightclub. Stark enjoyed the company of two girls while Rhodes tried to convince him not to go to Afghanistan. Stark was attacked by a man whose girlfriend he previously seduced, but Rhodes defeated the attacker. Later, Stark, Rhodes, and the girls went to Tony Stark's Mansion.

Presenting Stark's Award
"Nobody roped me into anything, but they told me that if I presented you with an award you would be deeply honored." "Of course I'd be deeply honored, and it's you and that's great."

- James Rhodes and Tony Stark

Rhodes was invited to attend an award ceremony at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas in order to present Tony Stark with an award for all of his work. As Rhodes stood on the stage, he told the audience that he felt that it was an honor to be the liaison between Stark Industries and the United States Armed Forces, calling Stark a true patriot and a close friend. However, as it turned out, Stark was not in attendance as he did not come to the stage when Rhodes called him. As the entire audience applauded for Stark, Obadiah Stane had instead accepted the award from Rhodes in Stark's honor. While Rhodes stood to the back of the room, he listened while Stane claimed that the reason Stark was not at the ceremony to collect the award in person would be because he was still working, which Rhodes knew would be highly unlikely. Heading back in Las Vegas, Rhodes had eventually found his friend while he was still partying in one of the casinos and scolded him for not attending their award ceremony, although Stark just denied any knowledge that Rhodes was the one who would present the award, sarcastically claiming that he was deeply honored that Rhodes had done it. He continued to show little sign of taking anything seriously as he continued to joke, gamble and flirt with the beautiful women around him, even teasing Rhodes by asking him to blow on his dice; before long, Stark had lost his bet for ten million dollars and decided that it was time to go home, much to the great relief of Rhodes. As they exited the casino with Happy Hogan and Stark's entire team of personal bodyguards, Stark shook hands with Rhodes while they then agreed upon the time to meet to leave for Afghanistan onboard the Stark Industries Private Jet, while Rhodes had insisted that Stark could not turn up late. Once Rhodes had left, Stark then handed over the award to a member of the casino's staff before leaving to return back to Malibu with Hogan and the rest of his entourage.

Private Plane Ride
"I told you I'm not mad, I'm indifferent, okay?" "I said I was sorry" "No need to apologize. I'm just indifferent right now. You don't respect yourself, so I know you don't respect me."

- James Rhodes and Tony Stark

The next day, Tony Stark had indeed arrived late to his meeting with Rhodes, having had sex with Christine Everhart, Rhodes attempted to chastize his friend but was simply ignored as Stark claimed that he was caught doing a piece for while Happy Hogan loaded his bags. Although Rhodes had continued to try and chastize Stark, he was told that he was now the one holding up the plane. During the flight on Afghanistan onboard the Stark Industries Private Jet, Rhodes talked with Stark and made it clear that he was unhappy about Stark's lax attitude, and Stark tried to get his friend to relax. Rhodes however insisted that Stark viewed him as nothing more than his babysitter, to which Stark then responded by requesting that the stewardesses bring them some drinks, although Rhodes insisted that they should not be drinking but should focus on their work. Although Rhodes insisted he would not be drinking as he had work to do, Stark eventually won him over as they began drinking together. Before long, Rhodes and Stark were drunk as Rhodes ranted about his experiences being with the United States Air Force, while Stark was distracted by leering at the three stewardesses who had danced provocatively around a stripper pole. While Stark had left with one stewardess, Rhodes was left with the other two who seduced him. By the next morning, Rhodes had awoken with a serious hangover as even the sound of Stark happily eating all his breakfast hurt Rhodes' head, as Stark showed no sign of a hangover. Just as Rhodes got to his feet and prepared to get into bed in order to get some rest before they arrived, the stewardess returned as she informed them that they were just about to land in Afghanistan and had then advised them to take their seats, much to the considerable annoyance of Rhodes.

Weapons Presentation
"Hey Tony!" "I'm sorry, this is the fun-vee. The hum-drum-vee is back there." "Nice job." "See you back at base."

- James Rhodes and Tony Stark

Once the Stark Industries Private Jet had landed, Rhodes and Tony Stark had arrived at a military outpost in Afghanistan to demonstrate the Jericho. While Stark had gotten out of their plane first and happily greeted all of their military leaders, including Major General William Gabriel, Rhodes took a little longer to get out of their plane due to his hangover, which Stark had still continued to mock. As the presentation went ahead, Rhodes stood beside Gabriel and the other United States Armed Forces leaders as they watched Stark give his speech about the Jericho, the new super-missile system with terrifying destructive capabilities designed by Stark Industries. As the missile was demonstrated, the shockwave from the blast knocked everyone backwards, and had the desired effect as Gabriel and all of the others agreed to buy the weapons from Stark and Rhodes. Following the successful demonstration, Rhodes greeted Stark while he was speaking to Obadiah Stane and congratulated him. Stark had then gone off with the Humvee convoy, before jokingly telling Rhodes to wait for the next one. However Stark's Humvee was soon attacked by the Ten Rings and Stark had disappeared without a trace. Rhodes took command of their rescue mission to locate his friend, although they were unable to find Stark in the mountains and deserts.

Rescuing Tony Stark
"I'm going back there, sir." "It's been three months without a single indication that Stark is even alive, we can't keep risking assets, least of all you." "Are you blocking my transfer now?"

- James Rhodes and William Gabriel

Following the disappearance of Tony Stark, Rhodes then personally led missions to try and find him, with no avail. Having returned to the United States of America, Rhodes decided that he would return to Afghanistan in order to continue the search, regardless of how hopeless it seemed. Just as Rhodes prepared to board the plane, Major General William Gabriel requested private word with Rhodes. Clearly unsure of Rhodes' plan to continue searching for Stark in the desert, Gabriel noted how unlikely it was that they would be able to find the Ten Rings' hideout. Seeing Rhodes' determination, Gabriel noted how the other soldiers in the United States Air Force would do anything for the career that Rhodes was currently risking by going on this futile search mission, however he still approved Rhodes' right to go and wished him good luck as Rhodes had saluted Gabriel. Upon returning to Afghanistan, Rhodes led a military unit as they flew across the desert, searching for any indication that Stark was still alive. During their search, they suddenly found Stark, walking alone through the desert, having escaped from Raza's base. Landing the helicopter, Rhodes ran to his friend and teased him about his choice in Humvee, before they embraced on another, with Rhodes amazed that they had actually been able to find Stark alive in the desert.

Stark's New Direction
"What's with the love-in?" "Don't look at me, I don't know what he's up to."

