Colonel James Rhodes had proven himself a hero long before his college friend created the Iron Man armor. His history of heroics makes him an obvious choice for the man to pick up where Tony Stark left off in the MCU, and he will be preserving the Iron Man legacy in the upcoming Disney Plus series, Armor Wars.
But there have been times when Rhodey was the better Iron Man— even, in many cases, saving Tony from himself. While he’s far from the only person who has used the armor when Tony was incapable of doing so, he’s almost always the first choice.
10 Being a good partner
Not just in the superheroing part of his life, but in his personal life too, Rhodey is a good partner. When he and Carol Danvers were a couple, he never held her back, though he stopped short of taking care of her flerken while she was off world. But he told her that he’d be there when she was done doing what she was doing.
This level of support translates to a good partner in business, as Tony as brought Rhodey in repeatedly in his ventures, superheroing (as any of his West Coast Avengers teammates would attest), and even his romantic life.
9 Going toe to toe with the God of War
Ares is one of the more intimidating gods in the Marvel universe and when he joined Norman Osborn’s Dark Avengers team, he added some old school muscle to the line-up. That wasn’t enough to set Rhodey off his course though and the two battled in Dark Reign: War Machine.
War Machine held his own against the god of war and earned the god’s respect. Ares declared Rhodey his champion after this battle and became an ally in his fight. While Tony has definitely sided with a few gods in his day, being the God of War’s champion on Earth is something Tony never managed.
8 Rhodey is a better shot and a better fighter
In Iron Man 3, the difference between Tony and his tech-based civilian heroism and Rhodey’s military training were laid out clearly. When it came to basic things like seeing what they were up against, or shooting out a light, Tony couldn’t do it. Rhodey could, and did.
While, when it comes to tech, Tony and his genius are unquestionable, it’s the little things that make a hero efficient and effective. Rhodey’s skills as a soldier, pilot, and scientist give him an edge.
7 Protecting Tony’s legacy
Armor Wars is a story that has influenced a lot of other Iron Man stories, and Tony Stark’s need to take his weapons off the board for those who aren’t using them for the right reasons is a huge part of his character. It also influenced Rhodey’s actions, as he does his best to keep the Iron Man name heroic.
Much of Rhodey’s work both as Iron Man and War Machine has centered on both preserving Stark’s legacy and protecting the world from Stark’s creations. It seems that the MCU will continue this with the upcoming Armor Wars series, which could lead into Riri Williams as Ironheart.
6 Seeing the good in anyone
During the Dark Reign and Norman Osborn’s rule, Rhodey went through a tough time, with his body falling apart and having to be integrated into his technology. But even as his biological self was disappearing, humanity was still his strength, and seeing that humanity in even the worst humanity has to offer.
While trying to talk down the Ultimo intelligence, Rhodey used his own experiences and Norman Osborn’s— specifically the birth of Osborn’s son and the joy that involved— to convince Ultimo not to destroy or assimilate the world. Rhodey’s knowledge that there must be a good emotion in the Green Goblin saved the world.
5 Protecting Tony’s personal issues
When Tony Stark gave up the Iron Man suit to deal with his personal demons and his alcoholism, Rhodey stepped up, doing the job without revealing to even the Avengers that he wasn’t Tony. He even kept it from his teammates when he joined the West Coast Avengers.
He spent the first arc of the West Coast Avengers run not removing any of the armor so he wouldn’t give away Tony’s secret. While Hawkeye eventually figured it out and welcomed Rhodey in on his own merits, Rhodey’s determination to save face for Tony is commendable.
4 Backing other heroes up
Rhodey’s appearance in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier shows him talking out Sam Wilson’s choice to give up the shield. He’s reasoned, compassionate and willing to listen. His support of his teammates, even when he disagrees with them— like he did with Sam during the events of Captain America: Civil War— is a key part of Rhodey’s character.
That is the same support he shows Tony is his lowest moments. From noticing Tony’s health is failing, to backing him up during his anxiety after Tony’s fall from the portal over New York in The Avengers.
3 Leading a robot army
AIM took control of old Iron Patriot tech and created a threat that even SHIELD struggled to deal with. Enter Colonel James Rhodes. He stepped up, using his military training and strength of personality to gain control of the limited AI, and used the Iron Patriot drones to the good guys’ advantage.
It wasn’t through the tech itself that he took control, though he absolutely had the skill to do so, but Rhodey employed something closer to a drill sergeant technique to bring the Iron Patriots to the side of the Secret Avengers.
2 Standing up to the Illuminati
Marvel’s Illuminati was formed to deal with issues beyond normal superhero levels and dealing with them. When the greater superhero community found out about it, this brought about conflict and discussions. Rhodey was the one that hunted for the Illuminati after their less than heroic acts were exposed.
He and Captain America both objected to the billions of deaths during the incursions that threatened their world. Even in the face of the end of the world, he stood for the lives of everyone.
1 Fighting the good fight with Cap in World War II
Time travel has been a part of the Marvel universe from almost the beginning. Nearly every character has been thrown around the timeline at one time or another. Rhodey had his own brush with this when he discovered a group of Neo-Nazis trying to send modern weapons back to World War II.
He traveled back as well, fighting alongside Captain America, Bucky, Nick Fury and the Howling Commandos to defeat these time-travelers. While he lost his armor during War Machine: Time War, he saved the timeline from Nazis. It doesn’t get better than that.