War Machine
War Machine | |
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Partnerships | Iron Man |
Notable aliases | Iron Man Iron Patriot Commander Rhodes Hulk Machine Iron Man 2.0 Rhodey Shellshock The Pilot |
Abilities |
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War Machine is a
War Machine is the title adopted by James Rupert "Rhodey" Rhodes after he acquired the War Machine armor. He is a military veteran and pilot who began working for Tony Stark, eventually discovering that he was Iron Man and then taking Stark's place when he was incapacitated. Stark subsequently gave Rhodes the War Machine armor. The character is among the earliest
War Machine has been the main character of two War Machine volumes (1994–1996 and 2009–2010), as well as other stories including The Crew (2003), Iron Man 2.0 (2011), and Iron Patriot (2014). An adaptation of War Machine appears in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, portrayed by Terrence Howard in Iron Man (2008) and by Don Cheadle in subsequent appearances.
Publication history
20th century
James Rhodes was created by writer
When
During Iron Man's 1988
War Machine was one of several characters to serve as grittier and more violent
21st century
The short-lived 2003 series
A second War Machine series ran for one year from 2009 to 2010, following a similar plot to the African story arc of his first series but instead taking place in the Middle East, reflecting American interest in the region during the War in Afghanistan and the Iraq War.[30] War Machine became more well known after the character was adapted to film, beginning in 2008. He had a significant presence in the comic series The Invincible Iron Man, which began the same year and ran until 2012.[31] In this series, writer Matt Fraction had Rhodes join the military as War Machine. Rhodes's next solo series was Iron Man 2.0 (2011).[31] Following this, Rhodes was reintroduced as the Iron Patriot, reflecting changes made to the film adaptation of the character. The political thriller series Iron Patriot ran in 2014, written by Ales Kot and drawn by Garry Brown.[32] As part of Marvel's 2016 Civil War II event, Rhodes's character was killed off to emphasize the story's stakes. The choice was controversial, both for the lack of narrative payoff and for the choice of killing one of Marvel's main non-white characters.[33] The character was resurrected in Invincible Iron Man #600 (2018).[34]
Characterization
Fictional character biography
James Rhodes grew up in South Philadelphia until he enlisted in the military.
As Stark begins to recover, Rhodes accompanies him in a new business venture, and they begin sharing the role of Iron Man. Since the armor was not designed for Rhodes, he begins experiencing headaches and mood swings, eventually returning the role to Stark in its entirety.[36] When Stark is believed to be dying, he appoints Rhodes as his successor. Rhodes becomes the CEO of Stark Industries, and he becomes the new Iron Man using the War Machine armor.[36] He gives up the role when he discovers that Stark faked his death, but he keeps the War Machine armor on Stark's insistence. Becoming a new superhero, War Machine, Rhodes briefly joins the West Coast Avengers and then becomes a solo superhero after the team is disbanded.[22] When human rights activist Vincent Cetewayo is kidnapped by his corrupt government in the fictional African country of Imaya, War Machine partners with Deathlok to stage an extralegal intervention and topple the government, despite protest from S.H.I.E.L.D. and the Avengers.[23] In response, Stark disables the War Machine armor until he needs Rhodes's assistance to defeat the Mandarin.[24] Rhodes retires from superhero work, and he briefly runs a salvage business until he finds himself investigating the death of his sister.[37] He then works as a combat instructor for the Sentinel Squad.[26]
When Rhodes is injured in a terrorist attack, he is augmented with cybernetic body parts, permanently turning him into War Machine.[28] He travels to the fictional Middle Eastern country Aqiria where he encounters a military contractor that tortures and experiments on prisoners. Rhodes takes action without authorization, and he is put on trial for committing war crimes.[30] His cybernetic body is destroyed in the subsequent jailbreak, but a cloned version of his healthy body had been made and his mind is transferred into it.[38] Rhodes later takes on a new title, Iron Patriot, wearing armor in the national colors of the United States. In this new role, he goes to New Orleans, where he assesses the environmental risk posed against the city.[39] He also rejects any further alignment with the military, unless it is purely in the capacity of domestic action or rescue operations.[40] Rhodes is killed in a fight against Thanos, triggering a schism within the superhero community. He is later resurrected by Stark, who had discovered that their bodies could be restored due to the various augmentations that they had undergone while using the Iron Man armor.[34]
