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[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/james_rhodes_as_iron_man_marvel_comics.jpg]]
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[[quoteright:347:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/1508379-pepper_3018.jpg]][[caption-width-right:347:Pepper as Rescue]]
!!! '''First Appearance:''' ''Tales of Suspense'' (Vol 1) #45
!!! '''First Appearance:''' ''Tales of Suspense'' (Vol 1) #45
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!!! '''First Appearance:''' ''Tales of Suspense'' (Vol 1) #45
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!Tropes
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Crosswicking
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* BeleagueredAssistant: For Tony Stark at times. It's apparently bad enough that Pepper's fiance hated Tony for "ruining" Pepper's life and actually turns into a villain as a result.
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* BeautifulAllAlong: When she first appeared, she had freckles and looked like a teenager. Several issues later, she "got a makeover" and became the more better-known version of the character (in terms of looks).
* BeleagueredAssistant: For Tony Stark at times. It's apparently bad enough that Pepper's fiance hated Tony for "ruining" Pepper'slife life, and actually turns into this hatred made him a villain as worthy candidate for a result.Mandarin ring.
* BeleagueredAssistant: For Tony Stark at times. It's apparently bad enough that Pepper's fiance hated Tony for "ruining" Pepper's
* ComicBookFantasyCasting: Don Heck based her off of actress Ann B. Davis, known at the time for her role on ''The Bob Cummings Show''. She's best remembered today for playing Alice in ''Series/TheBradyBunch''.
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* GirlFriday: "I do anything and everything Mr. Stark requires." This includes sneaking into her boss' company and downloading files for him without alerting anyone else. She's not the page image for nothing.
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* GirlFriday: "I do anything Pepper Potts starts as Tony Stark's personal assistant who takes care of his neglected responsibilities. She then becomes more and everything Mr. Stark requires." This includes sneaking into more badass; even has her boss' company and downloading files for him without alerting anyone else. She's not the page image for nothing.own armor now.
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* RetCanon: After the release of ''Film/AvengersEndgame'', Pepper's Rescue armor was redesigned to more closely resemble how it appears in the film, as seen in ''2020 Rescue''.
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* RetCanon: After the release of ''Film/AvengersEndgame'', Pepper's Rescue armor was redesigned to more closely resemble how it appears originally red, but the new version she began wearing in the film, as seen in ''2020 Rescue''.Rescue'' limited series instead has a purple color scheme, taken from the suit's design in both ''WesternAnimation/IronManArmoredAdventures'' and ''Film/AvengersEndgame''.
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* SexySecretary: There's a reason that Tony likes her. Granted, the man ReallyGetsAround.
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* SexySecretary: There's Originally, she was more of a reason that Tony likes her. Granted, PluckyOfficeGirl with freckles, the man ReallyGetsAround.classic hair bun, and a huge crush on Tony, her boss. Eventually, she had a makeover, literally LettingHerHairDown and proving herself to have been BeautifulAllAlong.
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* JerkassBall: On the occasions he's not just being a straight jerkass, for a genius he can cling to this one pretty hard. The usual consequence is straining or outright ruining his relationships with the other heroes.
** During ''Operation: Galactic Storm'', he's much snappier than usual with pretty much everyone, culminating in him pulling rank over Captain America and taking a bunch of Avengers to go kill the Supreme Intelligence. Not for nothing ''The Crossing'' claimed he'd been brainwashed at this point.
** During ''Operation: Galactic Storm'', he's much snappier than usual with pretty much everyone, culminating in him pulling rank over Captain America and taking a bunch of Avengers to go kill the Supreme Intelligence. Not for nothing ''The Crossing'' claimed he'd been brainwashed at this point.
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* WeUsedToBeFriends: His actions often tend to do this with Captain America. Sooner or later they tend to patch things up, but it always makes things tense and awkward in the meantime.
** During ''Armor Wars'', Tony nearly kills a Guardsman and causes a super-villain prison break, then sucker-punches Steve in the process. The two remain on poor terms up until after ''Operation: Galactic Storm''.
** ''Civil War'' ruins it again. Even after Steve's resurrection, the two fratch with one another until a fight with Hel allows them to start moving on.
** And ''again'' during Jonathan Hickman's ''Avengers'' run, thanks to Tony having Doctor Strange wipe Steven's mind, culminating in Steve dedicating S.H.I.E.L.D. to hunt Tony down so he can beat him to death. The cosmic wibblyness of ''Secret Wars'' seems to have undone that.
** During ''Armor Wars'', Tony nearly kills a Guardsman and causes a super-villain prison break, then sucker-punches Steve in the process. The two remain on poor terms up until after ''Operation: Galactic Storm''.
** ''Civil War'' ruins it again. Even after Steve's resurrection, the two fratch with one another until a fight with Hel allows them to start moving on.
** And ''again'' during Jonathan Hickman's ''Avengers'' run, thanks to Tony having Doctor Strange wipe Steven's mind, culminating in Steve dedicating S.H.I.E.L.D. to hunt Tony down so he can beat him to death. The cosmic wibblyness of ''Secret Wars'' seems to have undone that.
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[[folder:Teen Tony]]
!!Anthony Stark (Earth-96020)
!!!'''First Appearance:''' ''Avengers: Timeslide'' (1995)
A younger Tony Stark from an alternate universe, brought in by the Avengers to try and help fight Tony when he went insane during ''The Crossing''. In the process, this Tony received injuries to his heart, but tried to fill the void of his counterpart, before sacrificing his life along with the other Avengers to defeat Onslaught.
* KidHero: His title of "Teen Tony" says it all.
* RedeemingReplacement: The intention the Avengers had when recruiting him. It succeeded.
* TraumaCongaLine: His parents are killed by a dimension-hopping supervillain, he finds out an alternate future version of himself has gone insane and evil, and he's injured fighting him. This is all in the same day.
* WeHardlyKnewYe: Introduced in 1995, he dies in 1996 and has stayed dead (technically) since.
[[/folder]]
!!Anthony Stark (Earth-96020)
!!!'''First Appearance:''' ''Avengers: Timeslide'' (1995)
A younger Tony Stark from an alternate universe, brought in by the Avengers to try and help fight Tony when he went insane during ''The Crossing''. In the process, this Tony received injuries to his heart, but tried to fill the void of his counterpart, before sacrificing his life along with the other Avengers to defeat Onslaught.
* KidHero: His title of "Teen Tony" says it all.
* RedeemingReplacement: The intention the Avengers had when recruiting him. It succeeded.
* TraumaCongaLine: His parents are killed by a dimension-hopping supervillain, he finds out an alternate future version of himself has gone insane and evil, and he's injured fighting him. This is all in the same day.
* WeHardlyKnewYe: Introduced in 1995, he dies in 1996 and has stayed dead (technically) since.
[[/folder]]
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This is ultimately just Natter, as the example was perfectly explained without this note needed.
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* HonestCorporateExecutive: After becoming Iron Man, he turned his company around and became very concerned with morality and making the world a better place, even in his civilian life. He's turned away numerous projects and dangerous employees on moral grounds, at great expense to both his wallet and his well being.
* InspectorJavert: Becomes this after ''Civil War'', relentlessly pursuing the New Avengers when he's got the opportunity and trying to arrest them. The opening issue of ''Mighty Avengers'' has him tell Carol Danvers his reasoning: If they don't, SHIELD will, and they'll be much less restrained about it.[[note]] said the man who green lit using a bunch of murderous supervillains to hunt down his friends and colleagues [[/note]]
* InspectorJavert: Becomes this after ''Civil War'', relentlessly pursuing the New Avengers when he's got the opportunity and trying to arrest them. The opening issue of ''Mighty Avengers'' has him tell Carol Danvers his reasoning: If they don't, SHIELD will, and they'll be much less restrained about it.[[note]] said the man who green lit using a bunch of murderous supervillains to hunt down his friends and colleagues [[/note]]
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* HonestCorporateExecutive: After becoming Iron Man, he turned his company around and became very concerned with morality and making the world a better place, even in his civilian life. He's turned away numerous projects and dangerous employees on moral grounds, at great expense to both his wallet and his well being.well-being.
* InspectorJavert: Becomes this after ''Civil War'', relentlessly pursuing the New Avengers when he's got the opportunity and trying to arrest them. The opening issue of ''Mighty Avengers'' has him tell Carol Danvers his reasoning: If they don't, SHIELD will, and they'll be much less restrained about it.[[note]] said the man who green lit using a bunch of murderous supervillains to hunt down his friends and colleagues [[/note]]
* InspectorJavert: Becomes this after ''Civil War'', relentlessly pursuing the New Avengers when he's got the opportunity and trying to arrest them. The opening issue of ''Mighty Avengers'' has him tell Carol Danvers his reasoning: If they don't, SHIELD will, and they'll be much less restrained about it.
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* InspectorJavert: Becomes this after ''Civil War'', relentlessly pursuing the New Avengers when he's got the opportunity and trying to arrest them. The opening issue of ''Mighty Avengers'' has him tell Carol Danvers his reasoning: If they don't, SHIELD will, and they'll be much less restrained about it.
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* InspectorJavert: Becomes this after ''Civil War'', relentlessly pursuing the New Avengers when he's got the opportunity and trying to arrest them. The opening issue of ''Mighty Avengers'' has him tell Carol Danvers his reasoning: If they don't, SHIELD will, and they'll be much less restrained about it.[[note]] said the man who green lit using a bunch of murderous supervillains to hunt down his friends and colleagues [[/note]]
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* ''WesternAnimation/IronMan''
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* ''WesternAnimation/IronMan''''WesternAnimation/IronManTheAnimatedSeries''
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* InSeriesNickname: Rhodey and in the first season of the [[WesternAnimation/IronMan '90s Iron Man cartoon]], Jimmy.
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* InSeriesNickname: Rhodey and in the first season of the [[WesternAnimation/IronMan [[WesternAnimation/IronManTheAnimatedSeries '90s Iron Man cartoon]], Jimmy.
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!!! '''First Appearance:''' ''Tales of Suspense'' #39 (March, 1963)
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!!! '''First Appearance:''' ''Tales of Suspense'' ''ComicBook/TalesOfSuspense'' #39 (March, 1963)
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A live action Creator/DisneyPlus series based on the character was announced for the Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse in December 2020, with Dominique Thorne (''Film/IfBealeStreetCouldTalk'') cast in the title role.
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A live action live-action Creator/DisneyPlus series based on the character was announced for the Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse in December 2020, with Dominique Thorne (''Film/IfBealeStreetCouldTalk'') cast in the title role.
role.
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!!! '''Team Affiliations:''' ComicBook/TheAvengers, A.I. Army, Department of Defense, Force Works, ComicBook/NewAvengers, ComicBook/GuardiansOfTheGalaxy, ComicBook/TheIlluminati, ComicBook/MightyAvengers, ComicBook/{{SHIELD}}, Stark Industries, Stark Resilient, ComicBook/{{Thunderbolts}}
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!!! '''Team Affiliations:''' ComicBook/TheAvengers, A.I. Army, Department of Defense, Force Works, ComicBook/NewAvengers, ComicBook/GuardiansOfTheGalaxy, ComicBook/TheIlluminati, [[Characters/MarvelComicsTheIlluminati The Illuminati]], ComicBook/MightyAvengers, ComicBook/{{SHIELD}}, Stark Industries, Stark Resilient, ComicBook/{{Thunderbolts}}
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* TheHeroDies: ''ComicBook/CivilWarII'' is kicked off by Rhodey's death. Tony brings him BackFromTheDead in ''[[{{ComicBook/IronMan}} Invincible Iron Man]]'' issue #600 with rather little fanfare, even after becoming a regular in the next series.
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* TheHeroDies: ''ComicBook/CivilWarII'' is kicked off by Rhodey's death. Tony brings him BackFromTheDead in ''[[{{ComicBook/IronMan}} ''[[ComicBook/IronMan Invincible Iron Man]]'' issue #600 with rather little fanfare, even after becoming a regular in the next series.
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Later as part of ComicBook/MarvelAFreshStart, Riri returned in a new [[ComicBook/{{Ironheart}} ongoing solo]], written by Creator/EveEwing and illustrated by Kevin Libranda. It lasted for twelve issues. She also joined the teenage superhero team the [[ComicBook/Champions2016 Champions]].
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Later as part of ComicBook/MarvelAFreshStart, Riri returned in a new [[ComicBook/{{Ironheart}} ongoing solo]], written by Creator/EveEwing and illustrated by Kevin Libranda. It lasted for twelve issues. She also joined the teenage superhero team the [[ComicBook/Champions2016 Champions]].
ComicBook/{{Champions|2016}}.
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** AffirmativeActionLegacy: During the ComicBook/SecretWars, Reed Richards got to see the man under the armour while repairing it. Jim asked him if he was surprised that the man under the armour was black; Reed just said that he knew that 'there was a man in there', reacting more along the lines of 'what's race got to do with anything?', being as unconcerned about the race of who was in the armor as he's always been about everyone else.
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** AffirmativeActionLegacy: During the ComicBook/SecretWars, ''ComicBook/SecretWars1984'', Reed Richards got to see the man under the armour while repairing it. Jim asked him if he was surprised that the man under the armour was black; Reed just said that he knew that 'there was a man in there', reacting more along the lines of 'what's race got to do with anything?', being as unconcerned about the race of who was in the armor as he's always been about everyone else.
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After ''Civil War'', Pepper joins the [[ComicBook/AvengersTheInitiative Fifty State Initiative]] as a member of ComicBook/TheOrder. She assumes the moniker of the [[Myth/ClassicalMythology Greek goddess]] Hera, and uses advanced computer hardware and prosthetics to monitor and coordinate the team's missions. Upon the absorption of The Order into the Initiative, Tony Stark offers her a job on the special projects team at Stark Enterprises, which she accepts.
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After ''Civil War'', Pepper joins the [[ComicBook/AvengersTheInitiative Fifty State Initiative]] as a member of ComicBook/TheOrder.ComicBook/{{The Order|2007}}. She assumes the moniker of the [[Myth/ClassicalMythology Greek goddess]] Hera, and uses advanced computer hardware and prosthetics to monitor and coordinate the team's missions. Upon the absorption of The Order into the Initiative, Tony Stark offers her a job on the special projects team at Stark Enterprises, which she accepts.
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* ''ComicBook/TheOrder''
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* ''ComicBook/TheOrder''''ComicBook/TheOrder2007''
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* AntiHero: Traditionally a [[PragmaticHero idealistic soldier]], but was an UnscrupulousHero in the past.
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* AntiHero: Traditionally a an [[PragmaticHero idealistic soldier]], but was an UnscrupulousHero in the past.
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* EliteSchoolMeansEliteBrain: A prodigal genius who studied at MIT and Cambridge.
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* CharlieBrownFromOuttaTown: Inverted. Trying to dodge the legal repercussions of his actions in ''ComicBook/ArmorWars'', as part of his secret identity at the time, Tony claims that someone else is Iron Man -- and presses this lie to rejoin the ComicBook/WestCoastAvengers after they tossed him out of his ass for his actions during the story.
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After her heart-mounted repulsor generator and armored suit are dismantled to reboot the brain-dead Tony Stark, Tony reinstalls a new Repulsor Tech node in her chest and gifts her new Rescue armor, complete with the A.I. J.A.R.V.I.S.. Unfortunately, after J.A.R.V.I.S. had revealed that it developed romantic feelings for Pepper, it kidnapped her to keep her away from super heroic duties, but was deactivated by [[ComicBook/WarMachine James Rhodes]], who assumed the Iron Man identity at the time, and was finally destroyed by Pepper Potts in Resilient's factory along with Potts' Rescue armor, thus leaving her heroic alter-ego behind.
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After her heart-mounted repulsor generator and armored suit are dismantled to reboot the brain-dead Tony Stark, Tony reinstalls a new Repulsor Tech node in her chest and gifts her new Rescue armor, complete with the A.I. J.A.R.V.I.S.. Unfortunately, after J.A.R.V.I.S. had revealed that it developed romantic feelings for Pepper, it kidnapped her to keep her away from super heroic duties, but was deactivated by [[ComicBook/WarMachine James Rhodes]], Rhodes, who assumed the Iron Man identity at the time, and was finally destroyed by Pepper Potts in Resilient's factory along with Potts' Rescue armor, thus leaving her heroic alter-ego behind.
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Badass Mustache and Badass Beard are being merged into Manly Facial Hair. Examples that don't fit or are zero-context are removed. Having facial hair is not enough to qualify. To qualify for Manly Facial Hair, the facial hair must be associated with masculinity/manliness in some way. Please read the trope description before readding to make sure the example qualifies.
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* BadassBeard: Sometimes drawn with this, not always.
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* BadassMustache: His beard may come and go with the artist, but his mustache is eternal.
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* BadassBeard: Depending on the artist, he is drawn with one or clean-shaven.
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Not So Different has been renamed, and it needs to be dewicked/moved
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* NotSoDifferent: Stark is often just one step removed from the people he's fighting. The Extremis storyline prominently mentions that as a weapons manufacturer, he's no better than the people who built the atom bomb.
--> '''Tony''': But I'm trying to be. And because of that, I'll be able to look in the mirror every morning.
--> '''Tony''': But I'm trying to be. And because of that, I'll be able to look in the mirror every morning.
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* PoweredArmour: Is quite firm that he doesn't want Tony building one for him. [[spoiler:Instead, he builds several of his own - one quite close fitting one that gives him day to day mobility, one large combat suit and kaiju sized one made out of a ''city'']]. Come 2020 proper, he's got his own, normal sized one... which is a modernized version of that ''other'' Arno Stark's armor. Unfortunately for him, [[spoiler: it's not a patch on Tony's new eScape holographic armour, as Tony underlines in a [[BreakingSpeech cutting speech]] as he beats the crap out of him]].
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* PoweredArmour: Is quite firm that he doesn't want Tony building one for him. [[spoiler:Instead, he builds several of his own - one quite close fitting one that gives him day to day mobility, one large combat suit and kaiju sized one made out of a ''city'']]. Come 2020 proper, he's got his own, normal sized one... which is a modernized version of that ''other'' Arno Stark's armor.armor, albeit with the same big-ass shoulder cogwheels. Unfortunately for him, [[spoiler: it's not a patch on Tony's new eScape holographic armour, as Tony underlines in a [[BreakingSpeech cutting speech]] as he beats the crap out of him]].
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* ClothesMakeTheManiac: Whenever he (or Kevin O'Brien) wore Tony's armor for too long due to the armor's [[UnusualUserInterface neural-interface controls]] were only calibrated for Tony Stark's brainwaves.
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* ClothesMakeTheManiac: Whenever he (or Kevin O'Brien) wore Tony's armor for too long due to the armor's [[UnusualUserInterface neural-interface controls]] were only calibrated for Tony Stark's brainwaves. Tony later corrected the problem by ensuring the armor's controls could be adjusted for Rhodey when he was the one putting it on.
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*** When the Mandarin captured Rhodey as Iron Man, he forced Rhodey to remove his helmet so the Mandarin could finally see his enemy's face. The Mandarin was surprised that Iron Man was a black man, and [[{{Irony}} thought at one point that Tony Stark was the armor's pilot]].
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When Pepper is caught in a terrorist explosion caused by Ezekiel Stane, she sustains multiple internal injuries, including shrapnel wounds, and rendered unable to withstand a prolonged surgery. In response, Tony embeds a strong magnet (similar in appearance to the arc reactor) in her chest, essentially turning Pepper into a {{cyborg}} dependent on keeping her chest magnet engaged to stay alive, as he was once. She eventually gains a suit of armor (and a heart implant) of her own as the heroine Rescue. Pepper's body is further enhanced with new cybernetics and upgrades to the magnet, which are based on [[ComicBook/ImmortalIronFist Danny Rand]]'s battery designs, and give Pepper new super abilities.
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When Pepper is caught in a terrorist explosion caused by Ezekiel Stane, she sustains multiple internal injuries, including shrapnel wounds, and rendered unable to withstand a prolonged surgery. In response, Tony embeds a strong magnet (similar in appearance to the arc reactor) in her chest, essentially turning Pepper into a {{cyborg}} dependent on keeping her chest magnet engaged to stay alive, as he was once. She eventually gains a suit of armor (and a heart implant) of her own as the heroine Rescue. Pepper's body is further enhanced with new cybernetics and upgrades to the magnet, which are based on [[ComicBook/ImmortalIronFist [[Comicbook/IronFist Danny Rand]]'s battery designs, and give Pepper new super abilities.
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* WhereDaWhiteWomenAt: Rhodey has had two important interracial relationships: the first was with Rae [=LaCoste=] (which was broken up by his parents), and the second is with [[ComicBook/MsMarvel Carol Danvers]] (the current Captain Marvel). [[spoiler:It ended with Rhodey's death, which ended up motivating Carol's actions in ''ComicBook/CivilWarII''. With him back to alive, they are back together.]]
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* WhereDaWhiteWomenAt: Rhodey has had two important interracial relationships: the first was with Rae [=LaCoste=] (which was broken up by his parents), and the second is with [[ComicBook/MsMarvel Carol Danvers]] (the current Captain Marvel). [[spoiler:It ended with Rhodey's death, which ended up motivating Carol's actions in ''ComicBook/CivilWarII''. With him back to alive, they are back together. However, as of 2021, they have broken up with each other because Carol found out that Rhodey had a daughter in the future whose mother is surprisingly not her then few issues later they rekindled their relationship.]]
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* FunctionalAddict: Under some writers more than others. Just how close Stark is to diving head first into a bottle is a pretty major part of his modern characterisation in the comics. The MCU movies stay away from the alcoholism storyline completely, by design (it's Disney and they're aimed at kids and young people...), although they do show Tony drinking casually once in a while.
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* FunctionalAddict: Under some writers more than others. Just how close Stark is to diving head first into a bottle is a pretty major part of his modern characterisation in the comics. The MCU movies stay away from the alcoholism storyline completely, by design (it's Disney and they're aimed at kids and young people...), and RDJ understandably refused to go into the Demon in a Bottle storyline, mooted for ''Film/IronMan2'', as it would put him in a headspace he'd spent a very long time trying to leave), although they do show Tony drinking casually once in a while.
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* LikeASonToMe: This was his relationship with Peter Parker, when he brought him under his tutelage right before the Superhuman Civil War, and using this relationship was how he convinced Peter to unmask as Spider-Man. When he betrayed Stark to join Captain America, it hurt Tony arguably just as deeply as fighting Steve did.
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* LikeASonToMe: This was his relationship with Peter Parker, when he brought him under his tutelage right before the Superhuman Civil War, and using this relationship was how he convinced Peter to unmask as Spider-Man. When he betrayed left Stark to join Captain America, America (for some fairly understandable reasons), it hurt Tony arguably just as deeply as fighting Steve did.
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* MrViceGuy: Alcoholism, arrogance, and womanizing tend to be his favorite vices.
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* MrViceGuy: Alcoholism, arrogance, and womanizing tend to be his favorite vices. He got help for the alcholism, and helped ComicBook/CarolDanvers through her troubles with it, though during ''Fear Itself'', he ritually sacrificed his sobriety to get Odin's attention and thereby his workshop (where he was surrounded by enabling dwarves).
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* NotGoodWithPeople: He just doesn't relate to other people very easily, and it leads to huge communication problems that only widens the gap between himself and his teammates.
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* NotGoodWithPeople: He He's charming, but beyond the superficial charm he just doesn't relate to other people very easily, and it leads to huge communication problems that only widens the gap between himself and his teammates.
** He jumped off it in ''Fear Itself'' to get Odin's attention and his workshop - and was then surrounded by dwarf enablers.
