WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Captain Marvel #26 by Kelly Thompson, Lee Garbett, Antonio Fabela, and VC's Clayton Cowles, on sale now.
At the start of Captain Marvel's "The New World" storyline, Carol Danvers was mysteriously transported to the future. In the year 2052, she found a dystopian reality where most of the world had been destroyed and very few survivors remained. Among these survivors, she thankfully found some old friends, and she met the new generation of Marvel heroes. This group was largely made up of the children of the Avengers, a group that included Thor's daughter Brigid and Kate Barton, the daughter of Hawkeye and Black Widow, among others.
On top of them, Carol also met the future daughter of her current boyfriend, James "Rhodey" Rhodes, aka War Machine. But, rather surprisingly, she wasn't her mother. And when she finally gets back home to the present in Captain Marvel #26, this leads to Carol breaking up with Rhodey.
Carol Danvers and James Rhodes have been an item since in 2014. Since the two characters shared a military background and a current superhero life, they were a perfect match for each other. Throughout the years, Carol and James have stood by one another, but they also let each other soar whenever it was time for their respective solo adventures. The bond between the two characters was so great that it also served as the lynchpin that would start Civil War II, a confrontation spearheaded by Iron Man and Captain Marvel. The relationship between the two characters was also given a small nod in the Marvel Cinematic Universe film, Avengers: Endgame. Moreover, Rhodey also played an important role in the latest Captain Marvel series, where he appeared as both Carol's partner and a member of her superhero team.
But just as the two started planning a vacation together, Carol decides to put an end to their seven-year relationship.
In Captain Marvel #25, Carol and her friends join forces to try and stop Ove from time-traveling away from the year 2052. The son of Namor and Enchantress, Ove is a powerful and dangerous villain intent on traveling back to the present day of the Marvel Universe, where he will be able to unleash his tyrannical menace on the world. Unfortunately, thanks to his mother's sacrifice, Ove gets his wish, and he disappears from the timeline.
While the battle is done, the new generation of heroes are free from Ove's menace. Their world can be rebuilt, and Carol can go back home, where she will now have to face Ove all over again. When she returns home, not a second has passed by. Carol is reunited with Rhodey, Spider-Woman and Hazmat. She tells them exactly where she went, and what happened to her.
When she's alone with Rhodey later, she explains to him that she met his future daughter, who only went by the name Rhodes. Rhodes had superpowers of her own, and she proved instrumental in the battle against Ove. She wholeheartedly impressed Carol, but the problem is that Rhodes isn't her daughter.
The identity of Rhodes' mother has not been revealed yet, and this mystery essentially leads Carol to want to end her relationship with War Machine. Since she isn't Rhodes' mother, Carol doesn't want to stand in the way of this heroic young woman from ever existing. At first, Rhodey argues that this is only one possible future and that there are no guarantees this daughter of his will ever exist.
However, Carol doesn't want to take any chances, and she wants to do what she can to ensure that Rhodes will be born. And that means that she can't be in a relationship with Rhodey anymore, because he needs to meet the future mother of his future daughter. Rhodey objects, but he ultimately doesn't get a say in this decision, as Carol breaks things off with him. The two don't end on good terms at all, and that makes the whole thing even more heartbreaking.
After being one of Marvel's most beloved couples for seven years, Captain Marvel and War Machine have broken up, and it doesn't look like they will patch things up anytime soon.