- James Rhodes and Pepper Potts

Having rescued him from the Ten Rings, Rhodes had then personally brought Tony Stark back home from Afghanistan to the United States of America, as Rhodes helped Stark walk off the plane by holding his hand. Once they had arrived at the Edwards Air Force Base, Stark had then told Rhodes to get rid of all medical assistance that was waiting for him and then told Pepper Potts to call a press conference for him immediately. Once they arrived back at the Stark Industries Headquarters, Rhodes watched on as Stark had appeared before the group of reporters and cameramen alongside Obadiah Stane. Rhodes watched the speech alongside Pepper Potts and listened as Stark asked everyone to sit down on the floor, which Rhodes compared to the hippy movement. Rhodes watched with Potts as Stark then discussed his relationship with Howard Stark and how he wished he could speak with his father about the legacy of Stark Industries in the wake of seeing how all his weapons were used by the Ten Rings against American soldiers. As the speech went on, Stark was asked about what had happened to him during his time in the Ten Rings Base, to which Stark claimed that he had had his eyes opened. With that, Stark then informed the reporters how he intended to shut down Stark Industries' weapons manufacturing division immediately, much to their surprise and the horror of Rhodes, Potts, and Stane, as Rhodes bowed his head while Stane desperately tried to calm the situation and removed Stark.

Visited by Stark
"You 'bout to make a whole lotta people around here real happy, 'cause that little stunt at the press conference, that was a doozy." "This... is not for the military. I'm not... it's different." "What, you... you a humanitarian now or something?"

- James Rhodes and Tony Stark

While back at the Edwards Air Force Base, Rhodes was giving a talk to some United States Air Force recruits about the value of manned fighter jets such as the F-22 Raptor, during which Rhodes had also insisted that no unmanned vehicle would ever trump a pilot's instincts during a combat situation. The talk was interrupted by the arrival of Tony Stark who had personally greeted all of the recruits. While Stark briefly teased Rhodes by hinting at stories of their time together during Spring Break in 1987, which made Ronald Coultrap and Ralph Vats laugh. Once Rhodes had dismissed the recruits, he spoke with Stark who had claimed that he was working on big new project, which initially delighted Rhodes initially was delighted as he believed this meant that Stark Industries had decided to reopen it's work with the military following Stark's recent press conference. However, Stark revealed that this was a private project which he did not intend to involve the United States Armed Forces with. Frustrated upon hearing all this, Rhodes had then made it clear that he did not agree with what Stark was currently doing and he thought Stark was suffering from disorder because of his capture by the Ten Rings and needed time to recover so that he could return to building weapons for the military as he had done previously.

Creation of Iron Man
"No, you see, this is not a game. You do not send civilian equipment into my active war zone. You understand that?" "It's not a piece of equipment, I'm in it! It's a suit! It's me!"

- James Rhodes and Iron Man

In Gulmira, Afghanistan, terrorists from the Ten Rings were rounding up civilians for capture and execution when they were confronted by a mysterious figure in red and gold armour. Within seconds, Iron Man had easily defeated all of the terrorists and destroyed all the weapons they had obtained, resulting in Rhodes being called in to investigate the situation. While Iron Man left the area, Rhodes questioned how it was possible that Iron Man had just shown up in Afghanistan without ever being spotted on their radar, being informed that it was not stealth but did appear to be tiny. While Allen had questioned what they were dealing with, Rhodes decided to make a call to Tony Stark, believing that he could be the one responsible for whatever this thing was since it was targeting the terrorists who kidnapped him a few months earlier. As Stark had made excuses about where he was, Rhodes informed him of their ongoing situation and questioned whether or not he had any Stark Industries technology in the area that could be responsible, which Stark denied. During their conversation, F-22 Raptors spotted Iron Man as Rhodes informed Stark that they intended to destroy the weapon. Rhodes communicated with the pilots as they attempted to destroy the weapon, unable to determine exactly what it was. Iron Man tried to outrun the jets, going supersonic before one of the jets fired his missile at him, which Iron Man destroyed by deploying flairs. Rhodes and Allen continued watching all this from Edwards Air Force Base before Iron Man suddenly disappeared from their radar. While they tried to understand what happened, Stark called Rhodes again and confessed that he was indeed the one responsible for the unidentified craft they were chasing, which had enraged Rhodes. Just as Rhodes was furiously confronting Stark for sending in more of his unauthorized equipment in US airspace, he became horrified when Stark explained that the equipment was a suit of armour which he was wearing. At this moment, Iron Man was spotted under one of the jets, resulting in them shaking him off and Iron Man inadvertently destroying one of the wings. Despite the pilot being in grave danger, Rhodes watched as Iron Man came to his rescue just in time. Although the second pilot got a visual on Iron Man and questioned if he should reengage with the target, Rhodes suggested that because they did not know exactly what this was, they should hold back on destroying it, choosing to keep it secret that Stark was the one who was actually inside the armour. However, Allen insisted that Iron Man should be destroyed for taking down an Air Force jet in a legal no fly zone, ordering the pilot to shoot when he got a clear shot. Fortunately, Iron Man was able to get away from the second jet and escaped, as Stark called Rhodes, who insisted that Stark now owed the Air Force a new plane to replace the one he destroyed. Although Stark invited Rhodes to his Mansion in Malibu to see his new project, Rhodes questioned what he should tell the press about this. Rhodes then took Stark's advice and held his press conference, claiming that the incident was due to an accident during a training exercise.

Obadiah Stane's Betrayal
"That's the coolest thing I've ever seen." "Not bad, huh? Let's do it." "You need me to do anything else? "Keep the skies clear."

- James Rhodes and Iron Man

Rhodes was later called up by Pepper Potts was informed him that she had discovered that Obadiah Stane had in fact been the one responsible for Tony Stark being kidnapped by the Ten Rings. Although Rhodes was highly skeptical that Stane would do something like this to Stark, he did as Potts requested and drove down to Stark's Mansion in order to ensure that Stane had not tried to kill Stark. As he arrived, Rhodes called out to Stark but got no response, as he proceeded to head downstairs into Stark's basement where he found him lying unconscious on the floor. As Rhodes ran to his friend's aid, he discovered that Stark had saved himself just in time by replacing the Arc Reactor that Stane had just stolen from his chest in order to power his Iron Monger Armor. As Stark awoke, he questioned where Stane was, but Rhodes assured him that things were under control. However, when Rhodes explained that Potts had teamed up with Phil Coulson and sent a dozen S.H.I.E.L.D. agents to arrest Stane, Stark still insisted that this would not be enough to stop Stane as soon as he was able to power the Iron Monger armour by using Stark's Arc Reactor. With little time left, Rhodes then helped Stark get back onto his feet as they prepared to join the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents to fight back against Stane as soon as possible, with Stark knowing that he would have to use his own Mark III armour to combat the Iron Monger. As Rhodes then watched Stark suit up, he was completely awestruck at the Mark III, saying that it was the coolest thing he had ever seen. When Rhodes asked if he needed him to do anything else to assist him, Stark asked for his assistance in keeping the United States Air Force out of the way while he confronted Iron Monger. As Iron Man flew away in order to protect Potts from Iron Monger, Rhodes looked at the prototype Mark II Stark built earlier and considered taking it, then shook his head and mumbled that he intended to wear it next time before leaving the mansion to do as Stark had requested Acting on Stark's orders, Rhodes had soon returned to the Edwards Air Force Base where they were just realizing that Iron Man had just returned and were preparing to take military action against him as he fought Iron Monger over Los Angeles. Rhodes arrived just in time and was able to prevent the military from getting involved with Iron Man's fight with Iron Monger by passing it off as a routine training exercise, which all of the soldiers accepted without any questions.