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The ruler of Latveria and a technological genius on par with Tony, Doom was reformed and an ally of Tony's... right before Tony died. In the wake of Tony's death, Victor decides to honour Tony's memory (against his wishes) by donning the mantle of Iron Man, modifying his own armour's design to fit Tony's aesthetic and augmenting his already considerable technology with magic.
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The ruler of Latveria and a technological genius on par with Tony, Doom was reformed and an ally of Tony's... right before Tony died. In the wake of Tony's death, Victor decides to honour Tony's memory (against his wishes) by donning the mantle of Iron Man, modifying his own armour's design to fit Tony's aesthetic and augmenting his already considerable technology with magic. Everyone is very confused by this.
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Tony's adoptive brother (Tony was the adopted one), his existence, backstory and the reason for the secrecy about him was revealed in ''The Secret Origin of Tony Stark''. What can be said is that he's been confined to an iron lung for most of his life and is as smart as Tony, if not considerably smarter. He and Tony get on very well and work together on the Troy project.
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Tony's adoptive brother (Tony was the adopted one), his existence, backstory and the reason for the secrecy about him was revealed in ''The Secret Origin of Tony Stark''. What can be said is that he's been confined to an iron lung for most of his life and is as smart as Tony, if not considerably smarter. He and Tony get on very well and work together on the Troy project. Then he starts going off the deep end.
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* SuperIntelligence: was genetically engineered with this in mind (making him quite possibly smarter than Tony), building on what he had already as [[spoiler:a son of Howard Stark]] - though it seems that [[spoiler:451's]] tweaks were mostly focused on ensuring that he focused his intelligence in the right areas.
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* SuperIntelligence: was genetically engineered with this in mind (making him quite possibly smarter than Tony), Tony - though Tony has him well-outclassed in the ImprovisationalIngenuity and [[CrazyIsCool balls-out crazy]] departments), building on what he had already as [[spoiler:a son of Howard Stark]] - though it seems that [[spoiler:451's]] tweaks were mostly focused on ensuring that he focused his intelligence in the right areas.
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* TookALevelInJerkass: As written by Dan Slott, he becomes a lot more snide and condescending, as well as willing to commit dodgy actions. And that's just to start with - ControlFreak doesn't even ''begin'' to describe it. It's eventually explained as being at least in part due to fears of a world-killer level enemy coming to Earth and needing to prepare for it.
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* TookALevelInJerkass: As written by Dan Slott, he becomes a lot more snide and condescending, as well as willing to commit dodgy actions. And that's just to start with - ControlFreak doesn't even ''begin'' to describe it. It's eventually explained as being at least in part due to fears of a world-killer level enemy coming to Earth and needing to prepare for it.it [[spoiler: which was actually a symptom of his congenital disease that he ''hadn't'' managed to entirely fix - indeed given 451's intentions, his autocratic tendencies could have been part of that engineering]].
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* CrazyPrepared: Hardened his iron lung against EMP's decades ago. When he goes up against a revived Tony in ''Iron Man 2020'', however, he finds himself far outclassed - he's prepared, but as Tony points out, he's not even in the same class when it comes to [[CrazyAwesome crazy]].
to:
* CrazyPrepared: Hardened his iron lung against EMP's decades ago. When he goes up against a revived Tony in ''Iron Man 2020'', however, he finds himself far outclassed - he's prepared, but as Tony points out, he's not even in the same class when it comes to [[CrazyAwesome [[CrazyIsCool crazy]].
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* HeroesWantRedheads: Pepper Potts, Black Widow and Bethany Cable.
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* HeroesWantRedheads: Pepper Potts, Black Widow and Bethany Cable.Cabe.
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Later as part of ComicBook/MarvelAFreshStart, Riri returned in a new ongoing solo, written by Creator/EveEwing and illustrated by Kevin Libranda. It lasted for twelve issues. She also joined the teenage superhero team the [[ComicBook/Champions2016 Champions]].
to:
Later as part of ComicBook/MarvelAFreshStart, Riri returned in a new [[ComicBook/{{Ironheart}} ongoing solo, solo]], written by Creator/EveEwing and illustrated by Kevin Libranda. It lasted for twelve issues. She also joined the teenage superhero team the [[ComicBook/Champions2016 Champions]].
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!! Ironheart appears in:
[[AC:Notable Comic Books]]
* ''Invincible ComicBook/IronMan'' (various runs):
** vol. 2 (2016)
** vol. 3 (2016 -- 2018)
* ''ComicBook/{{Champions|2016}}'' (various runs):
** vol. 2 (2018)
** [[ComicBook/Champions2019 vol. 3 (2019)]]
** [[ComicBook/Champions2020 vol. 4 (2020)]]
* ''Riri Williams: Ironheart'' (2018 -- 2019)
[[AC:Live-Action TV]]
* ''Ironheart'' (TBA), portrayed by Dominique Thorne
[[AC:Video Games]]
* ''VideoGame/MarvelFutureFight'' (added in 2017)
* ''VideoGame/MarvelPuzzleQuest'' (added in 2017)
* ''VideoGame/LEGOMarvelSuperheroes2'' (2017)
[[AC:Animation]]
* ''Franchise/MarvelRising'', voiced by Creator/SofiaWylie
** ''WesternAnimation/MarvelRisingHeartOfIron'' (2019)
** ''WesternAnimation/MarvelRisingBattleOfTheBands'' (2019)
----
!! Ironheart provides examples of the following tropes:
* AffirmativeActionLegacy: She's an African-American girl who ends up replacing Tony Stark in ''Invincible Iron Man'', albeit with a different codename.
* ArmorPiercingResponse: When she makes it clear she doesn't care to join SHIELD Sharon sardonically asks her [[GodwinsLaw if she's a fan of Hydra]]. Riri responds with a succinct breakdown of [[BigBrotherIsWatching how SHIELD abuses power]] and asks her if she really thinks people who don't like their methods are really WithUsOrAgainstUs.
* BreakTheBadass: She confronts ComicBook/{{Thanos}} in ''Infinity Countdown: Champions'' #2, expecting an easy victory. Thanos, not impressed, disintegrates her armor and leaves her a sobbing wreck. This is followed up in her own series, ''Riri Williams: Ironheart'', where she has a clear case of PTSD.
* CurbStompBattle: See above.
* ChildProdigy: Riri was diagnosed as a genius when she was five years old.
* ComicBookFantasyCasting: Modeled after [[https://twitter.com/mikedeodato/status/752487425155497984 Skai Jackson]].
* DeadGuyJunior: Riri is named for her late father, who died shortly before her birth. And her name is "Riri" which isn't a nickname of any sort.
* {{Determinator}}: Tony recognizing this quality in her is part of the reason he offers to take her in.
* DitzyGenius: Despite being a genius engineer, Riri still has her airheaded moments, like taking over Latervia on a whim.
* DivergentCharacterEvolution: After she joins the Champions [[spoiler: and is handily taken down by Thanos, who destroys her armor]], Riri builds a new suit that replaces the red in her original Stark-esque design with black and pink. This represents her first major step away from being simply "black female Iron Man".
* DumpStat: According to a Marvel ad for an issue of ''Champions'' portraying the team as RPG characters, Riri's is Charisma.
* FakingTheDead: [[spoiler:Riri thinks that her father, Riri Williams Sr, died before she was born. In ''Ironheart'' #10, she's investigating the Wellspring of Power with ComicBook/{{Shuri}}, [[ComicBook/BlackPanther Okoye]], and [[ComicBook/NewWarriors Silhouette]]... and Sil spots a man who looks a lot like Ironheart... her father is alive after all.]]
* FriendlessBackground: She's only had one close friend who unfortunately died as the result of a drive-by shooting.
* GadgeteerGenius: Was able to reverse engineer one of Tony's old Iron Man armors to make her own suit.
* GenerationXerox: While not related to Tony, she shows many of the traits associated with him. It's part of the reason he decided to take her under his wing.
* GoodParents: After learning of her incredible intellect, her mother and stepfather made a deliberate effort to raise her as altruistically as possible, fearing any social disconnect that would make her a MadScientist. She's fully aware of why they're doing it but has accepted it.
* ItAmusedMe: Inverted. She quit M.I.T. because she found it boring.
* IneffectualLoner: Despite being on a team, Riri would rather still work alone, sometimes to the detriment of the mission.
* IvyLeagueForEveryone: Although she later quits, her being an MIT student is a quick way to establish her as an engineering genius.
* LegacyCharacter: PlayedWith. She's more of a diminutive character branching off from an established one with a similar name (example: ComicBook/{{Batman}} and ComicBook/{{Batwoman}}, ComicBook/{{Batgirl}}, etc.), but she's effectively one of these, as Tony is grooming her as his successor.
* NoSocialSkills: As part of her intellect and also trauma from dealing with tragedies in the past, she usually holes her herself away from everyone, tinkering with her armour. She did it with MIT and also in her own garage.
* NotSoDifferent: On the surface level, Riri couldn't be more different than Tony Stark (a young black girl compared to a white man), but she also has Tony's determination and poor communication skills and some would say questionable morality.
* ShipperOnDeck: Silhouette and Okoye end up creating "Shuriri" ship as a joke.
* ShoutOut: Riri's armor has some design elements that are reminiscent of [[Franchise/{{Transformers}} Optimus Prime]].
* SpiritAdvisor: A VirtualGhost of Tony Stark (who was in a coma) serves as onboard AI and mentor of her next armor model.
* SuicidalOverconfidence: A ''Champions'' issue actually sees Riri attempt to challenge ''[[GalacticConqueror Thanos]]'' of all people to a fight. [[spoiler: It's a miracle the Mad Titan was feeling merciful and only disintegrated her ''armor.'']]
* SuperheroSpeciation: Played with during the ''Search for Tony Stark'' arc, where Riri teams up with number of other heroes with powered armor that are all unique and visually distinct from each other for contrast.
* TooMuchAlike: The reason why Riri keeps clashing with ComicBook/{{Shuri}} - they both have strong, independent personalities and don't like being bossed around, which means they get on each other's nerves very fast.
* VirtualSidekick: The armor Riri builds contains an AI replica of Tony Stark's personality, which acts as both assistant and mentor to her.
[[AC:Notable Comic Books]]
* ''Invincible ComicBook/IronMan'' (various runs):
** vol. 2 (2016)
** vol. 3 (2016 -- 2018)
* ''ComicBook/{{Champions|2016}}'' (various runs):
** vol. 2 (2018)
** [[ComicBook/Champions2019 vol. 3 (2019)]]
** [[ComicBook/Champions2020 vol. 4 (2020)]]
* ''Riri Williams: Ironheart'' (2018 -- 2019)
[[AC:Live-Action TV]]
* ''Ironheart'' (TBA), portrayed by Dominique Thorne
[[AC:Video Games]]
* ''VideoGame/MarvelFutureFight'' (added in 2017)
* ''VideoGame/MarvelPuzzleQuest'' (added in 2017)
* ''VideoGame/LEGOMarvelSuperheroes2'' (2017)
[[AC:Animation]]
* ''Franchise/MarvelRising'', voiced by Creator/SofiaWylie
** ''WesternAnimation/MarvelRisingHeartOfIron'' (2019)
** ''WesternAnimation/MarvelRisingBattleOfTheBands'' (2019)
----
!! Ironheart provides examples of the following tropes:
* AffirmativeActionLegacy: She's an African-American girl who ends up replacing Tony Stark in ''Invincible Iron Man'', albeit with a different codename.
* ArmorPiercingResponse: When she makes it clear she doesn't care to join SHIELD Sharon sardonically asks her [[GodwinsLaw if she's a fan of Hydra]]. Riri responds with a succinct breakdown of [[BigBrotherIsWatching how SHIELD abuses power]] and asks her if she really thinks people who don't like their methods are really WithUsOrAgainstUs.
* BreakTheBadass: She confronts ComicBook/{{Thanos}} in ''Infinity Countdown: Champions'' #2, expecting an easy victory. Thanos, not impressed, disintegrates her armor and leaves her a sobbing wreck. This is followed up in her own series, ''Riri Williams: Ironheart'', where she has a clear case of PTSD.
* CurbStompBattle: See above.
* ChildProdigy: Riri was diagnosed as a genius when she was five years old.
* ComicBookFantasyCasting: Modeled after [[https://twitter.com/mikedeodato/status/752487425155497984 Skai Jackson]].
* DeadGuyJunior: Riri is named for her late father, who died shortly before her birth. And her name is "Riri" which isn't a nickname of any sort.
* {{Determinator}}: Tony recognizing this quality in her is part of the reason he offers to take her in.
* DitzyGenius: Despite being a genius engineer, Riri still has her airheaded moments, like taking over Latervia on a whim.
* DivergentCharacterEvolution: After she joins the Champions [[spoiler: and is handily taken down by Thanos, who destroys her armor]], Riri builds a new suit that replaces the red in her original Stark-esque design with black and pink. This represents her first major step away from being simply "black female Iron Man".
* DumpStat: According to a Marvel ad for an issue of ''Champions'' portraying the team as RPG characters, Riri's is Charisma.
* FakingTheDead: [[spoiler:Riri thinks that her father, Riri Williams Sr, died before she was born. In ''Ironheart'' #10, she's investigating the Wellspring of Power with ComicBook/{{Shuri}}, [[ComicBook/BlackPanther Okoye]], and [[ComicBook/NewWarriors Silhouette]]... and Sil spots a man who looks a lot like Ironheart... her father is alive after all.]]
* FriendlessBackground: She's only had one close friend who unfortunately died as the result of a drive-by shooting.
* GadgeteerGenius: Was able to reverse engineer one of Tony's old Iron Man armors to make her own suit.
* GenerationXerox: While not related to Tony, she shows many of the traits associated with him. It's part of the reason he decided to take her under his wing.
* GoodParents: After learning of her incredible intellect, her mother and stepfather made a deliberate effort to raise her as altruistically as possible, fearing any social disconnect that would make her a MadScientist. She's fully aware of why they're doing it but has accepted it.
* ItAmusedMe: Inverted. She quit M.I.T. because she found it boring.
* IneffectualLoner: Despite being on a team, Riri would rather still work alone, sometimes to the detriment of the mission.
* IvyLeagueForEveryone: Although she later quits, her being an MIT student is a quick way to establish her as an engineering genius.
* LegacyCharacter: PlayedWith. She's more of a diminutive character branching off from an established one with a similar name (example: ComicBook/{{Batman}} and ComicBook/{{Batwoman}}, ComicBook/{{Batgirl}}, etc.), but she's effectively one of these, as Tony is grooming her as his successor.
* NoSocialSkills: As part of her intellect and also trauma from dealing with tragedies in the past, she usually holes her herself away from everyone, tinkering with her armour. She did it with MIT and also in her own garage.
* NotSoDifferent: On the surface level, Riri couldn't be more different than Tony Stark (a young black girl compared to a white man), but she also has Tony's determination and poor communication skills and some would say questionable morality.
* ShipperOnDeck: Silhouette and Okoye end up creating "Shuriri" ship as a joke.
* ShoutOut: Riri's armor has some design elements that are reminiscent of [[Franchise/{{Transformers}} Optimus Prime]].
* SpiritAdvisor: A VirtualGhost of Tony Stark (who was in a coma) serves as onboard AI and mentor of her next armor model.
* SuicidalOverconfidence: A ''Champions'' issue actually sees Riri attempt to challenge ''[[GalacticConqueror Thanos]]'' of all people to a fight. [[spoiler: It's a miracle the Mad Titan was feeling merciful and only disintegrated her ''armor.'']]
* SuperheroSpeciation: Played with during the ''Search for Tony Stark'' arc, where Riri teams up with number of other heroes with powered armor that are all unique and visually distinct from each other for contrast.
* TooMuchAlike: The reason why Riri keeps clashing with ComicBook/{{Shuri}} - they both have strong, independent personalities and don't like being bossed around, which means they get on each other's nerves very fast.
* VirtualSidekick: The armor Riri builds contains an AI replica of Tony Stark's personality, which acts as both assistant and mentor to her.
to:
[[AC:Notable Comic Books]]
* ''Invincible ComicBook/IronMan'' (various runs):
** vol. 2 (2016)
** vol. 3 (2016 -- 2018)
* ''ComicBook/{{Champions|2016}}'' (various runs):
** vol. 2 (2018)
** [[ComicBook/Champions2019 vol. 3 (2019)]]
** [[ComicBook/Champions2020 vol. 4 (2020)]]
* ''Riri Williams: Ironheart'' (2018 -- 2019)
[[AC:Live-Action TV]]
* ''Ironheart'' (TBA), portrayed by Dominique Thorne
[[AC:Video Games]]
* ''VideoGame/MarvelFutureFight'' (added in 2017)
* ''VideoGame/MarvelPuzzleQuest'' (added in 2017)
* ''VideoGame/LEGOMarvelSuperheroes2'' (2017)
[[AC:Animation]]
* ''Franchise/MarvelRising'', voiced by Creator/SofiaWylie
** ''WesternAnimation/MarvelRisingHeartOfIron'' (2019)
** ''WesternAnimation/MarvelRisingBattleOfTheBands'' (2019)
----
!! Ironheart provides examples of the following tropes:
* AffirmativeActionLegacy: She's an African-American girl who ends up replacing Tony Stark in ''Invincible Iron Man'', albeit with a different codename.
* ArmorPiercingResponse: When she makes it clear she doesn't care to join SHIELD Sharon sardonically asks her [[GodwinsLaw if she's a fan of Hydra]]. Riri responds with a succinct breakdown of [[BigBrotherIsWatching how SHIELD abuses power]] and asks her if she really thinks people who don't like their methods are really WithUsOrAgainstUs.
* BreakTheBadass: She confronts ComicBook/{{Thanos}} in ''Infinity Countdown: Champions'' #2, expecting an easy victory. Thanos, not impressed, disintegrates her armor and leaves her a sobbing wreck. This is followed up in her own series, ''Riri Williams: Ironheart'', where she has a clear case of PTSD.
* CurbStompBattle: See above.
* ChildProdigy: Riri was diagnosed as a genius when she was five years old.
* ComicBookFantasyCasting: Modeled after [[https://twitter.com/mikedeodato/status/752487425155497984 Skai Jackson]].
* DeadGuyJunior: Riri is named for her late father, who died shortly before her birth. And her name is "Riri" which isn't a nickname of any sort.
* {{Determinator}}: Tony recognizing this quality in her is part of the reason he offers to take her in.
* DitzyGenius: Despite being a genius engineer, Riri still has her airheaded moments, like taking over Latervia on a whim.
* DivergentCharacterEvolution: After she joins the Champions [[spoiler: and is handily taken down by Thanos, who destroys her armor]], Riri builds a new suit that replaces the red in her original Stark-esque design with black and pink. This represents her first major step away from being simply "black female Iron Man".
* DumpStat: According to a Marvel ad for an issue of ''Champions'' portraying the team as RPG characters, Riri's is Charisma.
* FakingTheDead: [[spoiler:Riri thinks that her father, Riri Williams Sr, died before she was born. In ''Ironheart'' #10, she's investigating the Wellspring of Power with ComicBook/{{Shuri}}, [[ComicBook/BlackPanther Okoye]], and [[ComicBook/NewWarriors Silhouette]]... and Sil spots a man who looks a lot like Ironheart... her father is alive after all.]]
* FriendlessBackground: She's only had one close friend who unfortunately died as the result of a drive-by shooting.
* GadgeteerGenius: Was able to reverse engineer one of Tony's old Iron Man armors to make her own suit.
* GenerationXerox: While not related to Tony, she shows many of the traits associated with him. It's part of the reason he decided to take her under his wing.
* GoodParents: After learning of her incredible intellect, her mother and stepfather made a deliberate effort to raise her as altruistically as possible, fearing any social disconnect that would make her a MadScientist. She's fully aware of why they're doing it but has accepted it.
* ItAmusedMe: Inverted. She quit M.I.T. because she found it boring.
* IneffectualLoner: Despite being on a team, Riri would rather still work alone, sometimes to the detriment of the mission.
* IvyLeagueForEveryone: Although she later quits, her being an MIT student is a quick way to establish her as an engineering genius.
* LegacyCharacter: PlayedWith. She's more of a diminutive character branching off from an established one with a similar name (example: ComicBook/{{Batman}} and ComicBook/{{Batwoman}}, ComicBook/{{Batgirl}}, etc.), but she's effectively one of these, as Tony is grooming her as his successor.
* NoSocialSkills: As part of her intellect and also trauma from dealing with tragedies in the past, she usually holes her herself away from everyone, tinkering with her armour. She did it with MIT and also in her own garage.
* NotSoDifferent: On the surface level, Riri couldn't be more different than Tony Stark (a young black girl compared to a white man), but she also has Tony's determination and poor communication skills and some would say questionable morality.
* ShipperOnDeck: Silhouette and Okoye end up creating "Shuriri" ship as a joke.
* ShoutOut: Riri's armor has some design elements that are reminiscent of [[Franchise/{{Transformers}} Optimus Prime]].
* SpiritAdvisor: A VirtualGhost of Tony Stark (who was in a coma) serves as onboard AI and mentor of her next armor model.
* SuicidalOverconfidence: A ''Champions'' issue actually sees Riri attempt to challenge ''[[GalacticConqueror Thanos]]'' of all people to a fight. [[spoiler: It's a miracle the Mad Titan was feeling merciful and only disintegrated her ''armor.'']]
* SuperheroSpeciation: Played with during the ''Search for Tony Stark'' arc, where Riri teams up with number of other heroes with powered armor that are all unique and visually distinct from each other for contrast.
* TooMuchAlike: The reason why Riri keeps clashing with ComicBook/{{Shuri}} - they both have strong, independent personalities and don't like being bossed around, which means they get on each other's nerves very fast.
* VirtualSidekick: The armor Riri builds contains an AI replica of Tony Stark's personality, which acts as both assistant and mentor to her.
See: Characters/{{Ironheart}}.
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!!Iron Heart
to:
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[[folder:James "Rhodey" Rhodes]]
!!James "Rhodey" Rhodes
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/james_rhodes_as_iron_man_marvel_comics.jpg]]
!!! '''First Appearance:''' ''Iron Man'' (Vol 1) #118
->''"I'm handling the hero chores these days. You might want to write that down somewhere --- so you remember it."''
Tony's closest friend, and pilot of the War Machine armor.
----
[[/folder]]
[[folder: Victor von Doom]]
!!James "Rhodey" Rhodes
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/james_rhodes_as_iron_man_marvel_comics.jpg]]
!!! '''First Appearance:''' ''Iron Man'' (Vol 1) #118
->''"I'm handling the hero chores these days. You might want to write that down somewhere --- so you remember it."''
Tony's closest friend, and pilot of the War Machine armor.
----
[[/folder]]
[[folder: Victor von Doom]]
to:
!!James "Rhodey" Rhodes
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/james_rhodes_as_iron_man_marvel_comics.jpg]]
!!! '''First Appearance:''' ''Iron Man'' (Vol 1) #118
->''"I'm handling the hero chores these days. You might want to write that down somewhere --- so you remember it."''
Tony's closest friend, and pilot of the War Machine armor.
----
[[/folder]]
[[folder: Victor
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-> See ComicBook/DoctorDoom
to:
-> See ComicBook/DoctorDoom[[Characters/MarvelComicsDoctorDoom his page]] for more details.
