War Machine in other media

James Rhodes is a Marvel Comics character that has appeared in comics featuring or related to Iron Man since 1979. The character has appeared in other media adaptations of Iron Man both as a non-costumed character and as War Machine.

Television

Iron Man (1994)

War Machine appeared in the 1994 animated series Iron Man voiced by actors James Avery, for most of the first season and Dorian Harewood for the remainder of the series. During the first season, Rhodes is a member of Iron Man's "Force Works". When the team disbands at the end of the second season opener, "The Beast Within", Rhodes is one of two characters to remain with Iron Man. While the character appeared in armor for the bulk of the series, he avoids it for the four episodes between "Fire and Rain" and "Distant Boundaries" appearing only as James Rhodes. This character arc had Rhodes dealing with claustrophobia arising from almost drowning in the War Machine armor.

War Machine also made cameos in the 1994 Spider-Man series, the 1996 Incredible Hulk series and the Phoenix Saga of the 1992 X-Men animated series.

Iron Man: Armored Adventures

A teenage James Rhodes is featured as one of the main characters in the animated series Iron Man: Armored Adventures, voiced by actor Daniel Bacon. During the first season of the series, Rhodes and his family act as a foster home for Tony Stark after the death of Howard Stark. He is also Stark's classmate and best friend at the Tomorrow Academy a science-intensive high school. As the series progresses, Rhodes becomes Stark's aide-de-camp, beginning as a backup operator using a remote system to assume control of the Stark Exo-Suit, or "Iron Man" armor, during Stark's first outing and expanding as the voice of concern when Stark does something dangerous. Other aspects of the character that were developed of the first season include an aptitude for science and an interest in history. Hints were also given that he has a crush on Whitney Stane and that he perceives the romantic tensions between Stark, Stane, Pepper Potts, and Gene Khan. In the season finale, the two part "Tales of Suspense", Rhodes gets the "War Machine" armor which he uses to ferry Stark a suit of Iron Man armor and help against Fin Fang Foom and the Mandarin.^[1]

The Super Hero Squad Show

Rhodes appeared in the episode "Tales of Suspense" from the first season of the animated series The Super Hero Squad Show voiced by actor LeVar Burton. While the character appeared in armor during the episode, he was never referred to as "War Machine" and the armor appeared as a slight variation of the Iron Man armor, lacking obvious external heavy armaments. In the episode, Doctor Doom plots with Melter and Crimson Dynamo to discredit Iron Man with an impostor. Investigating, Iron Man encounters an armored Rhodes and mistakes him for the impostor. Realizing the mistake, the pair team up to confront the actual impostor. They are captured due to bickering based on Rhodes' discontent over being left to what over Stark Industries while Iron Man is with the Super Hero Squad. Resolving their personal issues and with the help of other heroes, he and Iron Man are able to overcome the villains.

The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes

Rhodes appeared in the episode "Iron Man is Born!" from the animated series The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes voiced by Bumper Robinson. In that episode, he is shown as a colonel in the military trying to convince Tony Stark that he does not have to fight evil by himself.^[2] One of the comics written to promote this show includes a flashback of Iron Man and War Machine capturing the Crimson Dynamo together.^[3]

Film

The Invincible Iron Man

James Rhodes appeared in the 2007 animated film The Invincible Iron Man voiced by Rodney Saulsberry. In the film, Rhodes is an engineer and former army medic who accompanies Tony Stark to an archeological excavation of a lost city in China. At the insistence of Stark's father, he is also in charge of security for the excavation. When he and Start are captured by a group seeking to re-bury the lost city, his experience as a medic are used to save Stark's life and help create the initial Iron Man armor. Through the remainder of the film, Rhodes acts as Iron Man’s assistant, even to the point of being arrested in Stark’s place. At the end of the film he is appointed head of the Special Engineering branch after all charges against Stark are dropped.