Iron Man's Speech
"All the mistakes I've made, largely public." "Just stick to the cards, man."

- Tony Stark and James Rhodes

Following Iron Monger's death, Rhodes and Tony Stark were taken to a secret S.H.I.E.L.D. base and met with Phil Coulson, who promised to give Stark training with their agents. Rhodes later held a press conference about the incident with the two armoured individuals and had tried to pass it off by claiming that Iron Man was Stark's bodyguard. Rhodes had then invited Stark to the stage to go into his detail about the events. When Stark had seemed to ramble upon being questioned for more details by Christine Everhart, Rhodes simply reminded him to stick to the cards he had been given which gave a clear narrative about the incident between him and Obadiah Stane, without revealing the truth. Instead, Stark had taken just a brief moment to consider what those consequences might be for him before he finally exposed himself as Iron Man to the world's media, much to Rhodes' great dismay.

Meeting Senator Stern
Senator Stern witnessed a broadcast of Iron Man saving civilians from an attack on a United Nations peace-keeping mission. Stern met with Rhodes about his issue with Stark not following United States national security interest. Rhodes said Stark would probably never follow orders. Stern introduced Rhodes to Thaddeus Ross with a plan to replace Stark with a new weapon, the Aerodynamic Marvel.

Meeting with Congress
"I didn't expect to see you here." "Well, it's me, I'm here, so get over it and move on."

- Tony Stark and James Rhodes

Six months after Tony Stark told the world he was Iron Man, Rhodes was called upon to write a report analyzing Iron Man. He was used in an attempt to get the Iron Man armor handed over to the United States government by Stern. He ended up speaking in Stark's favor. Also, Stark discovered that Justin Hammer had been trying to duplicate his armor, revealing this to the world.

Helping Stark
"This lone gunslinger act is unnecessary. You don't have to do this alone."

- James Rhodes to Tony Stark

After the meeting Rhodes tried to convince Tony Stark of the importance of an Iron Man suit directly under the supervision of the Pentagon, but instead Stark convinced Rhodes to try out the Mark II armor. Stark and Rhodes continued their discussion, while they were flying through the skies in their respective armors. However, after the flight Rhodes left, prompting Stark not to make him choose between their friendship and his duty.

Rhodes was forced to make several phone calls to the government to try to keep the peace after Tony Stark was attacked by a terrorist named Ivan Vanko seemingly using the Arc Reactor technology. Rhodes came to Tony Stark's Mansion intending to berate his friend for his actions but found Stark barely able to stand due to poisoning from his own Arc Reactor. Rhodes tried to convince him to allow him to help but Stark ignored him.

Stark's Birthday Party
"I'm only gonna say this once. Get. Out."

- War Machine

Later, Tony Stark got drunk at his birthday party because he knew he was dying of palladium poisoning and threw a party as his last moments. When Rhodes arrived, he was ushered inside by the nervous Pepper Potts and asked to do something as Stark was now wearing his Iron Man Suit and was putting his party guests at risk by firing his repulsors at random objects, like champagne bottles and a watermelon, thrown in the air. Rhodes became outraged as he had been spending the last few hours defending Stark. Rhodes put on the Mark II armor to stop Stark, who was wearing the Mark IV, and confronted Stark, demanding all the guests to leave and Stark to remove the suit. Stark refused and the two close friends began fighting, trashing most of Tony Stark's Mansion in the process. Eventually, they fired their repulsors at each other, causing a shockwave which knocked them both back. With Stark unable to stand, Rhodes flew away with the suit. Having won the brawl, Rhodes flew back to Edwards Air Force Base to drop off the Iron Man Armor: Mark II. Once he landed he was greeted by Major Allen who seemed amazed by the sight of the armor. Rhodes informed his fellow soldiers that he was willing to allow the suit to be used by the military as long as he was the sole pilot of it. He then discussed with Allen how they would weaponize it, as it was still at this time a limited prototype.

Becoming War Machine
"I think I'll take it." "Which one?" "All of it."

- James Rhodes and Justin Hammer

Justin Hammer was brought in to upgrade the armor and presented his weapons to Rhodes and Major Allen. When Hammer asked which weapons they wanted to include on the suit, Rhodes replied that he wanted all of them, including Hammer's personal favorite Ex-Wife Missile. The Mark II was upgraded into the "JRXL-1000 Variable Threat Response Battle Suit". Rhodes was selected by General Meade as the pilot.

Battle at Stark Expo
"You have a big gun, you're not the big gun." "Tony, don't be jealous." "No, it's subtle, all the bells and whistles." "Yeah, it's called being a badass."

- Tony Stark and James Rhodes

During Justin Hammer's display of Hammer Drones at the Stark Expo, Rhodes unveiled the new advanced War Machine Armor. Stark, however, had learned that Hammer was working with Ivan Vanko. Vanko took control of the drones and the War Machine armor, trying to use them to destroy Iron Man, leading to a huge battle at the Expo, Rhodes was still able to communicate with Stark and warn him of incoming attacks. Natasha Romanoff then managed to give Rhodes control over his armor, and he recovered and spoke to Tony Stark about the next step in their battle plan. The pair argued over who was the leader and who wore the more powerful suit, with Stark insisting that Rhodes' suit was overdoing it. Their argument was interrupted by the arrival of the Hammer Drones, leading to Rhodes and Stark using their armors to fight back against the drones. Although at one point the pair appeared to be overwhelmed by the drones, Stark used a laser to cut them all in half. Iron Man and War Machine were then faced by Ivan Vanko in an upgraded Whiplash armor. Rhodes attempted to use a Hammer missile called the Ex-Wife Missile to destroy Vanko, but it malfunctioned. They fought Vanko and were quickly overpowered until they were eventually able to defeat him. Vanko ordered the Hammer Drones to self-destruct, causing Stark to go and rescue Pepper Potts before Vanko and the Drones exploded. After the fight, Rhodes caught Stark and Potts sharing a kiss and decided to keep the suit despite Stark's protests.

Honored by Stern
"Thank you, Lieutenant Colonel, for such an exceptional distinguished performance. You deserve this." "Thank you, sir."