Personality and motivations
Rhodes is moralistic relative to Stark, divesting Stark Industries from nuclear technology as CEO over objections from the board and taking action against foreign nations without regard for legalities.[41] He takes actions that he believes to be right even when others believe it to be ill-advised, and he believes in ideals of "freedom and love".[40] He is willing to give the benefit of the doubt to other characters as opposed to Stark's brasher approach.[42] This aspect of his character was emphasized in the 2014 series Iron Patriot, which contrasted his sense of moral duty with his responsibility to his family.[32] Writer Christos Gage described War Machine as someone prefers to lead soldiers into battle rather than deploy them.[29]
When Rhodes first experienced the power of the Iron Man armor, he developed an addiction to it that mirrored Stark's addiction to alcohol that necessitated his replacement.[13] As a superhero, Rhodes pledged to help anyone without regard for race, nationality, or beliefs.[40] His opposition to discrimination also included discrimination against mutants.[26] He believes that the role of superheroes goes beyond fighting supervillains and that they should also take action against global problems such as world hunger and oppressive governments.[43]
Themes and motifs
War Machine is an African American superhero in a genre that historically presented white characters as the default without meaningfully portraying the lives or worldviews of racial minorities.
Rhodes's relationship with Stark evokes ideas of control and agency. Stark has control over the armor that Rhodes wears, and this becomes even more apparent when Stark installs the armor through cybernetics as part of Rhodes's body.[28] During Rhodes's earliest outings in the Iron Man armor, he was pretending to be Stark's Iron Man rather than acting independently with his own identity. This was somewhat addressed when Rhodes received his own standalone series,[4] but the nature of the character inherently ties his identity to that of Iron Man.[45] Their relationship also has a racial component, as Stark, the man in control of Rhodes's destiny, is white.[46] Despite this, any possible racial conflict between the two is not addressed explicitly.[45]
War Machine writer Len Kaminski intentionally challenged the violent imagery of a heavily-armed character named War Machine by focusing on themes related to global human rights and liberal internationalism. He described the decision saying that "it could subvert some of the people who might be attracted to it for all the wrong reasons, and maybe [the writers will] get them thinking".[47] Rhodes is contrasted with Stark in his sense of responsibility.[31] His backstory as a soldier became relevant in the 2000s when the United States engaged in the controversial Iraq War, and the character was used to explore ideas relating to such wars.[30]
Powers and abilities
Rhodes becomes a superhero by using the War Machine armor. His first version of this armor, the "Variable Threat Response Battle Suit", was equipped with heavy weapons for more direct combat than the standard Iron Man armor.[36] The armor uses a black and gray color scheme; it was originally going to be changed to blue and gold after its debut appearance, but the black and silver design was popular enough that it was retained.[18] Following the destruction of the War Machine armor during a 1995 issue of War Machine, he adopts an extraterrestrial biological armor, the Eidolon Warwear.[24] Stark builds a new War Machine armor directly into Rhodes's body after he sustains serious injuries.[28] This was eventually replaced when Rhodes inhabited a healthy cloned body.[30] As of 2010, Marvel Comics described his armor as giving him the power to lift 100 tons and to fly at Mach 2.[38] Besides his armor, Rhodes's history in the military includes combat training and experience, as both a soldier and a pilot.[14]
Supporting characters
Rhodes was initially created as a supporting character for Tony Stark. They began as friends, but their relationship became more acrimonious as they adjusted to Rhodes's status as a superhero.