Iron Man (2008)

Terrence Howard portrayed James Rhodes in the 2008 film Iron Man.^[4] In the film, Rhodes holds the rank of Lieutenant Colonel in the United States Air Force and acts as the military's chief liaison to the weapons division of Stark Industries. As in the comic books that were adapted for the film, he is Tony Stark's best friend and among Stark's most trusted allies. He is also depicted wearing a "Brass Rat", the Massachusetts Institute of Technology school ring, on one hand, indicating that he and Stark graduated from the same college,^[5] and on the other an Air Force Academy ring. Though Rhodes did not appear in an armored suit in the film a nod to War Machine was made during end credits of the film. Director Jon Favreau confirmed the animation included a "tip of the hat" to the character.^[6] Artist Phil Saunders had created concept art for an unused "hall of armor" scene which included the War Machine armor.^[7][8] Favreau later told Ain't It Cool News that War Machine would appear in the sequels and Howard was cast with this in mind.^[9]

Iron Man 2

Don Cheadle portrayed James Rhodes in the 2010 film sequel Iron Man 2.^[10] After a contract dispute with Terrence Howard, the part of Rhodes was recast and Cheadle was selected for the role.^[11] Rhodes' armor, visually based on the War Machine armor from the comic books, was featured in the film and was first revealed in footage shown at the 2009 San Diego Comic-Con. For the film, the origin of the armor differed from the comic book source material with the armor being the Iron Man Mark II armor, with upgrades and balistic weapons added, among other things, and called the Variable Threat Response Battle Suit (VTRBS). In the film, Rhodes is under pressure from the United States government to convince Tony Stark to relinquish ownership of the Iron Man armor. When a drunken Stark, in armor, endangers the lives of the guests at his birthday party, Rhodes is forced to don the Iron Man Mark II armor to intervene. After the intervention turns into a brutal fight that wrecks Stark's home, he leaves with the Mark II armor and hands it over to the military. The armor is upgraded into the heavily armed VTRBS at Edwards Air Force Base by the United States Air Force with its arsenal of heavy ballistic weaponry provided by defense contractor Justin Hammer. Rhodes is then assigned to pilot it in a demonstration at the Stark Expo. However the VTRBS is secretly under the control of Ivan Vanko and Rhodes finds himself trapped in the armor as it fights Stark. When Natasha Romanoff reboots its software, he regains control of the armor and is able to team with Stark against first Hammer's unmanned drones, and later an armored Vanko. After they subdue Vanko, Rhodes keeps the armor to get home, as his car was destroyed in the fight. Upon being told by Stark, "NO, not ok." Rhodes replied, "Wasn't a question." and flies off.

The markings on the VTRBS include its serial and production number of "AF47 001", the "ED 445 FLTS" tail code designation of the 445th Flight Test Squadron, and the modern and heritage United States Air Force logos.^[12] The armor is equipped with heavier external armor plating, non-weapons grade repulsor based flight stabilizers, enhanced jet boots and backpack jet thrusters that could theoretically reach speeds up to Mach 8, an arc reactor in the chest capable of generating at least eight gigajoules of energy, and multiple external weapons such as dual arm-mounted FN F2000 tactical assault rifles, a M134 7.62 mm minigun on the right shoulder, and a left shoulder deployed bunker buster missile launcher nicknamed "The Ex-Wife" (which later turn out to be defective).^[5]

While neither the armor nor Rhodes are directly referred to as "War Machine" in the film, Iron Man 2, director Jon Favreau used the name when referring to the character in various interviews.^[13][14] Furthermore, during the fight between Stark and Rhodes, Stark taunts Rhodes by questioning whether or not Rhodes can be "the war machine," referring to the role of Iron Man.