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Added DiffLines:
!!Iron Man
[[folder:Tony Stark]]
!!Anthony "Tony" Stark
[[quoteright:250:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/250px-iron_man_bleeding_edge_7937.jpg]]
!!! '''Alter Ego:''' Anthony Edward "Tony" Stark
!!! '''Notable Aliases:''' Crimson Dynamo, Cobalt Man, Mark One
!!! '''Team Affiliations:''' ComicBook/TheAvengers, A.I. Army, Department of Defense, Force Works, ComicBook/NewAvengers, ComicBook/GuardiansOfTheGalaxy, ComicBook/TheIlluminati, ComicBook/MightyAvengers, ComicBook/{{SHIELD}}, Stark Industries, Stark Resilient, ComicBook/{{Thunderbolts}}
!!! '''First Appearance:''' ''Tales of Suspense'' #39 (March, 1963)
->''"When I put on this armor, I took on more power than any human was ever intended to have... and maybe more responsibility than my heart can truly bear. But today... I will do my job. I will protect you. No matter what it takes."''
Tony Stark was the arrogant son of wealthy, weapon manufacturer Howard Stark. Tony cared only about himself, but he would have a change of heart after he was kidnapped by terrorists and gravely injured with a piece of shrapnel in his chest. Pressured to create a weapon of mass destruction, Stark instead designed an electromagnetic harness to keep himself alive, and eventually, a suit of armor that could be powered by it powerful enough for him to escape. Tony uses his vast resources and intellect to make the world a better place as The Invincible Iron Man. Stark is a major name in the Franchise/MarvelUniverse, and a founding member of the Avengers.
----
* TenMinuteRetirement: A couple times, most notably, Tony secretly retired and passed the mantle to Rhodey without actually telling most of his fellow Avengers that they weren't the same person under the armor.
* AGodAmI: After his personality was changed due to the magic inversion of Axis. He's since dropped this after [[CosmicRetcon convenient changes to reality]].
--> '''Superior Iron Man''': I'm the most intelligent, capable person on the planet. I'm not '''playing''' God. All this time...I've been playing human.
** It's started to leak back ever since "The Secret Origin of Tony Stark", and the revelation of the Godkiller Armor. Ever since, Tony's been building his own suits patterned after the Celestial-slaying superweapon, either conciously or not.
* TheAlcoholic: Has struggled with drinking ever since the infamous "Demon in a Bottle" storyline. He fell back off the wagon during ''ComicBook/FearItself'', sacrificing his sobriety as a way to convince Odin to help. He's since worked to get back on. His ''Superior'' period had him fall off again.
* ArmCannon: Several suits have allowed Stark to access varying arm cannons. Most notable, the Bleeding Edge Armor had specialized ports for attachments, including several types of massive blasters and cannons for the arms.
* TheAtoner: For Tony, Iron Man is a chance to redeem himself from his former life as a weapons manufacturer.
* BadassBeard: Sometimes drawn with this, not always.
* BadassBookworm: One of the most dangerous bookworms in the whole Marvel Universe.
* BadassMustache: His beard may come and go with the artist, but his mustache is eternal.
* BashBrothers: With Captain America and War Machine.
* BigBrotherInstinct: Has this towards [[spoiler:Arno]].
* BiggerStick: The Iron Man armor is the most sophisticated PoweredArmour in existence, with only Dr. Doom able to truly match him, and Stark works very hard to keep it at the cutting edge, maintaining a vital technological lead over any and all of his business rivals and supervillainous competitors.
* BodyguardBetrayal: Before they learned they were one in the same, Pepper and Happy believed that Iron Man was coercing Stark into acting as his corporate pawn while publicly touting himself as the man's bodyguard.
* BoldlyComing: He's tried, at any rate. Unfortunately, the alien species in question found facial hair hideously disgusting, so he got kicked out.
* BrainwashedAndCrazy: ''The Crossing'' claimed he'd been brainwashed since the earliest days of the Avengers to serve Immortus. Eventually, ''Avengers Forever'' did a bit of soothing by claiming he'd actually just been slightly brainwashed since ''Operation: Galactic Storm'' (and it hadn't quite worked properly).
* BroughtDownToBadass: Any time he loses the armour, he typically manages to still acquit himself well.
* TheCasanova: The guy loves women. Lots of them.
* ChestBlaster: The iconic Unibeam, his chest-mounted super Repulsor. He traditionally only uses it as a finishing move or as a desperate attempt to damage something out of his league, because it drains so much of his power to utilize compared to the weaker, but faster gauntlet Repulsors.
* ChivalrousPervert: Famously the biggest womanizer in the Marvel Universe, yet he's incredibly polite to the women he's chatting up, cares deeply about most of his exes (the Marvel Now relaunch's opening story arc essentially boils down to him wanting to protect the legacy of one of his exes after her life's work is stolen and abused), is VERY protective of his on-again/off-again love interest Pepper, honestly loved (and still loves) Madame Masque, and is always completely supportive of his female teammates, no matter how they dress and pose.
** At least one fan has argued that Tony is best described as a "serial monogamist"; when he's seriously involved with someone, he's completely faithful to them, but he rebounds from the invariable breakup quickly and goes looking for love again.
* ChromeChampion: Enforced: He briefly attempted to fight crime and help people in the gunmetal grey suit he created in captivity, but people didn't receive the sight of a lumbering, booming-voiced, dark colossus who could juggle lions stomping onto the scene. Dying it with gold paint helped give Tony's alter ego a more wholesome appearance.
* ComicBookDeath: He died during ''The Crossing'' and was [[DyingToBeReplaced replaced]] by a younger version of himself. Then that version died in the Onslaught deal. After ''Heroes Reborn'', he got better (sort of. See Fusion Dance).
* CrazyPrepared: Tony has a suit for any and every situation. Sometimes several suits for each situation, just in case he loses one. This has caused friction between team members before, who have been less than thrilled to discover that Tony's built a suit designed to take them down in case he ever needs to.
* CreateYourOwnVillain: A recurring theme for Tony. Crimson Dynamo, Titanium Man, Iron Monger, Firepower, The Hammer Twins and Detroit Steel are all his fault to some extent.
* CunningLinguist: He's fluent in a grand total of seven languages: English, Japanese, Mandarin Chinese, Korean, French, Russian, and Urdu. According to Tony himself, he also possesses proficiency in several other Middle Eastern languages.
* DatingCatwoman: Unsurprisingly, Tony's lecherous habits don't stop at civilians and allies. He still has a history with villain Madame Masque.
* DeadpanSnarker: Has had a sarcastic streak since early in his career. It has become more pronounced following the films.
* DependingOnTheWriter: How strong his sense of morality is, and how close he is to falling off the wagon. Also, his level of smugness and / or snarkery.
* TheDeterminator: First became Iron Man by surviving shrapnel to his chest and building a powered suit of armor under his captors' noses to escape. Been fighting the good fight ever since.
* DisabilitySuperpower: For the longest time, Stark's early Iron Man suits were basically glorified pacemakers to keep the shrapnel in his chest from reaching his heart.
* FatalAttractor: Tony has dated supervillains (Madame Masque), plants hired by his enemies to conduct psychological warfare against him (Indres Moomji), other businessmen/women who were only trying to take advantage of him (Sunset Bain, arguably Tiberius Stone), one night stands who may arguably have date-raped him (Heather), and creepy possessive stalkers who tried to kill him (Kathy Dare, the Living Armor), along with a string of single dates and/or one night stands with vapid supermodels and society women. Even with his most stable girlfriend, Rumiko Fujikawa, she repeatedly jerked him around for her own amusement and outright cheated on him with Tiberius Stone before ultimately being killed by a supervillain.
* {{Fiction500}}: One of the richest men on the planet. Even when he's not an active member of the Avengers, they're usually bankrolled by Stark Industries.
* FlyingBrick: Thanks to his armor, he can tank a ''lot'' of damage and punch back just as hard.
* FlyingFirepower: His armour enables both flight and the ability to level buildings.
* TheFriendNobodyLikes: Initially, his selfishness, arrogance and poor communication skills rubbed a lot of his teammates the wrong way, but they worked together long enough to earn each other's genuine trust and respect. After Civil War, depending on the author and title, he's pretty consistently tolerated at best, even by most other pro-registration heroes. Every time he almost salvages his reputation, he does something else to ruin it with the team again.
* FunctionalAddict: Under some writers more than others. Just how close Stark is to diving head first into a bottle is a pretty major part of his modern characterisation in the comics. The MCU movies stay away from the alcoholism storyline completely, by design (it's Disney and they're aimed at kids and young people...), although they do show Tony drinking casually once in a while.
* FusionDance: Part of Tony's resurrection after ''ComicBook/TheCrossing'' was [[Franchise/FantasticFour Franklin Richards]] recreating the heroes closer to what he remembered and [[http://www.cbr.com/abandoned-love-the-titanic-tale-of-teen-tony-stark-aka-iron-teen/ in Tony's case]], resurrecting him and fusing him with Teen Tony.
* TheGadfly: Most modern depictions of Stark depict him as trolling for reactions a lot of the time.
* GadgeteerGenius: Stark is one of the premiere tech constructors in the Marvel Universe.
* GreenLanternRing: Transistors were his original technological solution of choice, and those have been consistently replaced by the cutting edge tech of the era of whoever's writing him at the time.
* GuileHero: Even with his modern Iron Man suits putting his power level among his more powerful peers, Tony still relies on his guile as his first and most useful weapon.
* HandicappedBadass: For a time, he was paralyzed after being shot by a crazy lover, using the armor as a means of getting about. Things proceeded to get worse, resulting in Tony nearly suffering total failure of his entire nervous system, and having to go into suspended animation before dying.
* HeartLight: The power source of the suit is the same as the magnet keeping the shrapnel out of his heart. In the film version, and most animated versions that came after the first film, the "arc reactor" in Tony Stark's chest always generates a light that can be seen through his shirt.
* HeroWithBadPublicity: After ''Civil War'' and ''Secret Invasion'', in some comics versions he became known as the man whose leadership led to the death of Captain America and allowed the Skrull Empire to nearly conquer the Earth. And during ''World War Hulk'' a lot of Hulk supporters hate him because of the whole "shot Hulk into space" thing.
* HeroesWantRedheads: Pepper Potts, Black Widow and Bethany Cable.
* HeterosexualLifePartners: With Rhodey, until ''Time Runs Out,'' and Captain America, until ''Civil War''.
* HiddenHeartOfGold: He may not always be willing to admit it, but he does care about his teammates and making the world a better place.
* HonestCorporateExecutive: After becoming Iron Man, he turned his company around and became very concerned with morality and making the world a better place, even in his civilian life. He's turned away numerous projects and dangerous employees on moral grounds, at great expense to both his wallet and his well being.
* InspectorJavert: Becomes this after ''Civil War'', relentlessly pursuing the New Avengers when he's got the opportunity and trying to arrest them. The opening issue of ''Mighty Avengers'' has him tell Carol Danvers his reasoning: If they don't, SHIELD will, and they'll be much less restrained about it.
* InsufferableGenius: He just loves to rub his intellect in people's faces.
* IWarnedYou: Just before ''Civil War'', he and Namor have one of these exchanges. Namor angrily asks if Stark's going to say that if they'd just listened to him years ago, the whole situation the superheroes are facing wouldn't be happening. Tony's response? "Yes."
* TheLancer: In a "traditional" Avengers team line-up, he plays this role to Captain America's leadership.
* LetUsNeverSpeakOfThisAgain: He's generally happy not to bring up the "Teen Tony" days.
* LightIsNotGood: During the ''Superior Iron Man'' days. He switches his normal red-gold armors for a grey-silver number, as he's being a total, obnoxious ass.
* LikeASonToMe: This was his relationship with Peter Parker, when he brought him under his tutelage right before the Superhuman Civil War, and using this relationship was how he convinced Peter to unmask as Spider-Man. When he betrayed Stark to join Captain America, it hurt Tony arguably just as deeply as fighting Steve did.
* LonelyRichKid: His background in a nutshell, merged with IntelligenceEqualsIsolation.
* LovesMyAlterEgo: Played with. During his early career, people on the outside regarded his Iron Man persona warmly as a selfless hero, but thought of him as little more than a bodyguard vigilante with above average intelligence. Learning that they were one and the same caused Hank Pym to experience a HeroicBSOD as he was no longer the sole genius among the original Avengers. In contrast, Tony was respected for his intellect, but was mistrusted and often vilified by the media and his enemies as they still believed him to be the CorruptCorporateExecutive he was before his superhero origin.
* MergerOfSouls: While nothing was done with it, the aforementioned FusionDance did give Tony his teen counterpart's memories.
* MrViceGuy: Alcoholism, arrogance, and womanizing tend to be his favorite vices.
* NeverMyFault: He's never actually apologised for his deeds in ''Civil War'' and ''Civil War II''. In the case of the former, he even said after wiping his memory he'd have done everything he did over again.
* NotGoodWithPeople: He just doesn't relate to other people very easily, and it leads to huge communication problems that only widens the gap between himself and his teammates.
* NotSoDifferent: Stark is often just one step removed from the people he's fighting. The Extremis storyline prominently mentions that as a weapons manufacturer, he's no better than the people who built the atom bomb.
--> '''Tony''': But I'm trying to be. And because of that, I'll be able to look in the mirror every morning.
* NotThatKindOfDoctor: He has several doctorates, but almost ''never'' is actually referred to as Doctor Stark. It's almost exclusively Mister Stark, unless he points it out.
* OffTheWagon:
** He's fallen off a few times, most infamously during the ''Iron Monger'' saga, when Obadiah Stane drove him into a mental breakdown.
** He fell off due to the stress of dealing with Incursions in secret from his Avenger teammates, and proudly embraced it when his personality was inverted and he became the Superior Iron Man after Axis.
* PoorCommunicationKills: Tony means well (''usually'') but he's really bad at explaining things to folk until it's far too late.
** For example: During ''Avengers'' Vol 3, Tony noticed from the outset that Carol Danvers is turning into an alcoholic. But, despite the problems of a FlyingBrick developing a HairTriggerTemper when she's drunk on duty, Tony refuses to speak up because it's "not his place", until Carol really screws up.
** And another: Before ''Civil War'', Tony learns about the Superhuman Registration Act, which he does tell everyone he can about. What he also learns is that the government's alternate plan is to just try and hunt down every superhuman everywhere... which Tony doesn't bother to tell anyone about (except Steve Roger's corpse).
* ThePornomancer: He provides the page image and quote for a reason.
* PoweredArmor: The Iron Man suits are among the most famous, if not the prime example, in comic books.
* PowerPalms: The repulsor rays in his hands are perhaps his most iconic weapons.
* PrimaryColorChampion: Ever since the Mark 3 armor, the Iron Man armor has usually been red and yellow (though sometimes it's red and silver, or just entirely red).
* ReallyGetsAround: Has slept with or tried to sleep with most major female characters in the Marvelverse (excepting those that are taken by his friends).
* ReasonableAuthorityFigure: Tries to be one as Director of S.H.I.E.L.D., even though his method of management rubs a few of the old-school (like Dum-Dum Duggan) the wrong way. Exactly where he fell depended on who was writing him. In ''Avengers: The Initiative'', he immediately steps in once it's become clear Gyrich has ''massively'' crossed the line, and cans his ass.
* {{Retcon}}: Tony was originally one of the founding members of S.H.I.E.L.D., even being among those who inducted Nick Fury. Due in part to the march of ComicBookTime, this has been excised, and now it's ''Howard'' Stark who helped found the modern S.H.I.E.L.D.
* RichIdiotWithNoDayJob: Tony used to play up his image as an extravagant playboy to deflect suspicions about being the man in the Iron Man suit. As with most super heroes, his secret identity got leaked to the public eventually.
* RocketBoots: Part of his armour.
* RunningGag: Tony complaining about or reacting negatively to magic. He hates magic.
* ScienceHero: Less so than most other Science Hero Avengers; he's less of a scientist and more of builder, and is generally referred to, not as a scientist, but as an engineer specifically.
* SecretIdentity: In the early days, Tony claimed that Iron Man was his bodyguard. These days, the secret is out in the open, as Tony Stark revealed it in the July 2002 edition; in this case, it actually got him in trouble as the Iron Man armour was legally now the US Government's to replicate. He eventually managed to make his identity secret again, then publicly revealed it during ''Civil War''.
* SelfMadeSuperPowers: During the ''Extremis'' six-issue arc, Tony Stark modified the titular virus to store his armor inside his body, directly interface with technology, use some of its powers without manifesting it, enhanced reflexes and regeneration of both his body and armor. He later develops Extremis 3.0, which grants him the ability to alter his appearance, a healing factor, enhanced strength, agility and reflexes. He also claimed it can make people immortal.
* SingleEpisodeHandicap: Subverted with his alcoholism. Played straight in the Bronze Age; after being shot by PsychoExGirlfriend Kathleen Dare in vol 1 #242, he was left paralyzed until he bought out a company with an experimental new "biochip" project and underwent risky experimental surgery to repair his damaged spinal cord in vol 1 #248.
* SomeOfMyBestFriendsAreX: Invoked in ''The Secret Origin of Tony Stark'' when ComicBook/DeathsHead accuses him of being prejudiced against robots.
-->'''Death's Head''': You’re not one of those guys who has a code against killing '[[WhatMeasureIsANonHuman except for robots]]'? I hate those krypto-fascists.
-->'''Iron Man:''' No! Absolutely not! Some of my best friends are robots an-- That sounds kind of robot racist, right?
-->'''Death's Head''': [[BluntYes Yes]].
* SurvivorsGuilt: ''Fatal Frontier'' reveals that one of Tony's most tragic fantasies is Yinsen surviving their imprisonment instead of him, believing the more noble scientist could have made the world a better place.
* TeenGenius: A former one. He was accepted into MIT when he was fourteen and graduated with double-majors in physics and engineering when he was seventeen. Shortly thereafter, his father had him submitted into Cambridge University, where he earned three doctorates, presumably also in engineering and physics, by the time he was around nineteen.
* TheTeamBenefactor: Even when he's not an active member, he's usually funding the Avengers.
* ThereIsNoKillLikeOverkill: Early on, he used military grade weapons to battle street level crime. This philosophy still plays a large role in how Tony goes into battle.
* ToBeLawfulOrGood: During ''Civil War'', he insists he's on Lawful (obeying the Registration Act). Given his acts involve creating a clone of a friend which then murders another person, and imprisoning people, minors included, for life without chance of hearing or parole (in a dimension known to cause suicidal despondency in some people), this rings more than a little hollow.
* TokenEvilTeammate: He's nicer than the typical Marvel MadScientist and cares deeply for everyone, but he's very far removed from being TheCape as he's willing to do some morally questionable things to save the day that his more heroic allies could never bring themselves to do.
* TookALevelInJerkass: ''Civil War'' through ''Secret Invasion'' Tony takes several, becoming increasingly cold, controlling and authoritarian towards his teammates and long-time friends. His brain-wipe removes it.
* {{Transhuman}}: Is described as being transhuman following his Extremis and Bleeding Edge upgrades, which turn him into a cyborg. [[spoiler:He [[BroughtDownToBadass lost the ability to use the former thanks to a Skrull computer virus and purged the latter from his body]] during one of his {{Ten Minute Retirement}}s.]]
* WideEyedIdealist: An oddly specific version from a usually cynical person. In flashbacks in the ''Illuminati'' one-shot, Tony expresses the thought that if all the heroes on Earth got together under one banner, they'd face less FantasticRacism. Namor and Professor X reply that in all likelihood, the ''opposite'' would happen.
* WorthIt: Innocuously revealed his secret identity to save the life of a little boy and his dog. And in spite of all the trouble having it known has brought him, he's never regretted it.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:James "Rhodey" Rhodes]]
!!James "Rhodey" Rhodes
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/james_rhodes_as_iron_man_marvel_comics.jpg]]
!!! '''First Appearance:''' ''Iron Man'' (Vol 1) #118
->''"I'm handling the hero chores these days. You might want to write that down somewhere --- so you remember it."''
Tony's closest friend, and pilot of the War Machine armor.
----
[[/folder]]
[[folder: Victor von Doom]]
!!Victor von Doom
[[caption-width-right:350: https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/3133300_0binfamous_iron_man_1_ribic_variant.jpg]]
!!! '''First Appearance:''' ''Fantastic Four'' #5
->''"I am here because I figured out what I have to do. I will pick up your mantle. I will be Iron Man."''
The ruler of Latveria and a technological genius on par with Tony, Doom was reformed and an ally of Tony's... right before Tony died. In the wake of Tony's death, Victor decides to honour Tony's memory (against his wishes) by donning the mantle of Iron Man, modifying his own armour's design to fit Tony's aesthetic and augmenting his already considerable technology with magic.
----
-> See ComicBook/DoctorDoom
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Arno Stark]]
!!Arno Stark / Iron Man IV
!!! '''AKA:''' Iron Metropolitan
[[quoteright:280:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/arno_stark_earth_616_from_iron_man_vol_5_23now.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:280:[[labelnote:Click here to see him as]] https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/c496ae90_6395_41bc_9134_3ee52deea848.jpeg Iron Man 2020]][[/labelnote]]
!!! '''First Appearance:''' ''Iron Man'' (Vol 5) #12
->''"Everything in my entire life has been leading to this. It's my destiny. This is the year I save all life on Earth... and nothing will stand in my way."''
Tony's adoptive brother (Tony was the adopted one), his existence, backstory and the reason for the secrecy about him was revealed in ''The Secret Origin of Tony Stark''. What can be said is that he's been confined to an iron lung for most of his life and is as smart as Tony, if not considerably smarter. He and Tony get on very well and work together on the Troy project.
----
* AmbiguouslyEvil: Through ''Tony Stark: Iron Man'' and ''Iron Man 2020'', before it's ultimately revealed that he's on the far end of WellIntentionedExtremist - he really is genuinely trying to save the world... he's just willing to [[spoiler: strip humanity and robots alike of free will]] to ensure it.
* AntiHeroSubstitute: Arno became one of these went he {{took a level in jerkass}} and became Iron Man 2020, becoming more violent than Tony ever was.
* BadassBookworm: Intended to be the ultimate example of this trope by [[spoiler:451]].
* CanonImmigrant: Sort of. He appeared in several Marvel UK storylines in the '80s. The ''Iron Metropolitan'' storyline officially brings him into Earth-616 (mainstream Marvel) continuity.
* ControlFreak: Devolves into this under stress in ''Tony Stark: Iron Man'' and ''[[ComicBook/IronMan2020Event Iron Man 2020]]'', with every part of his arc being about his obsession with gaining and maintaining control [[WellIntentionedExtremist to save the world]].
* CrazyPrepared: Hardened his iron lung against EMP's decades ago. When he goes up against a revived Tony in ''Iron Man 2020'', however, he finds himself far outclassed - he's prepared, but as Tony points out, he's not even in the same class when it comes to [[CrazyAwesome crazy]].
* DisabilityAsAnExcuseForJerkassery: Averts this, oddly enough. Despite spending his life in an iron lung and doubtless being very lonely, he's a total NiceGuy. If anything, he TookALevelInJerkass ''after'' he figured out how to fix his disability.
* DisabledSnarker: Occasionally. He ''is'' a Stark, after all.
* DisabledMeansHelpless: [[AvertedTrope This is very much not the case.]]
* GeniusCripple: Engineered to have an intelligence capable of advancing all human technology, but an attempt to curtail an also programmed killswitch left him incapable of breathing on his own.
* GoodIsNotNice: [[AmbiguouslyEvil Possibly]], where his focus issue in ''Tony Stark: Iron Man #5'' involves him engaging in morally dubious acts such as transplanting a hand onto a violinist so he can play again. Problem is it's a hand from the woman killed in the same car accident where the violinist lost use of his. Some of her consciousness is still preserved in there, and she's horrified at her situation. Arno coldly explains this to the violinist as a kind of karmic punishment and simply tells him to make her a part of his music. In the follow-up, ''Iron Man 2020'', he starts becoming more and more AmbiguouslyEvil.