- Stern and James Rhodes

Stark and Rhodes were then awarded medals for their bravery from Senator Stern, who had been ordered to do so by Nick Fury. Stern showed great reluctance to be presenting the pair with their awards for bravery and awkwardly smiled for the cameras with the pair.

Hunting the Ten Rings
A while after defeating Whiplash, Stark stripped the War Machine armor of everything that Justin Hammer had "upgraded" it with leaving the suit with only the weaponry that Stark put in it. When Rhodes pointed this out to Stark, Stark revealed that he had made Rhodes his own suit, the Mark II War Machine armor. Rhodes began using this suit to take down Ten Rings terrorists in other countries finding that they had acquired Hammer Industries weaponry. Rhodes took out the terrorists and continued to investigate the mysterious Ten Rings.

By the time of the Chitauri invasion of New York City, Rhodes was busy fighting terrorists in Hong Kong. Stark contacted him but Rhodes told him that even at supersonic speed it would take over an hour for him to return so Stark told him not to bother. After dealing with the terrorists in Hong Kong, Rhodes returned to New York, finding the battle already over he located Stark in a Shawarma Palace where he was introduced to the Avengers.

Some time later, Stark invited Rhodes to his workshop. He had realized that not even Iron Man and War Machine would be enough to protect the Earth. Tony Stark revealed to Rhodes that he had developed several Iron Man armors that could be remotely controlled - an Iron Legion.

The Melter
Rhodes heard about an attack that a man named Bruno Horgan had made on Stark. The next day Horgan attacked Rhodes himself and with some effort defeated him. Working together Stark and Rhodes located, defeated, and arrested him.

Search for the Mandarin
"Central to my administration's response to this terrorist event is a newly minted resource. I know him as Colonel James Rhodes, the American people will soon know him as the Iron Patriot."

- Matthew Ellis

After continuing to carry out his duties as the government of United States of America's personal Iron Man, Rhodes' War Machine armor was given a brand new paint job to further please the public. Due to the aggressive name of War Machine, the armor was redubbed as the Iron Patriot and painted in the motif of the American flag. The job was requisitioned by A.I.M.. As Iron Patriot, Rhodes continued his battle against terrorism and hunted down the Ten Rings' leader, the Mandarin who had been setting off bombs across America and tormenting Matthew Ellis. Later Rhodes met with Stark at a bar where they discussed the threat of the Mandarin and what the government was hiding from the public, although Stark suggested getting the Avengers involved, Rhodes insisted that this was not a job for superheroes but for the United States Armed Forces. Stark also made several jokes about Rhodes' new code-name compared to his old one of War Machine, but Rhodes argued that Iron Patriot tested better in focus groups. At one point two kids ask Stark to sign a hand-drawn picture of him entering a Wormhole which caused Stark to have a panic attack and leave the bar. While Rhodes was hunting for the Mandarin, Tony Stark was seemingly killed by the terrorist when his mansion was attacked. Rhodes continued to hunt for his enemy, following intel given to him by Ellis. During one raid in Pakistan, Rhodes received a call from Stark, who had survived and was running his own investigation into the Mandarin. Stark insisted upon finding Rhodes' passcode so he could hack into the security files and learn more about A.I.M., who he suspected of being connected. Stark then mocked Rhodes for having a password referencing War Machine.

Aldrich Killian's War
"If you want this suit, you're going to have to pry my cold, dead body out of it." "That's the plan, Colonel."

- James Rhodes and Sweat Shop Agent

Some time later, Rhodes was sent by President Matthew Ellis to find the Mandarin but was repeatedly given the wrong location. When arriving at a sweatshop in Pakistan, Rhodes was ambushed by an Extremis soldier posing as one of the civilians who shut down Rhodes' suit, trapping him inside. Rhodes remained strong, claiming that they would have to drag him out, she told him that was indeed the plan. Rhodes was then taken to a Mansion where Aldrich Killian's workers attempted to cut Rhodes out of the suit. When this failed, Killian used his Extremis powers to remove Rhodes from his suit, slowly boiling it until it opened. Rhodes attempted to put up a fight, punching Killian's henchman, Eric Savin, to the ground before giving in when Killian breathed flames at him. Savin used his own superior strength to push Rhodes into a wall head first, knocking him out.

Finding the Mandarin
"Tony, I swear, I'm going to blow his face off."

- James Rhodes to Tony Stark

After witnessing Savin take control of the Iron Patriot armor and leave to meet Matthew Ellis, Rhodes escaped and aided Stark in his Mark XLII who was also being held prisoner. Stark then introduced Rhodes to the Mandarin who was actually just a British actor named Trevor Slattery, whom Killian paid to be a decoy while he carried out Extremis experiments. They learned that he knew nothing about any real threats and thought it was just an acting role. Rhodes and Stark took Slattery's speed boat and warned Vice President Rodriguez that Iron Patriot was actually Eric Savin who planned to kidnap Ellis. Rodriguez did not pass on the message, as he was secretly in league with Killian in an attempt by the latter to gain control over the United States of America. Learning that Savin was attacking Air Force One, Stark used his remote-controlled Mark XLII to fly onto the plane, kill Savin and rescue airborne passengers from death. However, Savin had placed Ellis inside the Iron Patriot suit and sent him to the Norco.

Battle on the Norco
"Give me a suit!" "Oh, I'm sorry, they're only coded to me." "What does that mean?" "I got you covered!"

- James Rhodes and Tony Stark

Rhodes and Tony Stark then infiltrated the Norco to save both Pepper Potts and President Matthew Ellis, the latter of whom was encased in the Iron Patriot Armor and suspended from a crane, awaiting public live execution. Stark summoned his Iron Legion as backup and directed them to attack the Extremis Soldiers. As Stark put on a suit, Rhodes excitedly asked him if he would get to wear a new suit but was sadly disappointed that Stark only made the Iron Patriot armor and was escorted by another suit. While Stark rescued the captured Pepper Potts, Rhodes went after Matthew Ellis. Fighting off several Extremis Soldiers, Rhodes managed to secure Ellis and get him away from danger, noting that Ellis looked good in the Iron Patriot Armor but that he would need it back. Rhodes got his armor back and used it to fly himself and Ellis out of danger while Stark continued to fight Aldrich Killian.

Conflict Aftermath
After Tony Stark and Pepper Potts defeated Aldrich Killian and his Extremis Soldiers, Rhodes further aided his government by outing Vice President Rodriguez as a conspirator with Killian and watched as he was arrested by the FBI inside the White House. He also attended Stark's surgery to have his Arc Reactor removed, alongside Potts, giving Stark a thumbs up for support. Rhodes later repainted his armor back to its original color scheme and went back to going under the alias of War Machine.