Carol Danvers, the superhero Captain Marvel and a fellow military veteran, has been the primary romantic interest for Rhodes. The two had a relationship leading up to the Civil War II event and Rhodes's death. They reunited following his resurrection and Danvers's return to Earth, with a brief interruption when Danvers went to the future and realized that Rhodes's daughter was not hers.[49][50] He has also had relationships with other characters, such as Stark Enterprises public relations director Marcy Pearson and Stark's ex-girlfriend Rae LaCoste.[14] In the 2014 Iron Patriot series, Rhodes's father Terrence and his niece Lila are major supporting characters.[32] The death of his sister Jeanette is a plot point in the 2003 series The Crew.[37]
Reception and legacy
Rhodes has historically taken a secondary role to Iron Man,[51] though War Machine maintained independent popularity among comic book readers at times when Stark's Iron Man was relatively forgotten. War Machine's design fit closely with the aesthetic adopted by comic books in the 1990s.[48] Portrayals of the character have been criticized for the subservient nature of Rhodes's black character to Stark's white character.[46][52]
In other media
War Machine has been featured as a character in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. This version of Rhodes begins as the military liaison to Stark Industries as well as Tony Stark's best friend,[53] and he serves as the responsible character who acts as a foil to Stark's impulsiveness.[45] He first appeared in the franchise's inaugural film, Iron Man (2008), played by Terrence Howard. Howard was replaced by Don Cheadle, who played the character in Iron Man 2 (2010), Iron Man 3 (2013), Captain America: Civil War (2016), Avengers: Infinity War (2018), Avengers: Endgame (2019), The Falcon and the Winter Soldier (2021), and Secret Invasion (2023).[54] Adaptations of War Machine have appeared in various animated television series either as a supporting character to Iron Man or in guest appearances on programs about other Marvel superheroes.[55]
Notes
- ^ Gilbert 2008, p. 188.
- ^ a b c Chambliss 2015, p. 150.
- ^ Costello 2009, p. 146.
- ^ a b c d Nama 2011, p. 79.
- ^ Austin & Hamilton 2019, p. 177, 191.
- ^ Chambliss 2015, pp. 149–150.
- ^ a b c Chambliss 2015, p. 151.
- ^ Cronin, Brian (2020-02-15). "When Did Tony Stark Let Rhodey Know He Was Iron Man?". CBR. Retrieved 2023-10-05.
- ^ Howe 2012, p. 255.
- ^ Zehr 2011, pp. 156–157.
- ^ a b c Chambliss 2015, p. 152.
- ^ Chambliss 2015, pp. 152–153.
- ^ a b c Costello 2009, p. 145.
- ^ a b c d Hoskin 2008, War Machine.
- ^ a b Hogan 2009, p. 206.
- ^ Ridout 1992, p. 8.
- ^ a b Chambliss 2015, pp. 153–154.
- ^ a b O'Neill 1994, p. 54.
- ^ Costello 2009, pp. 168–169.
- ^ Howe 2012, p. 365.
- ^ Gilbert 2008, p. 269.
- ^ a b c Chambliss 2015, p. 154.
- ^ a b Chambliss 2015, p. 155.
- ^ a b c d Chambliss 2015, p. 156.
- ^ Donohoo, Timothy (2022-05-31). "War Machine's Alien Armor Was His Worst Attempt to Distance Himself from Iron Man". CBR. Retrieved 2023-09-09.
- ^ a b c d e Chambliss 2015, p. 157.
- ^ a b Nama 2011, p. 118.
- ^ a b c d Chambliss 2015, p. 158.
- ^ a b George, Richard; Schedeen, Jesse (2008-05-31). "War Machine: Director of SHIELD". IGN. Retrieved 2023-09-10.
- ^ a b c d Chambliss 2015, p. 159.
- ^ a b c Chambliss 2015, p. 160.
- ^ a b c Truitt, Brian. "Armored hero's mettle tested in 'Iron Patriot'". USA Today. Retrieved 2023-09-10.
- ^ Dee, Jake (2023-03-23). "10 Most Controversial Avengers Deaths". CBR. Retrieved 2023-09-09.
- ^ a b c Bonomolo, Cameron (2018-05-24). "Marvel Brings SPOILER Back From The Dead". ComicBook.com. Retrieved 2023-09-10.