* KnightTemplar: Has become one in ''Iron Man 2020'', as his obsession to protect the Earth from the Extinction Entity turns him into a tyrannical madman.
* LivingWeapon: Was intended to be this [[spoiler:by 451]] and consequently spent decades afraid of being found by the character in question and used as such.
* TheMentallyDisturbed: [[spoiler:The "Extinction Entity" he wants to guard life against in ''Iron Man 2020'' is a figment of his imagination, a symptom of his congenital disease.]]
* MythologyGag: Aside from being a canon immigrant, he serves as a CallForward to the ''other'' Arno Stark, the Iron Man 2020 from Earth-8410. His armor has the same gear shoulders, and in one issue Arno makes a quip about hindsight (It's "20-20".) He officially becomes Iron Man in ''[[ComicBook/IronMan2020Event Iron Man 2020]]''.
* NiceGuy: Originally. Despite the capacity of his disability to make him bitter, he's honestly a very nice, friendly guy, being charming to Pepper and [[spoiler:showing that he's been consistently trying to find Tony's biological parents]]. Considering that he's spent decades trapped in an iron lung and is only now free to pursue his ideas, the fact that he's devoting time to the latter is really quite sweet. Unfortunately, he TookALevelInJerkass in his obsession to protect Earth.
* PoweredArmour: Is quite firm that he doesn't want Tony building one for him. [[spoiler:Instead, he builds several of his own - one quite close fitting one that gives him day to day mobility, one large combat suit and kaiju sized one made out of a ''city'']]. Come 2020 proper, he's got his own, normal sized one... which is a modernized version of that ''other'' Arno Stark's armor. Unfortunately for him, [[spoiler: it's not a patch on Tony's new eScape holographic armour, as Tony underlines in a [[BreakingSpeech cutting speech]] as he beats the crap out of him]].
* PutOnABus: He just disappeared after ''Iron Man: Original Sin'' (barring a cameo in ''The Search for Tony Stark''), only to reappear in the new ''Tony Stark: Iron Man'' series seemingly working on his own.
* ShoutOut: His Iron Metropolitan armor is a TransformingMecha with a city-based alt-mode, and it even bears some resemblance to [[Franchise/TransformersGeneration1 Omega Supreme]].
** If you look closely, the armor has the engraving '''MMXX''' - the Roman numeral for 2020.
* SuperIntelligence: was genetically engineered with this in mind (making him quite possibly smarter than Tony), building on what he had already as [[spoiler:a son of Howard Stark]] - though it seems that [[spoiler:451's]] tweaks were mostly focused on ensuring that he focused his intelligence in the right areas.
* SwitchedAtBirth: [[spoiler:Is Howard and Maria Stark's biological son, switched with Tony to outmanoeuvre 451]].
* TechnicianVersusPerformer: He's the Technician to Tony's performer; while he's utterly brilliant at redesigning and improving technology, he's not so much of an innovator, as Tony ends up demonstrating in ''[[ComicBook/IronMan2020Event Iron Man 2020]]'' in a fight so brutally one-sided (complete with lecture about how Arno's suit was obsolete before he even put it on) that even the robots with good reason to hate Arno were wincing.
* TookALevelInJerkass: As written by Dan Slott, he becomes a lot more snide and condescending, as well as willing to commit dodgy actions. And that's just to start with - ControlFreak doesn't even ''begin'' to describe it. It's eventually explained as being at least in part due to fears of a world-killer level enemy coming to Earth and needing to prepare for it.
* TykeBomb: Engineered by 451 to uplift human society, while also being a deterrent to any alien empires seeking to wipe out humans, given the capability to pilot the Godkiller Celestial artifact.
* WalkingSpoiler: It's quite hard to say much about him without spoiling considerable amounts of story.
* UnwittingInstigatorOfDoom: Injects the Hulk with the Extremis virus, leading to the creation of the Doc Green persona, who goes after Tony with a vengeance.
* YoungConqueror: Again, he was engineered with this in mind, judging by [[spoiler:451's]] references to UsefulNotes/AlexanderTheGreat. While he tries to evade [[spoiler: 451's]] legacy and intentions, [[SelfFulfillingProphecy he ends up travelling down that path anyway]].
[[/folder]]
!!War Machine
[[folder:James "Rhodey" Rhodes / Iron Man II / War Machine]]
!!James "Rhodey" Rhodes / Iron Man II / War Machine
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/james_rhodes_as_iron_man_marvel_comics.jpg]]
%% Image Pickin' thread left top image in place: https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=1572010288094397100
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[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/war-machine-8_4525.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:300:"[[VideoGame/MarvelVsCapcomClashOfSuperheroes No, not Iron Man; War Machine,]] [[Film/IronMan2 deal with it!]]"]]
!!! '''Alter Ego:''' James Rupert "Rhodey" Rhodes
!!! '''Notable Aliases:''' Iron Man, Iron Patriot, Commander Rhodes, Hulk Machine, Iron Man 2.0, Rhodey, Shellshock, The Pilot
!!! '''First Appearance:''' ''Iron Man'' #118 (January, 1979) [[note]]As James Rhodes[[/note]]; ''Iron Man'' #170 (May, 1983) [[note]]As Iron Man[[/note]]; ''Iron Man'' #284 (July, 1992) [[note]]As War Machine[[/note]]; ''Gambit'' #13 (May, 2013) [[note]]As Iron Patriot[[/note]]
!!! '''Team Affiliations:''' ComicBook/TheAvengers, ComicBook/WestCoastAvengers, ComicBook/SecretAvengers
!!! '''Joined Team In:''' ''West Coast Avengers'' #1 (September, 1984)
->''"I'm handling the hero chores these days. You might want to write that down somewhere --- so you remember it."''
Stationed in Vietnam during UsefulNotes/TheVietnamWar, then [[SemperFi Marine]] [[AcePilot combat pilot]] Lt. Col. James Rupert Rhodes first met Iron Man after his helicopter was shot down by Viet Cong rocket fire during one of his tours of duty. Iron Man himself, fresh off escaping his captors with a suit of armor made ''[[MemeticMutation in a cave, with a box of scraps]]'', encounters Rhodes. Together, they defeat the Viet Cong and fly to safety in a stolen helicopter.
After the war, [[MillionairePlayboy playboy billionaire industrialist]] Tony Stark, [[SecretIdentity who secretly was Iron Man all along]], thanks Rhodes for saving Iron Man and offers him a job as Stark's personal pilot. Rhodes initially declines, but after trying other career options, including being a [[PrivateMilitaryContractors mercenary]], he eventually takes Tony up on the offer. He also becomes the chief aviation officer.
Tony and Rhodes become close friends to the point where he becomes one of Tony's/Iron Man's {{secret keeper}}s and given the nickname "Rhodey". When Tony was battling Obadiah Stane for control of his company as well as his own issues with alcoholism, Rhodey became Iron Man for a brief time. As the shellhead he successfully battled against Iron Man's RoguesGallery and became a founding members of the ''[[WestCoastTeam West Coast]] [[ComicBook/TheAvengers Avengers]]'' (though they thought it was Stark at the time). Issues including [[UnusualUserInterface headaches caused by the armor because the helmet was only calibrated for Stark during long-term use]] and being gravely injured in a bomb attack by Stane forced Rhodey to give up being Iron Man.
He became Iron Man a couple more times during his time at Tony's new company, Stark Enterprises, but only temporarily. When Stark seemingly dies, Rhodey takes over running Stark Enterprises and becomes Iron Man once again. This time he uses the Variable Threat Response Battle Suit, a silver and black suit with a mix of laser guided munitions, ballistic weaponry, a flame thrower and repulsor and unibeam technology used in other versions of Stark's armor. Designed for all-out warfare, the armor was nicknamed "War Machine". After discovering Tony [[FakingTheDead faked his death]], Rhodey quit the company. Tony told Rhodey to keep the "War Machine" armor stating that the armor always belonged to him (with it properly attuned to Rhodey's brain patterns of course). After which, he decided just to call himself War Machine while he wore the armor.
Rhodey and Stark would make-up and break up several more times with the former sometimes going solo or joining a separate cause from the latter. Eventually he would rejoin the West Coast Avengers, this time as himself using the War Machine armor. He would also join the [[ComicBook/TheDefenders Secret Defenders]] and Force Works (a reorganizing of the West Coast Avengers). He would also retire, only to join up with ComicBook/TheCrew -- without PowerArmor at his disposal -- after his sister was killed by a powerful street gang. Eventually, he returns to superheroics and is currently a member of the ComicBook/SecretAvengers. In 2014 he took up the identity of Iron Patriot, paralleling ''Iron Man 3''. However, both versions of Rhodey would return to the more iconic War Machine name not long after. Rhodey would later die in ''ComicBook/CivilWarII'', but be brought back to life by Tony Stark using augmentations that Stark himself used to save his own life during the same crossover. For a time, Rhodey was too traumatized to be in the suit again, instead using the Manticore, a weaponized vehicle, but during ''ComicBook/IronMan2020Event'', Tony figured out this was caused by aberrations in his DNA and was able to fix them, allowing Rhodey to become War Machine again.
Ever since he started wearing the Variable Threat Response Battle Suit, War Machine has been featured in media outside of the comics. His most notable appearances were in the Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse films, played by Creator/TerrenceHoward in ''Film/IronMan1'' [[TheOtherDarrin and]] Creator/DonCheadle in all subsequent appearances.
[[AC:Anime]]
* ''Anime/IronManRiseOfTechnovore''
* ''Anime/AvengersConfidentialBlackWidowAndPunisher''
* ''Anime/MarvelDiskWarsTheAvengers''
[[AC:Comics]]
* ''War Machine Vol. 1'' (1994)
* ''U.S. War Machine'' (2001)
* ''U.S. War Machine 2.0'' (2003)
* ''War Machine Vol. 2'' (2009)
* ''Iron Man 2.0'' (2011)
* ''Iron Patriot'' (2014)
[[AC:Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse]] ([[Characters/MCUWarMachine page]])
* ''Film/IronMan1''
* ''Film/IronMan2''
* ''Film/IronMan3''
* ''Film/AvengersAgeOfUltron''
* ''Film/CaptainAmericaCivilWar''
* ''Film/AvengersInfinityWar''
* ''Film/AvengersEndgame''
* ''Series/TheFalconAndTheWinterSoldier''
* ''Armor Wars''
[[AC:Video Games]]
* ''VideoGame/MarvelVsCapcomClashOfTheSuperheroes''
* ''VideoGame/MarvelVsCapcom2''
* ''VideoGame/MarvelUltimateAlliance'' (unlockable costume for Iron Man)
* ''Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2'' ({{NPC}})
* ''VideoGame/MarvelAvengersAlliance''
* ''VideoGame/MarvelFutureFight''
[[AC:Western Animation]]
* ''WesternAnimation/TheInvincibleIronMan''
* ''WesternAnimation/XMen'' (two silent cameos)
* ''WesternAnimation/SpiderManTheAnimatedSeries'' (two episodes)
* ''WesternAnimation/IronMan''
* ''WesternAnimation/TheSuperHeroSquadShow''
* ''WesternAnimation/IronManArmoredAdventures''
* ''WesternAnimation/TheAvengersEarthsMightiestHeroes''
Not to be confused with the future ''[[TabletopGame/IronKingdoms War Machine]]'' VideoGame.
----
!!Tropes associated with War Machine include:
* AFriendInNeed: In Secret Avengers, his military friend Phil Coulson, who's recently been recruited to SHIELD and is working as part of the ComicBook/SecretAvengers asks him to help them, despite what they're doing going beyond what's reasonable or right, citing that Rhodes never let them down when they were in the military. Rhodes replies that this is what he does, and tells Coulson to tell him where they need him.
* AcePilot: Whether it be a plane, jet, chopper, or a flying suit of armor.
* AntiHero: Traditionally a [[PragmaticHero idealistic soldier]], but was an UnscrupulousHero in the past.
* AntiHeroSubstitute: Inverted as Tony wore the prototype of the Variable Threat Response Battle Suit first and that Rhodey wasn't any more DarkerAndEdgier when he wore the Iron Man suit. In fact, the suit was intentionally designed to MINIMIZE casualties and offer less-lethal options, since hitting a non-superhuman opponent with repulsor rays would splatter them worse than standard ordinance, according to the Iron Manual. Also inverted as Iron Patriot because he was definitely a saner and more straight-up hero than his predecessor, ComicBook/NormanOsborn.
* AscendedExtra: He started out as just another random pilot working for Tony, got upgraded to a supporting character after a few more appearances, and then ended up becoming a superhero himself.
* BadassBeard: Depending on the artist, he is drawn with one or clean-shaven.
* BadassNormal: Like Tony Stark, Rhodey can handle almost any threat until he can suit up. If anything, Rhodey is arguably ''better'' at this than Tony, in that he's ex-military and was a trained combatant long before he met Tony. He's repeatedly fought alongside Iron Man even without a suit of his own, using real-life weapons like guns and staffs.
* BloodKnight: "Sometimes the world needs a war machine"
* BreakoutCharacter: He went from being a RecurringExtra to Tony's best friend and eventually became a second new armored hero, even filling in Tony's place when he was out of commission on more than one occasion.
* CanonImmigrant: Not Rhodey himself, but him being Iron Patriot, was introduced in ''Iron Man 3'', and in the comics he inherits the identity from ComicBook/NormanOsborn in 2014, taking up the Iron Patriot armor on behalf of the government.
* ClothesMakeTheManiac: Whenever he (or Kevin O'Brien) wore Tony's armor for too long due to the armor's [[UnusualUserInterface neural-interface controls]] were only calibrated for Tony Stark's brainwaves.
* ColonelBadass: His rank in the military is Colonel.
* ContagiousPowers: [[IncrediblyLamePun Infected]] by Iron Man.
* CorporateSponsoredSuperhero: As Iron Man while working for Circuits Maximus and Stark Enterprises.
* CostumeCopycat: After Rhodey retired from superheroics, the original War Machine armor was found by his old friend Parnell Jacobs. Jacobs used the armor and the War Machine name as a criminal mercenary for a while.
* CrapolaTech: The "Ex-Wife" bunker-buster warhead from ''Iron Man 2''
* {{Cyborg}}: Around the time of the ''ComicBook/CivilWar'', but during the ''ComicBook/DarkReign'', his brain was put in a cloned body [[StatusQuoIsGod making him normal again]].
* DiedInYourArmsTonight: [[spoiler:[[ComicBook/MsMarvel Captain Marvel]] cradles Rhodey as he dies. He GetsBetter though.]]
* DrillSergeantNasty: Rhodey acts as one to the Iron Patriot drones. Was one of the Initiative's commanders too.
* FakingTheDead: Prior to his third tenure as Iron Man, Rhodey sacrificed his War Machine armor so that the world would believe he was dead. Now that he was a dead man, he was free to fill in as the new Iron Man without anyone suspecting him.
* FateWorseThanDeath: He considers the time he was forcibly made into a cyborg as one. [[spoiler: He uses this reasoning as to why he wears his War Machine suit despite gaining PTSD from them, reminding him of death.]]
* FiveRoundsRapid: In his origin story, Rhodey's first reaction to a strange metal man lumbering out of the Vietnamese undergrowth was to whip out a rifle and try and shoot it.
* FlyingBrick[=/=]LightningBruiser. Rhodeys armor lets him become this in strength, speed, durability, logistics analysis, and sheer firepower.
* FlyingFirepower: Flight and "repulsor beams" (name varies), one of the few instances where the same capability allows for both flight and energy blasts. War Machine, like Iron Man, has all this, plus a good old fashioned minigun on the shoulder.
* FriendshipMoment: In ComicBook/IronMan issue 184, James Rhodes and two other guys were working on creating their own tech company, they were getting ready to leave for California. [[TheAlcoholic Tony Stark]] came up asking for a job. In the past few months he had [[HumiliationConga lost his company, lost access to his money, gave up being Iron Man and became homeless.]] Not only that but he had only spent a week being sober. Tony was afraid that he would be rejected for what happened. But Rhodey and the others promptly accepted him.
** Just a few issues later, Rhodey is going nuts because he is starting to fear that Tony wants the armor back. It doesn't help that Tony has built a prototype suit, though Tony insists it is "therapy". At first, Tony thinks it is simply the suit's interface not being properly synched to Rhodey, but Rhodey's headaches keep coming back, and he finally goes on a rampage. Stark has to suit up in his outmatched prototype to try to calm him down, and manages to use everything he knows about the Iron Man suit to temporarily disable Rhodey's suit. Tony then takes off his suit, telling Rhodey that he doesn't want the job back, and unfreezes Rhodey's suit. Rhodey gets up... and shakes Tony's hand.
* GatlingGood: A gatling gun on his armor's left shoulder as a default. When he had the Stanetech Armor he can add more [[ThereIsNoKillLikeOverkill way more]].
* GuiltComplex: The real cause of Rhodey's headaches when he was Iron Man. He'd enjoyed being a hero and didn't want to lose that, but deep down he felt that he had stolen the identity from Tony and this conflicted with his loyalty to him; the ensuing headaches created a sense of paranoia expressed in rage toward Tony. Once Rhodey demonstrated he was willing to give up being Iron Man, the headaches ceased. Of course, he did have to go on an [[AlternateDimension Interdimensional]] VisionQuest to learn this about himself.
* HandBlast: Whether it is coming from a repulsor blast from his palms or bullets from the guns on his wrists.
* TheHeroDies: ''ComicBook/CivilWarII'' is kicked off by Rhodey's death. Tony brings him BackFromTheDead in ''[[{{ComicBook/IronMan}} Invincible Iron Man]]'' issue #600 with rather little fanfare, even after becoming a regular in the next series.
* HoverTank: After being unable to handle "armoring up" due to the events of Civil War II, he manages to get one of these in the Manticore, a multi-purpose tank with flight and submersible properties that was created by Sunset Bain with stolen Stark tech. Tony buys it from them for Rhodey.
* HyperspaceArsenal: He can create an endless amount of weapons and ammunition from his armor.
* IdentityImpersonator: When he replaced Tony Stark as Iron Man. During the "ComicBook/ArmorWars", he impersonated Electro briefly as well.
* InSeriesNickname: Rhodey and in the first season of the [[WesternAnimation/IronMan '90s Iron Man cartoon]], Jimmy.
* JetPack: More like Jet Boots but, thrusters and repulsors of the armor allow him to fly really long distances.
* LegacyCharacter: To Iron Man. Took the War Machine identity some time after Tony resumed the Iron Man role, though he's temporarily take up the mantle again in 2012. He temporarily took over the identity of Iron Patriot from ComicBook/NormanOsborn in 2014. And in 2017 it was announced that Frank Castle, who is now an anti-villain Hydra agent, will be taking up the mantle of War Machine.
** AffirmativeActionLegacy: During the ComicBook/SecretWars, Reed Richards got to see the man under the armour while repairing it. Jim asked him if he was surprised that the man under the armour was black; Reed just said that he knew that 'there was a man in there', reacting more along the lines of 'what's race got to do with anything?', being as unconcerned about the race of who was in the armor as he's always been about everyone else.
** LegacyLaunch: Has has his own series on more than one occasion.
* ManOnFire: After donning the old red-and-gold armor to escape an [=AIM=]-infected space station (Iron Man issues 215-216), Rhodey discovers the hard way that the armor's seals have been damaged as he and Tony reenter the atmosphere. Tony has to cradle Rhodey and use his own Silver Centurion suit as a heat shield to keep Rhodey from being killed, and Tony is able to get Rhodey medical attention as soon as they reach civilization. Rhodey managed to recover from his burns, but the incident left him unable to don the armor again for a long time.
* MilitarySuperhero: Personnel of the US Air Force and War Machine.
* MiniMecha: His armor in the ComicBook/UltimateMarvel line is a huge behemoth that can transform into a sports car. His suit in ''WesternAnimation/IronManArmoredAdventures'' is similarly big.
* MoreDakka: War Machine has been adding more and more guns to his armor. For an illustration of the result, check out the picture for the ThereIsNoKillLikeOverkill trope. For a while, Rhodey's armor had the capability to magnetically lock any piece of machinery to itself, meaning he could repurpose any weapon he found from downed enemies or destroyed vehicles. Even at his current, normal weapon loadout, he's more heavily armed than pretty much any Marvel hero.
* MoreHeroThanThou: At least one issue of ''ComicBook/IronMan'' where Rhodey knocks Tony out and wears the armor himself. Sort of subverted in that when Tony wakes up, he immediately goes out in a spare suit and arrives just in time to save Rhodey's massively outclassed butt.
** Bear in mind, Tony had been using remote-control armor because he didn't want Rhodey to have to face down the Mandarin, not to mention Fin Fang Foom and his Makluan dragon buddies; while Rhodey didn't want Tony to get himself killed in battle, since his nervous system was rapidly deteriorating at the time. In the end, the two of them end up working together [[EnemyMine with the Mandarin]] to stop the dragons.
* MovesetClone: Tony and Rhodey in the VideoGame/CapcomVs video games. (In the sprite-based games, it's not uncommon for War Machine to be a straight recolor of Tony's Modular Armor.)
* MuggleBestFriend: To Tony (who is a {{Mutant}} somewhat) in the ComicBook/UltimateMarvel universe.
* PatrioticFervor: Usually as Iron Patriot.
* PrivateMilitaryContractors: Before he worked for Stark Industries but after his last tour in Vietnam. Also when he was Iron Man working for Circuits Maximus.
* PoweredArmor: James Rhodes has used Stark armor many times, either taking up the ComicBook/IronMan mantle while Tony was incapacitated or presumed dead, or working independently as War Machine. He has since gained a fear of it after many near-death experiences and actually dying.
* RageQuit: Rhodey's reaction to Tony FakingTheDead.
* RetCanon: To tie into ''Film/IronMan3'', Rhodey has recently taken up ComicBook/NormanOsborn's old Iron Patriot identity.
* RetiredBadass: Though it didn't last.
* TheRival: Parnell Jacobs, who stole a set of War Machine armor and became a mercenary. Eventually became a friendly rivalry.
* SemperFi: DependingOnTheWriter, usually when his army background is played up.
* ScaryBlackMan: Sure, you can't see the actual pilot of the suit, but you do NOT want to piss Rhodes off. Ever. This is a guy that's taken out Hulk villains with a standard firearm on more than one occasion.
* ShellShockedVeteran: After his return from death, he becomes truamatized with "armoring up", viewing them akin to coffins. However, he is still able to pilot fine and actually finds it comforting.
* ShoulderCannon: Typically in the form of a Gatling gun on one shoulder and a missile launcher on the other.
* SidekickGraduationsStick: From non-superhero ally to Iron Man replacement to his own hero identity.
* SpandexLatexOrLeather: None, powered armor!
* SuperheroPackingHeat: A rather grotesque understatement.
* SuspiciouslySimilarSubstitute: Due to legal issues, ComicBook/IronMan was unavailable for ''VideoGame/MarvelVsCapcomClashOfTheSuperheroes'', so War Machine was selected in his stead (for all intents and purposes, he's a PaletteSwap of Iron Man). As a result, his [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IBd3Y8298rU theme]] in this game is based off of Iron Man's ''VideoGame/MarvelSuperHeroes'' [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XxHZbfzSII0 theme.]]
* ThereIsNoKillLikeOverkill: He's able to add more weapons to his armor so it has come to this. He's the trope's image for a reason.
* TonightSomeoneDies: [[spoiler:Rhodey himself! He's killed by ComicBook/{{Thanos}} in a Free Comic Book Day Special and it's his death that kicks off ''ComicBook/CivilWarII''.]]
* TraumaButton: After being resurrected from his latest death in Civil War II, he develops a PTSD response to combat in armor after years of accruing trauma from dying in it. He can handle piloting a heavily armed ship much better.