Party at Avengers Tower
"So I take the tank, fly it right up to the General's palace, drop it at his feet, I’m like, boom! You looking for this? Boom! Are you looking... Why do I even talk to you guys? Everywhere else that story kills." "That's the whole story?" "Yeah, it's a War Machine story."

- James Rhodes and Thor

Rhodes was invited to a party at the Avengers Tower alongside the Avengers, Maria Hill and many others to celebrate the victory over HYDRA and the capture of Wolfgang von Strucker. Rhodes told the story of how he had found and delivered an entire tank to a general, but was disappointed when Thor and Tony Stark were unimpressed by the tale. Rhodes then asked where Pepper Potts and Jane Foster were but quickly left with Hill when Stark and Thor began arguing over who has the better girlfriend.

Rhodes decided to distance himself from the Avengers and spend his time at the party with other non-powered guests in an attempt to feel better after being mocked by Thor and Stark. Rhodes later told the same story about flying the tank to a general's office to a group of beautiful women and was satisfied when they seemed to be impressed by the story and laughed at the punchline. After most of the guests had departed, Rhodes stayed behind with Stark playing cards with Hill and watched as the Avengers challenged each other to try to lift Thor's hammer Mjølnir. After watching Hawkeye fail, Rhodes joined Stark in an unsuccessful attempt, despite using a gauntlet of the War Machine Armor. The other Avengers tried, including Captain America and Bruce Banner, but in the end it seemed only Thor was capable of lifting the hammer.

Attack on Avengers Tower
They were interrupted when a scrapped robot calling itself Ultron awakened from Stark's laboratory and began talking about saving the world by destroying the Avengers. Ultron then attacked the Avengers; Rhodes helped his allies and got thrown out of a window during the fight, but he was able to survive thanks to the bridge on the floored part of the tower.

Avengers Argument
"He's in your files, he's in the internet. What if he decides to access something a little more exciting?" "Nuclear codes."

- James Rhodes and Maria Hill

Afterwards, the team regrouped and discussed the events, with Tony Stark revealing that he had created Ultron as a means to save the world from an upcoming war that they were doomed to lose. Rhodes made his disapproval of the entire situation very clear to his friend before witnessing Thor attack Stark in retaliation for such a foolish act.

Battle of Sokovia
"We can't let 'em, not even one. Rhodey!" "I'm on it. Oh no, I didn't say you could leave. War Machine, comin' at you."

- Iron Man and War Machine

When Nick Fury called most of the former S.H.I.E.L.D. personnel to assist the Avengers in their war against Ultron, Rhodes went with them, utilizing the War Machine Armor to defend the Helicarrier and assist the team in evacuating the civilians from the elevated Novi Grad. When Ultron sent his drones to destroy the evacuation pods containing the civilians, Rhodes engaged them in battle and was able to destroy many of the robots. As the Avengers joined forces with Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver, they were soon able to push back Ultron's army and even came close to destroying Ultron himself. He scared the remaining robots in the army so much they attempted to flee, so War Machine was called to stop them. Vision flew by War Machine and assisted him in destroying the Ultron Sentries; Rhodes was surprised to receive the help from such an unknown ally.

Joining the Team
"We've got some hitters." "They're good. They're not a team." "Let's beat 'em into shape."

- Black Widow and Captain America

With the Ultron Offensive finished, Rhodes, along with Vision, Wanda Maximoff and Sam Wilson officially joined the Avengers' roster. They arrived at the New Avengers Facility and began their training under Captain America and Black Widow. He did not, however, participate in the mission to Lagos, Nigeria along with Vision.

Sokovia Accords
"This document just shifts the blame." "I'm sorry, Steve, that is... dangerously arrogant. This is the United Nations we're talking about. It's not the World Security Council, it's not S.H.I.E.L.D., it's not HYDRA."

- Steve Rogers and James Rhodes

In the aftermath of a disastrous mission in Lagos, Nigeria against Crossbones and his small army, the Avengers were held accountable for multiple citizens deaths caused when Scarlet Witch redirected an explosion caused by Rumlow and inadvertently destroyed a building filled with innocent people. This resulted in Thaddeus Ross presenting the Sokovia Accords to the Avengers. Rhodes agreed to the accords along with Tony Stark, Natasha Romanoff and Vision.

Arresting Captain America
"Congratulations, Cap. You're a criminal."

- War Machine to Captain America

When Joint Counter Terrorist Centre located Winter Soldier within Bucharest, Rhodes, in his new armor, was called in. Arriving shortly after the police did, War Machine discovered Captain America and the Falcon engaged in a fight with the Winter Soldier and Black Panther. War Machine landed with his weapons loaded and aimed at his former Avengers allies, taking them into custody while also being shocked to discover that the Black Panther was in fact King T'Challa of Wakanda.

Clash of the Avengers
"Rhodey, you want to take Cap?" "Got two in the terminal, Wilson and Barnes."

- Iron Man and War Machine

However, before long the Winter Soldier was broke out from the Joint Counter Terrorist Centre, and Captain America and Falcon helped him go into hiding. Upon hearing of this escape attempt, Iron Man called in War Machine and other allies in order to stop Rogers and his teammates from escaping. While the two armored heroes blocked Rogers' way, Spider-Man appeared and stole Captain America's Shield to disarm him while Stark tried to convince him to surrender now. Rogers however refused and used Ant-Man to steal back the shield and make their escape, with Hawkeye and the Scarlet Witch acting as backup. A battle broke out between Iron Man's team and Captain America's team in Flughafen Leipzig-Halle airport, and while Ant-Man fought Black Widow, War Machine armed himself with an electrified baton and prepared to fight against Captain America, also with the assistance of Black Panther, who was on his own mission to kill the Winter Soldier for seemingly killing T'Chaka during the Bombing of the Vienna International Centre. During the fight, Captain America knocked War Machine out of the sky, destroying his baton. As the fight continued, War Machine regrouped with Black Panther and Black Widow and faced off against Captain America and Ant-Man, who used one of the Pym Particles Disks to force an entire truck at the group. Although the others managed to dodge out of the way, War Machine was hit with the full force of the exploding truck, although his War Machine Armor protected him despite it greatly angering him regardless.

