James Rhodes (Earth-199999)

"Are you even pulling? Just represent. Pull!!"

- (Avengers: Age of Ultron) Rhodey to Tony as both try to lift Mjolnir.

James Rhodes, known as Rhodey for short, is a character that appears in the Iron Man

Trilogy films, and is based on the character of the same name in the comics. He holds the rank of Lieutenant Colonel in the United States Military, and is now a member of the Avengers known as War Machine.

He was set as a secondary protagonist in all three Iron Man films, and was portrayed by two different actors, namely Terrence Howard in the first Iron Man film, and Don Cheadle in all subsequent films, such as Iron Man 2 and Iron Man 3.

Rhodey is Tony Stark's best friend, as well as the Lieutenant Colonel of the U.S. Air Force, and became known as the War Machine later, after he stole the Mark II from Tony from his Hall of Armors, in the movie Iron Man 2. In Iron Man 3, his suit is repainted and he is rebranded as Iron Patriot.

Appearance
Rhodey is African-American, and has mostly dark brown skin. He has short military-like hair.

Personality
James Rhodes is a proud and highly distinguished officer of the United States Armed Forces. 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. Tony's disrespect of government officials and refusal to relinquish his Iron Man suits to them often puts Rhodes in a difficult position since he has to balance his responsibilities to his superiors and respect his friendship with Tony. As liaison to Stark Industries, Rhodes strives to maintain a copacetic relationship between Tony and the U.S. government.

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 UN 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 Chitauri 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 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.

Despite his sense of professionalism, however, he enjoys wearing the War Machine suit as he believes it makes him a badass, and is largely disappointed when it underperforms, such as when the Ex-Wife Missile installed in his suit doesn't deliver when fighting Whiplash. Though he states that being rebranded as Iron Patriot comes across well as it's less aggressive, he secretly prefers being referred to as War Machine, and quickly goes back to this persona following the end of the latest crisis. 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 & Abilities
Like Tony Stark, Rhodes has no 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 to become War Machine. The armor allows him to fly, possess superhuman strength and durability and contains various weapons for battle. Rhodes' War Machine armors are more devised for military oriented purposes; therefore they are more heavily weaponized than Stark's Iron Man 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, and powerful generation armor. When the Mark II Iron Man Armor was transformed into the War Machine Mark I armor, it was sufficient enough to nearly overpower the Mark VI, battle hordes of Hammer Drones and Vanko himself with his own armor.

Support Powers
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.
 * Flight: The armor, like the Iron Man armor, can reach speeds up to 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. The armor can react faster than naturally possible.
 * 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 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 Vanko 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

 * 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 Stark both fired their repulsors at each other and the resulting event destroyed much of Stark's house.
 * 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 mini-gun 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 underslung sub-machine gun.
 * Rocket Launcher: A box rocket launcher mounted over the left shoulder holds a Hammer-tech bunker busting rocket that Rhodes referred to as the "Ex-Wife" which was useless against the improved 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' allies, and once on Scarlet Witch and Ant-Man.
 * 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 Air Force Academy 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 Stark's attack on 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 Combatant: Rhodes' military training made him a very skilled hand to hand combatant. He was more than able to handle himself against Killian's 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 Tony in their ferocious brawl during Tony's birthday when Tony got drunk while Tony 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 Armors

 * War Machine Armor (film)


 * War Machine Armor Mark II


 * Iron Patriot Armor (film)


 * War Machine Armor Mark III
 * War Machine Armor Mark IV
 * War Machine Armor Mark V


 * War Machine Armor Mark VI
 * Iron Patriot Armor Mark II

Weapons

 * Beretta 92FS Inox: 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.
 * Walther P99: 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 Avengers Civil War, Rhodes was given leg braces built 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.

Origin
Rhodey is originally from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

In the comics he is depicted as a Marine Corps combat veteran who later becomes a military contractor.

In the MCU, he is a officer in the United States Air Force. As both Rhodey and Stark sport M.I.T. rings, it could be inferred that is where they met and where their friendship began.

Tony's Court Meeting
Rhodey attends the court meeting in Washington to discuss with the government regarding Tony's Iron Man armor. He walks into the courtroom, and Tony walks up to him and asks him what he was doing there. Rhodey replies that he will discuss with the goverment regarding Tony's armors. He then tells Tony to keep quiet and sit down as he goes to the lead row.