* UnusualWeaponMounting: Rhodey as War Machine would mount his weapons anywhere.
* WalkingArmory: War Machine is a PoweredArmor version of this trope (as especially seen in [[Film/IronMan2 the film]] [[Film/IronMan3 version]]). Note that the regular Iron Man armor is already stuffed with miniaturized weapons; the War Machine suit is overflowing with them...and some of them are not so miniaturized; the iconic feature of War Machine is a shoulder-mounted Gatling gun. Many versions of the War Machine armor also have a second turret on the other shoulder with a multiple missile launcher on it. The same is also true of his incarnation from ''WesternAnimation/IronManArmoredAdventures'', if not moreso.
* WhenAllYouHaveIsAHammer: In his case, it's "When all you have is an electric minigun, a missile box, and a crapload of other guns". Slightly inverted, in that the suit is designed to have MORE options for combat than the standard Iron Man armor.
* WhereDaWhiteWomenAt: Rhodey has had two important interracial relationships: the first was with Rae [=LaCoste=] (which was broken up by his parents), and the second is with [[ComicBook/MsMarvel Carol Danvers]] (the current Captain Marvel). [[spoiler:It ended with Rhodey's death, which ended up motivating Carol's actions in ''ComicBook/CivilWarII''. With him back to alive, they are back together.]]
* WhyDidItHaveToBeSnakes: Rhodey develops claustrophobia as a side effect of his resurrection. Because of that, he can't wear the War Machine armor and opts for his own HumongousMecha.
* TheWorfBarrage: The "Ex-Wife" against [[Film/IronMan2 Whiplash]]. It was a dud.
[[/folder]]
!!Rescue
[[folder:Virginia "Pepper" Potts / Rescue]]
!!Virginia "Pepper" Potts / Rescue
[[quoteright:347:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/1508379-pepper_3018.jpg]][[caption-width-right:347:Pepper as Rescue]]
!!! '''First Appearance:''' ''Tales of Suspense'' (Vol 1) #45
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/rescue.png]]
%% [[caption-width-right:350:some caption text]]
->''"I have to accept that you're gone. And if I can't save you, then I have to save the world from what you've become. I bought one of the largest media companies on Earth from under you. I'll use it to sink your drug, Extremis, and I will show the world the monster you've become. They will all know your imperfections, Tony. You won't be their messiah anymore. Your zealots, so blind to the truth. I will open their eyes. Whatever you do from now on, you will do it without admiration, without those who once respected you. You will do it without your friends. You might still manage to force your arrogant vision onto the world. But you will do so broken, unloved... And completely alone."''
-->-- '''Pepper Potts''', ''ComicBook/SuperiorIronMan'' #9 (thankfully, [[CharacterRerailment this is no longer the case]]).
Virginia "Pepper" Potts is a Creator/MarvelComics characters who mainly appears as supporting character in ''ComicBook/IronMan'' comics. She is created by Creator/StanLee and Don Heck, and is introduced into Franchise/MarvelUniverse in ''Tales of Suspense'' #45 in 1963). As ''Rescue'', she's introduced in ''The Invincible Iron Man'' #10 in 2009.
Pepper is Tony Stark's secretary, assistant, and longtime friend. She was working for Stark Industries and spotted an accounting error. She raced to let Tony Stark know. Having saved the company a large amount of money, Stark promoted her to be his personal assistant. Over the years, she developed romantic feelings on her womanizing boss to the point that she rejects the advances of Stark's chauffeur and assistant Happy Hogan. As Stark's affection for her grows, she becomes part of a love triangle between the two men, but eventually falls in love with and marries Hogan. Although Pepper and Happy soon divorce after she has an affair with a former college boyfriend, she and Happy join Tony at his new company, Stark Solutions. During their time in Stark's new company, Pepper and Happy once again became involved and they remarry. But Happy eventually dies after he is massively injured by the supervillain Slaymaster during ''ComicBook/CivilWar'', and once again Pepper has on-off relationship with Tony. Half the time they're together, the other half they're pretending they weren't.
After ''Civil War'', Pepper joins the [[ComicBook/AvengersTheInitiative Fifty State Initiative]] as a member of ComicBook/TheOrder. She assumes the moniker of the [[Myth/ClassicalMythology Greek goddess]] Hera, and uses advanced computer hardware and prosthetics to monitor and coordinate the team's missions. Upon the absorption of The Order into the Initiative, Tony Stark offers her a job on the special projects team at Stark Enterprises, which she accepts.
When Pepper is caught in a terrorist explosion caused by Ezekiel Stane, she sustains multiple internal injuries, including shrapnel wounds, and rendered unable to withstand a prolonged surgery. In response, Tony embeds a strong magnet (similar in appearance to the arc reactor) in her chest, essentially turning Pepper into a {{cyborg}} dependent on keeping her chest magnet engaged to stay alive, as he was once. She eventually gains a suit of armor (and a heart implant) of her own as the heroine Rescue. Pepper's body is further enhanced with new cybernetics and upgrades to the magnet, which are based on [[ComicBook/ImmortalIronFist Danny Rand]]'s battery designs, and give Pepper new super abilities.
When Tony is blamed for the Skrull invasion of Earth that occurs in the ''ComicBook/SecretInvasion'', ComicBook/{{SHIELD}} [[ComicBook/DarkReign is taken over]] by ComicBook/NormanOsborn, replaced with H.A.M.M.E.R., Stark makes Pepper the new CEO of Stark Industries, trusting only her to shut down the company in his absence. Pepper discovers a secret room in Stark's office which contains a suit of armor that he made especially for her, which she uses under the name Rescue. She becomes a superheroine herself and rescues ComicBook/BlackWidow and Maria Hill from Osborn's imprisonment. As Rescue, she has her own single-issue comic, ''Rescue'' which is published in 2010.
After her heart-mounted repulsor generator and armored suit are dismantled to reboot the brain-dead Tony Stark, Tony reinstalls a new Repulsor Tech node in her chest and gifts her new Rescue armor, complete with the A.I. J.A.R.V.I.S.. Unfortunately, after J.A.R.V.I.S. had revealed that it developed romantic feelings for Pepper, it kidnapped her to keep her away from super heroic duties, but was deactivated by [[ComicBook/WarMachine James Rhodes]], who assumed the Iron Man identity at the time, and was finally destroyed by Pepper Potts in Resilient's factory along with Potts' Rescue armor, thus leaving her heroic alter-ego behind.
She later gets new Rescue armor in the ''Superior Iron Man'' comic.
[[AC:Notable Comic Books appearance]]
* ''ComicBook/AvengersTheInitiative''
* ''ComicBook/CivilWar''
* ''ComicBook/DarkReign''
* ''ComicBook/IronMan''
* ''The Invincible Iron Man''
* ''ComicBook/TheOrder''
* ''Rescue'' (2010)
* ''ComicBook/SuperiorIronMan''
* ''Tales of Suspense''
* ''2020 Rescue''
[[AC:Animations]]
* ''WesternAnimation/TheMarvelSuperHeroes'' (1966): Voiced by Peg Dixon.
* ''WesternAnimation/TheInvincibleIronMan'' (2007): Voiced by Elisa Gabrielli.
* ''WesternAnimation/IronManArmoredAdventures'' (2009-2012): Voiced by Creator/AnnaCummer.
* ''Anime/IronMan'' anime (2010): Voiced by Hiroe Oka and Creator/CindyRobinson.
* ''WesternAnimation/TheAvengersEarthsMightiestHeroes'' (2010-2013): Voiced by Dawn Olivieri.
* ''Anime/IronManRiseOfTechnovore'' (2013): Voiced by Hiroe Oka and Creator/KateHiggins.
* ''WebAnimation/LEGOMarvelSuperheroesMaximumOverload'' (2013): Voiced by Creator/GreyDeLisle.
* ''Anime/MarvelDiskWarsTheAvengers'' (2014-2015): Voiced by Creator/FumieMizusawa.
[[AC:Live-Actions]]
* ''Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse'': Portrayed by Creator/GwynethPaltrow.
** ''Film/IronMan1'' (2008)
** ''Film/IronMan2'' (2010)
** ''Film/{{The Avengers|2012}}'' (2012)
** ''Film/IronMan3'' (2013)
** ''Film/SpiderManHomecoming'' (cameo; 2017)
** ''Film/AvengersInfinityWar'' (2018)
** ''Film/AvengersEndgame'' (2019): Appears as both Pepper Potts and Rescue.
[[AC:Video Games]]
* ''[[VideoGame/ZenPinball Marvel Pinball]]'' (2010): Voiced by Creator/TaraPlatt.
* ''Ultimate VideoGame/MarvelVsCapcom3'' (2011): Appears as cameo.
* ''VideoGame/SuperHeroSquadOnline'' (2011-2016): Appears as playable hero as Rescue. Voiced by Creator/LauraBailey.
* ''VideoGame/MarvelAvengersAlliance'' (2012-2017): Appears as playable hero as Rescue.
* ''VideoGame/LEGOMarvelSuperHeroes'' (2013): Appears as playable hero as both Pepper Potts and Rescue. Voiced by Creator/LauraBailey.
* ''VideoGame/MarvelHeroes'' (2013-present): Appears as {{NPC}}. Voiced by Brett Pels.
* ''VideoGame/MarvelFutureFight'' (2015-present): Rescue was added to the playable roster in 2019 as a tie-in to ''Avengers: Endgame''.
* ''VideoGame/AvengersAcademy'' (2016-2019): A member of the main cast as assistant to Nick Fury, rather than Tony. Usually an NPC, but could be recruited as Rescue in limited-time events.
* ''VideoGame/MarvelStrikeForce'' (2019-present): Appears as playable hero as Rescue, again as a tie-in to ''Endgame''.
----
!Tropes
* ActionGirl: Despite her lack of training in hand-to-hand combat, she can definitely hold her own in battle as Rescue.
* AffectionateNickname: She is called "Pepper" because of her freckles and red hair, and as a pun on her last name.
* AlliterativeName: Her nickname, Pepper Potts.
* AwesomeMcCoolname: Well, yeah, but her real name is cool too, Virginia Potts.
* BeleagueredAssistant: For Tony Stark at times. It's apparently bad enough that Pepper's fiance hated Tony for "ruining" Pepper's life and actually turns into a villain as a result.
* BerserkButton:
** In ''VideoGame/MarvelAvengersAlliance'', don't dismiss her as being just "Tony Stark's secretary".
** It comes up in her movie version, too. In her very first scene she fires off an uncharacteristically nasty zinger after Tony's latest conquest makes a seemingly derogatory comment about the job.
--->'''Christine:''' After all these years, Tony still has you picking up the dry cleaning.\\
'''Pepper:''' I do anything and everything Mr. Stark requires. Including occasionally [[SlutShaming taking out the trash]]. Will that be all?
* BlueIsHeroic: Switches to a blue suit in ''[[ComicBook/IronMan2020Event Iron Man 2020]]'', after previously wearing red and magenta.
* BreastPlate: On the Rescue armor, though how bad an example it was depended on the issue and artist.
* BroughtDownToBadass: Her first Rescue armor has been destroyed, but she still has the power from her Repulsor Tech implant in her chest anyway. She eventually gets a new armor.
* {{Cyborg}}: The Repulsor Tech node is implanted in her chest and is linked to her brain. It allows her to interact with different types of energies.
* DeadpanSnarker: She's as bad as Iron Man in this regard.
-->'''Pepper:''' I asked the man whose car you wrecked if I could throw it at you. He said okay.
* DistaffCounterpart: For a while she was a Distaff Counterpart to Iron Man under the name Rescue. While her armor was destroyed, she still has implanted repulsor-tech, giving her a few Iron Man-like powers. She eventually rebuilt the armor, including new characteristics and a pink color scheme.
* FieryRedhead: Played with, she's certainly strong and outspoken, but too level-headed and calm to fully fit the trope.
* {{Flight}}: When Tony installed an electromagnet in her chest she gained the ability to fly, independently of the Rescue suit.
* GirlFriday: "I do anything and everything Mr. Stark requires." This includes sneaking into her boss' company and downloading files for him without alerting anyone else. She's not the page image for nothing.
* HonestCorporateExecutive: Has acted as the CEO of Stark's various corporations, and always tries to keep things aboveboard and transparent.
* HypercompetentSidekick: Tony Stark may be able to build a miniature arc reactor [[MemeticMutation in a cave, with a box of scraps]], but it is no secret that for all his genius, he can't function without his ever faithful assistant, the beleaguered Pepper Potts.
* LoveInterest: Tony's primary love interest.
* LoveTriangle: With Tony and Happy Hogan. Until Hogan died.
* MeaningfulName: Her codename of "Rescue" signifies her unwillingness to be used as a weapon--she'll save people, but she won't hurt anyone. Also her real name, Virginia "Pepper" Potts = Silk hiding fire.
* MomentOfWeakness: During the Manhunt comic arc in Iron Man where Tony Stark is framed for the attacks on the Chinese. FBI agent Neil Streich threatens to draw in Pepper Potts and the hospitalized Happy Hogan unless Pepper agrees to cooperate with him. Pepper agrees and provides Stretch with the code he needs to activate a failsafe which deactivates the Iron Man armor. Pepper is heartbroken and horrified when she gives Neil the code and shamefully admits to a comatose Happy that that was the worst thing she could have done to him. When Tony is able to evade capture and clear his name, he forgives Pepper for her betrayal. Pepper breaks down and cries as Tony hugs her, saying "You don't have to say that. You have every right to think I let you down because I did. Stretch got me worried about Happy and I should have been stronger, or cleverer" as Tony says everything is OK.
* MyGodWhatHaveIDone: When FBI agent Neil Stretch threatens to arrest Pepper Potts and the hospitalized Happy Hogan unless Pepper agrees to cooperate with him, Pepper agrees to work with him. Pepper provides Stretch with the code he needs to activate a failsafe which deactivates the Iron Man armor. She regrets giving Stretch the code the minute she gives it to him, as she tells a comatose Happy.
* PoweredArmor: She had her Rescue armor until it's destroyed when its J.A.R.V.I.S. A.I. went rogue. She rebuilt a version in time for ''Superior Iron Man''.
* ReallyGetsAround: Not as much as Iron Man, but she goes through a lot of disposable boyfriends, in addition to Tony and Happy.
* RetCanon: After the release of ''Film/AvengersEndgame'', Pepper's Rescue armor was redesigned to more closely resemble how it appears in the film, as seen in ''2020 Rescue''.
* SelectiveMagnetism: The Rescue armor uses this. Pepper can also manipulate magnetism outside of the Rescue armor, so long as she has the implant in her chest. This allowed her to beat down Sandman and Electro during one arc in ''Invincible Iron Man''.
* SassySecretary: Kind of expected, given her snarky attitude towards her boss.
* ServileSnarker: She's quite an expert in StealthInsult.
* SexySecretary: There's a reason that Tony likes her. Granted, the man ReallyGetsAround.
* SilkHidingSteel: She is a polite, benevolent, elegantly dressed business woman cum art curator. She's also the only person who can wrangle the self-proclaimed [[MemeticMutation genius billionaire playboy philantropist]] superhero.
* StoneWall: The Rescue armor is tough, but lacks any offensive capabilities. If Pepper wants to hurt somebody, she'll have to use her magnetism. Or throw something at them. She adds in [[MakeMeWannaShout a sonic blaster]] in ''Superior Iron Man'', but Tony already worked the sonic weakness out of his armor ahead of time, making her still relatively weak in that respect.
* SubordinateExcuse: Regularly comes up vis-a-vis her and Tony.
* ThouShaltNotKill: Takes this far more seriously than Tony or Rhodey do, objecting strongly to the notion of being used as a weapon and/or taking life.
* TookALevelInBadass: Took a massive level in badass since the sixties, which culminated in her gaining a suit of powered armor during Creator/MattFraction's run.
* UnresolvedSexualTension: With Tony since the sixties. Half the time they're together, the other half they're pretending they weren't.
[[/folder]]
!!Iron Heart
[[folder:Riri Williams / Ironheart]]
%% Image kept on page per Image Pickin' thread: https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=1501736172012572500
%% Please do not replace or remove without starting a new thread.
%%
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/ironheart_9.jpg]]
->''"Those who move with courage make the path for those who live in fear."''
Riri Williams, also known by her codename Ironheart, is a Creator/MarvelComics character created by Creator/BrianMichaelBendis and Mike Deodato, first appearing in ''Invincible ComicBook/IronMan'' #7 (dated March 2016).
Born shortly after the death of her father, Riri Williams grew up in UsefulNotes/{{Chicago}} with her mother and stepfather, soon discovering a pretty surprising truth about herself: she was a genius intellect with special aptitude for engineering. By the age of fifteen, Riri was already attending M.I.T. on a free scholarship offered to her because of it.
It was during this time that Riri reverse-engineered the Iron Man Mark 41 suit in her dorm room, using (stolen) materials from the M.I.T. campus. After testing out her suit's capabilities a few times, Riri had her first taste of crimefighting by stopping a truck carrying a group of prison escapees in UsefulNotes/NewMexico, which came at the cost of her suit's armor integrity.
While rebuilding her suit from the ground up, Tony Stark learned of her accomplishment, fully endorsing her potential as a hero by offering to take her under his wing.
Later as part of ComicBook/MarvelAFreshStart, Riri returned in a new ongoing solo, written by Creator/EveEwing and illustrated by Kevin Libranda. It lasted for twelve issues. She also joined the teenage superhero team the [[ComicBook/Champions2016 Champions]].
A live action Creator/DisneyPlus series based on the character was announced for the Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse in December 2020, with Dominique Thorne (''Film/IfBealeStreetCouldTalk'') cast in the title role.
----
!! Ironheart appears in:
[[AC:Notable Comic Books]]
* ''Invincible ComicBook/IronMan'' (various runs):
** vol. 2 (2016)
** vol. 3 (2016 -- 2018)
* ''ComicBook/{{Champions|2016}}'' (various runs):
** vol. 2 (2018)
** [[ComicBook/Champions2019 vol. 3 (2019)]]
** [[ComicBook/Champions2020 vol. 4 (2020)]]
* ''Riri Williams: Ironheart'' (2018 -- 2019)
[[AC:Live-Action TV]]
* ''Ironheart'' (TBA), portrayed by Dominique Thorne
[[AC:Video Games]]
* ''VideoGame/MarvelFutureFight'' (added in 2017)
* ''VideoGame/MarvelPuzzleQuest'' (added in 2017)
* ''VideoGame/LEGOMarvelSuperheroes2'' (2017)
[[AC:Animation]]
* ''Franchise/MarvelRising'', voiced by Creator/SofiaWylie
** ''WesternAnimation/MarvelRisingHeartOfIron'' (2019)
** ''WesternAnimation/MarvelRisingBattleOfTheBands'' (2019)
----
!! Ironheart provides examples of the following tropes:
* AffirmativeActionLegacy: She's an African-American girl who ends up replacing Tony Stark in ''Invincible Iron Man'', albeit with a different codename.
* ArmorPiercingResponse: When she makes it clear she doesn't care to join SHIELD Sharon sardonically asks her [[GodwinsLaw if she's a fan of Hydra]]. Riri responds with a succinct breakdown of [[BigBrotherIsWatching how SHIELD abuses power]] and asks her if she really thinks people who don't like their methods are really WithUsOrAgainstUs.
* BreakTheBadass: She confronts ComicBook/{{Thanos}} in ''Infinity Countdown: Champions'' #2, expecting an easy victory. Thanos, not impressed, disintegrates her armor and leaves her a sobbing wreck. This is followed up in her own series, ''Riri Williams: Ironheart'', where she has a clear case of PTSD.
* CurbStompBattle: See above.
* ChildProdigy: Riri was diagnosed as a genius when she was five years old.
* ComicBookFantasyCasting: Modeled after [[https://twitter.com/mikedeodato/status/752487425155497984 Skai Jackson]].
* DeadGuyJunior: Riri is named for her late father, who died shortly before her birth. And her name is "Riri" which isn't a nickname of any sort.
* {{Determinator}}: Tony recognizing this quality in her is part of the reason he offers to take her in.
* DitzyGenius: Despite being a genius engineer, Riri still has her airheaded moments, like taking over Latervia on a whim.
* DivergentCharacterEvolution: After she joins the Champions [[spoiler: and is handily taken down by Thanos, who destroys her armor]], Riri builds a new suit that replaces the red in her original Stark-esque design with black and pink. This represents her first major step away from being simply "black female Iron Man".
* DumpStat: According to a Marvel ad for an issue of ''Champions'' portraying the team as RPG characters, Riri's is Charisma.
* FakingTheDead: [[spoiler:Riri thinks that her father, Riri Williams Sr, died before she was born. In ''Ironheart'' #10, she's investigating the Wellspring of Power with ComicBook/{{Shuri}}, [[ComicBook/BlackPanther Okoye]], and [[ComicBook/NewWarriors Silhouette]]... and Sil spots a man who looks a lot like Ironheart... her father is alive after all.]]
* FriendlessBackground: She's only had one close friend who unfortunately died as the result of a drive-by shooting.
* GadgeteerGenius: Was able to reverse engineer one of Tony's old Iron Man armors to make her own suit.
* GenerationXerox: While not related to Tony, she shows many of the traits associated with him. It's part of the reason he decided to take her under his wing.
* GoodParents: After learning of her incredible intellect, her mother and stepfather made a deliberate effort to raise her as altruistically as possible, fearing any social disconnect that would make her a MadScientist. She's fully aware of why they're doing it but has accepted it.
* ItAmusedMe: Inverted. She quit M.I.T. because she found it boring.
* IneffectualLoner: Despite being on a team, Riri would rather still work alone, sometimes to the detriment of the mission.
* IvyLeagueForEveryone: Although she later quits, her being an MIT student is a quick way to establish her as an engineering genius.
* LegacyCharacter: PlayedWith. She's more of a diminutive character branching off from an established one with a similar name (example: ComicBook/{{Batman}} and ComicBook/{{Batwoman}}, ComicBook/{{Batgirl}}, etc.), but she's effectively one of these, as Tony is grooming her as his successor.
* NoSocialSkills: As part of her intellect and also trauma from dealing with tragedies in the past, she usually holes her herself away from everyone, tinkering with her armour. She did it with MIT and also in her own garage.
* NotSoDifferent: On the surface level, Riri couldn't be more different than Tony Stark (a young black girl compared to a white man), but she also has Tony's determination and poor communication skills and some would say questionable morality.
* ShipperOnDeck: Silhouette and Okoye end up creating "Shuriri" ship as a joke.
* ShoutOut: Riri's armor has some design elements that are reminiscent of [[Franchise/{{Transformers}} Optimus Prime]].
* SpiritAdvisor: A VirtualGhost of Tony Stark (who was in a coma) serves as onboard AI and mentor of her next armor model.
* SuicidalOverconfidence: A ''Champions'' issue actually sees Riri attempt to challenge ''[[GalacticConqueror Thanos]]'' of all people to a fight. [[spoiler: It's a miracle the Mad Titan was feeling merciful and only disintegrated her ''armor.'']]
* SuperheroSpeciation: Played with during the ''Search for Tony Stark'' arc, where Riri teams up with number of other heroes with powered armor that are all unique and visually distinct from each other for contrast.
* TooMuchAlike: The reason why Riri keeps clashing with ComicBook/{{Shuri}} - they both have strong, independent personalities and don't like being bossed around, which means they get on each other's nerves very fast.
* VirtualSidekick: The armor Riri builds contains an AI replica of Tony Stark's personality, which acts as both assistant and mentor to her.
