Super Soldiers

by Jason Inman

  It takes years for Carol to adopt the moniker and rank of “Captain Marvel” officially. Maybe it is a sign of deference to Mar-Vell—a man she very much admired—or maybe she didn’t want to be accused of being a superhero copycat. (Marvel isn’t as fond of legacy characters as DC Comics is.) It wasn’t until Steve Rogers insisted that Carol began to call herself by that designation in the field. All it took was a simple dare from an old Army soldier.

  Writer Kelly Sue DeConnick threw Carol into a situation where she had to directly confront the nature of the military. Not content with giving Carol her promotion from Ms. Marvel to Captain Marvel, DeConnick wished to send Carol directly to war—World War II, that is. In Captain Marvel Volume 7, through a series of time-travel shenanigans, Carol finds herself in a hairy combat situation on a battlefield. She has no way out. Suddenly, she’s rescued by the Women’s Air Service Pilots Banshee Squad, Class of 1943!

  First, I have to admit my bias. I generally do not enjoy stories about characters being lost or thrown into a time period other than their own. However, having Carol confront airwomen of the past is an intriguing turn in the plot. How will she react to their decisions? How will they react to hers? The possible issues are endless, as we see two generations of servicemembers from different times, with different points of view, confronting combat.

  After spending some time with the Banshee Squad, Carol admits to the group that her problem-solving methods generally involve “blasting it, punching it, outrunning it, or throwing it into space”—meaning that she is an attack-first-and-ask-questions-later type of woman. Interestingly enough, she directly contradicts this statement two issues later. In issue three of the DeConnick run, Carol and the Banshee Squad encounter a Japanese pilot in control of an advanced alien ship. Once he’s defeated, she lets the pilot go back to his home base. The Banshee Squad chastises her: “How can you let him go?” Carol ignores her fellow combat women and demands the pilot put together the best squad made up of his fellow combatants. Then he is to come back to this very spot, so Carol and her all-woman squad can kick their asses.

  Generally, it’s not a smart move for anyone in the military to give up a tactical advantage. A captured enemy combatant can provide valuable intel, and said intelligence can save many lives in future battles. At first, this move can be seen as a gesture of “fair play.” Carol wants to prove that she and her fellow warrior women are superior to any army the enemy can muster. Upon closer inspection, though, her actions can be seen as a direct contradiction to the Air Force’s policy for military professionals to not display anger. Does Captain Marvel really need to prove herself against a World War II Japanese military squad? Yes, they have advanced weaponry, but Carol is one of the most powerful cosmic heroes in the entirety of the Marvel Universe. This woman has fought Thor and the Hulk and lived! It doesn’t matter what technology this enemy unit has—Carol will decimate them. She knows it. Yet she issues the challenge and risks the lives of the Banshee Squad in the process. Luckily, the Banshee Squad makes it through the skirmish. However, things could have gone very wrong for Carol and her team. These actions call into question something at the core of Carol Danvers: just how good a leader is Captain Marvel?

  When she left the service, she achieved the rank of full bird colonel in the Air Force. This proves she was no slouch. No one can reach the rank of colonel in any military branch without being a great leader and a hard worker—unless a copious amount of bribes are issued in order to achieve said rank. This was not the case for Carol.

  After the massive, cosmic comic book event known as Secret Wars (2015), Carol is offered command of the Alpha Flight Space Program. No, this was not your father’s Alpha Flight. No sasquatches or men bathed in the visage of the Canadian flag are on this team; this organization manned the Alpha Flight Low-Orbit Space Station and set themselves up as the first line of defense for Planet Earth. It puts Carol in the unique position of taking charge of a brand-new team called “the Ultimates.” This team became proactive, searching for scientific and non-violent solutions. One of their first missions was to cure the world-eater Galactus of his problem of eating worlds! (Somewhere, Galactus creator and late comic legend Stan Lee felt me write that sentence and a tinge of anger come over his spirit. “Undo my great work? Never!”)

  This Ultimates team operated like a military think tank, and it allowed Carol the opportunity to command and collaborate with scientists instead of soldiers. Suddenly, Carol is exposed to problem-solving which does not involve violence or punching your enemy into submission. Despite being exposed to new worlds and infant galaxies of thought (literally), Carol is soon confronted with another situation where her core beliefs will be called into question.