- ^ Friedenthal 2021, p. 75.
- ^ a b c d Chambliss 2015, p. 153.
- ^ a b Nama 2011, p. 121.
- ^ a b c Hoskin 2010, War Machine Update.
- ^ Chambliss 2015, pp. 160–161.
- ^ a b c Chambliss 2015, p. 161.
- ^ a b Chambliss 2015, pp. 154–155.
- ^ Rabski-McColl, Amanda (2021-07-22). "10 Times War Machine Was The Better Iron Man". CBR. Retrieved 2023-09-09.
- ^ "Picks From the Wizard's Hat". Wizard. No. 31. March 1994. p. 113.
- ^ Chambliss 2015, pp. 148–149.
- ^ a b c d Nama 2011, p. 81.
- ^ a b Chambliss 2015, pp. 156–158.
- ^ O'Neill 1994, p. 56.
- ^ a b Donohoo, Timothy (2020-06-09). "Iron Man: Who is Marvel's Other War Machine?". CBR. Retrieved 2023-09-09.
- ^ Smith, Tessa (2019-05-09). "Captain Marvel & War Machine's Comic Romance is Official". ScreenRant. Retrieved 2023-09-09.
- ^ Erdmann, Kevin (2021-07-30). "War Machine Proves Captain Marvel Learned Nothing From Civil War II". ScreenRant. Retrieved 2023-09-09.
- ^ Chambliss 2015, pp. 157–158.
- ^ Austin & Hamilton 2019, p. 191.
- ^ Chambliss 2015, pp. 159–160.
- ^ Liu, Narayan (2022-09-12). "Don Cheadle Reveals He's No Longer Under Marvel Contract". CBR. Retrieved 2023-09-09.
- ^ Goldman, Eric (2013-04-29). "Iron Man's TV History". IGN. Retrieved 2023-09-09.
References
- Austin, Allan W.; Hamilton, Patrick L. (2019). All New, All Different?: A History of Race and the American Superhero. University of Texas Press. S2CID 241309683.
- Chambliss, Julian C. (2015). "War Machine". In Darowski, Joseph J. (ed.). The Ages of Iron Man: Essays on the Armored Avenger in Changing Times. McFarland. ISBN 978-1-4766-2074-9.
- Costello, Matthew J. (2009). Secret Identity Crisis: Comic Books and the Unmasking of Cold War America. Bloomsbury Publishing USA. ISBN 978-1-4411-0859-3.
- Friedenthal, Andrew J. (2021). The World of Marvel Comics. Routledge. S2CID 237683113.
- Gilbert, Laura, ed. (2008). Marvel Chronicle: A Year By Year History. DK Publishing. ISBN 978-0-7566-4123-8.
- Hogan, Jon (2009). "The Comic Book as Symbolic Environment: The Case of Iron Man". ETC: A Review of General Semantics. 66 (2): 199–214. JSTOR 42578930.
- Hoskin, Michael (2008). The All-New Iron Manual. Marvel Comics.
- Hoskin, Michael (2010). Iron Man Iron Manual Mark 3. Marvel Comics.
- Howe, Sean (2012). Marvel Comics: The Untold Story. Harper Collins. ISBN 978-0-06-221811-7.
- Nama, Adilifu (2011). Super Black: American Pop Culture and Black Superheroes. University of Texas Press. ISBN 978-0-292-74252-9.
- O'Neill, Patrick Daniel (February 1994). "Men of Iron". Wizard. No. 30. pp. 50–56.
- Ridout, Cefn (1992). "Introduction". The Many Armors of Iron Man. Marvel Comics. pp. 4–9. ISBN 0-87135-926-X.
- Zehr, E. Paul (2011). Inventing Iron Man: The Possibility of a Human Machine. JHU Press. ISBN 978-1-4214-0488-2.
External links
- World of Black Heroes: War Machine Biography
- War Machine at Marvel.com
- War Machine on Marvel Database, a Marvel Comics wiki