[[/folder]]
----
[[folder:Tony Stark]]
!!Anthony "Tony" Stark
[[quoteright:250:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/250px-iron_man_bleeding_edge_7937.jpg]]
!!! '''Alter Ego:''' Anthony Edward "Tony" Stark
!!! '''Notable Aliases:''' Crimson Dynamo, Cobalt Man, Mark One
!!! '''Team Affiliations:''' ComicBook/TheAvengers, A.I. Army, Department of Defense, Force Works, ComicBook/NewAvengers, ComicBook/GuardiansOfTheGalaxy, ComicBook/TheIlluminati, ComicBook/MightyAvengers, ComicBook/{{SHIELD}}, Stark Industries, Stark Resilient, ComicBook/{{Thunderbolts}}
!!! '''First Appearance:''' ''Tales of Suspense'' #39 (March, 1963)
->''"When I put on this armor, I took on more power than any human was ever intended to have... and maybe more responsibility than my heart can truly bear. But today... I will do my job. I will protect you. No matter what it takes."''
Tony Stark was the arrogant son of wealthy, weapon manufacturer Howard Stark. Tony cared only about himself, but he would have a change of heart after he was kidnapped by terrorists and gravely injured with a piece of shrapnel in his chest. Pressured to create a weapon of mass destruction, Stark instead designed an electromagnetic harness to keep himself alive, and eventually, a suit of armor that could be powered by it powerful enough for him to escape. Tony uses his vast resources and intellect to make the world a better place as The Invincible Iron Man. Stark is a major name in the Franchise/MarvelUniverse, and a founding member of the Avengers.
----
* TenMinuteRetirement: A couple times, most notably, Tony secretly retired and passed the mantle to Rhodey without actually telling most of his fellow Avengers that they weren't the same person under the armor.
* AGodAmI: After his personality was changed due to the magic inversion of Axis. He's since dropped this after [[CosmicRetcon convenient changes to reality]].
--> '''Superior Iron Man''': I'm the most intelligent, capable person on the planet. I'm not '''playing''' God. All this time...I've been playing human.
** It's started to leak back ever since "The Secret Origin of Tony Stark", and the revelation of the Godkiller Armor. Ever since, Tony's been building his own suits patterned after the Celestial-slaying superweapon, either conciously or not.
* TheAlcoholic: Has struggled with drinking ever since the infamous "Demon in a Bottle" storyline. He fell back off the wagon during ''ComicBook/FearItself'', sacrificing his sobriety as a way to convince Odin to help. He's since worked to get back on. His ''Superior'' period had him fall off again.
* ArmCannon: Several suits have allowed Stark to access varying arm cannons. Most notable, the Bleeding Edge Armor had specialized ports for attachments, including several types of massive blasters and cannons for the arms.
* TheAtoner: For Tony, Iron Man is a chance to redeem himself from his former life as a weapons manufacturer.
* BadassBeard: Sometimes drawn with this, not always.
* BadassBookworm: One of the most dangerous bookworms in the whole Marvel Universe.
* BadassMustache: His beard may come and go with the artist, but his mustache is eternal.
* BashBrothers: With Captain America and War Machine.
* BigBrotherInstinct: Has this towards [[spoiler:Arno]].
* BiggerStick: The Iron Man armor is the most sophisticated PoweredArmour in existence, with only Dr. Doom able to truly match him, and Stark works very hard to keep it at the cutting edge, maintaining a vital technological lead over any and all of his business rivals and supervillainous competitors.
* BodyguardBetrayal: Before they learned they were one in the same, Pepper and Happy believed that Iron Man was coercing Stark into acting as his corporate pawn while publicly touting himself as the man's bodyguard.
* BoldlyComing: He's tried, at any rate. Unfortunately, the alien species in question found facial hair hideously disgusting, so he got kicked out.
* BrainwashedAndCrazy: ''The Crossing'' claimed he'd been brainwashed since the earliest days of the Avengers to serve Immortus. Eventually, ''Avengers Forever'' did a bit of soothing by claiming he'd actually just been slightly brainwashed since ''Operation: Galactic Storm'' (and it hadn't quite worked properly).
* BroughtDownToBadass: Any time he loses the armour, he typically manages to still acquit himself well.
* TheCasanova: The guy loves women. Lots of them.
* ChestBlaster: The iconic Unibeam, his chest-mounted super Repulsor. He traditionally only uses it as a finishing move or as a desperate attempt to damage something out of his league, because it drains so much of his power to utilize compared to the weaker, but faster gauntlet Repulsors.
* ChivalrousPervert: Famously the biggest womanizer in the Marvel Universe, yet he's incredibly polite to the women he's chatting up, cares deeply about most of his exes (the Marvel Now relaunch's opening story arc essentially boils down to him wanting to protect the legacy of one of his exes after her life's work is stolen and abused), is VERY protective of his on-again/off-again love interest Pepper, honestly loved (and still loves) Madame Masque, and is always completely supportive of his female teammates, no matter how they dress and pose.
** At least one fan has argued that Tony is best described as a "serial monogamist"; when he's seriously involved with someone, he's completely faithful to them, but he rebounds from the invariable breakup quickly and goes looking for love again.
* ChromeChampion: Enforced: He briefly attempted to fight crime and help people in the gunmetal grey suit he created in captivity, but people didn't receive the sight of a lumbering, booming-voiced, dark colossus who could juggle lions stomping onto the scene. Dying it with gold paint helped give Tony's alter ego a more wholesome appearance.
* ComicBookDeath: He died during ''The Crossing'' and was [[DyingToBeReplaced replaced]] by a younger version of himself. Then that version died in the Onslaught deal. After ''Heroes Reborn'', he got better (sort of. See Fusion Dance).
* CrazyPrepared: Tony has a suit for any and every situation. Sometimes several suits for each situation, just in case he loses one. This has caused friction between team members before, who have been less than thrilled to discover that Tony's built a suit designed to take them down in case he ever needs to.
* CreateYourOwnVillain: A recurring theme for Tony. Crimson Dynamo, Titanium Man, Iron Monger, Firepower, The Hammer Twins and Detroit Steel are all his fault to some extent.
* CunningLinguist: He's fluent in a grand total of seven languages: English, Japanese, Mandarin Chinese, Korean, French, Russian, and Urdu. According to Tony himself, he also possesses proficiency in several other Middle Eastern languages.
* DatingCatwoman: Unsurprisingly, Tony's lecherous habits don't stop at civilians and allies. He still has a history with villain Madame Masque.
* DeadpanSnarker: Has had a sarcastic streak since early in his career. It has become more pronounced following the films.
* DependingOnTheWriter: How strong his sense of morality is, and how close he is to falling off the wagon. Also, his level of smugness and / or snarkery.
* TheDeterminator: First became Iron Man by surviving shrapnel to his chest and building a powered suit of armor under his captors' noses to escape. Been fighting the good fight ever since.
* DisabilitySuperpower: For the longest time, Stark's early Iron Man suits were basically glorified pacemakers to keep the shrapnel in his chest from reaching his heart.
* FatalAttractor: Tony has dated supervillains (Madame Masque), plants hired by his enemies to conduct psychological warfare against him (Indres Moomji), other businessmen/women who were only trying to take advantage of him (Sunset Bain, arguably Tiberius Stone), one night stands who may arguably have date-raped him (Heather), and creepy possessive stalkers who tried to kill him (Kathy Dare, the Living Armor), along with a string of single dates and/or one night stands with vapid supermodels and society women. Even with his most stable girlfriend, Rumiko Fujikawa, she repeatedly jerked him around for her own amusement and outright cheated on him with Tiberius Stone before ultimately being killed by a supervillain.
* {{Fiction500}}: One of the richest men on the planet. Even when he's not an active member of the Avengers, they're usually bankrolled by Stark Industries.
* FlyingBrick: Thanks to his armor, he can tank a ''lot'' of damage and punch back just as hard.
* FlyingFirepower: His armour enables both flight and the ability to level buildings.
* TheFriendNobodyLikes: Initially, his selfishness, arrogance and poor communication skills rubbed a lot of his teammates the wrong way, but they worked together long enough to earn each other's genuine trust and respect. After Civil War, depending on the author and title, he's pretty consistently tolerated at best, even by most other pro-registration heroes. Every time he almost salvages his reputation, he does something else to ruin it with the team again.
* FunctionalAddict: Under some writers more than others. Just how close Stark is to diving head first into a bottle is a pretty major part of his modern characterisation in the comics. The MCU movies stay away from the alcoholism storyline completely, by design (it's Disney and they're aimed at kids and young people...), although they do show Tony drinking casually once in a while.
* FusionDance: Part of Tony's resurrection after ''ComicBook/TheCrossing'' was [[Franchise/FantasticFour Franklin Richards]] recreating the heroes closer to what he remembered and [[http://www.cbr.com/abandoned-love-the-titanic-tale-of-teen-tony-stark-aka-iron-teen/ in Tony's case]], resurrecting him and fusing him with Teen Tony.
* TheGadfly: Most modern depictions of Stark depict him as trolling for reactions a lot of the time.
* GadgeteerGenius: Stark is one of the premiere tech constructors in the Marvel Universe.
* GreenLanternRing: Transistors were his original technological solution of choice, and those have been consistently replaced by the cutting edge tech of the era of whoever's writing him at the time.
* GuileHero: Even with his modern Iron Man suits putting his power level among his more powerful peers, Tony still relies on his guile as his first and most useful weapon.
* HandicappedBadass: For a time, he was paralyzed after being shot by a crazy lover, using the armor as a means of getting about. Things proceeded to get worse, resulting in Tony nearly suffering total failure of his entire nervous system, and having to go into suspended animation before dying.
* HeartLight: The power source of the suit is the same as the magnet keeping the shrapnel out of his heart. In the film version, and most animated versions that came after the first film, the "arc reactor" in Tony Stark's chest always generates a light that can be seen through his shirt.
* HeroWithBadPublicity: After ''Civil War'' and ''Secret Invasion'', in some comics versions he became known as the man whose leadership led to the death of Captain America and allowed the Skrull Empire to nearly conquer the Earth. And during ''World War Hulk'' a lot of Hulk supporters hate him because of the whole "shot Hulk into space" thing.
* HeroesWantRedheads: Pepper Potts, Black Widow and Bethany Cable.
* HeterosexualLifePartners: With Rhodey, until ''Time Runs Out,'' and Captain America, until ''Civil War''.
* HiddenHeartOfGold: He may not always be willing to admit it, but he does care about his teammates and making the world a better place.
* HonestCorporateExecutive: After becoming Iron Man, he turned his company around and became very concerned with morality and making the world a better place, even in his civilian life. He's turned away numerous projects and dangerous employees on moral grounds, at great expense to both his wallet and his well being.
* InspectorJavert: Becomes this after ''Civil War'', relentlessly pursuing the New Avengers when he's got the opportunity and trying to arrest them. The opening issue of ''Mighty Avengers'' has him tell Carol Danvers his reasoning: If they don't, SHIELD will, and they'll be much less restrained about it.
* InsufferableGenius: He just loves to rub his intellect in people's faces.
* IWarnedYou: Just before ''Civil War'', he and Namor have one of these exchanges. Namor angrily asks if Stark's going to say that if they'd just listened to him years ago, the whole situation the superheroes are facing wouldn't be happening. Tony's response? "Yes."
* TheLancer: In a "traditional" Avengers team line-up, he plays this role to Captain America's leadership.
* LetUsNeverSpeakOfThisAgain: He's generally happy not to bring up the "Teen Tony" days.
* LightIsNotGood: During the ''Superior Iron Man'' days. He switches his normal red-gold armors for a grey-silver number, as he's being a total, obnoxious ass.
* LikeASonToMe: This was his relationship with Peter Parker, when he brought him under his tutelage right before the Superhuman Civil War, and using this relationship was how he convinced Peter to unmask as Spider-Man. When he betrayed Stark to join Captain America, it hurt Tony arguably just as deeply as fighting Steve did.
* LonelyRichKid: His background in a nutshell, merged with IntelligenceEqualsIsolation.
* LovesMyAlterEgo: Played with. During his early career, people on the outside regarded his Iron Man persona warmly as a selfless hero, but thought of him as little more than a bodyguard vigilante with above average intelligence. Learning that they were one and the same caused Hank Pym to experience a HeroicBSOD as he was no longer the sole genius among the original Avengers. In contrast, Tony was respected for his intellect, but was mistrusted and often vilified by the media and his enemies as they still believed him to be the CorruptCorporateExecutive he was before his superhero origin.
* MergerOfSouls: While nothing was done with it, the aforementioned FusionDance did give Tony his teen counterpart's memories.
* MrViceGuy: Alcoholism, arrogance, and womanizing tend to be his favorite vices.
* NeverMyFault: He's never actually apologised for his deeds in ''Civil War'' and ''Civil War II''. In the case of the former, he even said after wiping his memory he'd have done everything he did over again.
* NotGoodWithPeople: He just doesn't relate to other people very easily, and it leads to huge communication problems that only widens the gap between himself and his teammates.
* NotSoDifferent: Stark is often just one step removed from the people he's fighting. The Extremis storyline prominently mentions that as a weapons manufacturer, he's no better than the people who built the atom bomb.
--> '''Tony''': But I'm trying to be. And because of that, I'll be able to look in the mirror every morning.
* NotThatKindOfDoctor: He has several doctorates, but almost ''never'' is actually referred to as Doctor Stark. It's almost exclusively Mister Stark, unless he points it out.
* OffTheWagon:
** He's fallen off a few times, most infamously during the ''Iron Monger'' saga, when Obadiah Stane drove him into a mental breakdown.
** He fell off due to the stress of dealing with Incursions in secret from his Avenger teammates, and proudly embraced it when his personality was inverted and he became the Superior Iron Man after Axis.
* PoorCommunicationKills: Tony means well (''usually'') but he's really bad at explaining things to folk until it's far too late.
** For example: During ''Avengers'' Vol 3, Tony noticed from the outset that Carol Danvers is turning into an alcoholic. But, despite the problems of a FlyingBrick developing a HairTriggerTemper when she's drunk on duty, Tony refuses to speak up because it's "not his place", until Carol really screws up.
** And another: Before ''Civil War'', Tony learns about the Superhuman Registration Act, which he does tell everyone he can about. What he also learns is that the government's alternate plan is to just try and hunt down every superhuman everywhere... which Tony doesn't bother to tell anyone about (except Steve Roger's corpse).
* ThePornomancer: He provides the page image and quote for a reason.
* PoweredArmor: The Iron Man suits are among the most famous, if not the prime example, in comic books.
* PowerPalms: The repulsor rays in his hands are perhaps his most iconic weapons.
* PrimaryColorChampion: Ever since the Mark 3 armor, the Iron Man armor has usually been red and yellow (though sometimes it's red and silver, or just entirely red).
* ReallyGetsAround: Has slept with or tried to sleep with most major female characters in the Marvelverse (excepting those that are taken by his friends).
* ReasonableAuthorityFigure: Tries to be one as Director of S.H.I.E.L.D., even though his method of management rubs a few of the old-school (like Dum-Dum Duggan) the wrong way. Exactly where he fell depended on who was writing him. In ''Avengers: The Initiative'', he immediately steps in once it's become clear Gyrich has ''massively'' crossed the line, and cans his ass.
* {{Retcon}}: Tony was originally one of the founding members of S.H.I.E.L.D., even being among those who inducted Nick Fury. Due in part to the march of ComicBookTime, this has been excised, and now it's ''Howard'' Stark who helped found the modern S.H.I.E.L.D.
* RichIdiotWithNoDayJob: Tony used to play up his image as an extravagant playboy to deflect suspicions about being the man in the Iron Man suit. As with most super heroes, his secret identity got leaked to the public eventually.
* RocketBoots: Part of his armour.
* RunningGag: Tony complaining about or reacting negatively to magic. He hates magic.
* ScienceHero: Less so than most other Science Hero Avengers; he's less of a scientist and more of builder, and is generally referred to, not as a scientist, but as an engineer specifically.
* SecretIdentity: In the early days, Tony claimed that Iron Man was his bodyguard. These days, the secret is out in the open, as Tony Stark revealed it in the July 2002 edition; in this case, it actually got him in trouble as the Iron Man armour was legally now the US Government's to replicate. He eventually managed to make his identity secret again, then publicly revealed it during ''Civil War''.
* SelfMadeSuperPowers: During the ''Extremis'' six-issue arc, Tony Stark modified the titular virus to store his armor inside his body, directly interface with technology, use some of its powers without manifesting it, enhanced reflexes and regeneration of both his body and armor. He later develops Extremis 3.0, which grants him the ability to alter his appearance, a healing factor, enhanced strength, agility and reflexes. He also claimed it can make people immortal.
* SingleEpisodeHandicap: Subverted with his alcoholism. Played straight in the Bronze Age; after being shot by PsychoExGirlfriend Kathleen Dare in vol 1 #242, he was left paralyzed until he bought out a company with an experimental new "biochip" project and underwent risky experimental surgery to repair his damaged spinal cord in vol 1 #248.
* SomeOfMyBestFriendsAreX: Invoked in ''The Secret Origin of Tony Stark'' when ComicBook/DeathsHead accuses him of being prejudiced against robots.
-->'''Death's Head''': You’re not one of those guys who has a code against killing '[[WhatMeasureIsANonHuman except for robots]]'? I hate those krypto-fascists.
-->'''Iron Man:''' No! Absolutely not! Some of my best friends are robots an-- That sounds kind of robot racist, right?
-->'''Death's Head''': [[BluntYes Yes]].
* SurvivorsGuilt: ''Fatal Frontier'' reveals that one of Tony's most tragic fantasies is Yinsen surviving their imprisonment instead of him, believing the more noble scientist could have made the world a better place.
* TeenGenius: A former one. He was accepted into MIT when he was fourteen and graduated with double-majors in physics and engineering when he was seventeen. Shortly thereafter, his father had him submitted into Cambridge University, where he earned three doctorates, presumably also in engineering and physics, by the time he was around nineteen.
* TheTeamBenefactor: Even when he's not an active member, he's usually funding the Avengers.
* ThereIsNoKillLikeOverkill: Early on, he used military grade weapons to battle street level crime. This philosophy still plays a large role in how Tony goes into battle.
* ToBeLawfulOrGood: During ''Civil War'', he insists he's on Lawful (obeying the Registration Act). Given his acts involve creating a clone of a friend which then murders another person, and imprisoning people, minors included, for life without chance of hearing or parole (in a dimension known to cause suicidal despondency in some people), this rings more than a little hollow.
* TokenEvilTeammate: He's nicer than the typical Marvel MadScientist and cares deeply for everyone, but he's very far removed from being TheCape as he's willing to do some morally questionable things to save the day that his more heroic allies could never bring themselves to do.
* TookALevelInJerkass: ''Civil War'' through ''Secret Invasion'' Tony takes several, becoming increasingly cold, controlling and authoritarian towards his teammates and long-time friends. His brain-wipe removes it.
* {{Transhuman}}: Is described as being transhuman following his Extremis and Bleeding Edge upgrades, which turn him into a cyborg. [[spoiler:He [[BroughtDownToBadass lost the ability to use the former thanks to a Skrull computer virus and purged the latter from his body]] during one of his {{Ten Minute Retirement}}s.]]
* WideEyedIdealist: An oddly specific version from a usually cynical person. In flashbacks in the ''Illuminati'' one-shot, Tony expresses the thought that if all the heroes on Earth got together under one banner, they'd face less FantasticRacism. Namor and Professor X reply that in all likelihood, the ''opposite'' would happen.
* WorthIt: Innocuously revealed his secret identity to save the life of a little boy and his dog. And in spite of all the trouble having it known has brought him, he's never regretted it.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:James "Rhodey" Rhodes]]
!!James "Rhodey" Rhodes
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/james_rhodes_as_iron_man_marvel_comics.jpg]]
!!! '''First Appearance:''' ''Iron Man'' (Vol 1) #118
->''"I'm handling the hero chores these days. You might want to write that down somewhere --- so you remember it."''
Tony's closest friend, and pilot of the War Machine armor.
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[[/folder]]
[[folder: Victor von Doom]]
!!Victor von Doom
[[caption-width-right:350: https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/3133300_0binfamous_iron_man_1_ribic_variant.jpg]]
!!! '''First Appearance:''' ''Fantastic Four'' #5
->''"I am here because I figured out what I have to do. I will pick up your mantle. I will be Iron Man."''
The ruler of Latveria and a technological genius on par with Tony, Doom was reformed and an ally of Tony's... right before Tony died. In the wake of Tony's death, Victor decides to honour Tony's memory (against his wishes) by donning the mantle of Iron Man, modifying his own armour's design to fit Tony's aesthetic and augmenting his already considerable technology with magic.
----
-> See ComicBook/DoctorDoom
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Arno Stark]]
!!Arno Stark / Iron Man IV
!!! '''AKA:''' Iron Metropolitan
[[quoteright:280:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/arno_stark_earth_616_from_iron_man_vol_5_23now.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:280:[[labelnote:Click here to see him as]] https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/c496ae90_6395_41bc_9134_3ee52deea848.jpeg Iron Man 2020]][[/labelnote]]
!!! '''First Appearance:''' ''Iron Man'' (Vol 5) #12
->''"Everything in my entire life has been leading to this. It's my destiny. This is the year I save all life on Earth... and nothing will stand in my way."''
Tony's adoptive brother (Tony was the adopted one), his existence, backstory and the reason for the secrecy about him was revealed in ''The Secret Origin of Tony Stark''. What can be said is that he's been confined to an iron lung for most of his life and is as smart as Tony, if not considerably smarter. He and Tony get on very well and work together on the Troy project.
----
* AmbiguouslyEvil: Through ''Tony Stark: Iron Man'' and ''Iron Man 2020'', before it's ultimately revealed that he's on the far end of WellIntentionedExtremist - he really is genuinely trying to save the world... he's just willing to [[spoiler: strip humanity and robots alike of free will]] to ensure it.
* AntiHeroSubstitute: Arno became one of these went he {{took a level in jerkass}} and became Iron Man 2020, becoming more violent than Tony ever was.
* BadassBookworm: Intended to be the ultimate example of this trope by [[spoiler:451]].
* CanonImmigrant: Sort of. He appeared in several Marvel UK storylines in the '80s. The ''Iron Metropolitan'' storyline officially brings him into Earth-616 (mainstream Marvel) continuity.
* ControlFreak: Devolves into this under stress in ''Tony Stark: Iron Man'' and ''[[ComicBook/IronMan2020Event Iron Man 2020]]'', with every part of his arc being about his obsession with gaining and maintaining control [[WellIntentionedExtremist to save the world]].
* CrazyPrepared: Hardened his iron lung against EMP's decades ago. When he goes up against a revived Tony in ''Iron Man 2020'', however, he finds himself far outclassed - he's prepared, but as Tony points out, he's not even in the same class when it comes to [[CrazyAwesome crazy]].
* DisabilityAsAnExcuseForJerkassery: Averts this, oddly enough. Despite spending his life in an iron lung and doubtless being very lonely, he's a total NiceGuy. If anything, he TookALevelInJerkass ''after'' he figured out how to fix his disability.
* DisabledSnarker: Occasionally. He ''is'' a Stark, after all.
* DisabledMeansHelpless: [[AvertedTrope This is very much not the case.]]
* GeniusCripple: Engineered to have an intelligence capable of advancing all human technology, but an attempt to curtail an also programmed killswitch left him incapable of breathing on his own.
* GoodIsNotNice: [[AmbiguouslyEvil Possibly]], where his focus issue in ''Tony Stark: Iron Man #5'' involves him engaging in morally dubious acts such as transplanting a hand onto a violinist so he can play again. Problem is it's a hand from the woman killed in the same car accident where the violinist lost use of his. Some of her consciousness is still preserved in there, and she's horrified at her situation. Arno coldly explains this to the violinist as a kind of karmic punishment and simply tells him to make her a part of his music. In the follow-up, ''Iron Man 2020'', he starts becoming more and more AmbiguouslyEvil.
