Air Force One

"Mr. Stark, I'm about to eat honey roast ham surrounded by the agency's finest. And the President is safe on Air Force One with Colonel Rhodes. I think we're good here."

―Rodriguez to Tony Stark^[src]

Air Force One is the designation given to any United States Air Force aircraft transporting the President of the United States of America. "Air Force One" is typically used to refer to the two highly modified 747s that normally transport the president (tail numbers 28000 and 29000). One of the aircrafts was destroyed during Eric Savin's attempt to abduct Matthew Ellis.

History[]

Assassination of Thomas Richards[]

FakeMandarinTelevisionThreat6 — Matthew Ellis watches the Mandarin's broadcast

Matthew Ellis was aboard Air Force One when he witnessed another one of the Mandarin's broadcasts, where he was pointing a gun at Thomas Richards, an accountant for the Roxxon Corporation. The Mandarin demanded President Ellis to call him; otherwise, he would shoot Richards in the head. Despite his advisors recommended him not do it, Ellis called the Mandarin, who did not answer the phone and went on to shoot Richards. The Mandarin warned Ellis that there was nothing he could do to save himself from the next attack. Ellis ordered his men to find the Mandarin immediately, and as he was informed that the broadcast signal was tracked to Pakistan. Ellis ordered Colonel James Rhodes to strike.^[1]

Kidnapping of President Ellis[]

Matthew Ellis boarded Air Force One when Eric Savin, wearing the Iron Patriot Armor arrived. Believing him to be James Rhodes, Ellis was very relieved. While Air Force One was flying over Florida, Savin killed some of the agents escorting President Ellis and revealed his true face under the armor. Ellis prompted Savin to kill him, but Savin simply told him that was not the way the Mandarin worked.

IM3-PresidentEllis-Kidnapped — Matthew Ellis gets kidnapped by Eric Savin

Savin put Ellis inside the armor, programmed it to fly back to the Norco freighter and remained aboard the plane. The Iron Man Armor, remotely controlled by Tony Stark, ambushed Savin and was able to subdue him. Stark interrogated Savin about the whereabouts of President Ellis and Savin detonated an explosive that opened a hole in the plane, blowing out many of the crew. Before jumping to rescue the crew, Stark was able to kill Savin, firing a shot from the repulsor in his chest at point blank range. Stark then rescued the crew that was falling to the ocean by using Heather to start a human chain, but Air Force One exploded.^[1]