Lieutenant Colonel James Rhodes, codenamed War Machine, serves in the United States Air Force. He pilots a heavily armed combat armor distinct from Tony Stark's Iron Man suit, featuring integrated weaponry like shoulder-mounted missile launchers and automatic machine guns. His military background provides extensive combat piloting experience, making him a strategic counterpart to Stark. Rhodes first appears dueling Tony Stark in a high-speed aerial race over the Utah desert, engaging in tactical maneuvers and banter before attending the Howard Stark Satellite launch. During the ceremony, Ezekiel Stane and the Raiders attack. War Machine actively defends the facility, engaging the Raiders in combat using his armor's weaponry. Amid the battle, Rhodes is caught in a catastrophic explosion caused by Stane's nanite technology. The blast causes multiple casualties and leaves Rhodes severely injured. He is declared deceased, though later revelations confirm he survived in a comatose state. Medical personnel transfer Rhodes to a S.H.I.E.L.D. facility where his physical condition is stabilized but he remains unresponsive. Rhodes' coma persists until the climax aboard a compromised S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier during the Technovore incursion. In the ensuing chaos, he regains consciousness. Despite prolonged incapacitation and without medical clearance, he immediately reactivates his War Machine armor. He intervenes in the battle between Iron Man and the Technovore-controlled Ezekiel Stane, providing critical combat support. In the final confrontation, Rhodes follows Iron Man's tactical instruction to target the Technovore, firing the Howard satellite's defense laser at Stark's arc reactor. This decisive action neutralizes the Technovore threat. Rhodes subsequently assists in stabilizing Iron Man after the reactor blast. Following the conflict, Rhodes resumes active duty status with no lasting physical impairments indicated.