Iron Patriot

Iron Patriot
Norman Osborn as Iron Patriot. Art by Adi Granov.
Publication information
Publisher	Marvel Comics
First appearance	Dark Avengers #1 (March 2009)
In-story information
Team affiliations	Dark Avengers
Notable aliases	American Son
Abilities	Superhuman strength and durability Flight Magnetic impact blasts Heat seeking missiles Miniaturized lasers Flamethrowers Communications system via helmet

Iron Patriot is a fictional powered exoskeleton combat suit used by several characters in Marvel Comics. The alias is an amalgam of Iron Man's armor and Captain America's patriotism. The Iron Patriot suit was first shown during the Dark Reign storyline with Norman Osborn using the suit as he took control of H.A.M.M.E.R. succeeding Tony Stark, using an armor similar in design to Stark's Iron Man suit but with a more patriotic red, white, and blue color scheme.

Osborne, as Iron Patriot, was an integral part of the Dark Avengers comic book as well as being an antagonist in subsequent Avengers comic series. The Armor itself is seen after the end of the "Dark Reign" crossover event, but was not piloted by Osborne. Advanced Idea Mechanics (A.I.M.) use the technology to create an army of Iron Patriot drones in an attempt to incriminate the United States. Later on, War Machine adopts another version of the Iron Patriot armor.

The Iron Patriot armor is also used in Marvel's cinematic universe, featured in Iron Man 3 where the government rebrands War Machine (played by Don Cheadle) into the Iron Patriot, complete with a red, white, and blue color scheme. In his next Marvel movie appearance, Avengers: Age of Ultron, he has reverted to his War Machine color scheme.

Fictional history

Norman Osborn

Norman Osborn donned the original Iron Patriot armor during the Dark Reign storyline to exert his authority as 'commander' of H.A.M.M.E.R. and his own personal Avengers.

Iron Patriot's activities have been increasingly jeopardized by various superheroes such as when he was tricked into attacking Tony Stark in an early Iron Man suit and when the New Avengers led by the new Captain America (Bucky Barnes) used Iron Patriot's tracking device on Luke Cage as a trick to destroy his own house.

During his invasion of Thor's Asgard on the "claim" of a national security threat, Iron Patriot fights with Steve Rogers. But in the middle of Iron Patriot's fight with Rogers, Stark dismantles the Iron Patriot armor remotely, revealing Osborn's Green Goblin-like facepaint as he tells them they are all dead as the Void is released. When Rogers, Stark and Thor transfer him to the Raft penitentiary, Osborn blames his Goblin alter-ego for ruining his chance to protect the world as Iron Patriot.

Backup armors

During the Fear Itself storyline, a back-up Iron Patriot armor is seen amongst many Iron Man armors to assists the New Avengers against the new Red Skull (in her Skadi form) but the armors are vaporized by the female villain's new powers.

During the Marvel NOW! event, a second back-up Iron Patriot armor is seen at a weapons expo that Daisy Johnson and Nick Fury, Jr. were attending. During the attack by A.I.M. and their fight with the Secret Avengers, Andrew Forson of the A.I.M. High Council takes the opportunity to steal the armor. The Iron Patriot armor was replicated and its low-level A.I. was grown considerably, creating an army of sentient Iron Patriot drones which A.I.M. used to incriminate the United States in numerous international attacks. When an army of Iron Patriot droids that were going to attack Iran appear, S.H.I.E.L.D. sent the Hulk to destroy the Iron Patriot droid army.

War Machine wears yet another back-up Iron Patriot armor per S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Phil Coulson's suggestion. Using holographic communication, S.H.I.E.L.D. hacks into the A.I.M. network which allows Rhodes to talk to the Iron Patriot suits. Rhodes makes the Iron Patriot army understand their programmed actions are wrong, and states he could teach them. In response, the Iron Patriot androids send Rhodes a new version of Iron Patriot armor.

Powers and abilities

The Iron Patriot armor featured superhuman strength, enhanced durability, flight, magnetic impact blasts, heat seeking missiles, miniaturized lasers, flamethrowers, and a communications system housed in the helmet which allowed the suit to interface with any U.S.-controlled satellite or computer network. While Iron Man's armors utilized repulsor technology, the original Iron Patriot design did not as "Oz [was] too stupid" to make his own repulsor-based weapons system so the chest's star shaped Uni Beam projector had a less powerful output. However, the new Iron Patriot armor is a complete redesign that's an update of the previous model.

Other versions

American Son

The "Dark Reign" storyline established American Son, another exoskeleton made from Iron Man's arsenal with Captain America's colors.

