War Machine: Weapon of SHIELD #35

March 17, 2023 Nick Peron

War Machine: Weapon of SHIELD, Part 3 of 3

Secret Invasion continues from Punisher: War Journal (vol. 2) #25….

War Machine (aka Jim Rhodes) has been tasked with stopping a Skrull invasion of Earth. While attempting to assist the Russia’s Winter Guard protect a nuclear stockpile Jim was knocked out and captured. Waking up aboard a Skrull ship, Rhodes discovers that they have removed his armor and are now going to dissect his cybernetic body to figure out how it works.[1]

The fact that Jim is now awake doesn’t seem to both them. However, their belief that he is helpless proves to be wrong. Using a powerful laser built into his cybernetic eye, he kills the two Skrull scientists. As the alarms start going off, Jim breaks free from the examination table and crawls to his War Machine armor. He is suited up when guards enter the room and he quickly dispatches them.

Re-establishing connection with Suzie Endo, his assistant, he learns that he is still over Titschevo, Russia. Winter Guard — Crimson Dynamo, Red Guardian, Darkstar, and Ursa Major — are still fighting a losing fight against the Skrulls. In the meantime, Suzie has been examining the wrecked Skrull ships that Jim had recently destroyed. She has been able to figure out the Skrull language enough in order to send simple computer commands if Jim can jack into a computer. Fighting his way through the guards, War Machine ports into one of the computers, allowing Suzie to send a command that makes the warship attack its two other comrades. Jim bails out, just as the three warships explode, much to the astonishment of the Winter Guard.

This is what it takes to make Crimson Dynamo ignore his superiors. Pretending that the Skrulls are interfering with his radio, Dynamo and Darkstar head into the air and give War Machine a hand. With two warships left, they struggle to punch through the shields. That’s when Darkstar reveals that she can use her powers to open portals. She uses this ability to allow War Machine and Crimson Dynamo to slip past the shields and destroy the Skrull ships from within. This is a phenomenal strain for Darkstar who begins to fall, but she is saved by War Machine.

The three then head back down to where the main battle is taking place. There Red Guardian and Ursa Major are tying to help Russian troops defend the nuclear weapons the Skrulls have come to take. Seeing that morale is plummeting, War Machine notices that one of the Super Skrulls has the powers of various Nazi super-villains. Jim points out that this is an intentional psyop given how many Russians that were killed by Nazis during World War II. When Red Guardian focuses on slaying this Skrull, it boosts morale.

The last Skrull standing is one whose powers are based on the U-Foes. Seeing that the tide of battle is turning, the Skrull begins building up energy in the hopes of achieving critical mass and exploding. Since his armor can absorb energy, War Machine grabs the Skrull and flies high into the air where the alien harmlessly explodes. War Machine survives, but by this time Russia has sent fighter planes to attack him for his illegal presence in Russia. Since War Machine helped save Russia, the Crimson Dynamo decides to help him out. The Dynamo catches up with the Russian fighter planes and accuses them of being Skrull spies and threatens to blow them out of the sky if they engage War Machine. This convinces them to stand down and allow War Machine to leave.

Before he does, Crimson Dynamo catches up with Jim and apologizes for not helping at first and thanks him for his help. He also wishes them the best of luck in the future. Given the invasion that is going on all over the globe, War Machine believes they all need a little luck.

… Secret Invasion continues in Secret Invasion: X-Men #4.

Recurring Characters

War Machine, Suzi Endo, Winter Guard (Crimson Dynamo, Darkstar, Red Guardian, Ursa Major), Skrulls, Iron Man

Continuity Notes

How Jim Rhodes became a cyborg is explained in War Machine (vol. 2) #1.

Topical References

The Russian fighter planes in this story are depicted as Sukhoi Su-30MKs. While these types of jets are still in production as I write this (May, 2023), they will eventually be retired as there have been advances in technology.

Secret Invasion Reading Order