  An Inhuman with the ability to see the future, named Ulysses Cain, becomes the focal point of the storyline Civil War 2 (2016). Carol is intrigued by Ulysses and wants to use him to stop crimes and major disasters before they happen. One man is opposed to using this Inhuman and following his predictions without question. That man is the Iron Man, Tony Stark. Tony figures that, if Carol can stop these crimes before they happen, then the visions can only be from a single possible future. Nothing guarantees these specific people will actually commit the crimes, simply because Ulysses says they will. Carol ignores Stark and acts on every premonition Ulysses makes. This leads to severe personal costs for Captain Marvel and those who come down on her side.

  During an incident with the mad titan Thanos, the sensational She-Hulk is critically injured, and Carol’s current lover, War Machine, is killed. Not long after this, Ulysses has a vision implicating Miles Morales, the Ultimate Spider-Man, in the future murder of Captain America. Carol wants Miles arrested on the spot. Tony Stark does everything in his power to prevent her from achieving her goal. A chaotic superhero battle erupts for the very soul of the Marvel Universe.

  The fallout from this event leads to the death of Tony Stark (only for a few months. This is comics! No one stays dead forever, kids!). Carol Danvers is soon invited to the White House by the president, who rewards her with a blank check to do whatever she sees fit. It is a gift of thanks on the president’s behalf because he admired how she handled the situation and appreciated knowing what was going to happen in the future.

  Should Carol have been rewarded? Her actions in this event are definitely in the “ends justify the means” camp. Several times, throughout Civil War 2, Carol arrested innocent people merely because of the possibility they would commit a crime in the future. Should innocent people have to suffer for the greater good, or the greater future? Our journey to the ultimate goal is just as important as the final outcome, and our morals, and our actions to achieve that outcome, are equally as important. At several points, Captain Marvel violates the Air Force’s “Service Before Self” model. It states that one must respect others: “We must always act in the certain knowledge that all persons possess fundamental worth as human beings.”

  In Civil War 2, Carol saw innocent people as criminals. She locked up these citizens as criminals before any crime had been committed, and she treated said individuals as criminals. Is that respect for others? I would argue it is not. I would argue that Carol Danvers was a poor example of a moral airwoman during this storyline. (I could also fill up the pages of a whole other book questioning the motives of a fictional president who applauds her actions therein.)

  The most profound thing that can be said about Carol Danvers is that she is layered. For every story in which the values of the armed forces shine through, there is another contrasting story where she fails them. I admire her bravery and her commitment, but sometimes her cosmic powers outrace her mind. Her leadership capability is beyond reproach. Her morals are where she falters. Yes, Carol is not the perfect ideal like Captain America of the first chapter, but as a full bird colonel, she is responsible for representing an example for the airmen in her command, for the heroes she leads, and for the civilians she saves. General Ronald Fogelman, who serve
d as the fifteenth chief of the US Air Force, once said: “Because of what we do, our standards must be higher than those of society at large. The American public expects it of us and properly so. In the end, we earn the respect and trust of the American people because of the integrity we demonstrate.”

  Does Captain Marvel meet the standard that General Fogelman preached? All evidence points to no. She may be a hero and inspiration to millions, but Carol Danvers could definitely try to do better. She has common values with other service members. If she allowed herself to follow them, then Captain Marvel would truly fly.

  Chapter 4

  War Machine

  The Armored Battle Buddy

  Everyone in the world knows the phrase “Batman and Robin.” Sidekicks are usually underappreciated, just like the supporting casts in many comic book worlds. These supporting casts include characters who, at first glance, many would consider to be “sidekicks.” In many stories, sidekicks are looked down upon as lesser heroes when measured against the deeds of their heroes/protagonists. However, these characters are the furthest thing from insignificant. These cast members stand by their heroes and support them in each of their battles while, at the same time, not following their orders blindly. Characters like Lois Lane in Superman, Wong in Doctor Strange, and James Rhodes in Iron Man stand taller than their heroes and—in many cases—outshine them in every aspect.

  James “Rhodey” Rhodes first appeared in Iron Man #118 (1968). To Tony and the reader, he was simply a helicopter pilot. It wasn’t until many issues later that we learned James’ true origin story. He was not only a pilot, but an Air Force helicopter pilot. (In another instance of Marvel Comic retconning, Rhodey originally met Iron Man during the Vietnam War. Now, their rolling—and constantly updating—timeline has their fabled meeting happening during the Afghanistan conflict.)