War Machine joined his allies and once the Vision had blocked their path, stood in defiance against Captain America and his allies, all of whom were against the Sokovia Accords. Rogers, however, did not back down and instead charged into battle, with War Machine joining Iron Man and the rest of their team in moving forward and engaging in a fierce battle against their former allies, with War Machine chasing Falcon across the battlefield. Chasing Falcon through the air, War Machine came close to catching up with the former Avenger, until to his surprise, Ant-Man became gigantic, grabbing War Machine out of the air as everybody looked on in amazement. War Machine was then thrown across the battlefield before he was caught by Spider-Man who managed to fling him back into the battle before he could crash headfirst into a nearby parked airplane. War Machine joined forces with Spider-Man and Iron Man in their attempts to stop Ant-Man's rampage as he caused chaos across the battlefield, with War Machine unleashing all of his non-lethal weapons, including the Stark Sonic Cannon, to try and slow him down. Eventually, Spider-Man had an idea to beat Ant-Man, taking inspiration from  and tied up Ant-Man's legs before War Machine and Iron Man before hit him in the jaw and caused him to fall down and crash land hard on the ground. While they were distracted, however, Captain America and the Winter Soldier were attempting to make their way to the Quinjet and escape. Although the Vision had used the Mind Stone to knock down a tower and block their path, Scarlet Witch used her own power to hold it up and assist in their escape attempt. Seeking to stop Rogers' plans, War Machine unleashed the Sonic Cannon on Scarlet Witch, causing her great agony and then forcing her to drop the tower. Despite their best efforts to stop them, however, Captain America and the Winter Soldier managed to escape with the stolen Quinjet, having also gained some assistance from Black Widow who had decided to briefly change sides and had blocked Black Panther's attacks. War Machine and Iron Man flew after them; however. Falcon also flew to them to stop them, firing his rockets at the armored heroes in an attempt to slow them down and allow Rogers and Barnes to escape without challenge so they could continue their mission. War Machine called on the Vision to neutralize Falcon, but Vision had become distracted by assisting Scarlet Witch and his energy blast missed Falcon, instead striking War Machine, exactly at his Arc Reactor, causing his entire suit to lose power. War Machine fell hundreds of feet and despite the best efforts of Falcon and Iron Man to save him, crash landed hard on the ground below, paralyzed and unconscious, with F.R.I.D.A.Y. calling for medical assistance.

Injury Recovery
"Yes, this is, this is Tony Stank. Never going to let that go, by the way. Table for one, Mr. Stank. Please, by the bathroom."

- James Rhodes

Rhodes was paralyzed in his legs because of the crash. Tony Stark built him a new Stark Industries device that could help him walk again, but Rhodes had problems to adapt to it. Rhodes told him that he had done 138 combat missions because he thought it was the right thing to do, same as the Sokovia Accords. They were interrupted by the arrival of a delivery man who mistakenly misread Stark's name as "Tony Stank", much to Rhodes' amusement, who claimed he would never forget the nickname.

Reuniting the Avengers
"If it weren't for those Accords, Vision would have been right here." "I remember your signature on those papers, Colonel." "That's right. And I'm pretty sure I paid for that."

- James Rhodes and Thaddeus Ross

Rhodes spent the better part of two years recovering from his injuries and adapting to the harness that enabled him to walk. During this time Rhodes gradually became embittered towards the Sokovia Accords and Thaddeus Ross despite his signature on them over the damage done to the Avengers and the latter's bullheaded perception of Steve Rogers as a dangerous criminal. One day, Ross contacted Rhodes at the Avengers facility to discuss the disappearances of Tony Stark and Vision. Stark was missing after the Attack on Greenwich Village, while Vision was last seen being attacked in Edinburgh and leaving in the company of Rogers, Natasha Romanoff, Sam Wilson, and Wanda Maximoff. While the two argued over Rogers' criminal status and the problems with the Accords, Rogers and his team arrived at the compound, prompting Ross to order Rhodes to arrest them immediately. Rhodes instead disconnected the call and greeted his comrades, noting that his refusal to arrest them probably meant he was getting a court martial, but he didn't care.

Arrival in Wakanda
"Should we bow?" "Yeah, he's a king."

- Bruce Banner and James Rhodes

Since Thanos wanted the Mind Stone from Vision, the Avengers headed to Wakanda where they hoped to remove the Stone safely and keep Vision alive. Upon arrival in Wakanda, Bruce Banner asked Rhodes if he should bow in front of King T'Challa. Rhodes told him that he should. When Banner actually bowed and T'Challa told him not to, Rhodes broke out in a grin having tricked his friend.

Battle of Wakanda
"God, I love this place." "Yeah, don't start celebrating yet, guys. We got more incoming outside the dome."

- Winter Soldier and War Machine

During the Battle of Wakanda, Rhodes stood with the Avengers and the Wakandan military against the army of the Outriders. During the battle, he provided much needed air support to ground troops, using his War Machine armor to launch bombing runs and to lay down covering fire.

Thanos' Victory
"What is this? What the hell is happening?"

- War Machine to Captain America

Once Thanos arrived on the battlefield to obtain the Mind Stone, Rhodes and his allies attempted to stop him. He unleashed the full power of his armor's weaponry against the Mad Titan, but Rhodes was completely outmatched by Thanos' skill with the powers of the nearly completed Infinity Gauntlet, with Thanos using the Space Stone to crush his War Machine armor around him before throwing him aside. Once Thanos obtained all six Infinity Stones, he snapped his fingers and killed half of the people in the universe. Rhodes called out to Sam Wilson as the latter disintegrated into dust, hidden in the long grass. He continued to call out for Wilson after he disappeared. Still shocked by death of his allies, Rhodes was just able to ask what happened before realizing what had happened and briefly bowed and shook his head out of disbelief and despair before beginning to silently lament the lost.

Meeting Captain Marvel
"So that... thing just stopped doing whatever the hell it was doing."

- James Rhodes

Following the Battle of Wakanda, Rhodes, along with Steve Rogers, Natasha Romanoff and Bruce Banner, returned to the New Avengers Facility. Having discovered the Transmitter Pager Nick Fury had activated prior to his death, the Avengers bypassed the pager's battery in order for it to continue to send out its signal. As Rogers and Romanoff were witnessing reports on the aftermath of the Decimation, Rhodes, who was monitoring the pager, informed the pair and Banner that the pager had stopped transmitting the signal. Rogers requested that they reboot the pager and resend the signal, only for Banner to respond that they had no idea what the signal was for. As Romanoff explained that Fury knew whom the signal was for and that she wanted to know who it was as well, she came face to face with Captain Marvel herself, who demanded to know where Fury was.

Personality
"How long are you going to play both sides?"

- Sam Wilson

James Rhodes is a proud and highly distinguished officer of the United States Air Force. Though he is supportive of his best friend Tony Stark and generally enjoys being involved in his revelries, he is sometimes annoyed by Stark's flippant and reckless behavior. Rhodes was upset at Stark's decision to stop weapon manufacturing, although he chose to aid Stark defeat Obadiah Stane by preventing the Air Force's involvement. However, shortly after Stark officially became Iron Man, his disrespect of government officials and refusal to relinquish his armors to them placed Rhodes in a difficult position since he has to balance his responsibilities to his superiors and respect his friendship with Stark, forcing Rhodes to side with the government and steal the Iron Man Armor: Mark II. As liaison to Stark Industries, Rhodes strives to maintain a copacetic relationship between Stark and the.