* KnightTemplar: Has become one in ''Iron Man 2020'', as his obsession to protect the Earth from the Extinction Entity turns him into a tyrannical madman.
* LivingWeapon: Was intended to be this [[spoiler:by 451]] and consequently spent decades afraid of being found by the character in question and used as such.
* TheMentallyDisturbed: [[spoiler:The "Extinction Entity" he wants to guard life against in ''Iron Man 2020'' is a figment of his imagination, a symptom of his congenital disease.]]
* MythologyGag: Aside from being a canon immigrant, he serves as a CallForward to the ''other'' Arno Stark, the Iron Man 2020 from Earth-8410. His armor has the same gear shoulders, and in one issue Arno makes a quip about hindsight (It's "20-20".) He officially becomes Iron Man in ''[[ComicBook/IronMan2020Event Iron Man 2020]]''.
* NiceGuy: Originally. Despite the capacity of his disability to make him bitter, he's honestly a very nice, friendly guy, being charming to Pepper and [[spoiler:showing that he's been consistently trying to find Tony's biological parents]]. Considering that he's spent decades trapped in an iron lung and is only now free to pursue his ideas, the fact that he's devoting time to the latter is really quite sweet. Unfortunately, he TookALevelInJerkass in his obsession to protect Earth.
* PoweredArmour: Is quite firm that he doesn't want Tony building one for him. [[spoiler:Instead, he builds several of his own - one quite close fitting one that gives him day to day mobility, one large combat suit and kaiju sized one made out of a ''city'']]. Come 2020 proper, he's got his own, normal sized one... which is a modernized version of that ''other'' Arno Stark's armor. Unfortunately for him, [[spoiler: it's not a patch on Tony's new eScape holographic armour, as Tony underlines in a [[BreakingSpeech cutting speech]] as he beats the crap out of him]].
* PutOnABus: He just disappeared after ''Iron Man: Original Sin'' (barring a cameo in ''The Search for Tony Stark''), only to reappear in the new ''Tony Stark: Iron Man'' series seemingly working on his own.
* ShoutOut: His Iron Metropolitan armor is a TransformingMecha with a city-based alt-mode, and it even bears some resemblance to [[Franchise/TransformersGeneration1 Omega Supreme]].
** If you look closely, the armor has the engraving '''MMXX''' - the Roman numeral for 2020.
* SuperIntelligence: was genetically engineered with this in mind (making him quite possibly smarter than Tony), building on what he had already as [[spoiler:a son of Howard Stark]] - though it seems that [[spoiler:451's]] tweaks were mostly focused on ensuring that he focused his intelligence in the right areas.
* SwitchedAtBirth: [[spoiler:Is Howard and Maria Stark's biological son, switched with Tony to outmanoeuvre 451]].
* TechnicianVersusPerformer: He's the Technician to Tony's performer; while he's utterly brilliant at redesigning and improving technology, he's not so much of an innovator, as Tony ends up demonstrating in ''[[ComicBook/IronMan2020Event Iron Man 2020]]'' in a fight so brutally one-sided (complete with lecture about how Arno's suit was obsolete before he even put it on) that even the robots with good reason to hate Arno were wincing.
* TookALevelInJerkass: As written by Dan Slott, he becomes a lot more snide and condescending, as well as willing to commit dodgy actions. And that's just to start with - ControlFreak doesn't even ''begin'' to describe it. It's eventually explained as being at least in part due to fears of a world-killer level enemy coming to Earth and needing to prepare for it.
* TykeBomb: Engineered by 451 to uplift human society, while also being a deterrent to any alien empires seeking to wipe out humans, given the capability to pilot the Godkiller Celestial artifact.
* WalkingSpoiler: It's quite hard to say much about him without spoiling considerable amounts of story.
* UnwittingInstigatorOfDoom: Injects the Hulk with the Extremis virus, leading to the creation of the Doc Green persona, who goes after Tony with a vengeance.
* YoungConqueror: Again, he was engineered with this in mind, judging by [[spoiler:451's]] references to UsefulNotes/AlexanderTheGreat. While he tries to evade [[spoiler: 451's]] legacy and intentions, [[SelfFulfillingProphecy he ends up travelling down that path anyway]].
[[/folder]]
!!War Machine
[[folder:James "Rhodey" Rhodes / Iron Man II / War Machine]]
!!James "Rhodey" Rhodes / Iron Man II / War Machine
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/james_rhodes_as_iron_man_marvel_comics.jpg]]
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[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/war-machine-8_4525.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:300:"[[VideoGame/MarvelVsCapcomClashOfSuperheroes No, not Iron Man; War Machine,]] [[Film/IronMan2 deal with it!]]"]]
!!! '''Alter Ego:''' James Rupert "Rhodey" Rhodes
!!! '''Notable Aliases:''' Iron Man, Iron Patriot, Commander Rhodes, Hulk Machine, Iron Man 2.0, Rhodey, Shellshock, The Pilot
!!! '''First Appearance:''' ''Iron Man'' #118 (January, 1979) [[note]]As James Rhodes[[/note]]; ''Iron Man'' #170 (May, 1983) [[note]]As Iron Man[[/note]]; ''Iron Man'' #284 (July, 1992) [[note]]As War Machine[[/note]]; ''Gambit'' #13 (May, 2013) [[note]]As Iron Patriot[[/note]]
!!! '''Team Affiliations:''' ComicBook/TheAvengers, ComicBook/WestCoastAvengers, ComicBook/SecretAvengers
!!! '''Joined Team In:''' ''West Coast Avengers'' #1 (September, 1984)
->''"I'm handling the hero chores these days. You might want to write that down somewhere --- so you remember it."''
Stationed in Vietnam during UsefulNotes/TheVietnamWar, then [[SemperFi Marine]] [[AcePilot combat pilot]] Lt. Col. James Rupert Rhodes first met Iron Man after his helicopter was shot down by Viet Cong rocket fire during one of his tours of duty. Iron Man himself, fresh off escaping his captors with a suit of armor made ''[[MemeticMutation in a cave, with a box of scraps]]'', encounters Rhodes. Together, they defeat the Viet Cong and fly to safety in a stolen helicopter.
After the war, [[MillionairePlayboy playboy billionaire industrialist]] Tony Stark, [[SecretIdentity who secretly was Iron Man all along]], thanks Rhodes for saving Iron Man and offers him a job as Stark's personal pilot. Rhodes initially declines, but after trying other career options, including being a [[PrivateMilitaryContractors mercenary]], he eventually takes Tony up on the offer. He also becomes the chief aviation officer.
Tony and Rhodes become close friends to the point where he becomes one of Tony's/Iron Man's {{secret keeper}}s and given the nickname "Rhodey". When Tony was battling Obadiah Stane for control of his company as well as his own issues with alcoholism, Rhodey became Iron Man for a brief time. As the shellhead he successfully battled against Iron Man's RoguesGallery and became a founding members of the ''[[WestCoastTeam West Coast]] [[ComicBook/TheAvengers Avengers]]'' (though they thought it was Stark at the time). Issues including [[UnusualUserInterface headaches caused by the armor because the helmet was only calibrated for Stark during long-term use]] and being gravely injured in a bomb attack by Stane forced Rhodey to give up being Iron Man.
He became Iron Man a couple more times during his time at Tony's new company, Stark Enterprises, but only temporarily. When Stark seemingly dies, Rhodey takes over running Stark Enterprises and becomes Iron Man once again. This time he uses the Variable Threat Response Battle Suit, a silver and black suit with a mix of laser guided munitions, ballistic weaponry, a flame thrower and repulsor and unibeam technology used in other versions of Stark's armor. Designed for all-out warfare, the armor was nicknamed "War Machine". After discovering Tony [[FakingTheDead faked his death]], Rhodey quit the company. Tony told Rhodey to keep the "War Machine" armor stating that the armor always belonged to him (with it properly attuned to Rhodey's brain patterns of course). After which, he decided just to call himself War Machine while he wore the armor.
Rhodey and Stark would make-up and break up several more times with the former sometimes going solo or joining a separate cause from the latter. Eventually he would rejoin the West Coast Avengers, this time as himself using the War Machine armor. He would also join the [[ComicBook/TheDefenders Secret Defenders]] and Force Works (a reorganizing of the West Coast Avengers). He would also retire, only to join up with ComicBook/TheCrew -- without PowerArmor at his disposal -- after his sister was killed by a powerful street gang. Eventually, he returns to superheroics and is currently a member of the ComicBook/SecretAvengers. In 2014 he took up the identity of Iron Patriot, paralleling ''Iron Man 3''. However, both versions of Rhodey would return to the more iconic War Machine name not long after. Rhodey would later die in ''ComicBook/CivilWarII'', but be brought back to life by Tony Stark using augmentations that Stark himself used to save his own life during the same crossover. For a time, Rhodey was too traumatized to be in the suit again, instead using the Manticore, a weaponized vehicle, but during ''ComicBook/IronMan2020Event'', Tony figured out this was caused by aberrations in his DNA and was able to fix them, allowing Rhodey to become War Machine again.
Ever since he started wearing the Variable Threat Response Battle Suit, War Machine has been featured in media outside of the comics. His most notable appearances were in the Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse films, played by Creator/TerrenceHoward in ''Film/IronMan1'' [[TheOtherDarrin and]] Creator/DonCheadle in all subsequent appearances.
[[AC:Anime]]
* ''Anime/IronManRiseOfTechnovore''
* ''Anime/AvengersConfidentialBlackWidowAndPunisher''
* ''Anime/MarvelDiskWarsTheAvengers''
[[AC:Comics]]
* ''War Machine Vol. 1'' (1994)
* ''U.S. War Machine'' (2001)
* ''U.S. War Machine 2.0'' (2003)
* ''War Machine Vol. 2'' (2009)
* ''Iron Man 2.0'' (2011)
* ''Iron Patriot'' (2014)
[[AC:Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse]] ([[Characters/MCUWarMachine page]])
* ''Film/IronMan1''
* ''Film/IronMan2''
* ''Film/IronMan3''
* ''Film/AvengersAgeOfUltron''
* ''Film/CaptainAmericaCivilWar''
* ''Film/AvengersInfinityWar''
* ''Film/AvengersEndgame''
* ''Series/TheFalconAndTheWinterSoldier''
* ''Armor Wars''
[[AC:Video Games]]
* ''VideoGame/MarvelVsCapcomClashOfTheSuperheroes''
* ''VideoGame/MarvelVsCapcom2''
* ''VideoGame/MarvelUltimateAlliance'' (unlockable costume for Iron Man)
* ''Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2'' ({{NPC}})
* ''VideoGame/MarvelAvengersAlliance''
* ''VideoGame/MarvelFutureFight''
[[AC:Western Animation]]
* ''WesternAnimation/TheInvincibleIronMan''
* ''WesternAnimation/XMen'' (two silent cameos)
* ''WesternAnimation/SpiderManTheAnimatedSeries'' (two episodes)
* ''WesternAnimation/IronMan''
* ''WesternAnimation/TheSuperHeroSquadShow''
* ''WesternAnimation/IronManArmoredAdventures''
* ''WesternAnimation/TheAvengersEarthsMightiestHeroes''
Not to be confused with the future ''[[TabletopGame/IronKingdoms War Machine]]'' VideoGame.
----
!!Tropes associated with War Machine include:
* AFriendInNeed: In Secret Avengers, his military friend Phil Coulson, who's recently been recruited to SHIELD and is working as part of the ComicBook/SecretAvengers asks him to help them, despite what they're doing going beyond what's reasonable or right, citing that Rhodes never let them down when they were in the military. Rhodes replies that this is what he does, and tells Coulson to tell him where they need him.
* AcePilot: Whether it be a plane, jet, chopper, or a flying suit of armor.
* AntiHero: Traditionally a [[PragmaticHero idealistic soldier]], but was an UnscrupulousHero in the past.
* AntiHeroSubstitute: Inverted as Tony wore the prototype of the Variable Threat Response Battle Suit first and that Rhodey wasn't any more DarkerAndEdgier when he wore the Iron Man suit. In fact, the suit was intentionally designed to MINIMIZE casualties and offer less-lethal options, since hitting a non-superhuman opponent with repulsor rays would splatter them worse than standard ordinance, according to the Iron Manual. Also inverted as Iron Patriot because he was definitely a saner and more straight-up hero than his predecessor, ComicBook/NormanOsborn.
* AscendedExtra: He started out as just another random pilot working for Tony, got upgraded to a supporting character after a few more appearances, and then ended up becoming a superhero himself.
* BadassBeard: Depending on the artist, he is drawn with one or clean-shaven.
* BadassNormal: Like Tony Stark, Rhodey can handle almost any threat until he can suit up. If anything, Rhodey is arguably ''better'' at this than Tony, in that he's ex-military and was a trained combatant long before he met Tony. He's repeatedly fought alongside Iron Man even without a suit of his own, using real-life weapons like guns and staffs.
* BloodKnight: "Sometimes the world needs a war machine"
* BreakoutCharacter: He went from being a RecurringExtra to Tony's best friend and eventually became a second new armored hero, even filling in Tony's place when he was out of commission on more than one occasion.
* CanonImmigrant: Not Rhodey himself, but him being Iron Patriot, was introduced in ''Iron Man 3'', and in the comics he inherits the identity from ComicBook/NormanOsborn in 2014, taking up the Iron Patriot armor on behalf of the government.
* ClothesMakeTheManiac: Whenever he (or Kevin O'Brien) wore Tony's armor for too long due to the armor's [[UnusualUserInterface neural-interface controls]] were only calibrated for Tony Stark's brainwaves.
* ColonelBadass: His rank in the military is Colonel.
* ContagiousPowers: [[IncrediblyLamePun Infected]] by Iron Man.
* CorporateSponsoredSuperhero: As Iron Man while working for Circuits Maximus and Stark Enterprises.
* CostumeCopycat: After Rhodey retired from superheroics, the original War Machine armor was found by his old friend Parnell Jacobs. Jacobs used the armor and the War Machine name as a criminal mercenary for a while.
* CrapolaTech: The "Ex-Wife" bunker-buster warhead from ''Iron Man 2''
* {{Cyborg}}: Around the time of the ''ComicBook/CivilWar'', but during the ''ComicBook/DarkReign'', his brain was put in a cloned body [[StatusQuoIsGod making him normal again]].
* DiedInYourArmsTonight: [[spoiler:[[ComicBook/MsMarvel Captain Marvel]] cradles Rhodey as he dies. He GetsBetter though.]]
* DrillSergeantNasty: Rhodey acts as one to the Iron Patriot drones. Was one of the Initiative's commanders too.
* FakingTheDead: Prior to his third tenure as Iron Man, Rhodey sacrificed his War Machine armor so that the world would believe he was dead. Now that he was a dead man, he was free to fill in as the new Iron Man without anyone suspecting him.
* FateWorseThanDeath: He considers the time he was forcibly made into a cyborg as one. [[spoiler: He uses this reasoning as to why he wears his War Machine suit despite gaining PTSD from them, reminding him of death.]]
* FiveRoundsRapid: In his origin story, Rhodey's first reaction to a strange metal man lumbering out of the Vietnamese undergrowth was to whip out a rifle and try and shoot it.
* FlyingBrick[=/=]LightningBruiser. Rhodeys armor lets him become this in strength, speed, durability, logistics analysis, and sheer firepower.
* FlyingFirepower: Flight and "repulsor beams" (name varies), one of the few instances where the same capability allows for both flight and energy blasts. War Machine, like Iron Man, has all this, plus a good old fashioned minigun on the shoulder.
* FriendshipMoment: In ComicBook/IronMan issue 184, James Rhodes and two other guys were working on creating their own tech company, they were getting ready to leave for California. [[TheAlcoholic Tony Stark]] came up asking for a job. In the past few months he had [[HumiliationConga lost his company, lost access to his money, gave up being Iron Man and became homeless.]] Not only that but he had only spent a week being sober. Tony was afraid that he would be rejected for what happened. But Rhodey and the others promptly accepted him.
** Just a few issues later, Rhodey is going nuts because he is starting to fear that Tony wants the armor back. It doesn't help that Tony has built a prototype suit, though Tony insists it is "therapy". At first, Tony thinks it is simply the suit's interface not being properly synched to Rhodey, but Rhodey's headaches keep coming back, and he finally goes on a rampage. Stark has to suit up in his outmatched prototype to try to calm him down, and manages to use everything he knows about the Iron Man suit to temporarily disable Rhodey's suit. Tony then takes off his suit, telling Rhodey that he doesn't want the job back, and unfreezes Rhodey's suit. Rhodey gets up... and shakes Tony's hand.
* GatlingGood: A gatling gun on his armor's left shoulder as a default. When he had the Stanetech Armor he can add more [[ThereIsNoKillLikeOverkill way more]].
* GuiltComplex: The real cause of Rhodey's headaches when he was Iron Man. He'd enjoyed being a hero and didn't want to lose that, but deep down he felt that he had stolen the identity from Tony and this conflicted with his loyalty to him; the ensuing headaches created a sense of paranoia expressed in rage toward Tony. Once Rhodey demonstrated he was willing to give up being Iron Man, the headaches ceased. Of course, he did have to go on an [[AlternateDimension Interdimensional]] VisionQuest to learn this about himself.
* HandBlast: Whether it is coming from a repulsor blast from his palms or bullets from the guns on his wrists.
* TheHeroDies: ''ComicBook/CivilWarII'' is kicked off by Rhodey's death. Tony brings him BackFromTheDead in ''[[{{ComicBook/IronMan}} Invincible Iron Man]]'' issue #600 with rather little fanfare, even after becoming a regular in the next series.
* HoverTank: After being unable to handle "armoring up" due to the events of Civil War II, he manages to get one of these in the Manticore, a multi-purpose tank with flight and submersible properties that was created by Sunset Bain with stolen Stark tech. Tony buys it from them for Rhodey.
* HyperspaceArsenal: He can create an endless amount of weapons and ammunition from his armor.
* IdentityImpersonator: When he replaced Tony Stark as Iron Man. During the "ComicBook/ArmorWars", he impersonated Electro briefly as well.
* InSeriesNickname: Rhodey and in the first season of the [[WesternAnimation/IronMan '90s Iron Man cartoon]], Jimmy.
* JetPack: More like Jet Boots but, thrusters and repulsors of the armor allow him to fly really long distances.
* LegacyCharacter: To Iron Man. Took the War Machine identity some time after Tony resumed the Iron Man role, though he's temporarily take up the mantle again in 2012. He temporarily took over the identity of Iron Patriot from ComicBook/NormanOsborn in 2014. And in 2017 it was announced that Frank Castle, who is now an anti-villain Hydra agent, will be taking up the mantle of War Machine.
** AffirmativeActionLegacy: During the ComicBook/SecretWars, Reed Richards got to see the man under the armour while repairing it. Jim asked him if he was surprised that the man under the armour was black; Reed just said that he knew that 'there was a man in there', reacting more along the lines of 'what's race got to do with anything?', being as unconcerned about the race of who was in the armor as he's always been about everyone else.
** LegacyLaunch: Has has his own series on more than one occasion.
* ManOnFire: After donning the old red-and-gold armor to escape an [=AIM=]-infected space station (Iron Man issues 215-216), Rhodey discovers the hard way that the armor's seals have been damaged as he and Tony reenter the atmosphere. Tony has to cradle Rhodey and use his own Silver Centurion suit as a heat shield to keep Rhodey from being killed, and Tony is able to get Rhodey medical attention as soon as they reach civilization. Rhodey managed to recover from his burns, but the incident left him unable to don the armor again for a long time.
* MilitarySuperhero: Personnel of the US Air Force and War Machine.
* MiniMecha: His armor in the ComicBook/UltimateMarvel line is a huge behemoth that can transform into a sports car. His suit in ''WesternAnimation/IronManArmoredAdventures'' is similarly big.
* MoreDakka: War Machine has been adding more and more guns to his armor. For an illustration of the result, check out the picture for the ThereIsNoKillLikeOverkill trope. For a while, Rhodey's armor had the capability to magnetically lock any piece of machinery to itself, meaning he could repurpose any weapon he found from downed enemies or destroyed vehicles. Even at his current, normal weapon loadout, he's more heavily armed than pretty much any Marvel hero.
* MoreHeroThanThou: At least one issue of ''ComicBook/IronMan'' where Rhodey knocks Tony out and wears the armor himself. Sort of subverted in that when Tony wakes up, he immediately goes out in a spare suit and arrives just in time to save Rhodey's massively outclassed butt.
** Bear in mind, Tony had been using remote-control armor because he didn't want Rhodey to have to face down the Mandarin, not to mention Fin Fang Foom and his Makluan dragon buddies; while Rhodey didn't want Tony to get himself killed in battle, since his nervous system was rapidly deteriorating at the time. In the end, the two of them end up working together [[EnemyMine with the Mandarin]] to stop the dragons.
* MovesetClone: Tony and Rhodey in the VideoGame/CapcomVs video games. (In the sprite-based games, it's not uncommon for War Machine to be a straight recolor of Tony's Modular Armor.)
* MuggleBestFriend: To Tony (who is a {{Mutant}} somewhat) in the ComicBook/UltimateMarvel universe.
* PatrioticFervor: Usually as Iron Patriot.
* PrivateMilitaryContractors: Before he worked for Stark Industries but after his last tour in Vietnam. Also when he was Iron Man working for Circuits Maximus.
* PoweredArmor: James Rhodes has used Stark armor many times, either taking up the ComicBook/IronMan mantle while Tony was incapacitated or presumed dead, or working independently as War Machine. He has since gained a fear of it after many near-death experiences and actually dying.
* RageQuit: Rhodey's reaction to Tony FakingTheDead.
* RetCanon: To tie into ''Film/IronMan3'', Rhodey has recently taken up ComicBook/NormanOsborn's old Iron Patriot identity.
* RetiredBadass: Though it didn't last.
* TheRival: Parnell Jacobs, who stole a set of War Machine armor and became a mercenary. Eventually became a friendly rivalry.
* SemperFi: DependingOnTheWriter, usually when his army background is played up.
* ScaryBlackMan: Sure, you can't see the actual pilot of the suit, but you do NOT want to piss Rhodes off. Ever. This is a guy that's taken out Hulk villains with a standard firearm on more than one occasion.
* ShellShockedVeteran: After his return from death, he becomes truamatized with "armoring up", viewing them akin to coffins. However, he is still able to pilot fine and actually finds it comforting.
* ShoulderCannon: Typically in the form of a Gatling gun on one shoulder and a missile launcher on the other.
* SidekickGraduationsStick: From non-superhero ally to Iron Man replacement to his own hero identity.
* SpandexLatexOrLeather: None, powered armor!
* SuperheroPackingHeat: A rather grotesque understatement.
* SuspiciouslySimilarSubstitute: Due to legal issues, ComicBook/IronMan was unavailable for ''VideoGame/MarvelVsCapcomClashOfTheSuperheroes'', so War Machine was selected in his stead (for all intents and purposes, he's a PaletteSwap of Iron Man). As a result, his [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IBd3Y8298rU theme]] in this game is based off of Iron Man's ''VideoGame/MarvelSuperHeroes'' [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XxHZbfzSII0 theme.]]
* ThereIsNoKillLikeOverkill: He's able to add more weapons to his armor so it has come to this. He's the trope's image for a reason.
* TonightSomeoneDies: [[spoiler:Rhodey himself! He's killed by ComicBook/{{Thanos}} in a Free Comic Book Day Special and it's his death that kicks off ''ComicBook/CivilWarII''.]]
