- "With a little motorized assistance, and a whole lot of physical therapy, I think we can get him back on his feet again. The basic exoskeleton mechanics of the Iron Man suit should be suitable for leg braces. In fact, if I strip out all the armor and stick just to the bones, I bet I could make braces that weigh a little under 5 pounds for him."
- âTony Stark[src]
James Rhodes' Leg Braces were created by Tony Stark in order to restore James Rhodes' ability to walk, after Rhodes' spine was shattered during the Battle at Leipzig-Halle Airport.
History[]
James Rhodes's Recovery[]
- "It's just the first pass. Give me some feedback, anything you think of. Shock absorption, lateral movement. Cup holder?"
"You may wanna think about some A.C." - âTony Stark and James Rhodes[src]
In 2016, Vision accidentally shot an energy beam at James Rhodes' suit while aiming to temporarily impair Sam Wilson. Vision's attack hit Rhodes, damaging and disabling his suit's Arc Reactor. Unable to react to the damage, Rhodes entered a free fall from high altitude. Despite Wilson and Tony Stark's best efforts, they were unable to catch him before he hit the ground. Even though the suit's protection saved him from death, he suffered from a spine injury that paralyzed his legs. Rhodes was taken to the medical wing of the Avengers Compound and underwent rehab there.
James Rhodes gets leg braces
Shortly after, Stark created a pair of leg braces that allowed Rhodes to walk and engage in other activities fluently, and also integrated a similar functionality into all of Rhodes's suit designs.[1]
In 2018, Rhodes still had the leg braces, but had recovered enough to be able to join Steve Rogers, Natasha Romanoff, Sam Wilson, Bruce Banner, Wanda Maximoff, and Vision to Wakanda. He suited up in his War Machine suit and participated in the battle against the Outriders. Cushioned by his leg braces and the suit, Rhodes tried to fight Thanos also, but was powerless.[2]
In 2023, following the attack on the Avengers Compound, Rhodes was not wearing the leg braces, forcing him to crawl after his suit was damaged.[3]
Alternate Versions[]
| Origin | Status | Creators | Owners | Users |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avengers: Endgame | Active | Tony Stark â | James Rhodes | James Rhodes |
Appearances[]
In chronological order:
Captain America: Civil War
Avengers: Infinity War
Captain Marvel
Avengers: Endgame
Avengers: Endgame (alternate universe)
The Falcon and The Winter Soldier | Episode 1.01: New World Order
Behind the Scenes[]
- In a deleted scene for The Falcon and The Winter Soldier episode, New World Order, James Rhodes revealed that he had a procedure done so he did not have to wear the braces anymore. However, the lights of his brace are still visible through his pants.