As a military man, he is a firm believer in people being held accountable for their actions and a proper chain of command. This made signing the Sokovia Accords an easy decision for him as it would make the Avengers accountable for their actions and a show of good faith for the public. He was also pleased to see Tony believe the same thing. As a result of this, he has a dislike of those who believe their actions to be "right" and would flout the law to accomplish them, shown when he confronted Captain America's faction during the Clash of the Avengers. However as time progressed, Rhodes became increasingly frustrated with the restrictions imposed on the Avengers, as well as Thaddeus Ross and the United Nations labeling his friends as criminals so much so that he chose to receive a court martial when Ross demanded Rogers and his team arrested.

For the most part, Rhodes maintains a sense of professionalism and strives to do whatever he feels is the right thing for the people. This often causes tension between him and Stark, though the two nonetheless maintain a strong mutual respect and friendship. Rhodes also takes great personal pride in his work; when attending the party following the retrieval of the Scepter, he enjoys getting laughs from recounting stories of his work as War Machine, and his ego is somewhat deflated when he doesn't get the reaction he's looking for from Stark and Thor. Despite becoming partially paralyzed as a result of siding with Stark against Captain America over the Sokovia Accords, he freely admits having no regrets, as he believes it was the right thing to do. This would in time change, as he later openly admitted his disappointment and frustration that the Accords had ultimately done more harm than good by fragmenting the Avengers, forcing many of them to live in hiding in a time they were needed. After the friendly fire incident that left him paralyzed he also held no animosity against Captain America and his team.

Despite his sense of professionalism, however, he enjoys wearing the War Machine suit and is largely disappointed when it underperforms, such as when the Ex-Wife Missile installed in his suit did not work when fighting Whiplash. Though he states that being rebranded as Iron Patriot comes across well as it was less aggressive, he secretly prefers being referred to as War Machine, and quickly goes back to this persona following the end of Aldrich Killian's War. However, he is often left in awe when faced with more extreme super-powered individuals; the sight of Aldrich Killian breathing fire alone was enough to make him immediately surrender despite actually winning against his men, and when preventing several Ultron Sentries from fleeing was left wondering what he had just witnessed when Vision did his job for him.

Powers and Abilities
Like Tony Stark, Rhodes has no known superhuman powers. He is a military man who is in excellent physical condition. However, like Stark, Rhodes' power comes from using a modified Iron Man Armor re-designed by the Hammer Industries to become War Machine. The armor allows him to fly, possess superhuman strength and durability and contains various weapons for battle. Rhodes' armors are more devised for military oriented purposes; therefore they are more heavily armored and weaponized than Stark's armors.

The War Machine armors are the only other powerful suits next to the Iron Man armors. Before weaponization of the Mark II Iron Man armor, it was sufficient enough to battle a more updated Mark IV Armor. When the Mark II Armor was transformed into the War Machine Mark I armor, it was sufficient enough to nearly overpower the Mark VI (while under Ivan Vanko's control), battle hordes of Hammer Drones and Vanko himself with his own armor.

Support Powers

 * Flight: The armor, like the Iron Man Armor, can reach speeds as Mach 3 in moments. It is equipped with non-weapons grade repulsor based flight stabilizers that theoretically reach speeds of Mach 8 similar to the Mark IV's flight stabilizers. It was adequate to keep up with the Mark VI during the battle over the Stark Expo and catch Iron Man off-guard and tackled him into the Oracle building.
 * Superhuman Strength: When utilizing the armor, it increases Rhodes' natural physical abilities to superhuman levels, chief among them is his strength. Rhodes, inside his armor, is capable of overpowering normal humans and tear unmanned battle drones with ease. It also allows him to go toe-to-toe with Stark in his armor. By his own claim, Rhodes can lift a tank with his armor.
 * Superhuman Reflexes: The armor, like Stark's, has motors for movement. It is extremely fast and responsive in flight, and during combat, as armor can react faster than naturally possible.
 * Armor Systems: The armor has remote assistance, and a holographic HUD, with cellphone and computer connections in the helmet. The armor is powered by a miniature arc reactor and has an on-board generator for emergencies. The scanner systems are capable of scanning the environment, weather conditions and equipment for information. The armors also have variable control surfaces for active flight control. The Hull Pressure Transducers are on board sensors that track external pressure based on altitude, speed, and temperature, and adjust internal settings appropriately.
 * Self-Contained Life-Support System and Environmental Protection: The armor can be sealed for operations in vacuum or underwater, providing its own life support, and is shielded against radiation.

Defensive Powers

 * Superhuman Durability: The armor is made of a solar charged carbon-composite-based external plating armor and has a chestplate protecting the Arc Reactor. It is shown that it can withstand tremendous amounts of punishment. It had withstood a full-on fight with the Mark IV in Tony Stark's house. It had withstood the full-on fight with the Hammer Drones and withstood the full-on ammo unloaded on both him and Stark while in their respective suits. It was able to withstand damage done on it by the Whiplash in his own suit. It protects the wearer from the effects of extreme g-forces. During the Clash of the Avengers, his armor resisted being at the epicenter of an explosion, Falcon's weapons, Ant-Man's fists, being thrown into an airplane and Captain America's shield all with superficial damage. It was vulnerable however to the power of the Mind Stone, the blasts shearing off the arc reactor and causing it to plummet several hundred feet. However, the armor durable enough however to remain intact following the crash and allowed Rhodes to survive his fall, despite being severely crippled and nearly killed.

Offensive Powers
"I got something special for this guy. I'm gonna bust his bunker with the Ex-Wife."
 * Repulsors: A particle beam weapon in the palm gauntlets that can repel physical and energy-based attacks. When combined with an attack from another repulsor, it can create an energy shockwave that decimate a small area like when he and Iron Man both fired their repulsors at each other and the resulting event destroyed much of Stark's mansion.
 * Unibeam: A more powerful version of the palm repulsors mounted on the chest. In addition to the physical capabilities and various weaponry it already possesses, it also utilizes laser guided munitions.
 * Mini-Gun: A 7.62-mm minigun is attached to the back of the suit on a swivel mount and typically fires over the right shoulder. It is governed by an automated targeting system and can track targets independently of the suit's wearer, including those targets to the rear. The ammunition feed for this weapon is a belt feed from the rear torso.
 * Gauntlets: The armor's armbraces each mount an under slung sub-machine gun.

- War Machine

"Sorry, Cap. This won't kill you, but it ain't gonna tickle either."
 * Rocket Launcher: A box rocket launcher mounted over the left shoulder holds a Hammer Industries rocket bunker busting Ex-Wife Missile designed by Justin Hammer which was useless against the Whiplash.
 * Miniature Stark Sonic Cannon: It can emit sound waves that will stun the target for weeks. Rhodes has only used this twice, once on a group of the Ten Rings, and once on Scarlet Witch and Ant-Man.

