Lieutenant Colonel James Rhodes, a highly disciplined and capable officer with extensive combat experience as a pilot, serves as Tony Stark's close friend and ally. Rhodes operates the heavily armed War Machine armor, featuring flight capabilities and advanced weaponry. His narrative involvement begins during a high-speed desert race with Stark in their armors, an event interrupted by an attack from Ezekiel Stane and the Raiders at the Howard Stark Satellite launch ceremony. Caught in a nanite-infused explosion inside a building, Rhodes is initially presumed dead but survives, falling into a coma. He awakens later amidst a battle between Iron Man and the techno-organic entity Technovore. Immediately donning his War Machine armor, he decisively joins the fight; his suit's heavy weaponry proves crucial against the threat. Rhodes further demonstrates his integration into the superhero community by participating in an Avengers-led raid against the terrorist group Leviathan. The War Machine armor boasts significant offensive power, including repulsors, a shoulder-mounted mini-gun, and a sonic cannon capable of extended target stunning. It also provides robust defensive durability against physical and energy attacks. Rhodes' military training makes him a skilled tactician and combatant, effectively utilizing both his armor's systems and conventional firearms. His operational history includes confrontations with AIM (Advanced Idea Mechanics) and support roles in intelligence missions, such as locating an AIM warehouse in Karachi. During the climax against the Technovore, Rhodes delivers critical support to Iron Man. Following Stark's directive, he fires the Howard Stark Satellite's defense laser at Stark's arc reactor—a decisive action instrumental in defeating the entity. Throughout missions, Rhodes maintains a professional demeanor focused on objectives, coupled with characteristic dry wit during interactions with Stark.