Iron Man 3
While Tony has reclaimed the Mark II / War Machine from Rhodes, he has supplied him with a new armor called the Iron Patriot. The two meet in a bar and discuss the "The Mandarin", something that Rhodes doesn't want Tony to get involved in and the events of New York, causing Tony to have a panic attack and fly off in the Mark VII suit. Later, after Tony is apparently killed in an attack on his home and "The Mandarin" kills a man in a live broadcast to the President, Rhodes is sent to track him down.

He finds several wrong locations and is excited when Tony calls him and reveals he is alive. Tony asks for his login for A.I.M. which he has determined to be behind everything and Rhodes reluctantly reveals that his username and password which is WARMACHINEROX to Tony's amusement. At one of the locations he searches, Rhodes runs into an Extremis Soldier and is captured. Aldrich Killian and his Extremis Soldiers use tools and their powers to try to force Rhodes out of his armor and he finally ejects in an attempt to take them down hand-to-hand. However, he fails and is knocked out.

Left behind when Killian leaves, Rhodes meets up with Tony and the two interrogate Trevor Slattery who is the actor pretending to be "The Mandarin." Rhodes is shocked to learn the truth about Slattery, but learns where Killian will be and that Killian is after the President as well. Taking Slattery's speedboat, Rhodes and Tony head to the impounded oil tanker where Killian has his base while Tony remote controls the Mark 42 suit to try to rescue the President. Tony ultimately fails and the suit is disabled, but he rescues several crew and passengers. With no back-up and no armor, Rhodes and Tony make their way onto the ship to rescue the President and Pepper.

Rhodes is nervous about having an un-armored and armed Tony as back-up and the two end up pinned down. Recognizing the need for back-up, Tony has J.A.R.V.I.S. activate the "House Party Protocol" and bring in the Iron Legion, Tony's army of Iron Man suits to help them. Tony arms himself with a suit and heads to rescue Pepper, but is unable to give one to Rhodes as all the suits are coded to him only. J.A.R.V.I.S. aids Rhodes by using a suit to fly him to the President, but he is attacked by two Extremis Soldiers.

Rhodes manages to defeat them and reaches the President, using one of the Iron Patriot's repulsors to swing himself and the President to safety from an explosion. After freeing the suit and complementing how the President looks in it, Rhodes once more dons the Iron Patriot armor and flies the President to safety, leaving Tony and the Iron Legion to deal with Killian and his soldiers. Rhodey later watches as the Vice President is arrested and as Tony has the shrapnel removed from his chest.

Avengers: Age of Ultron
Rhodey appears in the sequel, The Avengers: Age of Ultron. In the movie he goes to Tony Stark's party to celebrate their victory over Hydra to retrieve Loki's sceptre. He and Tony attempt to lift Thor's hammer using the glove of their respective suits. They are unsuccessful and Thor calls them "not worthy". Later in the film he helps The Avengers in the fight against Ultron and at the end of the movie is part of the new line up of Avengers after Iron Man, Thor, Hulk, and Hawkeye left and is replaced by Falcon, Vision. Scarlett Witch, and himself.

Captain America: Civil War
Following the events of Avengers: Age of Ultron, a strong contingent of the Avengers are split on two opposing sides the argument with regards to the signing of the Sokovia accords, with Tony Stark believing the accords should be passed, and Steve Rogers against them, under the impression that it would limit what the Avengers were able to accomplish; Rhodey naturally sided with best friend Stark, and ultimately the two sides clashed, with Stark and Rhodes joined by Natasha Romanoff (Black Widow), Vision, Prince T'challa of Wakanda (Black Panther) and Peter Parker (Spider-Man), fighting against Rogers, Bucky Barnes (Winter Soldier), Sam Wilson (Falcon), Wanda Maximoff (Scarlet Witch), Clint Barton (Hawkeye) and Scott Lang (Ant-Man).

During the fight at Leipzig/Halle airport, after attempting to chase down an escaping plane containing Barnes and Rogers, Rhodey is inadvertently shot out of the sky by Vision after Falcon dodges the attack, and ends up partially paralysed from the waist down. After the dust has settled on the ordeal, Tony Stark helps Rhodey in regaining his ability to use his legs, after having fitted leg braces to aid the rehabilitation process.

