Source: io9.com

8. Iron Man (James Rhodes)

(aka Rhodey, aka War Machine)

James “Rhodey” Rhodes was a marine pilot who was shot down in the jungle. There, he ran into Iron Man, who was fresh from escaping his captivity and still clad in the Model 1 armor. The two became friends, and Rhodes was offered a position with Stark International.

When his boss, Tony Stark, succumbed in earnest to alcoholism, Rhodey stepped up and put on the Iron Man armor, initially to fight Magma. Rhodes kept up his role as Iron Man through Obidiah Stane’s hostile takeover of Stark International, and was successful in keeping control of Tony’s armors out of Stane’s hands.

Rhodes fought in the original Secret Wars, and was welcomed into the ranks of the West Coast Avengers. Rhodey was suffering, however. It turned out, Tony never re-calibrated the armor, and the circuitry was damaging Rhodes’ brain. This drove him temporarily insane, and Tony had to don the armor again to finish the fight against Obidiah Stane.

Tony took over, and Rhodes was eventually given a new armored identity as War Machine.