In The Amazing Spider-Man and related tie-ins to that storyline, Harry Osborn is approached with a job during his father Norman Osborn's corrupt tenure as director of H.A.M.M.E.R., which temporarily replaced S.H.I.E.L.D. To help his fiancé, Harry gains access to the American Son armor. However, this was a ruse in which Norman would eventually arrange for American Son to publicly die tragically in order to increase sympathy for himself. After this discovery, Harry dons the American Son armor and fights Norman in the Iron Patriot armor to which the son came victorious over the father.

After their father's incarceration, Gabriel Stacy shoots Harry Osborn in the chest, but American Son saves his brother. After his attempt on Harry's life, Gabriel confronts the American Son suit and demands to know why 'he' interfered. It is subsequently revealed that Gabriel has stolen the American Son armor and now suffers from a split personality. Gabriel himself commits crimes himself while his 'American Son' persona undoes the damage. During Gabriel's fight with Spider-Man and Harry, Harry hacked into the American Son armor and quickly overpowers Gabriel. After he is defeated, Gabriel is placed in a psychiatric hospital and the American Son armor is thought to be destroyed. However, a package is soon delivered to his room containing American Son's helmet and a note from Norman telling him that he loves and misses Gabriel.

Ultimate Marvel

The Ultimate Marvel version of Iron Patriot appears during the "United We Stand" storyline when a 'civil war' occurs throughout the United States. As a response to Captain America as the President of the United States, Iron Man's brain tumor consciousness uses the remote-controlled Iron Patriot armor to fight the Commander Crimson and the Black Knight.

In other media

Television

• The Iron Patriot armor appears on the Marvel cartoons on Disney XD based on the colors seen from the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
  • The Iron Patriot armor makes its animated debut in the Ultimate Spider-Man animated series worn by Norman Osborn.
    • The American Son armor appears in the episode "Iron Vulture." Harry Osborn operates it to help his father, Spider-Man, and Kid Arachnid fight Doctor Octopus, one of his Octobots, and Vulture.
  • The Iron Patriot armor makes cameo appearances in Avengers Assemble. It appears as one of Iron Man's remote-controlled armors that harasses the Iron Skull in "Exodus." In "Avengers Disassembled," the Iron Patriot armor is later hijacked by Ultron to fight Captain America.

Film

File:Don Cheadle as Iron Patriot.jpg

James "Rhodey" Rhodes as Iron Patriot in a character poster for the 2013 film Iron Man 3.

• The Iron Patriot armor appears in the 2013 film Iron Man 3. This version is worn by Colonel James Rhodes as the U.S. Government's "American hero" symbol thanks to A.I.M. in response to the events that occurred in The Avengers. Rhodey explains that focus groups indicated that War Machine was too aggressive and that "Iron Patriot" gave a better message. However, Tony Stark scoffs at the Iron Patriot concept throughout the film. After the armor's theft by the Extremis-powered soldiers via an ambush, Eric Savin poses as Iron Patriot to abduct President Matthew Ellis (William Sadler) via the armor. Aldrich Killian then puts Ellis in the Iron Patriot armor to be executed around an impounded Roxxon oil tanker. But while the Iron Legion fight the Extremis soldiers, Rhodes recovers the armor and rescues the President.

• In Iron Man and Captain America: Heroes United, Steve Rogers uses the Iron Patriot armor during a 'practice fight' with Tony Stark's Iron Man armor near the end of the movie.

Video games

• Both versions of Iron Patriot appear in Marvel Super Hero Squad Online.

• Iron Patriot's original suit appears as an alternate armor for Iron Man in Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3.

• Iron Patriot's second armor can be unlocked as an alternate armor for War Machine in the Iron Man 3 mobile game.

• Iron Patriot's second armor appears in Marvel: Avengers Alliance. In the 9th Spec Ops mission, the armor falls under Eric Savin's control.

• Iron Patriot's second armor appears in Lego Marvel Super Heroes. In a bonus mission, the Iron Patriot armor appears where Iron Man and War Machine end up in a dance-off against it. Iron Man and War Machine are able to beat the Iron Patriot armor in the dance-off.

• Iron Patriot's second version is a sidekick character in Disney Infinity: Marvel Super Heroes.

• Iron Patriot's second armor is an alternate costume for War Machine in Marvel Heroes.

• Iron Patriot's original version appears in Marvel Contest of Champions.

• Iron Patriot appears as a playable character in Lego Marvel's Avengers.

External links

• Iron Patriot at Marvel Wiki
• American Son at Marvel Wiki