  When Tony came across Rhodey in the steamy jungle, the billionaire philanthropist was clad in the very first Iron Man suit he ever designed. (We’ll not mention why Tony is also wearing a trench coat and hat on top of the armor. That subject could fill another three-hundred-page book.) Rhodey was desperately trying to fix his helicopter to get back in the air when the newly minted “Iron Man” loudly lumbered through the trees. Rhodey did what any decently trained airman would do—he pointed his M16 at the monstrosity and fired! When the bullets had no effect on the Iron Man, Rhodey remarked, “Oh mama, looks like I’ve stepped in the bad stuff this time.” Iron Man assured Rhodey he would not harm him, but he needed the batteries from Rhodey’s downed helicopter to recharge his suit. If he couldn’t get a boost soon, the suit would fail and Tony Stark’s heart would stop. (This was during the time in Tony Stark’s career when he still needed the Iron Man suit to survive.) The two men barely had a moment to consider their next moves when a Viet Cong patrol attacked their position. The two were forced to unite against a common enemy. There’s no quicker way to forge a bond than that! Iron Man saved Rhodey’s life, which ultimately convinced James Rhodes to allow Iron Man to drain his helicopter’s batteries. As a result, the helicopter was permanently down for the count. Not only that, but Rhodey’s leg had been injured during the surprise attack. Determined not to leave behind the brave soldier who had helped him, Iron Man carried Rhodey on foot until they reached the American perimeter and safety. After being released from the hospital, Tony Stark appeared to Rhodey and thanked him for helping his Iron Man reach safety; he then offered Rhodey a job after the hostilities in Vietnam ended.

  (Readers’ note: Iron Man kept his real identity secret from Rhodey and made him believe Iron Man was Tony’s bodyguard. One can only imagine the conversations they must have had, jaunting through the jungle. “Hey, Iron Man, what movies do you like?” This was a ruse that Tony Stark perpetrated on several people in the comics over the years, not just Rhodey.)

  This brief encounter proves Rhodey was ready to think outside the box. He wasn’t—and is not—limited to the rules and standard procedures of the Air Force. Rhodey is willing to critically think about the situation and use the available means to accomplish his goal. You don’t look a gift iron robot man in the mouth. After a series of other jobs, Rhodey left the military and finally accepted Stark’s offer. He became Tony’s personal pilot and aviation engineer.

  Many people like to put service members in a box—typecasting them, if you will. If you join the Air Force, then the only career fields for you after your service are flying jumbo jets for airlines, or NASA. Rhodey took a job that was a little of both. If not for his acceptance of the strange, he would never have found himself working for a multibillionaire superhero, a job which would eventually lead him to his own true destiny: becoming a superhero.

  When my time in the service was over, I considered many jobs connected to my old life. I had just come back from a year in Iraq, and many of the civilian contractors who staff bases in the combat zone are always looking for experienced former soldiers. Since you’ve already seen the combat theatre up close, you know exactly what to expect. There would be no surprises. (In retrospect, I can’t imagine any full civilian non-veteran who would accept a job in a combat zone. No job pays that well.)

  There is one employer whose pay is woefully poor—the US armed forces. Join any of the branches and, unless you quickly move up the ranks to captain or major, you’re going to find your paycheck lacking. Now, there are plenty of other benefits that sometimes make up the difference when you are serving, but not many. Our fighting men and women are severely underpaid for the job we expect them to do. Civilian contractors in a combat zone, on the other hand, are paid handsomely. I remember asking the civilian who managed our fuel base on Tallil Air Force Base (the post I was stationed at in Iraq) how much he made. He simply laughed and said, “It’ll make your head spin, kid.” It’s the only reason I ever considered going back to the dusty lands of the Middle East, because maybe, just maybe, the pay would make it worth my time. I obviously never made that choice, since I now sit here writing this book. However, this exact choice was made by James Rhodes, and I like to think his Stark paycheck was very handsome. It’s a choice I think many combat veterans would have also made.

  Rhodey is also a character who values loyalty. Perhaps it was his many years serving in the Air Force, perhaps Rhodey always had a loyal bent, but this trait has come to define his relationship to Tony Stark. While many people in the world do not trust Tony, Rhodey always sticks by him. This essentially makes Tony his civilian battle buddy. That’s a term for when you 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 becau
se 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?

  Tony gave Rhodey the Variable Threat Response Battle Suit as compensation for his deception, saying the suit was always designed to be Rhodey’s. Thus, Rhodey was finally on his own, a hero with no one to take orders from. He renamed the shiny silver-and-black armor “War Machine” and even rejoined his old beach team, the West Coast Avengers. Yet this move did not last long, since Rhodey got into an argument with Iron Man (Tony) at an Avengers team meeting which led him to leave the Avengers altogether. The wounds of Stark’s betrayal had not healed.