* TraumaButton: After being resurrected from his latest death in Civil War II, he develops a PTSD response to combat in armor after years of accruing trauma from dying in it. He can handle piloting a heavily armed ship much better.
* UnusualWeaponMounting: Rhodey as War Machine would mount his weapons anywhere.
* WalkingArmory: War Machine is a PoweredArmor version of this trope (as especially seen in [[Film/IronMan2 the film]] [[Film/IronMan3 version]]). Note that the regular Iron Man armor is already stuffed with miniaturized weapons; the War Machine suit is overflowing with them...and some of them are not so miniaturized; the iconic feature of War Machine is a shoulder-mounted Gatling gun. Many versions of the War Machine armor also have a second turret on the other shoulder with a multiple missile launcher on it. The same is also true of his incarnation from ''WesternAnimation/IronManArmoredAdventures'', if not moreso.
* WhenAllYouHaveIsAHammer: In his case, it's "When all you have is an electric minigun, a missile box, and a crapload of other guns". Slightly inverted, in that the suit is designed to have MORE options for combat than the standard Iron Man armor.
* WhereDaWhiteWomenAt: Rhodey has had two important interracial relationships: the first was with Rae [=LaCoste=] (which was broken up by his parents), and the second is with [[ComicBook/MsMarvel Carol Danvers]] (the current Captain Marvel). [[spoiler:It ended with Rhodey's death, which ended up motivating Carol's actions in ''ComicBook/CivilWarII''. With him back to alive, they are back together.]]
* WhyDidItHaveToBeSnakes: Rhodey develops claustrophobia as a side effect of his resurrection. Because of that, he can't wear the War Machine armor and opts for his own HumongousMecha.
* TheWorfBarrage: The "Ex-Wife" against [[Film/IronMan2 Whiplash]]. It was a dud.
[[/folder]]
!!Rescue
[[folder:Virginia "Pepper" Potts / Rescue]]
!!Virginia "Pepper" Potts / Rescue
[[quoteright:347:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/1508379-pepper_3018.jpg]][[caption-width-right:347:Pepper as Rescue]]
!!! '''First Appearance:''' ''Tales of Suspense'' (Vol 1) #45
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/rescue.png]]
%% [[caption-width-right:350:some caption text]]
->''"I have to accept that you're gone. And if I can't save you, then I have to save the world from what you've become. I bought one of the largest media companies on Earth from under you. I'll use it to sink your drug, Extremis, and I will show the world the monster you've become. They will all know your imperfections, Tony. You won't be their messiah anymore. Your zealots, so blind to the truth. I will open their eyes. Whatever you do from now on, you will do it without admiration, without those who once respected you. You will do it without your friends. You might still manage to force your arrogant vision onto the world. But you will do so broken, unloved... And completely alone."''
-->-- '''Pepper Potts''', ''ComicBook/SuperiorIronMan'' #9 (thankfully, [[CharacterRerailment this is no longer the case]]).
Virginia "Pepper" Potts is a Creator/MarvelComics characters who mainly appears as supporting character in ''ComicBook/IronMan'' comics. She is created by Creator/StanLee and Don Heck, and is introduced into Franchise/MarvelUniverse in ''Tales of Suspense'' #45 in 1963). As ''Rescue'', she's introduced in ''The Invincible Iron Man'' #10 in 2009.
Pepper is Tony Stark's secretary, assistant, and longtime friend. She was working for Stark Industries and spotted an accounting error. She raced to let Tony Stark know. Having saved the company a large amount of money, Stark promoted her to be his personal assistant. Over the years, she developed romantic feelings on her womanizing boss to the point that she rejects the advances of Stark's chauffeur and assistant Happy Hogan. As Stark's affection for her grows, she becomes part of a love triangle between the two men, but eventually falls in love with and marries Hogan. Although Pepper and Happy soon divorce after she has an affair with a former college boyfriend, she and Happy join Tony at his new company, Stark Solutions. During their time in Stark's new company, Pepper and Happy once again became involved and they remarry. But Happy eventually dies after he is massively injured by the supervillain Slaymaster during ''ComicBook/CivilWar'', and once again Pepper has on-off relationship with Tony. Half the time they're together, the other half they're pretending they weren't.
After ''Civil War'', Pepper joins the [[ComicBook/AvengersTheInitiative Fifty State Initiative]] as a member of ComicBook/TheOrder. She assumes the moniker of the [[Myth/ClassicalMythology Greek goddess]] Hera, and uses advanced computer hardware and prosthetics to monitor and coordinate the team's missions. Upon the absorption of The Order into the Initiative, Tony Stark offers her a job on the special projects team at Stark Enterprises, which she accepts.
When Pepper is caught in a terrorist explosion caused by Ezekiel Stane, she sustains multiple internal injuries, including shrapnel wounds, and rendered unable to withstand a prolonged surgery. In response, Tony embeds a strong magnet (similar in appearance to the arc reactor) in her chest, essentially turning Pepper into a {{cyborg}} dependent on keeping her chest magnet engaged to stay alive, as he was once. She eventually gains a suit of armor (and a heart implant) of her own as the heroine Rescue. Pepper's body is further enhanced with new cybernetics and upgrades to the magnet, which are based on [[ComicBook/ImmortalIronFist Danny Rand]]'s battery designs, and give Pepper new super abilities.
When Tony is blamed for the Skrull invasion of Earth that occurs in the ''ComicBook/SecretInvasion'', ComicBook/{{SHIELD}} [[ComicBook/DarkReign is taken over]] by ComicBook/NormanOsborn, replaced with H.A.M.M.E.R., Stark makes Pepper the new CEO of Stark Industries, trusting only her to shut down the company in his absence. Pepper discovers a secret room in Stark's office which contains a suit of armor that he made especially for her, which she uses under the name Rescue. She becomes a superheroine herself and rescues ComicBook/BlackWidow and Maria Hill from Osborn's imprisonment. As Rescue, she has her own single-issue comic, ''Rescue'' which is published in 2010.
After her heart-mounted repulsor generator and armored suit are dismantled to reboot the brain-dead Tony Stark, Tony reinstalls a new Repulsor Tech node in her chest and gifts her new Rescue armor, complete with the A.I. J.A.R.V.I.S.. Unfortunately, after J.A.R.V.I.S. had revealed that it developed romantic feelings for Pepper, it kidnapped her to keep her away from super heroic duties, but was deactivated by [[ComicBook/WarMachine James Rhodes]], who assumed the Iron Man identity at the time, and was finally destroyed by Pepper Potts in Resilient's factory along with Potts' Rescue armor, thus leaving her heroic alter-ego behind.
She later gets new Rescue armor in the ''Superior Iron Man'' comic.
[[AC:Notable Comic Books appearance]]
* ''ComicBook/AvengersTheInitiative''
* ''ComicBook/CivilWar''
* ''ComicBook/DarkReign''
* ''ComicBook/IronMan''
* ''The Invincible Iron Man''
* ''ComicBook/TheOrder''
* ''Rescue'' (2010)
* ''ComicBook/SuperiorIronMan''
* ''Tales of Suspense''
* ''2020 Rescue''
[[AC:Animations]]
* ''WesternAnimation/TheMarvelSuperHeroes'' (1966): Voiced by Peg Dixon.
* ''WesternAnimation/TheInvincibleIronMan'' (2007): Voiced by Elisa Gabrielli.
* ''WesternAnimation/IronManArmoredAdventures'' (2009-2012): Voiced by Creator/AnnaCummer.
* ''Anime/IronMan'' anime (2010): Voiced by Hiroe Oka and Creator/CindyRobinson.
* ''WesternAnimation/TheAvengersEarthsMightiestHeroes'' (2010-2013): Voiced by Dawn Olivieri.
* ''Anime/IronManRiseOfTechnovore'' (2013): Voiced by Hiroe Oka and Creator/KateHiggins.
* ''WebAnimation/LEGOMarvelSuperheroesMaximumOverload'' (2013): Voiced by Creator/GreyDeLisle.
* ''Anime/MarvelDiskWarsTheAvengers'' (2014-2015): Voiced by Creator/FumieMizusawa.
[[AC:Live-Actions]]
* ''Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse'': Portrayed by Creator/GwynethPaltrow.
** ''Film/IronMan1'' (2008)
** ''Film/IronMan2'' (2010)
** ''Film/{{The Avengers|2012}}'' (2012)
** ''Film/IronMan3'' (2013)
** ''Film/SpiderManHomecoming'' (cameo; 2017)
** ''Film/AvengersInfinityWar'' (2018)
** ''Film/AvengersEndgame'' (2019): Appears as both Pepper Potts and Rescue.
[[AC:Video Games]]
* ''[[VideoGame/ZenPinball Marvel Pinball]]'' (2010): Voiced by Creator/TaraPlatt.
* ''Ultimate VideoGame/MarvelVsCapcom3'' (2011): Appears as cameo.
* ''VideoGame/SuperHeroSquadOnline'' (2011-2016): Appears as playable hero as Rescue. Voiced by Creator/LauraBailey.
* ''VideoGame/MarvelAvengersAlliance'' (2012-2017): Appears as playable hero as Rescue.
* ''VideoGame/LEGOMarvelSuperHeroes'' (2013): Appears as playable hero as both Pepper Potts and Rescue. Voiced by Creator/LauraBailey.
* ''VideoGame/MarvelHeroes'' (2013-present): Appears as {{NPC}}. Voiced by Brett Pels.
* ''VideoGame/MarvelFutureFight'' (2015-present): Rescue was added to the playable roster in 2019 as a tie-in to ''Avengers: Endgame''.
* ''VideoGame/AvengersAcademy'' (2016-2019): A member of the main cast as assistant to Nick Fury, rather than Tony. Usually an NPC, but could be recruited as Rescue in limited-time events.
* ''VideoGame/MarvelStrikeForce'' (2019-present): Appears as playable hero as Rescue, again as a tie-in to ''Endgame''.
----
!Tropes
* ActionGirl: Despite her lack of training in hand-to-hand combat, she can definitely hold her own in battle as Rescue.
* AffectionateNickname: She is called "Pepper" because of her freckles and red hair, and as a pun on her last name.
* AlliterativeName: Her nickname, Pepper Potts.
* AwesomeMcCoolname: Well, yeah, but her real name is cool too, Virginia Potts.
* BeleagueredAssistant: For Tony Stark at times. It's apparently bad enough that Pepper's fiance hated Tony for "ruining" Pepper's life and actually turns into a villain as a result.
* BerserkButton:
** In ''VideoGame/MarvelAvengersAlliance'', don't dismiss her as being just "Tony Stark's secretary".
** It comes up in her movie version, too. In her very first scene she fires off an uncharacteristically nasty zinger after Tony's latest conquest makes a seemingly derogatory comment about the job.
--->'''Christine:''' After all these years, Tony still has you picking up the dry cleaning.\\
'''Pepper:''' I do anything and everything Mr. Stark requires. Including occasionally [[SlutShaming taking out the trash]]. Will that be all?
* BlueIsHeroic: Switches to a blue suit in ''[[ComicBook/IronMan2020Event Iron Man 2020]]'', after previously wearing red and magenta.
* BreastPlate: On the Rescue armor, though how bad an example it was depended on the issue and artist.
* BroughtDownToBadass: Her first Rescue armor has been destroyed, but she still has the power from her Repulsor Tech implant in her chest anyway. She eventually gets a new armor.
* {{Cyborg}}: The Repulsor Tech node is implanted in her chest and is linked to her brain. It allows her to interact with different types of energies.
* DeadpanSnarker: She's as bad as Iron Man in this regard.
-->'''Pepper:''' I asked the man whose car you wrecked if I could throw it at you. He said okay.
* DistaffCounterpart: For a while she was a Distaff Counterpart to Iron Man under the name Rescue. While her armor was destroyed, she still has implanted repulsor-tech, giving her a few Iron Man-like powers. She eventually rebuilt the armor, including new characteristics and a pink color scheme.
* FieryRedhead: Played with, she's certainly strong and outspoken, but too level-headed and calm to fully fit the trope.
* {{Flight}}: When Tony installed an electromagnet in her chest she gained the ability to fly, independently of the Rescue suit.
* GirlFriday: "I do anything and everything Mr. Stark requires." This includes sneaking into her boss' company and downloading files for him without alerting anyone else. She's not the page image for nothing.
* HonestCorporateExecutive: Has acted as the CEO of Stark's various corporations, and always tries to keep things aboveboard and transparent.
* HypercompetentSidekick: Tony Stark may be able to build a miniature arc reactor [[MemeticMutation in a cave, with a box of scraps]], but it is no secret that for all his genius, he can't function without his ever faithful assistant, the beleaguered Pepper Potts.
* LoveInterest: Tony's primary love interest.
* LoveTriangle: With Tony and Happy Hogan. Until Hogan died.
* MeaningfulName: Her codename of "Rescue" signifies her unwillingness to be used as a weapon--she'll save people, but she won't hurt anyone. Also her real name, Virginia "Pepper" Potts = Silk hiding fire.
* MomentOfWeakness: During the Manhunt comic arc in Iron Man where Tony Stark is framed for the attacks on the Chinese. FBI agent Neil Streich threatens to draw in Pepper Potts and the hospitalized Happy Hogan unless Pepper agrees to cooperate with him. Pepper agrees and provides Stretch with the code he needs to activate a failsafe which deactivates the Iron Man armor. Pepper is heartbroken and horrified when she gives Neil the code and shamefully admits to a comatose Happy that that was the worst thing she could have done to him. When Tony is able to evade capture and clear his name, he forgives Pepper for her betrayal. Pepper breaks down and cries as Tony hugs her, saying "You don't have to say that. You have every right to think I let you down because I did. Stretch got me worried about Happy and I should have been stronger, or cleverer" as Tony says everything is OK.
* MyGodWhatHaveIDone: When FBI agent Neil Stretch threatens to arrest Pepper Potts and the hospitalized Happy Hogan unless Pepper agrees to cooperate with him, Pepper agrees to work with him. Pepper provides Stretch with the code he needs to activate a failsafe which deactivates the Iron Man armor. She regrets giving Stretch the code the minute she gives it to him, as she tells a comatose Happy.
* PoweredArmor: She had her Rescue armor until it's destroyed when its J.A.R.V.I.S. A.I. went rogue. She rebuilt a version in time for ''Superior Iron Man''.
* ReallyGetsAround: Not as much as Iron Man, but she goes through a lot of disposable boyfriends, in addition to Tony and Happy.
* RetCanon: After the release of ''Film/AvengersEndgame'', Pepper's Rescue armor was redesigned to more closely resemble how it appears in the film, as seen in ''2020 Rescue''.
* SelectiveMagnetism: The Rescue armor uses this. Pepper can also manipulate magnetism outside of the Rescue armor, so long as she has the implant in her chest. This allowed her to beat down Sandman and Electro during one arc in ''Invincible Iron Man''.
* SassySecretary: Kind of expected, given her snarky attitude towards her boss.
* ServileSnarker: She's quite an expert in StealthInsult.
* SexySecretary: There's a reason that Tony likes her. Granted, the man ReallyGetsAround.
* SilkHidingSteel: She is a polite, benevolent, elegantly dressed business woman cum art curator. She's also the only person who can wrangle the self-proclaimed [[MemeticMutation genius billionaire playboy philantropist]] superhero.
* StoneWall: The Rescue armor is tough, but lacks any offensive capabilities. If Pepper wants to hurt somebody, she'll have to use her magnetism. Or throw something at them. She adds in [[MakeMeWannaShout a sonic blaster]] in ''Superior Iron Man'', but Tony already worked the sonic weakness out of his armor ahead of time, making her still relatively weak in that respect.
* SubordinateExcuse: Regularly comes up vis-a-vis her and Tony.
* ThouShaltNotKill: Takes this far more seriously than Tony or Rhodey do, objecting strongly to the notion of being used as a weapon and/or taking life.
* TookALevelInBadass: Took a massive level in badass since the sixties, which culminated in her gaining a suit of powered armor during Creator/MattFraction's run.
* UnresolvedSexualTension: With Tony since the sixties. Half the time they're together, the other half they're pretending they weren't.
[[/folder]]
!!Iron Heart
[[folder:Riri Williams / Ironheart]]
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[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/ironheart_9.jpg]]
->''"Those who move with courage make the path for those who live in fear."''
Riri Williams, also known by her codename Ironheart, is a Creator/MarvelComics character created by Creator/BrianMichaelBendis and Mike Deodato, first appearing in ''Invincible ComicBook/IronMan'' #7 (dated March 2016).
Born shortly after the death of her father, Riri Williams grew up in UsefulNotes/{{Chicago}} with her mother and stepfather, soon discovering a pretty surprising truth about herself: she was a genius intellect with special aptitude for engineering. By the age of fifteen, Riri was already attending M.I.T. on a free scholarship offered to her because of it.
It was during this time that Riri reverse-engineered the Iron Man Mark 41 suit in her dorm room, using (stolen) materials from the M.I.T. campus. After testing out her suit's capabilities a few times, Riri had her first taste of crimefighting by stopping a truck carrying a group of prison escapees in UsefulNotes/NewMexico, which came at the cost of her suit's armor integrity.
While rebuilding her suit from the ground up, Tony Stark learned of her accomplishment, fully endorsing her potential as a hero by offering to take her under his wing.
Later as part of ComicBook/MarvelAFreshStart, Riri returned in a new ongoing solo, written by Creator/EveEwing and illustrated by Kevin Libranda. It lasted for twelve issues. She also joined the teenage superhero team the [[ComicBook/Champions2016 Champions]].
A live action Creator/DisneyPlus series based on the character was announced for the Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse in December 2020, with Dominique Thorne (''Film/IfBealeStreetCouldTalk'') cast in the title role.
----
!! Ironheart appears in:
[[AC:Notable Comic Books]]
* ''Invincible ComicBook/IronMan'' (various runs):
** vol. 2 (2016)
** vol. 3 (2016 -- 2018)
* ''ComicBook/{{Champions|2016}}'' (various runs):
** vol. 2 (2018)
** [[ComicBook/Champions2019 vol. 3 (2019)]]
** [[ComicBook/Champions2020 vol. 4 (2020)]]
* ''Riri Williams: Ironheart'' (2018 -- 2019)
[[AC:Live-Action TV]]
* ''Ironheart'' (TBA), portrayed by Dominique Thorne
[[AC:Video Games]]
* ''VideoGame/MarvelFutureFight'' (added in 2017)
* ''VideoGame/MarvelPuzzleQuest'' (added in 2017)
* ''VideoGame/LEGOMarvelSuperheroes2'' (2017)
[[AC:Animation]]
* ''Franchise/MarvelRising'', voiced by Creator/SofiaWylie
** ''WesternAnimation/MarvelRisingHeartOfIron'' (2019)
** ''WesternAnimation/MarvelRisingBattleOfTheBands'' (2019)
----
!! Ironheart provides examples of the following tropes:
* AffirmativeActionLegacy: She's an African-American girl who ends up replacing Tony Stark in ''Invincible Iron Man'', albeit with a different codename.
* ArmorPiercingResponse: When she makes it clear she doesn't care to join SHIELD Sharon sardonically asks her [[GodwinsLaw if she's a fan of Hydra]]. Riri responds with a succinct breakdown of [[BigBrotherIsWatching how SHIELD abuses power]] and asks her if she really thinks people who don't like their methods are really WithUsOrAgainstUs.
* BreakTheBadass: She confronts ComicBook/{{Thanos}} in ''Infinity Countdown: Champions'' #2, expecting an easy victory. Thanos, not impressed, disintegrates her armor and leaves her a sobbing wreck. This is followed up in her own series, ''Riri Williams: Ironheart'', where she has a clear case of PTSD.
* CurbStompBattle: See above.
* ChildProdigy: Riri was diagnosed as a genius when she was five years old.
* ComicBookFantasyCasting: Modeled after [[https://twitter.com/mikedeodato/status/752487425155497984 Skai Jackson]].
* DeadGuyJunior: Riri is named for her late father, who died shortly before her birth. And her name is "Riri" which isn't a nickname of any sort.
* {{Determinator}}: Tony recognizing this quality in her is part of the reason he offers to take her in.
* DitzyGenius: Despite being a genius engineer, Riri still has her airheaded moments, like taking over Latervia on a whim.
* DivergentCharacterEvolution: After she joins the Champions [[spoiler: and is handily taken down by Thanos, who destroys her armor]], Riri builds a new suit that replaces the red in her original Stark-esque design with black and pink. This represents her first major step away from being simply "black female Iron Man".
* DumpStat: According to a Marvel ad for an issue of ''Champions'' portraying the team as RPG characters, Riri's is Charisma.
* FakingTheDead: [[spoiler:Riri thinks that her father, Riri Williams Sr, died before she was born. In ''Ironheart'' #10, she's investigating the Wellspring of Power with ComicBook/{{Shuri}}, [[ComicBook/BlackPanther Okoye]], and [[ComicBook/NewWarriors Silhouette]]... and Sil spots a man who looks a lot like Ironheart... her father is alive after all.]]
* FriendlessBackground: She's only had one close friend who unfortunately died as the result of a drive-by shooting.
* GadgeteerGenius: Was able to reverse engineer one of Tony's old Iron Man armors to make her own suit.
* GenerationXerox: While not related to Tony, she shows many of the traits associated with him. It's part of the reason he decided to take her under his wing.
* GoodParents: After learning of her incredible intellect, her mother and stepfather made a deliberate effort to raise her as altruistically as possible, fearing any social disconnect that would make her a MadScientist. She's fully aware of why they're doing it but has accepted it.
* ItAmusedMe: Inverted. She quit M.I.T. because she found it boring.
* IneffectualLoner: Despite being on a team, Riri would rather still work alone, sometimes to the detriment of the mission.
* IvyLeagueForEveryone: Although she later quits, her being an MIT student is a quick way to establish her as an engineering genius.
* LegacyCharacter: PlayedWith. She's more of a diminutive character branching off from an established one with a similar name (example: ComicBook/{{Batman}} and ComicBook/{{Batwoman}}, ComicBook/{{Batgirl}}, etc.), but she's effectively one of these, as Tony is grooming her as his successor.
* NoSocialSkills: As part of her intellect and also trauma from dealing with tragedies in the past, she usually holes her herself away from everyone, tinkering with her armour. She did it with MIT and also in her own garage.
* NotSoDifferent: On the surface level, Riri couldn't be more different than Tony Stark (a young black girl compared to a white man), but she also has Tony's determination and poor communication skills and some would say questionable morality.
* ShipperOnDeck: Silhouette and Okoye end up creating "Shuriri" ship as a joke.
* ShoutOut: Riri's armor has some design elements that are reminiscent of [[Franchise/{{Transformers}} Optimus Prime]].
* SpiritAdvisor: A VirtualGhost of Tony Stark (who was in a coma) serves as onboard AI and mentor of her next armor model.
* SuicidalOverconfidence: A ''Champions'' issue actually sees Riri attempt to challenge ''[[GalacticConqueror Thanos]]'' of all people to a fight. [[spoiler: It's a miracle the Mad Titan was feeling merciful and only disintegrated her ''armor.'']]
* SuperheroSpeciation: Played with during the ''Search for Tony Stark'' arc, where Riri teams up with number of other heroes with powered armor that are all unique and visually distinct from each other for contrast.
* TooMuchAlike: The reason why Riri keeps clashing with ComicBook/{{Shuri}} - they both have strong, independent personalities and don't like being bossed around, which means they get on each other's nerves very fast.
* VirtualSidekick: The armor Riri builds contains an AI replica of Tony Stark's personality, which acts as both assistant and mentor to her.
[[/folder]]
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