Avengers: Infinity War
After helping rescue Wanda and Vision from Edinburgh in Scotland following an ambush from members of Thanos' Black Order, Steve Rogers, Natasha Romanoff and Sam Wilson return with them to the Avengers compound, where they are greeted by Rhodey, following a conversation with Thaddeus Ross in which he admits regret in signing the Sokovia accords. Upon reconvening with the returning Avengers, and using the information passed on by Bruce Banner about Thanos and his plan to collect the infinity stones, they set out a plan to destroy the mind stone that was embedded in Vision's forehead, and Rogers suggests taking Vision to Wakanda.

Rhodey travels to Wakanda with Rogers, Banner, Romanoff, Maximoff and Vision, where they are greeted by King T'challa and Bucky Barnes, whom had been fitted with a new vibranium arm following his recovery from mental reprogramming. As a massive army of Outriders arrive, led by Proxima Midnight and Cull Obsidian, Rhodey joins the Dora Milaje, the Wakandan Royal Guard, the Border Tribe and the Jabari Tribe led by M'Baku, as well as T'Challa, Rogers, Barnes, Wilson, Rhodes, Romanoff and Banner using a suit of Hulkbuster armor in an attempt to buy Shuri some time in her attempt to remove the mind stone from Vision.

After Thanos arrives on Wakanda using the space stone, all of the remaining Avengers including Rhodey attempt to hold him off as Maximoff attempts to destroy the mind stone in Vision's head, however each attempt is swiftly brushed aside by Thanos using the infinity stones. Although Maximoff manages to destroy the mind stone, Thanos uses the newly acquired time stone to reverse the damage, brush Maximoff aside and take the mind stone for himself, killing Vision a second time and completing the infinity gauntlet. In spite of Thor launching a last minute assault on Thanos, jamming stormbreaker into the mad titan's chest, it is all in vain and Thanos carries out the snap, decimating half of all life in the universe.

Rhodey is spared from being dusted by Thanos, along with Rogers, Romanoff, Banner, Rocket and Thor, however the remaining Avengers are left to rue their defeat after Thanos departs earth, and retires to a distant planet to reflect on his victory.

Captain Marvel (Mid-Credits)
In the immediate aftermath of Infinity War, Rhodey and the remaining Avengers have retreated to the Avengers complex to discuss the impact of Thanos' snap, as well as analyse a mysterious pager left behind by Nick Fury, himself and Maria Hill both victims of the decimation. Rhodey exclaims to Steve Rogers, Natasha Romanoff and Bruce Banner that said pager had stopped working, despite still being plugged into their system. Carol Danvers (Captain Marvel) shows up subsequent to a brief discussion, and enquires as to the whereabouts of Fury.

Avengers: Endgame
TBA

Quotes
"Next time, baby!"

- (Iron Man) Rhodey talking about wanting to get his own armor.

"We don't have to do this, Tony!"

- (Iron Man 2) James Rhodes talking to Tony Stark before blasting their Repulsor Beams at each other.

"You look damn good, Mr. President. But I'm gonna need that suit back."

- (Iron Man 3) James Rhodes commenting on how the President''' looks in the Iron Patriot Suit.

"Iron Patriot on the job!"

- (Iron Man 3) Rhodey to the captives in Pakistan.

"Sidekick *this*!"

- (Iron Man 2).

Marvel's The Avengers: Iron Man - Mark VII
Rhodey appears here as a cameo in the digital comics, wherein he is seen fighting against Tony using the Mark II armor he stole from the Hall of Armors. Later on, he can be seen fighting with Tony in his War Machine Armor against the Hammer Drones; together with Tony in his Mark VI, which was based on the same scene found in the movie, Iron Man 2.

Iron Man 3 - The Official Game
Rhodey appears in-game as on of the characters that help Tony on his missions. It is also presumed that when the player uses anyone of his armors, Rhodey is the one piloting it instead of Tony.

Trivia

 * As revealed in Iron Man 3, Rhodey's Satcom login Username is "Warmachine68", and his Password is "WARMACHINEROX".