are partnered to another soldier in combat; it’s your duty to look out for each other and ensure you both make it through the mission unscathed—no matter what. I believe this is Rhodey’s mechanism for coping with civilian life and the strangeness of working for (and later with) Tony Stark. Think about it: most days on the job at Stark Enterprises, the Living Laser or Spymaster will come crashing through your windows, then try to steal the newest technological invention built by your boss. Only by focusing on his loyalty to Tony, a person who gave him a shot—a friend who took a chance on him—can Rhodey deal with the insanity destined to occur in the same building as Iron Man’s exploits.
Several years later, Tony had been prepping and grooming Rhodey to take over Stark Enterprises, Tony’s billion-dollar company. Tony had suffered nerve damage from extensive use of the various Iron Man suits and kept it secret. So…Tony faked his death—because when you need to heal from nerve damage, it’s best to fake your demise to all your friends and place yourself in suspended animation. Needless to say, Rhodey suddenly found himself in charge. He had to take control of a giant company and protect its interests by suiting up in the new Iron Man suit, called the Variable Threat Response Battle Suit. Rhodey even took Tony’s place in the West Coast Avengers! (This is the Avengers team that stops beach crimes while surfing near the Santa Monica Pier. A very different vibe from the regular Avengers team.) These are situations Rhodey did not want to be a part of. However, he took responsibility and succeeded because of his loyalty to his “dead” friend.
This is the crux of every decision Rhodey makes. How can he support his friend? How can he support his fellow service members? It’s all through the act of giving to the other, giving to his best friend. Does this suggest there is a piece of Rhodey that will not be an airman? Yes, it does. It’s so central to his core that without it, he wouldn’t know what to do or how to act. This value is what Rhodey ingrained into himself over the course of his service. All service members change when we go through the gauntlet of serving our country. How much and how little depends on the person. For Rhodey, he holds tight to what he needs to survive. If someone were to betray him, it would not go well. It would lead to what many would call a “Bye, Felicia” scenario.
When Tony finally rejoined the land of the living, Rhodey quit Stark Enterprises. These two men, who were best friends, didn’t talk for several years after this incident. Can we really blame Rhodey? Rhodey stepped into a world he wanted no part of. He’s a pilot. He likes to make avionics soar over the wind, not sit in boardrooms and put together reports on profit margins. Rhodey did it for Tony. His battle buddy betrayed him on a very fundamental level. If you can’t trust your battle buddy, your most loyal friend, then who can you trust?
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