- War Machine to Captain America


 * Stun Staff: Used to incapacitate targets by releasing powerful, non-lethal electricity.

Abilities
Rhodes wears a "Brass Rat", the MIT school ring, indicating that he and Stark were graduates of the same college, and on his other hand, he wears an ring, suggesting that he received his Master's Degree from MIT after earning a "grad school slot" for high academic achievement while at USAF Academy.
 * Expert Pilot: He is a highly decorated Colonel Air Force officer and as such, he is a skilled fighter pilot as he is able to pilot the War Machine armor.
 * Expert Tactician: He can create strategies that help him win in a battle. During his and Tony Stark's attack on Aldrich Killian, Rhodes was able to deflect several attacks from Extremis Soldiers with pure strategy. He also played a key role in fighting and coordinating strategy during the Battle of Wakanda.
 * Expert Martial Artist: Rhodes' military training made him a very skilled fighter. He was more than able to handle himself against Extremis Soldiers, even punching Eric Savin to the ground with a single punch, as well as also managing to, while wearing the Mark II Armor, compete against and eventually best Stark in their ferocious brawl during Stark's birthday when Stark got drunk while he was wearing his Mark IV Armor.
 * Expert Marksman: Rhodes' military training gave him a large knowledge of firearms and how to use them. This enabled to him to shoot multiple Extremis Soldiers with one gun.

War Machine Armor

 * War Machine Armor: Mark I
 * War Machine Armor: Mark II (temporarily Iron Patriot Armor)
 * War Machine Armor: Mark III
 * War Machine Armor: Mark IV

Weapons

 * : Rhodes took a handgun from one of the guards at Aldrich Killian's Mansion when he managed to escape from capture despite having lost the Iron Patriot Armor. He used it to kill some guards inside the mansion, to threaten Trevor Slattery and to confront many Extremis Soldiers during the Battle on the Norco.
 * : Rhodes kept one of these handguns besides him during the party at the Avengers Tower, resorting to use it against the Iron Legion drones hijacked by Ultron.

Other Equipment

 * Leg Braces: After being paralyzed during the Clash of the Avengers, Rhodes was given leg braces designed by Tony Stark that would enable him to walk again. Rhodes initially had trouble using them but has now getting used to them and could walk normally again.

Facilities

 * Edwards Air Force Base: To be added
 * New Avengers Facility: To be added

Allies

 * United States Air Force
 * Meade - Superior
 * William Gabriel
 * Allen
 * Lacy
 * Ralph Vats
 * Ronald Coultrap
 * Stark Industries
 * Pepper Potts
 * Happy Hogan
 * Matthew Ellis - Commander-in-Chief
 * Avengers - Teammates and Friends
 * Steve Rogers/Captain America - Team Leader and Former Situational Enemy
 * Tony Stark/Iron Man - Best Friend and Temporary Enemy
 * Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow
 * Thor
 * Bruce Banner/Hulk
 * Clint Barton/Hawkeye - Former Situational Enemy
 * Sam Wilson/Falcon † - Close Friend and Former Situational Enemy
 * Wanda Maximoff/Scarlet Witch † - Former Situational Enemy
 * Pietro Maximoff/Quicksilver †
 * Vision †
 * Peter Parker/Spider-Man †
 * S.H.I.E.L.D.
 * Phil Coulson - Contact
 * Celeste - Date
 * Maria Hill † - Friend
 * Helen Cho
 * Nick Fury †
 * Bucky Barnes † - Former Situational Enemy
 * T'Challa/Black Panther †
 * CIA
 * Everett Ross
 * Joint Counter Terrorist Centre
 * Scott Lang/Ant-Man - Former Situational Enemy
 * Dora Milaje
 * Okoye
 * Ayo
 * Wakandan Royal Guard
 * Jabari Tribe
 * M'Baku
 * Border Tribe
 * Guardians of the Galaxy
 * Rocket Raccoon
 * Groot †
 * Carol Danvers/Captain Marvel

Enemies

 * Ten Rings
 * Obadiah Stane/Iron Monger †
 * Justin Hammer - Former Ally
 * Ivan Vanko/Whiplash †
 * Hammer Drones
 * A.I.M. - Former Allies
 * Aldrich Killian †
 * Eric Savin †
 * Sweat Shop Agent
 * Extremis Soldiers
 * Rodriguez - Former Ally
 * Ultron †
 * Ultron Sentries †
 * HYDRA
 * Stern - Former Ally
 * Ultimo †
 * Thaddeus Ross - Former Ally
 * Black Order
 * Cull Obsidian † - Attempted Killer
 * Proxima Midnight †
 * Outriders
 * Thanos

Trivia

 * In the comics, James Rhodes is a 1st Lieutenant in the Marine Corps, which alludes to the name "War Machine". Suffering injuries, Rhodes was rebuilt as a cyborg, though his brain was later transplanted into a healthy cloned body.
 * In Iron Man 3, Rhodes is known as the Iron Patriot. In the comics, the identity of Iron Patriot was firstly adopted by Norman Osborn. After the release of Iron Man 3, for a time, the mainstream counterpart of Rhodes has also taken the mantle of Iron Patriot in the comics, before later going back to the War Machine armor.
 * Rhodes has to change his password every time Tony Stark hacks into his profile; at least once, his password was WARMACHINEROX.
 * War Machine is the only Avengers member that is not an original founding member to remain alive after the Decimation.

Behind the Scenes

 * James Rhodes is one of the few characters who are played by different actors in different films. The others are Howard Stark, Bruce Banner, Fandral, Thanos, and Red Skull.
 * In an unused draft of Iron Man, Howard Stark featured as still alive, a ruthless businessman and the main villain, who adopted the identity of "War Machine".
 * A War Machine movie was nearly green lighted at Marvel Studios, with Joe Robert Cole as a writer, but the plan was changed after Iron Man 3.
 * Don Cheadle was uncredited for his appearance in Captain Marvel.
 * Some of Spider-Man: Homecoming concept arts featured War Machine and Vision taking part at the rescue of the Staten Island Ferry alongside Iron Man, a concept that did not make it to the final version of the movie.
 * Clay Donahue Fontenot was a stunt double for Terrence Howard and Kiante Elam, Kevin Arnold, Kevin L. Jackson, Trevor Habberstad, Kierron Quest and Greg Rementer were stunt doubles for Don Cheadle in the role of War Machine.
 * Patrick Emery was a stand-in for Terrence Howard and T.J. Hogan and Nev Smith were stand-ins for Don Cheadle in the role of War Machine.