Video games

• War Machine is a playable character in in two of the video games in Capcom's Marvel vs. Capcom series. In both games, the character's voice was provided by Wayne Ward.
  • Marvel vs. Capcom: Clash of Super Heroes (1998) - The in-game design was based on Iron Man from Marvel Super Heroes (1995) with the palette swapped and the addition of new animations such as a shoulder cannon instead of a chest unibeam, spiked smart bombs, and a new Super Attack. The game also contains a gold colored "hidden character" version that cannot block or fly, but is never stunned and had the beam and missile attacks switched.
  • Marvel vs. Capcom 2: New Age of Heroes (2000) - The character design was modified further, incorporating elements of the Marvel vs. Capcom: Clash of Super Heroes hidden character, to differentiate him from Iron Man.
  • Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds (2011) - War Machine is available as an alternate costume of Iron Man
• X-Men Legends II: Rise of Apocalypse (2005) by Activision - The War Machine armor is an alternate costume for Iron Man. It also allowed a special bonus when all four characters in the party were in the same themed costumes.
• Marvel: Ultimate Alliance (2006) by Activision - War Machine's use as an alternate "costume" and in game bonus were similar as those in X-Men Legends II also he is a playable hero on the PC version
• Iron Man (2008) by Sega - Rhodes, voiced by Terrence Howard, is a non-playable character in the game.
• Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 2 (2009) by Activision - War Machine, voiced by Nolan North, is a boss character in the "Anti-Registration" campaign for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions of the game.
• Marvel Super Hero Squad (2009) by THQ - War Machine, voiced by Nolan North, is an unlockable character in the game.
• Iron Man 2 (2010) by Sega - War Machine is a playable character voiced by Don Cheadle,^{[15][16][17][18]} with additional dialogue provided by Phil LaMarr. In the Wii version of the game, Iron Man and War Machine have slightly different upgrades and different Repulsors. The main differences between the two are that War Machine can be equipped with gatling guns and when War Machine loses all of his health, he cannot be revived like Iron Man can.
• War Machine is a playable character in Marvel Super Hero Squad Online, voiced by John DiMaggio.
• War Machine appears in Hawkeye's ending for Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 as a member of his West Coast Avengers.

Toys

• Iron Man animated series line by Toy Biz^[19]
  • Series 1 - A War Machine action figure with removable armor.
  • Series 4 - A silver "War Machine 2" action figure with removable armor.
• Marvel - Hall Of Fame line (1997) by Toy Biz - An "unmasked" War Machine action figure with removable helmet.^[20]
• Marvel Vs. Capcom line (1999) by Toy Biz - A War Machine action figure packaged with Mega Man.^[21]
• Marvel Legends lines by Toy Biz
  • Series 9 (2005) - A War Machine action figure was based on his appearance in the comic U.S. War Machine.
  • Face-Off Series 2 (2006) - Released as a chase variant of the Modular Armor Iron Man action figure from the same series.
• Marvel Legends lines by Hasbro
  • Ares Series (2008) - An Ultimate War Machine action figure based on his appearance in Ultimate Iron Man.
• Iron Man movie tie-in line by Hasbro - A War Machine action figure was produced as a Wal-Mart exclusive for the line. Though the figure is referred to as the "Stealth Operations Suit" armor, the figure has War Machine's black & silver paint job, War Machine's weapons, and the toy description lists Jim Rhodes as the pilot of the armor.
• Marvel Universe line by Hasbro - A 3¾ inch War Machine action figure was produced for a Secret Wars 25th Anniversary two pack. It was released packaged with the Julia Carpenter version of Spider-Woman.
• Marvel Minimates line by Diamond Select Toys
  • Series 21 - Rhodes as he appeared in the Iron Man film packaged with the Iron Man Mark II armor.
  • Series 23 - Rhodes' Mark II War Machine armor was a chase variant figure packaged with Spymaster.
  • Series 35 - Rhodes' War Machine armor as depicted in the Iron Man 2 film packaged with Iron Man Mark V and Rhodes in his U.S. Air Force uniform packaged with an Air Assault Drone.
• Iron Man 2 movie tie-in line by Hasbro^[22]
  • Wave 1 (2010)
    • "Movie Series" - Based on the character design from the film, two variants were released with either red or blue eyes, chest arc reactor, and palm repulsors.
    • "Comic Series" - Based on the character design from the comic books.
  • Wave 5 (2010)
    • "Munitions Armor" - A War Machine action figure released under the "Concept Series".
  • "Advanced Tactical Armor" K-Mart Exclusive Box Set (2010) - Omega Factor War Machine action figure packaged with Vibranium Iron Man and Bio-Metal Iron Man. Released under the "Concept Series".
  • Armor Tech Deluxe Wave 3 - A War Machine action figure released under the "Concept Series".
  • Hall of Armor Collection Wave 1 (2010) - A Target exclusive variant of the Wave 1 "Movie Series" action figure.
  • A 6 inch War Machine action figure was also produced as a Wal-Mart exclusive. Later rereleased in the Iron Man Armored Avenger line for 2011.
• Marvel Select line by Diamond Select Toys - A 7-inch War Machine action figure.
• Transformers: Crossovers line (2010) by Hasbro - A War Machine figure which is supposed to be an upgraded version of his armor from the second Iron Man film, which is larger and turns into a stealth jet.

References